It is a well-known truism that those who cannot learn from the lameness of history are doomed to be uncool forever.
39. William Fox, 1856, 1861-1862, 1869-1872, 1873
Confiscated nearly three million acres of Māori land then blamed them for starting the wars, which is a real dick move. Fox cemented his place as the lamest leader in New Zealand history by going on to become a strident campaigner for prohibition.
38. Walter Nash, 1957-1960
A boring old paper-pusher who droned on and on until he was finally shuffled out of office at age 78. His favourite colour was beige, and his biggest thrill was having an occasional gin with his orange juice. The Nash government's 'Black Budget' taxed the shit out of petrol, cigarettes, and beer, which the public was understandably Not Happy About.
The reason for the Black Budget was a big drop off in NZ’s overseas income in that year, due to big dips in the price of wool and meat. Which meant NZ government had an unexpected large deficit. Which meant more taxes from somewhere to cover overseas payments.
Better taxes go up than services go down… The electorate of beer-swilling, chimney-smoking voters didn’t agree, so out Labour went.
I sent a submission in when the govt called for public input into democratic reform some years ago, advocating that the spare room be used for participatory democracy & consensus-building. Looks like Palmer has spotted that opportunity:
He would also run extended public hearings and inquiries inside the Legislative Council Chamber (the empty upper house debating chamber). That would allow combined committees to tackle major issues and legislation and attract more public attention… the problem is the Westminster system is based on adversarial politics, we have to get away from that.
I contributed to his constitutional reform process – maybe a decade back? I bought both his books about it brand new. I'm real tight on that propensity due to already owning around ten thousand. I contributed as a critic, so wasn't surprised that they didn't give me any credit in the second book. Labour, you know, credibility eternally rare.
Not that they performed poorly, him and his sidekick. I carefully acknowledged each of the significant improvements they got right, including my framing of why it was a good idea each time. One could call that an exhibition of leftist solidarity perhaps.
However they also made a bunch of fatal errors. In conceptualising, and also in design. Actual flaws of logic plus various false assumptions. 7/10. Maybe 7.5.
Immaterial since the number of retards in Aotearoa remains stubbornly high, so Palmer's chances of success in his reform project shimmer like a veil of possibilities over our land…
Sir Geoffrey Palmer: I wouldn’t describe it as a contract; I woulddescribe it as a compact. A contract suggests it’s an arrangement between private parties; this is a public thing, and it’s much more than a legal arrangement. It is all about good faith, it’s all about a constitutional position, much of which is not found in the law.
A constitutional position that is not found in law can be found in ethos. This is the Deep Green view of life. Ethos is a strand in social binding that makes community.
In my theory of neo-pythagorean metaphysics, ethos kicks in as a functional element of human groups. Using elemental analysis (to identify key elements) it becomes countable. This technique categorises systems on the basis of key elements within, essential components without which a group cannot operate ecosystemically.
So you different unique factors in situations analysable similarly, using the generic theory. You count them to see how many there are. I recycle ancient greek terms to do that (monad, dyad, triad, tetrad, pentad, hexad, heptad for the first seven categories). The requisite conceptualising to integrate qualia with quanta in the theory comes from seeing labels as identifiers providing a unique quality to each number. The theorist must then ground this abstract system via ecosystemic relations, which requires holism to be expanded into theory.
I've spent the past 40 years doing that legwork, but Deep Green politics must make the social function of ethos more intelligible for the purpose of developing collective resilience. That it provides political activism incorporating communal synchrony of values and aspirations. That it facilitates collaboration. That it teaches conflict resolution via consensus decision-making.
Palmer in his academic silo are doing their best, no doubt, within the confines of their neolib belief system – but it's better to look deeper into motivations. Oh, the other dimension that it's essential to integrate into a deep green view of life is spirituality.
I find it hugely enthusing to read Geoffrey Palmer's thinking on democracy, particularly his suggestions of ways to lessen workload of ministers. The latter must be obvious to any who have seen the strained faces in times of calamities during recent years.
I agree too, that the loss of social cohesion due to the necessity of the life-saving covid-caused restrictions has been a real factor in our lives.
From mainstream comms platform relied on by politicians, businesses, and news outlets around the world to Nazi-infested ponzi scheme with the integrity of a crypto scam.
Heck of a job, Elmo.
/
On Thursday, Twitter said it had expanded its creator monetization fund to share more ad revenue with “creators.” Who is a Twitter creator these days? Well, some of the most politically divisive figures are making the most change in Musk’s new world order.
[…]
So who were these exclusive, eligible accounts? Twitter paid out more than $20,000 to Andrew Tate, a self-proclaimed misogynist who has been indicted on charges of rape and human trafficking alongside his brother in Romania.
But wait, there’s more. Ian Miles Cheong, a right-wing spin doctor who increasingly has the ear of the great overlord Musk, reported he received $16,259 on Twitter for tweets focused on subjects like fat-shaming people in TikTok videos and promoting former President Donald Trump’s Truth Social takes. Benny Johnson, a failed journalist, plagiarist, and far-right rabble-rouser, made close to $10,000. Ashley St. Clair, a Babylon Bee writer, and former mouthpiece for Turning Point USA, saw just over $7,000 hit her bank account through the Stripe direct payment app. The right-wing junk account @EndWokeness also received a payout north of $10,000.
It makes you wonder why Labour has been so keen to adhere to their neolib culture, eh? They'd likely say `if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'.
Don't hold your breath waiting for the media to go there. Users don't doubt their paradigm that easily! However we could get a rerun of Max Headroom, the suave news presenter with a glitchy verbal style, out of AI quite soon. Would be good. Imagine satirising rightists & leftists in the same episode…
It's a short step from calling him Lux, as Bennett does, to wondering where do pentecostals go when they rapture to watch the world suffer bowls of judgment being poured out upon the earth. Is it planet X?
Lux is a global brand developed by Unilever
Lux pioneered celebrity endorsements for its soap.
Luxon (surely not chosen for his name) worked for Unilever in Canada before taking his cleanliness even closer to God, by being a bald eagle with Air NZ.
. … Lux is marketed primarily in South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
So a party … No it’s a leader release it’s manifesto then what the party stood for under the last leader doesn’t matter, example in point climate change ?? We now have by his actions someone who doesn’t believe all he believes in is vote to win and screw the consequences. 😱 How hollow leadership we have had under labour. How the labour follows can look in the mirror ?? Disgraceful all of you
”This election was the first chance for him to fully set his own agenda for a better future.”you deserve less than National in 2002.
Labour's 1972 election campaign slogan "It's time" can't be beaten for brevity.
"In it for you" is arguably better, albeit wordier than "Let's do this" and "Let's keep moving", but I prefer UK Labour's failed "For the many, not the few".
If only NAct could run on an honest slogan – "For the few, not the many".
In 2009 after winning the election National "reorganised" ACC; thereby shoving over 100 highly specialised OTs out of employment in NZ. My son-in-law was one of them, and the only work for him was in Australia, who were actively recruiting people with his expertise in after-care for people with brain injury at the time. So we waved goodbye to our loved ones. They have been there ever since, and are about to become Australian citizens. He is now managing 3 after care facilities in the Perth area.
At least labour are being honest with half the slogan. They’ve certainly landed NZ “in it” for years to come. Rather they left me out of it with the second part of the slogan … not in my name.
Jack – it has been obvious since your very first comment that you are not here to promote the left. Please tell me something to make me believe that you even understand the socialist perspective. Or just stop commenting in such a boring manner.
In 6 months time we'll be saying, we told ya so. If this NACT government comes in, there won't be the sinking lid approach while things degrade (Key's strategy). NACT will be a government of big change and public sector cuts, because of the ideological pull of ACT.
Look to Britain under the Tories and Oz under LNP – Luxon's been having nice long chats with members of those governments.
There will be degradation of public education, with funding shifted to for-profit academies and charter schools, de facto privatisation of medicine, for-profit prisons and bootcamps, privatisation of MSD services, as in CentreLink, privitisation or dismantling of ACC, gig-economy jobs with zero hours.
NACT are creaming their knickers thinking of all the kickbacks they'll get putting those contracts in place.
[Please correct the mistake in your email address in your next comment, thanks – Incognito]
Janet Wilson and Andrea Vance are today’s poison pen hags! Congratulations.
Janet calls Jacinda and Michael Wood insincere in their apology for the Dawn Raids. Then she confuses Muldoon and National’s state sponsored racist campaign against a particular minority with a state department continuing to make some after hours visits against no particular demographic.
Showing her evil that held her close to Judith Collins.
Funnily enough ‘Crusher’ was long touted for being tough, but goodness forbid a Labour minister may have shouted.
Vance manages to put herself first in her column on Chippy, leaving us to wonder if she is a bigger egomaniac than the pollies. And without any complaint being filed she blames Chippy for not putting Allan in the stocks. Then, the long bow and ego working well, she considers this an example of betraying Labour’s principles somehow. Quite spectacular bullshit, which she obviously enjoyed smelling.
His unflinching pragmatism was evident in the last few weeks when he – the leader of a party founded for workers’ rights – sided with his Cabinet Minister Kiritapu Allan over allegations she treated staff badly.
While Vance’s piece is certainly a polemic against Labour – I doubt that Ardern, et al were deliberately hypocritical. However, I think it does indicate a tendency towards political theatre, rather than hard policy work.
Which has come up again, and again, in the policy and legislation of the current government.
No- as they are not, and they should be stopped. It’s also quite a mystery as to why Immigration is in MBIE in any case…
But there is a difference between rogue miscommunication which should have been stopped and the racism in the first place.
Yes- I bloody well agree with Carmel.
It’s this poison tongue of a Nats coms operative whose party embody that racism ( watch them in Patu pull in to their function and ‘consider’ their protestors), that hasn’t apologised and that questions the sincerity of those who have.
All hands to the nasty levers. Make NZ nasty again.
Political theatre is important. Symbolism is important. The Prime Minister admitting what the state did to you and your family was wrong is important.
What are you talking about with your bland and vapid statement that it was done instead of ‘hard policy work’ which has come up again and again?
Compared to the opposition whose key justice conference policy was I don’t know I’ll tell you when you’ve all voted for us and I’ll have a guess. On something that has been conclusively shown to be a failure across the board?
Well, it very clearly wasn't supported by the required detailed policy work in the Immigration department. Take a bow: Kris Faafoi (the Minister who wanted to retire); and Michael Wood (the Minister who doesn't seem to be across detail either in his private life or, as we see now, in his job),
Political symbolism which is *not* supported by policy, ministerial direction and/or legislation – is just 'theatre' and leaves the government wide open to charges of hypocrisy.
Saying, effectively, 'the other guys are worse' doesn't do much to inspire confidence in (or willingness to vote for), the current government.
Equally just repeating your argument doesn’t make it any truer.
I would stake the integrity of both Jacinda Ardern and Michael Wood against yours any day.
That they are not perfect people or politicians are true. But also they are not on The Standard for whatever reason joining the National party poison pen club in calling an apology insincere, in the rather cowardly manner of attacking ‘political theatre’ in general.
It is for the victims and recipients of the apology to deem the their satisfaction.
So if you have a fight with your partner making assumptions- you must buy them something or any apology is insincere? It would fit the vanity of the moniker.
Their lack of compassion is evident. Kiri is not allowed to be upset by the destruction of her area, nor is she meant to be hurt by being in a failed relationship. She is supposed to be endlessly patient in the face of half complaints, whispers to the media and digs by the National Party DP. She is apologising for any hurt caused. Still the vicious tongues want Chippy to dismiss Kiri, as according to these founts of "information" she is not "being fair to workers". Their nastiness is clearly displayed.
Property was seen differently by politicians, [Bernard] Hickey said.
As if to make the point, the prime minister ruled out a Capital Gains Tax last Wednesday.
That won't dissuade people from putting their money into houses in future – possibly boosting the size of the mortgages people are prepared to take on, even at the risk of higher repayments making them even more unaffordable.
And on and on it goes. Everybody is banking on house prices increasing and capital gains to stay untaxed. Too bad for renters, first-home buyers and the next generation of Kiwis whose parents are not firmly established on the property ladder. Some folks suggest a death tax could be a solution – après moi le deluge aka over my dead body.
There is already an cgt on rentals in the brightline, add that to no tax offsetting on mortgage payments unless it's a new build, I've had anicdata of atleast one scumlord selling 10 homes due to the healthy homes rules , I reckon labours going ok on housing,
Of course 7 homes wants to change all the rules so he and his grubby mates can can prosper, they're the baddies in this show.
I agree bwaghorn. There have been more homes built of all types in Rotorua, since the last burst in 1973… 50 years ago. Our shops are open, our people are working, unlike2008 and 9.
The more new houses built – the greater the downward pressure on house prices – pulling them back into the affordable range for 'ordinary' families (we can debate 'til the cows come home on what's 'ordinary').
Increased housing availability (i.e. more houses, total) also puts downward pressure on rents – for those for whom home ownership isn't a reality (or doesn't make sense, right now).
The most important thing the government (any government) in NZ can do is pull every lever available to increase the numbers of houses being built. The drivers of poverty (both actual and comparative) all come back to housing costs….
Lovely in a purely theoretical way, but the sad thing is that current prices limit home ownership to only a small portion of society.
You seem to perfectly understand the predicament of this privileged portion.
I am a single home owner (mortgage paid off) but I have nothing but contempt for those who believe that they have done well in a 'fair' system by owning multiple properties.
Our system is not fair. It is an anti-social practice to buy properties, rent them out to poor people, then use faith in a 'fair' system to raise rents on the poor tenants, and profit-gouge them despite their obvious desperation.
Strange that the status quo is seen as fair by landlords, who all seem to be gifted with Nelsonian eyes.
Could you possibly envisage a system where rent increases were related to no more than the increase in the tenants' income?
After all, bosses’ negotiators always deny workers increases in pay by arguing that times are hard and the firm can't afford it.. And it would be – gasp – inflationary!
Yet landlords never seem to see rent increases as inflationary.
No such easy way out for poor tenants that I am aware of.
Sorry Belladonna, but the nice balance that your post portrays does not seem to stretch very far past the realm of the wealthy.
Just read your post while up for a bit InVino.
I would ad AirB&B and empty houses also work against rental the market. Commercial tax rates and rules about insurance for empty homes may help Plus a fee for each week over 6 in a year if the house is habitable. If houses are being used totally for commercial use, different tax rules should apply. imo.
The built for rent market has begun by the Govt and partners. That is a great help, as they are let at lesser rates and pressure the market downward.
When Key got rid of the gift tax, he misleadingly justified it by saying 'it collects very little tax' – ignoring the fact that its purpose was to prevent the wealthy from avoiding other taxes, not to collect tax itself.
National did this in Key’s first term – indicating what a priority it was for wealth worshippers like him.
If we are concerned about wealth why are we not concerned about it when it transfers by will or a trust to others?
Many lefties/socialists are against intergenerational wealth transfer.
That is why I suggested death duties.
I see no link between a totting up and payment of death duties at the death of a person and gift duty?
If the govt needed a belts and braces approach they could tighten up on gifts during the life of the person. I know there used to be a provision for gifting but it was explicit ie advice to IRD.
My idea is for death duties to be paid but if there is a provision for gifting still round then duties on this too. I think it used to be $27,000 pa.
If the sale and purchase agreement became binding:
on or after 27 March 2021, the bright-line period is 5 years to the extent the property has a qualifying new build on it and 10 years for all other properties
between 29 March 2018 and 26 March 2021, the bright-line period is 5 years
between 1 October 2015 and 28 March 2018, the bright-line period is 2 years.
Which Nat MP would like to become the Minister of Pothole Repairs? They can pour $500M into holes and as soon as a hole opens it will be ‘fixed’ in no time. Potty as it may sound, I think this will go a long way to getting NZ back on track and there’s no smoke & mirrors here at all. I suggest a 24-hour Pothole Hotline staffed by fully-trained bilingual staff and the first pothole reporter receives a free petrol voucher.
Thought my ears were deceiving me when I heard Lux (on pothole patrol with SB) respond to an awkward question by saying National is focussed on how to "fund tax."
Thought I'd check out Prime News a second time, on Sky channel 514, and there it was:
What I'm focussed on is that the National party is very clear about how we will fund tax. – Luxon (@5:47 pm on Prime News)
No link (sorry) – will keep looking. What might Lux mean? Anyone? Makes you think?
You're onto it. Freudian slip?? An oblique reference to the sovereign power of govts to customise the financial system in their domain.
An in-crowd phrase we can only guess at? Keep in mind the basis of quantitative easing: creation of money via design of credit system. Inventive finagling.
Nobody in National clever enough to do financial alchemy but can't rule out instructions from further up the global hierarchy. But hey, you never know, he may explain himself at some point in the campaign. A journalist may ponder his lingo & quiz him at a press conference. You could try asking Brian Easton (@ Pundit).
Can I call you that? Do you mind? Well, it its the arse end of your name which of course fits well with your policies, what few of them you seen fit to release. Are you waiting till the arse end of the campaign to flood us with more ill thought out garbage masquerading as policy? I refer particularly to your latest piece of stupid, juvenile, bone-headed and utterly useless idea for a Ministry of Potholes. I know who you want to be in charge of that. We all know who you want to run that outfit – Slimeon Brown. He's your current expert on everything and nothing, right?
Just thought I might put a bit of perspective on this travesty of discombobulation. Sorry, big words! Translation – here's my view on this idiocy.
1. This is already being looked after by the Transport Ministry.
2. Labour has spent 65% more than your lot did.
3. Separating out pot holes is childish, petulant, short-sighted and desperate.
4. National spent 9 years ignoring road maintenance.
5. National prioritised their mates in the trucking industry, which has been hammering our roads into oblivion ever since.
6. National let rail fall into decline, to the point where it is almost too expensive to now fix it.
If this is the best of your policies, then you need to know that running the country is not all about holes in the road. We could probably find you a corner shop to manage. It's not an airline, but, how well did you really do with that one? This policy on road holes is utterly ironic – this means that . . . . oh, never mind, it's not worth educating you.
You may well be a Labour voter but maybe you should admit the the Opposition are right on roading.
The Ministry of Transport is not in charge of filling potholes in roads.
211,000 potholes were reported under Labour 25% of those were in 2022 alone. Parker is a joke for trying to offload responsibility to National 6 years ago.
Pot holes are the actual road degrading. For domestic and freight traffic alike, hitting them is a real expense, and you need to show actual empathy for that cost. NZTA is on record about how weak their system now is.
Labour spend most of it transport money on City Rail Link, Eastern Busway, passenger subsidies, and finishing the big National expressways. Labour would not be vulnerable on transport if it hadn't spent its capex on flashy projects.
Labour did not reverse the National regulations on oversized trucks.
Labour spent dumptrucks on rail but its ferries failed, its Auckland system failed, its Te Huia regional passenger service failed, and its South Island system is shrinking very fast.
Go right ahead vote Labour, but do it with your eyes open about the failing motorway system they alone have delivered.
Not Labour alone, Ad – the failing motorway that needs constant repair just North of Hamilton was not started under Labour. Don't exaggerate -it diminishes credibility.
There is a big failing in the contracting out system.
I suppose it could be said the oppo is right about roading, but they are wrong about the reasons and very wrong about the solution. Anyway, in their plan it's not 500 mill in new money, they will be robbing Peter to pay Paul. Your responses –
1. Details: The MOT is the umbrella and LTSA is under their purview.
2. Look at who's been in power since 1950 – Natz 48 years, Labour 28 years
3. Right on! Natz and their long haul truckie mates. As to a weak system – well, how much do you trust civil servants? Half of them could be Nat supporters and consequently drag the chain on projects. I've heard it said.
4. Not vanity projects – needed expansion to services. If they'd only listened to Robbie all those years ago . . . .
5. Yep, and there we have it. Can imagine the knock down drag 'em out fight Labour would have had rolling back an established set up like that? Trucks are so established now as the default transport option. There would have been ramifications and repercussions of almost unmanageable proportions.
6. They did, and it was still not enough, and it would still never be enough because a certain government sold the railways, who then bought cheap and nasty rolling stock, closed the railway workshops and downgraded the support services.
Not sure who you'll be voting for but when I step back and take a long look at the 2 options available I sure know who's gonna do the mahi for the good of us all.
And finally, the apology that Kiri Allen should have made in the first place, smoothed over with the thick icing of Hipkins trying not to lose another Minister:
"Kiri is a talented Minister who makes a huge contribution to our government. It's important we have a diversity of views, voices and experiences around the Cabinet table and Kiri's recent experiences only adds to that," he said.
"In our discussions, Kiri did acknowledge that in her passion for her work she sets high standards and high expectations of herself and her staff, but staff and officials must be treated with respect, and there is clear guidance for MPs around that.
"Kiri agrees with me on that."
Hipkins also pointed to Allan's recent health struggles.
"When you add the fact Kiri has battled and overcome cancer in that time plus some personal challenges it's understandable that she was feeling under pressure," he said.
"Regardless, I've made my expectations to Ministers around their conduct crystal clear and Kiri has agreed to focus on the way she interacts with those around her and make improvements where necessary.
"When she returns to work Kiri will receive extra coaching to support her to create the positive working environment both of us are committed to."
It would be great to see, finally, public servants treated with respect and assholes who are also ministers stop being assholes in the first place and enable public servants to get on with the job without massive media coverage, mental health leave, and the Prime Minister having to repeatedly step in.
This saga was different in that a PS did go public.
Usually they just have to put up with it and cover up so that their staff do not get disenchanted and stop working the 60 hour weeks that some do, to get stuff up the line and then to the Minister.
If a public servant (other than a CEO) is named by a Minister, the Minister should be fired. Public servants have the right not to be doxxed by the political order – even if they are married to them.
For me, as a long term public servant, it was significant enough that they made a comment unnamed, bearing in mind this is not done. Not sure I would have done this but I accept that things must have been pretty bad and in danger of being slotted into the usual 'blame the PS' for this to happen.
The moral of the story is that people need to be considerate towards each other in the work-place. Natural justice must be applied to the situation when a transgression occurs. I see no evidence that the govt does this routinely.
Therefore there is systemic dysfunction in how the govt of the day & the public service interact. That is untenable. Both Labour & National have been delinquent in creating this over the long-term and both are responsible for the ongoing harm done to participants. As long as they maintain their lack of transparency folks won't have confidence that they are getting it right.
Ultimately the whistleblower law is available to victims but only if the offending ascends to trigger the threshold. Until then the coercion is effective in keeping the victim silent. Maintaining this status quo is unethical. Naughty, even.
I agree with Ad that Hipkins did okay trying to clean up the mess. If he's on the ball he'll tell voters that Labour will rectify the procedural problem. Unlikely.
As someone who helps people survive public servants, I want more Minsters keeping these people in line, so they are not fucking with peoples lives. Not this free hand to make shit up, as they seem to do on a weekly basis.
Also the amount of undermining of this government from public servants has gone right into the realms of utter fucking bullshit.
We don;t have a public service, we have ideological hacks working in government departments pushing unelected agendas.
Also the amount of undermining of this government from public servants has gone right into the realms of utter fucking bullshit.
We don;t have a public service, we have ideological hacks working in government departments pushing unelected agendas.
But do you have any proof or are these just reckons?
Proof is fine but reckons are just that 'reckons'. Many people don't realise how the process of Govt works with Govt Depts working to their Minister. Some people get confused when a Govt Dept has an authority under legislation and in most of these cases the Minister cannot/should not intervene. Some legislation does have an ability for the Minister to direct but most avoid getting into this situation as it is not a good look for a Minister.
After your beige splaining, I was struck by the fact your not that clear on what your asking for. So let me try to see if this fits the bill.
To the second part – ideological ministries. One obvious example is treasury. If you can't see that, then sorry for you. Another recent example is MSD, and the implementation of a new disability ministry. Lets leave aside the perfectly meaningless newspeak they have run with, and just run with the fact it's a ideological shit fest.
Examples of the public service are off the hook, the shitfuckry around the first Minister of Housing. The under mining of the last two ministers of Broadcasting. The Minister for Child Poverty Reduction, if you think that everyone has been playing ball on that one, I have some NFT's I like to sell you.
That will do, the list could go on, but as I live in the real world, not the ruff and thumble world of the wellington bubble – I'll stop.
Treasury for instance has to investigate and have knowledge about financial systems etc befor they can prepare papers for Ministers.
Govt depts in their work have to prepare papers to Ministers covering all options. Ministers make the final decision. Do you want only a single option put forward. That is dangerous stuff.
You don't give details about the MSD, (let alone links) . It may be about legislation that MSD has to operate. For a Minister to direct, even to suggest, that a piece of legislation not be applied is dangerous stuff too.
Muldoon found this out to his cost. Most minister's have learned from this not to intervne into the operation of legislation governing the operation of the departments.
Based on the current polling, no. 11 is almost certainly going to get into Parliament.
Going to be significant confusion in the House with Luxon (Nat), Luxton (ACT) and [if Jo Luxton gets back in on the list – probably not going to hold Rangitata – nothing to do with her, but it's a true blue rural seat and only went Labour in 2020], Luxton (Labour)
Funny how conspiracy cranks like Jnr eventually get to the Jews.
/
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dished out wild COVID-19 conspiracy theories this week during a press event at an Upper East Side restaurant, claiming the bug was a genetically engineered bioweapon that may have been “ethnically targeted” to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.
[…]
“COVID-19. There is an argument that it is ethnically targeted. COVID-19 attacks certain races disproportionately,” Kennedy said. “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.”
“We don’t know whether it was deliberately targeted or not but there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential and impact,” Kennedy hedged.
Simeon Brown’s Ideology BentSimeon Brown once told Kiwis he tries to represent his deep sense of faith by interacting “with integrity”.“It’s important that there’s Christians in Parliament…and from my perspective, it’s great to be a Christian in Parliament and to bring that perspective to [laws, conversations and policies].”And with ...
Severe geological and financial earthquakes are inevitable. We just don’t know how soon and how they will play out. Are we putting the right effort into preparing for them?Every decade or so the international economy has a major financial crisis. We cannot predict exactly when or exactly how it will ...
Questions1. How did Old Mate Grabaseat describe his soon-to-be-Deputy-PM’s letter to police advocating for Philip Polkinghorne?a.Ill-advisedb.A perfect letterc.A letter that will live in infamyd.He had me at hello2. What did Seymour say in response?a.What’s ill-advised is commenting when you don’t know all the facts and ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff has called on OJI Fibre Solutions to work with the government, unions, and the community before closing the Kinleith Paper Mill. “OJI has today announced 230 job losses in what will be a devastating blow for the community. OJI needs to work with ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is sounding the alarm about the latest attack on workers from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden, who is ignoring her own officials to pursue reckless changes that would completely undermine the personal grievance system. “Brooke van Velden’s changes will ...
Hi,When I started writing Webworm in 2020, I wrote a lot about the conspiracy theories that were suddenly invading our Twitter timelines and Facebook feeds. Four years ago a reader, John, left this feedback under one of my essays:It’s a never ending labyrinth of lunacy which, as you have pointed ...
And if you said this life ain't good enoughI would give my world to lift you upI could change my life to better suit your moodBecause you're so smoothAnd it's just like the ocean under the moonOh, it's the same as the emotion that I get from youYou got the ...
Aotearoa remains the minority’s birthright, New Zealand the majority’s possession. WAITANGI DAY commentary see-saws manically between the warmly positive and the coldly negative. Many New Zealanders consider this a good thing. They point to the unexamined patriotism of July Fourth and Bastille Day celebrations, and applaud the fact that the ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: and on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump’s administration over Gaza and Ukraine; on the ...
Up until now, the prevailing coalition view of public servants was that there were simply too many of them. But yesterday the new Public Service Commissioner, handpicked by the Luxon Government, said it was not so much numbers but what they did and the value they produced that mattered. Sir ...
In a moment we explore the question: What is Andrew Bayly wanting to tell ACC, and will it involve enjoying a small wine tasting and then telling someone to fuck off? But first, for context, a broader one: What do we look for in a government?Imagine for a moment, you ...
As expected, Donald Trump just threw Ukraine under the bus, demanding that it accept Russia's illegal theft of land, while ruling out any future membership of NATO. Its a colossal betrayal, which effectively legitimises Russia's invasion, while laying the groundwork for the next one. But Trump is apparently fine with ...
This is a guest post by George Weeks, reviewing a book called ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin AshtonBook review: ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin Ashton (2015) – and what it means for Auckland. The title of this article might unnerve any Greater Auckland ...
This story was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Within just a week, the sheer devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires has pushed to the fore fundamental questions about the impact of the climate crisis that have been ...
In this world, it's just usYou know it's not the same as it wasSongwriters: Harry Edward Styles / Thomas Edward Percy Hull / Tyler Sam JohnsonYesterday, I received a lovely message from Caty, a reader of Nick’s Kōrero, that got me thinking. So I thought I’d share it with you, ...
In past times a person was considered “unserious” or “not a serious” person if they failed to grasp, behave and speak according to the solemnity of the context in which they were located. For example a serious person does not audibly pass gas at Church, or yell “gun” at a ...
Long stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, February 13 are:The coalition Government’s early 2024 ‘fiscal emergency’ freeze on funding, planning and building houses, schools, local roads and hospitals helped extend and deepen the economic and jobs recession through calendar ...
For obvious reasons, people feel uneasy when the right to be a citizen is sold off to wealthy foreigners. Even selling the right to residency seems a bit dubious, when so many migrants who are not millionaires get turned away or are made to jump through innumerable hoops – simply ...
A new season of White Lotus is nearly upon us: more murder mystery, more sumptuous surroundings, more rich people behaving badly.Once more we get to identify with the experience of the pampered tourist or perhaps the poorly paid help; there's something in White Lotus for all New Zealanders.And unlike the ...
In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
“We’re not here to interfere in people’s property rights,” Ngāi Tahu’s Te Maire Tau has told the High Court.Tau, a historian, Upoko (traditional leader) of Ngāi Tūāhuriri, and a university professor of history, is the lead witness in a case designed to force the Crown to recognise the tribe’s rangatiratanga ...
Pacific Media Watch Trump administration officials barred two Associated Press (AP) reporters from covering White House events this week because the US-based independent news agency did not change its style guide to align with the president’s political agenda. The AP is being punished for using the term “Gulf of Mexico,” ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific Presenter/Bulletin editor France’s top diplomat in the Pacific region says talks around the “unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s highly controversial electoral roll are back on the table. The French government intended to make a constitutional amendment that would lift restrictions prescribed under the Nouméa Accord, which ...
By bringing these global voices to the fight for free expression in New Zealand, we’ll continue to protect and expand our culture of free speech, says Nathan Seiuli, the Free Speech Union's Events Manager. ...
The issue is no longer a hypothetical one. US President Donald Trump will not explicitly suggest death camps, but he has already consented to Israel’s continuing a war that is not a war but rather a barbaric assault on a desolate stretch of land. From there, the road to annihilation is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cecelia Cmielewski, Research Fellow, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University To be selected as the artist and curator team to represent Australia at the Venice Biennale is considered the ultimate exhibition for an artistic team. To have your selection rescinded, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia is bearing down on the northwest coast of Australia and is likely to make landfall early Friday evening. It’s a monster storm of great concern to Western Australia. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Ireland-Piper, Associate Professor, ANU National Security College, Australian National University A Victorian government decision to allow dingo culling in the state’s east until 2028 has reignited debate over what has been dubbed Australia’s most controversial animal. Animals Australia, an animal welfare ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University Overnight, Robert F. Kennedy Jr was confirmed as the secretary of the US Health and Human Services Department. Put simply, this makes him the most influential figure in overseeing the health and wellbeing of more ...
Everything you missed from day five of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard eight hours of submissions.Read our recaps of the previous hearings here.It was another work from home day for the Justice Committee, the only people in Room 3 being security guards, committee ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor & Principal Fellow in Urban Risk & Resilience, The University of Melbourne Juris Teivans/Shutterstock In Australia, fatal road crashes are climbing again, especially since the pandemic, and despite years of attempts to reduce road trauma, the numbers ...
In its eagerness to appease supporters of Israel, the media is happy to ride roughshod over due process and basic rights. It’s damaging Australia’s (and New Zealand’s?) democracy.COMMENTARY:By Bernard Keane Two moments stand out so far from the Federal Court hearings relating to Antoinette Lattouf’s sacking by the ...
“The reality is we’re getting poorer. The government this year is leaning heavy on chasing economic growth, which is absolutely the right thing to do.” ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 The Vegetarian by Han Kang (Granta, $28) Han Kang’s astounding novel was based on an ...
This new docuseries about two single comedians looking for love is also a joyful celebration of female friendship. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. “How many people do you think are boning right now?” Kura Forrester asks Brynley Stent as the bright ...
A new poem by Freya Turnbull. Hunger Song – After Kaveh Akbar (Untitled With Hunger And Matcheads) I hold my age in ripped fishnet hold an empty vessel oldyoung body cracks like gunshot like killa i was a father ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominik Koll, Honorary Lecturer, Australian National University View of the Pacific Ocean from the International Space Station.NASA Earth must have experienced something exceptional 10 million years ago. Our study of rock samples from the floor of the Pacific Ocean has found ...
Troy Rawhiti-Connell reviews Kia Tupu Te Ara, a documentary chronicling the meteoric rise of Aotearoa’s groundbreaking metal band. “Two brothers attempt to storm the world of thrash metal with the Māori language, despite the fact they’re both still teenagers,” reads the synopsis of Kent Belcher’s documentary, Kia Tupu Te Ara. ...
Three freelance writers have been awarded grants to work on their ambitious journalism projects. In January, The Spinoff announced the Vince Geddes In-Depth Journalism Fund, supported by the Auckland Radio Trust (ART). The fund was established to provide much-needed financial and editorial support to talented freelance journalists, empowering them to ...
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist in Avarua, Rarotonga China has confirmed details of its meeting with Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown for the first time, saying Beijing “stands ready to have an in-depth exchange” with the island nation. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters during his ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ 2023 strategic foreign policy assessment, “Navigating a shifting world”, accurately foresaw a more uncertain and complex time ahead for New Zealand. But already it feels out of date. The ...
Our parliamentary throuple may be the longest running in the country, but cracks are showing. Gabi Lardies wonders if differing attachment styles may be to blame. Though no one ever anticipated happiness or roses in the three-way coalition, the relationship has wobbled on for over a year without breaking up. ...
As Mike White’s dark satire returns for a third season, we look back on some of The White Lotus’s most memorable characters. The White Lotus looks like a dream holiday, but this resort is anything but paradise. Set in an exclusive five star hotel resort, HBO’s award-winning series is a ...
Analysis: Would the last scientist to leave the building please turn out the lights? Because the confirmation of Robert F Kennedy Jr as US Secretary of Health suggests we’re heading back to the dark ages.It’s a sad irony that President John F Kennedy propelled America into the space age; now his nephew ...
The crux of my message today is that New Zealand needs to bend two curves. One is the long-term economic growth trajectory, which needs to bend upwards to expand our productive capacity and national real incomes. The second is our net public debt ...
Away from the tense scenes on the paepae, under a closely guarded canvas tent, te iwi Māori do the real work of Waitangi: talking. We were invited inside to listen. ...
The Jono & Ben star is self-aware and surrounded by extraordinary women in Three’s latest local comedy series. The first episode of Vince, written by and starring Jono Pryor, opens with intrigue, a loincloth and a man in the middle of some kind of breakdown. As the titular character, a ...
All power to this woman-Marketa Vondrousova-great underdog performance and excellent acceptance interview.
A bit of light political entertainment for a sunday: https://www.vice.com/en/article/7xvz5a/a-definitive-ranking-of-nz-prime-ministers-from-lamest-to-coolest
fun and somewhat informative. Thanks Denis.
The reason for the Black Budget was a big drop off in NZ’s overseas income in that year, due to big dips in the price of wool and meat. Which meant NZ government had an unexpected large deficit. Which meant more taxes from somewhere to cover overseas payments.
Better taxes go up than services go down… The electorate of beer-swilling, chimney-smoking voters didn’t agree, so out Labour went.
[comment with quotes but no links deleted]
Cool, sorry…
I sent a submission in when the govt called for public input into democratic reform some years ago, advocating that the spare room be used for participatory democracy & consensus-building. Looks like Palmer has spotted that opportunity:
On of his other suggestions is likely to irritate the anti-consultancy brigade:
@DF
What would do without thinkers like Sir Geoffrey?
And he knows his stuff, speaks from experience.
I contributed to his constitutional reform process – maybe a decade back? I bought both his books about it brand new. I'm real tight on that propensity due to already owning around ten thousand. I contributed as a critic, so wasn't surprised that they didn't give me any credit in the second book. Labour, you know, credibility eternally rare.
Not that they performed poorly, him and his sidekick. I carefully acknowledged each of the significant improvements they got right, including my framing of why it was a good idea each time. One could call that an exhibition of leftist solidarity perhaps.
However they also made a bunch of fatal errors. In conceptualising, and also in design. Actual flaws of logic plus various false assumptions. 7/10. Maybe 7.5.
Immaterial since the number of retards in Aotearoa remains stubbornly high, so Palmer's chances of success in his reform project shimmer like a veil of possibilities over our land…
Further to that…
A constitutional position that is not found in law can be found in ethos. This is the Deep Green view of life. Ethos is a strand in social binding that makes community.
In my theory of neo-pythagorean metaphysics, ethos kicks in as a functional element of human groups. Using elemental analysis (to identify key elements) it becomes countable. This technique categorises systems on the basis of key elements within, essential components without which a group cannot operate ecosystemically.
So you different unique factors in situations analysable similarly, using the generic theory. You count them to see how many there are. I recycle ancient greek terms to do that (monad, dyad, triad, tetrad, pentad, hexad, heptad for the first seven categories). The requisite conceptualising to integrate qualia with quanta in the theory comes from seeing labels as identifiers providing a unique quality to each number. The theorist must then ground this abstract system via ecosystemic relations, which requires holism to be expanded into theory.
I've spent the past 40 years doing that legwork, but Deep Green politics must make the social function of ethos more intelligible for the purpose of developing collective resilience. That it provides political activism incorporating communal synchrony of values and aspirations. That it facilitates collaboration. That it teaches conflict resolution via consensus decision-making.
Palmer in his academic silo are doing their best, no doubt, within the confines of their neolib belief system – but it's better to look deeper into motivations. Oh, the other dimension that it's essential to integrate into a deep green view of life is spirituality.
I find it hugely enthusing to read Geoffrey Palmer's thinking on democracy, particularly his suggestions of ways to lessen workload of ministers. The latter must be obvious to any who have seen the strained faces in times of calamities during recent years.
I agree too, that the loss of social cohesion due to the necessity of the life-saving covid-caused restrictions has been a real factor in our lives.
Thank you Sir Geoffrey.
From mainstream comms platform relied on by politicians, businesses, and news outlets around the world to Nazi-infested ponzi scheme with the integrity of a crypto scam.
Heck of a job, Elmo.
/
On Thursday, Twitter said it had expanded its creator monetization fund to share more ad revenue with “creators.” Who is a Twitter creator these days? Well, some of the most politically divisive figures are making the most change in Musk’s new world order.
[…]
So who were these exclusive, eligible accounts? Twitter paid out more than $20,000 to Andrew Tate, a self-proclaimed misogynist who has been indicted on charges of rape and human trafficking alongside his brother in Romania.
But wait, there’s more. Ian Miles Cheong, a right-wing spin doctor who increasingly has the ear of the great overlord Musk, reported he received $16,259 on Twitter for tweets focused on subjects like fat-shaming people in TikTok videos and promoting former President Donald Trump’s Truth Social takes. Benny Johnson, a failed journalist, plagiarist, and far-right rabble-rouser, made close to $10,000. Ashley St. Clair, a Babylon Bee writer, and former mouthpiece for Turning Point USA, saw just over $7,000 hit her bank account through the Stripe direct payment app. The right-wing junk account @EndWokeness also received a payout north of $10,000.
https://gizmodo.com/right-wing-users-cash-in-on-twitter-affiliate-cash-1850640588
It makes you wonder why Labour has been so keen to adhere to their neolib culture, eh? They'd likely say `if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'.
Don't hold your breath waiting for the media to go there. Users don't doubt their paradigm that easily! However we could get a rerun of Max Headroom, the suave news presenter with a glitchy verbal style, out of AI quite soon. Would be good. Imagine satirising rightists & leftists in the same episode…
I find that it fails to convince, when politicians (or, in this case, ex-politicians) feel moved to tell us that X has the attributes of a leader.
If X (in this case, Luxon), is not demonstrating this himself – then all the telling in the world isn't going to change public opinion.
Herald (paywalled)
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/paula-bennett-nationals-christopher-luxon-has-the-attributes-of-a-leader/R6W2YNB67JGU3AXVSZ4RTFIMOQ/
Archived copy
https://archive.ph/KQAKe
Nothing more than a paid (?) political advertisement!
And utterly unconvincing, coming from Paula Bennett!
And the Herald has gone to great lengths to convince us that they're not politically biased. Yeah right.
Since forever.
Complains about attacking people not ideas, then proceeds to attack people.
I was tempted to write a school report reply. (Regarding Act Paula Bennet and Luxon's name calling)
"Christopher could choose his friends more wisely and work on his social and emotional skills.'' 5/10
Wonderful paywall means I can't read Pullya Benefits poisonous waffle.
Click on the archived link in comment 8…
burn!
It's a short step from calling him Lux, as Bennett does, to wondering where do pentecostals go when they rapture to watch the world suffer bowls of judgment being poured out upon the earth. Is it planet X?
Luxon (surely not chosen for his name) worked for Unilever in Canada before taking his cleanliness even closer to God, by being a bald eagle with Air NZ.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Is+Lux+soap+a+unilver+product
So the Lux thing is a part of the campaign for the migrant worker vote?
Do we vote for a party or a leader ??
So a party … No it’s a leader release it’s manifesto then what the party stood for under the last leader doesn’t matter, example in point climate change ?? We now have by his actions someone who doesn’t believe all he believes in is vote to win and screw the consequences. 😱 How hollow leadership we have had under labour. How the labour follows can look in the mirror ?? Disgraceful all of you
”This election was the first chance for him to fully set his own agenda for a better future.”you deserve less than National in 2002.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/07/16/chris-hipkins-reveals-labours-2023-election-slogan/
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/election-2023-in-it-for-you-chris-hipkins-launches-slogan-for-labour-2023-campaign/33PUJBSVTJEZFIR5MBXUIR5DA4/
Yep, while National is busy releasing policy today … Labour is busy releasing slogans.
Jack, Labour has only released 1 slogan. Got it ?
Labour score card
slogans 1
policy 0
Is that the best you can up with, pathetic.
National’s score card:
1 slogan (since 21 May 2023; Get NZ Back To ACT)
5 talking points
3.5 non-costed policy outlines
23 flip-flops
11 U-turns
53 repeals
As National are the opposition, then their slogan would have to truthfully be:
"In it for us"
Labour's 1972 election campaign slogan "It's time" can't be beaten for brevity.
"In it for you" is arguably better, albeit wordier than "Let's do this" and "Let's keep moving", but I prefer UK Labour's failed "For the many, not the few".
If only NAct could run on an honest slogan – "For the few, not the many".
2005 – "Tax. Cut." – with just a dash of Iwi/Kiwi
2008 – "Choose a brighter future [for all?]"
2011 – "Building a brighter future [for all?]"
2014 – "Working for [all?] New Zealand" and “Keep the team that's working”
2017 – "Delivering for [all?] New Zealanders"
2020 – "Strong team. More Jobs. Better Economy" [the 1st team being Muller & Kaye]
Not to forget the 2008 slogan
"Stop waving goodbye to your loved ones"
I'll never forget that one.
In 2009 after winning the election National "reorganised" ACC; thereby shoving over 100 highly specialised OTs out of employment in NZ. My son-in-law was one of them, and the only work for him was in Australia, who were actively recruiting people with his expertise in after-care for people with brain injury at the time. So we waved goodbye to our loved ones. They have been there ever since, and are about to become Australian citizens. He is now managing 3 after care facilities in the Perth area.
At least labour are being honest with half the slogan. They’ve certainly landed NZ “in it” for years to come. Rather they left me out of it with the second part of the slogan … not in my name.
Jack – it has been obvious since your very first comment that you are not here to promote the left. Please tell me something to make me believe that you even understand the socialist perspective. Or just stop commenting in such a boring manner.
In 6 months time we'll be saying, we told ya so. If this NACT government comes in, there won't be the sinking lid approach while things degrade (Key's strategy). NACT will be a government of big change and public sector cuts, because of the ideological pull of ACT.
Look to Britain under the Tories and Oz under LNP – Luxon's been having nice long chats with members of those governments.
There will be degradation of public education, with funding shifted to for-profit academies and charter schools, de facto privatisation of medicine, for-profit prisons and bootcamps, privatisation of MSD services, as in CentreLink, privitisation or dismantling of ACC, gig-economy jobs with zero hours.
NACT are creaming their knickers thinking of all the kickbacks they'll get putting those contracts in place.
[Please correct the mistake in your email address in your next comment, thanks – Incognito]
Mod note
The country deserves better than a NACT government.
But you do a return to collecting a mortgage interest deduction against rent income and selling a rental without any CGT/brightline test.
Janet Wilson and Andrea Vance are today’s poison pen hags! Congratulations.
Janet calls Jacinda and Michael Wood insincere in their apology for the Dawn Raids. Then she confuses Muldoon and National’s state sponsored racist campaign against a particular minority with a state department continuing to make some after hours visits against no particular demographic.
Showing her evil that held her close to Judith Collins.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/132535756/the-shameuponshame-sorrynotsorry-saga-of-labours-dawn-raids-apology
Funnily enough ‘Crusher’ was long touted for being tough, but goodness forbid a Labour minister may have shouted.
Vance manages to put herself first in her column on Chippy, leaving us to wonder if she is a bigger egomaniac than the pollies. And without any complaint being filed she blames Chippy for not putting Allan in the stocks. Then, the long bow and ego working well, she considers this an example of betraying Labour’s principles somehow. Quite spectacular bullshit, which she obviously enjoyed smelling.
His unflinching pragmatism was evident in the last few weeks when he – the leader of a party founded for workers’ rights – sided with his Cabinet Minister Kiritapu Allan over allegations she treated staff badly.
https://www.thepost.co.nz/a/politics/350036677/pm-determined-win-all-costs-price-labours-soul
Does this mean that you think that 'out of hours visits' (aren't euphemisms, wonderful) are acceptable?
Carmel Sepuloni certainly doesn't appear to think that they are – under any description.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/07/11/sepuloni-unaware-dawn-raids-would-continue-after-2021-apology/
While Vance’s piece is certainly a polemic against Labour – I doubt that Ardern, et al were deliberately hypocritical. However, I think it does indicate a tendency towards political theatre, rather than hard policy work.
Which has come up again, and again, in the policy and legislation of the current government.
No- as they are not, and they should be stopped. It’s also quite a mystery as to why Immigration is in MBIE in any case…
But there is a difference between rogue miscommunication which should have been stopped and the racism in the first place.
Yes- I bloody well agree with Carmel.
It’s this poison tongue of a Nats coms operative whose party embody that racism ( watch them in Patu pull in to their function and ‘consider’ their protestors), that hasn’t apologised and that questions the sincerity of those who have.
All hands to the nasty levers. Make NZ nasty again.
Political theatre is important. Symbolism is important. The Prime Minister admitting what the state did to you and your family was wrong is important.
What are you talking about with your bland and vapid statement that it was done instead of ‘hard policy work’ which has come up again and again?
Compared to the opposition whose key justice conference policy was I don’t know I’ll tell you when you’ve all voted for us and I’ll have a guess. On something that has been conclusively shown to be a failure across the board?
Well, it very clearly wasn't supported by the required detailed policy work in the Immigration department. Take a bow: Kris Faafoi (the Minister who wanted to retire); and Michael Wood (the Minister who doesn't seem to be across detail either in his private life or, as we see now, in his job),
Political symbolism which is *not* supported by policy, ministerial direction and/or legislation – is just 'theatre' and leaves the government wide open to charges of hypocrisy.
Saying, effectively, 'the other guys are worse' doesn't do much to inspire confidence in (or willingness to vote for), the current government.
Equally just repeating your argument doesn’t make it any truer.
I would stake the integrity of both Jacinda Ardern and Michael Wood against yours any day.
That they are not perfect people or politicians are true. But also they are not on The Standard for whatever reason joining the National party poison pen club in calling an apology insincere, in the rather cowardly manner of attacking ‘political theatre’ in general.
It is for the victims and recipients of the apology to deem the their satisfaction.
So if you have a fight with your partner making assumptions- you must buy them something or any apology is insincere? It would fit the vanity of the moniker.
Their lack of compassion is evident. Kiri is not allowed to be upset by the destruction of her area, nor is she meant to be hurt by being in a failed relationship. She is supposed to be endlessly patient in the face of half complaints, whispers to the media and digs by the National Party DP. She is apologising for any hurt caused. Still the vicious tongues want Chippy to dismiss Kiri, as according to these founts of "information" she is not "being fair to workers". Their nastiness is clearly displayed.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018898507/could-a-mortgage-bomb-blow-up-borrowers
And on and on it goes. Everybody is banking on house prices increasing and capital gains to stay untaxed. Too bad for renters, first-home buyers and the next generation of Kiwis whose parents are not firmly established on the property ladder. Some folks suggest a death tax could be a solution – après moi le deluge aka over my dead body.
There is already an cgt on rentals in the brightline, add that to no tax offsetting on mortgage payments unless it's a new build, I've had anicdata of atleast one scumlord selling 10 homes due to the healthy homes rules , I reckon labours going ok on housing,
Of course 7 homes wants to change all the rules so he and his grubby mates can can prosper, they're the baddies in this show.
I agree bwaghorn. There have been more homes built of all types in Rotorua, since the last burst in 1973… 50 years ago. Our shops are open, our people are working, unlike2008 and 9.
The more new houses built – the greater the downward pressure on house prices – pulling them back into the affordable range for 'ordinary' families (we can debate 'til the cows come home on what's 'ordinary').
Increased housing availability (i.e. more houses, total) also puts downward pressure on rents – for those for whom home ownership isn't a reality (or doesn't make sense, right now).
The most important thing the government (any government) in NZ can do is pull every lever available to increase the numbers of houses being built. The drivers of poverty (both actual and comparative) all come back to housing costs….
Lovely in a purely theoretical way, but the sad thing is that current prices limit home ownership to only a small portion of society.
You seem to perfectly understand the predicament of this privileged portion.
I am a single home owner (mortgage paid off) but I have nothing but contempt for those who believe that they have done well in a 'fair' system by owning multiple properties.
Our system is not fair. It is an anti-social practice to buy properties, rent them out to poor people, then use faith in a 'fair' system to raise rents on the poor tenants, and profit-gouge them despite their obvious desperation.
Strange that the status quo is seen as fair by landlords, who all seem to be gifted with Nelsonian eyes.
Could you possibly envisage a system where rent increases were related to no more than the increase in the tenants' income?
After all, bosses’ negotiators always deny workers increases in pay by arguing that times are hard and the firm can't afford it.. And it would be – gasp – inflationary!
Yet landlords never seem to see rent increases as inflationary.
No such easy way out for poor tenants that I am aware of.
Sorry Belladonna, but the nice balance that your post portrays does not seem to stretch very far past the realm of the wealthy.
Just read your post while up for a bit InVino.
I would ad AirB&B and empty houses also work against rental the market. Commercial tax rates and rules about insurance for empty homes may help Plus a fee for each week over 6 in a year if the house is habitable. If houses are being used totally for commercial use, different tax rules should apply. imo.
The built for rent market has begun by the Govt and partners. That is a great help, as they are let at lesser rates and pressure the market downward.
until there is a crash.
Why are you concerned – phrase is used to indicate indifference to events that will happen after one’s death……
Do you believe in the intergenerational transfer of wealth?
I don’t.
You do, because you oppose any gift duty tax on the transfer “any or all estate” wealth to the children before the parental death.
Genuine estate tax regimes have a gift duty component for a reason.
Exactly.
When Key got rid of the gift tax, he misleadingly justified it by saying 'it collects very little tax' – ignoring the fact that its purpose was to prevent the wealthy from avoiding other taxes, not to collect tax itself.
National did this in Key’s first term – indicating what a priority it was for wealth worshippers like him.
You've missed my point I think.
If we are concerned about wealth why are we not concerned about it when it transfers by will or a trust to others?
Many lefties/socialists are against intergenerational wealth transfer.
That is why I suggested death duties.
I see no link between a totting up and payment of death duties at the death of a person and gift duty?
If the govt needed a belts and braces approach they could tighten up on gifts during the life of the person. I know there used to be a provision for gifting but it was explicit ie advice to IRD.
My idea is for death duties to be paid but if there is a provision for gifting still round then duties on this too. I think it used to be $27,000 pa.
They are taxed if you sell a rental within 5 years.
You want to get ahead in this country you need to invest in property and has been the case for the last 35 years.
Can't see what the complaint is honestly.
https://www.ird.govt.nz/property/buying-and-selling-residential-property/when-you-buy-and-sell
Which Nat MP would like to become the Minister of Pothole Repairs? They can pour $500M into holes and as soon as a hole opens it will be ‘fixed’ in no time. Potty as it may sound, I think this will go a long way to getting NZ back on track and there’s no smoke & mirrors here at all. I suggest a 24-hour Pothole Hotline staffed by fully-trained bilingual staff and the first pothole reporter receives a free petrol voucher.
Potholes…aka blackholes. And two hole filling "likely lads" standing, hands in pockets. Just missing a shovel each..under their arm pits.
A joke really…
Actually…when searched ..there is more than one photo of the two nerks…hands in pockets.
Barking at potholes now,
Its very smart politics, and Parker or whoever is minister of transport now simply doesn't have the time left to turn it around.
Nothing to do with the rain?
I don't think people will be fooled. They have seen the slips, they know the problems. Plus many potholes are Local Council schedule of works.
Heh! Look up the location on Google maps and use street view and check the date.
Pothole problems? Anyone for shovels? Time to get Eric Olthwaite on the job.
A three-minute YouTube video from "The Testing of Eric Olthwaite".
Thought my ears were deceiving me when I heard Lux (on pothole patrol with SB) respond to an awkward question by saying National is focussed on how to "fund tax."
Thought I'd check out Prime News a second time, on Sky channel 514, and there it was:
No link (sorry) – will keep looking. What might Lux mean? Anyone? Makes you think?
You're onto it. Freudian slip?? An oblique reference to the sovereign power of govts to customise the financial system in their domain.
An in-crowd phrase we can only guess at? Keep in mind the basis of quantitative easing: creation of money via design of credit system. Inventive finagling.
Nobody in National clever enough to do financial alchemy but can't rule out instructions from further up the global hierarchy. But hey, you never know, he may explain himself at some point in the campaign. A journalist may ponder his lingo & quiz him at a press conference. You could try asking Brian Easton (@ Pundit).
Dear Topher,
Can I call you that? Do you mind? Well, it its the arse end of your name which of course fits well with your policies, what few of them you seen fit to release. Are you waiting till the arse end of the campaign to flood us with more ill thought out garbage masquerading as policy? I refer particularly to your latest piece of stupid, juvenile, bone-headed and utterly useless idea for a Ministry of Potholes. I know who you want to be in charge of that. We all know who you want to run that outfit – Slimeon Brown. He's your current expert on everything and nothing, right?
Just thought I might put a bit of perspective on this travesty of discombobulation. Sorry, big words! Translation – here's my view on this idiocy.
1. This is already being looked after by the Transport Ministry.
2. Labour has spent 65% more than your lot did.
3. Separating out pot holes is childish, petulant, short-sighted and desperate.
4. National spent 9 years ignoring road maintenance.
5. National prioritised their mates in the trucking industry, which has been hammering our roads into oblivion ever since.
6. National let rail fall into decline, to the point where it is almost too expensive to now fix it.
If this is the best of your policies, then you need to know that running the country is not all about holes in the road. We could probably find you a corner shop to manage. It's not an airline, but, how well did you really do with that one? This policy on road holes is utterly ironic – this means that . . . . oh, never mind, it's not worth educating you.
Signed
A Labour Voter from Auckland
You may well be a Labour voter but maybe you should admit the the Opposition are right on roading.
Go right ahead vote Labour, but do it with your eyes open about the failing motorway system they alone have delivered.
The question is
Are we spending less on road maintenance than before or not?
Spending less of higher budget transport budget on maintenance is not evidence of this.
Are there problems because of a greater cost of road maintenance or greater need because of heavier trucks?
They do a report and do not answer any of these issues.
https://www.lgnz.co.nz/news-and-media/2023-media-releases/funding-for-roads-at-lowest-levels-in-a-decade/
Not Labour alone, Ad – the failing motorway that needs constant repair just North of Hamilton was not started under Labour. Don't exaggerate -it diminishes credibility.
There is a big failing in the contracting out system.
I suppose it could be said the oppo is right about roading, but they are wrong about the reasons and very wrong about the solution. Anyway, in their plan it's not 500 mill in new money, they will be robbing Peter to pay Paul. Your responses –
1. Details: The MOT is the umbrella and LTSA is under their purview.
2. Look at who's been in power since 1950 – Natz 48 years, Labour 28 years
3. Right on! Natz and their long haul truckie mates. As to a weak system – well, how much do you trust civil servants? Half of them could be Nat supporters and consequently drag the chain on projects. I've heard it said.
4. Not vanity projects – needed expansion to services. If they'd only listened to Robbie all those years ago . . . .
5. Yep, and there we have it. Can imagine the knock down drag 'em out fight Labour would have had rolling back an established set up like that? Trucks are so established now as the default transport option. There would have been ramifications and repercussions of almost unmanageable proportions.
6. They did, and it was still not enough, and it would still never be enough because a certain government sold the railways, who then bought cheap and nasty rolling stock, closed the railway workshops and downgraded the support services.
Not sure who you'll be voting for but when I step back and take a long look at the 2 options available I sure know who's gonna do the mahi for the good of us all.
Minister of potholes (the mop) is veering very close to monty python territory…
Will they get their own named SUV's to belt around in…?
'yay..!..here comes mop..!'
And finally, the apology that Kiri Allen should have made in the first place, smoothed over with the thick icing of Hipkins trying not to lose another Minister:
"Kiri is a talented Minister who makes a huge contribution to our government. It's important we have a diversity of views, voices and experiences around the Cabinet table and Kiri's recent experiences only adds to that," he said.
"In our discussions, Kiri did acknowledge that in her passion for her work she sets high standards and high expectations of herself and her staff, but staff and officials must be treated with respect, and there is clear guidance for MPs around that.
"Kiri agrees with me on that."
Hipkins also pointed to Allan's recent health struggles.
"When you add the fact Kiri has battled and overcome cancer in that time plus some personal challenges it's understandable that she was feeling under pressure," he said.
"Regardless, I've made my expectations to Ministers around their conduct crystal clear and Kiri has agreed to focus on the way she interacts with those around her and make improvements where necessary.
"When she returns to work Kiri will receive extra coaching to support her to create the positive working environment both of us are committed to."
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/07/14/kiri-allan-to-return-to-work-resume-full-duties-pm-announces/
It would be great to see, finally, public servants treated with respect and assholes who are also ministers stop being assholes in the first place and enable public servants to get on with the job without massive media coverage, mental health leave, and the Prime Minister having to repeatedly step in.
Got it in one Ad.
This saga was different in that a PS did go public.
Usually they just have to put up with it and cover up so that their staff do not get disenchanted and stop working the 60 hour weeks that some do, to get stuff up the line and then to the Minister.
A named public servant?
If a public servant (other than a CEO) is named by a Minister, the Minister should be fired. Public servants have the right not to be doxxed by the political order – even if they are married to them.
For me, as a long term public servant, it was significant enough that they made a comment unnamed, bearing in mind this is not done. Not sure I would have done this but I accept that things must have been pretty bad and in danger of being slotted into the usual 'blame the PS' for this to happen.
The moral of the story is that people need to be considerate towards each other in the work-place. Natural justice must be applied to the situation when a transgression occurs. I see no evidence that the govt does this routinely.
Therefore there is systemic dysfunction in how the govt of the day & the public service interact. That is untenable. Both Labour & National have been delinquent in creating this over the long-term and both are responsible for the ongoing harm done to participants. As long as they maintain their lack of transparency folks won't have confidence that they are getting it right.
Ultimately the whistleblower law is available to victims but only if the offending ascends to trigger the threshold. Until then the coercion is effective in keeping the victim silent. Maintaining this status quo is unethical. Naughty, even.
I agree with Ad that Hipkins did okay trying to clean up the mess. If he's on the ball he'll tell voters that Labour will rectify the procedural problem. Unlikely.
Totally disagree.
As someone who helps people survive public servants, I want more Minsters keeping these people in line, so they are not fucking with peoples lives. Not this free hand to make shit up, as they seem to do on a weekly basis.
Also the amount of undermining of this government from public servants has gone right into the realms of utter fucking bullshit.
We don;t have a public service, we have ideological hacks working in government departments pushing unelected agendas.
Yes you say this about the
But do you have any proof or are these just reckons?
Proof is fine but reckons are just that 'reckons'. Many people don't realise how the process of Govt works with Govt Depts working to their Minister. Some people get confused when a Govt Dept has an authority under legislation and in most of these cases the Minister cannot/should not intervene. Some legislation does have an ability for the Minister to direct but most avoid getting into this situation as it is not a good look for a Minister.
Some examples would be good.
After your beige splaining, I was struck by the fact your not that clear on what your asking for. So let me try to see if this fits the bill.
To the second part – ideological ministries. One obvious example is treasury. If you can't see that, then sorry for you. Another recent example is MSD, and the implementation of a new disability ministry. Lets leave aside the perfectly meaningless newspeak they have run with, and just run with the fact it's a ideological shit fest.
Examples of the public service are off the hook, the shitfuckry around the first Minister of Housing. The under mining of the last two ministers of Broadcasting. The Minister for Child Poverty Reduction, if you think that everyone has been playing ball on that one, I have some NFT's I like to sell you.
That will do, the list could go on, but as I live in the real world, not the ruff and thumble world of the wellington bubble – I'll stop.
Ok so no valid examples just strong words.
Treasury for instance has to investigate and have knowledge about financial systems etc befor they can prepare papers for Ministers.
Govt depts in their work have to prepare papers to Ministers covering all options. Ministers make the final decision. Do you want only a single option put forward. That is dangerous stuff.
You don't give details about the MSD, (let alone links) . It may be about legislation that MSD has to operate. For a Minister to direct, even to suggest, that a piece of legislation not be applied is dangerous stuff too.
Muldoon found this out to his cost. Most minister's have learned from this not to intervne into the operation of legislation governing the operation of the departments.
WOW you did live in a bubble.
As promised
https://opensea.io/
https://twitter.com/realshearwater/status/1680456688124719104
They could have borrowed – for the many not the few – if they had gone ahead with a wealth tax.
But continuing with the let's do this, let's keep moving approach would just remind people how much the price of items in the salad had gone up.
Hopefully the ewe people will be successfully herded to the polling booth.
Both seem to be in it for billionaires.
I would have quite liked’ Let’s Spread The Wealth’ That, I could respond to.
I really don't think that Hipkins will be keen on any slogan with the word "spread" in it!
Words with pleasant connotations are preferable to words with even neutral ones..
I never thought of that in connection with the old song " – 'Neath the Spreading Chestnut Tree.'
I like it.
"Get out there and spread your wealth!"
ACT have just released their party list (I know, I can hear the peanut calls from here).
But, at no. 11 is Cameron Luxton.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/132554781/act-releases-candidate-list-mp-james-mcdowall-to-retire
Based on the current polling, no. 11 is almost certainly going to get into Parliament.
Going to be significant confusion in the House with Luxon (Nat), Luxton (ACT) and [if Jo Luxton gets back in on the list – probably not going to hold Rangitata – nothing to do with her, but it's a true blue rural seat and only went Labour in 2020], Luxton (Labour)
Funny how conspiracy cranks like Jnr eventually get to the Jews.
/
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dished out wild COVID-19 conspiracy theories this week during a press event at an Upper East Side restaurant, claiming the bug was a genetically engineered bioweapon that may have been “ethnically targeted” to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.
[…]
“COVID-19. There is an argument that it is ethnically targeted. COVID-19 attacks certain races disproportionately,” Kennedy said. “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.”
“We don’t know whether it was deliberately targeted or not but there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential and impact,” Kennedy hedged.
https://nypost.com/2023/07/15/rfk-jr-says-covid-was-ethnically-targeted-to-spare-jews/amp/
Look on the bright side, at least he can get through a sentence without a teleprompter. US politics is just a bloody mess.
From a political marketing perspective it ain't silly. Just think how many folks would get spooked by a jewish-chinese axis in geopolitics.