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)
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.
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Macklemore isn’t someone I’d usually think about. Sure I liked his big hit from a few years back, everybody did it was catchy and cool with some memorable lines. But if I was going to think of artists who might speak out on political matters or world events, he wouldn’t ...
Another week goes by in the Luxon government’s efforts to roll back the past 70 years of social progress. The school lunches programme is to be downgraded by $107 million, and women need bother their heads no longer about pay equity, let alone expect ACC to provide adequate sexual violence ...
Brrr, the first cold snap of the year. Hope you’re rugged up nice and warm. Here are some stories that caught our eye this week… This Week on Greater Auckland On Monday, we had a post from a new contributor, Connor Sharp, who dug into the public feedback ...
Almost all of the Wellington City Council’s recommended zoning changes to allow many more apartments and townhouses in its inner-suburbs have been approved.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guest on geopolitics, ...
Open access notablesA Global Increase in Nearshore Tropical Cyclone Intensification, Balaguru et al., Earth's Future:Tropical Cyclones (TCs) inflict substantial coastal damages, making it pertinent to understand changing storm characteristics in the important nearshore region. Past work examined several aspects of TCs relevant for impacts in coastal regions. However, ...
Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...
Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...
Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
Alwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
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 ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
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 ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
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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.