Yes, RoG, I saw that article yesterday. It is really concerning, as is the fact, as mentioned in the article, "Stuff reached out to National for comment but did not receive a response." The lack of responsiveness about a policy position concerning a significantly at-risk group is really concerning. And in case anyone suggests that National is too busy with coalition negotiations – when a policy concerns a vulnerable group in society, you make the time to respond. At least ACT did that!
I am already aware of all this otherwise I would not have said all this.
The thing is, as a disabled person, I'd rather be talking with whatever left-wing government in power than right-wing government in power because they are more likely to economically benefit us even if they are extremely frustrating at times. We can rattle against them safely compared to if we rattle against right-wing governments because there's more of an element of economic danger in it.
UPDATE: Talbot Mills informs me that the poll that was reported by the NZ Herald as internal polling for Labour was “wrong”. I accept them at their word, so that should not be treated as an accurate reflection of their polling. this of course raises serious questions about why media prominently reported on an unpublished internal poll, that had “wrong numbers” according to the polling company that did them.
I know, Kiwiblog and Farrar are anathema to many Standardistas.
However, this is a really serious issue.
If (and, on the face of it, there is no reason to disbelieve him), Farrar is correct and Talbot Mills have indeed told him that the results 'leaked' to the press were wrong – this is really serious.
There has been much discussion on TS about the way that polls and the messages that the electorate take from them, change voting patterns.
In this case, it appears that 'incorrect' results were deliberately leaked (it can only be deliberate, since there was no attempt to correct them) – in an attempt to change the political narrative.
Talbot Mills did not address this at the time (it was up to their client to correct the mis-information) and have only come forward now – because it was likely to reflect badly on their ability to poll accurately (i.e. had a business impact on them).
Should the media be reporting on 'leaked' polls at all?
No polls, leaked or unleaked, correct or incorrect, should be published for 12 months before an election. None. They are becoming a propaganda tool and have had a catastrophic effect on the quality of political journalism.
A lot of what the media do around politics stinks. Money shouldn't be given to them, ever, for one thing. Or if it is, it's via some separate entity that is impartial.
Shoutout to departing Member of Parliament Andrew Little.
In a typically honourable move he has pulled out of the list before being sworn in again.
This guy had a massive career in the unions for E Tu, and fought many battles for workers throughout his pre-Parliamentary career.
I first saw him up close in Labour when he spoke at the annual conference and he rocked up to the podium in a Huffer sweatshirt rather than a suit. Back in 1999 that was pretty cool and unusual.
It was his selfless act to move aside in mid 2017 during the campaign to bring in Ardern that actually stopped us losing and started us winning again. She was precisely what we all needed at the time. He remained a strong part of the Cabinet from the government that formed.
He did an outstanding piece of work on the Waitangi paepae speaking solely in te reo Maori in 2020. It really rocked what is otherwise a tough crowd. That takes a lot of courage and practise.
But for me the most farsighted thing he did was to re-unify the health system. When the cabinet paper went up it was proposed that there would be a series of large aggregated regions that decreased the number of health boards but did not unify them nationally. Even if the Maori Health Authority is indeed abolished, what will remain was his own decision to form a single national entity and greatly scale back the Ministry of Health into a small monitoring agency.
While that doesn't take the full step of eradicating the corporatised buffer of boards between agencies and the democratic order, he took it a long, long way.
The other really useful thing is that at only 58 he has plenty of gas left int he tank and will go on to further great things. I would not be surprised to see his name in charge of a major Crown entity as Maharey and Cullen did, or go on to work in a significant global labour institution.
I don't think Andrew Little will be lost to New Zealand but he is indeed lost to the Labour caucus. Useful to reviving the caucus while they are down, it's also a huge loss of talent and performance who represented the labour movement in so much of what he did.
Thank you Ad. I see Andrew as a real labour member. He always remained in touch with the grass roots. I hope he has many happy games of golf with his son. His Christmas cards are in our box of special things. Go well Andrew.
A good example of Michael Cullen's line that governments and Ministers get things done and the public simply bank it.
As Justice Minister, Little piloted the abortion law reform through Parliament. It is now locked in, and even an anti-abortion PM with many ultra-conservative MPs has had to promise that there is no going back. (He'll be toast if he breaks that promise).
The status quo ("abortion's a crime but leave it alone") has been replaced by a new status quo ("not a crime and we leave that alone"). Major achievement, shifting the ground, and yet … barely acknowledged now.
“It was his selfless act to move aside in mid 2017”.
Yes, indeed, Ad, what I honour Andrew Little for as well.
He taught three great lessons, there. Firstly, that personal ambition and ego must be subject to reason and the greater good.
Second, that we have to all recognise the time for us to stand down.
Third, that our choices for who represent us as politicians must also be made by our recognising the same qualities of humility, selfless regard for others, willingness to learn, human decency and altruism that Andrew Little has and displays.
That a Pakeha man, busy as he is, had the energy and drive to learn te reo rangatira is an example to us all.
For the gender identity people who say that everyone knows what sex is and no-one is trying to deny biological sex, here's the UK Green Party's Queerphobia Guidance document.
Transphobic behaviour typically includes actions which convey a view that —
● trans women are not “real women”, are men and/or are male people;
While I agree there are social issues with saying to transsexual women they are not real women, there is no rationale that I can see that should stop people from being able to talk about TW as being male, especially in a political context (eg feminists being able to talk about male pattern violence by TW). Male is the word we use to describe biological sex.
A writer at the Critic wrote a piece on the guidance,
When I asked one of the authors how they could justify their claim that trans women are female, I was pointed towards a website. Nothing there provided any evidence that humans, uniquely amongst mammals, are able to spontaneously change their own sex.
I've definitely come across and talked with people who do in fact believe that TW are biologically female. Some believe that sex is a colonial construct, or that sex is a spectrum and therefore TW can be female. I think they are in the minority.
The problem here is the larger group of people who insist that female and male are words of identity rather than material reality and won't acknowledge this is what they are doing.
This makes it impossible to know what the UK Greens mean. Are they trying to establish that there is no such thing as biological sex? Are they trying to downplay sex and establish gender identity as the primary way in which we understand sex/gender? And in doing so want to co-opt language to their politics? Are they just really confused?
For context UK Greens have a history of seriously bad judgement on gender identity (google Aimee Challenor, or defining women as non men).
A few days after the election I thought I would post my thoughts about how the parties performed and what were their successes (and failures).
National – obviously the winner on the night so you have to say it was a successful campaign but it actually wasn't the rampage that they are claiming. Their overall majority if you exclude NZ First will be 1-2 seats, which is actually an uncomfortably thin majority, whilst in 2020 Labour had an overall majority. Was it a good campaign? Depends on your definition of good. It was bought success, certainly. National had a huge amount of money donated by big business and big farming but their messages were confused and contradictory, although the voters obviously pretended not to notice. because they were so pissed off with Labour.
Labour – they knew quite early on that they were down for defeat but in the face of a death sentence decided to go out fighting and their last week of campaigning was probably their best, Hipkins showed he could come out swinging but the damage was done by then. Labour can possibly take a little heart that they prevented the NACTs from achieving a comfortable majority but little else. Labour's message was clear, but it always looked like a reaction to National, rather than an innovation so the voters scoffed in derision.
The Greens – unquestionably a good campaign for the Greens. They identified that Wellington was their prime target – aided immensely by the retirement of two long-serving popular Labour MPs – and won a solid backing from erstwhile Labour voters frustrated with their party's pandering to the centre and neglect of good old fashioned democratic socialist values. Their messages were clear and uncompromising and appealed to a new generation of voters who believe that climate change is the biggest threat to mankind.
ACT – a campaign that threatened to outshine National in its early days but in retrospect it probably peaked too soon and Seymour's howdy doody style began to wear a bit thin. The party's obvious problems with rebellious candidates and its concentration on populist vote fodder policies made it look like a National tailgater rather than a party of fresh ideas. Although outwardly ACT will be crowing like Peter Pan, privately they will think they deserved to have ended up with a few more seats than they actually did.
Te Pati Maori -the best and most organised campaign that they have ever mounted. They avoided the in-your-face confrontational style of previous campaigns and probably won considerable swinging left voters with their provocative, but also very accessible, policies done in a way that was somehow both uniquely Maori but also very accessible to non-Maori.
NZ First: You can't deny the success of a man who has once again come back from the political wilderness to lead a party to the brink of kingmaker status. A remarkable campaign in that Winston seemed to promise both everything and nothing at the same time but a lot of voters seemed to love him for that. His charisma and penchant for populist policy repackaging enabled him to pinch the less extreme cooker vote and his was the most successful "no" vote of the election.
The Opportunities Party: Lacking the resources and key public figures of the other parties it was always going to be a struggle for them to get their message heard between Labour's superficial optimism and National's calculated negativity and they were subsequently quickly banished from the voters' minds as also-rans. They needed to have a significant voter base in more places than just Ilam but they didn't.
The cookers parties: NZ Loyal, NZ Freedoms, Democracy NZ and the rest of the nutters: scored only about 2% of the party vote in total, a significant proportion of it coming from rural North Island electorates. They would have done better but for their own delusions of grandeur and in the end a lot of their supporters jumped ship for NZ First.
Women's Rights Party: a very new party campaigning on a brass razoo in the midst of a big swing to the right, this was not an opportune time for them. They may be one to watch for the next election if they stay together.
It was National's worst share of the vote since 2005. It will be interesting to see the final percentages.
This election was not a disaster for the Left as is being painted by the MSM. Indeed assuming the special votes add to the Left's tally of seats, Winston could, if he was in the mood, install a left-wing government, albeit with a tiny majority.
My description of the elements of the parliamentary ground occupation who actually had genuine gripes, not just a good opportunity to throw their excrement and bricks at police and screech out their hatred of organised society.
As one of the Top voters I know we lost the battle on Saturday, but maybe one day we will win a war.
Given that politics is about winning, and transforming your ideas into legislation, I would suggest that the biggest winner was the Nats, and the biggest loser was ACT.
The Nats they have survived generations by rarely ever rocking the boat, and Luxon is a moderate leader of that type. Remember, Key brought TPM into the Government "fold" tho he didnt actually need the numbers. What he needed was their ideas (and cynically), some brown faces.
Meanwhile, ACT has nowhere else to go, and love them or hate them, they arent going to bite off the National arm that feeds them. So Luxon has them cornered. They are way past the early days (Prebble and co) where they declared that staying on the opposition side was best for them, and that the baubles werent a prize they sought.
I read the top policies…and there was some good stuff in there..
Kinda demeaning tho' how manji prostrated himself before luxon.. promising undying support..if luxon would do a deal with him..like they did for seymour..
I find it baffling that National has out polled Labour in 5 of the past 6 elections. Why is this the case when National never does a damn thing for the benefit of the country.
For me that is a real concern because it is difficult to form a government when you are not the largest party.
In the MMP environment the second largest party has only lead the government once (2017). This shows it is very difficult to cobble a government together when the leading party from a block is polling in the 20s or low 30s. This election is a perfect example. The right probably won't be able to do it on their own, but there is next to no chance of the left forming a government.
Labour's core support base needs to increase by 5 to 10%. Just look at their less than impressive support since 2005:
2005: 41.1%
2008: 33.99%
2011: 27.48%
2014: 25.13%
2017: 36.89%
2020; 50.01%
2023: 26.81%
Other than 2005 and 2020, Labour has underperformed and something needs to change.
A lot of people do quite well out of the status quo and major change is scary. Throw in fearmongering at all attempts at change once real proposals appear, and it becomes very hard.
THe National Party has kept its factions in-House. Thus the Christian right and the Denialists etc are just hidden in the folds. 2023; 50+2 =52seats.
Where as Labour has Leftists in plain sight. Therefore you could read Labour-Green-MP as one blob in order to compare with National blob. 2023; 34+14+4= 52 seats
I am glad that I can see where the Left factions are. I am suspicious of the factions hidden in National. (O'conner was just one to be exposed and look what happened to him.
For my part, I have never forgiven Labour for their Rogernomics betrayal. They have since pretended to revert to the left, but in fact, they never overturn the neo-liberal plumbing that has been built in. All they do is stop the neo-liberal flow. They never really change the plumbing to stop the next right-wing govt from making further inroads on society. Both Ardern and Chippy ran true to this form. Why would I ever give either of them my party vote?
People blaming Chris Hipkins for Labour's election loss (not that you are Mike) seem to have a simplistic perspective. Evidently most people weren't voting for a wealth tax, or a tax exemption from the first $10,000 to $30,000 of income, because more would have voted for Te Pāti Māori or the Green Party if these were the main policies concerning people. Clearly many people voted against their own interests.
Huge donations assisted National with a relentless attack campaign against Labour.
Resentment towards Labour seems to have originated from the COVID-19 pandemic. Some media colluded with National and manipulated people into feelings of anger at being expected to comply with Labour's successful Covid minimisation strategies, for the safety of others. Constant commentary that people felt angry resulted in people feeling angry. Media repeatedly gave entitled individuals opportunities to complain about their individual circumstances.
National, ACT and NZ First also appealed to many people's deep-seated racism, by falsely insinuating or overtly claiming that Labour's policies advantaged Maori at the expense of other NZers.
Even though economists criticised as unworkable National's plans to cut taxes and sell houses to overseas buyers to pay towards the tax cuts, people's resentment overrode their willingness to see National's tax plan for the con job it was/is.
Even though it was clearly explained that overseas buyers purchasing NZ properties would likely increase house prices, related expenses and rental costs, evidently many people knowingly voted against their own interests, presumably as an irrational action to punish Labour.
Winston Peters walks through the airport for two minutes. Surrounded by media. Says "kia ora" to a member of the public … and nothing else. Not one single word.
Saying nothing? Nah. Saying "I'm back, and I'm in charge now". Without words.
I am curious to know why Andrew Bayley ,National mp for Port Waikato was not investigated for his share in a family trust after Michael Wood was stripped of his portfolios for the same thing. Were the rules changed or something? It seems he is certain to get the seat of the deceased Act pm.
Nope. Ministers are covered by the Cabinet Manual – which is a lot more restrictive on what must be declared, and what should be divested. Ministers have to declare shareholdings to the Cabinet Office – which determines the level of conflict – and makes recommendations for managing this.
For the simple reason that Ministers have a lot of power in government – and must be seen to be impartial. Back-bench and/or opposition MPs – not so much.
If Andrew Bayley becomes a Minister, then he will be required to meet the same level of disclosure and scrutiny as Wood.
Of course, Wood stuffed up, mostly, by repeatedly assuring everyone concerned that he had sold the shares, while making no attempt to do so.
"MPs are required to disclose their shareholdings to Parliament as part of the annual register of pecuniary interests, however MPs decided at the end of the last parliamentary term that shares held in a trust did not necessarily need to be declared, taking a different view to a top official."
I gather that decision – that shares in a trust do not need to be declared – has come under fresh scrutiny following the Wood privileges committee hearing – and MPs (especially those with Ministerial ambitions) are pre-emptively declaring…. just in case.
But Parliament’s Privileges Committee, investigating Wood, came to a different opinion, saying that the current rules did not exactly require this. Nonetheless, in the aftermath of this resignation, a host of MPs began declaring their interests in more detail.
Note: this Trust issue is irrelevant to the Wood situation – he personally owned the Airport shares while he was Transport Minister (although he was also the beneficiary of a Trust which owned other shares – which is why the situation was being discussed by the PC).
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The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
PNG Post-Courier New Zealand High Commissioner Peter Zwart and PNG Defence Minister Dr Billy Joseph welcomed a C-130 Hercules to Port Moresby this week to support Papua New Guinea’s response to the March 24 earthquake and recent severe flooding. “Papua New Guinea has requested New Zealand’s assistance to transport emergency ...
Grub Street King Luxon rode through the streets Of King’s Landing, and was troubled By the sight of hungry urchins in the mud. “Who would be the best of my Lords To deal with this negative optic?” He pondered. The answer came to him instantly. “Seymour!” he said to himself. ...
“The Bill does not provide environmental protection, good quality decision making, certainty, public participation or speed. It should be withdrawn.” ...
RNZ News Television New Zealand has breached its collective agreement with the E tū union when deciding on discontinuing programmes, the Employment Relations Authority has ruled. It was announced in March that 68 staff members who work for news programmes Midday and Tonight, consumer justice programme Fair Go, current affairs ...
Asia Pacific Report Barangay New Zealand’s Rene Molina has interviewed the country’s first Filipino Green MP Francisco Hernandez who was sworn into Parliament yesterday as the party’s latest member. This is the first interview with Hernandez who replaces former Green Party co-leader James Shaw after his retirement from politics to ...
An Australian Strategic Policy Institute report says Pillar Two could raise the industry to state of the art capability - or "crush" it "under the weight of the globe's biggest player". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlene Longbottom, Associate Professor, Indigenous Education & Research Centre, James Cook University ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the violence experienced by First Nations people in encounters with the Australian carceral system. It also contains references to ...
“Instead of following along countries that are investing in death and better ways of killing people faster, we need to invest in life and in making Aotearoa a fair, just and equitable place where everyone has what they need for a dignified life.” ...
MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI, TPM MP FOR TAI TOKERAU This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori. CHRISTOPHER LUXON Oh well look you know I don’t think that hard-working Kiwis want to hear language like that. It’s just really unhelpful rhetoric. My Government is genuinely committed to advancing outcomes ...
The body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren’t part of it … their bodies hadn’t been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn’t really need it. But now that’s changed. And in a warped sort ...
The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a ...
An essay by Lily Duval from the just-released anthology Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child adjacent.I was 22 when my friend Alice gave birth in the living room of our pokey Addington flat. She laboured in the blow-up pool for hours. Garish fish swam along the inflated ...
Ella Borrie on the best books about motherhood she’s come across so far. Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to books about motherhood. I’m fascinated by the joys and horrors of becoming a parent. The question of children also feels more pressing than it used to. It’s like ...
Out of gift ideas for mum? You can’t go wrong with a bottle of toilet cleaner and a new squeegee. Emily Writes is the writer and editor of Emily Writes Weekly. This week marks five years since I published a post on The Spinoff about Mother’s Day marketing titled ‘A ...
My husband is posted overseas for 12 months and I’m armed with an expensive, newfangled vibrator. Will I miss him? The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.A few days after my husband leaves, a new sex toy arrives at the front door. Nestled ...
Jaimie Baird’s new book Here Today Gone Tomorrow is a record of four decades of graffiti and street art in Wellington, told through more than 1,200 photographs. He spoke with Joel MacManus about what inspired the book. How did you first get interested in photographing street art? I remember ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at a busy week where food of all political leanings dominated. Sometimes you’re just going about your week thinking you’ve got a good handle on what might be coming as far as news topics and then someone (usually a politician) says something so ridiculous that ...
In a week of cold rain and frost, the climate in courtroom four upstairs at the Invercargill courthouse was simmering with restrained indignation. At times it felt like the famous Mexican standoff scene from Reservoir Dogs, or, as someone watching the proceedings described it, there was so much throwing of ...
A banner notification alerts me to the fact that I’ve received an Instagram message from @felicity.loves. She always comments on my posts. I shouldn’t have opened the message, but clicked on the notification before rationalising this. OMG! Are you in Wellys? X I debate not replying, but Instagram will inform ...
In Melbourne’s hardscrabble western suburbs where AFL – Aussie rules football – is a state religion, Callum Donaldson has been quietly grafting away, four months into an odyssey that he hopes will take him to another promised land: the NRL. It was a solid 2023 for the softly spoken 20-year-old ...
Pacific Media Watch Television New Zealand Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities in a ceremony at Government House, reports 1News. She has been the Pacific correspondent for 1News since 2002, breaking many ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tuesday’s budget will respond to the deepening public agitation over Australia’s housing shortages by pouring new money into crisis accommodation for women and children, social housing and infrastructure. A specially-convened national cabinet late Friday ticked ...
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
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 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
Schools too.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-palestine-conflict-gaza-hamas-attack-b2431294.html
https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/133132419/election-result-leaves-disabled-community-feeling-anxious-about-policies-of-incoming-national-act-government
Shame on these who has voted for ACT & NAT knowing this might happen. Shame on you for doing this.
People like that don't experience shame.
Nevertheless, it should be said. Just so it is on the record.
Yes, RoG, I saw that article yesterday. It is really concerning, as is the fact, as mentioned in the article, "Stuff reached out to National for comment but did not receive a response." The lack of responsiveness about a policy position concerning a significantly at-risk group is really concerning. And in case anyone suggests that National is too busy with coalition negotiations – when a policy concerns a vulnerable group in society, you make the time to respond. At least ACT did that!
For your elucidation. A very interesting and surprising 23 minutes.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018909519/disability-is-this-year-s-forgotten-issue
Rest assured the political 'blind spot' that disabled find themselves is across the whole political spectrum.
Gsays,
I am already aware of all this otherwise I would not have said all this.
The thing is, as a disabled person, I'd rather be talking with whatever left-wing government in power than right-wing government in power because they are more likely to economically benefit us even if they are extremely frustrating at times. We can rattle against them safely compared to if we rattle against right-wing governments because there's more of an element of economic danger in it.
https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2023/10/how_the_polls_look_vs_provisional_results.html
I know, Kiwiblog and Farrar are anathema to many Standardistas.
However, this is a really serious issue.
If (and, on the face of it, there is no reason to disbelieve him), Farrar is correct and Talbot Mills have indeed told him that the results 'leaked' to the press were wrong – this is really serious.
There has been much discussion on TS about the way that polls and the messages that the electorate take from them, change voting patterns.
In this case, it appears that 'incorrect' results were deliberately leaked (it can only be deliberate, since there was no attempt to correct them) – in an attempt to change the political narrative.
Talbot Mills did not address this at the time (it was up to their client to correct the mis-information) and have only come forward now – because it was likely to reflect badly on their ability to poll accurately (i.e. had a business impact on them).
Should the media be reporting on 'leaked' polls at all?
No polls, leaked or unleaked, correct or incorrect, should be published for 12 months before an election. None. They are becoming a propaganda tool and have had a catastrophic effect on the quality of political journalism.
+100
They are bad for democracy.
Perfect comment.
Just jobs for the girls and boys in polling companies and the media who would otherwise be unemployable.
Ban polls.
Polls are just a line of coke for campaign managers and a few media pundits.
election porn
A lot of what the media do around politics stinks. Money shouldn't be given to them, ever, for one thing. Or if it is, it's via some separate entity that is impartial.
Shoutout to departing Member of Parliament Andrew Little.
In a typically honourable move he has pulled out of the list before being sworn in again.
This guy had a massive career in the unions for E Tu, and fought many battles for workers throughout his pre-Parliamentary career.
I first saw him up close in Labour when he spoke at the annual conference and he rocked up to the podium in a Huffer sweatshirt rather than a suit. Back in 1999 that was pretty cool and unusual.
It was his selfless act to move aside in mid 2017 during the campaign to bring in Ardern that actually stopped us losing and started us winning again. She was precisely what we all needed at the time. He remained a strong part of the Cabinet from the government that formed.
He did an outstanding piece of work on the Waitangi paepae speaking solely in te reo Maori in 2020. It really rocked what is otherwise a tough crowd. That takes a lot of courage and practise.
But for me the most farsighted thing he did was to re-unify the health system. When the cabinet paper went up it was proposed that there would be a series of large aggregated regions that decreased the number of health boards but did not unify them nationally. Even if the Maori Health Authority is indeed abolished, what will remain was his own decision to form a single national entity and greatly scale back the Ministry of Health into a small monitoring agency.
While that doesn't take the full step of eradicating the corporatised buffer of boards between agencies and the democratic order, he took it a long, long way.
The other really useful thing is that at only 58 he has plenty of gas left int he tank and will go on to further great things. I would not be surprised to see his name in charge of a major Crown entity as Maharey and Cullen did, or go on to work in a significant global labour institution.
I don't think Andrew Little will be lost to New Zealand but he is indeed lost to the Labour caucus. Useful to reviving the caucus while they are down, it's also a huge loss of talent and performance who represented the labour movement in so much of what he did.
Go well Andrew.
Thank you Ad. I see Andrew as a real labour member. He always remained in touch with the grass roots. I hope he has many happy games of golf with his son. His Christmas cards are in our box of special things. Go well Andrew.
A good example of Michael Cullen's line that governments and Ministers get things done and the public simply bank it.
As Justice Minister, Little piloted the abortion law reform through Parliament. It is now locked in, and even an anti-abortion PM with many ultra-conservative MPs has had to promise that there is no going back. (He'll be toast if he breaks that promise).
The status quo ("abortion's a crime but leave it alone") has been replaced by a new status quo ("not a crime and we leave that alone"). Major achievement, shifting the ground, and yet … barely acknowledged now.
Thanks Andrew.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2020/mar/20/this-week-we-brought-new-zealands-abortion-laws-into-the-21st-century
“It was his selfless act to move aside in mid 2017”.
Yes, indeed, Ad, what I honour Andrew Little for as well.
He taught three great lessons, there. Firstly, that personal ambition and ego must be subject to reason and the greater good.
Second, that we have to all recognise the time for us to stand down.
Third, that our choices for who represent us as politicians must also be made by our recognising the same qualities of humility, selfless regard for others, willingness to learn, human decency and altruism that Andrew Little has and displays.
That a Pakeha man, busy as he is, had the energy and drive to learn te reo rangatira is an example to us all.
Ngā mihi nui ki a Anaru.
As Minister of Justice, Andrew Little also inflation adjusted Teina Pora's compensation payment for wrongful conviction and over 20 years' imprisonment, meaning Pora got almost a million extra dollars. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/teina-pora-compensation-adjustment
Little's predecessor in the Minister of Justice role, National's Amy Adams, wouldn't make the inflation adjustment, a decision Little described at the time as "niggardly, quibbling and miserable." https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/andrew-little-the-renaissance-man/TUSGNZZTWFNWSFXAVAXLBAEBCU/
I would add my voice to the chorus of those praising his efforts to do with Pike River.
Those that are close to the issue, who hold him in high regard, confirm my view from afar.
As to being Health Minister, this time I will follow my Nana's advice, if you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all.
Hard to disagree with any of the kudos being heaped upon a. little…
Looking forward to the Republicans coating themselves in sticky brown glory trying to elect Jim Jordan and Speaker.
For the gender identity people who say that everyone knows what sex is and no-one is trying to deny biological sex, here's the UK Green Party's Queerphobia Guidance document.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bIvJ1MYZyt-sLwnGUzL6WCLSuL7T7AHM/view
While I agree there are social issues with saying to transsexual women they are not real women, there is no rationale that I can see that should stop people from being able to talk about TW as being male, especially in a political context (eg feminists being able to talk about male pattern violence by TW). Male is the word we use to describe biological sex.
A writer at the Critic wrote a piece on the guidance,
https://thecritic.co.uk/nowt-so-queerphobic-as-folk/
I've definitely come across and talked with people who do in fact believe that TW are biologically female. Some believe that sex is a colonial construct, or that sex is a spectrum and therefore TW can be female. I think they are in the minority.
The problem here is the larger group of people who insist that female and male are words of identity rather than material reality and won't acknowledge this is what they are doing.
This makes it impossible to know what the UK Greens mean. Are they trying to establish that there is no such thing as biological sex? Are they trying to downplay sex and establish gender identity as the primary way in which we understand sex/gender? And in doing so want to co-opt language to their politics? Are they just really confused?
For context UK Greens have a history of seriously bad judgement on gender identity (google Aimee Challenor, or defining women as non men).
Oh what clever little kiddies you are – but we mustn't annoy Daddy or he'll send you to bed early.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/17/they-challenged-the-communist-monopoly-vietnam-regime-turns-on-its-climate-champions
A few days after the election I thought I would post my thoughts about how the parties performed and what were their successes (and failures).
ACT – a campaign that threatened to outshine National in its early days but in retrospect it probably peaked too soon and Seymour's howdy doody style began to wear a bit thin. The party's obvious problems with rebellious candidates and its concentration on populist vote fodder policies made it look like a National tailgater rather than a party of fresh ideas. Although outwardly ACT will be crowing like Peter Pan, privately they will think they deserved to have ended up with a few more seats than they actually did.
Te Pati Maori -the best and most organised campaign that they have ever mounted. They avoided the in-your-face confrontational style of previous campaigns and probably won considerable swinging left voters with their provocative, but also very accessible, policies done in a way that was somehow both uniquely Maori but also very accessible to non-Maori.
NZ First: You can't deny the success of a man who has once again come back from the political wilderness to lead a party to the brink of kingmaker status. A remarkable campaign in that Winston seemed to promise both everything and nothing at the same time but a lot of voters seemed to love him for that. His charisma and penchant for populist policy repackaging enabled him to pinch the less extreme cooker vote and his was the most successful "no" vote of the election.
The Opportunities Party: Lacking the resources and key public figures of the other parties it was always going to be a struggle for them to get their message heard between Labour's superficial optimism and National's calculated negativity and they were subsequently quickly banished from the voters' minds as also-rans. They needed to have a significant voter base in more places than just Ilam but they didn't.
The cookers parties: NZ Loyal, NZ Freedoms, Democracy NZ and the rest of the nutters: scored only about 2% of the party vote in total, a significant proportion of it coming from rural North Island electorates. They would have done better but for their own delusions of grandeur and in the end a lot of their supporters jumped ship for NZ First.
Women's Rights Party: a very new party campaigning on a brass razoo in the midst of a big swing to the right, this was not an opportune time for them. They may be one to watch for the next election if they stay together.
That's my take on it.
I welcome comment and criticism;
It was National's worst share of the vote since 2005. It will be interesting to see the final percentages.
This election was not a disaster for the Left as is being painted by the MSM. Indeed assuming the special votes add to the Left's tally of seats, Winston could, if he was in the mood, install a left-wing government, albeit with a tiny majority.
Except for last election though? Wasn't that percentage in the 20's?
This seems to be untrue:
National's percentage of the vote:
2023 (provisional): 38.95%
2020: 25.6%
https://www.electionresults.govt.nz/
Sorry Bella, I'm sure your numbers are right.
I heard someone say that on RadioNZ but I should have checked it.
National's share is well below what National achieved under John Key and Bill English.
Hard to disagree with much of it.
I do have a challenge for you. A less devisive term for "less extreme cooker".
As was suggested to Barfly, they may well be yr comrades should Luxon decide to let Seymour have his way with his Te Tiriti referendum.
My description of the elements of the parliamentary ground occupation who actually had genuine gripes, not just a good opportunity to throw their excrement and bricks at police and screech out their hatred of organised society.
So, regular citizens with the courage of their convictions?
As one of the Top voters I know we lost the battle on Saturday, but maybe one day we will win a war.
Given that politics is about winning, and transforming your ideas into legislation, I would suggest that the biggest winner was the Nats, and the biggest loser was ACT.
The Nats they have survived generations by rarely ever rocking the boat, and Luxon is a moderate leader of that type. Remember, Key brought TPM into the Government "fold" tho he didnt actually need the numbers. What he needed was their ideas (and cynically), some brown faces.
Meanwhile, ACT has nowhere else to go, and love them or hate them, they arent going to bite off the National arm that feeds them. So Luxon has them cornered. They are way past the early days (Prebble and co) where they declared that staying on the opposition side was best for them, and that the baubles werent a prize they sought.
I read the top policies…and there was some good stuff in there..
Kinda demeaning tho' how manji prostrated himself before luxon.. promising undying support..if luxon would do a deal with him..like they did for seymour..
Kinda mixed messages there..eh..?
I find it baffling that National has out polled Labour in 5 of the past 6 elections. Why is this the case when National never does a damn thing for the benefit of the country.
For me that is a real concern because it is difficult to form a government when you are not the largest party.
In the MMP environment the second largest party has only lead the government once (2017). This shows it is very difficult to cobble a government together when the leading party from a block is polling in the 20s or low 30s. This election is a perfect example. The right probably won't be able to do it on their own, but there is next to no chance of the left forming a government.
Labour's core support base needs to increase by 5 to 10%. Just look at their less than impressive support since 2005:
2005: 41.1%
2008: 33.99%
2011: 27.48%
2014: 25.13%
2017: 36.89%
2020; 50.01%
2023: 26.81%
Other than 2005 and 2020, Labour has underperformed and something needs to change.
A lot of people do quite well out of the status quo and major change is scary. Throw in fearmongering at all attempts at change once real proposals appear, and it becomes very hard.
THe National Party has kept its factions in-House. Thus the Christian right and the Denialists etc are just hidden in the folds. 2023; 50+2 =52seats.
Where as Labour has Leftists in plain sight. Therefore you could read Labour-Green-MP as one blob in order to compare with National blob. 2023; 34+14+4= 52 seats
I am glad that I can see where the Left factions are. I am suspicious of the factions hidden in National. (O'conner was just one to be exposed and look what happened to him.
For my part, I have never forgiven Labour for their Rogernomics betrayal. They have since pretended to revert to the left, but in fact, they never overturn the neo-liberal plumbing that has been built in. All they do is stop the neo-liberal flow. They never really change the plumbing to stop the next right-wing govt from making further inroads on society. Both Ardern and Chippy ran true to this form. Why would I ever give either of them my party vote?
People blaming Chris Hipkins for Labour's election loss (not that you are Mike) seem to have a simplistic perspective. Evidently most people weren't voting for a wealth tax, or a tax exemption from the first $10,000 to $30,000 of income, because more would have voted for Te Pāti Māori or the Green Party if these were the main policies concerning people. Clearly many people voted against their own interests.
Huge donations assisted National with a relentless attack campaign against Labour.
"If we subtract negative posts from positive posts, about 63 percent more Labour posts included positive self-presentation than negative attacks. In comparison, when we do the same for National, it had a net positivity score of just 5.5 percent". https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2023/10/negative-campaiging-in-the-2023-new-zealand-election
Resentment towards Labour seems to have originated from the COVID-19 pandemic. Some media colluded with National and manipulated people into feelings of anger at being expected to comply with Labour's successful Covid minimisation strategies, for the safety of others. Constant commentary that people felt angry resulted in people feeling angry. Media repeatedly gave entitled individuals opportunities to complain about their individual circumstances.
National, ACT and NZ First also appealed to many people's deep-seated racism, by falsely insinuating or overtly claiming that Labour's policies advantaged Maori at the expense of other NZers.
Even though economists criticised as unworkable National's plans to cut taxes and sell houses to overseas buyers to pay towards the tax cuts, people's resentment overrode their willingness to see National's tax plan for the con job it was/is.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/election-2023/497974/economists-analysis-rubbishes-national-s-foreign-buyers-tax-numbers
After repeated challenging of National's tax plan: https://thespinoff.co.nz/live-updates/05-10-2023/nicola-willis-confirms-only-3000-households-will-get-full-250-a-fortnight-tax-cut – an example of resentful, oppositional behaviour: many people knowingly voting for a party that has lied by omission and implication about the supposed benefits of a major policy.
Even though it was clearly explained that overseas buyers purchasing NZ properties would likely increase house prices, related expenses and rental costs, evidently many people knowingly voted against their own interests, presumably as an irrational action to punish Labour.
As Chris Trotter commented prior to the election: "That so many of us are willing to see so much pain inflicted upon our fellow citizens, strongly suggests that there is a fair amount of sadism mixed in with all that masochism. Hardly a pretty picture of our national character, and even less so of those NZ First voters bounced so easily into abandoning their nobler impulses by the prospect of a second election". https://democracyproject.nz/2023/10/09/chris-trotter-reckless-speculation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chris-trotter-reckless-speculation
Well said
Thank you for that Vivie. Spot on.
No-one seems to have pointed out that these preliminary results actually give National fewer seats than they got in 2017!
it would spoil the media's narrative of how great Luxon and National are.
I’m more than happy to oblige!
National was 8 seats down on 2017, based on the preliminary results.
This is awesome!
Winston Peters walks through the airport for two minutes. Surrounded by media. Says "kia ora" to a member of the public … and nothing else. Not one single word.
Saying nothing? Nah. Saying "I'm back, and I'm in charge now". Without words.
Watch: Winston Peters refuses to answer 27 questions in media scrum (1news.co.nz)
I am curious to know why Andrew Bayley ,National mp for Port Waikato was not investigated for his share in a family trust after Michael Wood was stripped of his portfolios for the same thing. Were the rules changed or something? It seems he is certain to get the seat of the deceased Act pm.
Short answer. One was a Minister, One was not a Minister.
Both were entitled to run in their electorates. Both did.
But both were in parliament. Andrew Bayley should have had the same level of scrutiny as Michael Wood.
Nope. Ministers are covered by the Cabinet Manual – which is a lot more restrictive on what must be declared, and what should be divested. Ministers have to declare shareholdings to the Cabinet Office – which determines the level of conflict – and makes recommendations for managing this.
For the simple reason that Ministers have a lot of power in government – and must be seen to be impartial. Back-bench and/or opposition MPs – not so much.
If Andrew Bayley becomes a Minister, then he will be required to meet the same level of disclosure and scrutiny as Wood.
Of course, Wood stuffed up, mostly, by repeatedly assuring everyone concerned that he had sold the shares, while making no attempt to do so.
National’s Simon O’Connor also filed multiple amendments to the register stretching back to 2018/19.
'MPs rush to declare pecuniary interests after Michael Wood shares scandal'
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/mps-rush-to-declare-pecuniary-interests-after-michael-wood-scandal/NIDO4EGZ35FIXA5LS4HY3OBJ4Q/
MW was stripped of ministerial warrants.
AB wasn't a minister so that wasn't an option.
Still a member of parliament, and there was a mad flurry of mps correcting the record. See 10.1.1.1.1
The by-election must be held because the ACT candidate died. He was not an MP (nor PM) and it was not his seat as such.
This seat was held by Andrew Bayly (NAT) who will likely win it again in the by-election.
And the shares.????? Bloody typical. Rules for us and rules for them. Will Luxon get another report to “shelve?”
Thank you for your clarifications but I still don’t see why he didn’t have to declare his shares.
This seems to be the relevant bit in the report
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/election-2023-national-mp-did-not-declare-shareholding-to-parliament-in-wake-of-michael-wood-scandal/FR5FFQ73GJES3LS63CZRLCXE7U/
I gather that decision – that shares in a trust do not need to be declared – has come under fresh scrutiny following the Wood privileges committee hearing – and MPs (especially those with Ministerial ambitions) are pre-emptively declaring…. just in case.
Note: this Trust issue is irrelevant to the Wood situation – he personally owned the Airport shares while he was Transport Minister (although he was also the beneficiary of a Trust which owned other shares – which is why the situation was being discussed by the PC).
It’s ok. I think I’ve got it. But still sounds shonky.
Everything changes from here on in. Saying "what about?" doesn't have much effect when it's about a candidate or backbencher for an opposition party.
But as of now, it will be about Ministers and government supporters (with baubles). The chances of Nat/ACT/NZF being clean are zero.
Watching Luxon run away from the inevitable questions about inevitable hypocrisy will be a feature of Politics 2024. Enjoy it.
Louis. That’s what I had thought.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-18-10-2023/#comment-1973558