Several candidates around the South are either directly affiliated with, or have shared their support online for, the group Voices for Freedom.
But they have been urged to keep those links quiet.
In an August 9 email seen by the Otago Daily Times, Voices for Freedom co-founder Claire Deeks encouraged candidates not to disclose their affiliation with the group, which has also urged followers to make New Zealand "ungovernable".
Two high-profile VFF affiliates, Gill Booth and Jaspreet Boparai, were standing for the Teviot Valley Community Board, and the Southland District Council and Tuatapere Te Waewae Community Board respectively.
Clair… Deeks, and Friends. Extremely dodgy people. Spreaders of lies, Mis and Dis Information, and Conspiracy theories unlimited. "Potentially" if not actually dangerous. A worry with this latest. Always good exposing them .
Yes, good for voters to know who is who. There is a Sovereign NZ candidate standing for the Far North District Mayoralty–Joshua Riley from Opua–a pilot and small business person, and a right head case.
He opposes “race specific” i.e. Māori Wards, and the Three Waters reform. The Far North District has one of the highest Māori populations, proportionately in the country.
Naming these people right around the country is so important. There seems to a lot of apathy around local body elections and we need absolute vigilance.
Voters should be careful this election, not to choose fruit-loops and crack-pots.
They are out there, wearing their masks, nose-out, calling the Prime Minister, “Jabcinda” and screaming blue-murder over 3-Waters. Some have managed to get onto the candidate lists and will soon be campaigning for your vote. Ask questions of them; are they afraid of 5G cell-phone towers, do they believe Trump is honest, are they convinced the Gummint is trying to steal their farm?
Councils will be challenged by real issues over the next 3 years; adapting to climate change being the most pressing, in my opinion. Councillors with axes to grind, 3-legged hobby-horses to ride, will fail Southland voters and make a mockery of local government.
I’ve put my name forward again for Environment Southland. I’ve been on that council for 3 terms now, and reckon I’ve done a good job speaking up for the environment.
I have a fb friend ,staunch Maori guy , loves trump ,thinks trump is honest, misogynist asf, hates national and act , votes labour , some people are complicated
Imo, its incumbent upon journalists around the country to seek out these imposters (because that is what most of them are) and publish their names.
People are inclined to vote for name recognition in local body elections because they have no idea who any of them are, and they have no inclination to spend time finding out. This is what the VFF crowd are banking on to get their people across the line.
Yes Anne, name recognition plays a big role. In the Far North where I have been for 30 years, a perennial issue is that Mayoral candidates may be well known in Kerikeri or Kaitaia or Kaikohe or Te Hapua or Hokianga or Doubtless Bay–but not over the whole district–which is why Wayne Brown got in for two terms because he had branding based on his years of property development activity and crawling within the business and farming sector.
The Anti vaccination, Groundswell, Convoy, 5G and other nut job lots go under various banners so do need to be identified.
Mackie says the largest (and most well-resourced) anti-vaccine group in New Zealand, the female-led Voices For Freedom, deliberately set out to target mums more than a year ago
Hi Anne, Ive posted the above Link before….but it still disturbs me. That these "Mumfluencers" cannot see who is actually behind their conspiracy theories and fear mongering.
But yes, Journalist exposure could hopefully throw bright light on the shadowy leaders.
Carter was sacked as whip in 1995, after he phoned into a talkback radio show, hosted by fellow National MP John Banks impersonating a work-shy Maori called Hone, causing widespread offence.
This is pretty much a direct copy-paste from the MAGA playbook, where schools, councils, you name it – have MAGA's lining up to get on the inside.
A deliberate malicious undermining of society because they fear a swarm of communist pronouns and IRS officers are coming for their guns. Here they have different victim fantasies, but it's the same nonsensensical shite.
The people directing such activities are enemies of democracy, period. But we already see MP's talk utter shit to get in. Shoe – other foot!
The rhetoric coming from US is murderous right now. Or should I say murder fantasy. Where the righteous emerge from a storm cloud to purge the land of evil.
Really twisted.
Now, let's see if my and others posts on the subject attract lightly veiled threats from a certain poster, again…
The fascinating thing is that they've succeeded in getting their people to put their hand up for local government, in significant numbers!
It takes a lot to motivate people.
Some, for example those standing for community boards, will get a shock if they find themselves sitting around those tables, committed to 3 years of debating footpaths ands street lights – I guess they can try to rid their communities of 5G towers and get their little town taken off the chem-trail routes.
Robert, that's what I don't get too – how they are going to cope with all the meetings, reading, travel around the electorate, responding to and resolving individuals concerns/problems etc etc.
Maybe the initial flurry of Meet Your Candidates meetings will see them drop out.
I live in a very large, rural ward and the workload is gruelling for our sole Councillor. We have four candidates – at least one has suspect affiliations.
Matiri – indeed; I just can't see what they hope to achieve, but that could just be my lack of understanding; people who profess to despise democracy, signing-up to the strictest of democratic institutions? Their plan must be to get inside and bring it down, but how, I wonder, do they propose to do that?? If their plans are anything like the plans they had for getting an audience with the Government, then I they're going to be sorely disappointed. Otoh, going along to community board meetings; usually as dry as toast, could be an entertainment and I'm certainly going to be there, popcorn in hand! Our local board has a gaggle lining up. It seems there are far more than "we" might suspect.
Edit: it’s just occurred to me that their plan might be to not go to meetings at all, meaning there’s not enough for a quorum, and meetings will fail accordingly 🙂
I was suggesting Mr Arps seemed unlikely to want to attend his school board meetings (if elected). Doesn't seem clear what hes going to change when hes busy agreeing dates for the school fare to be run and deciding if the fees (voluntary donations) should be increased or terminated this year.
Also interesting that he's apparently sending kids to a multi-cultural school to begin with of course. Maybe hes one of those very well adjusted people who keeps his work separate to his family life and this never comes up.
If there is a plan to shut down school boards by not attending meetings I expect it to be activated at a later date and that the candidates haven't been told about it yet. Also the boards will just get one of the unsuccessful candidates co-opted onto the school board at that point anyway, or arm twist somebody to step in (which they do when not enough parents stand anyway).
I don't think there's a solid plan – I think the anti-vaxx candidates just want to put the willies up the "sheeple" and prance. As they did on Parliament's lawn. They won't be aware of deeper machinations, just as they weren't aware on the protest lawn.
If the plan is not to go to meetings so that the meeting fails, he/she will be very very unpopular in our ward if successful, as we rely on our sole councillor to represent us. Life will be very uncomfortable for him/her!!
I don't think running for office is yet in and of itself undermining society. People you (or I) don't like are able to run for office, that's a strength of democracy not a weakness IMO.
Agreed, Nic; great to see them all turn out with their hands up. Disturbing though, to read that their "controlling agency" has advised them to hide their affiliations and intentions from the public. That's kinda whiffy!
Deeply ironic that a bunch of loonies who think the government is sneaky and dishonest, themselves are willing to be sneaky and dishonest to get into power, guess they must think they're allo allo voices please) le resistance
Not in the south but we have locally at least one candidate that is very much trying to say 'affiliated with such and such party' but not naming it.
I have complained about that to local government that including party membership/alliances should be part of the intro of the dudes/ettes standing and we were told that that was no important.
That was for the last election which was before that brouhaha broke out.
So in essence you will not be allowed that information for anyone irrespective the party that they would promote/vote for.
Jaspreet Boparai returns with Gill Booth to summarise with Claire Deeks what they’ve been talking about for the past year on the Be Kind Be Blind series and find a focus on a way forward which all concerned kiwis can take when it comes to stopping the UN Agenda playing out in our local councils.
joe90, hmmm I already know of their extremist views. I might pass on viewing that clip. (even at the beginning, i could feel the attack on my rationality : )
I'm not sure they have any extremist views of their own. I reckon they're bored, resentful, and after so many trips down the damn rabbit hole, delusional nobodies who finally have something to latch onto, the UN Agenda playing out in our local councils, purpose. Egged on by the cowardly well heeled fucks who instigate and inflame the nonsense from the safety and comfort of their own living rooms, home studios, cordons of minders in dirty dogs and, as in Wellington, the best hotel rooms in the town.
And there doesn't seem to be any one thing in particular that unites these dangerous loons in their campaign to upend the lives of their fellow New Zealanders. They say that they're all about liberty and freedom but I think these are catch-all excuses for their grab bag of grudges, grievances, resentments, and their apparent paranoia aboutthe dark, amorphous forcesthey perceive to beresponsible for their shitty, boring lives.
There is always something to get politics followers attention–and the latest for me is the Labour Caucus embracing the US Pacific “charm offensive” (charming in public anyway–75 years ago…WWII…sob…etc.) and behind the scenes cuddling up via various US State Department personnel visits, including recently Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman, and signing a ‘space agreement’ fer crissakes, which really just recognises and approves the increased US military use of Rocketlab.
Toadying up to US Imperialism is never a good look–how far away can actual AUKUS membership be?–this is shameful for a country with Nuclear Free Legislation.
Well we must hope then that L will do its utmost best to prevent what ever they are creating re Water and other utilities to be not misused for privatisation by other parties.
I mean after all they are doing all the 'reforming' atm. Surely safeguarding and safekeeping of these assets in the commons will be a big aspect of it.
National refused to discuss the Privatisation model of proposed 3 Waters, saying instead that they would cancel 3 Waters so privatisation would be irrelevant. Ha Ha!
It's meaningless. Future governments can simply change the law. The greatest protection against privatisation would be to reverse the 3Waters reforms altogether.
Let some National government long after my death find itself facing a public backlash of unprecedented severity for trying to pass legislation allowing it to steal our country's water.
Is the clause that entrenches the anti-privatisation clause also entrenched? i.e. can the entrenchment itself be removed with a simple majority? Genuine question – I'm not sure how this stuff works.
The argument you were making was actually if something doesn't exist it can't be privatized. So I expect your about to explain how the country should function doing away with its water infrastructure (rather than privatizing it, or relying on the government not to). So do go ahead…
3Waters creates a monolithic, nationwide, water services organisation. For all intents and purposes it ends Council control over those assets, and transfers control to that entity, which is in effect a monopoly. My view is that is a far more attractive beast for privatisation that a series of truly locally controlled and owned water services enterprises.
I view 3Waters as a strange animal. It seems to be a solution well wide of the problem, but that's a different discussion. It is far being a safeguard against privatisation.
NZ doesn't have an overriding constitutional system. The only possible protection is not to have a privatising govt in office. A 75% vote against privatisation would be stronger but even this govt doesn't have such a majority.
On the other hand LibertyBelle's argument that govts can change laws is not in good faith. They have several arguments at the same time as you can see. Apparently their best argument, presented at the dregs of a thread for the first time naturally, is that having national framework for water makes it a monopoly. Water is a natural monopoly regardless of the legislation.
But your looking for some stronger proofing than legislation inside a legislative system. Good luck.
"Water is a natural monopoly regardless of the legislation."
The issue is not whether 'water' is a monopoly, the issue is whether the delivery of water services is a monopoly. 3Waters creates such a monopoly at a national level, which makes it an attractive proposition for sale.
The country can function without the 3Waters reforms quite well. And with smaller water providers, the likelihood of privatisation would be significantly reduced.
Weirdly Maori corporates gaining 50% of the water entities start to look a lot more reliable than Parliament as a defence of sovereign ownership here.
Imagine if Maori had owned 50% of Contact, Genesis, or Mighty River Power (as it was). Then Key tried to sell them (as he did). He would have Supreme Court rulings at him left right and centre.
The 75% threshold is the Parliamentary limit. But they forgot the first 50% Maori limit.
With Maori at the table from the beginning, it would be very hard to see these new entities bringing in Vivendi and RWE to 'privatise-by-stealth' as Papakura Council did in the early 2000s.
Maori ‘sell’ assets they obtain for gain and good on them. For example ex Crown land in Auckland offered to mana whenua under RFR clauses in the Tamaki Collective.
Six provisions in New Zealand law are constitutionally entrenched, meaning they can only be changed by a vote of more than 75% of the House of Representatives or more than 50% at a referendum. They are contained in the Electoral Act 1993 (and one in the Constitution Act 1986) and relate to:
the term of Parliament
the Representation Commission (a committee that determines electoral boundaries)
the division of New Zealand into general electorates
the 5% margin for the population of general electorates
Except that it gets way way way harder to get a 75% vote from MPs than it does to get a 50% vote.
Perhaps you should have a look at how few times a 75% vote is achieved on any legislation in our parliament.
Usually it is only on repair legislation, treaties, MP pensions, and the few bits of legislation enabling referendums, and …. thats about it.
It requires a super majority by both major parties before it can happen in reality. As you can see from the examples given – we really only get entrenched legislation on things of common interest to both major political groups.
Of course it's 'way harder'. But it isn't impossible. The combined value of the water services companies will be huge, and a very tempting proposition for raising money, particularly to pay off debt.
"So, now you change your tune from twice “future governments can simply change the law” [my italics] to “Of course it’s ‘way harder’”."
You have difficulty with comprehension. The word simply doesn't always mean something is simple, does it? Here's an example – 'if someone continues to ignore you, you can simple ignore them'. Get it now?
Yes, I get that you like to waste good people’s time here and that you’re pretty good at it too. As a Moderator I’m always concerned about obtuse commenters who monopolise the discourse here and who clearly show no sign of letting up. Let’s see if your reading comprehension is up to it and if you can parse this.
PS to write “… you can simple ignore them” is not cute. Perhaps you could pay more attention to what others are saying instead of ignoring them and/or fobbing them off. And believe me, I won’t ignore you.
My understanding is that in order to entrench a clause to say 75% vote in order to ensure its longevity, that 75% must vote for it. Labour would need National approval and its vote to achieve that.
”Even a small conflict in which two nations unleash nuclear weapons on each other could lead to worldwide famine, research suggests. Soot from burning cities would encircle the planet and cool it by reflecting sunlight back into space. This, in turn, would cause global crop failures that — in a worst-case scenario — could put five billion people on the brink of death. The research is the latest in a decades-long thought experiment about the global consequences of nuclear war. It seems especially relevant today as Russia’s war against Ukraine has disrupted global food supplies, underscoring the far-reaching impacts of a regional conflict. “
This is the same Toby Curtis that expressed disappointment that his nephews were found guilty of murdering Nia Glassie rather than being found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.
This is the same Toy Curtis who spoke about the shame the Curtis family would have to endure as they visited marae around the rohe. Yes….he did give the impression that it was an untoward burden of shame…rather than one richly deserved.
This is the same Toby Curtis, who described the murder of Nia Glassie as "…just one of those things."
I vividly remember this particular interview I have involuntarily snorted every time in the past 14 years he has been introduced as 'Highly respected Te Arawa kaumatua.'
sits there and lets Luxon pontificate about how they, the principled party, believe voters should choose the MPs, when his party is currently in the middle of a scandal where they kept information from voters so they could not choose properly on full information.
A pre-selection committee shall be convened in all Electorates at the closing of nominations, subject to Rule 97 (a).
(b) The purpose of the pre-selection committee is to:
(i) Conduct in depth interviews and reference checks with the approved nominees;
(ii) In the event that there are more than five approved nominees, then to reduce the number of nominees to five (including the sitting National Member of Parliament if approved as a nominee by the Board); and
(iii) Exclude from further consideration in the selection process those nominees who are considered unsuitable to be National Members of Parliament
So, Luxon believes voters should choose the MPs? Who chooses the candidates?
Agree with you newsense, the conflating of the Waka jumping law by Luxon with “National supports letting the voters choose MP's" was never challenged by Corin Dann either. Kim Hill would have though.
I know poor old Luxy had a tough interview with Susie a week or two back, but given the background of these couple of weeks and couple of years of candidate selection it’s worse than softball.
Quite clear the selection team knew about Uffindell and thought he was fine. Why?
Labour on current polling even to get a shot at government needs the Greens to be stronger, the Maori Party to be stronger, and any other help.
So presumably now if Ardern really wants power in a third term, she has some deals to stitch:
– Labour agrees not to oppose Gaurav Sharma in Hamilton West, and he agrees to support Labour in the party vote. Or Labour just agrees to let his LEC select him.
– Labour agrees not to oppose Chloe Swarbrick in Auckland Central
– Labour agrees not to stand Tamati Coffey against Rawiri Waititi
– Labour agrees not to stand a candidate in Te Tai Hauaru against Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
As the polls get deeper the list will need to be added to.
Of course it is the electorate vote that elects individuals in electorates but it is the percentage party vote that dictates the number of MP's per each party ends up with, assuming a party gets at least 5% or has one or more electorate seat.
More than a crack, there was a line of thinking that Dr Sharma kicked the whole thing off after noting that Hamilton West was very likely going back to the National candidate next time.
that's a big cultural shift for a party that prides itself on standing someone in every electorate, and which has eschewed such strategy in the past. Do you think it's likely?
Think Sharma is unlikely, as he doesn't have a realistic chance of winning against National, especially without the Labour machine behind him.
Definitely worth considering the other two scenarios, to benefit TPM and Greens. Although Labour has always firmly rejected this kind of accommodation in the recent past.
And would have to put those candidates not standing in a very winnable place on the party list (which might be a tense negotiation – especially with Helen White in Ak Central), or parachute them into a post-parliamentary career (cf Louisa Wall)
The way the polls are ATM, the Greens don't need the accommodation in Ak Central – they have sufficient polling support to get into parliament, independently.
TPM require an electorate seat, unless they hit the 5% threshold (which seems unlikely at the moment). I don't know enough about the personalities and the politics in the individual Maori electorates, to know if TPM candidate is already the front-runner – so whether a Labour concession is worth-while for them.
Christopher Luxon's Preferred Prime Minister results continue their slide. Mr Luxon was on 28% in June is now on just 19.5% today. Jacinda Ardern is at 39.5%.
…overall gain for the Labour/Green centre-left parties at the expense of the National/ACT centre-right bloc.
Doubt it. All polls have been keenly addressed to date – and the media have regularly led with TPM holding the 'balance of power'.
Suspect it's just that Sharma has sucked all the political oxygen over the last few days, as Uffindell did previously.
As this seems to be dying down now, I'd expect regular transmission to resume.
My $0.02 worth: I think all polls with a difference of less than 3% are within the margin of error, and too close to call (been saying this consistently for months)
Doesn't suit their agreed agenda BG? Now if it had been the other way round… Luxon was soaring and Arderrn plummeting then it would have knocked the Sharma drama, and the Uffindell upset completely off the news circuit. It may even have forced the raging torrents of water flooding villages and towns in the Sth. Island into second place. 👿
Media have frequently reported these polls (both with Labour ahead and with National ahead, as well as with TMP holding the balance of power – as they do in this one).
To ascribe this as not being reported, because it doesn't fit an 'agenda' is pretty far gone along the conspiracy theory path.
And, indeed, a quick search of the news headlines finds an article in the Herald, released at 11:18 this morning.
Google searches are tailored to each individual user, i.e., your ‘hits’ will be (slightly?) different from anybody else’s ‘hits’. It also depends on whether one limits to NZ only or all countries, for example. That said, the NZH is also the first result (“20 hours ago”) of my search using Google.
Yeah, I know that Google relevance rankings use an arcane art to weigh results. But working on the assumption that commenters here are both interested in politcs and in NZ – you're pretty likely to get the same results for a political search.
Bollocks Belladonna. I know you have a high opinion of your abilities, but many of us here are experienced and politically very aware. Being lectured by you about some aspects that we have known for years might be amusing, but is not always a pathway to good conversations.
Bearded Git @ 9.1 knows I was being facetious with a tinge of humour thrown in. TS regulars are well versed in such banter. Suggest you read and learn before leaping in with your criticism. It only lead to equally negative responses.
Many of the commenters on TS are, indeed, highly experienced and politically very aware.
Poorly informed claims that the media are biased, however, aren't either funny or clever. And, in fact, they are dangerous…. (if you can't figure out why, I'm happy to discuss further)
Using emoticons or emojis doesn't excuse you from mis-representing the facts. Although it might pay to stick to ones where you're certain of the meaning, and equally certain it won't be misunderstood.
The occasional apology – when you get something wrong – wouldn't exactly go amiss. Doubling down, when you're called on something, also 'leads to negative responses'
* Luxon still against waka jumping legislation amid Uffindell inquiry
* Sharma remains under threat of expulsion (really a re-hash of the day before, for those who get their news in the morning)
Seems a fairly balanced list of topics: both right and left getting some airtime, and a big government-initiated investigation into a topic of significance.
Left & Right blocs essentially neck-and-neck … TPM holding balance.
Luxon's initial fall in popularity didn't affect National's ratings, now it's beginning to.
While NZF is only rating 2.6%, Winston almost doubles his personal popularity to 4.2% … suggesting a pool of voters who are currently unsure of their party support but prefer Winnie as PM (possibly indicating some latent NZF support that may manifest over the next year).
"…a pool of voters who are currently unsure of their party support but prefer Winnie as PM (possibly indicating…") their complete detachment from reality?
Peters is still well below Seymour in preferred PM league.
I think we can all agree that the rats-and-mice numbers at the bottom are just about name recognition in those surveyed, rather than signifying any real support. Especially as those indicating they would vote for NZF remain around 2.5% (as they have all year) well shy of the 5% threshold.
Ardern and Luxon are the only ones that matter here.
Ardern will be hoping that the uptick in popular support for her, personally, will spill over into Labour votes, too.
Peters is still well below Seymour in preferred PM league.
Irrelevant to the question of whether or not the doubling of his personal rating (making it almost twice as high as current committed NZF supporters) indicates a latent potential pool of support for NZF.
..
Especially as those indicating they would vote for NZF remain around 2.5% (as they have all year)
Nope … NZF support in Curia-Taxpayers Polls (2022):
Jan 0.9 … Feb 1.5 … March 1.8 … April 1.7 … May 1.8 … June 2.3 … July 2.8 … Aug 2.6.
..
well shy of the 5% threshold
NZF has made a bit of a habit of outperforming the polls. Not in 2020 … but certainly in election campaigns where Labour's support is down on the previous election (NZF outperforming both in terms of the immediate pre-election polls and, even more so, the polls more than a year out … which is where we are at the moment).
..
Ardern will be hoping that the uptick in popular support for her, personally, will spill over into Labour votes, too.
Ardern is down slightly in this latest Curia-Taxpayers Poll.
Re Peters. I don't think that doubling support, when the figures are so low, is really meaningful. It would be well within the margin of error.
Poll results at the margins (below about 3%) are notoriously inaccurate.
NZF made a habit of outperforming polls when voters believed that Peters would go with the larger party, and be a handbrake on them. After 2017, I don't think that many voters would trust him to do that.
Future polls will show if you're right. If there's an upward trend for NZF – then, you have my concession in advance. 🙂
However, I do think that many people (those who aren't firm party voters), tend to select the 'person' they like for the leader category, but are generally more influenced by policies (or what's going right or wrong for them in an economic/political sense) when deciding which 'party' to vote for.
[That's just my opinion, BTW, I don't have anything from polling companies to back it up]
What is the poll’s margin of error?
The maximum sampling error is approximately ± 3.1%-points at the 95% confidence level. This is the sampling error for a result around 50%. Results higher and lower than 50% have a smaller sampling error. For example, results around 10% and 5% have sampling errors of approximately ±1.9%-points and 1.4%-points respectively at the 95% confidence level.
This is an older article, but I think it does articulate well, why small percentage point differences in poll results aren't particularly accurate or useful.
It does use American examples – but AFAIK NZ polling uses the same statistical sampling methodology.
There is a tendency in the media and elsewhere to look at a 1% percentage change as 'real news', when actually it's within the margin of error, and may simply be statistical 'noise'
I still believe National will replace Luxon before the election. They would be crazy not to. Every Wednesday morning is Jacinda's birthday. An election campaign is non-stop Wednesday mornings.
See the preferred PM polling from 2005 to 2008. Luxon is Brash, not Key. Why try and win with a self-imposed handicap?
I don't know if they have a Key, or an Ardern – maybe Willis would be the closest. But Luxon definitely isn't, that comparison has never made any sense.
So anyway … National caucus, please ignore the above. Luxon's the man!
Willis is smart enough – but not long on charisma. This is also Luxon's weakness. Key could fake a bit of bonhomie, but the only Gnat with any charisma at all is Bishop, whose intellect, sadly, always makes us recall the opening lines of this song.
I don't think Luxon is at all secure, though there is no obvious successor – and National will be very wary of any further instability (the post-Bridges history is a dreadful warning….)
I think that the next poll or two will be critical. If the National vote stabilizes or rises – they won't really care about Luxon's personal popularity, too much.
And a cunning TPU question heading with:"Most Voters want the Government to cut taxes."
"As part of this month's poll, our polsters asked voters whether they support a temporary 10% reduction in overall income tax for all families to help with the increased cost of living. 59% said yes."
Personally i am not for tax cuts at the upper end of income. I would prefer the first 10 – 25 grand to be made tax free as that would support low income workers, pensioneers and beneficiaries most as they would fall into this group.
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni E Ferreira, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney Last week in a post on X, owner of the platform Elon Musk recommended people look into disc replacement if they’re experiencing severe neck or back pain. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University anek.soowannaphoom/Shutterstock NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey caught the headlines yesterday, courtesy of a blistering speech condemning the latest GST carve-up. New South Wales, he claimed, would be A$11.9 billion worse off over the ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at Kokoda Station, Northern province, at the start of his state visit to Papua New Guinea. Both Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape will meet with the locals and the Northern Provincial government before they begin their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, University of Canberra Shutterstock An important principle was invoked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week in defence of the government’s Future Made in Australia industry ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Security forces reinforcements were sent from France ahead of two rival marches in the capital Nouméa today, at the same time and only two streets away one from the other. One march, called by Union Calédonienne party (a component of the ...
A poll last August found that just 16% of New Zealanders oppose bringing back the ‘Three Strikes’ law. The nationwide poll of 1,000 New Zealanders was commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research. ...
The solo show from Ana Scotney is both sprawling and intimate, and a must-see, writes Mad Chapman. In the opening moments of Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko, writer and performer Ana Scotney lays out the groundwork, literally. Silently moving around the square stage, Scotney is not so much dancing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University Who makes the words? Why are trees called trees and why are shoes called shoes and who makes the names? – Elliot, age 5, Eltham, Victoria Good question Elliot! Let’s start with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne at amRawpixel.com/Shutterstock Roles of health professionals are still unfortunately often stuck in the past. That is, before the ...
COMMENTARY:By Malcolm Evans Last week’s leaked New York Times staff directive, as to what words can and cannot be used to describe the carnage Israel is raining on Palestinians, is proof positive, since those reports are published verbatim here in New Zealand, that our understanding of the conflict is ...
In the case of New Zealand, the results confirm that there is no popular support for the vicious austerity program being imposed by the National Party-led government, which is backed in all fundamental respects by the opposition Labour Party. ...
The ‘Vampire’ singer has never visited our part of the world, but that might all be about to change. We assess the evidence.Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour is pulling in massive crowds as it whips around the US and Europe, even helping to catapult regular supporting act Chappell Roan ...
Testing of drinking water in rural Canterbury over the weekend by Greenpeace revealed that several public town supplies were reaching levels of nitrate above 5 mg/L - the threshold which a growing body of scientific evidence has linked to increased ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Fisher, Information Technology for Development Researcher, Charles Darwin University It may come as a surprise to hear 2023 was Australia’s biggest bushfire season in more than a decade. Fires burned across an area eight times as big as the 2019–20 Black ...
Responding to the Government’s announcement of changes to resource management laws, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said: “These changes are a step in the right direction in terms of removing ideological and unworkable ...
More than two years after the Human Rights Council called for the establishment of a national human rights commission, such a body has yet to be formed. ...
Comment:An emergency management system with wide variations in performance, significant capability gaps, funding shortfalls and above all a setup that is not meeting the needs of New Zealanders at times of crisis. The Government’s inquiry into the response to Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events in the North ...
Welcome to the whirring wonders of one brain trying to align its actions with its beliefs within a system it thinks is evil. My brain has been spiralling in a woke conundrum ever since I found out a bookshop I’ve never been to was shutting down. Good Books, a bookshop ...
We repeat our call for criminal justice policy to be based on evidence, something the three strikes regime neglects to recognise – with no evidence that it either reduces crime or assists with rehabilitation. ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara With only four more seats in the 50-member Parliament yet to be officially declared, there is no outright winner in the Solomon Islands elections. As of Monday, the two largest blocs in the winner’s circle, independents and the incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh ...
Two/fiftyseven is a multi-purpose space hidden in the heart of Wellington that is paving a way for sustainable building and responsible landlording in Aotearoa and beyond.By 2060 the world is predicted to double its entire building stock, which equates to building an entire New York City every 34 days, ...
Popstars wasn’t just a reality television revolution, it was also a huge moment for Y2K fashion.It’s 25 years since girl group TrueBliss was formed on New Zealand national television, breaking new ground for both the reality television industry and the shiny clothing industry. With the first episode on NZ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Pepping, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, Griffith University Marvin / Shutterstock Are all single people insecure? When we think about people who have been single for a long time, we may assume it’s because single people have insecurities that make ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Geary, Lecturer in Quantitative Ecology & Biodiversity Conservation, The University of Melbourne Trismegist san, Shutterstock Landscapes that have escaped fire for decades or centuries tend to harbour vital structures for wildlife, such as tree hollows and large logs. But these ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Gladstone-Gallagher, Lecturer in Marine Science, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Shutterstock/S Curtis Why are we crossing ecological boundaries that affect Earth’s fundamental life-supporting capacity? Is it because we don’t have enough information about how ecosystems respond to change? Or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Crocker, PhD Student in Economics, Deakin University Here’s something for the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia to ponder as it meets next month to set interest rates. It has pushed up rates on 13 occasions since it began its ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a charity director outlines how she’s saving for retirement and buying secondhand. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female Age: 45 Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: Charity director, mum of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophie Yates, Research Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Many Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late last year. Now a ...
It’s been called a failed experiment and a judicial straightjacket but the government says the revised three strikes law will be a more workable regime, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Three ...
New Zealand’s Palestinian community and Palestinian Youth Aotearoa are voicing alarm and disappointment with the lack of factual rigour present during the Israeli Ambassador’s appearance as a guest on TVNZ’s Q+A With Jack Tame Sunday (21/04). ...
Both ACT leader David Seymour, who played a key role in drawing up the assisted dying law, and hospice leaders say it's time the legislation was changed. ...
Public submissions on proposed gang control laws are being heard today. Rising gang membership has been cited as rationale for a crackdown – but what do we actually know about how many people belong to gangs in New Zealand?What’s all this then?A rise in the number of gang ...
Climate activists are setting their sights on an unpopular target, and hoping to bring lots of the public with them. It’s hard to miss the Majestic Princess: the enormous cruise ship, docked at Auckland’s Prince’s Wharf, looms over the nearby buildings. The ship, which can fit nearly 6,000 people, ...
Opinion: Making sure developers, local and central government, and landowners are all on the same page makes sense The post A new kind of city deal appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 23 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The following korero between Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku, author of the newly published memoir Hine Toa, one of the year’s most important books, and Dale Husband from e-tangata, was first published in October. It traverses her involvement with the activist group Ngā Tamatoa at Auckland University in the early 1970s, her ...
In the 16 years since it was bought by the government for $690 million, KiwiRail has had several overhauls and turnaround plans worth billions of dollars. Its ambitions as a successful, profitable operator of tourism, freight and ferries have often been derailed by disasters from earthquakes to cyclones, mine explosions ...
Black Ferns trailblazer Kendra Cocksedge was on the verge of tears when her young protégé, Hannah King, unassumingly broke the news. Three-time Rugby World Cup winner Cocksedge and Lincoln agriculture student King meet every few weeks over a hot chocolate, in an enduring mentorship that’s spanned years. “Before we even ...
Opinion: We’ve kicked the tyres on the perception NZ’s economy is in a parlous state compared to Australia. We take a quick tour of relative trends in GDP, housing markets, labour markets, trade, the fiscal situation, and the outlooks for inflation and interest rates. We find the cyclical positions of ...
By Russell Palmer, RNZ News digital political journalist New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters is putting off recognition of Palestine as a state, despite opposition Labour’s formal request that he make the move. Peters said diplomatic recognition of Palestine was a matter of “when not if”, but doing so now ...
The opposition has laid into the government's plan to reintroduce a "three strikes" regime, saying it's inequitable and there's very little evidence it works. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Nicholls, Senior research associate, University of Sydney Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has ordered social media platform “X” (formerly known as Twitter) to remove graphic videos of the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in Sydney last week from the site. The incident ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Turnbull, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Sydney John Turnbull, CC BY-NC-ND In past bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef, the southern region has sometimes been spared worst of the bleaching. Not this time. This year’s intense underwater heat has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Austin, Lecturer in Theatre, The University of Melbourne Darren Gill/Mackey, Darling & Collaborators The relationship between witchcraft and teenage girls has been the subject of many books, films and television shows. Over time, the traditional image of witch as crone ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Becky Freeman, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney Andres Siimon/Unsplash There are no silver bullets, magic tricks or secret hacks to solving complex public health problems. Taking on the global tobacco industry and reducing the devastating consequences of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam B. Watts, Research Associate in galaxy evolution, The University of Western Australia ESO/A. Watts et al., CC BY We breathe oxygen and nitrogen gas in our atmosphere every day, but did you know that these gases also float through space, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Nielsen, Professor and Deputy Director, Monash Addiction Research Centre, Monash University Maxime Bhm/Unsplash A new group of drugs called nitazenes has been detected in Australia. They have been sold as heroin as well as other drugs like ketamine. Concerns ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Twomey, Professor emerita, University of Sydney Image from Bradlow + Bock campaign Can the job of being a federal member of parliament be shared by two or more persons? Two prospective candidates for the inner-Melbourne federal seat of Higgins, Lucy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zoe Rathus, Senior Lecturer in Law, Griffith University Shutterstock In October 2023, the federal parliament passed major changes to how children’s cases are decided under the Family Law Act, which kick in next month. Among other things, they repeal a ...
By Salwa Amor in Istanbul Palestine solidarity activists are preparing a flotilla to deliver urgently needed humanitarian aid to Gaza, vowing to break Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory on board the Akdeniz, a seven-deck passenger ship. Currently docked in Istanbul, the ship will carry 800 people from more than ...
The Government is putting at risk the defences of our land and sea borders against organised crime, and our online defences against child exploitation, terrorism and online crime with cuts to critical frontline roles at Customs and Internal Affairs. ...
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you love a good cry: All of Us Strangers (Disney+)It’s the dreamlike, emotional film that had viewers running from the cinema in floods of tears, and ...
The foreign minister says diplomatic recognition of Palestine is a matter of "when not if", but doing so now could impede progress towards a two-state solution. ...
Clair… Deeks, and Friends. Extremely dodgy people. Spreaders of lies, Mis and Dis Information, and Conspiracy theories unlimited. "Potentially" if not actually dangerous. A worry with this latest. Always good exposing them .
Yes, good for voters to know who is who. There is a Sovereign NZ candidate standing for the Far North District Mayoralty–Joshua Riley from Opua–a pilot and small business person, and a right head case.
He opposes “race specific” i.e. Māori Wards, and the Three Waters reform. The Far North District has one of the highest Māori populations, proportionately in the country.
Naming these people right around the country is so important. There seems to a lot of apathy around local body elections and we need absolute vigilance.
Voters should be careful this election, not to choose fruit-loops and crack-pots.
They are out there, wearing their masks, nose-out, calling the Prime Minister, “Jabcinda” and screaming blue-murder over 3-Waters. Some have managed to get onto the candidate lists and will soon be campaigning for your vote. Ask questions of them; are they afraid of 5G cell-phone towers, do they believe Trump is honest, are they convinced the Gummint is trying to steal their farm?
Councils will be challenged by real issues over the next 3 years; adapting to climate change being the most pressing, in my opinion. Councillors with axes to grind, 3-legged hobby-horses to ride, will fail Southland voters and make a mockery of local government.
I’ve put my name forward again for Environment Southland. I’ve been on that council for 3 terms now, and reckon I’ve done a good job speaking up for the environment.
Well done Robert, we need more like you.
three legged hobby horse is such a great image.
I have a fb friend ,staunch Maori guy , loves trump ,thinks trump is honest, misogynist asf, hates national and act , votes labour , some people are complicated
Well, if you are an Advocate for the Environment as you are on The Standard …I would say Lucky Environment : )
Ha! I'm way more vocal in the real world 🙂
But thanks 🙂
Imo, its incumbent upon journalists around the country to seek out these imposters (because that is what most of them are) and publish their names.
People are inclined to vote for name recognition in local body elections because they have no idea who any of them are, and they have no inclination to spend time finding out. This is what the VFF crowd are banking on to get their people across the line.
Yes Anne, name recognition plays a big role. In the Far North where I have been for 30 years, a perennial issue is that Mayoral candidates may be well known in Kerikeri or Kaitaia or Kaikohe or Te Hapua or Hokianga or Doubtless Bay–but not over the whole district–which is why Wayne Brown got in for two terms because he had branding based on his years of property development activity and crawling within the business and farming sector.
The Anti vaccination, Groundswell, Convoy, 5G and other nut job lots go under various banners so do need to be identified.
Hi Anne, Ive posted the above Link before….but it still disturbs me. That these "Mumfluencers" cannot see who is actually behind their conspiracy theories and fear mongering.
But yes, Journalist exposure could hopefully throw bright light on the shadowy leaders.
Indeed. And It has also always amazed me that Carter…is still Mayor Far North. Jerk that he is….
Yep, another one. Carter was Hokianga County Clerk in the 80s, and lightweight Natzo MP for many years.
This is pretty much a direct copy-paste from the MAGA playbook, where schools, councils, you name it – have MAGA's lining up to get on the inside.
A deliberate malicious undermining of society because they fear a swarm of communist pronouns and IRS officers are coming for their guns. Here they have different victim fantasies, but it's the same nonsensensical shite.
The people directing such activities are enemies of democracy, period. But we already see MP's talk utter shit to get in. Shoe – other foot!
The rhetoric coming from US is murderous right now. Or should I say murder fantasy. Where the righteous emerge from a storm cloud to purge the land of evil.
Really twisted.
Now, let's see if my and others posts on the subject attract lightly veiled threats from a certain poster, again…
"your fault" "be afraid" etc.
The fascinating thing is that they've succeeded in getting their people to put their hand up for local government, in significant numbers!
It takes a lot to motivate people.
Some, for example those standing for community boards, will get a shock if they find themselves sitting around those tables, committed to 3 years of debating footpaths ands street lights – I guess they can try to rid their communities of 5G towers and get their little town taken off the chem-trail routes.
Robert, that's what I don't get too – how they are going to cope with all the meetings, reading, travel around the electorate, responding to and resolving individuals concerns/problems etc etc.
Maybe the initial flurry of Meet Your Candidates meetings will see them drop out.
I live in a very large, rural ward and the workload is gruelling for our sole Councillor. We have four candidates – at least one has suspect affiliations.
Matiri – indeed; I just can't see what they hope to achieve, but that could just be my lack of understanding; people who profess to despise democracy, signing-up to the strictest of democratic institutions? Their plan must be to get inside and bring it down, but how, I wonder, do they propose to do that?? If their plans are anything like the plans they had for getting an audience with the Government, then I they're going to be sorely disappointed. Otoh, going along to community board meetings; usually as dry as toast, could be an entertainment and I'm certainly going to be there, popcorn in hand! Our local board has a gaggle lining up. It seems there are far more than "we" might suspect.
Edit: it’s just occurred to me that their plan might be to not go to meetings at all, meaning there’s not enough for a quorum, and meetings will fail accordingly 🙂
I was suggesting Mr Arps seemed unlikely to want to attend his school board meetings (if elected). Doesn't seem clear what hes going to change when hes busy agreeing dates for the school fare to be run and deciding if the fees (voluntary donations) should be increased or terminated this year.
Also interesting that he's apparently sending kids to a multi-cultural school to begin with of course. Maybe hes one of those very well adjusted people who keeps his work separate to his family life and this never comes up.
If there is a plan to shut down school boards by not attending meetings I expect it to be activated at a later date and that the candidates haven't been told about it yet. Also the boards will just get one of the unsuccessful candidates co-opted onto the school board at that point anyway, or arm twist somebody to step in (which they do when not enough parents stand anyway).
I don't think there's a solid plan – I think the anti-vaxx candidates just want to put the willies up the "sheeple" and prance. As they did on Parliament's lawn. They won't be aware of deeper machinations, just as they weren't aware on the protest lawn.
If the plan is not to go to meetings so that the meeting fails, he/she will be very very unpopular in our ward if successful, as we rely on our sole councillor to represent us. Life will be very uncomfortable for him/her!!
I don't think running for office is yet in and of itself undermining society. People you (or I) don't like are able to run for office, that's a strength of democracy not a weakness IMO.
Agreed, Nic; great to see them all turn out with their hands up. Disturbing though, to read that their "controlling agency" has advised them to hide their affiliations and intentions from the public. That's kinda whiffy!
Deeply ironic that a bunch of loonies who think the government is sneaky and dishonest, themselves are willing to be sneaky and dishonest to get into power, guess they must think they're allo allo voices please) le resistance
Peace & Love! (Hurl those flagstones!)
Best laugh of the day bwaghorn. "Allo allo" indeed.They bear watching though.
Yep, DB Brown. So much of the NZ nuttery…is connected with the head nuts in the USA. And you are so right..dangerous nuts.
Not in the south but we have locally at least one candidate that is very much trying to say 'affiliated with such and such party' but not naming it.
I have complained about that to local government that including party membership/alliances should be part of the intro of the dudes/ettes standing and we were told that that was no important.
That was for the last election which was before that brouhaha broke out.
So in essence you will not be allowed that information for anyone irrespective the party that they would promote/vote for.
Hi Sabine, well good on you for taking note and complaining about it. Local Govt is at least a place where we can all attempt to Change for Good.
If you have the stomach.
Jaspreet Boparai returns with Gill Booth to summarise with Claire Deeks what they’ve been talking about for the past year on the Be Kind Be Blind series and find a focus on a way forward which all concerned kiwis can take when it comes to stopping the UN Agenda playing out in our local councils.
https://odysee.com/@voicesforfreedom:6/Be-Kind-Be-Blind-Special:2
joe90, hmmm I already know of their extremist views. I might pass on viewing that clip. (even at the beginning, i could feel the attack on my rationality : )
I'm not sure they have any extremist views of their own. I reckon they're bored, resentful, and after so many trips down the damn rabbit hole, delusional nobodies who finally have something to latch onto, the UN Agenda playing out in our local councils, purpose. Egged on by the cowardly well heeled fucks who instigate and inflame the nonsense from the safety and comfort of their own living rooms, home studios, cordons of minders in dirty dogs and, as in Wellington, the best hotel rooms in the town.
And there doesn't seem to be any one thing in particular that unites these dangerous loons in their campaign to upend the lives of their fellow New Zealanders. They say that they're all about liberty and freedom but I think these are catch-all excuses for their grab bag of grudges, grievances, resentments, and their apparent paranoia about the dark, amorphous forces they perceive to be responsible for their shitty, boring lives.
Pretty much. And well summed.
People should just look after themselves if they’re worried about covid, right?
https://twitter.com/tiredasfmilf/status/1559166458512478210
(it was the grandparents visiting).
There is always something to get politics followers attention–and the latest for me is the Labour Caucus embracing the US Pacific “charm offensive” (charming in public anyway–75 years ago…WWII…sob…etc.) and behind the scenes cuddling up via various US State Department personnel visits, including recently Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman, and signing a ‘space agreement’ fer crissakes, which really just recognises and approves the increased US military use of Rocketlab.
https://nz.usembassy.gov/deputy-secretary-sherman-in-new-zealand/
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/07/rocket-lab-s-peter-beck-defends-contracts-with-us-military-says-space-industry-intertwined-with-defence.html
Toadying up to US Imperialism is never a good look–how far away can actual AUKUS membership be?–this is shameful for a country with Nuclear Free Legislation.
What we have to look forward to should National or Act get a chance.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/16/i-worked-on-privatisation-england-water-1989-failed-regime?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Well we must hope then that L will do its utmost best to prevent what ever they are creating re Water and other utilities to be not misused for privatisation by other parties.
I mean after all they are doing all the 'reforming' atm. Surely safeguarding and safekeeping of these assets in the commons will be a big aspect of it.
National refused to discuss the Privatisation model of proposed 3 Waters, saying instead that they would cancel 3 Waters so privatisation would be irrelevant. Ha Ha!
Well yeah, if something doesn't exist, it can't be privatised.
I would expect N to privatize anything they can lay their hands on, after all that is what they do.
What i expect of L is to know that too and to safeguard our assets so that they can not be privatized by anyone and keep it in the Commons for all.
Labour seeks to entrench the provision against privatisation. National refuses.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/three-waters-entrenchment
It's meaningless. Future governments can simply change the law. The greatest protection against privatisation would be to reverse the 3Waters reforms altogether.
Or block National & ACT from getting into government.
I favour this solution 🙂
Unhappily for us, but happily for democracy, we two don't get to decide that!
Enrol. Join a Party. Canvass. Vote.
Both works for me.
Let some National government long after my death find itself facing a public backlash of unprecedented severity for trying to pass legislation allowing it to steal our country's water.
LibertyBelle. Do you understand what was proposed in the entrenched clause? 75% majority required.
Yes. Which means future governments can simply change the law.
As obtuse as ever, I see.
Is the clause that entrenches the anti-privatisation clause also entrenched? i.e. can the entrenchment itself be removed with a simple majority? Genuine question – I'm not sure how this stuff works.
The argument you were making was actually if something doesn't exist it can't be privatized. So I expect your about to explain how the country should function doing away with its water infrastructure (rather than privatizing it, or relying on the government not to). So do go ahead…
not really. It's a matter of how easy it is to privatise. Is it easier to privatise currently or if 3 waters is enacted?
Is there an explanation for how NACT will be prevented from privatising using the 3 Waters structure?
Well good for you, you want to assume 'LibertyBelle' is making a good faith argument, rather than the argument actually made in 4.1.1.1.
Robert Guyton has a good understanding of the relevant constitutional arrangements here of course.
My argument is in good faith and goes like this.
3Waters creates a monolithic, nationwide, water services organisation. For all intents and purposes it ends Council control over those assets, and transfers control to that entity, which is in effect a monopoly. My view is that is a far more attractive beast for privatisation that a series of truly locally controlled and owned water services enterprises.
I view 3Waters as a strange animal. It seems to be a solution well wide of the problem, but that's a different discussion. It is far being a safeguard against privatisation.
no, I was responding to *you apparently dismissing concerns (from anyone) about how tory-proof the plan is.
NZ doesn't have an overriding constitutional system. The only possible protection is not to have a privatising govt in office. A 75% vote against privatisation would be stronger but even this govt doesn't have such a majority.
On the other hand LibertyBelle's argument that govts can change laws is not in good faith. They have several arguments at the same time as you can see. Apparently their best argument, presented at the dregs of a thread for the first time naturally, is that having national framework for water makes it a monopoly. Water is a natural monopoly regardless of the legislation.
But your looking for some stronger proofing than legislation inside a legislative system. Good luck.
"Water is a natural monopoly regardless of the legislation."
The issue is not whether 'water' is a monopoly, the issue is whether the delivery of water services is a monopoly. 3Waters creates such a monopoly at a national level, which makes it an attractive proposition for sale.
Are you aware, LibertyBelle, of provisions and protections made by the Labour Government, to guard against the very thing you fear?
Regardless of what you want to call it water is a natural monopoly.
Robert, LibertyBelle is clearly fearless.
The country can function without the 3Waters reforms quite well. And with smaller water providers, the likelihood of privatisation would be significantly reduced.
Weirdly Maori corporates gaining 50% of the water entities start to look a lot more reliable than Parliament as a defence of sovereign ownership here.
Imagine if Maori had owned 50% of Contact, Genesis, or Mighty River Power (as it was). Then Key tried to sell them (as he did). He would have Supreme Court rulings at him left right and centre.
The 75% threshold is the Parliamentary limit. But they forgot the first 50% Maori limit.
With Maori at the table from the beginning, it would be very hard to see these new entities bringing in Vivendi and RWE to 'privatise-by-stealth' as Papakura Council did in the early 2000s.
Maori ‘sell’ assets they obtain for gain and good on them. For example ex Crown land in Auckland offered to mana whenua under RFR clauses in the Tamaki Collective.
You could really do with some civics lessons.
I have made bold the relevant section.
Entrenchment in NZ
Six provisions in New Zealand law are constitutionally entrenched, meaning they can only be changed by a vote of more than 75% of the House of Representatives or more than 50% at a referendum. They are contained in the Electoral Act 1993 (and one in the Constitution Act 1986) and relate to:
None of which prevents any future government changing the legislation.
Except that it gets way way way harder to get a 75% vote from MPs than it does to get a 50% vote.
Perhaps you should have a look at how few times a 75% vote is achieved on any legislation in our parliament.
Usually it is only on repair legislation, treaties, MP pensions, and the few bits of legislation enabling referendums, and …. thats about it.
It requires a super majority by both major parties before it can happen in reality. As you can see from the examples given – we really only get entrenched legislation on things of common interest to both major political groups.
Of course it's 'way harder'. But it isn't impossible. The combined value of the water services companies will be huge, and a very tempting proposition for raising money, particularly to pay off debt.
So, now you change your tune from twice “future governments can simply change the law” [my italics] to “Of course it’s ‘way harder’”.
In my view, you are a disingenuous commenter who does not come here in good faith and who sucks away a lot of oxygen, in fact way too much oxygen.
"So, now you change your tune from twice “future governments can simply change the law” [my italics] to “Of course it’s ‘way harder’”."
You have difficulty with comprehension. The word simply doesn't always mean something is simple, does it? Here's an example – 'if someone continues to ignore you, you can simple ignore them'. Get it now?
Yes, I get that you like to waste good people’s time here and that you’re pretty good at it too. As a Moderator I’m always concerned about obtuse commenters who monopolise the discourse here and who clearly show no sign of letting up. Let’s see if your reading comprehension is up to it and if you can parse this.
PS to write “… you can simple ignore them” is not cute. Perhaps you could pay more attention to what others are saying instead of ignoring them and/or fobbing them off. And believe me, I won’t ignore you.
"You have difficulty with comprehension."
A step too far, imo.
LibertyBelle, Incognito, is, in my opinion, giving you, and us, the run-around 🙂
N is currently in no position to refuse anything as they are not the government. Labour a single majority – they can do as they like.
It is easy to blame N – after all they are whom they are, but currently all they can do is bark.
Yep, NAct bark is worse that its bite; voters decide how soon that changes.
My understanding is that in order to entrench a clause to say 75% vote in order to ensure its longevity, that 75% must vote for it. Labour would need National approval and its vote to achieve that.
"Standing Orders provide that an entrenched provision should be adopted by the House only by the vote which would be required for the amendment or repeal of the provision being entrenched. " https://gg.govt.nz/office-governor-general/roles-and-functions-governor-general/constitutional-role/constitution (two paragraphs from the end of the document!)
Even more reasons to revile the current occupation of Ukraine.
From Nature Magazine.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02219-4?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_campaign=0ee1356685-briefing-dy-20220816&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9dfd39373-0ee1356685-47041915
”Even a small conflict in which two nations unleash nuclear weapons on each other could lead to worldwide famine, research suggests. Soot from burning cities would encircle the planet and cool it by reflecting sunlight back into space. This, in turn, would cause global crop failures that — in a worst-case scenario — could put five billion people on the brink of death. The research is the latest in a decades-long thought experiment about the global consequences of nuclear war. It seems especially relevant today as Russia’s war against Ukraine has disrupted global food supplies, underscoring the far-reaching impacts of a regional conflict. “
Toby Curtis dead. "Sir" if you go along with such honours.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/te-arawa-leader-sir-toby-curtis-dies-at-home-in-rotorua/FXUCJIIDPFCUS6TXINZ2V7EORA/
This is the same Toby Curtis that expressed disappointment that his nephews were found guilty of murdering Nia Glassie rather than being found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.
This is the same Toy Curtis who spoke about the shame the Curtis family would have to endure as they visited marae around the rohe. Yes….he did give the impression that it was an untoward burden of shame…rather than one richly deserved.
This is the same Toby Curtis, who described the murder of Nia Glassie as "…just one of those things."
I vividly remember this particular interview I have involuntarily snorted every time in the past 14 years he has been introduced as 'Highly respected Te Arawa kaumatua.'
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/11279/child%27s-death-just-one-of-those-things-killers%27-family
Losing faith in Colin Dann-
sits there and lets Luxon pontificate about how they, the principled party, believe voters should choose the MPs, when his party is currently in the middle of a scandal where they kept information from voters so they could not choose properly on full information.
From today’s Morning Report.
https://elections.nz/assets/Party-rules/national-party-rules-and-constitution.pdf
Candidate selection rules Rules 87-118 apply.
Rule 98. (a)
A pre-selection committee shall be convened in all Electorates at the closing of nominations, subject to Rule 97 (a).
(b) The purpose of the pre-selection committee is to:
So, Luxon believes voters should choose the MPs? Who chooses the candidates?
Agree with you newsense, the conflating of the Waka jumping law by Luxon with “National supports letting the voters choose MP's" was never challenged by Corin Dann either. Kim Hill would have though.
I know poor old Luxy had a tough interview with Susie a week or two back, but given the background of these couple of weeks and couple of years of candidate selection it’s worse than softball.
Quite clear the selection team knew about Uffindell and thought he was fine. Why?
Labour on current polling even to get a shot at government needs the Greens to be stronger, the Maori Party to be stronger, and any other help.
So presumably now if Ardern really wants power in a third term, she has some deals to stitch:
– Labour agrees not to oppose Gaurav Sharma in Hamilton West, and he agrees to support Labour in the party vote. Or Labour just agrees to let his LEC select him.
– Labour agrees not to oppose Chloe Swarbrick in Auckland Central
– Labour agrees not to stand Tamati Coffey against Rawiri Waititi
– Labour agrees not to stand a candidate in Te Tai Hauaru against Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
As the polls get deeper the list will need to be added to.
National will probably be eyeing up having a decent crack at the Hamilton West seat next election.
I'm sure they will Jimmy….but as you know it is the party vote that counts.
No. The electorate vote (FPP) is what elects a local MP (in Hamilton West or any other electorate).
The party vote only matters for the list seats.
I highly doubt that Labour will win Hamilton West. They won in 2020 due to the Jacinda bounce – but hadn't won the seat for the previous 15 years.
Unless there is a major reversal of current polling it would seem one that National would likely win – even without the Sharma situation.
Agreed Bella-sorry I didn't make my post clear.
Of course it is the electorate vote that elects individuals in electorates but it is the percentage party vote that dictates the number of MP's per each party ends up with, assuming a party gets at least 5% or has one or more electorate seat.
(And there can be overhang seats too)
More than a crack, there was a line of thinking that Dr Sharma kicked the whole thing off after noting that Hamilton West was very likely going back to the National candidate next time.
Tamati Coffey can stand all he wants, he will not win a thing.
that's a big cultural shift for a party that prides itself on standing someone in every electorate, and which has eschewed such strategy in the past. Do you think it's likely?
Think Sharma is unlikely, as he doesn't have a realistic chance of winning against National, especially without the Labour machine behind him.
Definitely worth considering the other two scenarios, to benefit TPM and Greens. Although Labour has always firmly rejected this kind of accommodation in the recent past.
And would have to put those candidates not standing in a very winnable place on the party list (which might be a tense negotiation – especially with Helen White in Ak Central), or parachute them into a post-parliamentary career (cf Louisa Wall)
The way the polls are ATM, the Greens don't need the accommodation in Ak Central – they have sufficient polling support to get into parliament, independently.
TPM require an electorate seat, unless they hit the 5% threshold (which seems unlikely at the moment). I don't know enough about the personalities and the politics in the individual Maori electorates, to know if TPM candidate is already the front-runner – so whether a Labour concession is worth-while for them.
Is the Taxpayers Poll being discussed? 17 August:
https://www.taxpayers.org.nz/taxpayer_update_new_poll_peter_williams_podcast_mp_whistleblower
Thanks Ianmac-I hadn’t seen that and the media doesn't seem to be talking about the Taxpayers Union Poll.
Perhaps this is because it shows Lab/Gr/MP getting 62 seats and so being able to form a government.
Doubt it. All polls have been keenly addressed to date – and the media have regularly led with TPM holding the 'balance of power'.
Suspect it's just that Sharma has sucked all the political oxygen over the last few days, as Uffindell did previously.
As this seems to be dying down now, I'd expect regular transmission to resume.
My $0.02 worth: I think all polls with a difference of less than 3% are within the margin of error, and too close to call (been saying this consistently for months)
Never ever rely solely (or blindly) on (NZ) MSM. If you like to see just the poll numbers without the ‘interpretation’ of the usual suspects in NZ MSM and political pundits with the inevitable associated bias then go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_New_Zealand_general_election
It is very up to date 🙂
I knew there was a Taxpayer Poll out but couldn't find it on The Herald. Why not?
And even on the Taxpayers page the seem to dodge the numbers leaving it in broad graphs. But they are not biased are they?
Doesn't suit their agreed agenda BG? Now if it had been the other way round… Luxon was soaring and Arderrn plummeting then it would have knocked the Sharma drama, and the Uffindell upset completely off the news circuit. It may even have forced the raging torrents of water flooding villages and towns in the Sth. Island into second place. 👿
Media have frequently reported these polls (both with Labour ahead and with National ahead, as well as with TMP holding the balance of power – as they do in this one).
To ascribe this as not being reported, because it doesn't fit an 'agenda' is pretty far gone along the conspiracy theory path.
And, indeed, a quick search of the news headlines finds an article in the Herald, released at 11:18 this morning.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/poll-national-and-leader-christopher-luxon-drop-labour-overtakes-in-new-poll/NOLDDJMIMBHUZPPHZV22XP5XFA/
Thanks Belladonna though I just had a look again online and apart from your link I still couldn't find it. Certainly not front and centre.
Google search: poll today nz – has it as the first result in the hit list.
It's not hard….
NZ herald Politics section has it on the front page, too
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/
Google searches are tailored to each individual user, i.e., your ‘hits’ will be (slightly?) different from anybody else’s ‘hits’. It also depends on whether one limits to NZ only or all countries, for example. That said, the NZH is also the first result (“20 hours ago”) of my search using Google.
Yeah, I know that Google relevance rankings use an arcane art to weigh results. But working on the assumption that commenters here are both interested in politcs and in NZ – you're pretty likely to get the same results for a political search.
Bollocks Belladonna. I know you have a high opinion of your abilities, but many of us here are experienced and politically very aware. Being lectured by you about some aspects that we have known for years might be amusing, but is not always a pathway to good conversations.
Bearded Git @ 9.1 knows I was being facetious with a tinge of humour thrown in. TS regulars are well versed in such banter. Suggest you read and learn before leaping in with your criticism. It only lead to equally negative responses.
Many of the commenters on TS are, indeed, highly experienced and politically very aware.
Poorly informed claims that the media are biased, however, aren't either funny or clever. And, in fact, they are dangerous…. (if you can't figure out why, I'm happy to discuss further)
Using emoticons or emojis doesn't excuse you from mis-representing the facts. Although it might pay to stick to ones where you're certain of the meaning, and equally certain it won't be misunderstood.
The occasional apology – when you get something wrong – wouldn't exactly go amiss. Doubling down, when you're called on something, also 'leads to negative responses'
On that note Bella I accept now that the Herald did report the TU poll prominently.
Having said that it's report that the MP would be the "kingmaker" appears somewhat biased when in fact they would be the queenmaker.
And correct me if I am wrong but Griffin's RNZ has given this poll no air time at all?
Sorry, don't have enough time in my day to listen to radio & know whether or not it was covered in any of the programmes.
The RNZ politics page has a grand total of 3 political links dated the 17th on the main page (page viewed 10 am 18/8)
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political
* Govt orders review of RSE scheme
* Luxon still against waka jumping legislation amid Uffindell inquiry
* Sharma remains under threat of expulsion (really a re-hash of the day before, for those who get their news in the morning)
Seems a fairly balanced list of topics: both right and left getting some airtime, and a big government-initiated investigation into a topic of significance.
Oh and btw, that is why we add emoticons. It is to show we are not always being strictly serious. See, you've learnt something.
.
Left & Right blocs essentially neck-and-neck … TPM holding balance.
Luxon's initial fall in popularity didn't affect National's ratings, now it's beginning to.
While NZF is only rating 2.6%, Winston almost doubles his personal popularity to 4.2% … suggesting a pool of voters who are currently unsure of their party support but prefer Winnie as PM (possibly indicating some latent NZF support that may manifest over the next year).
Indicating they are not accepting of either major party ….or a plague on both their houses.
"…a pool of voters who are currently unsure of their party support but prefer Winnie as PM (possibly indicating…") their complete detachment from reality?
Peters is still well below Seymour in preferred PM league.
I think we can all agree that the rats-and-mice numbers at the bottom are just about name recognition in those surveyed, rather than signifying any real support. Especially as those indicating they would vote for NZF remain around 2.5% (as they have all year) well shy of the 5% threshold.
Ardern and Luxon are the only ones that matter here.
Ardern will be hoping that the uptick in popular support for her, personally, will spill over into Labour votes, too.
..
Irrelevant to the question of whether or not the doubling of his personal rating (making it almost twice as high as current committed NZF supporters) indicates a latent potential pool of support for NZF.
..
Nope … NZF support in Curia-Taxpayers Polls (2022):
Jan 0.9 … Feb 1.5 … March 1.8 … April 1.7 … May 1.8 … June 2.3 … July 2.8 … Aug 2.6.
..
NZF has made a bit of a habit of outperforming the polls. Not in 2020 … but certainly in election campaigns where Labour's support is down on the previous election (NZF outperforming both in terms of the immediate pre-election polls and, even more so, the polls more than a year out … which is where we are at the moment).
..
Ardern is down slightly in this latest Curia-Taxpayers Poll.
Apologies, I was looking at the general trend, here – which has her with a sharp tick up. I gather you were measuring against the previous CT poll?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_New_Zealand_general_election
Re Peters. I don't think that doubling support, when the figures are so low, is really meaningful. It would be well within the margin of error.
Poll results at the margins (below about 3%) are notoriously inaccurate.
NZF made a habit of outperforming polls when voters believed that Peters would go with the larger party, and be a handbrake on them. After 2017, I don't think that many voters would trust him to do that.
Future polls will show if you're right. If there's an upward trend for NZF – then, you have my concession in advance. 🙂
However, I do think that many people (those who aren't firm party voters), tend to select the 'person' they like for the leader category, but are generally more influenced by policies (or what's going right or wrong for them in an economic/political sense) when deciding which 'party' to vote for.
[That's just my opinion, BTW, I don't have anything from polling companies to back it up]
For your education:
https://www.colmarbrunton.co.nz/1-news-poll/
Thank you for the data.
This is an older article, but I think it does articulate well, why small percentage point differences in poll results aren't particularly accurate or useful.
It does use American examples – but AFAIK NZ polling uses the same statistical sampling methodology.
There is a tendency in the media and elsewhere to look at a 1% percentage change as 'real news', when actually it's within the margin of error, and may simply be statistical 'noise'
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/06/upshot/when-you-hear-the-margin-of-error-is-plus-or-minus-3-percent-think-7-instead.html
Yes Winston is a worry Sword…he will probably go with Luxon next time IMHO.
I still believe National will replace Luxon before the election. They would be crazy not to. Every Wednesday morning is Jacinda's birthday. An election campaign is non-stop Wednesday mornings.
See the preferred PM polling from 2005 to 2008. Luxon is Brash, not Key. Why try and win with a self-imposed handicap?
I don't know if they have a Key, or an Ardern – maybe Willis would be the closest. But Luxon definitely isn't, that comparison has never made any sense.
So anyway … National caucus, please ignore the above. Luxon's the man!
Willis is smart enough – but not long on charisma. This is also Luxon's weakness. Key could fake a bit of bonhomie, but the only Gnat with any charisma at all is Bishop, whose intellect, sadly, always makes us recall the opening lines of this song.
I don't think Luxon is at all secure, though there is no obvious successor – and National will be very wary of any further instability (the post-Bridges history is a dreadful warning….)
I think that the next poll or two will be critical. If the National vote stabilizes or rises – they won't really care about Luxon's personal popularity, too much.
They won't ditch Luxon. They will simply media train him within an inch of his life and tell him to play it safe.
I do think Luxon doubling down on the tax cuts for the rich (39% rate gone, bright line test back to 2 years) are a huge mistake and a gift to Labour.
.
More Clark vs Brash in the run-up to the 2005 Election … which was close.
And a cunning TPU question heading with:"Most Voters want the Government to cut taxes."
Next the TU will be asking turkeys "Do you support Christmas?"
But a recent poll showed that 65 % didn't want tax cuts. So was that Taxpayers question a defensive move to soften the Luxon Stand?
Both can be true.
Personally i am not for tax cuts at the upper end of income. I would prefer the first 10 – 25 grand to be made tax free as that would support low income workers, pensioneers and beneficiaries most as they would fall into this group.
Maybe it depends were the cutting happens?
Maybe you are right ianmac, but Luxon has recently doubled down on tax cuts as I said above.
Good afternoon Moderator
I am following Lynn's instructions to advise you that I have changed my email address.
It used to be a [deleted] email.
Thanks.
Thanks for the note and you’re all good to go using the new e-mail address from now on. Your avatar will be different though.