Being pleased with deliberately cruel policy will cost you your smile eventually, Nobody.
Yes, a new day and a sunrise but only for those who can survive it and who does survive will not forget the gloating NACT did on last night and beyond.
There's now an implicit Social Darwinism that is going to run throughout politics in NZ now that we have parties that openly endorses micromanaging and scolding beneficiaries newly in governmental power.
Don't be surprised if you one day look around you and realize that this has become a meaner, flintier and sadder country than it was before.
And you likely won't connect that state of affairs to the increasingly run-down politics of the parties that you voted for, or likely, you knew and you don't care because people are such whiners. /sarc
In any case, enjoy your glass of fine wine paid for by the tax cuts that are likely to going to be funded by reducing our benefit incomes over the next 3 or 6 years. I suspect you're going to need it somehow to ease your likely unacknowledged guilt or hatred or both.
It doesn't matter if it is centrist or not, National is joined with ACT and Luxon basically has signalled that he'd prefer to partner with ACT rather than NZF.
And you sound like Luxon telling Hipkins to "calm down." and with that, you have no sense of what we're all facing as a community.
With ACT and/or NZF policies implemented they will be allowing a Right of Centre and Righter influence. Even Labour isn't Centre anymore, so Nats can't be.
By comparing the election results to 2020, words like bloodbath' etc overstate the outcome.
ACT/Nats barely 50% of the vote. Nats down 6% on 2017
Labour is down 6% on 2017
ACT gone from .5% in 2017 to 8%
What has changed is that the two major parties are barely above 60% of the vote. To me, THAT is the bigger story and being overlooked by many.
Low wages, hig unemployment, beneficiary bashing, high low skill migrancy and higher house prices are coming- because that is what always happens when Nats/ACT are in Govt. They have offered nothing new or transformational. Employment and Environmental laws will shift toward employers and away from the environment and preservation of food production – it will reflect the profit motive.
Seymour wants to have his cake and eat it on the Treaty. Any referendum ought only be for maori and citizens descended from the British, cos those were the parties tot he treaty. IF he wants to 'go back to what it really means", he must also accept the whole context of what that means.
Indian, Asian region, South Africams etc are welcome but were never parties tot he Treaty so no referendum participation.
The government of today will be the same as the government of yesterday and the struggles that New Zealand faces will be the same.
However yesterday the people of New Zealand have decided that the old government were unable to address those struggles and that the New government are more capable.
I hope they are right but if not New Zealand will evaluate the state of affairs again in 3 years time.
With ACT and/or NZF policies implemented they will be allowing a Right of Centre and Righter influence. Even Labour isn't Centre anymore, so Nats can't be.
By comparing the election results to 2020, words like bloodbath' etc overstate the outcome.
ACT/Nats barely 50% of the vote. Nats down 6% on 2017
Labour is down 6% on 2017
ACT gone from .5% in 2017 to 8%
What has changed is that the two major parties are barely above 60% of the vote. To me, THAT is the bigger story and being overlooked by many.
Low wages, hig unemployment, beneficiary bashing, high low skill migrancy and higher house prices are coming- because that is what always happens when Nats/ACT are in Govt. They have offered nothing new or transformational. Employment and Environmental laws will shift toward employers and away from the environment and preservation of food production – it will reflect the profit motive.
Seymour wants to have his cake and eat it on the Treaty. Any referendum ought only be for maori and citizens descended from the British, cos those were the parties tot he treaty. IF he wants to 'go back to what it really means", he must also accept the whole context of what that means.
Indian, Asian region, South Africams etc are welcome but were never parties tot he Treaty so no referendum participation.
The 'people' decided someone must be punished for the impact of fighting a global panemic, and they hanker for the way things used to be. Ergo, they voted in parties who want to implement policies from yesterday…
probably a reference is to Michael Wood being out of parliament. There is a political point to be made here about Wood's use of the term 'river of filth', but I will be keeping a moderator eye on this that it's not being used to flame.
I'm suggesting 836,882 New Zealanders from all walks of life have decided that Labour have not been able to deliver the promises they have made over the last 3 (arguably 6) years and to improve their lives and the country that an alternative government is required which at this point is one made up of National, Act and potentially NZ First.
You may personally feel different however it would seem based on current results your feelings are in the minority.
Elections are not personal, or should be seen as personal attacks etc but rather a contest of ideas, beliefs and opinions within society which enable a group of individuals the ability to walk a path satisfactory to the majority of those individuals.
Personally I've not been happy with the path we as a country have walked over the past 6 years, and hope the next 3 years will be better for all of New Zealand.
I do not believe you and I are enemies but rather indivduals walking the same path with different viewpoints and enemies.
Have a good day. Tomorrow the path may alter in a direction you prefer and I do not, but either way the sun will still rise.
Is this including the disabled who will receive less $ to live on in future? I don't see how it can be a victory for them. Can you explain how that works?
This is a victory for all New Zealanders who used their democratic rights to elect a government that best represents them.
Like all governments there will be policies that positively and negatively effect each of us indivdually just like there were in the last government.
For the sick, ill and disabled I can only speak for my own circumstances (2 children and myself with disabilities) overall we calculate to be $200-300 per week better.
I guess that's the difference between you and me – you count the $ and say "yay more for me" whereas I see that the poorest and least able to survive will get less $ and I am appalled.
Not at all. You were the one who brought up the topic of money, for me money is obviously significant as being on a limited budget the ability for my family to ensure a roof over our heads, food in the pantry, bills paid etc is a fairly major worry that has only gotten worse over the last few years.
However the more important factors for me are is the ability to be able to have the cops turn up or an ambulance turn up when you call 111 (from whom I been told by both in the past 12 months when contacted nobody is available), or to take my daughter into a hospital A&E due to seizures and haventhem seen in less than 10 hours or for my kids able to get a quality education vs being sent home multiple times because their teachers are striking etc etc.
I want a better country for my kids, their friends and the future and the last Goverment were incapable of providing it. Hopefully this one is, otherwise perhaps the one after that.
Still ~570,000 special votes to be counted yet which is more than in 2020. Not that Labour are going to get close to 2020's numbers anyway, but there are still enough votes that the comparison will change a bit, particularly the percentage drop.
Well Mr Nobody much did you in fact notice that National didn't actually do as well in 2023 as Labour did in 2020?
No?
Let me explain it simply for you.
After 2020 Labour didn't need ANYONE to help it form a government. It had a majority of 10 seats and could have done it on its own (for the first time in MMP history) but in its spirit of inclusiveness it decided to let the Greens in as well.
National HAS to rely on Seymour to get anything passed. Either that or give into Winston's mob rule.
And at present it looks like the NACTS will have a one-seat (probably two seats after Port Waikato) majority.
Hmmm! not quite so rosy when you look at it that way is it?
Plus if Te Pati Maori manages to pick up another seat on specials the majority will be down to one.
One seat majority!
Wow! Gosh! Golly gee!, that's an impressive result after all the mega millions the 1% have pumped into the NACTs over the last year. Should have used the growth fund, not the conservative fund, huh?
Wait until the fun starts and ACT wants to take off stat holidays from workers. The centrists in National will get a bit uneasy about that.
There might be a few fights.
I'll get the popcorn!
Sorry to rain on your parade Mr Nobody much but you don't know shit.
I'm more than happy with National/Act/NZ First coalition.
While any coalition has the potential for conflicts and difficulties and obviously the more parties the more possibility for them occur, however I do believe that each of these parties can if tthey want to play ttogether they can and that each will be significantly mmotivated to make it work.
If National and Act do not attack crime and make a demonstrable improvement between today and the next election they will not be in power.
3 strikes will be re-implemented with new provisions the restrict the ability for the Judicary to pervert its purpose.
More offenders will be incarcerated
Current Policing approaches with be altered to more aggressively target gangs and repeat offenders.
I am sure this will lead to new issues but by doing so they will at least be able to say we have taken steps in line with what we have campaigned on and elected on.
I'm happy with the most effective solution which will ensure criminals are removed from society until they have been punished and rehabilitated for their crimes.
Means we have to wait a couple of weeks for the final count to see the shape of the new govt I guess. A stunning margin for Brooke van Velden – she thrashed the neanderthal thoroughly! Two Green women made history in Wellington, Chloe held her seat. Good results for young female politicians and their younger generations will be inspired by those role models.
While these results may flip seats in individual electorates (important for the people concerned, and for those individual electorates), it's the party vote which decides the government.
While there is a possibility of an overhang if both of the Maori seats still in play, go to TPM – this won't make a left-government possible.
A couple of points that have been a bit overlooked in last night's blue euphoria.
In 2020 Labour scored a clear majority of seats in its own right.
National did not do that last night, it still needs ACT to form a new government, which finally gives Seymour Butts the power and influence he has craved for years. He will be pushing for senior cabinet positions, no mistake. Landlords, loan sharks and Geoff Upson will be sooooo happy.
On projected results the NACTS hold a one-seat majority which we can assume will rise to two after the Port Waikato by-election and only another electorate claimed by Te Pati Maori on special votes would likely change that.
Winston's rag tag of pirates and conspiracy theorists will end up just another opposition party and won't be able to do s…t (fortunately perhaps). Winston will (not publicly at least) be very pissed off and we can expect NZ First to be a bunch of annoying f..wits in the next parliament – good at collecting their parliamentary salaries but little else.
From my perspective, I knew this was coming but my resigned disappointment is tempered by the spectacular results achieved in Wellington by the Greens. Taking the seat of Wellington Central and ahead in Rongotai, not to mention Chloe probably assured in Auckland Central. Also think that Te Pati Maori ran a good campaign.
There is (at least) one overhang from the Maori seats and there will be one from the by election, so this will be a parliament of 122.
NACT have 61 seats now but will lose at least one in the specials and gain one from the by-election. So they will have 61 seats (maybe 60) in a 122 house-this is not a majority. Winston is in the drivers seat.
Yes that is a possibility because the Greens traditionally pick up another list seat on specials, but since they will (should) now have three electorate seats their share of the party vote may not entitle them to an extra list seat this time.
The GP electorate seats won't affect whether or not they pick up another seat in the specials.
That's based on the party vote.
Since the GP don't have any seats where they are in close second place, it's not likely to affect the electorate results for them. [Well, I suppose they could lose Rongotai – but I don't think it likely]
So if the GP increase their share of the party vote with the special votes they'll automatically gain another MP – and since they are already past their electorate MP numbers, and into the list – it will be another list MP.
I just hope we can get a re-ascendant left-wing in the next three years and technically this means we have good ground on which to build on.
Greens and TPM didn't do too badly, all things considered. Labour has lost hard and it has to re-form into a different party to even try to capture the moment once more. TOP miscalculated with its openly flip-flop strategy when it came to keeping its party options open; a strategy that was always liable to be subject to misinterpretation.
This also is a rather ambivalent moment for the right in a sense: National/ACT is on a knife's edge, balancing between 61 or 62 or even 60 seats. It all depends on how TPM or Greens are performing with the special votes. This will impact how National is going to interact with NZ First and if 60 votes or less, short of which is needed to form a government, then depending on how much they hate Winston Peters, National will have to consider either a trip back to the voting stations or begrudgingly call him. If over or at 62, we will have to prepare for a pure NACT government that is subject to nearly nobody else.
In any case, this means we have to build a movement anew, to work at the flaxroots and be of the people in New Zealand who will suffer at the hands of the incoming government regardless of whatever may happen.
Why are you asking that I should give the new government a chance to succeed if I have seen them to say that people like me are "BOTTOM FEEDERS"?
If you were in my position, would you want them to succeed in hurting you and your groups?
The policies are lousy and what they are proposing are similar to what Britain is doing in terms of benefits and disabled people and it's proven that sanctions and cuts over there has severely harmed or killed hundred of thousands of disabled people.
Since the 2000s house prices have surged under Labour and yes if people commit crimes then yes they should be in prison (a major reason why Labour lost)
They've already committed the crime to become the prisoner but at least with prisons you can temporarily remove the criminal from society for a period of time
The opposition should provide plenty of entertainment over the next three years. A Labour leadership spill, no new talent to speak of, just a smaller version of the same. Greens and TPM trying to outdo each other for the most extreme version of hard left. James and Marama to be challenged for leadership by MPs who actually have an electorate. Should be fun.
two very ignorant comments about the Greens' leadership. The Greens are happy with their result, not the kind of environment for leadership challenges, and the Greens don't roll leaders.
How fun. Yay, likely having to choose between a can of food or to miss the doctor in a mission to re-certify your disability or pay the bills with increasingly dwindling income amounts over years and what's more your landlord is likely is going to no-cause evict you at a moment's notice. Yay, good fun indeed! Hooray!
I want to be wrong because this is such a dangerous juncture in political history, we are on the verge of being prepared for the future with climate change with some protection or deny the climate has changed and that we will leave the most vulnerable behind.
I want NACT to be weakened if it's going to carry its worst policies.
Maipi-Clarke also thanked Mahuta for her mahi in the electorate over the years, and said it laid the groundwork for local rangatahi like herself to succeed. “I’ve been inspired by whaea Nanaia my whole life in terms of her political leadership,” she said.
Potaka Maipi, her dad, told The Spinoff: “I prepared her to get thrashed, not to win. Our aim was to close the gap.” The gap being the 9,000-vote majority Mahuta won in 2020. Maipi-Clarke’s roughly 1,000-vote majority this time around means she swung 10,000 votes in her direction. https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/15-10-2023/a-magical-night-for-te-pati-maori
And with the bent of this next government somewhat more authoritarian (policy? don’t you worry about that) than the last few, we’ll get to find out how democratic we are too.
As in all things Labour has been making a rod for our backs with increasing numbers of secrecy clauses.
My sympathies to those here who are likely very disappointed with the result. I certainly understand how you all feel given the result at the last election.
I do think Labour's negative campaign backfired on them though. The adds I saw were focussed on discouraging people from voting National. I think this may have worked to some degree, given how the margin pulled back as voting passed around the 50% count. But, what I noticed was that NZ First increased their vote share while Labour didn't really go up much.
So, it looked to me like people who got the Labour message responded by voting NZ First rather than Labour.
Most of the National ads I saw were attacking Labour, but obviously that didn't have the impact on National's vote that the ads attacking National had on Labour's vote.
I wish I could pick the winning Lotto tickets as well as I managed to pick the election result. I expect to lose another seat with the specials, but to get it back with the by-election.
haha fair call. He would have been better than Hipkins.
But all I am saying today is that the specials invariably give the Left one or two more seats. Now it may be, as you seem to be arguing, that this won't happen this time, but with 567k votes out there yet to be counted that usually favour the Left I'm pretty confident that NACT do not have a majority and must rely on Winston to get legislation through.
I came to this conclusion before I heard law professor Andrew Geddes say the same thing just before 10am on Radio NZ's election special this morning.
Labour's 34 MPs will include 30 electorate seats. I think that Prime, Rurawhe, Little, Parker, McAnulty and Andersen will be left in the cold with Jackson being the last cab off the rank.
It's 17 seats and 17 list seats. So all of the above are back off the list.
Like everyone else I prefer to forget the fine points of my statement. I, of course, concentrate on the bits I happened to get right.
I am like the people who take the view that the left won the election because TMP now have double the number of seats and the Green Party have 40% more MPs.
Then they ignore the minor little point that that is only 6 more seats and meanwhile Labour lost 31.
I certainly agree that Winston will have his price. He can be reasonable however in what he demands and what he will give up. I doubt if he would go as far as to force a deadlock and therefore a new election.
It's still a bit fluid – as it depends on the results in a couple of electorates which are too close to call – if these go to the Labour candidate, there will be fewer list places (although at least one would result in the same MP – just electorate, rather than list)
But, basically – you look at the Labour list – cross out all of those MPs who have won electorates; and count the first 17 left.
Yeah, but if Wood or Twyford pull a reversal – they'd bump the last two list placings out of Parliament. I'm not sure which way Rachel Boyack is listed – it's on a knife edge in Nelson – but if she wins the electorate, that might be another list place that goes.
I agree – he's only just behind on the election night results. But, if he does, he'll change the Labour electorate/list balance from 17:17 to 18:16 – resulting in the last List MP being bumped.
Not really. You only need 50 or so votes to overturn the electorate result in these tight results (actually, I'd expect all of them to go to judicial recount). But 50 won't even budge the dial on the list proportionality.
The official results will be published on Friday November 3.
Aucklanders became extremely hostile to Labour! The map of Ak seats usually red that turned blue was a dramatic sight even without Gower's hyperbole ramping it.
National’s campaign leader has confirmed that Christopher Luxon hasn’t yet spoken to Winston Peters, after the full ordinary vote count showed National and Act could govern alone, albeit with a single seat majority.
“Our preference was to govern with the Act Party and essentially that has happened on the current numbers,” he told Jack Tame on Q&A this morning, but he wasn’t “counting chickens” just yet, with nearly 20% of votes still to be counted in the form of special votes. “It may be that with the specials the numbers bounce around a bit and, if required, we said we’d pick up the phone to Winston Peters and it may be that that is necessary.”
Luxon talking bollocks (lying? but why?) as usual. At best after specials NACT will have 61 seats in a 122 parliament-no majority there so they need NZF.
It could even be 60 NACT seats in a parliament of 123.
Funny that Luxon uses the term "track", rather than road. Given National do not invest in rail, is this a warning that they are going to raid the carbon vehicle graveyard repair fund?
And these bad bad multiple property barons are also planning to rob the public domain to line the pockets of the few landlords.
So why did the greens who were polling 14% only get 10% and with all these weather events maybe they shouldve been at 20%. Also not a good look to act like ya won in a landslide and give ya speech drunk.
[I think that you are an astroturfing troll who crawled out from underneath your bridge. Let’s see if you’re intelligent enough to stop drawing attention to yourself. However, in my experience trolls are too stupid and self-entitled to self-moderate and avoid detection – Incognito]
Since the start of MMP they have used a flawed marketing strategy: they pitch to the minority who think like them. They have nothing in their repertoire to suitably frame a pitch for the commons, where the numbers always reside. Their partisan stance is an immense handicap for them.
Re the difference tween polls & result: factor in the undecided (around 10%). If they hadn't done the reef-fish thing, but instead gone in multiple directions, we'd have a totally different result. Crowd psych is a wonderful thing…
My pick is that the truly Undecideds mostly didn't vote. Turnout is 78%.
I think that the difference between the polls and the election result is mostly within the margin of error – and that we spend too much energy celebrating or bemoaning a 1% poll shift. It's not significant.
The long-term view. Strategic thinking emanates therefrom. I agree the vote for a return to socialist governance is significant but don't expect anyone to draw that conclusion – the view is too historically valid for younger generations to grasp easily. They play the game in the short/medium term – it works for them.
Seriously. They were polling 14%, Got 10%. With what's happening with climate change they shouldve gotten 20%. The speeches that were televised, they came across that they though they won in a landslide. In a country like NZ the greens should be pushing 20%.
[As expected from a stupid troll, you couldn’t help yourself with all your aliases and had to confirm that you indeed belong under your bridge permanently. Say ‘Hi’ and play nice with the other trolls – Incognito]
So why did the greens who were polling 14% only get 10% and with all these weather events maybe they shouldve been at 20%. Also not a good look to act like ya won in a landslide and give ya speech drunk.
As Incognito has pointed out, you look like a troll.
Omeprazole controls my GERD (courtesy of a Hiatus Hernia) really well usually – but as a warning the new family of diabetes drugs – Trulicity, Ozempic Wegovy etc stops omeprazole dead in it's tracks /cue pain.
Inflation: Tracks down, but more slowly than hoped. Oil and food prices are the sticking point. 2024 El Nino summer in the northern hemisphere causes major agricultural disruption and inflationary pressure. Luxon’s cutting of ‘wasteful spending makes zero difference, because it was never a cause of inflation in the first place.
Employment & Wages: Unemployment rises due to sustained high immigration and public service cuts. Fair Pay Agreements are gone and minimum wage are frozen. Wages decline in real terms while inflationary pressure lingers. Tax cuts favour those facing the least downward pressure on their wages.
Housing: Foreign buyers trigger asset price inflation at the top end which percolates downwards. This top-down pressure meets bottom-up pressure from domestic landlords due to the reduction of the Brightline and mortgage interest deductibility. House prices rise to easily outpace the CPI and flat wage growth. Housing affordability declines, property ownership becomes more concentrated. Real estate industry booms – expensive restaurants fill up.
Meddling with Kainga Ora reduces capacity to build public housing. Private sector is green-lighted to build housing in “freed up” land on the peripheries. Potential state house tenants are herded out to private rentals on the city margin. Land bankers profit – expensive restaurants fill up. Reduction in regulations concerning the quality of rentals see a drop in quality and more poor health. Homelessness increases.
Climate Change/Infrastructure: Agriculture gets an additional exemption on emissions targets. Work on technology to reduce methane emission delivers nothing that can be affordably deployed at scale, so the exemption is extended twice. Agriculture sees pressure from some export markets to reduce emissions – so dependency on the Chinese market increases, cranking up sector fragility even higher.
Uptake of EVs declines as they become less affordable. Local car-industry profiteers by adding huge markups to potentially low-price, Chinese EVs – expensive restaurants fill up. Road-building increases car-dependency, Labour’s subsidies on public transport are removed adding more wage pressure. NZ’s car fleet ages further. Two dry summers cause drought and shortfall in hydro capacity – coal is burned. Uptake of solar continues but does not cover the gap. New Zealand reneges on Paris commitments. Two El Nino summers means a respite from floods – but farmers need bailouts from drought. Next La Nina sees extreme damage. National throws cost onto Councils so as not to increase government debt. Insurance industry walks away from some regions and localities. Rates rise steeply, the non-wealthy retired start to lose their homes so house ownership concentrates further – expensive restaurants fill up. The uninsured who lose homes are herded into trailer parks. Low population growth regions struggle with permanently bad transport links. Affordable Water (3 Waters) is stopped. Councils are left to cope. Most problems are left unaddressed, where some attempt is made it adds to pressure on rates.
Race Relations; An initial ugly period where gleeful right-wing supporters demand removal of Maori language from government communications. Luxon walks back more extreme rhetoric and forces Seymour to abandon the Treaty referendum. Co-governance and Te Whatu Ora are gone. The Maori Party grows stronger and angrier. Problems are stored up.
Health: Workforce gaps prove stubborn to fill because of international competition. Flat wages for nurses and technicians increase migration pressure to Australia. Huge lead time on new medical school and first graduates from it. The two-tiered (insured versus uninsured) health system widens gaps. Private sector medical specialists make out like bandits – expensive restaurants and overseas flights fill up. Mental health declines, greater poverty increases preventable diseases resulting from obesity such a diabetes. Maori health statistics go backwards. More stress among the elderly from having to fund private health care. Labour’s hospital construction projects are dialled back but completed – then not much else.
Education: Another round of ‘reform’ soaks up time and frustrates teachers. Any increase or decrease in student performance is within the margin of error and bears no relation to the reform programme. Gaps in performance between kids from wealthy and poor households widen. Private tertiary education sector kicks off again selling residency under the guise of education – money is made, expensive restaurants fill up.
Tourism: Post-Covid recovery continues. High immigration lowers real wages and increases profitability. Then the mass market tails off as oil prices keep fares high, climate events spoil tourist experiences and (eventually) climate change increases fears of flight safety. Industry hits a natural ceiling and begins to decline. Much gnashing of teeth and call for subsidies.
Public mood: initial sugar rush as some sectors kick off with high immigration, housing inflation, tax cuts and deregulation. A gleeful, contemptuous orgy of looting and wealth extraction by those in a position to do so. Honeymoon period lasts 2 years and National easily returned. Doubts surface in term two, initial sugar hit slows, stored up problems begin to emerge. 2029 election is contestable. Great damage has been done. World has passed 1.5C heating over pre-industrial. 3-4+C increase by 2100 looms. One or more dangerous tipping points are already triggered. Public at large still mostly unconcerned and National just get back for a third term.
Luxon walks back more extreme rhetoric and forces Seymour to abandon the Treaty referendum.
Yeah, I thought that too. However one must allow common ground to be formed via goodwill, so if they get it with Winston it's a goer – unless he has already adopted an entrenched position against it.
I predict an increase in suicides as the mentally ill are especially vulnerable to demonisation and harassment. Statistically a NACT government could claim a success in reducing the long-term beneficiary count so long as people don't look at where the 'success' comes from.
There needs to be a change at the had of PR for the Greens. The best speech of the night was Chris Hipkins, understated, raw, loyal and it came off as real. To celebrate going up 2% in the party vote, was not needed.
What the Greens must do is have an honest discussion, on how to increase it's support, the work behind the scenes is mysterious and important, but it needs to be done.
the Greens increased their MPs by nearly 50%, and tripled their electorates. If you look at the 2017, 2020, and 2023 election results it’s easy to see how they are building the party and the vote.
As for celebration, I wrote a post about why they are doing that, it’s on the front page.
No I think they voted Green because they realised it was a party with strong and consistent policies and ethics. You make it sound as though some voters owe Labour their vote come what may.
What the Greens need to learn is how to use a microphone. Both Chloe and Marama screeched their way thru their victory speeches. Hard to understand them both.
What the Greens must do is have an honest discussion, on how to increase it's support
Human nature, though, is a problem. Time is money, and discussions free-range naturally. Nobody in the Greens has ever claimed to have marketing nous, to my knowledge, which is the expertise required to increase support.
Firstly they'd have to account for their relationship to the broader Green movement. Problem: doing so requires moral integrity! That's why it hasn't happened yet.
Two yellow cards to none! Against the best team in the world in recent times! And it could have gone to the Irish easily if one of our tacklers had failed, right down to the end. Even restored the coach's reputation.
It was one of the games where you can truly say rugby was the victor on the day.
Outstanding performance from both sides – and went right down to the wire. Ireland could have so easily won it – and your heart goes out to them for missing out on their first RWC semi.
Jester-glad you are happy NACT are in thrall to Winston after this election. Luxon will have to go cap in hand to NZF, the thing he said was the last thing he wanted.
The same thing happened to Captain Haddock when he accidentally drank a glass of water. His remedy was half a bottle of whiskey. I only mention this because of your name. Glad you're feeling better!
tell me why it would be better for Nact to need Peters to form government. Not vague handbrake stuff, but specific policy that he has a chance of getting through.
The comments I've seen haven't been about Peters getting specific policy through (I seriously doubt that NZF policy is in any fit state to be progressed) – but that he would prevent some core National/ACT policies going through. Stopping the National foreign buyers scheme; and, Halting raising the super to 67 (though I don't agree that he'd be strongly motivated to do this)
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Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
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A new day.
A new Prime Minister.
A beautiful sunrise.
A new hope for New Zealand.
You seem to be a happy minion
"One seldom recognizes the devil when he is putting his hand on your shoulder."
Beware the Hope Diamond.
Being pleased with deliberately cruel policy will cost you your smile eventually, Nobody.
Yes, a new day and a sunrise but only for those who can survive it and who does survive will not forget the gloating NACT did on last night and beyond.
There's now an implicit Social Darwinism that is going to run throughout politics in NZ now that we have parties that openly endorses micromanaging and scolding beneficiaries newly in governmental power.
Don't be surprised if you one day look around you and realize that this has become a meaner, flintier and sadder country than it was before.
And you likely won't connect that state of affairs to the increasingly run-down politics of the parties that you voted for, or likely, you knew and you don't care because people are such whiners. /sarc
In any case, enjoy your glass of fine wine paid for by the tax cuts that are likely to going to be funded by reducing our benefit incomes over the next 3 or 6 years. I suspect you're going to need it somehow to ease your likely unacknowledged guilt or hatred or both.
Take care.
Come on now let's not be all over dramatic, National is now a centrist party
It won't be all that different from Labour
It doesn't matter if it is centrist or not, National is joined with ACT and Luxon basically has signalled that he'd prefer to partner with ACT rather than NZF.
And you sound like Luxon telling Hipkins to "calm down." and with that, you have no sense of what we're all facing as a community.
Centrist
Take from the poorest 350,000 New Zealanders and give it to landlords? oh do fuck off
With ACT and/or NZF policies implemented they will be allowing a Right of Centre and Righter influence. Even Labour isn't Centre anymore, so Nats can't be.
By comparing the election results to 2020, words like bloodbath' etc overstate the outcome.
ACT/Nats barely 50% of the vote. Nats down 6% on 2017
Labour is down 6% on 2017
ACT gone from .5% in 2017 to 8%
What has changed is that the two major parties are barely above 60% of the vote. To me, THAT is the bigger story and being overlooked by many.
Low wages, hig unemployment, beneficiary bashing, high low skill migrancy and higher house prices are coming- because that is what always happens when Nats/ACT are in Govt. They have offered nothing new or transformational. Employment and Environmental laws will shift toward employers and away from the environment and preservation of food production – it will reflect the profit motive.
Seymour wants to have his cake and eat it on the Treaty. Any referendum ought only be for maori and citizens descended from the British, cos those were the parties tot he treaty. IF he wants to 'go back to what it really means", he must also accept the whole context of what that means.
Indian, Asian region, South Africams etc are welcome but were never parties tot he Treaty so no referendum participation.
The government of today will be the same as the government of yesterday and the struggles that New Zealand faces will be the same.
However yesterday the people of New Zealand have decided that the old government were unable to address those struggles and that the New government are more capable.
I hope they are right but if not New Zealand will evaluate the state of affairs again in 3 years time.
With ACT and/or NZF policies implemented they will be allowing a Right of Centre and Righter influence. Even Labour isn't Centre anymore, so Nats can't be.
By comparing the election results to 2020, words like bloodbath' etc overstate the outcome.
ACT/Nats barely 50% of the vote. Nats down 6% on 2017
Labour is down 6% on 2017
ACT gone from .5% in 2017 to 8%
What has changed is that the two major parties are barely above 60% of the vote. To me, THAT is the bigger story and being overlooked by many.
Low wages, hig unemployment, beneficiary bashing, high low skill migrancy and higher house prices are coming- because that is what always happens when Nats/ACT are in Govt. They have offered nothing new or transformational. Employment and Environmental laws will shift toward employers and away from the environment and preservation of food production – it will reflect the profit motive.
Seymour wants to have his cake and eat it on the Treaty. Any referendum ought only be for maori and citizens descended from the British, cos those were the parties tot he treaty. IF he wants to 'go back to what it really means", he must also accept the whole context of what that means.
Indian, Asian region, South Africams etc are welcome but were never parties tot he Treaty so no referendum participation.
The 'people' decided someone must be punished for the impact of fighting a global panemic, and they hanker for the way things used to be. Ergo, they voted in parties who want to implement policies from yesterday…
Agreed, the potential is there and hopefully we can all grasp it
A RIVER OF FILTH got voted out of parliament last night.
The world is healing
Would you like to enlighten as to what you mean>?
Labour Votes
2020 Election: 1,443,545
2023 Election: 606,663
Change: -836,882
Labour Seats
2020 Election: 65
2023 Election: 34
Change: -31
Source(s)
2020 Election Results
2023 Election Results
Are you suggesting that the 31 Labour MPs lost was a "RIVER OF fILTH"?
probably a reference is to Michael Wood being out of parliament. There is a political point to be made here about Wood's use of the term 'river of filth', but I will be keeping a moderator eye on this that it's not being used to flame.
I'm suggesting 836,882 New Zealanders from all walks of life have decided that Labour have not been able to deliver the promises they have made over the last 3 (arguably 6) years and to improve their lives and the country that an alternative government is required which at this point is one made up of National, Act and potentially NZ First.
You may personally feel different however it would seem based on current results your feelings are in the minority.
Elections are not personal, or should be seen as personal attacks etc but rather a contest of ideas, beliefs and opinions within society which enable a group of individuals the ability to walk a path satisfactory to the majority of those individuals.
Personally I've not been happy with the path we as a country have walked over the past 6 years, and hope the next 3 years will be better for all of New Zealand.
I do not believe you and I are enemies but rather indivduals walking the same path with different viewpoints and enemies.
Have a good day. Tomorrow the path may alter in a direction you prefer and I do not, but either way the sun will still rise.
Well I guess as the great philosopher said
"Success is the only earthly judge of right and wrong"
So enjoy your victory
It is not my victory but rather a victory for democracy and for all New Zealanders.
Is this including the disabled who will receive less $ to live on in future? I don't see how it can be a victory for them. Can you explain how that works?
This is a victory for all New Zealanders who used their democratic rights to elect a government that best represents them.
Like all governments there will be policies that positively and negatively effect each of us indivdually just like there were in the last government.
For the sick, ill and disabled I can only speak for my own circumstances (2 children and myself with disabilities) overall we calculate to be $200-300 per week better.
I guess that's the difference between you and me – you count the $ and say "yay more for me" whereas I see that the poorest and least able to survive will get less $ and I am appalled.
Not at all. You were the one who brought up the topic of money, for me money is obviously significant as being on a limited budget the ability for my family to ensure a roof over our heads, food in the pantry, bills paid etc is a fairly major worry that has only gotten worse over the last few years.
However the more important factors for me are is the ability to be able to have the cops turn up or an ambulance turn up when you call 111 (from whom I been told by both in the past 12 months when contacted nobody is available), or to take my daughter into a hospital A&E due to seizures and haventhem seen in less than 10 hours or for my kids able to get a quality education vs being sent home multiple times because their teachers are striking etc etc.
I want a better country for my kids, their friends and the future and the last Goverment were incapable of providing it. Hopefully this one is, otherwise perhaps the one after that.
Still ~570,000 special votes to be counted yet which is more than in 2020. Not that Labour are going to get close to 2020's numbers anyway, but there are still enough votes that the comparison will change a bit, particularly the percentage drop.
Well Mr Nobody much did you in fact notice that National didn't actually do as well in 2023 as Labour did in 2020?
No?
Let me explain it simply for you.
After 2020 Labour didn't need ANYONE to help it form a government. It had a majority of 10 seats and could have done it on its own (for the first time in MMP history) but in its spirit of inclusiveness it decided to let the Greens in as well.
National HAS to rely on Seymour to get anything passed. Either that or give into Winston's mob rule.
And at present it looks like the NACTS will have a one-seat (probably two seats after Port Waikato) majority.
Hmmm! not quite so rosy when you look at it that way is it?
Plus if Te Pati Maori manages to pick up another seat on specials the majority will be down to one.
One seat majority!
Wow! Gosh! Golly gee!, that's an impressive result after all the mega millions the 1% have pumped into the NACTs over the last year. Should have used the growth fund, not the conservative fund, huh?
Wait until the fun starts and ACT wants to take off stat holidays from workers. The centrists in National will get a bit uneasy about that.
There might be a few fights.
I'll get the popcorn!
Sorry to rain on your parade Mr Nobody much but you don't know shit.
I'm more than happy with National/Act/NZ First coalition.
While any coalition has the potential for conflicts and difficulties and obviously the more parties the more possibility for them occur, however I do believe that each of these parties can if tthey want to play ttogether they can and that each will be significantly mmotivated to make it work.
Excuse me while I piss myself laughing.
They can.
Whether they choose to is a different question and if they dont/can't then in 3 years time we will see a swung back to Labour/Greens.
Either way NZ will be better or we'll all have 3 more years of Government fuckups.
And what would this new hope consist of?
For me I hope we see an improvement in crime & safety, health and education statistics and performance.
A reduction in taxpayer funds being wasted on ideological projects and programs which produce no benefit or outcomes.
Progress on repairing and rebuilding the damage New Zealand society has experienced over the last 6 years.
The only way you will see an improvement in crime will be if the MSM reports it less or if a NACT government does a 'Judith Collins'
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/83585857/eugene-bingham-the-spectre-of-ghost-crimes-should-have-come-back-to-haunt-police
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/leak-about-police-error-political-says-collins/VX24JZLK4CDRQWJIGRTPOUKKOE/
If National and Act do not attack crime and make a demonstrable improvement between today and the next election they will not be in power.
3 strikes will be re-implemented with new provisions the restrict the ability for the Judicary to pervert its purpose.
More offenders will be incarcerated
Current Policing approaches with be altered to more aggressively target gangs and repeat offenders.
I am sure this will lead to new issues but by doing so they will at least be able to say we have taken steps in line with what we have campaigned on and elected on.
Sweet so it's private prisons time again is it? Monetise crime and call it a win.
I'm happy with the most effective solution which will ensure criminals are removed from society until they have been punished and rehabilitated for their crimes.
Too close to call (5 seats): https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300989388/election-2023-the-electorates-that-are-still-too-close-to-call
Means we have to wait a couple of weeks for the final count to see the shape of the new govt I guess. A stunning margin for Brooke van Velden – she thrashed the neanderthal thoroughly! Two Green women made history in Wellington, Chloe held her seat. Good results for young female politicians and their younger generations will be inspired by those role models.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/the-bombshell-electorate-turns-from-last-night
While these results may flip seats in individual electorates (important for the people concerned, and for those individual electorates), it's the party vote which decides the government.
While there is a possibility of an overhang if both of the Maori seats still in play, go to TPM – this won't make a left-government possible.
A couple of points that have been a bit overlooked in last night's blue euphoria.
In 2020 Labour scored a clear majority of seats in its own right.
National did not do that last night, it still needs ACT to form a new government, which finally gives Seymour Butts the power and influence he has craved for years. He will be pushing for senior cabinet positions, no mistake. Landlords, loan sharks and Geoff Upson will be sooooo happy.
On projected results the NACTS hold a one-seat majority which we can assume will rise to two after the Port Waikato by-election and only another electorate claimed by Te Pati Maori on special votes would likely change that.
Winston's rag tag of pirates and conspiracy theorists will end up just another opposition party and won't be able to do s…t (fortunately perhaps). Winston will (not publicly at least) be very pissed off and we can expect NZ First to be a bunch of annoying f..wits in the next parliament – good at collecting their parliamentary salaries but little else.
From my perspective, I knew this was coming but my resigned disappointment is tempered by the spectacular results achieved in Wellington by the Greens. Taking the seat of Wellington Central and ahead in Rongotai, not to mention Chloe probably assured in Auckland Central. Also think that Te Pati Maori ran a good campaign.
Yes I agree.
A great result, potentially, National tempered by Act and Winston in Parliament by impotent on the opposition seats (hopefully)
Funny that you agree with Mike the Lefty despite us both making basically the same points.
I was being calm in post 4 (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-15-10-2023/#comment-1972714) and trying to be as balanced as possible and being as positive as possible.
What made you think I was making the wrong points compared to Mike?
Mike….they also need NZF.
There is (at least) one overhang from the Maori seats and there will be one from the by election, so this will be a parliament of 122.
NACT have 61 seats now but will lose at least one in the specials and gain one from the by-election. So they will have 61 seats (maybe 60) in a 122 house-this is not a majority. Winston is in the drivers seat.
Yes that is a possibility because the Greens traditionally pick up another list seat on specials, but since they will (should) now have three electorate seats their share of the party vote may not entitle them to an extra list seat this time.
It may come down to a bit of complicated maths.
I guess we'll find out in a couple of weeks.
The GP electorate seats won't affect whether or not they pick up another seat in the specials.
That's based on the party vote.
Since the GP don't have any seats where they are in close second place, it's not likely to affect the electorate results for them. [Well, I suppose they could lose Rongotai – but I don't think it likely]
So if the GP increase their share of the party vote with the special votes they'll automatically gain another MP – and since they are already past their electorate MP numbers, and into the list – it will be another list MP.
If Labour had scored a more normal result in 2020 last night's fiasco might not have seemed so bad. Even so it was not good.
Morena!
Well, that's it, really.
That was positively nightmarish.
I just hope we can get a re-ascendant left-wing in the next three years and technically this means we have good ground on which to build on.
Greens and TPM didn't do too badly, all things considered. Labour has lost hard and it has to re-form into a different party to even try to capture the moment once more. TOP miscalculated with its openly flip-flop strategy when it came to keeping its party options open; a strategy that was always liable to be subject to misinterpretation.
This also is a rather ambivalent moment for the right in a sense: National/ACT is on a knife's edge, balancing between 61 or 62 or even 60 seats. It all depends on how TPM or Greens are performing with the special votes. This will impact how National is going to interact with NZ First and if 60 votes or less, short of which is needed to form a government, then depending on how much they hate Winston Peters, National will have to consider either a trip back to the voting stations or begrudgingly call him. If over or at 62, we will have to prepare for a pure NACT government that is subject to nearly nobody else.
In any case, this means we have to build a movement anew, to work at the flaxroots and be of the people in New Zealand who will suffer at the hands of the incoming government regardless of whatever may happen.
Kia kaha, indeed.
No.
It means we come together and give the new government a chance to succeed because if the government is successful we're all successful
Now is not the time for being selfish
Successful in what sense?
Selfish in what sense?
Why are you asking that I should give the new government a chance to succeed if I have seen them to say that people like me are "BOTTOM FEEDERS"?
If you were in my position, would you want them to succeed in hurting you and your groups?
The policies are lousy and what they are proposing are similar to what Britain is doing in terms of benefits and disabled people and it's proven that sanctions and cuts over there has severely harmed or killed hundred of thousands of disabled people.
I do not want that to happen here.
Successful in that Labour now have a chance to do what they should have done in 2017
Successful in that Winston is not in government (maybe)
Successful in that Act has some power
Pretty successful night all round
I'm sorry. I don't find much to rejoice with except for Greens improving its vote share.
Plus you just castigated me for making pretty much the same points as you and Mike, so that's just a tone thing?
Ok, I'll try to smile and not make much trouble so you can walk on unimpeded by what troubles people in dire straits, then.
Putting house prices on turbo again bashing the poor, more prisons , something to look forward to
Since the 2000s house prices have surged under Labour and yes if people commit crimes then yes they should be in prison (a major reason why Labour lost)
Can you point to anywhere in the world where prisons have solved crime?
They've already committed the crime to become the prisoner but at least with prisons you can temporarily remove the criminal from society for a period of time
Again a major reason why Labour lost
You didn't answer the question
Where'd nationals plan to stop the pipe line??
To RoG at 4 : Indeed!
The opposition should provide plenty of entertainment over the next three years. A Labour leadership spill, no new talent to speak of, just a smaller version of the same. Greens and TPM trying to outdo each other for the most extreme version of hard left. James and Marama to be challenged for leadership by MPs who actually have an electorate. Should be fun.
Chloe warming up for a tilt at the leadership you reckon
two very ignorant comments about the Greens' leadership. The Greens are happy with their result, not the kind of environment for leadership challenges, and the Greens don't roll leaders.
She'd make a good Labour leader.
She certainly would given the lack of talent in Labour
How fun. Yay, likely having to choose between a can of food or to miss the doctor in a mission to re-certify your disability or pay the bills with increasingly dwindling income amounts over years and what's more your landlord is likely is going to no-cause evict you at a moment's notice. Yay, good fun indeed! Hooray!
I want to be wrong because this is such a dangerous juncture in political history, we are on the verge of being prepared for the future with climate change with some protection or deny the climate has changed and that we will leave the most vulnerable behind.
I want NACT to be weakened if it's going to carry its worst policies.
Epic surge for TMP last night!
Only slaves think Democracy stops at the ballot box.
Hear, hear!
And with the bent of this next government somewhat more authoritarian (policy? don’t you worry about that) than the last few, we’ll get to find out how democratic we are too.
As in all things Labour has been making a rod for our backs with increasing numbers of secrecy clauses.
My sympathies to those here who are likely very disappointed with the result. I certainly understand how you all feel given the result at the last election.
I do think Labour's negative campaign backfired on them though. The adds I saw were focussed on discouraging people from voting National. I think this may have worked to some degree, given how the margin pulled back as voting passed around the 50% count. But, what I noticed was that NZ First increased their vote share while Labour didn't really go up much.
So, it looked to me like people who got the Labour message responded by voting NZ First rather than Labour.
I voted for Greens, knowing NZF isn't a good bet and I avoided Labour.
I hope that we can make it through the years without much scathing.
We need it because we need to re-build as a whole.
And I think it's going to be rebuilt.
(How's that for optimism, Robin? Next time do not tell me that I’m being selfish. We’re all on the same side or should be.)
Most of the National ads I saw were attacking Labour, but obviously that didn't have the impact on National's vote that the ads attacking National had on Labour's vote.
Black Caps going well, National take the election and the All Blacks playing like All Blacks
Plus the sun is shining
"Black Caps going well, National take the election and the All Blacks playing like All Blacks
Plus the sun is shining"
“National take the election ”
So that's why you basically told me to calm down and not to be overly-dramatic.
Bye. I don't have any use for insincere trolls like you.
I'm going out to see my friends soon.
Looks like a good day for it 👍
I have only one regret.
I wish I could pick the winning Lotto tickets as well as I managed to pick the election result. I expect to lose another seat with the specials, but to get it back with the by-election.
13 October 2023 at 10:53 am
I regret Winston being back in Parliament but as long as he stays away from power its all good
Robin-he is in power….read my post above.
Not yet he isn't
Oh yes he is
I'll put that next to your other prediction:
Bearded Git 8.7
10 June 2022 at 11:20 am
'I think that Robertson will replace Ardern AFTER the election whether Labour win or not. '
haha fair call. He would have been better than Hipkins.
But all I am saying today is that the specials invariably give the Left one or two more seats. Now it may be, as you seem to be arguing, that this won't happen this time, but with 567k votes out there yet to be counted that usually favour the Left I'm pretty confident that NACT do not have a majority and must rely on Winston to get legislation through.
I came to this conclusion before I heard law professor Andrew Geddes say the same thing just before 10am on Radio NZ's election special this morning.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/500221/election-2023-what-special-votes-and-the-overhang-mean-for-deciding-the-new-government
It's 17 seats and 17 list seats. So all of the above are back off the list.
Like everyone else I prefer to forget the fine points of my statement. I, of course, concentrate on the bits I happened to get right.
I am like the people who take the view that the left won the election because TMP now have double the number of seats and the Green Party have 40% more MPs.
Then they ignore the minor little point that that is only 6 more seats and meanwhile Labour lost 31.
Alwyn-I would have thought you would regret that NACT are in thrall to NZF.
That is the tax cuts gone, the foreign buyer ban stays, etc etc
I certainly agree that Winston will have his price. He can be reasonable however in what he demands and what he will give up. I doubt if he would go as far as to force a deadlock and therefore a new election.
Well according to Hooton Luxon needs an excuse to can the daft tax cuts.
Who will get in to parliament as Labour list mps ?
Labour will have 17 electorate and 17 list members in the new parliament.
https://elections.nz/media-and-news/2023/election-night-results-for-the-2023-general-election/
It's still a bit fluid – as it depends on the results in a couple of electorates which are too close to call – if these go to the Labour candidate, there will be fewer list places (although at least one would result in the same MP – just electorate, rather than list)
But, basically – you look at the Labour list – cross out all of those MPs who have won electorates; and count the first 17 left.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/494829/labour-releases-party-list-for-2023-election
At the moment if the Labour candidate loses Banks Peninsular they are the last one in off the list …
Yeah, but if Wood or Twyford pull a reversal – they'd bump the last two list placings out of Parliament. I'm not sure which way Rachel Boyack is listed – it's on a knife edge in Nelson – but if she wins the electorate, that might be another list place that goes.
Twyford is pretty certain to win.
I agree – he's only just behind on the election night results. But, if he does, he'll change the Labour electorate/list balance from 17:17 to 18:16 – resulting in the last List MP being bumped.
If Labour are winning seats on specials, it's likely that the party vote will increase proportionately as well, so it may not change much.
Not really. You only need 50 or so votes to overturn the electorate result in these tight results (actually, I'd expect all of them to go to judicial recount). But 50 won't even budge the dial on the list proportionality.
Nelson should go Labour too
Troll picnic at the standard today
it would be good for everyone to keep focused on the politics and robust debate. Moderation will deal with the trolls
Looks like the specials will change the lie of the land – being a fifth of the whole gives them considerable leverage.
Aucklanders became extremely hostile to Labour! The map of Ak seats usually red that turned blue was a dramatic sight even without Gower's hyperbole ramping it.
Luxon talking bollocks (lying? but why?) as usual. At best after specials NACT will have 61 seats in a 122 parliament-no majority there so they need NZF.
It could even be 60 NACT seats in a parliament of 123.
Funny that Luxon uses the term "track", rather than road. Given National do not invest in rail, is this a warning that they are going to raid the carbon vehicle graveyard repair fund?
And these bad bad multiple property barons are also planning to rob the public domain to line the pockets of the few landlords.
Backtrack (to the '90s) is where we will be going.
So why did the greens who were polling 14% only get 10% and with all these weather events maybe they shouldve been at 20%. Also not a good look to act like ya won in a landslide and give ya speech drunk.
[I think that you are an astroturfing troll who crawled out from underneath your bridge. Let’s see if you’re intelligent enough to stop drawing attention to yourself. However, in my experience trolls are too stupid and self-entitled to self-moderate and avoid detection – Incognito]
Are you going to specialise in making comments about female politicians?
Since the start of MMP they have used a flawed marketing strategy: they pitch to the minority who think like them. They have nothing in their repertoire to suitably frame a pitch for the commons, where the numbers always reside. Their partisan stance is an immense handicap for them.
Re the difference tween polls & result: factor in the undecided (around 10%). If they hadn't done the reef-fish thing, but instead gone in multiple directions, we'd have a totally different result. Crowd psych is a wonderful thing…
My pick is that the truly Undecideds mostly didn't vote. Turnout is 78%.
I think that the difference between the polls and the election result is mostly within the margin of error – and that we spend too much energy celebrating or bemoaning a 1% poll shift. It's not significant.
Agree, and also they may increase their proportion of the vote when the special votes are counted.
the Greens have just increased their MPs by 40%, probably 50% by the time the Specials are counted. What are you on about?
https://thestandard.org.nz/why-are-the-greens-so-happy/
The long-term view. Strategic thinking emanates therefrom. I agree the vote for a return to socialist governance is significant but don't expect anyone to draw that conclusion – the view is too historically valid for younger generations to grasp easily. They play the game in the short/medium term – it works for them.
Mod note
Seriously. They were polling 14%, Got 10%. With what's happening with climate change they shouldve gotten 20%. The speeches that were televised, they came across that they though they won in a landslide. In a country like NZ the greens should be pushing 20%.
Yeah well the jerk store just called….
[As expected from a stupid troll, you couldn’t help yourself with all your aliases and had to confirm that you indeed belong under your bridge permanently. Say ‘Hi’ and play nice with the other trolls – Incognito]
Mod note
As Incognito has pointed out, you look like a troll.
The polling average peaked at around 12.5%
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2023_New_Zealand_general_election
The Greens got 10.77% (thus far). They almost always poll better than they get on election night.
I wrote a post about the numbers for the Greens and why this was a good election for them. See if you can learn something.
https://thestandard.org.nz/why-are-the-greens-so-happy/
I recommend omeprazole 20mg o.d.
[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.]
[I have a much better option: take time away from trolling here on TS until the day after the by-election. Bye – Incognito]
Mod note
Omeprazole controls my GERD (courtesy of a Hiatus Hernia) really well usually – but as a warning the new family of diabetes drugs – Trulicity, Ozempic Wegovy etc stops omeprazole dead in it's tracks /cue pain.
Prediction:
Inflation: Tracks down, but more slowly than hoped. Oil and food prices are the sticking point. 2024 El Nino summer in the northern hemisphere causes major agricultural disruption and inflationary pressure. Luxon’s cutting of ‘wasteful spending makes zero difference, because it was never a cause of inflation in the first place.
Employment & Wages: Unemployment rises due to sustained high immigration and public service cuts. Fair Pay Agreements are gone and minimum wage are frozen. Wages decline in real terms while inflationary pressure lingers. Tax cuts favour those facing the least downward pressure on their wages.
Housing: Foreign buyers trigger asset price inflation at the top end which percolates downwards. This top-down pressure meets bottom-up pressure from domestic landlords due to the reduction of the Brightline and mortgage interest deductibility. House prices rise to easily outpace the CPI and flat wage growth. Housing affordability declines, property ownership becomes more concentrated. Real estate industry booms – expensive restaurants fill up.
Meddling with Kainga Ora reduces capacity to build public housing. Private sector is green-lighted to build housing in “freed up” land on the peripheries. Potential state house tenants are herded out to private rentals on the city margin. Land bankers profit – expensive restaurants fill up. Reduction in regulations concerning the quality of rentals see a drop in quality and more poor health. Homelessness increases.
Climate Change/Infrastructure: Agriculture gets an additional exemption on emissions targets. Work on technology to reduce methane emission delivers nothing that can be affordably deployed at scale, so the exemption is extended twice. Agriculture sees pressure from some export markets to reduce emissions – so dependency on the Chinese market increases, cranking up sector fragility even higher.
Uptake of EVs declines as they become less affordable. Local car-industry profiteers by adding huge markups to potentially low-price, Chinese EVs – expensive restaurants fill up. Road-building increases car-dependency, Labour’s subsidies on public transport are removed adding more wage pressure. NZ’s car fleet ages further. Two dry summers cause drought and shortfall in hydro capacity – coal is burned. Uptake of solar continues but does not cover the gap. New Zealand reneges on Paris commitments. Two El Nino summers means a respite from floods – but farmers need bailouts from drought. Next La Nina sees extreme damage. National throws cost onto Councils so as not to increase government debt. Insurance industry walks away from some regions and localities. Rates rise steeply, the non-wealthy retired start to lose their homes so house ownership concentrates further – expensive restaurants fill up. The uninsured who lose homes are herded into trailer parks. Low population growth regions struggle with permanently bad transport links. Affordable Water (3 Waters) is stopped. Councils are left to cope. Most problems are left unaddressed, where some attempt is made it adds to pressure on rates.
Race Relations; An initial ugly period where gleeful right-wing supporters demand removal of Maori language from government communications. Luxon walks back more extreme rhetoric and forces Seymour to abandon the Treaty referendum. Co-governance and Te Whatu Ora are gone. The Maori Party grows stronger and angrier. Problems are stored up.
Health: Workforce gaps prove stubborn to fill because of international competition. Flat wages for nurses and technicians increase migration pressure to Australia. Huge lead time on new medical school and first graduates from it. The two-tiered (insured versus uninsured) health system widens gaps. Private sector medical specialists make out like bandits – expensive restaurants and overseas flights fill up. Mental health declines, greater poverty increases preventable diseases resulting from obesity such a diabetes. Maori health statistics go backwards. More stress among the elderly from having to fund private health care. Labour’s hospital construction projects are dialled back but completed – then not much else.
Education: Another round of ‘reform’ soaks up time and frustrates teachers. Any increase or decrease in student performance is within the margin of error and bears no relation to the reform programme. Gaps in performance between kids from wealthy and poor households widen. Private tertiary education sector kicks off again selling residency under the guise of education – money is made, expensive restaurants fill up.
Tourism: Post-Covid recovery continues. High immigration lowers real wages and increases profitability. Then the mass market tails off as oil prices keep fares high, climate events spoil tourist experiences and (eventually) climate change increases fears of flight safety. Industry hits a natural ceiling and begins to decline. Much gnashing of teeth and call for subsidies.
Public mood: initial sugar rush as some sectors kick off with high immigration, housing inflation, tax cuts and deregulation. A gleeful, contemptuous orgy of looting and wealth extraction by those in a position to do so. Honeymoon period lasts 2 years and National easily returned. Doubts surface in term two, initial sugar hit slows, stored up problems begin to emerge. 2029 election is contestable. Great damage has been done. World has passed 1.5C heating over pre-industrial. 3-4+C increase by 2100 looms. One or more dangerous tipping points are already triggered. Public at large still mostly unconcerned and National just get back for a third term.
Luxon has to get the foreign buyers policy through Winston yet, which he won't.
Luxon walks back more extreme rhetoric and forces Seymour to abandon the Treaty referendum.
Yeah, I thought that too. However one must allow common ground to be formed via goodwill, so if they get it with Winston it's a goer – unless he has already adopted an entrenched position against it.
I predict an increase in suicides as the mentally ill are especially vulnerable to demonisation and harassment. Statistically a NACT government could claim a success in reducing the long-term beneficiary count so long as people don't look at where the 'success' comes from.
There needs to be a change at the had of PR for the Greens. The best speech of the night was Chris Hipkins, understated, raw, loyal and it came off as real. To celebrate going up 2% in the party vote, was not needed.
What the Greens must do is have an honest discussion, on how to increase it's support, the work behind the scenes is mysterious and important, but it needs to be done.
the Greens increased their MPs by nearly 50%, and tripled their electorates. If you look at the 2017, 2020, and 2023 election results it’s easy to see how they are building the party and the vote.
As for celebration, I wrote a post about why they are doing that, it’s on the front page.
Yeah, an excellent performance. Cannibalising Labour. Zero-sum strategy of the left does indeed work.
"Cannibalising Labour"
No I think they voted Green because they realised it was a party with strong and consistent policies and ethics. You make it sound as though some voters owe Labour their vote come what may.
What the Greens need to learn is how to use a microphone. Both Chloe and Marama screeched their way thru their victory speeches. Hard to understand them both.
What the Greens must do is have an honest discussion, on how to increase it's support
Human nature, though, is a problem. Time is money, and discussions free-range naturally. Nobody in the Greens has ever claimed to have marketing nous, to my knowledge, which is the expertise required to increase support.
Firstly they'd have to account for their relationship to the broader Green movement. Problem: doing so requires moral integrity! That's why it hasn't happened yet.
What a great positive weekend. And to top it off, an All Blacks win against the odds.
Two yellow cards to none! Against the best team in the world in recent times! And it could have gone to the Irish easily if one of our tacklers had failed, right down to the end. Even restored the coach's reputation.
An epic game: https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby-world-cup-2023/300989435/rugby-world-cup-awesome-all-blacks-dig-deepest-to-secure-a-signature-victory
I watched the game and I still don't quite believe we won
This has to rate as, at least, in the top 5 All Black victories of all time, given the stakes of the game, the opposition and the two yellow cards
Now we just need the Black Caps to follow suit
NZ cricket team bats well above it's weight. I think we have a good chance of coming close even if we don't quite win it.
IMHO Kane Willimson is more talismanic for the Black Caps than McCaw was for the All Blacks
Nah the Poms will change the rules again.
That yellow card for the tip of one little finger sees extreme.
It was one of the games where you can truly say rugby was the victor on the day.
Outstanding performance from both sides – and went right down to the wire. Ireland could have so easily won it – and your heart goes out to them for missing out on their first RWC semi.
Yes I think I nearly had a heart attack two or three times over in the last 20 minutes of the game.
Jester-glad you are happy NACT are in thrall to Winston after this election. Luxon will have to go cap in hand to NZF, the thing he said was the last thing he wanted.
Sweatng, nausea, shaky hands and the spins ah balls.
Half a can of coke and feeling better
The same thing happened to Captain Haddock when he accidentally drank a glass of water. His remedy was half a bottle of whiskey. I only mention this because of your name. Glad you're feeling better!
tell me why it would be better for Nact to need Peters to form government. Not vague handbrake stuff, but specific policy that he has a chance of getting through.
The comments I've seen haven't been about Peters getting specific policy through (I seriously doubt that NZF policy is in any fit state to be progressed) – but that he would prevent some core National/ACT policies going through. Stopping the National foreign buyers scheme; and, Halting raising the super to 67 (though I don't agree that he'd be strongly motivated to do this)
that's what I meant by policy.
National don't intend to raise the retirement age. Do you think Act could force that?
National policy is to raise the retirement age to 67 – but has it pushed out to 2044 (so 20 years for planning)
https://www.interest.co.nz/public-policy/124238/national-party-re-states-its-policy-age-eligibility-nz-super-only-act-agrees
ACT wants it earlier (over about 12 years, I think).
I'd certainly see this on the cards.
Especially since Labour has previously supported the same age (before they got cold feet, and pulled the policy)
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/pm-chris-hipkins-facing-flack-over-super-age-decision-ahead-of-congress-address/C4TQHUXJ4JCM3AXHYIUGMPYC2M/
I've been re-reading Haidt's Righteous Mind & he mentions this:
Instant biological signalling is part of our evolutionary heritage – an instinctive survival skill. Democracy, however, presumes voters think about issues. Political commentators who follow this line default into acceptance. Yet the Bulgarian prof who came to prominence at Princeton showed people normally just react to the face of the politician. I suspect the ephemeral engagement of floaters in the political process hinges on this.
Waiting for the international headlines:
Parties whose climate policy was ‘Nah, nah, nah not listening infinity plus one more than you’ attempting to form next NZ government.