Good to see Shearer’s positions outlined on the social liberalism/social conservatism scale.
Now it would be good to see where he stands on the economy, public sector, welfare, etc..
Specifically, I’d like to hear where he stands on ‘capitalism by stealth’ in the public sector; the economic structures required to eliminate child poverty, welfare ‘reform’, workplace regulation, global trade, democratisation of society and the workplace, etc., etc..
Not true…fight and success can be had. Shonkey had his facebook bombarded and a petition went ballistic. Nek minute…
Incredible news. Moments ago John Key’s government got directly in touch with the Auckland Sexual Abuse Crisis Centre, committing to “continued funding for the next 6 months” and pledging to work with them to ensure “a sustainable service for the future”.
It’s an extraordinary victory — for you and everyone else who has been part of the explosion of support for Kirsty McCully’s Change.org petition to save the centre.
Just a few short days ago things weren’t looking good. Funding was running desperately low, staff were about to be laid off and almost no one in the public or media was paying attention to the plight of the centre. No one in government was admitting they had responsibility — in fact no one would even return the centre’s desperate calls…..
Can this method be used somehow to gather support for a binding referendum on asset sales ? Jeanette Fitzsimons has offered her support .. 300K signatures needed and will delay any sales by at least one term … ideas anyone ?
A lot of people won’t see that as light hearted, it comes across as heavy nastiness whether that’s the intention or not.
Zetetic just posted on the ‘nasty party’ meme – I’m sure this on FB is being done by an individual or individuals but it won’t help Labour’s aims of reconnecting at all.
It maybe says more about you, Pete, that you would automatically think that this has anything to do with how people think about Labour, than it does about Labour.
Whale can be at times, sometimes he can be over the top or goes too far or for too long on issues, sometimes he just gets up people’s noses for taking them to task.
Haven’t really seen it from Cactus but I don’t read much of what she posts.
At what you accuse him of I don’t think he’s any worse than some of those who post here.
Except some of his hit job attempts are provided with actual facts, often from informants.
I’d rate Whale about 50/50, some of what he does is worthwhile examination and some harmless ranting, while some is overblown, over persistent and over the top.
I’d rate Whale about 50/50, some of what he does is worthwhile examination and some harmless ranting, while some is overblown, over persistent and over the top.
Him claiming credit for wandering around the labour party website a while back was a case in point. Not only did he scaremonger about credit card details, his youtube how-i-did-it style clip was unconvincing regarding his supposed ability to find it out for himself. But the stalking vibe was all him.
Unfortunately, that kind of shit sets the bar too high in regards to what should rightfully be preceived as fishist. Nutzism was a particularily nasty strain of fishism. But it isn’t definitive, although it keeps getting presented as such. Meaning a lot of fishy stuff swims under the radar of people’s perceptions and understandings.
No Wayne91, what turns genuine people off is cutting the taxes of the wealthy by 5% there by causing this country to be run into the ground and allowing 200,000 children to live hungry and diseased in dire poverty with no hope apart from that given selflessly by over stretched charities and the Salvation Army.
And what turns these genuine people off even further is a sneering, really nasty nactuf governmental mindset which blames the vulnerable for the economic situation, says they are just envious n’er do wells in order to ignorantly undermine them and dismissively assign them to the trash bin thereby legitimising the opinion of the right wing dismissers, and allowing said dismissers the comfort of the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ , no guilt, no conscience narrative they so crave.
The moral universe says otherwise.
@ Kriswgtn
Had only been thinking today that it was about time we had a some really good political satire on the box. It is so needed in NZ. I had hoped for some intelligent satire from 7days as the original version of this in the UK, Have I Got News For You was brilliant on the light polit.satire front and helped to keep news and political events in perspective as well as inform and illuminate truths and lies. No such luck with 7days ,which is mainly comedy,funny tho it is.
However, that’s why I was pleased to view your link Kris ,thankyou. It reminded me of the ‘big puppety’ scenarios they used in the UK in Spitting Image to depict Thatcher and her male harem/schoolboy followers. Her “are they one of us” group.
The writers depicted Thatcher as a bullying cross dressing ,cigar smoking tyrant having a fine ol’ time with some of her ‘gang’; one of whom, her right hand man, NormanTebbit, was dressed as a leatherclad ‘skinhead’.
It would be great to comment on what type of character could best represent some of our politicians.
My one for Key would be a great big whirly eyed snake head, reminiscent of the snake in Jungle Book, singing in Key mangled speak but with parsel tongue type lisp…… trutht in me, trutht only in me……. buy the athets, they will thtay in new thilland we will make lawth, trutht in me……no GethT, trutht in me…. or Paula Bennett as Miss Benette or Hekia Parata as Edwina Currie from Thatcher’s government who was satirised as a vampire.- very glam and gothic….now about Stuart Nash………wily coyote?
“But much of the real strategising started several months back when Shearer and close caucus allies such as former Labour list MP Stuart Nash seriously began talking about a post-election leadership tilt. Influential members of the “commentariat” – particularly those of the right-of-centre persuasion – were informally briefed. Shearer was promoted as having a modern international outlook; pro-business, pro-science and innovation, and not prone to the phony cloth-cap ideology that Goff had to dip into to retain the confidence of the Labour unionists who have for too long dominated the party.”
and
“But Nash will have urged Shearer not to offer Cunliffe a high ranking on the front-bench…Nash has made no secret of the fact that he would prefer that Cunliffe exits politics altogether.”
If anyone who is in the know reads this I ask you, (1) Am I now deludedly giving my little monthly donation to a right-wing party? (2) Are the people whose lives have been made wretched in this tin-pot neoliberal heaven to be further abandoned? (3) Why (if it is true) are you trying to hound your most talented politician out of parliament when you only have 34 seats in it?
OK. But they are reasonably precise claims. If they are false, then Labour must be able to deny them, and if they are true but misleading explain them. Which was the point of my three questions.
Why hasn’t she written about the meeting where Key asked to step down rather than this wet dream conspiracy shit? Marie Quinn was there Fran. Ask her and put that in your column.
In fact, many of her claims are stated as facts, and not opinion. Fran O’Sullivan has been around the block and would not make that rookie error of judgement unless she was certain that she couldn’t be instantly refuted by the players in question.
Well, if they’re true then all I can say is that Labour are fucked. They would no longer be the party for working people. Although, they haven’t really been that for awhile.
It was this bit that really got me:-
In other words, the right politician to drag Labour into the 21st century and out of its ideological cul-de-sac.
As it seems to show that Labour are going to go even more right-wing than they are now and that would mean that they’re going to become NAct light. All the same delusional economic policies (the ones that just saw the financial system collapse) with a few more identity politics polices thrown in.
Thanks for commenting on this article Olwyn. Saw it just recently and felt as disconcerted as yourself, and am now totally off Nash as well as a few others. Labour needs to come clean to clear up any misunderstandings or we really will need a NEW Labour.
She said right wing commentators were briefed early on; she was probably one of them.
It fraks me off royally to think all the leadership BS the right wing media were printing to undermine Goff, may actually have been based on facts verified from within caucus itself.
Fran may be a Tory, but she is very well-connected in the political world. And what she is saying here is pretty much what has been guessed at already.
There is a poisonous little faction in Labour who undermined Phil Goff’s leadership at every turn and forced him out, and then blocked David Cunliffe’s bid in order to seize power for themselves.
I don’t want any part of that disloyal, malicious and toxic little club.
What they did to Phil was appalling, and now they are trying to force David C out too.
I tend to agree, if Shearer doesnt give Cunliffe a significant role, it will be a crucial mistake. Fran is 100% correct when she describes Cunliffe:
But he was also one of the few stellar performers in Goff’s team.. If Shearer is not captive to his supporters he will put some undeserving long-servers to the sword first
(1) Am I now deludedly giving my little monthly donation to a right-wing party?
I think so Olwyn.
(2) Are the people whose lives have been made wretched in this tin-pot neoliberal heaven to be further abandoned?
In the short to medium term yes. Hopefully not the long term.
(3) Why (if it is true) are you trying to hound your most talented politician out of parliament when you only have 34 seats in it?
It’s a combination of jeolousy, tall poppy syndrome and an unseemly scramble for personal political power at the expense of the Party as a whole. The plotting to undermine Cunliffe and eventually destroy him began in 2008. The leadership meetings were a farce. I have been horrified by the lies and the scuttlebutt, and it looks like a number of Labour MPs fell for it. My sincere hope is that the culprits and their various motivations will eventually be publicly outed.
Full credit to Fran O’Sullivan for writing the article.
fran sullivan and her crew are just mouthpieces for the nashil gubmint. their stuff is hardly serious journalism.
that is why new Zealand needs an alternative to corporate propoganda dissemination disguised as news.
or. I cant stop laughing over this oxymoron, “think pieces”.
more like glad handed payouts from the “interests”.
Wayne91
You are possibly right but the MSM are above and beyond what is right and ethical. They make news to sell media for a price.
Look at the way the MSM took over and controlled the recent Election. Disgraceful.
The $1.8 billion of earthquake claims of troubled Canterbury insurer AMI Insurance are to be taken over by the Government which might eventually be left with a bill of $120 million or more.
This would have been mostly fleshed out before the election. Certainly these deals don’t take just 3 weeks to plan from start to finish. Yet we didn’t hear anything about it until now. How strange.
It immediatedly appeared to be a grubby “socialism is ok for corporates” deal. On closer inspection its a solution to reduce the Government’s exposure to a liability of a $500 million guarantee to cover AMI’s re-insurance shortfall for the Christchurch earthquakes down to $120 million. Plus it preserves AMI as a going concern as it had no future in its present state – with the takeover by IAG less the earthquake liabilities a way forward. However at the cost of the taxpayer (everyday people) having to pick up the shortfall.
The deal firstly demonstrates once again the folly of poor regulation in markets and secondly exposes the mindset of the Government. Perhaps I am being naive here, but at looking at this deal IAG is the winner here. However if the Government was prepared to put up a $500 million guarantee to AMI, why did it not consider a version of the same deal that involves gaining control of AMI or going into partnership with a better insurance manager such IAG . The ROI would at least over the medium term help defray the $120 million that the taxpayer will have to stump up, partially retain profits in New Zealand and build up a valuable for asset over the long term.
David Shearer needs to think about a way to gain the inititave in 2012.
I’m thinking he could make an Orewa style speech, like Don Brash (no, not slag off Maori, DPB ladies, etc), but the tactic itself was a good one, he essentially set the agenda. That is what Shearer needs to do. Labour have nothing to lose.
In the 2010 election cycle, 26,783 individuals (or slightly less than one in ten thousand Americans) each contributed more than $10,000 to federal political campaigns. Combined, these donors spent $774 million. That’s 24.3% of the total from individuals to politicians, parties, PACs, and independent expenditure groups. Together, they would fill only two-thirds of the 41,222 seats at Nationals Park the baseball field two miles from the U.S. Capitol. When it comes to politics, they are The One Percent of the One Percent.
I have no doubt that the Nats are already campaigning for the next election. Crosby /Trextor will being setting the way now. Already we are seeing Key every night on the TV and the Right-Wing columists like Sullivan ansd Co will now also start on Shearer.However having said that the article on Shearer in todays Herald is excellent.Its up,to every Labour member to get this out to the public.Before we allow Garner and Holmes a chance to run down Shearer, perhaps now is the time to ask them what happened to their claims that the LP leadsip election will be a blood bath. They must be cringing .
New Labour leader David Shearer is a republican who supports a new national flag, and a social liberal on gay issues – though he is less liberal on drug and alcohol issues.
Mr Shearer, who took over the leadership on Tuesday, is a strong advocate for an independent foreign policy, and personally believes New Zealand’s flag should be changed.
Well he’s certainly got the meaningsless waffle down pat.
Wonder what “detail” he wants to see in the gay adoption issue. Surely he’s not proposing different adoption laws for gay people?
He’s looking very much like the new Phil Goff – just like the old one with better OE.
it was was in Saturdays on line Herald and was on his background and work with STC and the United Nations,It was hard to believe it was the Herald but one is surprised sometimes.
Im never duped by any thing I read in the Herald.With my background Im suspicious of anyone or anything that is even slightly right-wing . Never trust a Tory no matter what.
Shearer’s failure so far to offer Cunliffe a credible role indicates that he actually is Trevor’s poodle. The party won’t accept a right wing group taking it over and white-anting lefties. We removed them before and we will do it again.
The open approach of the “primary” process is now gone. It is back to the smart ass stuff of Trevor &co that lost us the election. Have a word with your local MP. Ask him or her to tell you what is going on.
Carol – its your right as a consituent in his electorate to be able to meet with your MP. As for whether he “knows everything” I am sure he will have a better idea than most of us.
well the only people who know what really is going on is the insiders within the party elite.
Ive watched trev mallard over the years – extremely hard working in the house till late at night and on red alert.
Now how about lets show some unity, dignity and accept that the cuacus, one hopes, have it right and move on and start the campaign for 2014.
We need to the tories gone so more unity, activity and reconnection i think
Neolefite it is all very good to talk about unity and dignity but you also mentioned Mallard. To be honest he is Labour’s version of Stephen Joyce and Murray McCully rolled into one.
Someone has been slurring Cunliffe for the past three years and it has Mallard’s fingerprints all over it. If he is now insisting on unity and dignity he should have thought about this three years ago.
I’ve got a letter on my desk right now asking for a renewed committment to my current Labour party donations. And on my desk it will sit unanswered…. because I’m not getting any reassuring smoke-signals about this election of Shearer as Leader. Either it’s too soon and I should wait, or my instincts are telling me something that isn’t clear yet.
Unity and dignity are essential…. but they are not code-words for blind loyalty either.
Darn, been either socialising with a family today, debugging some code, or having a nice afternoon snooze (the sheer pleasure of that).
But now I have two posts in the editor and absolutely no will to finish them… Time for a w(h)ine. Maybe some TV would drive me back to anything less moronic.
In a short two week “primary season” Cunliffe went from being dismissed to being endorsed by Chris Trotter, Brian Edwards, Matt McCartan, Paul Holmes, Guyon Espiner and many more. The membership went into the Debates generally pro Shearer and came out pro Cunliffe.
Many will now be wondering why the negative briefing by Labour managers to undermine the top performer Cunliffe happened. And who was doing it. Shearer’s credibility in his new role will be measured by how well he handles this issue. The members will be watching: they know that a successful inclusion of Cunliffe will bode well for 2014.
The leadership debate is over .It was wellrub and without “Garners” bloodbath. Now we need to get behind Shearer and get Labour Back in 2012. Tell all the Nat cruitics to go to hell.Im rapidly beginning to believe the correct choice was made and I think the Tories know this and are quite worried. Shearer’s background is nothing less than super and is all Social Demicratic practice and labour can really be proud of such a leader.And
The leadership debate is over .It was well run and without “Garners” bloodbath. Now we need to get behind Shearer and get Labour Back in 2012. Tell all the Nat critics to go to hell.Im rapidly beginning to believe the correct choice was made and I think the Tories know this and are quite worried. Shearer’s background is nothing less than super and is all Social Demicratic ideals Labour can really be proud of such a leader.And corny or not the fact that Key made $i50m against Shearer saving 150 lives is true and let us tell the public .
I’m waiting to see how smart the front bench line up chosen by Shearer is, and I’m waiting to see if Labour continue down a strong and active social democratic stance towards 2014.
Can we remind ourselves for a second that Michael Joseph Savage was a labourer, miner and unionist (thanks Wikipedia). He did not come from a heroic famous backstory. And Savage became the greatest NZ Prime Minister of all time through what he accomplished for the people in office, not what he did before office.
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Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
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Opinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When ASIO boss Mike Burgess delivered his annual threat assessment earlier this year, he stressed the rising danger posed by espionage and foreign interference. “In 2024, threats to our way of life have surpassed ...
The Tribunal had called on Minister for Children Karen Chhour to provide evidence at an urgent inquiry into the repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University Midjourney image by T.J. Thomson As more than half of Australian office workers report using generative artificial intelligence (AI) for work, we’re starting to see this technology affect every ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Nicole Sharwood, Injury epidemiologist | Expert Witness, UNSW Sydney Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock Injuries are the leading cause of disability and death among Australian children and adolescents. At least a quarter of all emergency department presentations during childhood are injury-related. Injuries can ...
Now that the dust has settled and the Election result concluded it is time to start a new campaign.
When publicly owned assets are under attack,
STAND UP FIGHT BACK!
That’s the same old campaigning Greg, and it hasn’t been very successful.
Maybe you should find out what Labour’s main priorities will be. A good place to start:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10773745
I could easily agree with much of that. But I suspect there will be bigger – new – things to focus on. Rebuilding New Labour?
Pete George of 0.6% UF giving Labour campaigning tips. How cute.
well the election result didn’t obviously allocate posts on the standard. Petey must be up to about 50% here…
And they are all positive and constructive, working together posts, not nasty or negative ones.
LOL
Good to see Shearer’s positions outlined on the social liberalism/social conservatism scale.
Now it would be good to see where he stands on the economy, public sector, welfare, etc..
Specifically, I’d like to hear where he stands on ‘capitalism by stealth’ in the public sector; the economic structures required to eliminate child poverty, welfare ‘reform’, workplace regulation, global trade, democratisation of society and the workplace, etc., etc..
Not true…fight and success can be had. Shonkey had his facebook bombarded and a petition went ballistic. Nek minute…
Incredible news. Moments ago John Key’s government got directly in touch with the Auckland Sexual Abuse Crisis Centre, committing to “continued funding for the next 6 months” and pledging to work with them to ensure “a sustainable service for the future”.
It’s an extraordinary victory — for you and everyone else who has been part of the explosion of support for Kirsty McCully’s Change.org petition to save the centre.
Just a few short days ago things weren’t looking good. Funding was running desperately low, staff were about to be laid off and almost no one in the public or media was paying attention to the plight of the centre. No one in government was admitting they had responsibility — in fact no one would even return the centre’s desperate calls…..
see more:
http://www.change.org/petitions/new-zealand-government-stop-the-closure-of-aucklands-247-sexual-violence-crisis-service
A great result, albeit interim.
Yes, campaigning can lead to success – if you pick the right fights. It’s hard to argue against this one.
Can this method be used somehow to gather support for a binding referendum on asset sales ? Jeanette Fitzsimons has offered her support .. 300K signatures needed and will delay any sales by at least one term … ideas anyone ?
bit of light hearted fun on FB
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Benette-diaries/282226425163478?sk=nf
A lot of people won’t see that as light hearted, it comes across as heavy nastiness whether that’s the intention or not.
Zetetic just posted on the ‘nasty party’ meme – I’m sure this on FB is being done by an individual or individuals but it won’t help Labour’s aims of reconnecting at all.
It maybe says more about you, Pete, that you would automatically think that this has anything to do with how people think about Labour, than it does about Labour.
Do you think Cameron Slater and Cathy Odgers are ‘nasty’?
Whale can be at times, sometimes he can be over the top or goes too far or for too long on issues, sometimes he just gets up people’s noses for taking them to task.
Haven’t really seen it from Cactus but I don’t read much of what she posts.
Really? Example, please – I’d just had him pegged as a propogandistic lying – well, to be blunt – cunt.
Really? Example please.
At what you accuse him of I don’t think he’s any worse than some of those who post here.
Except some of his hit job attempts are provided with actual facts, often from informants.
I’d rate Whale about 50/50, some of what he does is worthwhile examination and some harmless ranting, while some is overblown, over persistent and over the top.
But not often “nasty” then?
lol.
Him claiming credit for wandering around the labour party website a while back was a case in point. Not only did he scaremonger about credit card details, his youtube how-i-did-it style clip was unconvincing regarding his supposed ability to find it out for himself. But the stalking vibe was all him.
Unfortunately, that kind of shit sets the bar too high in regards to what should rightfully be preceived as fishist. Nutzism was a particularily nasty strain of fishism. But it isn’t definitive, although it keeps getting presented as such. Meaning a lot of fishy stuff swims under the radar of people’s perceptions and understandings.
And in a representative demogoguey like we have at the moment, all we end up with is yet another right wink dicktator.
The Guardian has a selection of some of the late Christopher Hitchen’s TV appearances. His thoughts on the afterlife are particularly good!
bit of light hearted fun on FB
more like completely weird – whoever started this diary needs to see a shrink. Is closer to obsession and stalking than anything else.
kriswgtn get some help – please
kriswgtn 3
17 December 2011 at 7:40 am
bit of light hearted fun on FB
Not fun or even funny – dont some people get it – this turns people off
Hopefully Bennett can turn them on again by releasing more beneficiaries’ files.
No Wayne91, what turns genuine people off is cutting the taxes of the wealthy by 5% there by causing this country to be run into the ground and allowing 200,000 children to live hungry and diseased in dire poverty with no hope apart from that given selflessly by over stretched charities and the Salvation Army.
And what turns these genuine people off even further is a sneering, really nasty nactuf governmental mindset which blames the vulnerable for the economic situation, says they are just envious n’er do wells in order to ignorantly undermine them and dismissively assign them to the trash bin thereby legitimising the opinion of the right wing dismissers, and allowing said dismissers the comfort of the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ , no guilt, no conscience narrative they so crave.
The moral universe says otherwise.
+1
Not me, I am really enjoying it! 🙂
That’s why it’s hard to do satire in this country. Save the humourless.
totally
i find it hypocritical that the right say wtf they want
Bennett is nasty
forgotten the confidential breach of solo moms tia details???
cos they stood up to her?????
wot she did,,that goes way beyond the post i was sent on FB
people are hurting in NZ- they’re not nasty they’re angry
deal with it
@ Kriswgtn
Had only been thinking today that it was about time we had a some really good political satire on the box. It is so needed in NZ. I had hoped for some intelligent satire from 7days as the original version of this in the UK, Have I Got News For You was brilliant on the light polit.satire front and helped to keep news and political events in perspective as well as inform and illuminate truths and lies. No such luck with 7days ,which is mainly comedy,funny tho it is.
However, that’s why I was pleased to view your link Kris ,thankyou. It reminded me of the ‘big puppety’ scenarios they used in the UK in Spitting Image to depict Thatcher and her male harem/schoolboy followers. Her “are they one of us” group.
The writers depicted Thatcher as a bullying cross dressing ,cigar smoking tyrant having a fine ol’ time with some of her ‘gang’; one of whom, her right hand man, NormanTebbit, was dressed as a leatherclad ‘skinhead’.
It would be great to comment on what type of character could best represent some of our politicians.
My one for Key would be a great big whirly eyed snake head, reminiscent of the snake in Jungle Book, singing in Key mangled speak but with parsel tongue type lisp…… trutht in me, trutht only in me……. buy the athets, they will thtay in new thilland we will make lawth, trutht in me……no GethT, trutht in me…. or Paula Bennett as Miss Benette or Hekia Parata as Edwina Currie from Thatcher’s government who was satirised as a vampire.- very glam and gothic….now about Stuart Nash………wily coyote?
well after watching 2 of my 4 series of The New Statesmen yesterday yup totally agree
I have to say that, even allowing for Fran O’Sullivan’s political leanings, I find this article disconcerting:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10773689
“But much of the real strategising started several months back when Shearer and close caucus allies such as former Labour list MP Stuart Nash seriously began talking about a post-election leadership tilt. Influential members of the “commentariat” – particularly those of the right-of-centre persuasion – were informally briefed. Shearer was promoted as having a modern international outlook; pro-business, pro-science and innovation, and not prone to the phony cloth-cap ideology that Goff had to dip into to retain the confidence of the Labour unionists who have for too long dominated the party.”
and
“But Nash will have urged Shearer not to offer Cunliffe a high ranking on the front-bench…Nash has made no secret of the fact that he would prefer that Cunliffe exits politics altogether.”
If anyone who is in the know reads this I ask you, (1) Am I now deludedly giving my little monthly donation to a right-wing party? (2) Are the people whose lives have been made wretched in this tin-pot neoliberal heaven to be further abandoned? (3) Why (if it is true) are you trying to hound your most talented politician out of parliament when you only have 34 seats in it?
OMG.
Yuck
So was Shearer installed by the Gang of Four (Robertson, Mallard, King and Goff)?
It’s supposed to be – it’s an attack on Labour designed to drop their support even more and possibly increase the number of non-voters next election.
OK. But they are reasonably precise claims. If they are false, then Labour must be able to deny them, and if they are true but misleading explain them. Which was the point of my three questions.
Why hasn’t she written about the meeting where Key asked to step down rather than this wet dream conspiracy shit? Marie Quinn was there Fran. Ask her and put that in your column.
In fact, many of her claims are stated as facts, and not opinion. Fran O’Sullivan has been around the block and would not make that rookie error of judgement unless she was certain that she couldn’t be instantly refuted by the players in question.
Well, if they’re true then all I can say is that Labour are fucked. They would no longer be the party for working people. Although, they haven’t really been that for awhile.
It was this bit that really got me:-
As it seems to show that Labour are going to go even more right-wing than they are now and that would mean that they’re going to become NAct light. All the same delusional economic policies (the ones that just saw the financial system collapse) with a few more identity politics polices thrown in.
Economic and corporatist right wing, (a few) more crumbs thrown to the poor and to workers than National would, socially liberal.
Thanks for commenting on this article Olwyn. Saw it just recently and felt as disconcerted as yourself, and am now totally off Nash as well as a few others. Labour needs to come clean to clear up any misunderstandings or we really will need a NEW Labour.
I hope someone posts about this on Red Alert
does she know all this stuff anyway?
the ‘How’ at the beginning of the question dropped off! How does she know this stuff?
She said right wing commentators were briefed early on; she was probably one of them.
It fraks me off royally to think all the leadership BS the right wing media were printing to undermine Goff, may actually have been based on facts verified from within caucus itself.
Fran may be a Tory, but she is very well-connected in the political world. And what she is saying here is pretty much what has been guessed at already.
There is a poisonous little faction in Labour who undermined Phil Goff’s leadership at every turn and forced him out, and then blocked David Cunliffe’s bid in order to seize power for themselves.
I don’t want any part of that disloyal, malicious and toxic little club.
What they did to Phil was appalling, and now they are trying to force David C out too.
I tend to agree, if Shearer doesnt give Cunliffe a significant role, it will be a crucial mistake. Fran is 100% correct when she describes Cunliffe:
(1) Am I now deludedly giving my little monthly donation to a right-wing party?
I think so Olwyn.
(2) Are the people whose lives have been made wretched in this tin-pot neoliberal heaven to be further abandoned?
In the short to medium term yes. Hopefully not the long term.
(3) Why (if it is true) are you trying to hound your most talented politician out of parliament when you only have 34 seats in it?
It’s a combination of jeolousy, tall poppy syndrome and an unseemly scramble for personal political power at the expense of the Party as a whole. The plotting to undermine Cunliffe and eventually destroy him began in 2008. The leadership meetings were a farce. I have been horrified by the lies and the scuttlebutt, and it looks like a number of Labour MPs fell for it. My sincere hope is that the culprits and their various motivations will eventually be publicly outed.
Full credit to Fran O’Sullivan for writing the article.
Thanks Anne, you have gone some way toward confirming my fears (sigh).
So I’m not the only one that feels like they’ve been had.
And what a good look it is to have Nash low down the list but returning as chief of staff.
Nice comfy salary for everybody.
2011 was never to be seriously contested.
I’m afraid I fell for the last minute “Oh fuck we’re losing our base, let’s get out the friendly faces and empty rhetoric” campaign.
The wretched have been sacrificed for the ambition of Alas Robertson & Jones.
The right are going to crucify the naive chumps.
fran sullivan and her crew are just mouthpieces for the nashil gubmint. their stuff is hardly serious journalism.
that is why new Zealand needs an alternative to corporate propoganda dissemination disguised as news.
or. I cant stop laughing over this oxymoron, “think pieces”.
more like glad handed payouts from the “interests”.
CV agree – she shoudln’t have released those details but they should not have been decietful either.
Wayne91
You are possibly right but the MSM are above and beyond what is right and ethical. They make news to sell media for a price.
Look at the way the MSM took over and controlled the recent Election. Disgraceful.
How were they deceitful?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6154368/Former-MP-Georgina-Beyer-unemployed
She seems a little deluded IF this is accurate (journalists picking and choosing what they want to print and all)
Georgina will pick herself up
Remember Carmen died 2 days ago
have some compassion instead of trolling wanker
Yes cumknuckle I’m sure Carmens death is the reason she can’t find a job.
Made your choice I see chris73.
Maybe this was discussed yesterday, but:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/6154354/Government-to-take-over-quake-claims
This would have been mostly fleshed out before the election. Certainly these deals don’t take just 3 weeks to plan from start to finish. Yet we didn’t hear anything about it until now. How strange.
It immediatedly appeared to be a grubby “socialism is ok for corporates” deal. On closer inspection its a solution to reduce the Government’s exposure to a liability of a $500 million guarantee to cover AMI’s re-insurance shortfall for the Christchurch earthquakes down to $120 million. Plus it preserves AMI as a going concern as it had no future in its present state – with the takeover by IAG less the earthquake liabilities a way forward. However at the cost of the taxpayer (everyday people) having to pick up the shortfall.
The deal firstly demonstrates once again the folly of poor regulation in markets and secondly exposes the mindset of the Government. Perhaps I am being naive here, but at looking at this deal IAG is the winner here. However if the Government was prepared to put up a $500 million guarantee to AMI, why did it not consider a version of the same deal that involves gaining control of AMI or going into partnership with a better insurance manager such IAG . The ROI would at least over the medium term help defray the $120 million that the taxpayer will have to stump up, partially retain profits in New Zealand and build up a valuable for asset over the long term.
Not strange – this government wouldn’t tell us a thing if they thought that they could get away with it.
David Shearer needs to think about a way to gain the inititave in 2012.
I’m thinking he could make an Orewa style speech, like Don Brash (no, not slag off Maori, DPB ladies, etc), but the tactic itself was a good one, he essentially set the agenda. That is what Shearer needs to do. Labour have nothing to lose.
A Sunlight Foundation article on the influence of The One Percent Of The One Percent on US electoral spending.
In the 2010 election cycle, 26,783 individuals (or slightly less than one in ten thousand Americans) each contributed more than $10,000 to federal political campaigns. Combined, these donors spent $774 million. That’s 24.3% of the total from individuals to politicians, parties, PACs, and independent expenditure groups. Together, they would fill only two-thirds of the 41,222 seats at Nationals Park the baseball field two miles from the U.S. Capitol. When it comes to politics, they are The One Percent of the One Percent.
But WTF, money talks with Americans Elect, backed by millionaires with ties to the FBI, CIA and military, creating a third place on the 2012 presidential ballot for an unnamed candidate.
I have no doubt that the Nats are already campaigning for the next election. Crosby /Trextor will being setting the way now. Already we are seeing Key every night on the TV and the Right-Wing columists like Sullivan ansd Co will now also start on Shearer.However having said that the article on Shearer in todays Herald is excellent.Its up,to every Labour member to get this out to the public.Before we allow Garner and Holmes a chance to run down Shearer, perhaps now is the time to ask them what happened to their claims that the LP leadsip election will be a blood bath. They must be cringing .
Which article on Shearer pp.? can you link please?
This one, from the top of the NZH website?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10773745
Well he’s certainly got the meaningsless waffle down pat.
Wonder what “detail” he wants to see in the gay adoption issue. Surely he’s not proposing different adoption laws for gay people?
He’s looking very much like the new Phil Goff – just like the old one with better OE.
it was was in Saturdays on line Herald and was on his background and work with STC and the United Nations,It was hard to believe it was the Herald but one is surprised sometimes.
That article is just a right wing trick, it’s the Herald, don’t get duped by that.
Im never duped by the Herald or any other right-wing paper believe me
Im never duped by any thing I read in the Herald.With my background Im suspicious of anyone or anything that is even slightly right-wing . Never trust a Tory no matter what.
Thanks Carol. Forgot that one as I was so miffed by Fran O’s one.
Shearer’s failure so far to offer Cunliffe a credible role indicates that he actually is Trevor’s poodle. The party won’t accept a right wing group taking it over and white-anting lefties. We removed them before and we will do it again.
The open approach of the “primary” process is now gone. It is back to the smart ass stuff of Trevor &co that lost us the election. Have a word with your local MP. Ask him or her to tell you what is going on.
Oh lets all just go over to the dark side. Like the US democrats have. Much easier.
On second thoughts, nah. To the frakin barricades.
My local MP is David Cunliffe. Would he know everything, and is he likely to tell me what he knows?
Am I the only one who is pissed off by said Mallard?
Nope. I think I will have to make it a condition – no voting for Labour until Mallard is gone.
Carol – its your right as a consituent in his electorate to be able to meet with your MP. As for whether he “knows everything” I am sure he will have a better idea than most of us.
well the only people who know what really is going on is the insiders within the party elite.
Ive watched trev mallard over the years – extremely hard working in the house till late at night and on red alert.
Now how about lets show some unity, dignity and accept that the cuacus, one hopes, have it right and move on and start the campaign for 2014.
We need to the tories gone so more unity, activity and reconnection i think
At this point I’m getting far more interested in the organisational review. I’ve been waiting for that for about 20 years
Neolefite it is all very good to talk about unity and dignity but you also mentioned Mallard. To be honest he is Labour’s version of Stephen Joyce and Murray McCully rolled into one.
Someone has been slurring Cunliffe for the past three years and it has Mallard’s fingerprints all over it. If he is now insisting on unity and dignity he should have thought about this three years ago.
I’ve got a letter on my desk right now asking for a renewed committment to my current Labour party donations. And on my desk it will sit unanswered…. because I’m not getting any reassuring smoke-signals about this election of Shearer as Leader. Either it’s too soon and I should wait, or my instincts are telling me something that isn’t clear yet.
Unity and dignity are essential…. but they are not code-words for blind loyalty either.
Oh well said RedLogix. Very wise words.
Darn, been either socialising with a family today, debugging some code, or having a nice afternoon snooze (the sheer pleasure of that).
But now I have two posts in the editor and absolutely no will to finish them… Time for a w(h)ine. Maybe some TV would drive me back to anything less moronic.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10773695
private equity battle over Media Works? Didn’t taxpayers just loan them money thanks to Joyce?
In a short two week “primary season” Cunliffe went from being dismissed to being endorsed by Chris Trotter, Brian Edwards, Matt McCartan, Paul Holmes, Guyon Espiner and many more. The membership went into the Debates generally pro Shearer and came out pro Cunliffe.
Many will now be wondering why the negative briefing by Labour managers to undermine the top performer Cunliffe happened. And who was doing it. Shearer’s credibility in his new role will be measured by how well he handles this issue. The members will be watching: they know that a successful inclusion of Cunliffe will bode well for 2014.
The leadership debate is over .It was wellrub and without “Garners” bloodbath. Now we need to get behind Shearer and get Labour Back in 2012. Tell all the Nat cruitics to go to hell.Im rapidly beginning to believe the correct choice was made and I think the Tories know this and are quite worried. Shearer’s background is nothing less than super and is all Social Demicratic practice and labour can really be proud of such a leader.And
The leadership debate is over .It was well run and without “Garners” bloodbath. Now we need to get behind Shearer and get Labour Back in 2012. Tell all the Nat critics to go to hell.Im rapidly beginning to believe the correct choice was made and I think the Tories know this and are quite worried. Shearer’s background is nothing less than super and is all Social Demicratic ideals Labour can really be proud of such a leader.And corny or not the fact that Key made $i50m against Shearer saving 150 lives is true and let us tell the public .
I’m waiting to see how smart the front bench line up chosen by Shearer is, and I’m waiting to see if Labour continue down a strong and active social democratic stance towards 2014.
Can we remind ourselves for a second that Michael Joseph Savage was a labourer, miner and unionist (thanks Wikipedia). He did not come from a heroic famous backstory. And Savage became the greatest NZ Prime Minister of all time through what he accomplished for the people in office, not what he did before office.
An interview with anthropologist David Graeber, the author of Debt: The First 5000 Years.