His analysis is completely wrong where the prime minister is concerned. He's a misogynistic creep and should be called out on it.
In fact I’d go further and say he is a lying a*****e.
One example: every APEC the leaders have a photo in their silly shirts etc. Does the leader of the host country get lambasted for being soft and weak? No. They do a zoom version of the same photo in NZ. He ridicules Ardern as if she’s “rolling out mush”.
I don't have the same respect for Ardern's talent as a PM as you do. Beyond the things she's famous for & the carefully manufactured & cultured image, there's not a lot of clever work going on in the engine room behind her.
That’s a very good first question, Blazer. I want to spend some hours thinking about it before replying to that one.
…………………………..
“Nationals most popular leader epitomised the smile and wave m.o and his carefully crafted persona gelled with the voters. Very little real substance behind his ‘success’.”
………………………….
Interesting you should say that. I certainly wouldn’t disagree with your opinion there. You may not recall me saying so previously on YNZ, but I sometimes watch The House at Question Time & I’ve commented on there that I see quite a few parallels between Ardern & Key in their debate & answer styles in The House.
Ardern is a lot more garrulous than Key ever was but they display a lot of the same smart-arsery when set up by their principal lieutenants to get a dig in to the Oppos by having someone else deliver the cutting remark, without tainting their own carefully crafted image.
PS: Sir John Key’s success, imo, was always built off the solid, dependable work of his Deputy, Sir Simon William (Bill) English KNZM. Without Bill, Key had nuthin.
That's right,and what happened to us NZ getting parity with Aussie,we only got closer when the Aussies slipped backwards.
edited: income and living standards.
PS: Sir John Key’s success, imo, was always built off the solid, dependable work of his Deputy, Sir Simon William (Bill) English KNZM. Without Bill, Key had nuthin.'-quote in context.
When the 'crisis' started is debateable.
We know up until at least 2017 the Govt of the day said there was no crisis.
Dunno what the heck happened there – half my 1st sentence is missing. It said:
“B If “solid, dependable work” is your idea of “glowing praise” you’d wet yourself if you saw my email copied to the CEO of CCDHB.”
When you say the start of the housing crisis is “debatable”, do you mean it probly* started during the Clark/Cullen regime?
*probly – a new word that means the same as “probably” but is shorter, has fewer syllables, & seems to be increasingly favoured by a clutch of new, young tv cub reporters.
That is certainly a great deal more sensible than our current lot are doing. The Cullen Fund, as originally set up, was to be the recipient of excess Government revenue, ie taxes. The theory, which made no economic sense by the way, was that we would save the money up today and spend it in 40 years or so.
What are we doing now? We are borrowing money which we put into the Cullen Fund. At some future date we may get something out of the fund with which, if we are very lucky and manage to keep our politician's grubby little paws off it in the meantime, be able to repay the borrowing.
The best thing we can do with the Cullen Fund is to wind it up and spend the money on Covid support expenditure and not borrow all of the $100,000,000,000.00 that Robertson is lumbering us with.
Bill was not particularly solid – we saw the measure of the man with Solid Energy, for which he was responsible minister. Under his watch it fell apart and had to be hocked off in pieces for a song. Not the sort of trick one would have seen from a safe pair of hands.
Bill English lost our respect over his behaviour about the other Todd. (Barclay). He tried to hide his part in that, and had to alter his Police statement.
Jacinda Ardern does not need your affirmation Gezza. As I said when you described her grasp of the English language in very caustic terms, ICU.
Bill English and his mate Bill Birch did untold harm with their contract acts austerity and tax cuts.
You ask “What did Cullen do?” He called out the “Rich pricks” he began a savings scheme which assists first home buyers and encourages the habit of saving and will assist many at retirement.
He left the country in a sound state, even Bill English admitted that.
Of course Ardern doesn’t need my affirmation, Patricia. Who on earth would think she did?
We’ll have to wait a bit & see what kind of Financial Manager Robertson is. He’s running a fairly conservative fiscal policy according to most commentators, & it’s not fixing many of the problems in our society at the bottom end. In fact it may even be excerbating them.
Wellington inner city violent crime is up p, for example, ever since they started moving gang members & associates & partners & people with all sorts of problems not being sorted (eg mental health issues) into “emergency accommodation” in city motels & hotels.
There are occasional reports of similar problems in other places as it has become realised MSD/Housing under Labour is very slow to act at all on problem tenants.
Prison muster is down, but nationally violent crime is up. Connected?
Gang recruitment well outpacing police recruitment.
Child povidy continually reported to be worse – or at least no better.
Queues at Foodbankd reportedly longest ever.
Ardern has over time now become a high profile constantly-on-tv micro-managing expert on the minutiae of Covid. That should be Hipkins’ job, imo.
A good PM should be working on getting her ministers to sort out this other stuff, imo.
Your aligning Key and Jacinda through their responses to questions in the House is way off the mark, Gezza: Key was a smarmy pr*ck, leveraging opportunities to smear the Opposition at every turn, where Jacinda politely answers challenges from the frustrated Opposition kindly (almost always) and truthfully – this is very frustrating for the Opps, Collins and cohorts, but there you are: she's poles apart from their way and top of the pile; much to their chagrin! 🙂
I often watch Question Time, Gezza, as I did when Key was PM. I saw him trial various unpleasant provocations/slap-downs/outrages/shitty behaviours; the sorts of things Jacinda does not do.
Well, if I was, that would be a first time for me. But I’m not. So maybe just go back to sleep, or at least let sleeping dogs lie & don’t try to pick a fight over an error on your part?
I am not politically tribal, as I have said here before.
Although I would not willingly personally take on the life of a poitician, & particularly a Cabinet Minister – one worth their salt, who works hard & long and takes their responsibilities seriously – I have what I consider to be a healthy cynicism for politicians of all shades in all parties.
And the longer they’ve been in Parliament the more cynical I tend to be about them, particularly if they hadn’t achieved much of note earlier in the careers.
In this instance I think you are right. I enjoy Gezza's mother nature videos and some of his general comments, but he is oh so wrong about Jacinda.
She's not perfect (no-one has ever suggested she is) but she is very astute and has an inner steel about her. There are habits of hers that do annoy me but won't go into them here. However most people can see she is one of the most genuine politicians that has been around for some time.
However most people can see she is one of the most genuine politicians that has been around for some time.
I’ ve been thinking about that, after you said it. I think you’re probably right. But she’s just a professional pollie, wanted a career in politics.
Little probably in it with the aim of making things better for at least union members in NZ. Dunno about Hipkins. Political animal I think, maybe. With Robertson, I think it’s also just his chosen career from some time back. Had his eye on politics.
But the measure of all of them will be what lasting good (or ill) they achieve, for NZ as a whole, as a social & economic nation & entity, looking back. And at the moment, take Covid out of the mix, & there’s not a lot of improvement to see yet.
I struggle to figure Ardern out. She is a terrific communicator, is likeable and warm, has built huge political capital. Yet for all that her government has failed by many of it's own measures, and you can add to that much of what now passes as it's response to Covid. Is that down to Ardern's failings, or is she doing her best with a government of limited ability?
John Key surrounded himself with smarter competent people. Jacinda has not. Many ministers Kelvin, Poto, Twyford etc. promoted well beyond their means. This is why they are failing to achieve much.
Jimmy's right,Labour are short of talent,she has let one or two have a good go,but they fu@k up,take Twyford. I am most disapointed with Ms Russell,had high hopes their,smart educated but turns out to be smartarse and probably educated beyond her intellect,could make mention of others but think that will do for now.
Nonsense, Jimmy. Key's "smarter competent people" were Brownlie, Smith at al. Unpleasant bullies, skilled at bullsh*tting and bullying. Jacinda's ministers are real-enough people, not pumped-up, Neo-lib bully-boys! You're welcome!
Well that is your opinion of those ministers but they certainly had more life and business skills (and had even had jobs in the real world!) than many of the current Labour MP's. And I agree, Key did had some not very good ones and he demoted or got rid of them.
The question to ask yourself is, if you were running a medium sized business or charitable organization or whatever, which Labour MP's would you employ or contract in your business/ organization?
Eg. We would only employ Poto in the warehouse packing orders. (Hopefully she wouldn't stuff that up).
Sure he did – like Paula Bennett, Judith Collins, Stephen Joyce, Gerry Brownlee, and so on. The only fractionally competent minister Key had was Finlayson.
For communication to work properly you need to engage your brain before opening your mouth. I'm afraid that when their is nothing to connect to there emerges a great deal of drivel.
Bishop is showing the politics of envy while pundits admit there is no one in National who has Jacinda's abilities .
Likewise John Key had the same abilities and this is why Bishop is showing that in his opinion piece hoping Jacinda resigns throwing in the towel like John Key did leaving the door open for National.
Otherwise National hasn't got a hope is what he really fears.
She’s already said beforecthe last election that if she can’t be PM she’ll resign. She has another future roughly mapped out, in all likelihood, expecting probably several offers of lucrative sinecures from offshore.
While National’s in the fetid & confused disarray characterised by Collins’s leadership there seems little likelihood the electorate will want to swap out one lot of underachievers for a new lot with many untested newbies & some tired old has beens.
I've never suggested she is talking about quitting if she can still be PM.
Not quite sure what your point is in even discussing this?
In answer to a direct question, before the last election, would she stay on in Parliament if she was not going to be Prime Minister again, Ardern replied, simply, & quite unequivocally, "No".
As to my speculations she would in that situation accept other offers of work, I am convinced that she would & that several offers would be made immediately she quits Parliament, if not before. People travel & take up new jobs with children all the time.
Elimination ended on the 21st of September 2021, when the government, under pressure from business, gave up on their elimination strategys, and replaced it with the Three Step Roadmap out of lockdown.
Every measure of the government's covid response taken since then, has been part of the 'Three Step Roadmap' plan to open up the economy even as case numbers, hospitalisations, and deaths increase.
Bishops diatribe is a manifestation of bitter disappointment and frustration at the rights complete inability to find a leader with two brain cells to rub together. If the charge had any credibility it is blown out of the water by the Ardern Governments leadership of the Covid response to a war like no other in 100 years, and to be at the top of the league table for results in the world. Of course being the father of such a contradictory mess and confused rattleheadedness as his offspring must be galling to say the least.
New policy for the administration of Covid vaccines to young people 12-17 years in the UK.
Increase from 4 weeks to 12 weeks between first and second dose.
12 weeks from natural infection to first dose of vaccine.
The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and if you or your child has experienced no symptoms of myocarditis then there is no reason to be worried if they had their first dose at less than 12 weeks following infection.
Anyone who is concerned should be reassured that these side effects occur within a few days of vaccination. Most people recovered and felt better following rest and simple treatments.
If younger people experience any of the following symptoms after receiving their vaccination, they should call 111 or see their GP:
pain and/or tightness in the chest which may spread across the body
pain in the neck that may spread across the shoulders and/or arms
shortness of breath when lightly exercising or walking
difficulty breathing when resting or feeling light-headed
flu-like symptoms such as a high temperature, tiredness and fatigue
palpitations or an abnormal heart rhythm
feeling like you need to be sick
In younger people, protection from natural infection is likely to be high for at least 3 months so they will be protected against COVID-19 infection for some time,
I do realise that posting here on TS a link from the JCVI (Clinical advisors to the UK government for vaccination) could cop me another ban but this is very, very important.
Assuming that the jab enthused give an actual shit about prevent harm…
We have exceedingly specific geographic management through the DHB's, and the system is reallocating resource according to need. Re-published every 24 hours, with breakdowns to v small population centres and indeed to census meshblock data.
ICU capacity is fine according to the Director General of Health as at this morning.
MIQ is a deliberate control of international access because it is also the same as the disease vector.
Saliva testing hasn't yet been necessary if you want to move around the country. All you have to do is book, and it's free.
The rest of our globally-benchmarked success is down to both exceedingly good governmental management from top to bottom, and exceptional public compliance.
The governments response to Covid from the end of the alpha outbreak has been shambolic. Unless you think having one of the slowest vaccine roll outs in the OECD and not increasing ICU capacity is a success.
In MIQ no one with half a brain should give a damn about yet another whining multimillionaire's story about his trip. There's been several of those self-entitled stories. Of course they will compare it to everywhere else. When everywhere else is a nightmare.
The saliva testing procurement procurement process is not evidence of whether it would be needed now.
The NZ COVID Era success measures are pretty easy, and you can benchmark them to any country our size or over, all you like, with just a wee movement of your fingers on your keyboard:
– Headline unemployment and labour underutilisation. Near best in world for 2020 and 2021.
– GDP growth. Top 15% of world.
– COVID mortality. Lowest 2% of countries per 1,000.
– COVID morbidity. Lowest 2% of countries per 1,000
– Social license and civic unrest. Exceedingly low, and a remarkably popular government.
– Percentage of population in lockdowns, or even severe restrictions. Short and sharp. Good comparator for size of country is Austria. Check them out now.
– Electronic card spending compared to 2 years ago, and NZ consumer confidence. Approximately same as 2019.
– Massive shift in economy away from commodity education and commodity education towards higher productivity sectors. In fact the July 2021 EY report says New Zealand is – for now – in the No 1 position in the global fight against the negative economic and health impacts associated with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Always plenty to complain about I'm sure. Just not much of it here.
"As of yesterday D-G Bloomfield confirmed ICU capacity was fine. "
Oh so it's all ok then. Despite what the people actually delivering the service say.
I also think this is a stupid position (or politically motivated). Despite there being problems during a global pandemic within a country wracked by neoliberalism including decades of fuckery with the health system, we've still had relatively few lockdowns, few deaths, fewer long covid cases than if we'd… what exactly?
The case and mortality numbers are low due to luck and geography, primarily. My view is the government responded well in 2020, but then rested on their laurels. The vaccine roll out was too late and too slow, the ability of hospitals to deal with a surge has not be resolved and the debacle around the nasal swab contract, when regular testing is being rolled out in many other first world countries, are just some examples.
But everything else? Most places could have shut airports and ports of entry if they'd had the will. Some politicians tried to half-arse it or leave it up to personal responsibility, and thousands of their citizens died. those are the major factors.
We had some luck – Wellington delta tourist comes to mind – but most of it was actually down to competent leadership and coordinated comms. Not perfect, but at least an "A" grade compared to the US/UK "E".
"The only way geography had a significant effect was that we saw Europe fuck it up."
Nope. We have a massive advantage being an island in terms of controlling who comes in and out of our country. We are also a long way from the most commonly used transport routes.
"Not perfect, but at least an "A" grade compared to the US/UK "E"."
Some comparison. I prefer to think how we could have done if we had rolled out the vaccine program earlier, made better decisions around saliva testing and spent some of the 100bn debt we've racked up actually on healthcare.
Hong Kong is a major trade route, and has territory on the mainland.
Then of course there's China itself – big trader, known for not being contained on an island.
Not to mention many of the African nations with low covid rates, land borders, and healthy trade and transit cargo levels.
As for grade, you can captain hindsight every step. But how many governments handled it better than NZ, in the real world? And what did they do differently?
" But how many governments handled it better than NZ, in the real world?"
I guess that depends on how you define 'better'. Comparisons are difficult because of differences in geography, population density, types of government and health systems. And what is the measure – is it health outcomes? Economic outcomes?
We could us Queensland's data. Similar population to NZ. We've had 9,652 cases, 38 deaths. Q'land have had 2,112 cases and only 7 deaths. Or we could use Ireland, similar population, 516,000 cases and 5609 deaths.
Rather than cherry pick, I'd rather compare what we've done with what we could have done better. It's not all been bad, but some of it has been.
So what did Queensland do that we didn't and same for Ireland?
I will also point out that the difference between 0.7/100k and 0.3/100k is pretty darn close, statistically. Especially when compared to Ireland's 112/100k.
When criticising, one can compare against the perfect, or the real world. Captain Hindsight judges against perfection, but in the real world this government deserves to be graded on a curve.
"When criticising, one can compare against the perfect, or the real world. "
Comparing against the perfect is churlish. Comparing against what was possible, what we could have done better, is how any individual or group should reasonably be assessed or assess itself.
NZ geography has certainly helped us. We are miles away at the bottom of the world, with a large moat around us. Also, large majority of overseas people come in via Auckland (mostly airport) and sea port. So far fewer points of entry than a European country for example.
Britain, for example, doesn't have customs and immigration folk well-distributed across their ports of entry? These ports don't have other staff onsite?
Of course they do. All they had to do was put up a "closed" sign.
That probably explains its complete irrelevance to the post that you stuck it on.
KB specialises in being shallow and lazy commentators going for the lowest possible common denominator without bothering to engage their brain to explain the relevance of what they are blathering about.
And also also explains why I pressed the OpenMike button to consign to a post where it was vaguely relevant in.
The Taxpayers Union seem to be up to all kinds of mischief of late. I did a whois lookup on motherofallprotests.nz on dnc.org.nz
The registrant contact seems to be different to what has been reported on twitter (taxpayers union) so I dug further and looked up some more information on the NZ entity of The Campaign Company, who were registered on 4 November 2021.
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Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
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Damn good song – I like the way that they reused the old highwayman song and gave alternate lyrics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxfDnMhZFi4
+10 well done.
An NZ version would be interesting.
What a mealy mouthed, sour graped and pathetic little prick of a man!. Yes, I know who he is. Chris Bishop's father!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/127018250/is-ardern-abdicating-the-leadership
Soper has a rival for the most detestable journalist in the country.
Shocked me that anyone would produce such vile…..must out into garden to immerse in beautiful sights and sounds.
I don’t think his analysis is all that wrong, he just wastes far too many words on extraordinarily petty personal insults & general sniping.
Surprised Stuff published it. I wouldn’t have.
His analysis is completely wrong where the prime minister is concerned. He's a misogynistic creep and should be called out on it.
In fact I’d go further and say he is a lying a*****e.
One example: every APEC the leaders have a photo in their silly shirts etc. Does the leader of the host country get lambasted for being soft and weak? No. They do a zoom version of the same photo in NZ. He ridicules Ardern as if she’s “rolling out mush”.
I don't have the same respect for Ardern's talent as a PM as you do. Beyond the things she's famous for & the carefully manufactured & cultured image, there's not a lot of clever work going on in the engine room behind her.
What qualities do you admire in a leader Gezza?
I think media and PR is probably the most important skill,given democracies are usually consensus driven politics.
Just like health officials form Covid policy to the major degree and the P.M and associates present it to the public.
Take a look at Todd Muller,supposedly competent but communication skills were glaringly absent.
Nationals most popular leader epitomised the smile and wave m.o and his carefully crafted persona gelled with the voters.
Very little real substance behind his 'success'.
That’s a very good first question, Blazer. I want to spend some hours thinking about it before replying to that one.
…………………………..
“Nationals most popular leader epitomised the smile and wave m.o and his carefully crafted persona gelled with the voters. Very little real substance behind his ‘success’.”
………………………….
Interesting you should say that. I certainly wouldn’t disagree with your opinion there. You may not recall me saying so previously on YNZ, but I sometimes watch The House at Question Time & I’ve commented on there that I see quite a few parallels between Ardern & Key in their debate & answer styles in The House.
Ardern is a lot more garrulous than Key ever was but they display a lot of the same smart-arsery when set up by their principal lieutenants to get a dig in to the Oppos by having someone else deliver the cutting remark, without tainting their own carefully crafted image.
PS: Sir John Key’s success, imo, was always built off the solid, dependable work of his Deputy, Sir Simon William (Bill) English KNZM. Without Bill, Key had nuthin.
Very glowing praise for a very average career politician .
Inherited the spoils of Cullens masterly economic management and just borrowed and kept borrowing.
Ignored the housing crisis,defunded public services to try and achieve budget surplus and failed miserably.
Halted contributions to the Cullen Fund,halved Kiwisaver contributions and enjoyed a thoroughly undeserved reputation as a 'safe pair of hands'.
His 'rockstar economy' relied on property inflation and ramping immigration to boost GDP….and now we are left to deal with the… dire effects.
That's right,and what happened to us NZ getting parity with Aussie,we only got closer when the Aussies slipped backwards.
edited: income and living standards.
@ B
What did the sarcastic, acerbic Cullen do about the housing crisis, btw? When did it start?
'
PS: Sir John Key’s success, imo, was always built off the solid, dependable work of his Deputy, Sir Simon William (Bill) English KNZM. Without Bill, Key had nuthin.'-quote in context.
When the 'crisis' started is debateable.
We know up until at least 2017 the Govt of the day said there was no crisis.
Dunno what the heck happened there – half my 1st sentence is missing. It said:
“B If “solid, dependable work” is your idea of “glowing praise” you’d wet yourself if you saw my email copied to the CEO of CCDHB.”
When you say the start of the housing crisis is “debatable”, do you mean it probly* started during the Clark/Cullen regime?
*probly – a new word that means the same as “probably” but is shorter, has fewer syllables, & seems to be increasingly favoured by a clutch of new, young tv cub reporters.
You leave saint Cullen alone , kiwisaver was a master stroke . As long as no fucks with it itll help so many kiwis into houses and into old age.
"Halted contributions to the Cullen Fund".
That is certainly a great deal more sensible than our current lot are doing. The Cullen Fund, as originally set up, was to be the recipient of excess Government revenue, ie taxes. The theory, which made no economic sense by the way, was that we would save the money up today and spend it in 40 years or so.
What are we doing now? We are borrowing money which we put into the Cullen Fund. At some future date we may get something out of the fund with which, if we are very lucky and manage to keep our politician's grubby little paws off it in the meantime, be able to repay the borrowing.
The best thing we can do with the Cullen Fund is to wind it up and spend the money on Covid support expenditure and not borrow all of the $100,000,000,000.00 that Robertson is lumbering us with.
alwyn I say alwyn….don't you realise the Cullen Fund was the reason English could make such large borrowings from international financiers.
Have you offered your advice to Norway regarding their National Fund!
50 billion Alwyn .
Speaking to the then Michael Cullen,he felt it to be, one of the only ways of putting some wealth into a low wage economy.
Bill was not particularly solid – we saw the measure of the man with Solid Energy, for which he was responsible minister. Under his watch it fell apart and had to be hocked off in pieces for a song. Not the sort of trick one would have seen from a safe pair of hands.
Bill English lost our respect over his behaviour about the other Todd. (Barclay). He tried to hide his part in that, and had to alter his Police statement.
Jacinda Ardern does not need your affirmation Gezza. As I said when you described her grasp of the English language in very caustic terms, ICU.
Bill English and his mate Bill Birch did untold harm with their contract acts austerity and tax cuts.
You ask “What did Cullen do?” He called out the “Rich pricks” he began a savings scheme which assists first home buyers and encourages the habit of saving and will assist many at retirement.
He left the country in a sound state, even Bill English admitted that.
Of course Ardern doesn’t need my affirmation, Patricia. Who on earth would think she did?
We’ll have to wait a bit & see what kind of Financial Manager Robertson is. He’s running a fairly conservative fiscal policy according to most commentators, & it’s not fixing many of the problems in our society at the bottom end. In fact it may even be excerbating them.
Wellington inner city violent crime is up p, for example, ever since they started moving gang members & associates & partners & people with all sorts of problems not being sorted (eg mental health issues) into “emergency accommodation” in city motels & hotels.
There are occasional reports of similar problems in other places as it has become realised MSD/Housing under Labour is very slow to act at all on problem tenants.
Prison muster is down, but nationally violent crime is up. Connected?
Gang recruitment well outpacing police recruitment.
Child povidy continually reported to be worse – or at least no better.
Queues at Foodbankd reportedly longest ever.
Ardern has over time now become a high profile constantly-on-tv micro-managing expert on the minutiae of Covid. That should be Hipkins’ job, imo.
A good PM should be working on getting her ministers to sort out this other stuff, imo.
English also rorted the MP's housing allowance by claiming his primary residence was in Dipton.
The 'double dipper from Dipton' – just another parasite
Your aligning Key and Jacinda through their responses to questions in the House is way off the mark, Gezza: Key was a smarmy pr*ck, leveraging opportunities to smear the Opposition at every turn, where Jacinda politely answers challenges from the frustrated Opposition kindly (almost always) and truthfully – this is very frustrating for the Opps, Collins and cohorts, but there you are: she's poles apart from their way and top of the pile; much to their chagrin! 🙂
Either you don’t watch much Question Time or you put your rose-coloured blinkers on when you do.
I often watch Question Time, Gezza, as I did when Key was PM. I saw him trial various unpleasant provocations/slap-downs/outrages/shitty behaviours; the sorts of things Jacinda does not do.
Grant, Chris & formerly Winston do that for her; all she has to do is agree.
Robert … we know Key is a prick,Ardern is a much better person,but she is garrulous I'm afraid,too my mind.
Gezza ….had to look that one up "garrulous,she is.
How wrong you are, Gezza! Jacinda forges on, her critics rant and rave but make no ground. She's made of stern stuff.
I’m not wrong. You just can’t see it. Too tribal, probly.
Gezza, I suspect, is concern trolling!
Well, if I was, that would be a first time for me. But I’m not. So maybe just go back to sleep, or at least let sleeping dogs lie & don’t try to pick a fight over an error on your part?
I am not politically tribal, as I have said here before.
Although I would not willingly personally take on the life of a poitician, & particularly a Cabinet Minister – one worth their salt, who works hard & long and takes their responsibilities seriously – I have what I consider to be a healthy cynicism for politicians of all shades in all parties.
And the longer they’ve been in Parliament the more cynical I tend to be about them, particularly if they hadn’t achieved much of note earlier in the careers.
In this instance I think you are right. I enjoy Gezza's mother nature videos and some of his general comments, but he is oh so wrong about Jacinda.
She's not perfect (no-one has ever suggested she is) but she is very astute and has an inner steel about her. There are habits of hers that do annoy me but won't go into them here. However most people can see she is one of the most genuine politicians that has been around for some time.
However most people can see she is one of the most genuine politicians that has been around for some time.
I’ ve been thinking about that, after you said it. I think you’re probably right. But she’s just a professional pollie, wanted a career in politics.
Little probably in it with the aim of making things better for at least union members in NZ. Dunno about Hipkins. Political animal I think, maybe. With Robertson, I think it’s also just his chosen career from some time back. Had his eye on politics.
But the measure of all of them will be what lasting good (or ill) they achieve, for NZ as a whole, as a social & economic nation & entity, looking back. And at the moment, take Covid out of the mix, & there’s not a lot of improvement to see yet.
I struggle to figure Ardern out. She is a terrific communicator, is likeable and warm, has built huge political capital. Yet for all that her government has failed by many of it's own measures, and you can add to that much of what now passes as it's response to Covid. Is that down to Ardern's failings, or is she doing her best with a government of limited ability?
John Key surrounded himself with smarter competent people. Jacinda has not. Many ministers Kelvin, Poto, Twyford etc. promoted well beyond their means. This is why they are failing to achieve much.
Thanks Jimmy. If that is the case, I wonder if that is her misreading people's ability, or just a shortage of talent to choose from?
Jimmy's right,Labour are short of talent,she has let one or two have a good go,but they fu@k up,take Twyford. I am most disapointed with Ms Russell,had high hopes their,smart educated but turns out to be smartarse and probably educated beyond her intellect,could make mention of others but think that will do for now.
IMO Jacinda has about 3 "heavy lifters" doing the majority of the work.
Hipkins (who is over worked…if there was another competent person, they should be given Education), Robertson and Little.
Compare this cabinet to Helen Clark's if you don't want to compare to Nats. Helen also surrounded herself with talent.
Nonsense, Jimmy. Key's "smarter competent people" were Brownlie, Smith at al. Unpleasant bullies, skilled at bullsh*tting and bullying. Jacinda's ministers are real-enough people, not pumped-up, Neo-lib bully-boys! You're welcome!
They may be real, but there have been too many who have not delivered. And too many key issues that labour promised to address and have failed.
Well that is your opinion of those ministers but they certainly had more life and business skills (and had even had jobs in the real world!) than many of the current Labour MP's. And I agree, Key did had some not very good ones and he demoted or got rid of them.
be clear'-Poto is a huge flop imo.
Key had plenty of deadweights around him…Parata but one example.
The question to ask yourself is, if you were running a medium sized business or charitable organization or whatever, which Labour MP's would you employ or contract in your business/ organization?
Eg. We would only employ Poto in the warehouse packing orders. (Hopefully she wouldn't stuff that up).
Sure he did – like Paula Bennett, Judith Collins, Stephen Joyce, Gerry Brownlee, and so on. The only fractionally competent minister Key had was Finlayson.
For communication to work properly you need to engage your brain before opening your mouth. I'm afraid that when their is nothing to connect to there emerges a great deal of drivel.
Bishop is showing the politics of envy while pundits admit there is no one in National who has Jacinda's abilities .
Likewise John Key had the same abilities and this is why Bishop is showing that in his opinion piece hoping Jacinda resigns throwing in the towel like John Key did leaving the door open for National.
Otherwise National hasn't got a hope is what he really fears.
N
Jacinda, resign? She won't. 🙂
She’s already said beforecthe last election that if she can’t be PM she’ll resign. She has another future roughly mapped out, in all likelihood, expecting probably several offers of lucrative sinecures from offshore.
She will remain PM, rest assured.
While National’s in the fetid & confused disarray characterised by Collins’s leadership there seems little likelihood the electorate will want to swap out one lot of underachievers for a new lot with many untested newbies & some tired old has beens.
' She has another future roughly mapped out, in all likelihood, expecting probably several offers of lucrative sinecures from offshore.'
Any evidence for this?
This is a Natz line .
If it IS, the plagiarising beggars are copying me ❗️
"Any evidence for this?"
It is my *opinion*. (Big Clue: "In all likelihood".)
Based on the talkshow she's been on in the US & on her making a fuss of Stephen Colbert.
Also, (her suggested mentor)
may provide a clue about another extremely well-paid body that might be interested in offering Ardern a job, which I reckon she'd take.
I don't think it is likely at all.
She is not Helen Clark.
She has a child and is getting married soon,and indicates she is happy to carry on.
I've never suggested she is talking about quitting if she can still be PM.
Not quite sure what your point is in even discussing this?
In answer to a direct question, before the last election, would she stay on in Parliament if she was not going to be Prime Minister again, Ardern replied, simply, & quite unequivocally, "No".
As to my speculations she would in that situation accept other offers of work, I am convinced that she would & that several offers would be made immediately she quits Parliament, if not before. People travel & take up new jobs with children all the time.
Outa here, dude. Enjoy your evening. 🖐🏼
That's it Alwyn, attack the person not the subject. Top marks for diversion.
That comment about being PM was aimed at Winston Peters. The public understood.
Why the fuck would any ex pm stay after losing???
Not saying shell lose ,but seriously??
.
https://vimeo.com/284841766
I had wondered where Trevor got to,seems unharmed.
Government being completely irresponsible.
Elimination ends?
Elimination ended on the 21st of September 2021, when the government, under pressure from business, gave up on their elimination strategys, and replaced it with the Three Step Roadmap out of lockdown.
Every measure of the government's covid response taken since then, has been part of the 'Three Step Roadmap' plan to open up the economy even as case numbers, hospitalisations, and deaths increase.
Bishops diatribe is a manifestation of bitter disappointment and frustration at the rights complete inability to find a leader with two brain cells to rub together. If the charge had any credibility it is blown out of the water by the Ardern Governments leadership of the Covid response to a war like no other in 100 years, and to be at the top of the league table for results in the world. Of course being the father of such a contradictory mess and confused rattleheadedness as his offspring must be galling to say the least.
New policy for the administration of Covid vaccines to young people 12-17 years in the UK.
Increase from 4 weeks to 12 weeks between first and second dose.
12 weeks from natural infection to first dose of vaccine.
The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and if you or your child has experienced no symptoms of myocarditis then there is no reason to be worried if they had their first dose at less than 12 weeks following infection.
Anyone who is concerned should be reassured that these side effects occur within a few days of vaccination. Most people recovered and felt better following rest and simple treatments.
If younger people experience any of the following symptoms after receiving their vaccination, they should call 111 or see their GP:
In younger people, protection from natural infection is likely to be high for at least 3 months so they will be protected against COVID-19 infection for some time,
I do realise that posting here on TS a link from the JCVI (Clinical advisors to the UK government for vaccination) could cop me another ban but this is very, very important.
Assuming that the jab enthused give an actual shit about prevent harm…
12 weeks is now considered the preferred period between vaccinations to give optimal protection. For anyone. I waited 8 weeks to have my second dose
Myocarditis isn't fun but in by far the majority of cases its short lived and easily managed. It's certainly preferable to covid-19.
Myocarditis isn't fun but in by far the majority of cases its short lived and easily managed.
Well, yay! for that then.
Cheers for the symptoms list, my baby turns 12 next week now I know what to watch for after the jab,
The fact that we have not had the level of cases or mortality of other country's is a combination of geography and plain luck. The response to Covid since alpha has been poor, including failure to adequately address ICU capacity, ongoing problems with MIQ, and it's mismanagement of the saliva testing roll out.
"geography and plain luck" how unkind, Gypsy, and how daft!
When it's a success "it's luck, geography!" & When we have failures"Labours fault! Shambles, useless".
pretty much.
You are a moron.
We have exceedingly specific geographic management through the DHB's, and the system is reallocating resource according to need. Re-published every 24 hours, with breakdowns to v small population centres and indeed to census meshblock data.
ICU capacity is fine according to the Director General of Health as at this morning.
MIQ is a deliberate control of international access because it is also the same as the disease vector.
Saliva testing hasn't yet been necessary if you want to move around the country. All you have to do is book, and it's free.
The rest of our globally-benchmarked success is down to both exceedingly good governmental management from top to bottom, and exceptional public compliance.
"ICU capacity is fine according to the Director General of Health as at this morning."
Yes dear.
"MIQ is a deliberate control of international access because it is also the same as the disease vector. "
Again.
"Saliva testing hasn't yet been necessary if you want to move around the country. All you have to do is book, and it's free."
Huh? Do you live in Auckland? Have you read this?
The governments response to Covid from the end of the alpha outbreak has been shambolic. Unless you think having one of the slowest vaccine roll outs in the OECD and not increasing ICU capacity is a success.
You have grasped at straws before falling straight off the cliff of facts.
As of yesterday D-G Bloomfield confirmed ICU capacity was fine. The buck stops with him to make that statement rather than any auditor.
Level 3.3, orange light for Auckland? Hosking grills Bloomfield (newstalkzb.co.nz)
In MIQ no one with half a brain should give a damn about yet another whining multimillionaire's story about his trip. There's been several of those self-entitled stories. Of course they will compare it to everywhere else. When everywhere else is a nightmare.
The saliva testing procurement procurement process is not evidence of whether it would be needed now.
The NZ COVID Era success measures are pretty easy, and you can benchmark them to any country our size or over, all you like, with just a wee movement of your fingers on your keyboard:
– Headline unemployment and labour underutilisation. Near best in world for 2020 and 2021.
– GDP growth. Top 15% of world.
– COVID mortality. Lowest 2% of countries per 1,000.
– COVID morbidity. Lowest 2% of countries per 1,000
– Social license and civic unrest. Exceedingly low, and a remarkably popular government.
– Percentage of population in lockdowns, or even severe restrictions. Short and sharp. Good comparator for size of country is Austria. Check them out now.
– Electronic card spending compared to 2 years ago, and NZ consumer confidence. Approximately same as 2019.
Weekly Economic Update – 19 November 2021 (treasury.govt.nz)
– Massive shift in economy away from commodity education and commodity education towards higher productivity sectors. In fact the July 2021 EY report says New Zealand is – for now – in the No 1 position in the global fight against the negative economic and health impacts associated with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Always plenty to complain about I'm sure. Just not much of it here.
"As of yesterday D-G Bloomfield confirmed ICU capacity was fine. "
Oh so it's all ok then. Despite what the people actually delivering the service say.
"In MIQ no one with half a brain should give a damn about yet another whining multimillionaire's story about his trip. "
Do you seriously think it's only rich people? MIQ has been shambolic, a 'disaster from beginning to end'.
"The saliva testing procurement procurement process is not evidence of whether it would be needed now. "
It is evidence of incompetence. Like choosing a test that wasn't diagnostically validated, over a local supplier who's was. And we should have had the damn testing up and running months ago. But no.
"In May of this year, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced saliva testing for border workers would start in June. Then in July he announced it would start rolling out in August. The promise to get saliva testing under way goes all the way back to the Simpson Roche report, which recommended the tests, back in September 2020."
You've made a valiant attempt to suggest we're doing ok, but then you fail to mention the racking up of 100bn in debt, the poor quality of much of that spend, and the resulting inflation and interest rate spikes. You've also failed to mention the 81,000 people who have faced delayed health care, and the delayed cancer screening and operations.
I also think this is a stupid position (or politically motivated). Despite there being problems during a global pandemic within a country wracked by neoliberalism including decades of fuckery with the health system, we've still had relatively few lockdowns, few deaths, fewer long covid cases than if we'd… what exactly?
The case and mortality numbers are low due to luck and geography, primarily. My view is the government responded well in 2020, but then rested on their laurels. The vaccine roll out was too late and too slow, the ability of hospitals to deal with a surge has not be resolved and the debacle around the nasal swab contract, when regular testing is being rolled out in many other first world countries, are just some examples.
The only way geography had a significant effect was that we saw Europe fuck it up.
Italy tried a lockdown after they already had thousands of cases, details got leaked early, and folks had a couple of days to carry the virus all over Europe.
By contrast, at NZ's first two cases of community transmission, we went straight to L3 and L4 two days later.
But everything else? Most places could have shut airports and ports of entry if they'd had the will. Some politicians tried to half-arse it or leave it up to personal responsibility, and thousands of their citizens died. those are the major factors.
We had some luck – Wellington delta tourist comes to mind – but most of it was actually down to competent leadership and coordinated comms. Not perfect, but at least an "A" grade compared to the US/UK "E".
"The only way geography had a significant effect was that we saw Europe fuck it up."
Nope. We have a massive advantage being an island in terms of controlling who comes in and out of our country. We are also a long way from the most commonly used transport routes.
"Not perfect, but at least an "A" grade compared to the US/UK "E"."
Some comparison. I prefer to think how we could have done if we had rolled out the vaccine program earlier, made better decisions around saliva testing and spent some of the 100bn debt we've racked up actually on healthcare.
Great Britain is famed for being an island.
Hong Kong is a major trade route, and has territory on the mainland.
Then of course there's China itself – big trader, known for not being contained on an island.
Not to mention many of the African nations with low covid rates, land borders, and healthy trade and transit cargo levels.
As for grade, you can captain hindsight every step. But how many governments handled it better than NZ, in the real world? And what did they do differently?
" But how many governments handled it better than NZ, in the real world?"
I guess that depends on how you define 'better'. Comparisons are difficult because of differences in geography, population density, types of government and health systems. And what is the measure – is it health outcomes? Economic outcomes?
We could us Queensland's data. Similar population to NZ. We've had 9,652 cases, 38 deaths. Q'land have had 2,112 cases and only 7 deaths. Or we could use Ireland, similar population, 516,000 cases and 5609 deaths.
Rather than cherry pick, I'd rather compare what we've done with what we could have done better. It's not all been bad, but some of it has been.
So what did Queensland do that we didn't and same for Ireland?
I will also point out that the difference between 0.7/100k and 0.3/100k is pretty darn close, statistically. Especially when compared to Ireland's 112/100k.
When criticising, one can compare against the perfect, or the real world. Captain Hindsight judges against perfection, but in the real world this government deserves to be graded on a curve.
"When criticising, one can compare against the perfect, or the real world. "
Comparing against the perfect is churlish. Comparing against what was possible, what we could have done better, is how any individual or group should reasonably be assessed or assess itself.
NZ geography has certainly helped us. We are miles away at the bottom of the world, with a large moat around us. Also, large majority of overseas people come in via Auckland (mostly airport) and sea port. So far fewer points of entry than a European country for example.
Britain, for example, doesn't have customs and immigration folk well-distributed across their ports of entry? These ports don't have other staff onsite?
Of course they do. All they had to do was put up a "closed" sign.
Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard. – H. L. Mencken
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
This is a post about the kind of state we want.
You need to do better than quote some irrelevant bon mot.
…. but! BUT!
Borrowed the quote from KiwiBlog!
That probably explains its complete irrelevance to the post that you stuck it on.
KB specialises in being shallow and lazy commentators going for the lowest possible common denominator without bothering to engage their brain to explain the relevance of what they are blathering about.
And also also explains why I pressed the OpenMike button to consign to a post where it was vaguely relevant in.
Thanks for moving the comment.
If we cannot believe KiwiBlog – who can we believe! (/S)
The Taxpayers Union seem to be up to all kinds of mischief of late. I did a whois lookup on motherofallprotests.nz on dnc.org.nz
The registrant contact seems to be different to what has been reported on twitter (taxpayers union) so I dug further and looked up some more information on the NZ entity of The Campaign Company, who were registered on 4 November 2021.
https://opencorporates.com/filings/1058683521
Both the Director consent form and the Shareholder consent form make for interesting reading.
8257633 THE CAMPAIGN COMPANY LIMITED
Registration Date and Time 04 November 2021 12:17:02
Document Type Director Consent Form
Presenter Jordan Henry WILLIAMS
Po Box 10518
The Terrace
Wellington 6143
New Zealand
Director Consent Form
CSTOFF8628377921936996981.pdf
Size370kb
Have seen the same claim of the groundswellnz website too but I was unable to any find evidence of it.
Jordan Williams IS the TPU.
https://twitter.com/farmgeek/status/1461504564947947520?s=20
If this is doxxing I will withdraw, apologise and take my lumps for whatever you throw at me. I have only linked to publicly available information.
It's not doxing
It's good investigation which no msm journalist seems capable of