It seems the Palestinian terrorist organizations no longer being happy murdering Israelis have turned to destroying their own hospitals and murdering the own.
BBC News – Gaza hospital: What video, pictures and other evidence tell us about Al Ahli hospital blast
It was not an Israeli air to ground missile target.
Neither Hamas and Islamic Jihad deliberately fire rockets that fail to reach their target in Israel.
It hit the car park area not the hospital itself. It did not leave much in the way of a blast crater. It was the number of civilians congregating there because the hospital was not a target that explains the number of victims.
It could well be a rocket that misfired and the unused fuel caught fire.
PS RNZ is still reporting that a hospital was bombed rather than a car park area beside it.
I'm doubt if the tin-pot rockets Hamas uses could have caused this. It is probably just Israel lying to deflect blame as usual. The whole Gaza siege is against international law.
… little crater damage and the unused rocket fuel creating a fireball in the car park (parked cars also with petrol)
The whole Gaza siege is against international law.
The regime in Afghanistan was removed because they hosted the group behind 9/11 – Hamas organised the murder of hundreds of Israelis and rules in Gaza …
The IDF and settlers have killed thousands of Palestinians
Collective punishment is a war crime
from google
" International humanitarian law, including the fourth Geneva Convention and additional protocols, prohibits collective punishment in all circumstances. The imposition of collective punishment can be considered a war crime under customary international law"
I think Hamas are a bunch of murdering lunatics but that doesn't mean they are the only bunch of murdering shits out there. The hands of the nation of Israel are also drenched in blood IMO.
A nation has a right to war on a nation that wars on them and remove its government. If a government can be removed from power for hosting a terrorist group, more so a governing agency which runs the terrorist group – in this case its own armed militants.
The IDF and settlers have killed thousands of Palestinians
As many as Jews that killed by intifada etc or as many as by the PA’s own forces?
Collective punishment is a war crime
What is collective punishment in wartime?
Russia attacking water and power production facilities of Ukraine? Or Israel doing it in Gaza?
Gaza is a place where people live above a terrorist encampment (a collective of murderous incels in the basement who think Jews are Chads). They use the parents of children above as hostages to their regimes continuance – citing war crime whenever someone comes to make them accountable.
The Fog of War my dad was there 1045-48 the league of Nations but in reality the British Army trying to keep impossible promises it had made to both sides over the years since 1917 from the defeat of the Ottomans in Palestine. Its been a tit for tat revenge driven War breaking out full scale .The truth will come out. The fundamentalist Jews blew up the British military headquarters and blew up their own synagogs blaming Arabs so they could garner international support.Their are no winners in this ongoing conflict no one has a solution otherwise it would have been found by now.Netanyahu is using this conflict to hide his corruption and trying to form a dictatorship Trump of Israel funny that Trump backs Russias side and backs Hamas and Hezboolah . Trump is Putins puppet.This conflict is designed to distract the US support from the Ukraine.Brand new weapons supplied to Hamas made in Russia China and Rockets from Iran.This is an edge of empire war both sides pushing as far as they can without full-scale war or the nuke option.
Rather than indulging in inflammatory language such as destroying their own hospitals and murdering the own, how about you stick to the far more likely cause:
An Hamas missile misfired. I saw the BBC story last night and apparently Hamas are launching rockets from a cemetery not far from the hospital.
National have painted themselves into a corner Winston will have the handbrake on.look for a Shipley style coup National will white ant NZ first to try and overthrow Winston for a second time.Winston has been shafted Twice by National 3rd time coming up.National not being able to implement its tax cuts will go down like a cup of hot sick with its supporters.
And from ACT I'm waiting to see if Hoggard gets Agriculture or Environment. Just to see how fast he rolls back animal welfare standards and introduces GE organisms.
The revanchism of this government looks scary. It like National in opposition spent six years mainly cultivating their own version of the Dolchstoßlegende (stabbed in the back by the eternal Winston), and now they wish to restore the country to some sort of nostalgic ante-bellum vision of Keyland where cronyism and rentier capitalism rules supreme. Perhaps Luxon will unwitting prove Marx right – “History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce”.
Love that. But given how big a part Covid is playing in the revanchist desire to restore the proper order, should it be "ante-morbus" rather than "ante-bellum"? (I wouldn't know, two years of schoolboy Latin 50-odd years ago have a very short half-life.)
to bwaghorn at 2 : a frightening situation from my long-experienced viewpoint as a white woman hugely concerned for future of my great – grandchildren and their peers, male and female.
Interesting to see old boiled ham head wearing an All Black jersey on the weekend. Got me thinking about how class has become a thing in our sport nowadays. Ever since McCaw decided to shit on all those working class AB supporters by publically hanging around with Key (and latterly Luxon) and endorsing National the whole All Black schtick has evolved towards being a tedious self help Ted talk to inspire the sparklingly clean SUV crowd who see the over-priced merchandise of All Blacks brand as part of their entitlement to affordable luxury. Rugby, the senators watching the circus from the better seats of the colosseum.
Whereas working class NZers (at least in Auckland) now more or less all support the Warriors.
It is a pity, but I guess the engalitarian dream dies not with a bang, but with a whimper.
Ardern went to her fair share of All Blacks games but she wasn't as convincing as Helen Clark's support of the Warriors.
Since sporting codes have long since replaced unions for organising our working and active middle classes, why the left doesn't even try for credibility within sport is perplexing. Labour sure didn't handle Louisa Wall well.
Hopefully Cushla Tangaere-Manuel is the start of Labour giving sport its proper recognition.
I agree. If I had been Hipkins, I'd have worn Warriors gear at every opportunity south of Greenlane and been seen sharing a sausage roll with the Warriors Joker.
One thought – it is positively de rigueur amongst the fashionable chattering classes of the left to hate on the All Blacks and look down their noses at collision sports as rather beastly and uncivilised, and since that group comprises most of what passes as the left's intellectual oomph these days I think we know why the left has been slow to engage…
I'm glad my kids played football and didn't get beaten to a pulp playing rugby. Having said that, those quarter-finals last weekend were four of the finest sporting contests I have ever seen, especially those 37 phases.
Pfft I saw more injuries when I was playing soccer (including one fatality when a goal keeper hit his head on the upright of the goal above the padding) than I ever did playing rugby – admittedly both sports were a lot rougher through the 70's and 80's.
The thing that stopped me going back to soccer after finishing rugby though was to go to a match and listen to the abuse given to referees in particular. A bigger bunch of jerks I've never seen before or since.
and I have a child crippled for life from playing soccer as well – very bad injury. Late tackle.
McCaw and mates have developed an extensive multi-million dollar subdivision near Wanaka, getting consent for it in a sensitive rural landscape surprisingly easily.
Yes, Mr McCaw was coy about his political views when playing, but if you used your imagination it was not hard to guess…and he admitted in his “leaving” interview with Kim Hill that because of the Rugby Admins views, National was the house brand for All Blacks and very few spoke out publicly in other directions. Silence is often condoning.
Remember the pony puller in chief haunting their dressing rooms Steinie in hand and his appearance on the cover of Rugby News, masquerading as Captain, the squad in a V formation behind him, during 2014 election year? After various complaints he slipped through the rules because of the categorisation of the publication re publishing schedule. RN Editor squares off here…
I raise this because the Natzos are so embedded in various quarters particularly in the provinces–sports clubs, fire stations, Police stations, business associations, Real Estate, Lodges and “benevolent” clubs many of which are defacto NZ National cadres.
… the Natzos are so embedded in various quarters particularly in the provinces–sports clubs, fire stations, Police stations, business associations, Real Estate, Lodges and “benevolent” clubs many of which are defacto NZ National cadres.
Remember Maggie Barry? Former MP for North Shore? She had her electorate office on the whole upper floor of a largish building emblazoned with blue and white Nat signage. It was next door to the Takapuna Police station also two storied and emblazoned with the usual blue and white police insignia. One could easily be mistaken for the other. I had it on good authority that the social camaraderie between the two groups went well beyond normal neighbourly friendliness.
Interesting you mention that Anne, when I first moved to the Far North in the 90s, the Editor of the Northland Age had his own swipe card for the Kaitaia Police Station. This was confirmed to me by a number of people including hard bitten ex Auck Star journalist Tony Gee who worked up there.
As the cops management changed and the newspaper ownership changed–no more swipe card–but still a very cosy relationship.
Lukas is probably a Nat voter. When the present incumbent, Simon Watts took over they moved the office elsewhere. Maybe the owner of the building didn't want the electorate office to remain after Maggie stepped down – just guessing.
I have heard from various sources Watts is very unpopular, but being a true blue seat they still vote for him.
But for how much longer? Being partisan has implications beyond just audience share. For example, the Irish rugby team can retain players because of a government policy that allows key sportsmen who end their playing careers in Ireland to claim back 40 per cent of the tax they paid over a 10-year period playing within the EU.
If Irish rugby was seen as partisan in the way the likes of McCaw and some officials would like, such a scheme would be unlikely to last from one electoral cycle to another.
I think Chippy should keep his job for several reasons:
Firstly, I don't think it was his fault Labour lost. He was given a hospital pass, and did the best he could from that position IMO.
Secondly, I can't really see anyone better to take over from him.
Thirdly, he seems to be a pragmatist, which is what I think Labour needs right now. I think Labour should leave all the woke stuff to the Greens, and get back to its roots, and become more aligned to workers again. I think Labour has lost its soul in many respects.
If anyone should get fired, it is whoever came up with that stupid "not National" marketing campaign that didn't give any clear messaging to vote Labour.
I would have thought that the lesson would have been learned from the "we don't trust you Mr Key" campaign that didn't work either, likely for similar reasons.
I think the "not National" campaign likely helped NZ First as much as Labour. If Labour wanted to go negative, it should have had a campaign along the lines of "National wants to do that; Labour will do this; so vote Labour."
And fwiw, it matters not how many 'women' a party claims to have, when for all intends and purposes these women* could a. be all men declaring themselves to be women, or b. the women* actively work to destroy everything other women* in the decades before them created such as female toilets, female prisons, female sports, female political lists, female awards.
It was in large numbers women* that helped Winnie win, and it was Women* who helped Labour lose.
*women – adult human female.
Personally i am very pleased that the birthing body helper from Ilam (labour) can go back to their job helping men give birth.
Data about votes for parties (age, gender etc) will be available later, as there is detailed research carried out after every election. None exists yet.
So far all we have is pre-election polling, which suggests you are mistaken. The female/male gender split does not favour the Right, especially not NZF:
From the groups of women i interact with, NZ First was the vote of choice, as literally they are the only party that is not head over heels gone into the gender abyss.
What can I say, we voted for the best out of totally unappealing bunch.
In Rotorua, Labour got trashed, and considering that no one knew the quota dame that ran and no one actually ever saw that person who knew if they actually existed. The dude that ran for labour is even funnier, a lawyer that ran for mayor under the rainbow colors pretending to be independent of Labour, and then suddenly covered in Red. The Green Party girl must have found a proper job, or accepted that she is not gonna win anything in Rotorua as this is the first year out of five that i have not heard from her. And she ran for MP, council, and Mayor of Rotorua.
ACT did ok. National creamed it. TPM will never win anything in Rotorua and any candidate will ruin their reputation forever if they do run under the mantle of TPM.
You can take it as you like, but Labour lost because people did not vote for them, did not donate, did not volunteer, did in fact not even entertain Labour at all. And many many of them women – human females.
As for the gender split who cares. Female and Male are now mixed sex category and thus are devoid of any meaning. The moment you include bepenised people (inverted or entire) into the pool of women – human females you’ve got nothing. Ditto for the males.
And even then I can see bepenised people who self id as something different to their sex to rather vote for the Green Party as they are even more rabid on the destruction of women's rights then the Labour party. No pretense given by the Greens which is something I consider refreshing.
Lastly, I expect the Green Party to be the death of the Labour party in the end.
That's your opinion, Observa asked for evidence. Even though Labour lost, they still got votes, so people did "entertain Labour" and donated and volunteered.
"I expect the Green Party to be the death of the Labour party in the end."
A question I have is why it takes so long to count the specials? It was possible to count a multiples of the specials figure in one day. So, why should it take so long to count a smaller number?
We cast our Special Votes in London last Thursday. There were a lot of people coming in to the High Commission to vote. Most of them were older people like us – travelers with sensible shoes and backpacks! I wore my Peterloo T shirt from Manchester to remind myself about what happens when the Boss Class makes all the rules.
The Specials will all have to be sorted, checked, scanned and sent to the relevant Electorate Returning Officers.
Having worked in a voting place on Saturday and done the required training I have a much better understanding of special votes than I did before.
Each person who makes a special vote has to make a special vote declaration to the returning officer in the electorate they believe they are entitled to vote in. The declaration is checked and witnessed by the issuing officer in the voting place who issues them a ballot paper which goes into an envelope with two pockets along with the declaration and is returned to the home electorate. If someone is enrolling and voting their enrolment form is processed separately post voting day. There are seven options as to why someone is making a special vote.
From what I understand (as we just did the declaration checking and witnessing and ballot issuing) the specials are returned to the home electorate where each one has be be checked to confirm it is a valid special vote. I think this is what takes the time. The counting is the easy bit at the end.
Our LEC is going to be looking at the way we campaign the future.
The day of leaflets, billboards, and sign waving may be over. They are expensive, and either end up slashed, defaced, in the rubbish, or in our case, actually sawn down. Time, money and energy may be better put into social media. Door knocking might stay, as it is face to face contact. We don’t have the financial resources to spread ourselves too thin.
Partly by consistently banging the law and order drum to ramp up fear, the National MP has turned our electorate into the most right wing in the country. Our candidate was outstanding; young, female, local, and incredibly hard working.
I’ll be interested to see what other LECs are thinking.
Can someone here advise me – a superannuat living in a boarding house do they receive the living alone allowance or is it classed as shared accommodation?
Barfly – in your situation, if you are self-sufficient i.e., renting a room in a boarding house and buying your own groceries, doing your own cooking, etc. – you should be classed as living alone and therefore receive the living alone allowance.
As Work and Income often give different advice to different people, and so much can depend on who you strike on the day, I would recommend first talking directly with Work and Income (if you can ever get through – current wait time 81 minutes!!!) and if you have no joy, contact a beneficiary advocate with your query; there are a lot dotted around New Zealand.
When 12-year-old Braden Fahey collapsed during football practice and died, it was just the beginning of his parents’ nightmare.
Deep in their grief a few months later, Gina and Padrig Fahey received news that shocked them to their core: A favorite photo of their beloved son was plastered on the cover of a book that falsely argues COVID-19 vaccines caused a spike of sudden deaths among healthy young people.
The book, called “Cause Unknown,” was co-published by an anti-vaccine group led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President John F. Kennedy’s nephew, who is now running for president. Kennedy wrote the foreword and promoted the book, tweeting that it details data showing “ COVID shots are a crime against humanity.”
The Faheys couldn’t understand how Braden’s face appeared on the book’s cover, or why his name appeared inside it.
I thought Luxon was making a reasonable point when he said negotiations should not be held in the media spotlight. Bored journalists want to be constantly fed the latest updates – the public, not so much.
Except … Luxon has been all over the media every day since the election. Today he's in Auckland giving yet another press conference. He'll obviously be asked about the obvious, and he'll obviously not answer the obvious.
His media advisers should take him aside and explain that if he has nothing to say, that's OK. But don't keep holding press conferences to say it.
He's addicted to the limelight. We've got three years of this. Think I'll be bypassing the 6pm news from now on. Watching that bald head spout slogans and platitudes night after night will be bad for my health.
I think this whole vote counting thing is a bit of an anachronism. Surely, we could have computers with touch screens set up in the booths that feed the results straight into a central data base. The specials could be handled in a similar way, with a few more steps to complete the voting process. Then, we would have the results instantly, rather than waiting for several weeks.
Sounds great until bugs cause incorrect results or worse, it gets hacked. However unlikely people think that is, it only has to happen once to be awful.
For those wondering about Special Votes, this table from the last election is useful.
Not for where they will go (we don't know) but where they are from. Overwhelmingly, the Specials are cast within New Zealand. Not overseas. Ignore the talking heads on TV/radio, who don't do their homework.
The Greens and TPM will consolidate and grow their vote.
ACT will be exposed as incompetent…all bark no trousers…
National will have to face all kinds of headwinds…climate related, economic….let's see how well they do in the eyes of a fractious public.The end of NZ first. Winnie just doesn't have it anymore,he's gone bizarre in a failed attempt to be relevant and NZ first is nothing without Winnie.Although I did rate his previous 2nd in command
• NACT goes all Liz Truss and loses the electorate for years to come, trying to do things too quickly. Upheaval is too unpalatable.
• NACT+NZF is shambolic and impotent. Scandal after scandal. Bickering and vetoing gets old, fast. Voters are appalled.
• Timidity hamstrings any massive change, certainly nothing we can’t undo in three years. Even a double-termer is survivable.
• (As I put in an earlier comment) It’s an utterly poisoned chalice due to international factors, the outlook is grim for any govt; voters want change, again.
There’s no God-given rule that a govt should be a multi-termer, people might wake up and realise what they’ve voted for before then. Labour might get away from the failed centre. Younger, more desperate and concerned green voters may increase in the stats.
I mean small-g green, btw. I thought it might happen this time round, due to the ever-loudening warnings we’re getting on climate and other emergencies. That message could increase (though not from this sorry upcoming govt). Interesting trend forming though, with the GP electorates and the increased GP vote.
Stats NZ have reasonable population statistics – if you mean how many people will turn 18 in time to vote at the next general election, about 195,000 going by Infoshare.
I wouldn’t be so optimistic about Labour’s chances in 2026. National just need to run a very simple campaign. One Labour was unable to in 2023: these are the things we’ve done, these are the things that have improved.
The other problem Labour has is they’re now just a smaller version of the party the country kicked out last weekend. It needs many MPs to move on during the term to bring fresh talent in. Little to his credit has done that. Unfortunately it’s just bought Shannan back, so no gains there.
Like you, I’m incredibly optimistic… that labour won’t see government until to 2030’s, if they manage to survive as a party until then. I expect they have become an irrelevance both to the left and right. You just need to look at the regular posts from Greg / Mickeysavage to evidence this. It’s everyone else that’s wrong, never Labour.
[Lately, your comments have become increasingly trollish, but I draw the line at attacking a TS Author with lies. This is your warning – Incognito]
What if the next 3 years do not go according to National's plan? If that turns out to be the case, do you think National could get away with running another scam in 2026?
"a smaller version of the party" like National was after the 2020 election. National came back and so can Labour.
Surely the conversation about Labour regaining power is about what Labour need to change or stand for. This daydreaming that NAct will be so bad is going to lead to disappointment.
You have to give credit where it's due. A first term MP, made leader, turned a small, thoroughly beaten, divisive rabble into a government in waiting. Labour's failure to deliver on many things was partly responsible for that.
Surely the conversation about Labour regaining power is about what Labour need to change or stand for. This daydreaming that NAct will be so bad is going to lead to disappointment.
There's absolutely no doubt about what Luxon, Willis, Mitchell et al. stand for – it's to make life even more profitable for themselves and their backers, and even tougher for "bottom feeders".
You have to admire National’s clarity of message, and their genuine desire and ability to deliver – on specific promises – let the 'good times' roll.
Mate, yr singing to the choir. Why more hasn't been made about Land Lord Luxon's proposed conflict of interest revamping of 'property investors' returns is beyond me.
Imho, Labour's priorities are no mystery. I'm personally deeply appreciative of our government's decision to prioritise health during a pandemic. They didn't have too, but given the limited capacity of our public health service any other course would have courted disaster.
The changes introduced by the 6th Labour-led government provide some clues about what Labour stands for, in particular those changes which "Lord Luxon" intends to reverse.
The authors of those 'scrapped/axed' articles don't opine on likely trends in the hourly minimum adult wage, currently $22.70 – a 44% increase in six years (since 2017). For comparison, the minimum wage increased by 31% in the nine years between 2008 ($12) and 2017 ($15.75), so in the last six years the minimum wage has increased at more than double the rate during the nine years before that.
I acknowledge Labour were well outspent come election time, but you can't realistically deny the change in discipline from the Nats once Luxon took over.
National has promised a few hospital rebuilds too, they will face the same issues. Dont forget the new medical school, more frontline workers in provincial hospitals.
Like the many hats John Key would be wearing to avoid issues, Luxon will find many variations of what the word "commit" means
Immigration and House sales to overseas investors and Winston Peters
I see some dead rats waiting to be swallowed.
A mission for Labour is to identify achievable policy that's both popular and beneficial to society whilst at the same time being an anathema to the RW political parties. I know that's a tall order but I may have an idea or two rattling around that's worth looking at.
Barfly. I totally agree about the achievable policies and sounding out what the ‘bottom feeders’ really want and need and aim for that but don’t make impossible promises. We ourselves are joining the Labour Party and will do what it takes to make New Zealand/Aotearoa great again. We are poor boomers so have plenty of time to give to the cause as well as becoming financial members.
I don’t think it will take long for Luxon to crumble. He’s already proven that even though he’s got a shiny dome he’s not very bright. It didn’t take Chris H long to turn him into a slavering mess. Seymour will probably cause a race war and then have to go into hiding. As for Winston every time I look at him the song ‘Never smile at a crocodile’ pops into my head. Not kidding. It’s very annoying. Good times ahead. Can’t wait to get started.
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Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
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. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund launched the Te Rito Journalism project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand’s newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand’s ...
The Black Ferns Sevens appeared to be a mile behind Australia at the halfway point of the 2023-24 SVNS international circuit. Winless in three tournaments, a cup quarter-final exit in Perth was one of their worst results. To add insult to injury, talismanic skipper Sarah Hirini had been ruled out ...
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It seems the Palestinian terrorist organizations no longer being happy murdering Israelis have turned to destroying their own hospitals and murdering the own.
BBC News – Gaza hospital: What video, pictures and other evidence tell us about Al Ahli hospital blast
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67144061
Pays not to believe anything once war kicks off, .
Pretty sure he already knows that wags. His purpose here is not well-intentioned. dnftt.
+1
Trolling is bad enough. Using innocent dead to do it … vile.
Whatever it was, it was not deliberate.
It hit the car park area not the hospital itself. It did not leave much in the way of a blast crater. It was the number of civilians congregating there because the hospital was not a target that explains the number of victims.
It could well be a rocket that misfired and the unused fuel caught fire.
PS RNZ is still reporting that a hospital was bombed rather than a car park area beside it.
I'm doubt if the tin-pot rockets Hamas uses could have caused this. It is probably just Israel lying to deflect blame as usual. The whole Gaza siege is against international law.
… little crater damage and the unused rocket fuel creating a fireball in the car park (parked cars also with petrol)
The regime in Afghanistan was removed because they hosted the group behind 9/11 – Hamas organised the murder of hundreds of Israelis and rules in Gaza …
No one was talking about Afghanistan
The IDF and settlers have killed thousands of Palestinians
Collective punishment is a war crime
from google
" International humanitarian law, including the fourth Geneva Convention and additional protocols, prohibits collective punishment in all circumstances. The imposition of collective punishment can be considered a war crime under customary international law"
I think Hamas are a bunch of murdering lunatics but that doesn't mean they are the only bunch of murdering shits out there. The hands of the nation of Israel are also drenched in blood IMO.
A nation has a right to war on a nation that wars on them and remove its government. If a government can be removed from power for hosting a terrorist group, more so a governing agency which runs the terrorist group – in this case its own armed militants.
As many as Jews that killed by intifada etc or as many as by the PA’s own forces?
What is collective punishment in wartime?
Russia attacking water and power production facilities of Ukraine? Or Israel doing it in Gaza?
Gaza is a place where people live above a terrorist encampment (a collective of murderous incels in the basement who think Jews are Chads). They use the parents of children above as hostages to their regimes continuance – citing war crime whenever someone comes to make them accountable.
The yanks never targeted hospitals, health care workers and journalists in their invasion of Afghanistan.
This is a new type of low from IDF, oh wait it seems they have people they are copying.
Your evidence of targeting is what, that sometimes that happens and you infer from that deliberation?
The ones doing the copying – Putin's Russia, playing both roles (German and Soviet Russia) in Ukraine today (as per the fall of Warsaw).
What can be said is that Israel and Russia have targeted water and power supply.
The Fog of War my dad was there 1045-48 the league of Nations but in reality the British Army trying to keep impossible promises it had made to both sides over the years since 1917 from the defeat of the Ottomans in Palestine. Its been a tit for tat revenge driven War breaking out full scale .The truth will come out. The fundamentalist Jews blew up the British military headquarters and blew up their own synagogs blaming Arabs so they could garner international support.Their are no winners in this ongoing conflict no one has a solution otherwise it would have been found by now.Netanyahu is using this conflict to hide his corruption and trying to form a dictatorship Trump of Israel funny that Trump backs Russias side and backs Hamas and Hezboolah . Trump is Putins puppet.This conflict is designed to distract the US support from the Ukraine.Brand new weapons supplied to Hamas made in Russia China and Rockets from Iran.This is an edge of empire war both sides pushing as far as they can without full-scale war or the nuke option.
Rather than indulging in inflammatory language such as destroying their own hospitals and murdering the own, how about you stick to the far more likely cause:
An Hamas missile misfired. I saw the BBC story last night and apparently Hamas are launching rockets from a cemetery not far from the hospital.
The Israelis had no qualms about hitting a hospital .They'd already targeted and damaged 2 floors on the Saturday .The very same hospital
An Israeli missile was identified.
Not surprising that Israel doesn't want to own up after the world wide condemnation
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/133124359/a-lot-of-blue-suits-parliament-is-majority-male-again-after-nationals-election-success
Same old national, bring back the uptight white
New Zealand – land of the long white cloud
National Party – band of the wrong white crowd
"same as it ever was"
When you think about this iconic Talking Heads song Once in a Lifetime its meaning could easily be applied to post election NZ.
Same as it ever was.
Same as it ever was
National have painted themselves into a corner Winston will have the handbrake on.look for a Shipley style coup National will white ant NZ first to try and overthrow Winston for a second time.Winston has been shafted Twice by National 3rd time coming up.National not being able to implement its tax cuts will go down like a cup of hot sick with its supporters.
I think the appropriate expression is: Fight you bastards!
Also a whole lot of farmers.
And from ACT I'm waiting to see if Hoggard gets Agriculture or Environment. Just to see how fast he rolls back animal welfare standards and introduces GE organisms.
Horrifying thought Seymour as Minister of the MSD
/shudder
The revanchism of this government looks scary. It like National in opposition spent six years mainly cultivating their own version of the Dolchstoßlegende (stabbed in the back by the eternal Winston), and now they wish to restore the country to some sort of nostalgic ante-bellum vision of Keyland where cronyism and rentier capitalism rules supreme. Perhaps Luxon will unwitting prove Marx right – “History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce”.
That is a great quote
Love that. But given how big a part Covid is playing in the revanchist desire to restore the proper order, should it be "ante-morbus" rather than "ante-bellum"? (I wouldn't know, two years of schoolboy Latin 50-odd years ago have a very short half-life.)
I hope he's only a farce, not another tragedy like Roger Douglas.
Not likely as he's a not a member of Labour
Not the point of what I'm saying, James.
They are already planning to resume live animal exports by the end of the year.
So next year they'll be complaining of the drop in milk powder price.
to bwaghorn at 2 : a frightening situation from my long-experienced viewpoint as a white woman hugely concerned for future of my great – grandchildren and their peers, male and female.
Interesting to see old boiled ham head wearing an All Black jersey on the weekend. Got me thinking about how class has become a thing in our sport nowadays. Ever since McCaw decided to shit on all those working class AB supporters by publically hanging around with Key (and latterly Luxon) and endorsing National the whole All Black schtick has evolved towards being a tedious self help Ted talk to inspire the sparklingly clean SUV crowd who see the over-priced merchandise of All Blacks brand as part of their entitlement to affordable luxury. Rugby, the senators watching the circus from the better seats of the colosseum.
Whereas working class NZers (at least in Auckland) now more or less all support the Warriors.
It is a pity, but I guess the engalitarian dream dies not with a bang, but with a whimper.
Ardern went to her fair share of All Blacks games but she wasn't as convincing as Helen Clark's support of the Warriors.
Since sporting codes have long since replaced unions for organising our working and active middle classes, why the left doesn't even try for credibility within sport is perplexing. Labour sure didn't handle Louisa Wall well.
Hopefully Cushla Tangaere-Manuel is the start of Labour giving sport its proper recognition.
I agree. If I had been Hipkins, I'd have worn Warriors gear at every opportunity south of Greenlane and been seen sharing a sausage roll with the Warriors Joker.
One thought – it is positively de rigueur amongst the fashionable chattering classes of the left to hate on the All Blacks and look down their noses at collision sports as rather beastly and uncivilised, and since that group comprises most of what passes as the left's intellectual oomph these days I think we know why the left has been slow to engage…
I'm glad my kids played football and didn't get beaten to a pulp playing rugby. Having said that, those quarter-finals last weekend were four of the finest sporting contests I have ever seen, especially those 37 phases.
Yeah a couple of the best games ever played, I'd include the refs in that as well.
Pfft I saw more injuries when I was playing soccer (including one fatality when a goal keeper hit his head on the upright of the goal above the padding) than I ever did playing rugby – admittedly both sports were a lot rougher through the 70's and 80's.
The thing that stopped me going back to soccer after finishing rugby though was to go to a match and listen to the abuse given to referees in particular. A bigger bunch of jerks I've never seen before or since.
and I have a child crippled for life from playing soccer as well – very bad injury. Late tackle.
McCaw and mates have developed an extensive multi-million dollar subdivision near Wanaka, getting consent for it in a sensitive rural landscape surprisingly easily.
To paraphrase Taika Waititi
"New Zealand corrupt as fuck"
Yes, Mr McCaw was coy about his political views when playing, but if you used your imagination it was not hard to guess…and he admitted in his “leaving” interview with Kim Hill that because of the Rugby Admins views, National was the house brand for All Blacks and very few spoke out publicly in other directions. Silence is often condoning.
Remember the pony puller in chief haunting their dressing rooms Steinie in hand and his appearance on the cover of Rugby News, masquerading as Captain, the squad in a V formation behind him, during 2014 election year? After various complaints he slipped through the rules because of the categorisation of the publication re publishing schedule. RN Editor squares off here…
https://www.sportsfreak.co.nz/that-john-key-cover-rugby-news-responds/
I raise this because the Natzos are so embedded in various quarters particularly in the provinces–sports clubs, fire stations, Police stations, business associations, Real Estate, Lodges and “benevolent” clubs many of which are defacto NZ National cadres.
Remember Maggie Barry? Former MP for North Shore? She had her electorate office on the whole upper floor of a largish building emblazoned with blue and white Nat signage. It was next door to the Takapuna Police station also two storied and emblazoned with the usual blue and white police insignia. One could easily be mistaken for the other. I had it on good authority that the social camaraderie between the two groups went well beyond normal neighbourly friendliness.
Interesting you mention that Anne, when I first moved to the Far North in the 90s, the Editor of the Northland Age had his own swipe card for the Kaitaia Police Station. This was confirmed to me by a number of people including hard bitten ex Auck Star journalist Tony Gee who worked up there.
As the cops management changed and the newspaper ownership changed–no more swipe card–but still a very cosy relationship.
Except that isn’t true Anne.
Maggie Barry had her office at the Atlas Concrete yard opposite Westlake Girls.
I’m sure you’ll have a theory about connections to the evil concrete industry that is just as bad though.
You can street view Atlas Concrete Takapuna and see the current National MP for North Shore signs up.
Lukas, Anne is correct. I had an appointment which was in the same building as Maggie Barry’s office, next to the Takapuna Police Station.
The location of the North Shore MP’s office has changed since; however, Anne is correct about where the office was located when Barry was the MP.
Why are you denying fact?
Lukas is probably a Nat voter. When the present incumbent, Simon Watts took over they moved the office elsewhere. Maybe the owner of the building didn't want the electorate office to remain after Maggie stepped down – just guessing.
I have heard from various sources Watts is very unpopular, but being a true blue seat they still vote for him.
In the words of the prophet Shania Twain,
"He's a fine piece of real estate and I'm gonna get me some land."
SO very Jane Austen.
At least the ABs can win.
But for how much longer? Being partisan has implications beyond just audience share. For example, the Irish rugby team can retain players because of a government policy that allows key sportsmen who end their playing careers in Ireland to claim back 40 per cent of the tax they paid over a 10-year period playing within the EU.
If Irish rugby was seen as partisan in the way the likes of McCaw and some officials would like, such a scheme would be unlikely to last from one electoral cycle to another.
I think Chippy should keep his job for several reasons:
Firstly, I don't think it was his fault Labour lost. He was given a hospital pass, and did the best he could from that position IMO.
Secondly, I can't really see anyone better to take over from him.
Thirdly, he seems to be a pragmatist, which is what I think Labour needs right now. I think Labour should leave all the woke stuff to the Greens, and get back to its roots, and become more aligned to workers again. I think Labour has lost its soul in many respects.
If anyone should get fired, it is whoever came up with that stupid "not National" marketing campaign that didn't give any clear messaging to vote Labour.
I would have thought that the lesson would have been learned from the "we don't trust you Mr Key" campaign that didn't work either, likely for similar reasons.
I think the "not National" campaign likely helped NZ First as much as Labour. If Labour wanted to go negative, it should have had a campaign along the lines of "National wants to do that; Labour will do this; so vote Labour."
It was National that breathed life back into Winston Peters.
No, it was women.
the moment Winnie said that males should not compete against women*, he won.
https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2023/08/17/exclude-trans-women-from-womens-bathrooms-threaten-sports-funding-nz-first/
And fwiw, it matters not how many 'women' a party claims to have, when for all intends and purposes these women* could a. be all men declaring themselves to be women, or b. the women* actively work to destroy everything other women* in the decades before them created such as female toilets, female prisons, female sports, female political lists, female awards.
It was in large numbers women* that helped Winnie win, and it was Women* who helped Labour lose.
*women – adult human female.
Personally i am very pleased that the birthing body helper from Ilam (labour) can go back to their job helping men give birth.
Do you have any evidence for these claims?
Data about votes for parties (age, gender etc) will be available later, as there is detailed research carried out after every election. None exists yet.
So far all we have is pre-election polling, which suggests you are mistaken. The female/male gender split does not favour the Right, especially not NZF:
https://essentialreport.co.nz/questions/the-vote-including-undecided-2/
https://essentialreport.co.nz/questions/nz-first-holding-the-balance-of-power/
From the groups of women i interact with, NZ First was the vote of choice, as literally they are the only party that is not head over heels gone into the gender abyss.
What can I say, we voted for the best out of totally unappealing bunch.
In Rotorua, Labour got trashed, and considering that no one knew the quota dame that ran and no one actually ever saw that person who knew if they actually existed. The dude that ran for labour is even funnier, a lawyer that ran for mayor under the rainbow colors pretending to be independent of Labour, and then suddenly covered in Red. The Green Party girl must have found a proper job, or accepted that she is not gonna win anything in Rotorua as this is the first year out of five that i have not heard from her. And she ran for MP, council, and Mayor of Rotorua.
ACT did ok. National creamed it. TPM will never win anything in Rotorua and any candidate will ruin their reputation forever if they do run under the mantle of TPM.
You can take it as you like, but Labour lost because people did not vote for them, did not donate, did not volunteer, did in fact not even entertain Labour at all. And many many of them women – human females.
As for the gender split who cares. Female and Male are now mixed sex category and thus are devoid of any meaning. The moment you include bepenised people (inverted or entire) into the pool of women – human females you’ve got nothing. Ditto for the males.
And even then I can see bepenised people who self id as something different to their sex to rather vote for the Green Party as they are even more rabid on the destruction of women's rights then the Labour party. No pretense given by the Greens which is something I consider refreshing.
Lastly, I expect the Green Party to be the death of the Labour party in the end.
That's your opinion, Observa asked for evidence. Even though Labour lost, they still got votes, so people did "entertain Labour" and donated and volunteered.
"I expect the Green Party to be the death of the Labour party in the end."
Wishful thinking.
'National proving to be far more negative than Labour'
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/10/06/study-reveals-which-big-party-has-been-most-negative-online/
Its a pity we will never see a post election media headline like:
"Big money buys NZ Election"
because nobody wants to know about it.
We are back to the bad old days of:
"nothing to see here, move on"
and
"gone by lunchtime".
Such is progress in our small country.
Marginal coverage of the south Auckland election day story.
Yup and that is surprising, since a lot of specials were cast when the system was down – with obvious implications to the final result.
That would require actual work.
Lol…indeed it would
A question I have is why it takes so long to count the specials? It was possible to count a multiples of the specials figure in one day. So, why should it take so long to count a smaller number?
I understand that each special has to go back to its 'home' electorate and is counted there.
We cast our Special Votes in London last Thursday. There were a lot of people coming in to the High Commission to vote. Most of them were older people like us – travelers with sensible shoes and backpacks! I wore my Peterloo T shirt from Manchester to remind myself about what happens when the Boss Class makes all the rules.
The Specials will all have to be sorted, checked, scanned and sent to the relevant Electorate Returning Officers.
Having worked in a voting place on Saturday and done the required training I have a much better understanding of special votes than I did before.
Each person who makes a special vote has to make a special vote declaration to the returning officer in the electorate they believe they are entitled to vote in. The declaration is checked and witnessed by the issuing officer in the voting place who issues them a ballot paper which goes into an envelope with two pockets along with the declaration and is returned to the home electorate. If someone is enrolling and voting their enrolment form is processed separately post voting day. There are seven options as to why someone is making a special vote.
From what I understand (as we just did the declaration checking and witnessing and ballot issuing) the specials are returned to the home electorate where each one has be be checked to confirm it is a valid special vote. I think this is what takes the time. The counting is the easy bit at the end.
One for Labour.
Three for National.
One for Labour.
Four for National.
One for Labour
;..and counting.
How are we doing John?
Our LEC is going to be looking at the way we campaign the future.
The day of leaflets, billboards, and sign waving may be over. They are expensive, and either end up slashed, defaced, in the rubbish, or in our case, actually sawn down. Time, money and energy may be better put into social media. Door knocking might stay, as it is face to face contact. We don’t have the financial resources to spread ourselves too thin.
Partly by consistently banging the law and order drum to ramp up fear, the National MP has turned our electorate into the most right wing in the country. Our candidate was outstanding; young, female, local, and incredibly hard working.
I’ll be interested to see what other LECs are thinking.
Mostly we do it because the other side does it, and some of our supporters get demoralised if we don't have at least some visibility in a sea of blue.
Can someone here advise me – a superannuat living in a boarding house do they receive the living alone allowance or is it classed as shared accommodation?
Barfly – in your situation, if you are self-sufficient i.e., renting a room in a boarding house and buying your own groceries, doing your own cooking, etc. – you should be classed as living alone and therefore receive the living alone allowance.
As Work and Income often give different advice to different people, and so much can depend on who you strike on the day, I would recommend first talking directly with Work and Income (if you can ever get through – current wait time 81 minutes!!!) and if you have no joy, contact a beneficiary advocate with your query; there are a lot dotted around New Zealand.
Good luck.
Would have thought "shared" means a family or long-term partner situation not independent living
Despicable characters.
//
When 12-year-old Braden Fahey collapsed during football practice and died, it was just the beginning of his parents’ nightmare.
Deep in their grief a few months later, Gina and Padrig Fahey received news that shocked them to their core: A favorite photo of their beloved son was plastered on the cover of a book that falsely argues COVID-19 vaccines caused a spike of sudden deaths among healthy young people.
The book, called “Cause Unknown,” was co-published by an anti-vaccine group led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President John F. Kennedy’s nephew, who is now running for president. Kennedy wrote the foreword and promoted the book, tweeting that it details data showing “ COVID shots are a crime against humanity.”
The Faheys couldn’t understand how Braden’s face appeared on the book’s cover, or why his name appeared inside it.
Braden never received the vaccine.
https://news.yahoo.com/rfk-jr-spent-years-stoking-155201428.html
I thought Luxon was making a reasonable point when he said negotiations should not be held in the media spotlight. Bored journalists want to be constantly fed the latest updates – the public, not so much.
Except … Luxon has been all over the media every day since the election. Today he's in Auckland giving yet another press conference. He'll obviously be asked about the obvious, and he'll obviously not answer the obvious.
His media advisers should take him aside and explain that if he has nothing to say, that's OK. But don't keep holding press conferences to say it.
The gaffe machine loves to talk Obs-why use one word when ten will do?
This is a problem for a politician, because, as any experienced court witness will tell you, the less you say the better.
He's addicted to the limelight. We've got three years of this. Think I'll be bypassing the 6pm news from now on. Watching that bald head spout slogans and platitudes night after night will be bad for my health.
Narcissism unleashed.
He's still on the campaign trail by the look of his school visit on tv1 news
I think this whole vote counting thing is a bit of an anachronism. Surely, we could have computers with touch screens set up in the booths that feed the results straight into a central data base. The specials could be handled in a similar way, with a few more steps to complete the voting process. Then, we would have the results instantly, rather than waiting for several weeks.
Sounds great until bugs cause incorrect results or worse, it gets hacked. However unlikely people think that is, it only has to happen once to be awful.
voting by paper is far far more secure than voting by a computer network.
+1
For those wondering about Special Votes, this table from the last election is useful.
Not for where they will go (we don't know) but where they are from. Overwhelmingly, the Specials are cast within New Zealand. Not overseas. Ignore the talking heads on TV/radio, who don't do their homework.
Electorate Candidate Special Declaration Votes by Electorate (electionresults.govt.nz)
Greens apparently do well out of the overseas vote as well as the Specials. Disproportionately on the overseas vote I guess.
Do you happen to have the link to the prelim results for 2017 and 2020?
2017 and 2020
For detailed figures, they can be derived from various results because the specials are usually available separately.
Reti cancelling public hospitals so that he can profit from private clinics
Seymour trying to turn public education into a gambling app
Mitchell crapping on human rights because he doesn't like gang patches
Luxon about to open the gates of hell and ruin the future of home buyers and renters (+bonus! cancel your fair pay agreement)
We are fucked
it's bad and we're not fucked. We going to do the mahi over the next three years to change the government.
Hopefully before then as this coalition of clowns seems likely to self-destruct
I'm inclined to agree.
Labour will go away and soul search
The Greens and TPM will consolidate and grow their vote.
ACT will be exposed as incompetent…all bark no trousers…
National will have to face all kinds of headwinds…climate related, economic….let's see how well they do in the eyes of a fractious public.The end of NZ first. Winnie just doesn't have it anymore,he's gone bizarre in a failed attempt to be relevant and NZ first is nothing without Winnie.Although I did rate his previous 2nd in command
The old world is changing
Hope lies in a couple of scenarios:
• NACT goes all Liz Truss and loses the electorate for years to come, trying to do things too quickly. Upheaval is too unpalatable.
• NACT+NZF is shambolic and impotent. Scandal after scandal. Bickering and vetoing gets old, fast. Voters are appalled.
• Timidity hamstrings any massive change, certainly nothing we can’t undo in three years. Even a double-termer is survivable.
• (As I put in an earlier comment) It’s an utterly poisoned chalice due to international factors, the outlook is grim for any govt; voters want change, again.
There’s no God-given rule that a govt should be a multi-termer, people might wake up and realise what they’ve voted for before then. Labour might get away from the failed centre. Younger, more desperate and concerned green voters may increase in the stats.
Trivia Q: How many people 2yrs and 364 days to young to vote this year, will be eligible in 2026?
Wouldn't know where to start finding that.
I mean small-g green, btw. I thought it might happen this time round, due to the ever-loudening warnings we’re getting on climate and other emergencies. That message could increase (though not from this sorry upcoming govt). Interesting trend forming though, with the GP electorates and the increased GP vote.
Stats NZ have reasonable population statistics – if you mean how many people will turn 18 in time to vote at the next general election, about 195,000 going by Infoshare.
I wouldn’t be so optimistic about Labour’s chances in 2026. National just need to run a very simple campaign. One Labour was unable to in 2023: these are the things we’ve done, these are the things that have improved.
The other problem Labour has is they’re now just a smaller version of the party the country kicked out last weekend. It needs many MPs to move on during the term to bring fresh talent in. Little to his credit has done that. Unfortunately it’s just bought Shannan back, so no gains there.
Oh don't worry, I'm an old pessimist from waaaaay back. But if there was ever a need for optimism, it's now.
Like you, I’m incredibly optimistic… that labour won’t see government until to 2030’s, if they manage to survive as a party until then. I expect they have become an irrelevance both to the left and right. You just need to look at the regular posts from Greg / Mickeysavage to evidence this. It’s everyone else that’s wrong, never Labour.
[Lately, your comments have become increasingly trollish, but I draw the line at attacking a TS Author with lies. This is your warning – Incognito]
That's just wishful thinking.
Mod note
What if the next 3 years do not go according to National's plan? If that turns out to be the case, do you think National could get away with running another scam in 2026?
"a smaller version of the party" like National was after the 2020 election. National came back and so can Labour.
Surely the conversation about Labour regaining power is about what Labour need to change or stand for. This daydreaming that NAct will be so bad is going to lead to disappointment.
You have to give credit where it's due. A first term MP, made leader, turned a small, thoroughly beaten, divisive rabble into a government in waiting. Labour's failure to deliver on many things was partly responsible for that.
There's absolutely no doubt about what Luxon, Willis, Mitchell et al. stand for – it's to make life even more profitable for themselves and their backers, and even tougher for "bottom feeders".
You have to admire National’s clarity of message, and their genuine desire and ability to deliver – on specific promises – let the 'good times' roll.
Mate, yr singing to the choir. Why more hasn't been made about Land Lord Luxon's proposed
conflict of interestrevamping of 'property investors' returns is beyond me.Still, what do Labour stand for?
Perhaps Labour are in it more for "bottom feeders" (serfs) than they are for mega landLords? But mega landLords do have such deep pockets.
https://www.labour.org.nz/socialdevelopment
Imho, Labour's priorities are no mystery. I'm personally deeply appreciative of our government's decision to prioritise health during a pandemic. They didn't have too, but given the limited capacity of our public health service any other course would have courted disaster.
The changes introduced by the 6th Labour-led government provide some clues about what Labour stands for, in particular those changes which "Lord Luxon" intends to reverse.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/10/16/the-labour-policies-that-face-being-scrapped-under-national/
The authors of those 'scrapped/axed' articles don't opine on likely trends in the hourly minimum adult wage, currently $22.70 – a 44% increase in six years (since 2017). For comparison, the minimum wage increased by 31% in the nine years between 2008 ($12) and 2017 ($15.75), so in the last six years the minimum wage has increased at more than double the rate during the nine years before that.
https://www.employment.govt.nz/hours-and-wages/pay/minimum-wage/previous-rates/
Think I know, and admit that some clues are open to interpretation.
Drowsy.
Not about "daydreaming" it was a hypothetical response to Jack's claims.
"A first term MP, made leader, turned a small, thoroughly beaten, divisive rabble into a government in waiting."
"He was bankrolled by the richest people in NZ.. the social media behind him was bankrolled by foreign money"
"It's outrageous to say Luxon's own efforts got him across the line"
I acknowledge Labour were well outspent come election time, but you can't realistically deny the change in discipline from the Nats once Luxon took over.
It was certainly better than the crew in charge.
Disagree with your opinion.
He hasn't taken over yet and is unlikely to do so for another month or more depending on the outcome of the specials and Winnie's unpredictable ways.
How is that hospital in Dunedin coming along?
National has promised a few hospital rebuilds too, they will face the same issues. Dont forget the new medical school, more frontline workers in provincial hospitals.
Like the many hats John Key would be wearing to avoid issues, Luxon will find many variations of what the word "commit" means
as for your question
https://www.cpbcon.com.au/en/news-and-media/2021/cimics-cpb-contractors-secures-ece-for-new-dunedin-hospital
'Vital signs of progress at hospital site'
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/health/vital-signs-progress-hospital-site
'The New Dunedin Hospital will be built in two stages'
https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/our-health-system/infrastructure-and-investment/new-dunedin-hospital/
I ll probably repeat this tomorrow –
Immigration and House sales to overseas investors and Winston Peters
I see some dead rats waiting to be swallowed.
A mission for Labour is to identify achievable policy that's both popular and beneficial to society whilst at the same time being an anathema to the RW political parties. I know that's a tall order but I may have an idea or two rattling around that's worth looking at.
Barfly. I totally agree about the achievable policies and sounding out what the ‘bottom feeders’ really want and need and aim for that but don’t make impossible promises. We ourselves are joining the Labour Party and will do what it takes to make New Zealand/Aotearoa great again. We are poor boomers so have plenty of time to give to the cause as well as becoming financial members.
I don’t think it will take long for Luxon to crumble. He’s already proven that even though he’s got a shiny dome he’s not very bright. It didn’t take Chris H long to turn him into a slavering mess. Seymour will probably cause a race war and then have to go into hiding. As for Winston every time I look at him the song ‘Never smile at a crocodile’ pops into my head. Not kidding. It’s very annoying. Good times ahead. Can’t wait to get started.