Took some time to savour the right wing web sites last night. By Jupiter, they’ve become completely unhinged since the Labour led coalition took power. Farrar has gone completely troppo, posting bitter diatribes and editorially is apparently taking on Breitbart, complete with stories about how ruggedly individualistic flying cars are going to save us from socialist trains.
The old school ACToids have always been viciously barking mad, but under Key and National they were able to keep their Galtian predilictions for a ruthless social Darwinism run by authoritarian nihilists under wraps. Now it is completely out of the bag, the rantings from the like of Rodders and Hoskings are awesome fun to read.
But most importantly, I have been struck by how old they all sound, how jarringly yesterday their message is. Jacinda has already achieved one thing – she has smashed the long, paralysing lee the 1980s-90 ideologues have exercised on our society. In a strange way, it is like the country went into the election becalmed in 1996, and suddenly woke up in 2017.
To be large extent this is just generational change. Baby boomers are moving over and becoming less of the force they once were. GenX (of which I am one) are moving to the top of the “escalator”. And they don’t necessarily share the same social values as the baby boomers. Certainly they are more socially liberal.
Lots of generalisations there, so please don’t take offense, but I think the characterisation is reasonable.
The problem is that most baby boomers were socially liberal and caring in their early twenties. Many still are. It is the change when they hit the workforce, make decent money and equate it with knowing everything.
And with it they are revealling themselves to be many of the things they revile in others.
I just read a piece from Finlay McDonald written late October. I missed it at the time but it is a good summary of the self entitlement and chilish tantrums we are seeing now.
cheers Tracey-i was travelling and missed that article-nicely summed up by Finlay. National operating in their own parallel universe. Boy are they going to have difficulty renewing.
Thanks Tracey (1.2) … Finlay McDonald is extremely intelligent, a fine astute writer, very much on the ball. And with this one he’s absolutely right, given what’s evolving on the Opposition benches at present.
Proving Natz is so last century, maybe going beyond that even. Their petulant behaviour is quite consistent with the spiteful, spoilt brats they are. Definitely not constructive towards building a progressive NZ!
The loss of the tories is like a fascinating psychological experiment, they aren’t handling the jandal, trying not to be smug but from the side lines it’s so satisfying to watch.
Meanwhile Jacinda ‘burns’ trump, another proud moment for NZ, I love her style.
“I said, ‘You know’, laughing, ‘no-one marched when I was elected’.”
Jacinda is transformed into the Princess and NZ the sleeping beauty. We awake and rub our eyes, and find the world full of promise. Promises that we must ensure are met with adequate action.
That action will turn act into the tiny thing it is in reality after the bluster and false authority of academic degrees fired into the world to do harm like intercontinental missiles. Let’s have some kiwi thinking and doing which takes in world information and then is decided by us as well informed, pragmatic people with a humanist and sustainable vision. All this from one kiss.
Thanks Jacinda and the Labour people who supported her. Make these changes – don’t rest just because you have Labour on the Benches again. We have to face the future and its grim. We can only survive it with spirit intact, working, talking, co-operating with practical, kind people. Don’t look over to National. It will probably take another generation before they can tear themselves away from their arrogance and confabulations.
Yep the youthquake has actually happened it is just not often visible – lorde and Jacinda showed it last night. I too have been so heartened by the generational change. Many elders are struggling with this and not all are righties. I love it and I love passing the baton to those who are going to be here making it happen. Thank you Jacinda and labour and the greens and nzf. Thank you for giving hope for a better future.
Better to the left than the right or god forbid neo libs. Only time will tell whether the same mistakes are made. Not learning from the past, not looking at the everlasting principle of balance .
Balance is interesting – is it equilibrium or a settled oscillation or an eventual tendency to always keep moving towards entropy. Politically for me it is being hard left and being okay that others think differently. ☺
Colliers national director research and consulting, Alan McMahon says
He said wages had not risen in line with house prices and not everyone could afford a million-dollar property, so many would be looking to the cheaper suburbs.
Part of my soul belongs as a Green Party member, as my family came home to NZ in 1998 after 11yrs in Canada & USA and NZ was on the verge of voting in a new Labour ‘lead’ Government, and my familly joined the ‘alliance/green membership ‘mob’ as they were at that crazy time a very credible lot and had some high profile members in both ‘fledgling’ parties.
The alliance people sadly had dropped away since then, but we still have an alliance with some HB members today.
The greens have now ’emerged as another style of Political Party than they were when we joined them in 1999, and like most others we are all still confused about their whole strategy today.
That having said, I have always agreed with the ‘core’ environmental’ planks and always will but I do seriously miss Jeanettee Fitszimmons and the late Rod Donald whom we all met several times in Napier and today as said we are very distanced from today’s “new green party” members.
Our heart will always be ‘green’ because they are seriously needed here, especially during the current “global rot” setting in with the savengers who are stealing everything from all countries for profit.
With assets like water, oil, and many other commodities that are being extracted at such a blind rate that our future is a peril as is the climate that we all depend upon.
James Shaw we do like now as he seems to be a very level headed individual.
We hope he takes control of the green party core members and puts out a statement that all is progressing between labour and the green party over this “hickup” and the so called “horse trading” claims over “waka jumping” is just not a big issue as stated but constructive discussion was always on the table over what to do about the side issue that has emerged.
Jeanette Fitsimmons re emerged publocly when Turei was being pilloried. To say she is not supportive of the social justice aspect of Green policy requires more evifence than this cleangreen. If that is what you are alluding to.
Disagreement is healthy. Within and between parties. That Nats seem to have so few internal disagreement suggests either a village of the dammed type caucus or self interest is so embedded they sit on their hands in return for the power and position.
The Greens are outside Cabinet. That means they can differ from the Government on issues. Until we all mature in this respect we cannot expect politicians to.
Hi Tracey,
“To say she (jeanette) is not supportive of the social justice”
NoNoNo, tracey, we do not ‘infer’ Jeanette is not supportive of social justice at all, you missed our point.
Jeanette is a very warm caring person, she came to napier to meet us over the truck gridlock issue on Napier roads back in 2001 and walked along the Pirimai suburb with our committee to inspect the amount of noisy trucks rattling down the HB Expressway past the closeby houses that are threatening our residents health and wellbeing.
Jeanette wrote a column in the HB Today after saying it was the worst designed dangerous residential highway through a city she had even seen.
This was a significant win for our residents then and jeanette will always be admired for her support of our call for social justice for our community deeply still today affected by the truck gridlock we have worse now since national destroyed our rail services in 2012.
That Herald item above was just building something out of nothing, comparatively. Every decision or thought that the Greens make will be put under a microscope.
And I couldn’t find an author’s name on it. Just basically scrapings.
Reading that article, it strikes me that the problem is not the Greens appallingly bad use of email – or non-actions – since there is no statement from them included.
It is the swiftness of denigrating replies from Andrew Little, Winston Peters, and Shane Jones.
How hard is it to say – “Well, that must be part of an internal discussion because they have not made an approach to the coalition/our party yet. We’ll wait until they do before passing a comment”?
There appears to be no self-discipline being shown here.
I do struggle to think someone cannot send an email to the correct place. It doesn’t take much to check it and it’s not exactly new technology and there are plenty of examples where people have got it wrong with major publicity.
The problem is with email lists that are not obvious until pulled down. There may be numbers of people on them. Better to have individual receipients rather than mass postings.
Green party are today in the middle of a “minor” scrap over “waka jumping” .
I don’t think so. I think it’s much more likely that the Herald are shit stirring. I wrote this in DR last night.
Hmm, let’s tease this out a bit.
It’s not a leak, apparently the email got sent to the media by mistake.
The Herald cherry picked a bit of the email,
The Green Party’s justice spokeswoman Golriz Ghahraman, in an internal email accidentally sent to Fairfax, floated the idea of trying to garner support for a National Parihaka Day – the subject of a Green private member’s bill.
That’s The Herald’s interpretation.
Here’s the actual words,
“The Government won’t have the numbers to pass the [waka-jumping] legislation without us, and if we decided to oppose it then they would need to consider other options such as approaching the National Party, who opposed the 2005 bill,” the email says.
“Opposing the bill would cause political tensions, given the inclusion of the bill in the Labour-NZ First coalition agreement.
“Our Confidence and Supply Agreement gives us the independence to choose to vote against it. Supporting the bill would be seen as changing and weakening a long-standing and public party position. It would risk criticism from our core supporters.”
To me that looks like the Greens working through a dilemma and in one email one MP has laid out some of the issues.
During the parallel coalition negotiations, Green’s co-leader James Shaw put his faith in Jacinda Ardern to ensure that there was nothing in the Labour-NZF deal that the Greens would object to – though he conceded there might be policies that he might not be comfortable with.
No shit. Part of the value of the set up is that the Greens are free to vote how they want on things not covered in their agreement with Labour. This is how MMP works as designed.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters poured scorn on horse-trading tactics.
“We don’t horse trade.
This is interesting. Because I would have thought that negotiating around support for legislation is exactly what was intended by the deals that allowed Labour to form government.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said doing a deal with the Greens over waka-jumping had not come up “in direct conversation”.
She said she has not given much thought to a National Parihaka Day.
“I certainly am pleased to see greater observance of those days of New Zealand’s history. I think we should encourage that. Whether or not it becomes a day off is an entirely different issue.”
So not a big deal for Labour. Little called it horse-trading but other than that where are the ripples of discontent from Labour?
A spokesperson for the Green Party said the email was an “internal document that was sent in error”.
“It’s not surprising that Labour Party and Green Party MPs are having these kinds of constructive conversations and working together; in fact, that’s what New Zealanders expect of government parties.
“It’s commonplace for ministers and MPs to have these kind of conversations – that will continue,” the spokesperson said.
That’s what I would expect.
I don’t know what happened. But it does look like the Herald is shit stirring (and yes, no name to the article).
Yeah. Looks exactly like what I would expect a support partner to a coalition to looking at.
I guess the anonymous fool at the Herald is just another political illiterate. Don’t they publish that similar idiotic cheap from Howling Mike Hosking as well?
That Herald article doesn’t feel right. I can’t see any of the quoted people talking to the Herald like that. They all know what the Herald is, I’d expect them to be far more circumspect and guarded in their replies.
Very concerning that the Greens would consider opposing the ‘waka jumping’ bill.
Even worse wanting something so tokenistic as some sort of weird leverage. That thinking (tokenistic) is what has caused Greens to plummet to 6% . It started with red peak taking attention from more important issues.
A holiday or name change might be symbolic to those on a $200k salary but to voter’s they get pretty disillusioned when the party the vote for’s individuals get bribed or are just so stupid they jump ship and derail the democratic process and the Greens are prepared to oppose legislation to stop that.
For MMP to work, voters need to know if they vote for a minor party they will not jump ship to support another for their own personal gain.
Greens should be unconditionally supporting the Waka jumping legislation.
Whether they want to put National Parihaka Day through should be independent of very important legislation to keep integrity in the democratic process.
And also the reason it’s necessary is that the National party have a history of derailing democracy by using it to pick off weak minded MP’s.
Why would the Greens support helping National pick off weak minded MP’s by allowing this waka jumping loophole to remain?
What is wrong with an electorate mp jumping ship? and should backbenchers not be allowed to hold party leaders to account.
This law will make representative democracy even less representative. That the greens would trade away the democratic nature of party positions for a national holiday is strange. I thought they had more principles than that
Have you actually seen the proposed bill?
I certainly haven’t seen any wording and the only thing I have seen said merely that Little was considering it.
Can you provide a link to the bill as it will be put before the house?
As a side note I suspect there would not be a Green Party in Parliament if such a bill had existed in 1997.
The Green Party leaders at the time were in Parliament as part of the Alliance. If they had announced, as they did, that they were going to stand independently in 1999 I suspect that Jim Anderton would have demanded that they be expelled from Parliament, and that they would have been replaced by people he thought would remain loyal to him.
If so I don’t think that the Green Party would have remained in Parliament in 1999. As it was, even with all the publicity and travel subsidies available to sitting MPs they only just scraped back in on their own. Both Fitzsimmons winning Coromandel and the party getting over 5% only happened when the specials came in and got them over the line in both cases.
If they hadn’t survived then I think they would have been gone for good. The record of parties getting in without already holding seats is not great is it?
So you haven’t read the bill, but you suspect that it would have destroyed the greens in the 1990s? Why do you suspect that the waka-jumping bill will apply to people who announce they will run for another party in the future, without actually leaving or withdrawing support from their current party until the campaign?
Given that it didn’t stop Anderton doing exactly that in 2002.
What I did see about a proposed bill was that Winston wanted to be able to expel people from a party and that they would then be kicked out of the Parliament.
It wasn’t, from what I heard about it, intended to be limited to people who actually left the party of their own accord. It appeared to be intended it to be anyone a party leader was pissed off about.
“One of the more surprising matters included in the Labour/NZ First coalition agreement is their joint commitment to pass a ‘Waka Jumping’ Bill”. Such legislation effectively requires any MP who leaves her or his party, whether willingly or not, to also leave Parliament”.
:” But note that this approach puts an awful lot of power into the hands of a party leader (assuming that she or he still has the backing of her or his party). ”
The source OAB referred me to doesn’t have the final detail which appears to still be under consideration. Geddis however didn’t seem to think it was intended to be limited to List MPs only.
As for Jim Anderton. He and the rest of the party ended up pretending they were all still part of one party, even though they were setting up opposition groups.
As Geddis also said in my link
“Because neither grouping wanted to leave Parliament, they were forced to pretend they remained one united party even as Jim Anderton set about creating his own new one outside of it”.
Of course I wouldn’t care, NOW, whether the “Green” party vanished. I would have been disappointed in 1999 though when they seemed to be a predominately environmental group rather than left wing party with only a peripheral interest in the environment. That is, at least to me, what they now seem to be.
What I did see about a proposed bill was that Winston wanted to be able to expel people from a party and that they would then be kicked out of the Parliament.
In that case Professor Geddis would be wrong wouldn’t he?
However what is to say that the Party Constitution would continue to apply if NZF get their bill passed? They are very to amend after all.
And who is going to hold that the Party Constitution would, or could, override the law of the land? If there was a conflict between what the Constitution said and what the law said the law is always going to win.
The NZF party used to have, I understand, a clause that any MP who left the Party agreed to resign from Parliament and pay the party $300,000 while about it.
It is mentioned here http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/243707/nz-first-radically-changes-its-rules
According to Professor Geddis, quoted in this link, such a clause would be tossed out by a court if they tried to enforce it. That would seem to be the reason they want a law to do it for them.
And you also confuse Winston committing an act beyond his powers in the party constitution (as you put it “Winston wanted to be able to expel people from a party and that they would then be kicked out of the Parliament”, when he does not even have this power under the party constitution) and there being a conflict between the party constitution and the law.
So again, your concern for the job security of the poor NZ1 MPs whom you believe serve at the whim of a petulant and capricious Winston Peters shows that you fundamentally misunderstand both the situation and how democratic parties operate.
Just sounds like an internal conversation that accidentally got released to the MSM and now the MSM are attacking like the good little National Party attack dogs they are.
I doubt if was going any further and probably wouldn’t have been policy but ideas do need to be discussed before hand whether they’re used or not.
Australia opens door to New Zealand taking Manus Island refugees
The Australian Government has acknowledged that New Zealand could deal direct with Papua New Guinea over taking some of the Manus Island refugees – and Australia could not block such a deal.
Australia’s Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has opened the door to a possible resettlement deal between the two sovereign states – but he indicated Australia would not be pleased.
I think that the headline and the Herald interpretation in para 2 are different to the real story as expressed by the Australian Minister.
All he really said was that New Zealand, as a Sovereign Country, can do whatever they like. He then said that if they do they had better think very hard about it as Australia wasn’t going to like it at all.
His statement was not a great deal different to saying that North Korea can test nuclear weapons if they wish to. What could Australia, or anyone else except China actually do to stop them? However don’t expect Australia to allow trade with North Korea if they continue to do so.
He was just about as undiplomatic about it as you can be. I was over there recently and there were definite signs that Australia was going to make things even harder for New Zealanders over there than they are already. Expect having to get a specific visa before you go will be the next step if we let the Manus Islanders into New Zealand I fear.
Gal Gadot, heroine of Wonder Woman, has announced that the main producer (financial backer) of the previous Wonder Woman will not take part in Wonder Woman II.
This is after well-publicised accusations against Ratner of serious sexual impropriety.
Now, if anyone can remember when a producer was removed from a blockbuster Hollywood franchise for sexual impropriety because the lead acress demanded it, could you all please let me know.
And this is getting cut out of a machine that was about to start printing hundreds of millions more dollars in profit, based on the track record of the last one.
Money, finally, did not talk.
As it stands, this looks like Wonder Woman just hit real life., very hard, and caused an earhtquake.
Gal Gadot …Israeli settler Zionist who tweeted her support of the IDF in 2014 while they were according the UN enquiry were killing 1462 civilians (at least) including 495 children methinks wonder woman has mud on her cape.
The ethnic cleansing ,atrocities , denial of human rights et cetera over a 69 year period doesn’t this make Israel some sort of record holder? Shouldn’t those who support this be held to account or is it ok because of her “feminist” victory? Or is it that so many Hollywood figures are Zionist?
Does that make it ok?
Well the Palestinians have got great reason to hate Nazism after all it was the western worlds guilt at the Holocaust which led to the formation of Israel and thus the Palestinian slow motion Holocaust – still ongoing after 69 years.
The Nazis hold all the records for industrialised murder and disenfranchisement of a people.
The Zionists hold the record (in living memory ) for the disenfranchisement and destruction of a people – in the length of its campaign – 69 years and counting.
Burgess, who was working as a temp at Fox at the time, said it only took O’Reilly about two weeks to start harassing her.
“He always walked past my desk and he made, like, a grunting noise,” Burgess said. “As time went on, I noticed … if no one was around, he would make that noise.”
Chinese speculators are having one last shot at the cherry.
Stop them act now, cut out their cancer.
We owe them nothing, they owe us our houses.
You have the mandate and the capability, strike a meaningful blow and send a message don’t wait until Xmas, do it next week.
Every one sold is one we have to build.
[Letting this racist shit through, only because it’s a fairly stark example of the type of racist and xenophobic rhetoric some (too many) in this country seem to be fairly comfortable with.] – Bill
Isn’t that both Labour and Green policy to stop overseas sales of residential property??
It’s the Natz that wants NZ to be a one world monopoly board.
Personally think they need to include all Land including farms and commercial property. Just let foreigners buy the rights on leases. (Take a note from China, no land owed by foreign interests, any business interests have to partner with Chinese firms etc)
Seriously, Bill, I think you’re being over dramatic there. tv1980 specifically said Chinese speculators, not simply Chinese. Despite the questionable data begrudgingly collected by the last government, cheap Chinese capital has made Auckland unliveable for many families.
It’s been a serious problem for some time along with the same behaviour from Australian speculators. To sit there in a foreign country, as a foreign citizen, shopping online for Kiwi houses like you’re on eBay is not acceptable when such a major issue has developed.
But is it irrelevant in this case? Chinese off-shore investors are a unique case both here and in Canada I’ve heard.
China is not a fully democratised country. Corruption is high. Unreliable export products. Weak labour laws. Unsustainable growth.
All this combined into a lot of cheap money and a lot of cowboys entering the NZ domestic property market through websites dedicated to selling Kiwi houses on the internet and through the relationships with new immigrants who acted as proxy buyers.
So desperate was the last government to maintain growth figures at any cost they encouraged this form of foreign investment whether by direct off-shore marketing or by proxy purchasing.
Now, foreign investment has its place but not in the domestic housing market at a time when young families are being shunted from pillar to post because of house-flipping in an over heated market.
Now, foreign investment has its place but not in the domestic housing market at a time when young families are being shunted from pillar to post because of house-flipping in an over heated market.
A problem which is entirely independent of ethnicity.
China is not a fully democratised country. Corruption is high. Unreliable export products. Weak labour laws. Unsustainable growth.
A separate set of problems, some of which are of concern in terms of foreign policy and maintaining local freedoms.
The problem for people that want to talk about speculators from specific countries is that NZ is generally pretty racist towards people from some places and not others. Each time we have this conversation we have people saying shit that harms specific ethnicities. If we want to have the conversation then we need to take more care of that side of things. That’s the problem here, the lack of care for Chinese people, especially those that live here including people whose families have been here as long as any Pākehā ones.
So if you want to talk about Chinese speculators, my suggestion is actively push back against the racism, and talk more about the problems of speculators from places we’re not as racist about. At least then there is an indication of trying to not buy into or allow racist narratives.
The house buying ploy by many overseas financiers was little different to being a place to park ill-gotten gains, as in trusts and Panama Papers. Only in this case they were buying our shelter from under our feet, in the likely expectation they would not be closely scrutinised and make good capital gains. Pity about the stability of the NZhousing prices.
Australian speculators have also been an issue, anecdotal stories have been around of wealthy housewives flying in groups to New Zealand for the weekend and buying 5 properties each.
As has been made clear by just about everyone, Australians are untouchable for whatever reason. But this doesn’t mean the effect by off-shore Chinese speculators be ignored because it might offend someone. They are added fuel to the fire.
I know about the aussie real estate trips. Anyone who speaks so vehemently about chinese speculators above and doesnt know ozzies are a problem too need expect that their ignorance may be named racism
Putting aside the grammatical foot in mouth aspect of that, what I took tv1980 to be saying at the time is that Chinese are a cancer that need to be stopped and cut out.
I took the cancer as being speculation, but either way it’s still either directly or indirectly racist. Tbh, I saw it in the moderation queue and left it there for someone else to deal with 😉
TV1980 -Wasn’t there a report recently that it is mostly Kiwi investors who are the culprit? Easy money (perceived) no work, sounds about right- yes?
Most foreign nationals settling here feel the owe something in return to the country and will not be inclined to sh.. in the new nest. See it for what it is please.
mosa
That was interesting link:
IIRC Britain spends 49 billion pounds on paying its interest each year, which exceeds its Defence and Housing Budgets. Now is that good financial management? I’m on the edge of not having any credit on my card. That isn’t good on my part. But all those clever bastards at the top of the heap? Does it inspire confidence in our leaders there or their followers here that they are in so deep?
What happened to the good advice that you should pay within a month all that you borrowed to keep the interest down? And to be aware that any cash borrowed becomes an immediate interest bearing debt.
(CNN – )A total of 210,000 gallons of oil leaked Thursday from the Keystone Pipeline in Marshall County, South Dakota, the pipeline’s operator, TransCanada, said.
Crews shut down the pipeline Thursday morning and officials are investigating the cause of the leak.
This is the largest Keystone oil spill to date in South Dakota, said Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the state’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
In April 2016, there was a 400-barrel release — or 16,800 gallons — with the majority of the oil cleanup completed in two months, Walsh said.
About 5,000 barrels of oil spilled Thursday.
You have to wonder if those present all laughed when Judith Collins, of all people, started pontificating about tact and diplomacy. I particularly loved this bit:
She said Ms Ardern needed to “learn from Winston Peters that you actually do have to be a little bit more statesman-like when you’re overseas and representing New Zealand”.
What? I thought representing NZ overseas meant bringing your husband along on overseas trips so you can use your position to help his business? This is just confusing…
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Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
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Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
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As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
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The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
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Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
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When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
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Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
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The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Took some time to savour the right wing web sites last night. By Jupiter, they’ve become completely unhinged since the Labour led coalition took power. Farrar has gone completely troppo, posting bitter diatribes and editorially is apparently taking on Breitbart, complete with stories about how ruggedly individualistic flying cars are going to save us from socialist trains.
The old school ACToids have always been viciously barking mad, but under Key and National they were able to keep their Galtian predilictions for a ruthless social Darwinism run by authoritarian nihilists under wraps. Now it is completely out of the bag, the rantings from the like of Rodders and Hoskings are awesome fun to read.
But most importantly, I have been struck by how old they all sound, how jarringly yesterday their message is. Jacinda has already achieved one thing – she has smashed the long, paralysing lee the 1980s-90 ideologues have exercised on our society. In a strange way, it is like the country went into the election becalmed in 1996, and suddenly woke up in 2017.
To be large extent this is just generational change. Baby boomers are moving over and becoming less of the force they once were. GenX (of which I am one) are moving to the top of the “escalator”. And they don’t necessarily share the same social values as the baby boomers. Certainly they are more socially liberal.
Lots of generalisations there, so please don’t take offense, but I think the characterisation is reasonable.
The problem is that most baby boomers were socially liberal and caring in their early twenties. Many still are. It is the change when they hit the workforce, make decent money and equate it with knowing everything.
Exactly
The 1960s and 1970s were a social revolution when the baby boomers liberalised society like no other generation ever has.
And with it they are revealling themselves to be many of the things they revile in others.
I just read a piece from Finlay McDonald written late October. I missed it at the time but it is a good summary of the self entitlement and chilish tantrums we are seeing now.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/342593/national-s-first-100-days-in-opposition-worth-watching
cheers Tracey-i was travelling and missed that article-nicely summed up by Finlay. National operating in their own parallel universe. Boy are they going to have difficulty renewing.
Thanks Tracey (1.2) … Finlay McDonald is extremely intelligent, a fine astute writer, very much on the ball. And with this one he’s absolutely right, given what’s evolving on the Opposition benches at present.
Proving Natz is so last century, maybe going beyond that even. Their petulant behaviour is quite consistent with the spiteful, spoilt brats they are. Definitely not constructive towards building a progressive NZ!
The loss of the tories is like a fascinating psychological experiment, they aren’t handling the jandal, trying not to be smug but from the side lines it’s so satisfying to watch.
Meanwhile Jacinda ‘burns’ trump, another proud moment for NZ, I love her style.
“I said, ‘You know’, laughing, ‘no-one marched when I was elected’.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11944901
@ Cinny (1.3) … demonstrating we have a gem in Jacinda 🙂
Wrong time for the left to get too comfortable.
The right don’t have as many disparate factions to put together to mount clear opposition. They are building.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN9xsFUsPqM
That’s such a great snip for where we are at with the new govt.
Jacinda is transformed into the Princess and NZ the sleeping beauty. We awake and rub our eyes, and find the world full of promise. Promises that we must ensure are met with adequate action.
That action will turn act into the tiny thing it is in reality after the bluster and false authority of academic degrees fired into the world to do harm like intercontinental missiles. Let’s have some kiwi thinking and doing which takes in world information and then is decided by us as well informed, pragmatic people with a humanist and sustainable vision. All this from one kiss.
Thanks Jacinda and the Labour people who supported her. Make these changes – don’t rest just because you have Labour on the Benches again. We have to face the future and its grim. We can only survive it with spirit intact, working, talking, co-operating with practical, kind people. Don’t look over to National. It will probably take another generation before they can tear themselves away from their arrogance and confabulations.
Yep the youthquake has actually happened it is just not often visible – lorde and Jacinda showed it last night. I too have been so heartened by the generational change. Many elders are struggling with this and not all are righties. I love it and I love passing the baton to those who are going to be here making it happen. Thank you Jacinda and labour and the greens and nzf. Thank you for giving hope for a better future.
Better to the left than the right or god forbid neo libs. Only time will tell whether the same mistakes are made. Not learning from the past, not looking at the everlasting principle of balance .
Balance is interesting – is it equilibrium or a settled oscillation or an eventual tendency to always keep moving towards entropy. Politically for me it is being hard left and being okay that others think differently. ☺
AES (armchair expert syndrome) seems to be hard wired into the Kiwi DNA. The older you are the stronger its presence is felt.
Stuff and other like news sites are rampant with it in the comments section.
Spot on Sanctuary…….without particular articluation the mind is certainly just somehow quietly conscious of the ‘old’ thing. Neh!…….boring.
Re the new house valuations in Ak
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11944807
Colliers national director research and consulting, Alan McMahon says
He said wages had not risen in line with house prices and not everyone could afford a million-dollar property, so many would be looking to the cheaper suburbs.
No shit sherlock!!!
Green party are today in the middle of a “minor” scrap over “waka jumping” .
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11944783
Part of my soul belongs as a Green Party member, as my family came home to NZ in 1998 after 11yrs in Canada & USA and NZ was on the verge of voting in a new Labour ‘lead’ Government, and my familly joined the ‘alliance/green membership ‘mob’ as they were at that crazy time a very credible lot and had some high profile members in both ‘fledgling’ parties.
The alliance people sadly had dropped away since then, but we still have an alliance with some HB members today.
The greens have now ’emerged as another style of Political Party than they were when we joined them in 1999, and like most others we are all still confused about their whole strategy today.
That having said, I have always agreed with the ‘core’ environmental’ planks and always will but I do seriously miss Jeanettee Fitszimmons and the late Rod Donald whom we all met several times in Napier and today as said we are very distanced from today’s “new green party” members.
Our heart will always be ‘green’ because they are seriously needed here, especially during the current “global rot” setting in with the savengers who are stealing everything from all countries for profit.
With assets like water, oil, and many other commodities that are being extracted at such a blind rate that our future is a peril as is the climate that we all depend upon.
James Shaw we do like now as he seems to be a very level headed individual.
We hope he takes control of the green party core members and puts out a statement that all is progressing between labour and the green party over this “hickup” and the so called “horse trading” claims over “waka jumping” is just not a big issue as stated but constructive discussion was always on the table over what to do about the side issue that has emerged.
Jeanette Fitsimmons re emerged publocly when Turei was being pilloried. To say she is not supportive of the social justice aspect of Green policy requires more evifence than this cleangreen. If that is what you are alluding to.
Disagreement is healthy. Within and between parties. That Nats seem to have so few internal disagreement suggests either a village of the dammed type caucus or self interest is so embedded they sit on their hands in return for the power and position.
The Greens are outside Cabinet. That means they can differ from the Government on issues. Until we all mature in this respect we cannot expect politicians to.
Hi Tracey,
“To say she (jeanette) is not supportive of the social justice”
NoNoNo, tracey, we do not ‘infer’ Jeanette is not supportive of social justice at all, you missed our point.
Jeanette is a very warm caring person, she came to napier to meet us over the truck gridlock issue on Napier roads back in 2001 and walked along the Pirimai suburb with our committee to inspect the amount of noisy trucks rattling down the HB Expressway past the closeby houses that are threatening our residents health and wellbeing.
Jeanette wrote a column in the HB Today after saying it was the worst designed dangerous residential highway through a city she had even seen.
http://www.pce.parliament.nz/media/pdfs/Hawkes-Bay-Expressway-Noise-and-air-quality-issues-June-2005.pdf
This was a significant win for our residents then and jeanette will always be admired for her support of our call for social justice for our community deeply still today affected by the truck gridlock we have worse now since national destroyed our rail services in 2012.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1302/S00183/kiwirail-admits-lack-of-maintenance-led-to-wash-out.htm
Greens were very rail supportive as NZF is.
Sorry to have misunderstood
That Herald item above was just building something out of nothing, comparatively. Every decision or thought that the Greens make will be put under a microscope.
And I couldn’t find an author’s name on it. Just basically scrapings.
Reading that article, it strikes me that the problem is not the Greens appallingly bad use of email – or non-actions – since there is no statement from them included.
It is the swiftness of denigrating replies from Andrew Little, Winston Peters, and Shane Jones.
How hard is it to say – “Well, that must be part of an internal discussion because they have not made an approach to the coalition/our party yet. We’ll wait until they do before passing a comment”?
There appears to be no self-discipline being shown here.
I do struggle to think someone cannot send an email to the correct place. It doesn’t take much to check it and it’s not exactly new technology and there are plenty of examples where people have got it wrong with major publicity.
That’s true, but the Greens admin embarassment will be a stronger media target than many of the official policies put out by the last government.
This is a small issue, which could have easily been deflected by the other parties.
Yes I wish these parties would support each other better.
The problem is with email lists that are not obvious until pulled down. There may be numbers of people on them. Better to have individual receipients rather than mass postings.
Should be more trading, not less.
Politicians need to do actual political work,.
newbie MPs like Golriz are entitled to fuck up once.
> newbie MPs like Golriz are entitled to fuck up once.
I’d say Golriz’s stance on Manus was that once, this is twice
A.
Green party are today in the middle of a “minor” scrap over “waka jumping” .
I don’t think so. I think it’s much more likely that the Herald are shit stirring. I wrote this in DR last night.
Hmm, let’s tease this out a bit.
It’s not a leak, apparently the email got sent to the media by mistake.
The Herald cherry picked a bit of the email,
The Green Party’s justice spokeswoman Golriz Ghahraman, in an internal email accidentally sent to Fairfax, floated the idea of trying to garner support for a National Parihaka Day – the subject of a Green private member’s bill.
That’s The Herald’s interpretation.
Here’s the actual words,
“The Government won’t have the numbers to pass the [waka-jumping] legislation without us, and if we decided to oppose it then they would need to consider other options such as approaching the National Party, who opposed the 2005 bill,” the email says.
“Opposing the bill would cause political tensions, given the inclusion of the bill in the Labour-NZ First coalition agreement.
“Our Confidence and Supply Agreement gives us the independence to choose to vote against it. Supporting the bill would be seen as changing and weakening a long-standing and public party position. It would risk criticism from our core supporters.”
To me that looks like the Greens working through a dilemma and in one email one MP has laid out some of the issues.
During the parallel coalition negotiations, Green’s co-leader James Shaw put his faith in Jacinda Ardern to ensure that there was nothing in the Labour-NZF deal that the Greens would object to – though he conceded there might be policies that he might not be comfortable with.
No shit. Part of the value of the set up is that the Greens are free to vote how they want on things not covered in their agreement with Labour. This is how MMP works as designed.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters poured scorn on horse-trading tactics.
“We don’t horse trade.
This is interesting. Because I would have thought that negotiating around support for legislation is exactly what was intended by the deals that allowed Labour to form government.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said doing a deal with the Greens over waka-jumping had not come up “in direct conversation”.
She said she has not given much thought to a National Parihaka Day.
“I certainly am pleased to see greater observance of those days of New Zealand’s history. I think we should encourage that. Whether or not it becomes a day off is an entirely different issue.”
So not a big deal for Labour. Little called it horse-trading but other than that where are the ripples of discontent from Labour?
A spokesperson for the Green Party said the email was an “internal document that was sent in error”.
“It’s not surprising that Labour Party and Green Party MPs are having these kinds of constructive conversations and working together; in fact, that’s what New Zealanders expect of government parties.
“It’s commonplace for ministers and MPs to have these kind of conversations – that will continue,” the spokesperson said.
That’s what I would expect.
I don’t know what happened. But it does look like the Herald is shit stirring (and yes, no name to the article).
Little should HTFU.
Let’s see if he still has his horse-trading dignity left once the Muriwhenua have finished with him.
weka, Good comment there I go along with that fully.
If Winston wanted the Greens to be on board with everything, perhaps he should have got the Greens in on the coalition.
I doubt nats never accidentally sent an email to the media. I also doubt the media pounced on it without letting them know.
Yeah. Looks exactly like what I would expect a support partner to a coalition to looking at.
I guess the anonymous fool at the Herald is just another political illiterate. Don’t they publish that similar idiotic cheap from Howling Mike Hosking as well?
That Herald article doesn’t feel right. I can’t see any of the quoted people talking to the Herald like that. They all know what the Herald is, I’d expect them to be far more circumspect and guarded in their replies.
It looks a bit fishy.
Very concerning that the Greens would consider opposing the ‘waka jumping’ bill.
Even worse wanting something so tokenistic as some sort of weird leverage. That thinking (tokenistic) is what has caused Greens to plummet to 6% . It started with red peak taking attention from more important issues.
A holiday or name change might be symbolic to those on a $200k salary but to voter’s they get pretty disillusioned when the party the vote for’s individuals get bribed or are just so stupid they jump ship and derail the democratic process and the Greens are prepared to oppose legislation to stop that.
For MMP to work, voters need to know if they vote for a minor party they will not jump ship to support another for their own personal gain.
Greens should be unconditionally supporting the Waka jumping legislation.
Whether they want to put National Parihaka Day through should be independent of very important legislation to keep integrity in the democratic process.
And also the reason it’s necessary is that the National party have a history of derailing democracy by using it to pick off weak minded MP’s.
Why would the Greens support helping National pick off weak minded MP’s by allowing this waka jumping loophole to remain?
What is wrong with an electorate mp jumping ship? and should backbenchers not be allowed to hold party leaders to account.
This law will make representative democracy even less representative. That the greens would trade away the democratic nature of party positions for a national holiday is strange. I thought they had more principles than that
The proposal affects list* MPs, to preserve the proportionality of Parliament, as per election results.
*Nice try. Or are you going to plead ignorance?
+1 One Anonymous Bloke
It’s to protect voter’s rights of representation NOT MP’s.
Have you actually seen the proposed bill?
I certainly haven’t seen any wording and the only thing I have seen said merely that Little was considering it.
Can you provide a link to the bill as it will be put before the house?
As a side note I suspect there would not be a Green Party in Parliament if such a bill had existed in 1997.
The Green Party leaders at the time were in Parliament as part of the Alliance. If they had announced, as they did, that they were going to stand independently in 1999 I suspect that Jim Anderton would have demanded that they be expelled from Parliament, and that they would have been replaced by people he thought would remain loyal to him.
If so I don’t think that the Green Party would have remained in Parliament in 1999. As it was, even with all the publicity and travel subsidies available to sitting MPs they only just scraped back in on their own. Both Fitzsimmons winning Coromandel and the party getting over 5% only happened when the specials came in and got them over the line in both cases.
If they hadn’t survived then I think they would have been gone for good. The record of parties getting in without already holding seats is not great is it?
Source.
So you haven’t read the bill, but you suspect that it would have destroyed the greens in the 1990s? Why do you suspect that the waka-jumping bill will apply to people who announce they will run for another party in the future, without actually leaving or withdrawing support from their current party until the campaign?
Given that it didn’t stop Anderton doing exactly that in 2002.
Alwyn’s concerned.
Really? Gosh, that makes me lose all faith in the Greens and Labour.
If an election were held tomorrow, I would most certainly vote National.
Thank goodness someone opened my eyes to the looming catastrophe of rampant, totalitarian communism that this government is inflicting upon us.
Ardern is the next Robert Mugabe!
LOL
What I did see about a proposed bill was that Winston wanted to be able to expel people from a party and that they would then be kicked out of the Parliament.
It wasn’t, from what I heard about it, intended to be limited to people who actually left the party of their own accord. It appeared to be intended it to be anyone a party leader was pissed off about.
“One of the more surprising matters included in the Labour/NZ First coalition agreement is their joint commitment to pass a ‘Waka Jumping’ Bill”. Such legislation effectively requires any MP who leaves her or his party, whether willingly or not, to also leave Parliament”.
:” But note that this approach puts an awful lot of power into the hands of a party leader (assuming that she or he still has the backing of her or his party). ”
Both these extracts are from a RNZ interview with Law Professor Andrew Geddis.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/342350/waka-jumping-law-a-cost-to-democracy
That is why I wanted to see what any bill was actually going to say.
The source OAB referred me to doesn’t have the final detail which appears to still be under consideration. Geddis however didn’t seem to think it was intended to be limited to List MPs only.
As for Jim Anderton. He and the rest of the party ended up pretending they were all still part of one party, even though they were setting up opposition groups.
As Geddis also said in my link
“Because neither grouping wanted to leave Parliament, they were forced to pretend they remained one united party even as Jim Anderton set about creating his own new one outside of it”.
Of course I wouldn’t care, NOW, whether the “Green” party vanished. I would have been disappointed in 1999 though when they seemed to be a predominately environmental group rather than left wing party with only a peripheral interest in the environment. That is, at least to me, what they now seem to be.
Well then, according to part 9 of the NZFirst constitution, it appears you were misinformed.
You needn’t be concerned at all.
In that case Professor Geddis would be wrong wouldn’t he?
However what is to say that the Party Constitution would continue to apply if NZF get their bill passed? They are very to amend after all.
And who is going to hold that the Party Constitution would, or could, override the law of the land? If there was a conflict between what the Constitution said and what the law said the law is always going to win.
The NZF party used to have, I understand, a clause that any MP who left the Party agreed to resign from Parliament and pay the party $300,000 while about it.
It is mentioned here
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/243707/nz-first-radically-changes-its-rules
According to Professor Geddis, quoted in this link, such a clause would be tossed out by a court if they tried to enforce it. That would seem to be the reason they want a law to do it for them.
As I said, it appears you were misinformed.
And you also confuse Winston committing an act beyond his powers in the party constitution (as you put it “Winston wanted to be able to expel people from a party and that they would then be kicked out of the Parliament”, when he does not even have this power under the party constitution) and there being a conflict between the party constitution and the law.
So again, your concern for the job security of the poor NZ1 MPs whom you believe serve at the whim of a petulant and capricious Winston Peters shows that you fundamentally misunderstand both the situation and how democratic parties operate.
Foolish Alwyn, foolish,
I thought you were less argumentative than this.
Not only that, the poor sap hasn’t even figured out what the Green Party does after all this time.
Just sounds like an internal conversation that accidentally got released to the MSM and now the MSM are attacking like the good little National Party attack dogs they are.
I doubt if was going any further and probably wouldn’t have been policy but ideas do need to be discussed before hand whether they’re used or not.
interesting development!!!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11944949
Australia opens door to New Zealand taking Manus Island refugees
The Australian Government has acknowledged that New Zealand could deal direct with Papua New Guinea over taking some of the Manus Island refugees – and Australia could not block such a deal.
Australia’s Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has opened the door to a possible resettlement deal between the two sovereign states – but he indicated Australia would not be pleased.
I think that the headline and the Herald interpretation in para 2 are different to the real story as expressed by the Australian Minister.
All he really said was that New Zealand, as a Sovereign Country, can do whatever they like. He then said that if they do they had better think very hard about it as Australia wasn’t going to like it at all.
His statement was not a great deal different to saying that North Korea can test nuclear weapons if they wish to. What could Australia, or anyone else except China actually do to stop them? However don’t expect Australia to allow trade with North Korea if they continue to do so.
He was just about as undiplomatic about it as you can be. I was over there recently and there were definite signs that Australia was going to make things even harder for New Zealanders over there than they are already. Expect having to get a specific visa before you go will be the next step if we let the Manus Islanders into New Zealand I fear.
And National just nodded… yes sir… yes sir…
I think I just felt an earthquake in Hollywood.
Gal Gadot, heroine of Wonder Woman, has announced that the main producer (financial backer) of the previous Wonder Woman will not take part in Wonder Woman II.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gal-gadot-brett-ratner-wonder-woman_us_5a08716ee4b0e37d2f381736?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
This is after well-publicised accusations against Ratner of serious sexual impropriety.
Now, if anyone can remember when a producer was removed from a blockbuster Hollywood franchise for sexual impropriety because the lead acress demanded it, could you all please let me know.
And this is getting cut out of a machine that was about to start printing hundreds of millions more dollars in profit, based on the track record of the last one.
Money, finally, did not talk.
As it stands, this looks like Wonder Woman just hit real life., very hard, and caused an earhtquake.
Fine work Ms Gadot
good news, but the earthquake has been going on for some time now 😉
Gal Gadot …Israeli settler Zionist who tweeted her support of the IDF in 2014 while they were according the UN enquiry were killing 1462 civilians (at least) including 495 children methinks wonder woman has mud on her cape.
Yes. The good news isn’t about Gadot, it’s about Ratner being removed.
If we were to remove every actor who supported a nation state that committed war atrocities, there’d be no Hollywood.
The ethnic cleansing ,atrocities , denial of human rights et cetera over a 69 year period doesn’t this make Israel some sort of record holder? Shouldn’t those who support this be held to account or is it ok because of her “feminist” victory? Or is it that so many Hollywood figures are Zionist?
Does that make it ok?
Flippant, but, Gal Gadot punches a Neo Nazi. Who you gonna cheer for?
Good question…where’s the Palestinian in the story?
I presume they would also want to punch a Nazi
And of course they would want to punch Nazi Zionism but let’s not worry about those Palestinians. Best we clean Hollywood first…….
Well the Palestinians have got great reason to hate Nazism after all it was the western worlds guilt at the Holocaust which led to the formation of Israel and thus the Palestinian slow motion Holocaust – still ongoing after 69 years.
The Nazis hold all the records for industrialised murder and disenfranchisement of a people.
The Zionists hold the record (in living memory ) for the disenfranchisement and destruction of a people – in the length of its campaign – 69 years and counting.
“And of course they would want to punch Nazi Zionism but let’s not worry about those Palestinians. Best we clean Hollywood first…….”
One misogynist, pervert, abuser at a time
GROPERS
No. 2: Bill O’Reilly
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/21/business/media/bill-oreilly-sexual-harassment.html
http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/23/media/bill-oreilly-misconduct-allegations/index.html
“GROPERS” is researched and presented by GroperWatch, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
No.1 George Herbert Walker Bush
Serial sexual predator Bill O’Reilly goes
Full Psycho in taped rant to the New York Times
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/23/1709244/-Serial-sexual-predator-Bill-O-Reilly-goes-Full-Psycho-in-taped-rant-to-the-New-York-Times
Mr Twyford
Re http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11944720
Chinese speculators are having one last shot at the cherry.
Stop them act now, cut out their cancer.
We owe them nothing, they owe us our houses.
You have the mandate and the capability, strike a meaningful blow and send a message don’t wait until Xmas, do it next week.
Every one sold is one we have to build.
[Letting this racist shit through, only because it’s a fairly stark example of the type of racist and xenophobic rhetoric some (too many) in this country seem to be fairly comfortable with.] – Bill
Isn’t that both Labour and Green policy to stop overseas sales of residential property??
It’s the Natz that wants NZ to be a one world monopoly board.
Personally think they need to include all Land including farms and commercial property. Just let foreigners buy the rights on leases. (Take a note from China, no land owed by foreign interests, any business interests have to partner with Chinese firms etc)
Seriously, Bill, I think you’re being over dramatic there. tv1980 specifically said Chinese speculators, not simply Chinese. Despite the questionable data begrudgingly collected by the last government, cheap Chinese capital has made Auckland unliveable for many families.
It’s been a serious problem for some time along with the same behaviour from Australian speculators. To sit there in a foreign country, as a foreign citizen, shopping online for Kiwi houses like you’re on eBay is not acceptable when such a major issue has developed.
The ethnicity of the speculators is irrelevant.
But is it irrelevant in this case? Chinese off-shore investors are a unique case both here and in Canada I’ve heard.
China is not a fully democratised country. Corruption is high. Unreliable export products. Weak labour laws. Unsustainable growth.
All this combined into a lot of cheap money and a lot of cowboys entering the NZ domestic property market through websites dedicated to selling Kiwi houses on the internet and through the relationships with new immigrants who acted as proxy buyers.
So desperate was the last government to maintain growth figures at any cost they encouraged this form of foreign investment whether by direct off-shore marketing or by proxy purchasing.
Now, foreign investment has its place but not in the domestic housing market at a time when young families are being shunted from pillar to post because of house-flipping in an over heated market.
A problem which is entirely independent of ethnicity.
A separate set of problems, some of which are of concern in terms of foreign policy and maintaining local freedoms.
The problem for people that want to talk about speculators from specific countries is that NZ is generally pretty racist towards people from some places and not others. Each time we have this conversation we have people saying shit that harms specific ethnicities. If we want to have the conversation then we need to take more care of that side of things. That’s the problem here, the lack of care for Chinese people, especially those that live here including people whose families have been here as long as any Pākehā ones.
So if you want to talk about Chinese speculators, my suggestion is actively push back against the racism, and talk more about the problems of speculators from places we’re not as racist about. At least then there is an indication of trying to not buy into or allow racist narratives.
Just talk about ‘speculators’ with no connection here.
The house buying ploy by many overseas financiers was little different to being a place to park ill-gotten gains, as in trusts and Panama Papers. Only in this case they were buying our shelter from under our feet, in the likely expectation they would not be closely scrutinised and make good capital gains. Pity about the stability of the NZhousing prices.
If Australian speculators are also a problem the tv framing it as a chibese problem is racist
Australian speculators have also been an issue, anecdotal stories have been around of wealthy housewives flying in groups to New Zealand for the weekend and buying 5 properties each.
As has been made clear by just about everyone, Australians are untouchable for whatever reason. But this doesn’t mean the effect by off-shore Chinese speculators be ignored because it might offend someone. They are added fuel to the fire.
I know about the aussie real estate trips. Anyone who speaks so vehemently about chinese speculators above and doesnt know ozzies are a problem too need expect that their ignorance may be named racism
I know about the Aussie real estate trips too but see if you can find anyone in authority, anyone at all, anywhere willing to put a stop to it.
I would.
Well i assume they are exempt from any other foreign ownership rules cos of CER. We are being royally by Australia.
Stop them act now, cut out their cancer.
Putting aside the grammatical foot in mouth aspect of that, what I took tv1980 to be saying at the time is that Chinese are a cancer that need to be stopped and cut out.
I took the cancer as being speculation, but either way it’s still either directly or indirectly racist. Tbh, I saw it in the moderation queue and left it there for someone else to deal with 😉
TV1980 -Wasn’t there a report recently that it is mostly Kiwi investors who are the culprit? Easy money (perceived) no work, sounds about right- yes?
Most foreign nationals settling here feel the owe something in return to the country and will not be inclined to sh.. in the new nest. See it for what it is please.
16yo calls adults to account
Brilliant – a Scottish lassie with her head firmly screwed on it seems. One of the more endearing characteristics of the Scots in general.
Gordon Campbell and Nationals ” nanny state ”
http://werewolf.co.nz/2017/11/gordon-campbell-on-the-centre-rights-love-of-the-nanny-state-label/
Mr Corbyn, brother enemy number one.
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2017/11/16/mainstream-journalist-accidentally-lets-slip-ordered-take-corbyn-image/
mosa
That was interesting link:
IIRC Britain spends 49 billion pounds on paying its interest each year, which exceeds its Defence and Housing Budgets. Now is that good financial management? I’m on the edge of not having any credit on my card. That isn’t good on my part. But all those clever bastards at the top of the heap? Does it inspire confidence in our leaders there or their followers here that they are in so deep?
What happened to the good advice that you should pay within a month all that you borrowed to keep the interest down? And to be aware that any cash borrowed becomes an immediate interest bearing debt.
Nope, never saw this coming.
/
(CNN – )A total of 210,000 gallons of oil leaked Thursday from the Keystone Pipeline in Marshall County, South Dakota, the pipeline’s operator, TransCanada, said.
Crews shut down the pipeline Thursday morning and officials are investigating the cause of the leak.
This is the largest Keystone oil spill to date in South Dakota, said Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the state’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
In April 2016, there was a 400-barrel release — or 16,800 gallons — with the majority of the oil cleanup completed in two months, Walsh said.
About 5,000 barrels of oil spilled Thursday.
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/16/us/keystone-pipeline-leak/index.html
Shocking!
Private enterprise being the most efficient that it can be – which just isn’t good enough.
Collins makes it personal – is this the way to gain votes?
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/11/refugee-deal-isn-t-student-politics-judith-collins.html
caucus votes, yes…..guess she feels the need to show Bridges he has some competition…..how long will Bill be willing to fight them all off?
Ambition undressed and it aint pretty
You have to wonder if those present all laughed when Judith Collins, of all people, started pontificating about tact and diplomacy. I particularly loved this bit:
She said Ms Ardern needed to “learn from Winston Peters that you actually do have to be a little bit more statesman-like when you’re overseas and representing New Zealand”.
What? I thought representing NZ overseas meant bringing your husband along on overseas trips so you can use your position to help his business? This is just confusing…
LOL
Going for the top job I guess.
Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths
Government is accused of ‘economic murder’
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/tory-austerity-deaths-study-report-people-die-social-care-government-policy-a8057306.html
Is this a flip-flop?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98716250/Minister-Iain-Lees-Galloway-says-replacing-Hobbit-law-will-be-a-joint-solution
nope
After 9 years are you finally sick of flip flops? Trying croc now?
Promising maiden speech from Labour list MP Liz Craig.
Child poverty will definitely be a focus for her.