I see Jack has resigned, which was probably the right thing to do. People need to put their brains into gear on social media. And the fact he didn't suggests he may not have the smarts for a stellar political career anyway.
Though, he could have claimed that what he was retweeting was simply artistic expression and therefore fine to retweet lol.
From the article:
Finally, Stuff underlines that that poem is a work of art, not journalism…
A day is a long time in politics….. It's like watching the weather at the end of TV1 News- "A fine Autumn day on the Taieri plains then in comes a cold blast from Wellington and 'Schvroom!' It's gone."
Just another rural arsehole. They manufacture them by the shit ton from our colonial squatocracy out there in Aertex land, and National loves to select them.
Does anybody else see a parallel with social media statements by Marama Davidson?
Our politicians (and candidates) reflect cohorts of our population and succeed or fail on (largely) public support…what purpose is served by only selecting 'acceptable' public persona's?
Trumpisms,mysogyny conspiracy theories etc don't go that well in NZ. Hopefully those people all vote for Billy TK. Groundswill have been involved in this nasty behavior and undermined the Unity on the right.They know they can't get enough traction with their tractor protests so are happy to indulge useful idiots and fringe lunatics when they would have had a bigger influence if they had stuck to sticking up for the agricultural sector!
Like Pat above, I don't think it is only people from National that have been saying some fairly inappropriate or inflammatory stuff lately. It has been coming from the left as well.
The first retweet was really just retweeting the sort of stuff that probably gets said in a lot of male changing rooms. Definitely inappropriate, sexist, and bad taste. But par for the course in stand-up comedy. And it was a retweet, not something he had actually said. But not at the “resign” threshold, IMO.
But, retweeting comments equating Jacinda with Hitler is completely out of line. I think there is a huge benchmark to meet to be equated with Hitler. And I think the term "Nazi" is thrown around far too lighlty these days. Anyone wanting to brand someone in that way should perhaps do a bit of research first.
So, taking both together, I think it shows a lack of judgement that is crucial for being an MP. So, resigning was the right thing to do.
Good fair points TSmithfield. Resigning was the best thing to do. These Nazi slurs, thrown about SM with aparent abandon during Covid, are, courtesy of trackback often with us into the future.
Like Pat I see faults from right & left.
What seems to be the difference is that the Right, in this case, have been quick to say, 'that's going to be an ongoing liability for us and doesn't reflect our values'.
The Greens/Marama Davisdon don't seem to have the same ability of self reflection alothough some forward thinking may come out of the Kerekere enquiry. Like Davidson's disdain for any view other than support of the Trans cause that culminated in rudeness/misinformation, so Kerekere may find that rudensss to colleagues and others is not a winning strategy If she is moved, her appalling rudeness to submitters to the Select Committee may be punished by default,
I agree with the comment about Nazis. The more it is used inappropriately the more we, as human beings, are unable to to be able to use the Nazis/The Holocaust/genocide as examples of man's inhumanity to man. Hence I have no truck with calling people Nazis, calling the concern about women's safe spaces genocide and generally trying to infer that anything happening trans-wise is anything like 'a' Holocaust.
I wonder if this somewhat over-egged reaction is going to become the normal thing? There will have to be an awful lot of departures from politics if it does.
Megan Woods will certainly have to be shown the door. You can't compare a PM to Hitler can you?
I think in the past (even 2012 is the past!) it used to be stamped on from a great height.
The current overuse of the word Nazis is linked to this Trans indeology we are being subjected to. A Nazi in this context is anyone who you think might not agree with you.
Proponents have a simple little list, shared worldwide it seems, with words to be used instead of engaging in debate.
These words include Nazi, bigot, Terf. cis etc plus a huge number of emoticons such as the ones for turd.
Before I stopped looking at this stuff on Twitter I was blessed sometimes with Nazi, bigot, Terf and the turd emoticon in one sentence. If we were come down hard we would be running around like one of those Whack a mole machines.
That's essentially the problem National have with candidate selection in rural electorates. If they select a mature moderate candidate the less moderate will vote for the Groundswell / VFF / Advance / Matt King candidate, and probably spread the diss rural vote across all of the vehicles. Result being 4% + of vote being wasted, and National being back in opposition, again.
So somehow National have to try and bring that diss rural vote back inside the 'broad church'. Hence we end up with Steven Jack getting nominated.
In the same vein I wonder if my local MP, Joseph Mooney's attempt to redefine TOW wasn't to establish some credibility with the discontented rural side to see off a challenge to his nomination.
The problem is to attract good people who'd want to be MPs. A candidate could be ideal from all sorts of perspectives but the instant a person becomes a candidate they become a target.
Morons, mongrels and meatheads will latch on to anything to propagate crap.
The calls consistently heard are, "division, divisive and divided country."
'Division' is in the common current default position. It's the crusade call from those pissed off because they're not in power, they're not calling the shots.
The best people being candidates? Why would they subject themselves to that? In the end, like Jacinda Ardern, they say, "I don't need this shit."
How bloody hard is it to a. Check yourself before you hit ‘post’ on a stupid sexist joke on Facebook and b. As the National Party selection committee get the candidates to edit/vet their Facebook pages in case there is something inflammatory on it? We are dealing with luddites, ludicrous this far into the 21st century. Suits me for them to shoot themselves in the foot but honestly, I shake my head at the stupidity of these people.
The Greens, missing in action again. I guess it is up to cis-male oppressors like Ray Grubb to do the heavy lifting for them again.
The saga of the rank corruption – for that is what it is – around the water consents for the Lindis river should be a perfect rallying cry and battlefront for the green party, a perfect chance to belt entrenched privilege, crony politics and corruption whilst protecting the environment. Instead, the politics of factional squabbles and indentarian distraction dominate the party discourse.
Wellington lawyer Rachel Burt has been appointed to carry out the investigation into allegations of bullying by Grubb towards Fish and Game staff.
Grubb declined to answer questions about the investigation. He told RNZ it was a good time to leave.
"When you've done two years, you're 75 years of age and you've appointed a new chief executive, it's a great time for the new chief executive to create a relationship with a person who's going to be there for the long haul. It's a good time to make a change."
When asked if his leaving had anything to do with the investigation, Grubb said he had no further comment and hung up.
The Greens have influenced the Government somewhat on these issues:
The Green Party is today marking a significant step toward cleaner rivers and less climate pollution, with the wind down of taxpayer subsidies for industrial irrigation schemes, as outlined in the Confidence and Supply Agreement between the Green and Labour Parties.
“Today’s announcement marks an important step in cleaning up our rivers and protecting our water and climate for generations to come,” said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw.
“The Green Party’s Confidence and Supply Agreement with the Labour Party promised to wind down government support for irrigation. Today’s announcement delivers on that promise.
Let’s be honest, this is purely about economics, and private profit for a few has been put firmly ahead of the environment and the needs of future generations.
Sounds very much like BAU under this Labour Government
How dare he, he is a white male bully and anyway it's all someone else fault.
It is just too hard for us to listen to some whose age, gender and skin colour we object to and even harder to actually do anything ourselves, we will just bame everyone else.
lol. I just thought it amusing that Mr Grubb did somewhat live up to your sarcastic characterisation.
I read the article, I even quoted him, he has a point. Given that the issuers of irrigation consents are local councils, I'm not sure what you expect the Greens to do in this instance. The Labour party are the national Government, they don’t control the councils (as the three waters roll-out demonstrated) and they don't need the Greens to pass anything, if they wanted to solve this they could.
Very graceful of you if I misinterpreted your post.
I think this is the sort of issue that the Greens ought to be all over. Go down there and theatrically stomp the riverbank, news crew in tow. issue an endless stream of Winston Peters style press releases accusing everyone of corruption. Wrap yourselves in the flag – champion the arid high country scenery as elemental to what it means to be a southerner and a New Zealander. Vow legislation to protect the Lindis river as a bottom line for any coalition deal. Warn farmers they won't be compenasted if they decide to proceed with their work and the Greens get to hold the balance of power. Provoke howels of unhinged privileged outrage from Grondswell whilst winning votes in urban centres.
I imagine the Greens are somewhat conflicted by Fish & Game. F&G are strong supporters of water quality and therefore good potential allies, but introduced trout fail the environmental purity test. The latter is despite trout fishing being a relatively inexpensive pastime (if you choose entry-level gear) for ordinary people.
it's almost like if voters had given the Greens more MPs they'd have the time/energy/resources to pick up more issues like the Lindis. Can't have it both ways, either the left consider the environment to be part of left politics, or they don't. Own goal again lefties.
Left voters certainly vote in regional council elections, but there's not enough candidates to make a meaningful change to the organisation. There's one or two left candidates standing for multiple seats per constituency. The poor buggers end up being very lonely voices around the council table.
The Left has to mount a much more organised approach to Local Government to counter the Right's entrenched power base.
we'd get more and better candidates if the people standing knew that they would get a good turnout. I couldn't find the ORC turnout but I'm guessing it's not higher than 50%.
Also get more and better candidates standing if they knew they weren't going to get rat fucked once they are sitting on Council, and had support of some like minded colleagues around the table. Why would anyone with left / conservation views want to put themselves through the grief of getting of sitting on something like ORC is beyond me and I have the utmost admiration for those that try, I'd be jumping off a bridge or cliff on the way home from the first meeting if I tried.
I stood some years ago. I represented a particular demographic that up till then had not had representation as either a candidate or an MP. I was a List only candidate but as it was the early days of MMP and the party I stood for dis well in the electorate votes, it did not get far enough down the list for me to get in.
However, my demographic was represented in the subsequent Parliament so I was happy.
The Lindis water take is massively litigated already and has resisted all exterior political influence.
The ORC remains a toxic mess, and the Lindis in particular has already caused 2 chief executives to resign, and of course ex-Councillor Marianne Hobbs (previous Minister for the Environment) chucked out.
ORC has had major Internal Affairs and Minister Parker scrutiny for a while, as well as several rounds of High Court litigation.
The Greens are nowhere near this for good reason. They have neither Ministerial power nor political influence at the ORC.
Thanks Molly. And thanks for all your responses on Open Mike yesterday on the subject of research into puberty blockers and treatments for gender dysphoria.
Arkie asked what an alternative to gender affirmation treatment for gender dysphoria. I posted an article about gender exploratory therapy including a case study. It is an excellent description of a psychotherapeutic approach to a young trans male.
It would seem the majority opinion at the time… that by and large the police acted with professionalism throughout the protest/riot has been upheld. So much for the claims of police brutality by the protesters. Of the 2000plus formal complaints against the police it looks like only a handful have warranted further investigation.
Act Party leader David Seymour has called for “rogue police officers who used excessive force” at the Parliament protest last year to lose their jobs.
Seymour said the riots reflected a “sad chapter in New Zealand history”.
”There were ugly acts on all sides of it which can’t be excused,” he said.
Seymour said the IPCA report confirmed what people at the protest
witnessed.
Seymour said he thought police officers were put in that “impossible position” due to the Government’s “divisive vaccine policy” and inflammatory rhetoric from MPs.
Seymour is the one who should be sacked. How any sane individual could even contemplate voting for the lying creep I cannot imagine.
The polarisation on the right across the Anglosphere – ACT is consolidating a radicalised rural and urban rump – is a sweet, sweet gift to centrist parties like Labour.
As we saw yesterday with Luxon's announcements on farm and migrant policy the Nats are far more concerned with not losing control of the right than they are at winning the middle. National should, in all reality, be miles ahead of Labour at this point in time but their candidates and policies are so deeply unattractive that people simply can’t bring themselves to vote for them.
The radicalisation of the right around culture war driven social reaction and neoliberal crony capitalism despite it making them unelectable is a phenomena deserving of more analysis from our ambiently right wing, horse race obsessed political journalists.
If the Government had 'handled things right' (any way different than how it was handled and preferably by doing absolutely nothing), the kerfuffle in Wellington would not have happened. People would have been too pre-occupied over months burying their kin, being at the funerals of workmates and employees or attending their own funerals.)
The Ben Bell (Mayor of Gore) saga that has been making the news lately seems to have had the media framing Bell as young, immature, and out of his depth. And, who knows? That might actually be the case.
However, I also wonder if it is the case of someone who is switched-on, with new ideas, shaking the tree of the establishment, and the establishment doesn't like it.
Personally, even though I am in my early 60's, I have huge respect for a lot of young people I come across. They often have a lot of enthusiasm, modern thought, and a different way thinking about problems.
So, I have no problems with someone Bell's age becoming Mayor. I just hope this all resolves itself for him OK, and that he will adjust his behaviour if he needs to.
Its about time mayors stood up to unelected CEOs who have corralled far too much power for their cabals. Outright lying and refusal to give documents and info to elected councillors has gone on for too long. My knowledge of this comes from doing some Secret Squirrel work for a councillor who had been royally bullshitted by the CEO and his underlings. I was surprised at their temerity.
the secret to the Gore fiasco is in how the new Mayor's mother was paid out a massive payout days before the election.
So now the current mayor has a conduit into all disaffected staff against the current CEO. A permanent mineshaft into a toxic waste dump to extract and refine and weaponise.
Also it means Gore has a Mayor that can essentially rehearse every single Council meeting and every single applicable piece of legislation with his mother, before the meeting. Including the CEO Performance Committee.
The CEO is going to get white-anted out of there pretty quick, unless McAnulty puts in a Commissioner.
It is a really bad case of Oedipus Rex Redux: she is getting her revenge and it is being done as slowly as possible, through her son.
An interesting article by Ruth Richardson with her support for ensuring the tax bands a e fair and don't drag people up every time wages etc go up. She recommends indexation as well.
'How have we got to the point where our lowest-waged workers are now paying tax rates that were set up to sock it to those on higher incomes?
and goes on
Now, the median earner nets close to $62,000, meaning a big chunk of their wages are taxed at this high-income rate and will soon fall into the even higher income bracket of 33%.
This could have been avoided. Had Bill English insisted back in 2010 on legislating annual tax bracket updates in line with inflation, the median earner would now be paying $2019.50 less in tax than they do now.
Of course, such a sensible measure would have left English then and Robertson now with a little less money to play around with at budget time.
and ends, with good stuff in between
It’s a glaring conflict of interest that frankly I should have addressed when we adopted our pioneering inflation-targeting regime 33 years ago.
Contrary to what you think In Vino it is often very diffcult for someone in the public eye following a particular line, to revise these views, presumably after thought, and then go public with them. It takes courage.
This was the point that struck me that here was someone who could have gone quietly away into history accepting the plaudits and whatever of being 'tough' and 'right for the times' National Finance Minister. Yet she does not.
Roger Douglas was the one who operated in the same way with asset sales and hardship for those affected but to my knowledge he has never resiled from his actions.
Hopefully her words will encourage this tax bracket creep, which is a scourge to workers to be looked at by this Labour Govt. Indexing to prevent this happening in the future would be good too.
When Roger Douglas began on his own path back in 1983 – he wrote a book. In it he said he preferred an asset tax to a CGT. The absence of either tax has had a deleterious effect on investment here ever since, end hence our productivity. Our relative decline to Oz in incomes/productivity stems from this.
Just done some for my lot, leaving three for my cousin. We had Uncles killed in WW1(France) & WW2 (Crete) . My poor grandmother had 5 of her 6 remaining boys overseas through WW2 until one was flown home in 1944 to be a NZ based Army instructor. Wonderful mother to them all sending individual care packages and letters (my father kept all of his that made it through to him)
Typical IHC. Don't give a flying fuck. Never have, never will. It's time the government ditched them and paid someone else to do the job properly. Pull the parasitic IHC fat cats in Wellington away from their sweet deal getting away with treating people with disabilities like shit.
This is a really horrific situation for the people concerned.
Their community is their lifeline – everyone in Wairoa knows Gavin, and watches out for him. His mental health and wellbeing are intimately connected with the place and the people.
Telling outright lies (like "discussions about their options were under way with families and Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People" – when you know full well, there has been zero discussion with the families) – because it will be cheaper for them to be carted off to accommodation in another area – is an absolute disgrace.
So much for the disabled person being the centre of the decision-making.
I know that Gavin has really strong community supporters in Wairoa – and hope they and his family can continue to make this a case the papers want to cover – because nothing but bad publicity is going to move the government.
Yes Belladonna everyone knows Gavin. He is of my generation there. He needs to get back to friends, family and routine asap.
And the excuses…what has changed by the Cyclone? His home is undamaged. If his care givers have been affected by the floods and need time to get their own affairs in order then I am sure that arrangements could be made to tap into the community support around Wairoa. I am sure that people would rally round as we/they have in the past. Or 'shock, horror' they could offer short term placements to short term care givers from other places around NZ, with accomodation until things can be resolved.
Although the person with a disability is supposed to be the centre of decision making the further away from the community these organsation get the further away they seem to get from any networks around the person that could help.
IHC will be looking at the post-cyclone situation as an opportunity to cut costs. I wouldn't be surprised if their plan was to never bring Gavin and others back to Wairoa if it means one less residence to maintain.
It's the blatant hypocrisy of IHC's head office that fucks me off. A bunch of corporate fat cat right-wingers bleating on about inclusion and the importance of the UNCRPD when the reality is they just don't give a fuck.
Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of this terrible conflict. Apparently the Russians are panicking and evacuating a lot of the expected targets of the offensive.
Note that he attacks the media, but it was his own party that turned on him. Luxon cut him loose, and Nat MPs have been queueing up to "assassinate" Jack (as he would put it). Obviously National had no option, they were never going to waste political capital defending a self-destructive fool.
Blaming the media for your own behaviour and your own party's … so much for personal responsibility.
He'll keep digging of course but never explain the context he claims is misconstrued and false. Just a blowhard, and an indictment of the groundswell mentality.
"These attacks have been careless, orchestrated, out of context and demonstrably inaccurate," Jack wrote.
"Comprehension of satire has been traded for woke stupidity."
Jack said the posts he had shared has been presented in a "misconstrued and false context" in a way he found to be "vile and offensive".
I could direct him to some sites to see more in the style of what brought his demise. About Jacinda Ardern and her partner. Vile and offensive, demonstrably the work of the ignorant and limited. That said, credit to them for not just focussing on the former PM, they spread their wings. You should see what they wrote about Paul Pelosi.
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Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
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:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
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. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
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 ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
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. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
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 A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
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I see Jack has resigned, which was probably the right thing to do. People need to put their brains into gear on social media. And the fact he didn't suggests he may not have the smarts for a stellar political career anyway.
Though, he could have claimed that what he was retweeting was simply artistic expression and therefore fine to retweet lol.
From the article:
A day is a long time in politics….. It's like watching the weather at the end of TV1 News- "A fine Autumn day on the Taieri plains then in comes a cold blast from Wellington and 'Schvroom!' It's gone."
Just another rural arsehole. They manufacture them by the shit ton from our colonial squatocracy out there in Aertex land, and National loves to select them.
Does anybody else see a parallel with social media statements by Marama Davidson?
Our politicians (and candidates) reflect cohorts of our population and succeed or fail on (largely) public support…what purpose is served by only selecting 'acceptable' public persona's?
Give them all the rope the need.
Trumpisms,mysogyny conspiracy theories etc don't go that well in NZ. Hopefully those people all vote for Billy TK. Groundswill have been involved in this nasty behavior and undermined the Unity on the right.They know they can't get enough traction with their tractor protests so are happy to indulge useful idiots and fringe lunatics when they would have had a bigger influence if they had stuck to sticking up for the agricultural sector!
Like Pat above, I don't think it is only people from National that have been saying some fairly inappropriate or inflammatory stuff lately. It has been coming from the left as well.
The first retweet was really just retweeting the sort of stuff that probably gets said in a lot of male changing rooms. Definitely inappropriate, sexist, and bad taste. But par for the course in stand-up comedy. And it was a retweet, not something he had actually said. But not at the “resign” threshold, IMO.
But, retweeting comments equating Jacinda with Hitler is completely out of line. I think there is a huge benchmark to meet to be equated with Hitler. And I think the term "Nazi" is thrown around far too lighlty these days. Anyone wanting to brand someone in that way should perhaps do a bit of research first.
So, taking both together, I think it shows a lack of judgement that is crucial for being an MP. So, resigning was the right thing to do.
Do you think Groundswell spiked the candidate by presenting them with an accident rich social media environment?
Why, he was pretty much their candidate, kinda blew up in their face.
Good fair points TSmithfield. Resigning was the best thing to do. These Nazi slurs, thrown about SM with aparent abandon during Covid, are, courtesy of trackback often with us into the future.
Like Pat I see faults from right & left.
What seems to be the difference is that the Right, in this case, have been quick to say, 'that's going to be an ongoing liability for us and doesn't reflect our values'.
The Greens/Marama Davisdon don't seem to have the same ability of self reflection alothough some forward thinking may come out of the Kerekere enquiry. Like Davidson's disdain for any view other than support of the Trans cause that culminated in rudeness/misinformation, so Kerekere may find that rudensss to colleagues and others is not a winning strategy If she is moved, her appalling rudeness to submitters to the Select Committee may be punished by default,
I agree with the comment about Nazis. The more it is used inappropriately the more we, as human beings, are unable to to be able to use the Nazis/The Holocaust/genocide as examples of man's inhumanity to man. Hence I have no truck with calling people Nazis, calling the concern about women's safe spaces genocide and generally trying to infer that anything happening trans-wise is anything like 'a' Holocaust.
I wonder if this somewhat over-egged reaction is going to become the normal thing? There will have to be an awful lot of departures from politics if it does.
Megan Woods will certainly have to be shown the door. You can't compare a PM to Hitler can you?
https://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/mp-mortified-by-offence-over-hitler-comments-2012062718
I think in the past (even 2012 is the past!) it used to be stamped on from a great height.
The current overuse of the word Nazis is linked to this Trans indeology we are being subjected to. A Nazi in this context is anyone who you think might not agree with you.
Proponents have a simple little list, shared worldwide it seems, with words to be used instead of engaging in debate.
These words include Nazi, bigot, Terf. cis etc plus a huge number of emoticons such as the ones for turd.
Before I stopped looking at this stuff on Twitter I was blessed sometimes with Nazi, bigot, Terf and the turd emoticon in one sentence. If we were come down hard we would be running around like one of those Whack a mole machines.
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/whack-a-mole
That's essentially the problem National have with candidate selection in rural electorates. If they select a mature moderate candidate the less moderate will vote for the Groundswell / VFF / Advance / Matt King candidate, and probably spread the diss rural vote across all of the vehicles. Result being 4% + of vote being wasted, and National being back in opposition, again.
So somehow National have to try and bring that diss rural vote back inside the 'broad church'. Hence we end up with Steven Jack getting nominated.
In the same vein I wonder if my local MP, Joseph Mooney's attempt to redefine TOW wasn't to establish some credibility with the discontented rural side to see off a challenge to his nomination.
The problem is to attract good people who'd want to be MPs. A candidate could be ideal from all sorts of perspectives but the instant a person becomes a candidate they become a target.
Morons, mongrels and meatheads will latch on to anything to propagate crap.
The calls consistently heard are, "division, divisive and divided country."
'Division' is in the common current default position. It's the crusade call from those pissed off because they're not in power, they're not calling the shots.
The best people being candidates? Why would they subject themselves to that? In the end, like Jacinda Ardern, they say, "I don't need this shit."
sad but true. most people who want power shouldnt be allowed near it.
Now days their comments are online before the elections, and they are seen as the liability they are in most cases.
How bloody hard is it to a. Check yourself before you hit ‘post’ on a stupid sexist joke on Facebook and b. As the National Party selection committee get the candidates to edit/vet their Facebook pages in case there is something inflammatory on it? We are dealing with luddites, ludicrous this far into the 21st century. Suits me for them to shoot themselves in the foot but honestly, I shake my head at the stupidity of these people.
too much rope??
The Greens, missing in action again. I guess it is up to cis-male oppressors like Ray Grubb to do the heavy lifting for them again.
The saga of the rank corruption – for that is what it is – around the water consents for the Lindis river should be a perfect rallying cry and battlefront for the green party, a perfect chance to belt entrenched privilege, crony politics and corruption whilst protecting the environment. Instead, the politics of factional squabbles and indentarian distraction dominate the party discourse.
This Ray Grubb?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/480122/fish-and-game-chairperson-ray-grubb-resigns-amid-bullying-allegation-investigation
The Greens have influenced the Government somewhat on these issues:
https://www.greens.org.nz/end-irrigation-subsidies-win-taxpayers-and-environment-say-greens
As Ray Grubb in the Newsroom article says:
Sounds very much like BAU under this Labour Government
How dare he, he is a white male bully and anyway it's all someone else fault.
It is just too hard for us to listen to some whose age, gender and skin colour we object to and even harder to actually do anything ourselves, we will just bame everyone else.
Whining Green politics at it's best.
lol. I just thought it amusing that Mr Grubb did somewhat live up to your sarcastic characterisation.
I read the article, I even quoted him, he has a point. Given that the issuers of irrigation consents are local councils, I'm not sure what you expect the Greens to do in this instance. The Labour party are the national Government, they don’t control the councils (as the three waters roll-out demonstrated) and they don't need the Greens to pass anything, if they wanted to solve this they could.
Very graceful of you if I misinterpreted your post.
I think this is the sort of issue that the Greens ought to be all over. Go down there and theatrically stomp the riverbank, news crew in tow. issue an endless stream of Winston Peters style press releases accusing everyone of corruption. Wrap yourselves in the flag – champion the arid high country scenery as elemental to what it means to be a southerner and a New Zealander. Vow legislation to protect the Lindis river as a bottom line for any coalition deal. Warn farmers they won't be compenasted if they decide to proceed with their work and the Greens get to hold the balance of power. Provoke howels of unhinged privileged outrage from Grondswell whilst winning votes in urban centres.
The Greens could be doing way, way more.
I imagine the Greens are somewhat conflicted by Fish & Game. F&G are strong supporters of water quality and therefore good potential allies, but introduced trout fail the environmental purity test. The latter is despite trout fishing being a relatively inexpensive pastime (if you choose entry-level gear) for ordinary people.
it's almost like if voters had given the Greens more MPs they'd have the time/energy/resources to pick up more issues like the Lindis. Can't have it both ways, either the left consider the environment to be part of left politics, or they don't. Own goal again lefties.
the other own goal is how many left voters don't vote in local body elections, in this case for the Otago Regional Council.
Left voters certainly vote in regional council elections, but there's not enough candidates to make a meaningful change to the organisation. There's one or two left candidates standing for multiple seats per constituency. The poor buggers end up being very lonely voices around the council table.
The Left has to mount a much more organised approach to Local Government to counter the Right's entrenched power base.
we'd get more and better candidates if the people standing knew that they would get a good turnout. I couldn't find the ORC turnout but I'm guessing it's not higher than 50%.
Also get more and better candidates standing if they knew they weren't going to get rat fucked once they are sitting on Council, and had support of some like minded colleagues around the table. Why would anyone with left / conservation views want to put themselves through the grief of getting of sitting on something like ORC is beyond me and I have the utmost admiration for those that try, I'd be jumping off a bridge or cliff on the way home from the first meeting if I tried.
Exactly. That applies not only to politicians like Marianne Hobbs, but also to staff.
Who the hell would want to work there?
blows my mind that anyone progressive stands. Takes a particular skillset and strength.
I stood some years ago. I represented a particular demographic that up till then had not had representation as either a candidate or an MP. I was a List only candidate but as it was the early days of MMP and the party I stood for dis well in the electorate votes, it did not get far enough down the list for me to get in.
However, my demographic was represented in the subsequent Parliament so I was happy.
central government is a bit different because you have the support of a party. Imagine going through that on your own.
The Lindis water take is massively litigated already and has resisted all exterior political influence.
The ORC remains a toxic mess, and the Lindis in particular has already caused 2 chief executives to resign, and of course ex-Councillor Marianne Hobbs (previous Minister for the Environment) chucked out.
ORC has had major Internal Affairs and Minister Parker scrutiny for a while, as well as several rounds of High Court litigation.
The Greens are nowhere near this for good reason. They have neither Ministerial power nor political influence at the ORC.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/posie-parker-protest-police-charge-man-accused-of-hitting-elderly-woman-in-the-head/OCKUCETLONB25B5ZKLPUCSGUNU/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/posie-parker-protest-police-charge-man-accused-of-hitting-elderly-woman-in-the-head/OCKUCETLONB25B5ZKLPUCSGUNU/
This 20 year old man is appearing in court today. I am glad the police have caught him and pressed charge. I hope the judge gives a fair penalty
that's a broken link. Please take more care. We have an edit function, so please review your comments as you make them and edit as needed.
Looks like you hit Ctrl+V twice:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/posie-parker-protest-police-charge-man-accused-of-hitting-elderly-woman-in-the-head/OCKUCETLONB25B5ZKLPUCSGUNU/
Thanks Molly. And thanks for all your responses on Open Mike yesterday on the subject of research into puberty blockers and treatments for gender dysphoria.
Arkie asked what an alternative to gender affirmation treatment for gender dysphoria. I posted an article about gender exploratory therapy including a case study. It is an excellent description of a psychotherapeutic approach to a young trans male.
Yes, I read that. It was a good article on a care driven approach for therapy.
Thanks for posting.
will do re checking the link.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/parliament-protest-report-ipca-finds-police-tactics-justified-intelligence-response-and-safety-left-wanting/RVLHIPMAGVD3BCENLWNPUUNTU4/
It would seem the majority opinion at the time… that by and large the police acted with professionalism throughout the protest/riot has been upheld. So much for the claims of police brutality by the protesters. Of the 2000plus formal complaints against the police it looks like only a handful have warranted further investigation.
From the link provided @ 5
Seymour is the one who should be sacked. How any sane individual could even contemplate voting for the lying creep I cannot imagine.
The polarisation on the right across the Anglosphere – ACT is consolidating a radicalised rural and urban rump – is a sweet, sweet gift to centrist parties like Labour.
As we saw yesterday with Luxon's announcements on farm and migrant policy the Nats are far more concerned with not losing control of the right than they are at winning the middle. National should, in all reality, be miles ahead of Labour at this point in time but their candidates and policies are so deeply unattractive that people simply can’t bring themselves to vote for them.
The radicalisation of the right around culture war driven social reaction and neoliberal crony capitalism despite it making them unelectable is a phenomena deserving of more analysis from our ambiently right wing, horse race obsessed political journalists.
I couldn't have put it better. 😉
Just needs the Make Aotearoa Great Again hats
Seymour, naturally, is playing to the gallery.
If the Government had 'handled things right' (any way different than how it was handled and preferably by doing absolutely nothing), the kerfuffle in Wellington would not have happened. People would have been too pre-occupied over months burying their kin, being at the funerals of workmates and employees or attending their own funerals.)
Oh, give poor old Seamoor a break, Anne.
It's not easy being sleazy.
Don't agree with Seymour over this. Its up to the police to work out disciplinary action if required.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/parliament-protest-behind-the-scenes-of-the-muddled-police-negotiation-with-protesters/T75KH2R6HVCE5L37QNDNMNYDEE/
But this is interesting. Seems like at a higher level i.e. Deputy Commissioner there were lots of f…k ups. Who decides whether these guys stay or go/?
The Ben Bell (Mayor of Gore) saga that has been making the news lately seems to have had the media framing Bell as young, immature, and out of his depth. And, who knows? That might actually be the case.
However, I also wonder if it is the case of someone who is switched-on, with new ideas, shaking the tree of the establishment, and the establishment doesn't like it.
Personally, even though I am in my early 60's, I have huge respect for a lot of young people I come across. They often have a lot of enthusiasm, modern thought, and a different way thinking about problems.
So, I have no problems with someone Bell's age becoming Mayor. I just hope this all resolves itself for him OK, and that he will adjust his behaviour if he needs to.
Its about time mayors stood up to unelected CEOs who have corralled far too much power for their cabals. Outright lying and refusal to give documents and info to elected councillors has gone on for too long. My knowledge of this comes from doing some Secret Squirrel work for a councillor who had been royally bullshitted by the CEO and his underlings. I was surprised at their temerity.
the secret to the Gore fiasco is in how the new Mayor's mother was paid out a massive payout days before the election.
So now the current mayor has a conduit into all disaffected staff against the current CEO. A permanent mineshaft into a toxic waste dump to extract and refine and weaponise.
Also it means Gore has a Mayor that can essentially rehearse every single Council meeting and every single applicable piece of legislation with his mother, before the meeting. Including the CEO Performance Committee.
The CEO is going to get white-anted out of there pretty quick, unless McAnulty puts in a Commissioner.
It is a really bad case of Oedipus Rex Redux: she is getting her revenge and it is being done as slowly as possible, through her son.
An interesting article by Ruth Richardson with her support for ensuring the tax bands a e fair and don't drag people up every time wages etc go up. She recommends indexation as well.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/300856794/ruth-richardson-the-taxation-problem-i-should-have-fixed-33-years-ago
She starts
and goes on
and ends, with good stuff in between
Easy for her to say that now.
I remember her 'saluting excellence' and being a supreme downtreader of the downtrodden at the time.
Contrary to what you think In Vino it is often very diffcult for someone in the public eye following a particular line, to revise these views, presumably after thought, and then go public with them. It takes courage.
This was the point that struck me that here was someone who could have gone quietly away into history accepting the plaudits and whatever of being 'tough' and 'right for the times' National Finance Minister. Yet she does not.
Roger Douglas was the one who operated in the same way with asset sales and hardship for those affected but to my knowledge he has never resiled from his actions.
Hopefully her words will encourage this tax bracket creep, which is a scourge to workers to be looked at by this Labour Govt. Indexing to prevent this happening in the future would be good too.
Indexation is the way to deprive the government of resources, it is right wing economic/political theory.
And the largest tax cuts resulting from indexation goes to those on the highest tax bracket.
She did nothing then because she got rid of gift duty and estate tax and needed the bracket creep on income tax – paid work – to afford it.
When Roger Douglas began on his own path back in 1983 – he wrote a book. In it he said he preferred an asset tax to a CGT. The absence of either tax has had a deleterious effect on investment here ever since, end hence our productivity. Our relative decline to Oz in incomes/productivity stems from this.
'LEST WE FORGET'.
Lay a digital poppy:
https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/search?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paidsem&utm_campaign=onlinecenotaphbau&gclid=CjwKCAjw__ihBhADEiwAXEazJqyiUAdONpTayGVWROqwDliwcJm54Kyz4DhjIOn3VZbNXapcheU6CBoCdDoQAvD_BwE
Just done some for my lot, leaving three for my cousin. We had Uncles killed in WW1(France) & WW2 (Crete) . My poor grandmother had 5 of her 6 remaining boys overseas through WW2 until one was flown home in 1944 to be a NZ based Army instructor. Wonderful mother to them all sending individual care packages and letters (my father kept all of his that made it through to him)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/131799556/itll-kill-him-idea-services-wairoa-residents-still-not-home-after-cyclone-gabrielle-despite-no-damage-to-property
Typical IHC. Don't give a flying fuck. Never have, never will. It's time the government ditched them and paid someone else to do the job properly. Pull the parasitic IHC fat cats in Wellington away from their sweet deal getting away with treating people with disabilities like shit.
This is a really horrific situation for the people concerned.
Their community is their lifeline – everyone in Wairoa knows Gavin, and watches out for him. His mental health and wellbeing are intimately connected with the place and the people.
Telling outright lies (like "discussions about their options were under way with families and Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People" – when you know full well, there has been zero discussion with the families) – because it will be cheaper for them to be carted off to accommodation in another area – is an absolute disgrace.
So much for the disabled person being the centre of the decision-making.
I know that Gavin has really strong community supporters in Wairoa – and hope they and his family can continue to make this a case the papers want to cover – because nothing but bad publicity is going to move the government.
Yes Belladonna everyone knows Gavin. He is of my generation there. He needs to get back to friends, family and routine asap.
And the excuses…what has changed by the Cyclone? His home is undamaged. If his care givers have been affected by the floods and need time to get their own affairs in order then I am sure that arrangements could be made to tap into the community support around Wairoa. I am sure that people would rally round as we/they have in the past. Or 'shock, horror' they could offer short term placements to short term care givers from other places around NZ, with accomodation until things can be resolved.
Although the person with a disability is supposed to be the centre of decision making the further away from the community these organsation get the further away they seem to get from any networks around the person that could help.
IHC will be looking at the post-cyclone situation as an opportunity to cut costs. I wouldn't be surprised if their plan was to never bring Gavin and others back to Wairoa if it means one less residence to maintain.
I might email IHC just to show them that a person in little old Wairoa actually has people who know him all round NZ and we are watching……..
Yes, and make sure it goes to those faceless money-grubbing hypocritical pricks at their head office.
It's the blatant hypocrisy of IHC's head office that fucks me off. A bunch of corporate fat cat right-wingers bleating on about inclusion and the importance of the UNCRPD when the reality is they just don't give a fuck.
Breaking News: The Ukrainian counter offensive has started.
Also, https://twitter.com/TheStudyofWar/status/1648869140361367554
Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of this terrible conflict. Apparently the Russians are panicking and evacuating a lot of the expected targets of the offensive.
And in other news, the debates suddenly just look a lot more interesting.
https://twitter.com/Antiwarcom/status/1648856357012127744?cxt=HHwWgIDS1dyH9eEtAAAA
I like how in Kennedy's version Ukraine and Russia have no agency, it's just 'Murica.
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Ex-National candidate Stephen Jack does not want to go quietly:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/488345/national-s-ex-candidate-stephen-jack-accuses-media-of-woke-stupidity-and-character-assassination
Note that he attacks the media, but it was his own party that turned on him. Luxon cut him loose, and Nat MPs have been queueing up to "assassinate" Jack (as he would put it). Obviously National had no option, they were never going to waste political capital defending a self-destructive fool.
Blaming the media for your own behaviour and your own party's … so much for personal responsibility.
He'll keep digging of course but never explain the context he claims is misconstrued and false. Just a blowhard, and an indictment of the groundswell mentality.
"Vile and offensive"?
I could direct him to some sites to see more in the style of what brought his demise. About Jacinda Ardern and her partner. Vile and offensive, demonstrably the work of the ignorant and limited. That said, credit to them for not just focussing on the former PM, they spread their wings. You should see what they wrote about Paul Pelosi.
Well he must be talking sense, he used the word 'woke'.
/sarc
nats trying to flick jack and his groundswill cronies off, groundswill are acting like a handbreak instead of a handup for the nats.