And then one day along will come quantum computing.
Humanity has been making gods for thousands of years, and this may be the one to truly rule – though in America they are trying to build a hybrid and call its emergence a millennial realm. The deep state has been preparing for this capability of "oversight" management of the civilian population for some decades at a lesser tech level on a subset of the human population (psy ops).
By the time half of the New Zealand population reaches age 65 having never owned their home, that will be the least of their worries. A society order capable of managing inequality, not mitigating it, is being built. The prosperity gospel made manifest – for some.
John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address [20 Jan 1961]
To that world assembly of sovereign states: the United Nations. . . our last best hope in an age where the instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace, we renew our pledge of support. . .to prevent it from becoming merely a forum for invective. . .to strengthen its shield of the new and the weak. . . and to enlarge the area in which its writ may run.
Peak Convenience [July 2008]
I know people who would circle the Walmart parking lot 10 times before they would walk from a parking spot that isn’t within 50 feet of the front door.
Since then (2008), spaceship Earth has gained another 1.3 billion human passengers.
For people commenting on the support or lack thereof for Palestinians in surrounding countries, it might be helpful to reflect on the ethnic and religious divides in the area.
Palestinians are Arab and Shia Muslim. Other countries that have Shia Arab majorities are Azerbaijan, Bahrain &Iraq. Countries with a significant Shia Arab population are Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. These are the countries where the most support for Palestine is found, although Azerbaijan is in the middle of a war and Iraq is still rebuilding after the end of the two wars it's just gone through.
Iran is Shia Muslim, but they are Persian, not Arab so they're sympathetic but don't want to get involved.
All the other countries around Israel are Arab and Sunni Muslim. Again, sympathetic to fellow Arabs, but Egypt taking refugees would be like Irish Catholics taking in some fleeing Protestants 80 years ago.
Are you aware that Hamas are a branch of Moslem Brotherhood – a Sunni group? Egypt's (military government) problem with Hamas is because they deposed the Morsi led MB government.
Thus more in common with Erdogan's regime than the one in Iran.
They were in fact on the side of the Sunni Islamists fighting against Syria's President Assad (left wing Baath Party rule dominated by a minority Alawite Shia) who was supported by Hizbollah and Iran.
The Palestinians are problematic for some in the Arab League – because Moslem Brotherhood and Fatah (secular left like the Baathists of Iraq but to be government of a democratic Palestinian state) are both anathema to the top down rule of dynastic families and military regimes.
Iran is Shia Muslim, but they are Persian, not Arab so they're sympathetic but don't want to get involved.
Now that is so absurd, that it is just funny. Who arms Hizbollah and Hamas (and for what purpose)? Which nation apart from Russia was most involved in fighting for the Assad regime? Which nation runs the Shia militias in Iraq to the point of influence there akin to that they have with Hizbollah in Lebanon. Who arms the Houthis in Yemen.
I'd say that Hamas in the 80s when it broke away from the Muslim Brotherhood was a very different beast than it is now. There's video floating around of the current leader of Hamas talking about how he's committed to peaceful negotiation with Israel back around 2000.
Iran arms Hizbollah, Hamas and the Houthis but you never see them putting troops into the conflict. The Arab groups are pawns, not equals. They are useful in disrupting the US-Arab alliance. Just like Assad in Syria is useful to Russia. Iran has publicly called Hamas apostates and animals in the past.
You don't see American troops in Ukraine (continuance of a Cold War with Russia means no actual military conflict) or Israel (the US poses as the peace broker) either.
For Iran, as a Revolutionary Islamic Republic, sponsorship of Shia Moslem self-government and anti-West political leadership is its foreign policy. Of course active involvement of its own military outside of self defence (it was invited into Syria) is nation state aggression.
Hamas would appear to be the first Sunni Moslem group it has sponsored and based on having the same goal elimination of the Israeli state.
Qatar reached out to Hamas in 2006 at the request of the US to be a middle man in negotiations and it's the home of Al Jazeera so it's not too surprising that Hamas leadership base themselves there. Qatar is ~10% Shia so there's definitely support there and it's a rich oil state.
It's also a bit of the last place left. Saudi cracked down on Hamas after 9/11, Syria kicked them out in 2011, Egypt kicked them out after the 2013 coup which caused the Muslim Brotherhood to lose a lot of its influence.
Well my answer about the importance of Qatar right now for Israel and Hamas is multiple:
– Is a very strong ally of the US, with a relationship near to that of NATO membership
– Has the largest US military base in the Middle East
– State-influenced Al Jazeera is the primary news feed for much of the Middle East and of EU viewers, and manages to offend everyone in equal measure with their reporting which is admirable
– Harbours most of the Hamas leadership right now
– Is a consistent and massive donor to Gaza via Hamas, which Israel has permitted
– Sufficiently independent from either Saudi Arabia and Iran
– Has normalised relations with Israel
– Has highly skilled diplomatic corps with a very strong track record, even with Mossad
Way too early for anything useful to emerge diplomatically, but it certainly will.
Just in case it needs stating that the Queenstown-area economy is an airport-fuelled bubble of growth and wealth amidst the otherwise mediocre 90% remainder of New Zealand.
Since the highly publicized event in Hawkes Bay of the state ham-fistedly, attempting to uplift a new born baby, there appears to be a more hands off role from Oranga Tamariki.
In this example there were verbal agreements for the vulnerable child not to be left alone with it's eventual killer.
This is not to pour scorn on the mother nor social workers.
Surely, this is an ideological position of OT. One that appears to be failing our most vulnerable. In a chat with someone in the know, a recent child murder in Wellys, the three adults in the house were all on P, leaving no-one as a protector for the child.
How many more infant's must die, let alone the thousands more harmed, at the hands of their 'care-givers' and family before policy changes?
“National will deliver better outcomes for children in state care. We will ensure there is a Minister for Children who puts children's needs first. We will reinstate the Children’s Commissioner and ensure the best resources are targeted to our most vulnerable young New Zealanders.” https://www.national.org.nz/standards_for_nz_children_in_care_not_being_met
Targeting “the best resources” “to our most vulnerable” – shouldn't be long now.
I want to get my head around the situation. How much of this is because of under resourcing and under staffing? Is there an ideological 'capture' among workers and management? Biased reporting by media?
The Moana case was pure ideological capture within OT. Apparently at the case-worker level, but supported by management.
However, on the broader scale OT is damned if they do (uplift children) and damned if they don't (kids being killed, because of drop-kick adults in their life – why didn't OT intervene?)
A child-centred view would (most of the time) result in uplift of the children, and re-settlement either within the wider whanau (if possible) or with long-term foster parents.
Notably this resettlement has to be permanent, or as close to permanent as feasible. The damage done to kids as they ricochet between foster care, to whanau, to parents, and back to foster care, is considerably worse than a stable re-settlement.
OT is mostly parent (mother) centred. While, yes, *if* the Mum can be supported to turn her life around, then this is the best possible outcome. The problem is that most of the time it doesn't work. And, by the time OT admits it isn't working, the kids have been severely (arguably permanently) damaged – or are dead.
Celia Lashlie started advocating for the mums and highlighted the tendency for the 'authorities' let down the vulnerable while at the same time holding them to account for every shortcoming.
Obviously, but failing to supply evidence to WINZ, not getting to appointments on time, truancy/education issues, as examples are merely shortcomings. When compared to the resources, power and control of the state compared to a parent, juggling limited income/ budget priorities, work commitments etc.
Tracey Watkins touches on this (although the article casts more heat than light)
"We also know that members of the household were known to police, and probably to child protection agency Oranga Tamariki (OT) as well.
But OT continues to hide behind privacy as its excuse for refusing to talk about what it knew.
So who is speaking for Baby Ru? Not the people who were last to see him alive. And not OT. The inference is that they are not to blame for his death. But they have failed him, even in death, by refusing to give him a voice."
The only people speaking for Baby Ru are the wider whanau – the ones who cared for him and loved him for the first year of his life, primarily his great aunt, and his uncle.
OT is liable. Concerns about the safety of child within the household were officially raised with OT by the wider whanau. OT did nothing to address the issue. Once again, demonstrating that they are not child centred, but parent centred.
This is such a tragically typical situation, when children bounce back and forward between whanau, foster care, and the primary parent. There is a lot of research about how important it is for a child in the first couple of years to have a stable caregiver. Baby Ru should never have left the care of his great aunt.
The words I'd like to use for the adults living in the house, who either murdered him, or stood aside for others to do so – would not be acceptable on TS.
It's time for a law change, for child murders, because the right to silence has become a right to murder.
Statistically many more kids die and/or are abused in the care of drop-kick parents, than are killed/abused in State care.
I think that you are biased by some of the (tragic) history from the mid-20th century. There are much greater controls and checks on foster parents, than there are on the families that OT is 'supporting' (I've seen actual examples on both sides)
A child-centred approach would look first at whether it's realistic to support the family. But it requires a lot of intervention (no, you can't have care of your children if you live in a house with Meth users; no, you can't have care of your children while you live with someone with a history of family violence; yes, OT caseworkers will be checking up on you and on the people you live with; yes, you have to check with OT before moving; yes, you have to have a police check on any new adult moving into your home).
NB: these are all basic/ongoing checks that foster parents have to pass.
Many people are not comfortable with that level of state intervention. In that case, the child-centred approach is to remove the children from the highly risky environment. If Mum (and it usually is Mum – since Dad is long gone) isn't prepared to put the welfare of her kids first, then the State has to do so.
"Drop-kick parents" = parents who physically abuse their children? And/or perhaps very neglectful parents who are at the opposite end of the parenting spectrum to helicopter parents and snowplow parents?
Maybe Aotearoa NZ needs a ‘fostered generation’ to disrupt the cycle of children of "drop-kick parents" becoming "drop-kick parents" themselves? There but for the grace of God…
My sympathies are with the kids being physically abused and killed.
Your mileage clearly varies.
And, yes, I have personal acquaintance with people in this situation. Including kids whose lives have been pretty much ruined by the decisions made by parents (and supported by OT). And with foster parents who are doing their best to turn those kids lives around.
I've seen parents who come from really sh*t backgrounds themselves, absolutely determined to make sure their children never suffer what they did. Basically, it requires putting the needs and welfare of your kids first. Something which is really evident isn't present in almost every reported case of abuse – and would be clearly visible to every case-worker involved.
Whanau adoption can work really well – unfortunately it's not supported in many cases by OT – because the mother doesn't want to 'lose' the kids. A classic example of where OT is parent-centred, rather than child-centred. This recent case is a prime example – the baby was safe, cared for, and loved with his great aunt – but dead once he was returned to his mother. I can only imagine the depth of grief the kuia feels.
My sympathies are with the kids being physically abused and killed.
Your mileage clearly varies.
B, could you spell out what you mean by "your mileage clearly varies" – is it that you believe your "sympathy for the kids being physically abused and killed" is clearly superior to my sympathy?
Did I interpret your (repeated) use of the term "drop-kick parents" correctly? "Drop kick" is a common enough general insult, but I wondered if you meant something more specific in that context, e.g. parents who drop and kick their children. Regardless, the term is unhelpful, imho.
One in five kids have parents who are drop kicks. That is the true stat.
The really outrageous thing about that stat is that once again you guys want to defend the feral parents.
There is no excuse at all for any child to go to school hungry, or without adequate footwear and rainwear.
Also adoption. We were on a long waiting list for adoption for years, then got blessed with a conception that is now a lovely 21 yr old.
My mother was adopted and lived in a house with several foster children, growing up in the '40s and '50s.
I can't help but feel (unsurprisingly), the Douglas reforms have had a negative impact on social services as well. Witness Grainee Moss, former OT Chief Executive. From a bio, essentially a budget/balance sheet focussed type, from overseas, that defended the actions of the mis-handled Hawkes Bay uplift.
A bit like not wanting to drink a beer made by an accountant, OT needs leadership by those that are a little more connected to those they are responsible for.
This seems to be the case in Glenis Philip-Barbara, appointed to the newly-created position (Assistant Māori Children's Commissioner) by children’s commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft.
I see the annointed Leader of the Keystone Kops Koalition is still shooting off his mouth without actually saying anything of substance as usual. <a href=”http://Luxon defends negotiating skills as coalition talks continue Luxon defending his ineptitude.
Helen knew how to manage Winston. Lots of first class airfares to nice places as Foreign Affairs Minister with 2 other Ministers to do the actual work – Chris Carter for the relationships stuff and the "schmoozing," and Phil Goff to do the grunt work. All Winnie had to do was to turn up, give the speech, shake the paws and have a good time.
No. That is exactly the problem here … people understandably think "well, he can't be that bad, so there must be some cunning plan." Opponents are tempted to think it, not just supporters or commentators.
You only have to listen to his longer interviews (though I can appreciate why you wouldn't want to waste your time). Once we're past the scripted soundbites to any real follow-up, interviewers probing for actual answers, he is lost. He – quite literally – has no words. No vocabulary. It's not an act. He is that shallow.
As I said elsewhere (and is frankly obvious) Labour's failure was not Luxon's achievement.
Can you give any examples of things he has done right? "Not being Labour" is not an answer. Seymour and Peters are "Not Labour" and they run rings round Luxon. The Greens and TPM are not Labour, and have gained support.
The election was a referendum on the government, and they lost. The Labour votes went in 5 different directions (plus the "stay at homes", up 5%).
"Can you give any examples of things he has done right? "
He introduced discipline to a rabble that, you would have to acknowledge, had been prepared to eat their own young, in the desire for power.
Witness Boag, Bridges, Collins, Kuriger etc.
Matthew Hooton tells it the way that many see Luxon. A man totally unfitted to the role that he has claimed. (I envy the way that some can present the same ideas and beliefs that I have, but I am unable to present them effectively.)
By 11pm on election night, it was clear to anyone who could do year 10 algebra or operate an Excel spreadsheet that Luxon needed both Act and NZ First.
Hours later, proudly wearing his All Blacks jersey, the incoming Prime Minister seemed to agree, declaring that “I’m a person who likes to bring teams together and make sure that I get the best out of that team and use all the skills that are in that team.
“I’ve done a lot of mergers and acquisitions,” he boasted. “I’ve done a lot of negotiations.”
Back in Wellington, Luxon criticised the way Jim Bolger, Helen Clark, John Key, Bill English and Jacinda Ardern had conducted coalition talks, insisting he had a better way.
“I’m going to use the next three weeks until the special votes are fully counted,” he proclaimed, “to actually progress the relationships and the arrangements with each individual party.”
Alas, he failed….
Act, NZ First and National insiders say Luxon is a talker rather than a listener. He never asked how Act or NZ First thought negotiations should proceed, or what they wanted from them.
The smaller parties’ priorities differ from National’s and from each other’s, and they have very different styles.
Act prepared detailed policy papers for National, hoping to prompt in-depth discussions. National teased them for being so diligent with their homework and didn’t respond.
In contrast, Peters held his cards tight, waiting for Luxon to ask for his view of the world and priorities. Luxon never did….
He so clever and so successful and needs no advice from anyone and has already managed a huge turnaround for the NZ which he said so often was a basket case to today declaring that NZ is a strong progressive country. Wow! Such power. Such skill.
He's like the guy who listens to a Beatles song and says "hey, you should check this band out, I've just discovered them for you, I'm telling you they're good, listen to my advice".
That is exactly how Trump operates. It is though Luxon reads a mythical Self Help book by Trump.
And according to Hooton, Luxon mocked the homework done by David for the conversations and never bothered to ask about Winston's views. Probably because he knew all the answers and preferred his future partners to just do what Luxon tells them to do. Hmmph!
I hope people are finally seeing through the empty man. Not just predictable lefties but swing voters and "soft" Nats.
Luxon had three great gifts. Jami-Lee Ross self-destructed (so Luxon got Botany). Judith Collins self-destructed (so he got the leadership). And Chris Hipkins failed, so Luxon will be PM.
None of those events were because of Luxon's own talents. This is his first test. A laughable failure.
TBH – the negotiation time-frame only seems to matter for political tragics (myself included) and journalists. The rest of NZ are supremely unmoved (indeed, uninterested) by the negotiations.
The test for them will come when they see the policy that the new government puts up – and decide whether it will deal with their primary concerns (cost of living, crime, education)
If you want a tad more Hooten, he is very cynically and darkly good in The Working Group this week. A couple of times him and Grant get a bit boisterous but generally he is on form, especially getting stuck into Luxon.
He doesn't spare the media either. The press gallery, rather than rush about trying to get gotcha soundbites, they may have to read reports, do analysis research etc.
I saw the articles today, too, and couldn't believe how well I'd predicted things going. It was all I could see, but it sounded too unlikely that it didn't seem possible things would go the way I predicted. As I've said in earlier posts, if we couldn't have a secure left win, having this kind of outcome will help the left get back in in 2026 more than if the left just scraped in in the recent election.
What next?
I think Luxon will have lost all credibility within the National leadership. No more the "next John Key" reputation, methinks. In politics, you can't afford liabilities. If the dog can't hunt anymore, you shoot it and I think what's keeping Luxon in place now is the total embarrassing and completely unthinkable situation of dumping him in the midst of negotiations. Something tells me Luxon still believes he's doing a good job though. As they say in politics, his tail's being eaten but the message hasn't reached his mind yet. Were I Nicola Willis, I would be clearing out her appointment book for the first part of the new year.
Matthew Hooton told us the inside goss is that Luxon believed he was negotiating from a position of strength against two weaker coalition partners, so made them some lowball offers that insulted them (and, although Hooton didn't spell it out, must have brought Peters and Seymour closer together than ever thought possible).
I agree with Hooton and what he said spoke volumes about the "I'm the great negotiator" atmosphere to this whole situation. I have a slightly different spin on it though.
Many ex-CEO's of big organisations who can't see a future next-step in business for themselves imagine a natural progression to the political arena however unless they spend time learning politics (and have the humility to see themselves at the lower rungs of a new ladder, I might say) such an imagination can be fraught with danger.
Despite what Roger Douglas taught the country about level playing fields, big organisations generally negotiate under situations where the bargaining power of suppliers is low. That means, for example, I might own a big company and need some new computer monitors. My contract is worth having, due to my size, and there are many different suppliers. More to the point, there's not a lot of difference between an HP monitor or a Dell monitor. These factors mean that my big company negotiates with HP and Dell from a position of power and strength (hardly a level playing field at all). To many corporate executives "As long as I win, I don't care if you lose" is good negotiating.
But, politics (and particularly MMP) does not make those distinctions when forming coalitions. Politics is about "win-win" (which can sometimes be another way of saying "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours") and the relative size of the National/ACT/NZF share is out the window to some extent.
Good negotiators from other walks of life learn about something called a BATNA. This stands for Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement. In other words, having a Plan B. It's the plan you fall back on if you can't reach agreement with the person you're negotiating with. Luxon went into the coalition talks without one. He has to reach agreement with Peters and Seymour if he is to save his own face and his party's political future as the most solid right wing party to vote for.
According to Hooton's article, Peters and Seymour went into the talks with a BATNA that was, if they didn't get something meaningful for themselves, they didn't have to risk their reputations by forcing another election, they could offer Luxon the alternative of a National government, backed by their confidence and supply and the difficulty of arguing out each situation as it came up.
Let's say, for instance, that as soon as the preliminary votes were counted, Luxon had gone to the Greens and said "Look, we don't see eye to eye on most things but there are limits to the extent I can cope with Winston holding my face to the stove. Can we at least explore some things I can offer that would allow you to do a confidence and supply deal with me?" He could then have gone into negotiations with the BATNA of a National/ACT government, underpinned by the Greens. Note that he doesn't necessarily have to conclude that negotiation, he just needs to be seen to be exploring it, to give him so much more control over the negotiating process. For those Greenies who say the Green Party would never enter into anything with National, remember that not long ago, who could have seen Peters/Seymour so much in harmony, but pragmatism brought them together.
So, in summary, in this negotiation, Luxon has positioned National into a negotiation where it has no Plan B – it has to reach agreement with both Seymour and Peters. Seymour and Peters, however, have used the time since the election to talk pragmatically and develop a workable Plan B that puts them ahead of the game.
Whatever happens, I think this spells disappointment for those who saw Luxon as the next John Key, both in longevity and in calibre – IMHO.
Not that I've seen or heard. But plenty who wanted him to be – which I imagine is what Thinker is saying. And a good deal of what Luxon/Willis (Luxlis?) propose to do is a rerun of the Key playbook.
Luxon was never John Key 2.0, and it's amazing how many people on the left accepted that framing (it's been repeated on here, a lot).
As though they're unable to say "I don't like or support Key but he was good at politics for National, and I don't like or support Luxon and he's bad at politics for National". Understanding your opponent is not approval.
Being a good bullshitter is a common characteristic of politicians. Key was a good bullshitter, Luxon is hopeless at it.
The Green Party would never give c and s to a NACT government, or even a National-NZF one.
They might offer c and s to a National minority government (together they are a majority) if Luxon showed them what he had negotiated with ACT and NZF and would they please save him and the country from the consequences of his first attempt at governance.
The ultimate fall back position for National, is talking to the Greens.
Help with affording their tax cuts
without allowing foreign buyers – just match the 5% stamp duty of Oz on homes over $2M – $300-400M pa
The 4 big banks made a profit of $6B – a 5% windfall profits tax – $300M
Add a windfall profits tax on supermarkets as well.
National can guarantee its landlord friendly policies would help hold rent levels down by agreeing to the Greens 3% rent increase cap – they do believe what they say don't they?
They can abide by our international committments – Paris Accords. They do say we have bi-partisan foreign policy don't they?
They can agree to increase the MW and continue with Fair Pay Agreements/Industry Awards. Because they do not want locals to have to go to Oz to get a fair wage do they? And they do need a rising tax take to manage the governments finances don't they?
And continue with the state house building (and buying) programme and the shared equity scheme for first home buyers and take note of Winston Peters warning about planning for future aged care needs. They do believe in a home ownership based democracy and income based rent provision for those in need, don't they?
Gisborne man could not catch me and put me in his hinaki so he cheated useing the Mental Health Act against me you see whanau if the neanderthals can't win fairly then they cheat like the devil himself.
Gisborne man could not catch me and put me in his hinaki so he cheated useing the Mental Health Act against me you see whanau if the neanderthals can't win fairly then they cheat like the devil himself.
Minority poor people can't sue the system for Mel practice. In other words the system bends over the poor and ##### them we can't sue.
The rich can sue any time they want.
WTF
They say the great acc experiment it's a lie they new exactly what would happen with acc they taken the poorest right to sue government or private enterprises for our abuse of human rights indigenous rights. Its fraud they broadcast lies about the system to make the nieve to believe there system is perfect.
Its shitting on poor people and the rich doesn't give a fuck about the poorest
tangata. that is why none of the system negative stats for the poorest tangata never decrease9
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Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
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Your WIFI and AI and you.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/ELs1d94vKjFF/
And then one day along will come quantum computing.
Humanity has been making gods for thousands of years, and this may be the one to truly rule – though in America they are trying to build a hybrid and call its emergence a millennial realm. The deep state has been preparing for this capability of "oversight" management of the civilian population for some decades at a lesser tech level on a subset of the human population (psy ops).
By the time half of the New Zealand population reaches age 65 having never owned their home, that will be the least of their worries. A society order capable of managing inequality, not mitigating it, is being built. The prosperity gospel made manifest – for some.
The halcyon days are behind us.
Amen.
Since then (2008), spaceship Earth has gained another 1.3 billion human passengers.
Still, best foot forward…
https://www.overshootday.org/newsroom/country-overshoot-days/
For people commenting on the support or lack thereof for Palestinians in surrounding countries, it might be helpful to reflect on the ethnic and religious divides in the area.
Palestinians are Arab and Shia Muslim. Other countries that have Shia Arab majorities are Azerbaijan, Bahrain & Iraq. Countries with a significant Shia Arab population are Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. These are the countries where the most support for Palestine is found, although Azerbaijan is in the middle of a war and Iraq is still rebuilding after the end of the two wars it's just gone through.
Iran is Shia Muslim, but they are Persian, not Arab so they're sympathetic but don't want to get involved.
All the other countries around Israel are Arab and Sunni Muslim. Again, sympathetic to fellow Arabs, but Egypt taking refugees would be like Irish Catholics taking in some fleeing Protestants 80 years ago.
Are you aware that Hamas are a branch of Moslem Brotherhood – a Sunni group? Egypt's (military government) problem with Hamas is because they deposed the Morsi led MB government.
Thus more in common with Erdogan's regime than the one in Iran.
They were in fact on the side of the Sunni Islamists fighting against Syria's President Assad (left wing Baath Party rule dominated by a minority Alawite Shia) who was supported by Hizbollah and Iran.
The Palestinians are problematic for some in the Arab League – because Moslem Brotherhood and Fatah (secular left like the Baathists of Iraq but to be government of a democratic Palestinian state) are both anathema to the top down rule of dynastic families and military regimes.
Now that is so absurd, that it is just funny. Who arms Hizbollah and Hamas (and for what purpose)? Which nation apart from Russia was most involved in fighting for the Assad regime? Which nation runs the Shia militias in Iraq to the point of influence there akin to that they have with Hizbollah in Lebanon. Who arms the Houthis in Yemen.
I'd say that Hamas in the 80s when it broke away from the Muslim Brotherhood was a very different beast than it is now. There's video floating around of the current leader of Hamas talking about how he's committed to peaceful negotiation with Israel back around 2000.
Iran arms Hizbollah, Hamas and the Houthis but you never see them putting troops into the conflict. The Arab groups are pawns, not equals. They are useful in disrupting the US-Arab alliance. Just like Assad in Syria is useful to Russia. Iran has publicly called Hamas apostates and animals in the past.
You don't see American troops in Ukraine (continuance of a Cold War with Russia means no actual military conflict) or Israel (the US poses as the peace broker) either.
For Iran, as a Revolutionary Islamic Republic, sponsorship of Shia Moslem self-government and anti-West political leadership is its foreign policy. Of course active involvement of its own military outside of self defence (it was invited into Syria) is nation state aggression.
Hamas would appear to be the first Sunni Moslem group it has sponsored and based on having the same goal elimination of the Israeli state.
So why is Sunni Qatar the primary Middle East supporter of Hamas?
Why do you say that it is?
Qatar reached out to Hamas in 2006 at the request of the US to be a middle man in negotiations and it's the home of Al Jazeera so it's not too surprising that Hamas leadership base themselves there. Qatar is ~10% Shia so there's definitely support there and it's a rich oil state.
It's also a bit of the last place left. Saudi cracked down on Hamas after 9/11, Syria kicked them out in 2011, Egypt kicked them out after the 2013 coup which caused the Muslim Brotherhood to lose a lot of its influence.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Palestine
Well my answer about the importance of Qatar right now for Israel and Hamas is multiple:
– Is a very strong ally of the US, with a relationship near to that of NATO membership
– Has the largest US military base in the Middle East
– State-influenced Al Jazeera is the primary news feed for much of the Middle East and of EU viewers, and manages to offend everyone in equal measure with their reporting which is admirable
– Harbours most of the Hamas leadership right now
– Is a consistent and massive donor to Gaza via Hamas, which Israel has permitted
– Sufficiently independent from either Saudi Arabia and Iran
– Has normalised relations with Israel
– Has highly skilled diplomatic corps with a very strong track record, even with Mossad
Way too early for anything useful to emerge diplomatically, but it certainly will.
https://www.thepost.co.nz/a/nz-news/350111844/our-pacific-neighbours-are-allies-not-beneficiaries?utm_source=stuff_website&utm_medium=stuff_referral&utm_campaign=mh_stuff&utm_id=mh_stuff
It's paywalled, but the headline says a lot, and quite a bit more than New Zealand's relationships with nations in the South Pacific.
Just in case it needs stating that the Queenstown-area economy is an airport-fuelled bubble of growth and wealth amidst the otherwise mediocre 90% remainder of New Zealand.
https://www.scene.co.nz/queenstown-news/business/economic-star-still-burning-brightly/
Since the highly publicized event in Hawkes Bay of the state ham-fistedly, attempting to uplift a new born baby, there appears to be a more hands off role from Oranga Tamariki.
In this example there were verbal agreements for the vulnerable child not to be left alone with it's eventual killer.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/133306235/southland-toddler-hit-multiple-times-by-mums-partner-before-death-coroner-says
This is not to pour scorn on the mother nor social workers.
Surely, this is an ideological position of OT. One that appears to be failing our most vulnerable. In a chat with someone in the know, a recent child murder in Wellys, the three adults in the house were all on P, leaving no-one as a protector for the child.
How many more infant's must die, let alone the thousands more harmed, at the hands of their 'care-givers' and family before policy changes?
Naah they totally have the childs best interest at heart
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/131476321/hardest-decision-of-our-lives-foster-parents-return-moana-to-state-care
It's Oranga Tamariki, not Oranga Adult Feels.
It's bullshit is what it is
Yeah, that was soooo evident in the Moana case /sarc/
Anything but the interests of the child at heart.
These seem promising.
https://policy.nz/2023/party-vote/policies/law-justice-and-government/subtopics/family-justice-and-safety
Targeting “the best resources” “to our most vulnerable” – shouldn't be long now.
What do you mean by "not Oranga Adult Feels."?
Paramountcy of the child. No one else matters.
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1989/0024/latest/DLM149454.html#:~:text=Every%20court%20or%20person%20exercising,section%204A(1)).
Unfortunately "Oranga Adult Feels" are the lens through which that legislation is prioritised and applied.
That's grim reading.
I want to get my head around the situation. How much of this is because of under resourcing and under staffing? Is there an ideological 'capture' among workers and management? Biased reporting by media?
The Moana case was pure ideological capture within OT. Apparently at the case-worker level, but supported by management.
However, on the broader scale OT is damned if they do (uplift children) and damned if they don't (kids being killed, because of drop-kick adults in their life – why didn't OT intervene?)
A child-centred view would (most of the time) result in uplift of the children, and re-settlement either within the wider whanau (if possible) or with long-term foster parents.
Notably this resettlement has to be permanent, or as close to permanent as feasible. The damage done to kids as they ricochet between foster care, to whanau, to parents, and back to foster care, is considerably worse than a stable re-settlement.
OT is mostly parent (mother) centred. While, yes, *if* the Mum can be supported to turn her life around, then this is the best possible outcome. The problem is that most of the time it doesn't work. And, by the time OT admits it isn't working, the kids have been severely (arguably permanently) damaged – or are dead.
Celia Lashlie started advocating for the mums and highlighted the tendency for the 'authorities' let down the vulnerable while at the same time holding them to account for every shortcoming.
I don't think that standing aside while your child is beaten to death is a 'shortcoming'.
Obviously, but failing to supply evidence to WINZ, not getting to appointments on time, truancy/education issues, as examples are merely shortcomings. When compared to the resources, power and control of the state compared to a parent, juggling limited income/ budget priorities, work commitments etc.
Tracey Watkins touches on this (although the article casts more heat than light)
"We also know that members of the household were known to police, and probably to child protection agency Oranga Tamariki (OT) as well.
But OT continues to hide behind privacy as its excuse for refusing to talk about what it knew.
So who is speaking for Baby Ru? Not the people who were last to see him alive. And not OT. The inference is that they are not to blame for his death. But they have failed him, even in death, by refusing to give him a voice."
https://www.thepost.co.nz/a/nz-news/350113478/who-speaking-baby-ru
The only people speaking for Baby Ru are the wider whanau – the ones who cared for him and loved him for the first year of his life, primarily his great aunt, and his uncle.
OT is liable. Concerns about the safety of child within the household were officially raised with OT by the wider whanau. OT did nothing to address the issue. Once again, demonstrating that they are not child centred, but parent centred.
This is such a tragically typical situation, when children bounce back and forward between whanau, foster care, and the primary parent. There is a lot of research about how important it is for a child in the first couple of years to have a stable caregiver. Baby Ru should never have left the care of his great aunt.
The words I'd like to use for the adults living in the house, who either murdered him, or stood aside for others to do so – would not be acceptable on TS.
It's time for a law change, for child murders, because the right to silence has become a right to murder.
Given the "success" rate of State care it is almost always a better option to support the family to care for children.
There are cases where Social workers are in a damned if you do and damned if you don't. Difficult all around.
Easy to judge with 20/20 hindsight. But, without a crystal ball……
Statistically many more kids die and/or are abused in the care of drop-kick parents, than are killed/abused in State care.
I think that you are biased by some of the (tragic) history from the mid-20th century. There are much greater controls and checks on foster parents, than there are on the families that OT is 'supporting' (I've seen actual examples on both sides)
A child-centred approach would look first at whether it's realistic to support the family. But it requires a lot of intervention (no, you can't have care of your children if you live in a house with Meth users; no, you can't have care of your children while you live with someone with a history of family violence; yes, OT caseworkers will be checking up on you and on the people you live with; yes, you have to check with OT before moving; yes, you have to have a police check on any new adult moving into your home).
NB: these are all basic/ongoing checks that foster parents have to pass.
Many people are not comfortable with that level of state intervention. In that case, the child-centred approach is to remove the children from the highly risky environment. If Mum (and it usually is Mum – since Dad is long gone) isn't prepared to put the welfare of her kids first, then the State has to do so.
"Drop-kick parents" = parents who physically abuse their children? And/or perhaps very neglectful parents who are at the opposite end of the parenting spectrum to helicopter parents and snowplow parents?
https://www.govt.nz/browse/family-and-whanau/adoption-and-fostering/fostering-a-child-caregiving/
Maybe Aotearoa NZ needs a ‘fostered generation’ to disrupt the cycle of children of "drop-kick parents" becoming "drop-kick parents" themselves? There but for the grace of God…
https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/
My sympathies are with the kids being physically abused and killed.
Your mileage clearly varies.
And, yes, I have personal acquaintance with people in this situation. Including kids whose lives have been pretty much ruined by the decisions made by parents (and supported by OT). And with foster parents who are doing their best to turn those kids lives around.
I've seen parents who come from really sh*t backgrounds themselves, absolutely determined to make sure their children never suffer what they did. Basically, it requires putting the needs and welfare of your kids first. Something which is really evident isn't present in almost every reported case of abuse – and would be clearly visible to every case-worker involved.
Whanau adoption can work really well – unfortunately it's not supported in many cases by OT – because the mother doesn't want to 'lose' the kids. A classic example of where OT is parent-centred, rather than child-centred. This recent case is a prime example – the baby was safe, cared for, and loved with his great aunt – but dead once he was returned to his mother. I can only imagine the depth of grief the kuia feels.
https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2023/11/07/tell-the-truth-is-the-reremoana-whanau-plea-to-those-responsible-for-the-tragic-death-of-baby-ru/
B, could you spell out what you mean by "your mileage clearly varies" – is it that you believe your "sympathy for the kids being physically abused and killed" is clearly superior to my sympathy?
Did I interpret your (repeated) use of the term "drop-kick parents" correctly? "Drop kick" is a common enough general insult, but I wondered if you meant something more specific in that context, e.g. parents who drop and kick their children. Regardless, the term is unhelpful, imho.
Those are admirable parents – fostering can't be easy, and is potentially a tremendously worthwhile endeavour – definitely part of the solution.
Some recent posts on TS gave been helpful in ordering my thoughts about child welfare and punishment in Aotearoa NZ.
https://thestandard.org.nz/acts-dishonest-youth-offending-policy/
https://thestandard.org.nz/laura-norda-rides-again/
I tautoko yr foster suggestion.
Also adoption. We were on a long waiting list for adoption for years, then got blessed with a conception that is now a lovely 21 yr old.
My mother was adopted and lived in a house with several foster children, growing up in the '40s and '50s.
I can't help but feel (unsurprisingly), the Douglas reforms have had a negative impact on social services as well. Witness Grainee Moss, former OT Chief Executive. From a bio, essentially a budget/balance sheet focussed type, from overseas, that defended the actions of the mis-handled Hawkes Bay uplift.
Bio;https://www.imd.org/news/work-life-balance/going-the-distance-multiple-times/#:~:text=Born%20near%20Belfast%20in%20Northern,a%20manager%20commissioning%20health%20services.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300212679/timeline-oranga-tamariki-chief-executive-grainne-moss-road-to-resignation
A bit like not wanting to drink a beer made by an accountant, OT needs leadership by those that are a little more connected to those they are responsible for.
This seems to be the case in Glenis Philip-Barbara, appointed to the newly-created position (Assistant Māori Children's Commissioner) by children’s commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft.
I see the annointed Leader of the Keystone Kops Koalition is still shooting off his mouth without actually saying anything of substance as usual. <a href=”http://Luxon defends negotiating skills as coalition talks continue Luxon defending his ineptitude.
[link fixed]
Bring back Helen Clark.
Couldn't agree more, much more substance than CLuxon.
Helen knew how to manage Winston. Lots of first class airfares to nice places as Foreign Affairs Minister with 2 other Ministers to do the actual work – Chris Carter for the relationships stuff and the "schmoozing," and Phil Goff to do the grunt work. All Winnie had to do was to turn up, give the speech, shake the paws and have a good time.
Luxo can't be as banal as he sounds. He could be playing a longer game to discredit and overturn MMP.
No. That is exactly the problem here … people understandably think "well, he can't be that bad, so there must be some cunning plan." Opponents are tempted to think it, not just supporters or commentators.
You only have to listen to his longer interviews (though I can appreciate why you wouldn't want to waste your time). Once we're past the scripted soundbites to any real follow-up, interviewers probing for actual answers, he is lost. He – quite literally – has no words. No vocabulary. It's not an act. He is that shallow.
All of which speaks to the ineptitude of Labour.
Going from an unprecedented majority, political capital up the wahoo to burn, to losing to that mob lead by a rookie first term MP.
He must be doing something right.
As I said elsewhere (and is frankly obvious) Labour's failure was not Luxon's achievement.
Can you give any examples of things he has done right? "Not being Labour" is not an answer. Seymour and Peters are "Not Labour" and they run rings round Luxon. The Greens and TPM are not Labour, and have gained support.
The election was a referendum on the government, and they lost. The Labour votes went in 5 different directions (plus the "stay at homes", up 5%).
"Can you give any examples of things he has done right? "
He introduced discipline to a rabble that, you would have to acknowledge, had been prepared to eat their own young, in the desire for power.
Witness Boag, Bridges, Collins, Kuriger etc.
Unified a caucus.
Right up until they cotton on that they've been sold a pup and that Christopher "I was into mergers and acquisitions" Luxon is an empty suit.
Matthew Hooton tells it the way that many see Luxon. A man totally unfitted to the role that he has claimed. (I envy the way that some can present the same ideas and beliefs that I have, but I am unable to present them effectively.)
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/matthew-hooton-whatever-happened-to-those-christopher-luxon-negotiating-skills/BHVSDPU53RBTLD55A7R2PTE4CU/
Luxon is a legend, in his own mind.
He so clever and so successful and needs no advice from anyone and has already managed a huge turnaround for the NZ which he said so often was a basket case to today declaring that NZ is a strong progressive country. Wow! Such power. Such skill.
Or is it all a a fundamentalist dream?
Some classic Luxon quotes in today's reporting:
Tells reporters they don't understand confidentiality … (which happened in all previous MMP negotiations).
Says parties turned up with their manifestoes and went through them … (which happened in all previous MMP negotiations).
Election 2023: Coalition talks continue with National planning to remain in Auckland over weekend | Newshub
He's like the guy who listens to a Beatles song and says "hey, you should check this band out, I've just discovered them for you, I'm telling you they're good, listen to my advice".
Things only exist when he finds out about them.
That is exactly how Trump operates. It is though Luxon reads a mythical Self Help book by Trump.
And according to Hooton, Luxon mocked the homework done by David for the conversations and never bothered to ask about Winston's views. Probably because he knew all the answers and preferred his future partners to just do what Luxon tells them to do. Hmmph!
Thanks for that, Ian.
I hope people are finally seeing through the empty man. Not just predictable lefties but swing voters and "soft" Nats.
Luxon had three great gifts. Jami-Lee Ross self-destructed (so Luxon got Botany). Judith Collins self-destructed (so he got the leadership). And Chris Hipkins failed, so Luxon will be PM.
None of those events were because of Luxon's own talents. This is his first test. A laughable failure.
TBH – the negotiation time-frame only seems to matter for political tragics (myself included) and journalists. The rest of NZ are supremely unmoved (indeed, uninterested) by the negotiations.
The test for them will come when they see the policy that the new government puts up – and decide whether it will deal with their primary concerns (cost of living, crime, education)
If you want a tad more Hooten, he is very cynically and darkly good in The Working Group this week. A couple of times him and Grant get a bit boisterous but generally he is on form, especially getting stuck into Luxon.
He doesn't spare the media either. The press gallery, rather than rush about trying to get gotcha soundbites, they may have to read reports, do analysis research etc.
How many would have bet on a deal inside of 2 weeks of the counting of specials?….not many I suspect.
How about "within 5 weeks of your opponent conceding the election"?
It's not Bolger v Clark, English v Ardern. It's Luxon v Incompetence.
Support from ACT: 100% certain. From NZF: 95% certain. Only one outcome possible, and yet he's stuffed it up.
Imagine if he's in a room with other countries' negotiators, who have other options.
… shiver …
Luxon may well be incompetent….however as stated i doubt many would have risked cash on Winston doing a deal inside 2 weeks.
And in the grand scheme of things it means little.
True, the time taken means little. But what it reveals about the strengths of the 3 leaders means a lot. The PM will be the weakest.
We'll get a government, there will be handshakes, Ministers sworn in, etc. Nice positive words will be uttered.
Then they have to make decisions, the harder ones. This was the easy one.
It means nothing more than it did prior to the election…Luxon is still Luxon and Peters and Seymor are the same as they always were.
And sadly politicians gave away most of their real influence decades ago.
The likes of Hooten et al are doing what they always do, stirring an old pot (and being well remunerated for it) and we lap it up.
Meh
What is the grand scheme of things? Hollowing out public services, a war on Māori, selling public assets, a house price explosion?
I suspect your view is a little too local in a globalised economy.
Let google be your friend.
Luxon might have, being a property investor, and he’d have lost the bet with enough egg on his face to bake a pavlova.
I suspect Luxon would only bet with someone elses money….a no lose proposition.
But I ‘d eat a slice of the pav.
I saw the articles today, too, and couldn't believe how well I'd predicted things going. It was all I could see, but it sounded too unlikely that it didn't seem possible things would go the way I predicted. As I've said in earlier posts, if we couldn't have a secure left win, having this kind of outcome will help the left get back in in 2026 more than if the left just scraped in in the recent election.
What next?
I think Luxon will have lost all credibility within the National leadership. No more the "next John Key" reputation, methinks. In politics, you can't afford liabilities. If the dog can't hunt anymore, you shoot it and I think what's keeping Luxon in place now is the total embarrassing and completely unthinkable situation of dumping him in the midst of negotiations. Something tells me Luxon still believes he's doing a good job though. As they say in politics, his tail's being eaten but the message hasn't reached his mind yet. Were I Nicola Willis, I would be clearing out her appointment book for the first part of the new year.
Matthew Hooton told us the inside goss is that Luxon believed he was negotiating from a position of strength against two weaker coalition partners, so made them some lowball offers that insulted them (and, although Hooton didn't spell it out, must have brought Peters and Seymour closer together than ever thought possible).
I agree with Hooton and what he said spoke volumes about the "I'm the great negotiator" atmosphere to this whole situation. I have a slightly different spin on it though.
Many ex-CEO's of big organisations who can't see a future next-step in business for themselves imagine a natural progression to the political arena however unless they spend time learning politics (and have the humility to see themselves at the lower rungs of a new ladder, I might say) such an imagination can be fraught with danger.
Despite what Roger Douglas taught the country about level playing fields, big organisations generally negotiate under situations where the bargaining power of suppliers is low. That means, for example, I might own a big company and need some new computer monitors. My contract is worth having, due to my size, and there are many different suppliers. More to the point, there's not a lot of difference between an HP monitor or a Dell monitor. These factors mean that my big company negotiates with HP and Dell from a position of power and strength (hardly a level playing field at all). To many corporate executives "As long as I win, I don't care if you lose" is good negotiating.
But, politics (and particularly MMP) does not make those distinctions when forming coalitions. Politics is about "win-win" (which can sometimes be another way of saying "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours") and the relative size of the National/ACT/NZF share is out the window to some extent.
Good negotiators from other walks of life learn about something called a BATNA. This stands for Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement. In other words, having a Plan B. It's the plan you fall back on if you can't reach agreement with the person you're negotiating with. Luxon went into the coalition talks without one. He has to reach agreement with Peters and Seymour if he is to save his own face and his party's political future as the most solid right wing party to vote for.
According to Hooton's article, Peters and Seymour went into the talks with a BATNA that was, if they didn't get something meaningful for themselves, they didn't have to risk their reputations by forcing another election, they could offer Luxon the alternative of a National government, backed by their confidence and supply and the difficulty of arguing out each situation as it came up.
Let's say, for instance, that as soon as the preliminary votes were counted, Luxon had gone to the Greens and said "Look, we don't see eye to eye on most things but there are limits to the extent I can cope with Winston holding my face to the stove. Can we at least explore some things I can offer that would allow you to do a confidence and supply deal with me?" He could then have gone into negotiations with the BATNA of a National/ACT government, underpinned by the Greens. Note that he doesn't necessarily have to conclude that negotiation, he just needs to be seen to be exploring it, to give him so much more control over the negotiating process. For those Greenies who say the Green Party would never enter into anything with National, remember that not long ago, who could have seen Peters/Seymour so much in harmony, but pragmatism brought them together.
So, in summary, in this negotiation, Luxon has positioned National into a negotiation where it has no Plan B – it has to reach agreement with both Seymour and Peters. Seymour and Peters, however, have used the time since the election to talk pragmatically and develop a workable Plan B that puts them ahead of the game.
Whatever happens, I think this spells disappointment for those who saw Luxon as the next John Key, both in longevity and in calibre – IMHO.
Did anyone seriously think Luxon was a Key clone.?….we have had a couple of years demonstrating otherwise.
Did anyone seriously think Luxon was a Key clone?
Not that I've seen or heard. But plenty who wanted him to be – which I imagine is what Thinker is saying. And a good deal of what Luxon/Willis (Luxlis?) propose to do is a rerun of the Key playbook.
Good comment.
Luxon was never John Key 2.0, and it's amazing how many people on the left accepted that framing (it's been repeated on here, a lot).
As though they're unable to say "I don't like or support Key but he was good at politics for National, and I don't like or support Luxon and he's bad at politics for National". Understanding your opponent is not approval.
Being a good bullshitter is a common characteristic of politicians. Key was a good bullshitter, Luxon is hopeless at it.
The Green Party would never give c and s to a NACT government, or even a National-NZF one.
They might offer c and s to a National minority government (together they are a majority) if Luxon showed them what he had negotiated with ACT and NZF and would they please save him and the country from the consequences of his first attempt at governance.
The ultimate fall back position for National, is talking to the Greens.
Help with affording their tax cuts
National can guarantee its landlord friendly policies would help hold rent levels down by agreeing to the Greens 3% rent increase cap – they do believe what they say don't they?
They can abide by our international committments – Paris Accords. They do say we have bi-partisan foreign policy don't they?
They can agree to increase the MW and continue with Fair Pay Agreements/Industry Awards. Because they do not want locals to have to go to Oz to get a fair wage do they? And they do need a rising tax take to manage the governments finances don't they?
And continue with the state house building (and buying) programme and the shared equity scheme for first home buyers and take note of Winston Peters warning about planning for future aged care needs. They do believe in a home ownership based democracy and income based rent provision for those in need, don't they?
gisborne man is komutu.
Don’t fuck with te taniwha
Gisborne man could not catch me and put me in his hinaki so he cheated useing the Mental Health Act against me you see whanau if the neanderthals can't win fairly then they cheat like the devil himself.
Ka kite Ano
Gisborne man could not catch me and put me in his hinaki so he cheated useing the Mental Health Act against me you see whanau if the neanderthals can't win fairly then they cheat like the devil himself.
Ka kite
Exactly like what he did to my uncle 46 years ago
Minority poor people can't sue the system for Mel practice. In other words the system bends over the poor and ##### them we can't sue.
The rich can sue any time they want.
WTF
They say the great acc experiment it's a lie they new exactly what would happen with acc they taken the poorest right to sue government or private enterprises for our abuse of human rights indigenous rights. Its fraud they broadcast lies about the system to make the nieve to believe there system is perfect.
Its shitting on poor people and the rich doesn't give a fuck about the poorest
tangata. that is why none of the system negative stats for the poorest tangata never decrease9
https://youtu.be/iZpnH4CD8Js?si=lNrm6KJYx4Yd-BcX
https://youtu.be/an_4rfU8y8k?si=39laRoFisE1AysUx