Yeah right, Case. Except (thanks to the investigations of RNZ Guyon Espiner, Mountain Tui, et al !) we see how deep you and NZFist were, and are with Big Tobacco.
Costello brushes off revelation tobacco giant Philip Morris targeted NZ First
Costello, who is a New Zealand First MP and associate health minister, recently cut the excise tax on heated tobacco products by 50 percent, at a potential cost of $216 million.
Ayesha Verrall (Cmon labour !)
Costello faced further scrutiny in the House on Thursday afternoon, following sustained questioning from Verrall, who asked if the minister stood by her statement that she had no relationship to the tobacco industry.
Verrall added, in reference to the Taxpayers' Union, "if so, how does she explain having been chair of an organisation identified as a partner in a Philip Morris strategy document and now implementing the objectives of that document in her role as minister?"
Now if only someone with the skills and tools could follow the money to NZ1. It won’t be obvious but channelled through other donators. Corruption rules in this Cohort of Corrruptors and hopefully it will be their downfall.
I don't know why you'd think that. After hefty donations from the Racing industry were followed by the racehorses tax exemption; and from the fishing industry followed by no cameras to monitor by-catch. Why should this be any different? It's pretty much Peters modus operandi.
It requires some pretty sloppy political practices to be caught red-handed in obvious corruption – and Peters is far to cautious to put anything in writing.
Nash, of course, was the most recent example of being caught – although he was leaking cabinet decisions the other way – giving his mates a heads up on imminent policy changes.
Of course, this kind of 'influence' is obvious right through NZ politics – it is after all, what lobbyists do.
Geoffrey Palmer is a serious man with a serious message about the Constitutioal risk that this Government is placing on NZ Democracy. He covers a huge range of issues.
For example he writes:
The Fast Track Bill
The Fast-track Approvals Bill at the time of writing is still before a select Committee, having attracted more than 27,000 submissions. The Bill constitutes a massive attack on the environmental integrity of this country and gives unprecedented power to ministers to overrule the enacted law to an extent never seen before. And the processes to accomplish it lack transparency. It is a policy that contains high risk of political corruption by way of party campaign contributions. The policy stands New Zealand’s existing constitutional arrangements on their head by elevating decision by ministerial fiats of approval rather than proper process for considering the merits of the proposals.
He is also very scathing on various "Measures aimed at Māori interests", which are riding rough shod over treaty obligations and involve some issues that are yet to be decided in courts. Palmer says,
What a grotesque effort to produce retrospective legislation to damage the interests of Māori in such an unprincipled and discriminatory way.
These measures may breach the 1688 Bill of Rights and BORA.
When even Judith Collins (Attorney General) warned the govt about its dodgy practices it's clear the COC has moved well away from democratic practices, its checks and balances, and towards autocracy. Collins,
has called out some of the poor constitutional behaviour and instructed her colleagues on the need to behave better. In a speech on June 13, 2024 she acknowledged that New Zealand’s unusual constitutional arrangements meant the boundaries between the three branches of government, the Executive, the Parliament and Judiciary were “fuzzy.”
She also warned that this meant it's important to follow proper processes to ensure parliamentary best practice is followed without skipping or truncating key practices: eg: not over using urgency as they have done, and respecting court processes and decisions.
For such a polite man, this piece by Palmer is blunt and damning. It contains many stingers that I could quote here, but the real sting as at the end:
Driving measures through the House of Representatives by excessive use of urgency demeans Parliament and damages our democratic fabric. Some of the chosen policies seem calculated to cause splits and divisions in society. What has been done is not wise. And I suggest it is not an ethical use of political power.
And I suggest it is not an ethical use of political power.
That perhaps depends on your political view. The word "ethics" is derived from the greek "ethos" meaning "the set of beliefs, ideas, etc. about the social behaviours, and relationships of a person or group:"
For the CoC group, acting in such a manner; to disrupt and create division within society, is entirely within what constitutes their "moral compass". It is a set of morals quite distinct from those who consider the promotion of the common good, rather than the further enrichment of the wealthy, to be the prime task of government.
I’m less interested in the few who hold the reigns and more interested in the many who voted for them and of those the ones who more or less still defend ‘their team’ aka the CoC. Moral disengagement at its finest.
Yes that is a conundrum. One wonders at how much the folk who blindly vote for "their team" actually understand what it is "their team" is doing. An even more distinct example of this are the "maga" crowd in the US who unthinkingly laud that despot Trump, and the underlying potential for the almost complete dissolution of the Constitution with Project 2025!
I don't generally like reading, or now referring to, Hooton but he has a good article today in the Herald (paywall) that sets out how the next Labour government might look. Very very impressive line up.
McAnulty undoubtedly presents better as a genuine Kiwi bloke than the more effete Luxon.
Barbara Edmonds, the new finance spokesperson … is impressing in the business and finance communities, as well as the party. She has greater technical knowledge of accounting, finance and economics than Nicola Willis or almost anyone else in Parliament.
Carmel Sepuloni, the current deputy, was a top ministerial performer, keeping the welfare system out of the headlines and not associating herself with the previous Government’s worst failures. Were she willing to stay in the job, the West Aucklander would be a perfect deputy for the provincial McAnulty.
…Willie Jackson has earned his place on the Labour front bench and is capable of moving on from his typecast role as an advocate for Māori alone to something broader.
Ginny Andersen has surprised in presenting as tougher on crime than her Labour predecessors and held her own against National’s popular Police Minister, Mark Mitchell.
Manurewa’s Arena Williams, Epsom’s Camilla Belich, Nelson’s Rachel Boyack, Palmerston North’s Tangi Utikere, Christchurch’s Duncan Webb, Rangitata’s Jo Luxton and Dunedin’s Rachel Brooking and Ingrid Leary all look ministerial and are not associated with the excesses of the Ardern era.
No matter how seemingly positive his stance may look when it comes to commentary about left of centre political parties, there is always a demeaning and snide remark from Hooton. It usually comes at the end and sure enough there it is:
Manurewa’s Arena Williams, Epsom’s Camilla Belich, Nelson’s Rachel Boyack, Palmerston North’s Tangi Utikere, Christchurch’s Duncan Webb, Rangitata’s Jo Luxton and Dunedin’s Rachel Brooking and Ingrid Leary all look ministerial and are not associated with the excesses of the Ardern era.
What excesses? If I recall correctly she was strongly criticised by all and sundry for "not doing enough”.
It wasn’t a life ban (we don’t have those). It was a permanent ban as opposed to bans with time limits..
They get cleaned out about every 3-4 years when a moderator has time to do some weeding. That is so we can see if the people who got them are capable of learning our policies and moderator foibles. Sadly many fail multiple times.
Hooton did have a permanent ban a while back. Essentially for trying to explain what I had really meant in a post (as I recall) probably 2015 or 2016. In effect implicitly putting his words into my mouth rather than clearly arguing his own views.
Since the occasion was in a discussion about Cameron Slater trying to pay someone to hack my servers to find details about people writing on this site, where Cameron Slater had managed to get diversion from the police, who apparently thought that I wasn’t a victim who should have a say in that slap over the wrist – despite my making the complaint to the police.
I only found out that Cameron Slater had been charged and gone to court after a query by a lawyer who was interested from another case that Slater was embroiled in and had been following it.
I was rather pissed off about that, especially since I wound up flying back from a job in Italy early and on short notice to go to the court to point this stupidity out. Apparently the days that I had to spend crawling through logs to find out in anyone had broken in, didn’t constitute ‘harm’ or ‘damage’ for the police.
Then had Hooton suggesting tat I wasn’t or shouldn’t have been upset… So I demonstrated just how upset I actually was.
The right's major criticism of the Ardern government is that it spent an excessive amount with little to show.
We generally disagree with that critique but it is what the right campaigned on and what their narrative continues to be.
Regardless of whether you accept that narrative or not (and I don't), the point being made by Hooton is correct. None of those people were in the inner Ardern sanctum, so the right can't say it will be a return to those days.
They are the new fresh face of Labour and will be in the next cabinet.
"“The problem with the Government’s response is it was really focused on boosting their wealth through increasing the housing market and by giving them lots of cash to ensure they kept employing the rest of the population,” he said.
“The problem is, that made the wealthier even wealthier to save the economy, rather than giving the money directly to those people who needed it the most and would have used it to repay debt and spent it.”"
That was not Labour policy – their home building programme and end to landlord mortgage cost deductabilitity against existing property rent income (to incentivise new builds) was otherwise.
The problem was the amount of money flowing into the financial system with QE. And interest rates staying too low for too long.
"The problem is, that made the wealthier even wealthier to save the economy, rather than giving the money directly to those people who needed it the most and would have used it to repay debt and spent it.”
When those with influence on the right feel that 'their' government is going to be dog tucker sooner rather than later, they work on trying to shape the look and feel and direction of a future Labour government. Their goal is to have a fairly benign Labour government that does not seriously threaten their interests, and might even be persuadable into cherry-picking some radical "libertarian' ideas.
In my opinion, that's what Hooton is doing. Why for instance is Verrall, one of Labour’s best performers, not praised? Plus Hooton really despises Luxon and can't help himself from doing so publicly.
Why for instance is Verrall, one of Labour’s best performers, not praised?
Others with more to offer include Peeni Henare, Deborah Russell and Ayesha Verrall
Hooton is staunch write wing lobbyist. He doesn't pretend to be centrist. He writes from a right wing perspective. What ever his motivation is, don't you think he is correct? The current Labour caucus has some real talent in it.
Ah – missed that passing mention of Verrall. I don't know any of these MPs other than what I can see publicly. So my baseline assumption is that there will always be good people In Labour based on the set of ideas they are attracted to, but how they will perform as actual politicians I cannot know until I see them do it. So I know that McAnulty and Verrall are very good, and beyond that it’s mostly hints and guesses.
I was about to write exactly the same post Anne. What excesses?
What gets to me is that Labour and Green friends of mine seem to have bought into the "Ardern never got anything done" meme.
It is an example of repeating something often enough in the Herald and on Newstalk ZB and it will become gospel.
What the Right really meant was that they didn't like the things Ardern got done….look at the massive list repealing most of those things when Luxon's scarey coalition came to power
BG, I have found the same re some Labour/Green supporters.
In the runup to the last election….there was a quite vocal number here on The Standard…who no matter the alternative (which most of NZ are now suffering), continually bagged and undermined Labour and Greens.
Darien Fenton and Louis put up a good long List of Labours achievements….
Gotta wonder, are the bagger/underminers happy ..now ?
I agree that McAnulty seems to be the leader in waiting – although surely they can do better than Sepuloni as deputy.
If Hipkins isn't clawing back ratings in personal popularity or (more importantly) in significant Labour polling increases in the next 4 months (before Christmas) – then surely the Labour Party are going to have to look at what they can change, in order to be electable.
Given the current negative headlines for the Government (in a wide range of areas), it seems incredible that their polling hasn't budged over the last 2 months. We tend to get buyers remorse vote changes as we approach the first year – and we're not seeing it.
It may be that Centrist voters aren't loving National – but not seeing anyone else as a viable alternative. Labour with the unpopular Hipkins, the Greens with their MP scandals, and TPM who are frankly scary in their rhetoric. [NB: ACT are also scary to this tranche of voters – to head off the wave of far left outrage at this comment]
Carmel Sepuloni, the current deputy, was a top ministerial performer, keeping the welfare system out of the headlines and not associating herself with the previous Government’s worst failures.
Piffle. The failure to implement hardly any of the WEAG recommendations at a time of enormous public support showed she was an abject failure. The chief executive appointment another failure also resulting in MSD recommending that benefit rates not increase by the (lesser than WEAG recommendation ) amount the government wanted them to. All this pre COVID. Then the development of the two tier benefit system for largely European middle class New Zealanders at a much higher rate and with free and easy access to payments by partners.
By any measures all these things made poor people poorer. She was completely out of her depth – all talk and no actual action.
If more could have been achieved under Labour's two terms, people should not forget Covid, which put a major brake on every aspect of planning and implementation for a few years. Life simply was not and could not be normal during that time.
To further add to that there were the terrorist shootings which shocked the whole country and had an ongoing destabilising effect for a long time. White Island tragedies and Cyclone Gabrielle – both major emergencies which had to be focussed on first. It was six years of anything but "normal" for much of that time.
Yes – but every government is a victim of circumstance. The previous government had the GFC, Christchurch earthquake, and Kaikoura earthquake to trip them up. It's how they deal with those circumstances which defines them.
Everyone will, or probably has forgotten about COVID, and the terrorist attacks. If we are talking about them at the next election, then just give Lux the keys to the 9th floor for his 2nd term.
We need to focus on the future. Not pat ourselves on the back for what has already happened.
Onslow has been overtaken by technology. Queensland (of all places) generated 52% of its power from rooftop solar last week…incredible. ( I am in Queensland travelling)
Battery technology, including for grid storage, is going ahead in leaps and bounds. Just look at what they are doing in Australia, California and ( who would have thought it?) Texas.
What NZ should be doing is subsidising rooftop solar…in a relatively short period of time this will become a major power supply source and the water in the lakes will be able to be able to be saved in part for when it is needed. Effectively under this sce nario part of the existing hydro will replace Lake Onslow, and it's 17 billion cost will be largely saved
What NZ should be doing is subsidising rooftop solar
I've been saying that for years too. And from The Conversation….
A much better option, we suggest, would be to prioritise the expansion of rooftop solar throughout New Zealand. This could not only add significantly to the overall electricity supply, but also help bring down prices.
Based on the Australian experience, we estimate modest subsidies for the capital cost of installing solar rooftop systems would add the equivalent of 700 megawatts a year (2% of the total) to the electricity supply. This significant new supply will reduce electricity prices.
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Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a ...
The lead witness in Ngāi Tahu’s freshwater claim says the case raises an “existentialist question” for his people.“My greatest fear is that we will have our connection with our land and waterways extinguished,” Te Maire Tau (Ngāi Tahu/Ngāi Tūāhuriri) said in the Christchurch High Court, before Justice Melanie Harland. The university history ...
As New Zealand woke to Waitangi Day, 1600 athletes and their support crew began to descend on the sleepy west coast town of Greymouth, ready to take on the iconic multisport race, the Coast to Coast.Among the cars laden with kayaks, bikes and enough race food to feed a small ...
I collect sailing books, especially solo sailing adventures. I sail a lot and when in meetings, I think about sailing rather than focus on the dry PowerPoint presentations of earnest landlubbers. Just quietly, I also offer dead sailors drinks and occasionally good books over the side when I am at ...
Over the past few weeks, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has had public tiffs with the leaders of both the Cook Islands and Kiribati.The issues: first Peters put foreign aid to Kiribati under review after President Taneti Maamau cancelled a meeting with him. Then this week, Peters accused the PM of ...
New Zealand employers are well-used to the constant evolution of employment and workplace health and safety law – but we think the scope of changes in this area may still surprise in 2025. In our view, the number of changes under active consideration and the potential practical impact of those ...
Proposed changes to the Fisheries Act 1996 could see on-board cameras, introduced to protect endangered marine and seabird species, shut off from public view. Lyric Waiwiri-Smith explains.Minister for oceans and fisheries Shane Jones was in his element on Wellington’s waterfront on Wednesday morning. While waves crashed onto the rocks ...
The prime minister has had a bad week, and it’s barely Thursday. This week’s Luxon low points, ranked.8. Bad poll, part oneA Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Poll released on Monday showed that Labour, the Greens, and Te Pāti Māori could form a government. Christopher Luxon is down 3.8 points at ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Appiah Takyi, Senior Lecturer, Department of Planning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Street vending is a major economic activity in most of Ghana’s urban areas. The vendors bring everyday goods to residents and commuters at affordable prices in ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – The United States shares the pathologies of all dying empires with their mixture of buffoonery, rampant corruption, military fiascos, economic collapse and savage state repression.ANALYSIS: By Chris Hedges The billionaires, Christian fascists, grifters, psychopaths, imbeciles, narcissists and deviants who ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government has secured bipartisan support for a major new regime covering political donations and spending, after making significant concessions. The government agreed to increase the proposed threshold above which donations must be disclosed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With the election only months away, the Labor government finds itself suddenly battling with the Trump administration for an exemption from new US tariffs on steel and aluminium. The opposition has supported the effort, but ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julee McDonagh, Senior Research Fellow of Frailty Research, University of Wollongong PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock Ageing is a normal part of the life course. It doesn’t matter how many green smoothies you drink, or how many “anti-ageing” skin care products you ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Carlson, Professor, Critical Indigenous Studies and Director of The Centre for Global Indigenous Futures, Macquarie University The Conversation, CC BY-SAAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people. Colonial commemorations ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Hazel, Associate Professor, School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide Masarik/Shutterstock In some overseas countries, pets can travel with their owners in a plane’s cabin, in a carrier under a seat. In Australia, pets must travel in the ...
A raft of proposed legislation changes to the media and screen industry have been announced this morning – we read through it all all so you don’t have to. What’s all this then? This morning the Ministry for Culture and Heritage released its draft proposed changes to media and screen ...
David Seymour's recent off-road parliamentary excursion led to a reprimand from the Speaker, who also said the rules didn't apply to this instance. What are the rules? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee Morgenbesser, Associate Professor, School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University, Griffith University Many Americans have watched in horror as Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, has been permitted to tear through various offices of the United States government in recent ...
By Patrick Decloitre,RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls has announced he will travel to New Caledonia later this month to pursue talks on the French territory’s political future. These discussions on February 22 follow preliminary talks held last week in Paris in “bilateral” mode ...
As Benjamin Netanyahu threatens to resume war, Hamas outlines widespread Israeli ceasefire violations in document sent to the mediators.By Jeremy Scahill and Sharif Abdel Kouddous of Dropsite News Hamas officials submitted a two-page report to mediators yesterday listing a wide range of Israeli violations of the Gaza ceasefire since ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Murray Print, Professor of Education, University of Sydney A federal parliamentary inquiry has just recommended civics and citizenship become a compulsory part of the Australian Curriculum, which covers the first year of school to Year 10. The committee also recommended a ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Claire Baylis, author of Dice and guest at the forthcoming HamLit programme at the Hamilton Arts Festival. The book I wish I’d writtenMy mind seems surprisingly unwilling ...
The courts should deal with illegal fishing, not the "court of public opinion", Shane Jones says, as he announces proposed changes to the Quota Management System. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan McElhone, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Monash University A London court has found Sam Kerr not guilty of the racially aggravated harassment of Metropolitan Police officer Stephen Lovell. As captain of the Australian women’s national soccer team, Kerr was widely condemned when ...
Could iwi and hapū be the unexpected solution to the government’s asset dilemma? David Seymour pressured the prime minister into an unwelcome conversation, and in the couple of weeks since the Act leader raised the issue in his state of the nation speech, privatisation has shifted from absent in the ...
Human rights advocates must uphold human dignity, rights and justice, while rejecting the discriminatory tactics we oppose, writes Taimor Hazou.Two weeks ago the Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) launched a campaign inviting New Zealanders to call a hotline if they suspected an Israel Defence Force (IDF) soldier that had ...
Immigration New Zealand figures shows more people have been looking at the ETA and visitor visa pages on the website, however fewer people have applied to come or to extend their stay. ...
Casey Costello : Nothing to see here….
Yeah right, Case. Except (thanks to the investigations of RNZ Guyon Espiner, Mountain Tui, et al !) we see how deep you and NZFist were, and are with Big Tobacco.
Ayesha Verrall (Cmon labour !)
IMO NZ First aren't lonely in Corruptionville – they are just it's sloppiest residents.
Yea of course NACT1 are corrupt as. Re NZFist ? Are not so much sloppy..just arrogant as and literally couldn't give a fuck…
Now if only someone with the skills and tools could follow the money to NZ1. It won’t be obvious but channelled through other donators. Corruption rules in this Cohort of Corrruptors and hopefully it will be their downfall.
I don't know why you'd think that. After hefty donations from the Racing industry were followed by the racehorses tax exemption; and from the fishing industry followed by no cameras to monitor by-catch. Why should this be any different? It's pretty much Peters modus operandi.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/409320/nz-first-foundation-received-tens-of-thousands-of-dollars-from-donors-in-horse-racing-industry
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/410299/concerns-over-secret-fisheries-donations-to-nz-first-foundation
It requires some pretty sloppy political practices to be caught red-handed in obvious corruption – and Peters is far to cautious to put anything in writing.
Nash, of course, was the most recent example of being caught – although he was leaking cabinet decisions the other way – giving his mates a heads up on imminent policy changes.
Of course, this kind of 'influence' is obvious right through NZ politics – it is after all, what lobbyists do.
Geoffrey Palmer is a serious man with a serious message about the Constitutioal risk that this Government is placing on NZ Democracy. He covers a huge range of issues.
For example he writes:
Excellent piece by Geoffrey Palmer.
He is also very scathing on various "Measures aimed at Māori interests", which are riding rough shod over treaty obligations and involve some issues that are yet to be decided in courts. Palmer says,
These measures may breach the 1688 Bill of Rights and BORA.
When even Judith Collins (Attorney General) warned the govt about its dodgy practices it's clear the COC has moved well away from democratic practices, its checks and balances, and towards autocracy. Collins,
She also warned that this meant it's important to follow proper processes to ensure parliamentary best practice is followed without skipping or truncating key practices: eg: not over using urgency as they have done, and respecting court processes and decisions.
For such a polite man, this piece by Palmer is blunt and damning. It contains many stingers that I could quote here, but the real sting as at the end:
That perhaps depends on your political view. The word "ethics" is derived from the greek "ethos" meaning "the set of beliefs, ideas, etc. about the social behaviours, and relationships of a person or group:"
For the CoC group, acting in such a manner; to disrupt and create division within society, is entirely within what constitutes their "moral compass". It is a set of morals quite distinct from those who consider the promotion of the common good, rather than the further enrichment of the wealthy, to be the prime task of government.
I’m less interested in the few who hold the reigns and more interested in the many who voted for them and of those the ones who more or less still defend ‘their team’ aka the CoC. Moral disengagement at its finest.
Yes that is a conundrum. One wonders at how much the folk who blindly vote for "their team" actually understand what it is "their team" is doing. An even more distinct example of this are the "maga" crowd in the US who unthinkingly laud that despot Trump, and the underlying potential for the almost complete dissolution of the Constitution with Project 2025!
One word: emotions.
I don't generally like reading, or now referring to, Hooton but he has a good article today in the Herald (paywall) that sets out how the next Labour government might look. Very very impressive line up.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/poll-no-excuse-for-labour-complacency-matthew-hooton/66DB6ZZSKZG2ZEBIX5PS6PT5RU/
No matter how seemingly positive his stance may look when it comes to commentary about left of centre political parties, there is always a demeaning and snide remark from Hooton. It usually comes at the end and sure enough there it is:
What excesses? If I recall correctly she was strongly criticised by all and sundry for "not doing enough”.
Hooton is not to be trusted.
Totally agree.
He got a life ban from here if I remember correctly.
He’s not banned currently.
It wasn’t a life ban (we don’t have those). It was a permanent ban as opposed to bans with time limits..
They get cleaned out about every 3-4 years when a moderator has time to do some weeding. That is so we can see if the people who got them are capable of learning our policies and moderator foibles. Sadly many fail multiple times.
Hooton did have a permanent ban a while back. Essentially for trying to explain what I had really meant in a post (as I recall) probably 2015 or 2016. In effect implicitly putting his words into my mouth rather than clearly arguing his own views.
Since the occasion was in a discussion about Cameron Slater trying to pay someone to hack my servers to find details about people writing on this site, where Cameron Slater had managed to get diversion from the police, who apparently thought that I wasn’t a victim who should have a say in that slap over the wrist – despite my making the complaint to the police.
I only found out that Cameron Slater had been charged and gone to court after a query by a lawyer who was interested from another case that Slater was embroiled in and had been following it.
I was rather pissed off about that, especially since I wound up flying back from a job in Italy early and on short notice to go to the court to point this stupidity out. Apparently the days that I had to spend crawling through logs to find out in anyone had broken in, didn’t constitute ‘harm’ or ‘damage’ for the police.
Then had Hooton suggesting tat I wasn’t or shouldn’t have been upset… So I demonstrated just how upset I actually was.
The right's major criticism of the Ardern government is that it spent an excessive amount with little to show.
We generally disagree with that critique but it is what the right campaigned on and what their narrative continues to be.
Regardless of whether you accept that narrative or not (and I don't), the point being made by Hooton is correct. None of those people were in the inner Ardern sanctum, so the right can't say it will be a return to those days.
They are the new fresh face of Labour and will be in the next cabinet.
"What excesses?"
This is excessive by anyone's standard.
"“The problem with the Government’s response is it was really focused on boosting their wealth through increasing the housing market and by giving them lots of cash to ensure they kept employing the rest of the population,” he said.
“The problem is, that made the wealthier even wealthier to save the economy, rather than giving the money directly to those people who needed it the most and would have used it to repay debt and spent it.”"
https://www.1news.co.nz/2021/12/13/wealthy-nearly-1-trillion-richer-since-covid-began-hickey/
That was not Labour policy – their home building programme and end to landlord mortgage cost deductabilitity against existing property rent income (to incentivise new builds) was otherwise.
The problem was the amount of money flowing into the financial system with QE. And interest rates staying too low for too long.
No disrespect, I am gonna go with Hickey on this:
"The problem is, that made the wealthier even wealthier to save the economy, rather than giving the money directly to those people who needed it the most and would have used it to repay debt and spent it.”
Over-egged from Hickey, Labour ensured wages were still paid.
When those with influence on the right feel that 'their' government is going to be dog tucker sooner rather than later, they work on trying to shape the look and feel and direction of a future Labour government. Their goal is to have a fairly benign Labour government that does not seriously threaten their interests, and might even be persuadable into cherry-picking some radical "libertarian' ideas.
In my opinion, that's what Hooton is doing. Why for instance is Verrall, one of Labour’s best performers, not praised? Plus Hooton really despises Luxon and can't help himself from doing so publicly.
Hooton is staunch write wing lobbyist. He doesn't pretend to be centrist. He writes from a right wing perspective. What ever his motivation is, don't you think he is correct? The current Labour caucus has some real talent in it.
Ah – missed that passing mention of Verrall. I don't know any of these MPs other than what I can see publicly. So my baseline assumption is that there will always be good people In Labour based on the set of ideas they are attracted to, but how they will perform as actual politicians I cannot know until I see them do it. So I know that McAnulty and Verrall are very good, and beyond that it’s mostly hints and guesses.
def think Ayesha Verrall is good. Knows her stuff and can bring it to the NACT1 creeps.
Onya Ayesha. keep the hard questions going. !
I was about to write exactly the same post Anne. What excesses?
What gets to me is that Labour and Green friends of mine seem to have bought into the "Ardern never got anything done" meme.
It is an example of repeating something often enough in the Herald and on Newstalk ZB and it will become gospel.
What the Right really meant was that they didn't like the things Ardern got done….look at the massive list repealing most of those things when Luxon's scarey coalition came to power
BG, I have found the same re some Labour/Green supporters.
In the runup to the last election….there was a quite vocal number here on The Standard…who no matter the alternative (which most of NZ are now suffering), continually bagged and undermined Labour and Greens.
Darien Fenton and Louis put up a good long List of Labours achievements….
Gotta wonder, are the bagger/underminers happy ..now ?
I agree that McAnulty seems to be the leader in waiting – although surely they can do better than Sepuloni as deputy.
If Hipkins isn't clawing back ratings in personal popularity or (more importantly) in significant Labour polling increases in the next 4 months (before Christmas) – then surely the Labour Party are going to have to look at what they can change, in order to be electable.
Given the current negative headlines for the Government (in a wide range of areas), it seems incredible that their polling hasn't budged over the last 2 months. We tend to get buyers remorse vote changes as we approach the first year – and we're not seeing it.
It may be that Centrist voters aren't loving National – but not seeing anyone else as a viable alternative. Labour with the unpopular Hipkins, the Greens with their MP scandals, and TPM who are frankly scary in their rhetoric. [NB: ACT are also scary to this tranche of voters – to head off the wave of far left outrage at this comment]
Why does ACT scare centrists like you?
What could ACT do to appeal more to this slice of voters?
No idea. Just as I have no idea what TPM could do.
Both make their political 'mark' as extremist parties.
Why does ACT scare you [Belladonna], a self-declared "respectful centrist"?
What are some specific ACT policies or actions that scare you? One would do.
One does not need to be far left to be outraged by your comments.
But you clearly are……
Carmel Sepuloni, the current deputy, was a top ministerial performer, keeping the welfare system out of the headlines and not associating herself with the previous Government’s worst failures.
Piffle. The failure to implement hardly any of the WEAG recommendations at a time of enormous public support showed she was an abject failure. The chief executive appointment another failure also resulting in MSD recommending that benefit rates not increase by the (lesser than WEAG recommendation ) amount the government wanted them to. All this pre COVID. Then the development of the two tier benefit system for largely European middle class New Zealanders at a much higher rate and with free and easy access to payments by partners.
By any measures all these things made poor people poorer. She was completely out of her depth – all talk and no actual action.
If more could have been achieved under Labour's two terms, people should not forget Covid, which put a major brake on every aspect of planning and implementation for a few years. Life simply was not and could not be normal during that time.
To further add to that there were the terrorist shootings which shocked the whole country and had an ongoing destabilising effect for a long time. White Island tragedies and Cyclone Gabrielle – both major emergencies which had to be focussed on first. It was six years of anything but "normal" for much of that time.
Yes – but every government is a victim of circumstance. The previous government had the GFC, Christchurch earthquake, and Kaikoura earthquake to trip them up. It's how they deal with those circumstances which defines them.
Everyone will, or probably has forgotten about COVID, and the terrorist attacks. If we are talking about them at the next election, then just give Lux the keys to the 9th floor for his 2nd term.
We need to focus on the future. Not pat ourselves on the back for what has already happened.
With all the coverage lately about how we are screwed by the power companies it takes a one man blog to demonstrate the reality.
On Wednesday, power prices in several European markets, including Germany, dipped below zero due to a surge in green electricity production.
From No Right Turn, why is it not front page news so even the gullible can see the what is being done.
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/
Battery storage is a game changer. It makes new generation via solar and wind reliable.
Maybe government could work around the power companies via a new company providing battery storage to Transpower.
There's a battery project coming up in NZ:
Contact Energy – Glenbrook-Ohurua Battery
Of course, the more the better. Just look at South Australia and their achievements in renewable energy combined with battery technology.
Like Lake Onslow?
Onslow has been overtaken by technology. Queensland (of all places) generated 52% of its power from rooftop solar last week…incredible. ( I am in Queensland travelling)
Battery technology, including for grid storage, is going ahead in leaps and bounds. Just look at what they are doing in Australia, California and ( who would have thought it?) Texas.
What NZ should be doing is subsidising rooftop solar…in a relatively short period of time this will become a major power supply source and the water in the lakes will be able to be able to be saved in part for when it is needed. Effectively under this sce nario part of the existing hydro will replace Lake Onslow, and it's 17 billion cost will be largely saved
I've been saying that for years too. And from The Conversation….
Individual rooftop solar is actually less efficient and more expensive than large grid scale renewable energy. It just comes from different pockets.
There is no way that "battery", chemical battery, storage is cheaper than using excess energy to add kinetic energy to water.
It called physics and economies of scale.
Of course we will never have an efficient and economic energy supply, while the incentive remains for manufactured scarcity.
No wind , no sun there is always the tide.