The Green Party candidate list reveals the membership is happy with its current MPs and that a small group of left-wing party members did not have much influence.
The "small group" need to now be expelled from the Green party – their disruption was clearly designed to damage their own party and as such they fail the most basic tests for party discipline. Their should be consequences for that and expulsion is the most obvious.
Labour need to do a deal to give Chloe Swarbrick a clear run at Auckland Central. A victory for the Greens there would give them a lifeboat, and the Labour + Green vote would have a great chance of turfing out the National Party's deputy leader.
Why Nelson? Just do the simple arithmetic of adding up the leftish party votes and rightish party votes to see if there's any chance at all of making a deal work. Not a chance of making it happen in Nelson.
It will be tough enough getting a few Green voters to vote strategically to turf out Smith, let alone trying to get almost all Labour voters to vote for the Green candidate.
It will be tough enough getting a few Green voters to vote strategically to turf out Smith
Not necessarily. Last year the Greens received a large donation on the condition they used it to try and unseat dr. custard (aka nick smith). This year it will be different, there will be strategic voting. The Nelson race will be close, but I'm predicting nick will lose his seat this time to Labour, if only by a slim margin. Looking forward to it 🙂
I read the other day after his candidature was announced, the new geologist candidate (name forgotten), state he was focussing on the party vote in Nelson.
Yeah. Last time Boyack plus Lawrey was around 22k votes, vs 17k for the Nat candidate (what was his name?). So it wouldn't take much strategic voting to install a Labour candidate into that seat. Plus, haven't there been boundary changes that should be favourable to Labour?
Yes, the boundary change, good point. Nelson electorate has lost Brightwater (Dr custard's old stomping ground). Brightwater has now moved to the West Coast-Tasman electorate, and that will make a difference.
That is a good thing. But getting back to the topic of electorates, is that likely to pull in more Green voters or Labour or NZF voters into the electorate.
Brightwater is a blue town, with a bit of red. I'm guessing nick will lose out on up to 1,000 votes with the boundary change. Enough to make a difference on the night.
At a guess those blue person votes from Brightwater will be split between maureen pugh and Damien. Damien has quite a bit of respect from national party voters, it's not uncommon in West Coast-Tasman for national voters to vote Labour for the person (Damien).
I'd be really surprised if NZ 1st stood a strong candidate in Nelson or the WC-Tasman seat, they haven't in the past.
It will be a straight out red v's blue for Nelson re the person vote. With a strong Green party vote.
Brightwater is a blue town, with a bit of red. I'm guessing nick will lose out on up to 1,000 votes with the boundary change. Enough to make a difference on the night.
I've had a quick look & I'd say losing Brightwater will shave off less than 400 from Smithy's majority. Would only make a difference in an extremely tight race.
[That’s the Candidate Vote margin … in terms of the Party Vote profile – the Nats take 50%., while the Govt Bloc Parties as a whole take 45% … so i would have to say a relatively Pale Blue sort of a town]
Why Auckland Central? The combined Labour and Green party votes weren't much more than the Nat vote. Trying to divert Labour voters to Swarbrick is more likely to split the vote and let Kaye win again. Anyways, better to turf her out cleanly without any hint of dodgy deals.
Whereas Wellington Central and Dunedin North have a combined Labour and Green party vote nearly double the Nat party vote.
Ok. In 2017 the party votes in Auckland Central were: Nat 11773, Lab 11340, Green 4170, TOP 944, Winston1st 1165. (Note that Kaye's personal vote was 13198; she picked up a lot of non-Nat personal support)
Let's make the heroic assumptions that 10% of the Nat party vote swings to Labour (20% swing to Labour), that 1/2 of Labour voters will "take orders", the Green and NZ1st vote share holds, all TOP goes to Labour, half NZ1st goes to the Labour candidate.
For party votes that will be 10600 ish to Nat, 13500ish to Labour, 4200ish Greens plus rats and mice.
Divvy those up among the candidates as wildly optimistically fantasised above, and Kaye gets 11000 ish votes (Nat plus ACT, no NZ1st vote, no personal loyalty vote to Kaye), Greens candidate 10900ish votes, Labour candidate gets 7000ish.
Whereas, assume a small swing to Labour and that a decent chunk of Greens party voters use their heads and vote for the Labour candidate, then Kaye is solidly a list MP rather than an electorate MP. Which would do wonders for her cred as deputy leader.
Yes. But an electorate deal to persuade Labour party voters to strategically vote for a Greens candidate to give the Greens party a lifeboat is more likely to be successful where there is already a very strong Greens party vote, and an overwhelming Labour plus Greens dominance over the Nats.
Those conditions are not met in Auckland Central or Nelson, but they are met in Wellington Central and Dunedin North.
Replace Shaw, Sage and Swarbrick, and the Greens would no longer be green. And would then travel the route of other "activist left" parties such as Alliance, Mana etc.
Of those on the Green list only Eugenie Sage is ranked in the top 10 with any "Green" credentials. Not sure how you include the other 2 when it is not even important enough to include in the bio any. Not a mention of anything "Green" in Chloe Swarbrick's background !!! So who in the party is concerned with environment ?? Perhaps those who have left ??
Labour need to do a deal to give Chloe Swarbrick a clear run at Auckland Central.
You must be joking. Trying to herd voters simply doesn’t work unless there is a already a 3 way split because a small minority will either heed the advice or decide to do it themselves. The Green vote in Auckland Central was ~2.3k odd last time. Labour was ~11.5. National was ~13k.
The Labour candidate is White who got that vote – who will have been doing the electorate work and face-to-face since becoming a MP off the list – which is essentially how you win electorate seats. I hadn’t noticed Swarbrick around much. That is a problem when dealing with a electorate seat. Kaye has been maintaining her usual level of work in the electorate. But it hasn’t been anything to write home about.
Basically you’re must be dreaming. Usually the maximum number of people shifting will be a few thousand at best unless there is a pretty piss-poor candidate. All a ‘deal’ in Auckland central will do is to increase Kayes majority. There is a good chance that a swing to Labour generally will flip that seat anyway.
The probability of neither Labour nor the Greens winning the seat will rise massively in the event of the type of deal you’re looking for. The Green vote would go up to something like 3.5-4.5k – well short of majority. It will consist almost entirely of Green split voters who party voted Green last time and electorate voted Labour.
You need to look at electorates that have a 3 way split. Offhand, I don’t know of an electorate. Even Nelson isn’t good for a Green electorate seat: Smith ~16.7k, Boyack (candidate again) ~12.4k, and Lawrey trailing well way behind at 9.7k. The Green party vote was only ~3.1k so it is likely that the split voting was pretty intense.
Is the Chinese government a client of Exceltium PR? I only ask because I want to know if Matthew Hooton, the $2 dollar store Dominic Cummings to the watered down ScoMo, is getting paid by China to tell Toddy what to do.
Brownlee's mascot could be Rolling Rosa. Rosa features an innovative self-righting design that allows …. to track Rosa's face as she spins, always landing with her smile facing up.
It would be educational for Muller plus with soothing sounds designed 'to stimulate auditory development'.
People go on about Labour and the Greens being killjoy wowsers, but you have Paulo Garcia, who think sex should only be for making babies, and having any pleasure from it is verboten.
And how many creationists are in there? No wonder there was such a huge support for charter schools, it was all about giving young NZers are creationist diet and purging any mention of Darwin from large parts of the education system, along with the perodic table, etc.
Jacinda was live. giving an interview when the quake struck, she remained positive, up-beat, unrattled and calm. She was awesome and impressive.
After which mark richardson had a crack at her, because she wasn't scared and she kept it together.
Now the herald are reporting nats at the beehive scrambled and hid under a table.
Everyone behaves differently during a crisis, some keep it together and re-assure others and some hide under a table. Earthquake responses this morning by our politicians spoke volumes.
To be fair Cinny, if the roles were reversed you would be having a go at the Nats for not following Civil Defence guidelines with respect to earthquakes.
Muller just interviewed by Kathryn Ryan…considerably better than Bridges but nothing to write home about….he will need to improve to make inroads…the same old attack lines and no substance
I felt similarly, but view it as natural caution. Can't go wrong adhering to the established party line. If that rumour is correct (that he only won by a single vote) then he will be aware that he has to win support for any new National plan before sketching that in public.
His main theme seemed to be “trust us we’re National”. That and bagging Cabinet Ministers under Ardern. Kaye was banging on along the same lines so definitely a pre-organised attack line. I suppose we should be pleased they’ve finally figured out that belittling the PM isn’t going to wash.
I listened to that broadcast as well Pat. At just after 9am, Kathryn Ryan asked a basic question re when did Muller first consider challenging the Natz leadership. It took her three attempts to get some sort of a response from him, even then Ryan caught him out in a lie. To me Muller seemed to be more interested in promoting himself than answering questions.
At this rate, Jacinda should have a field day during the election leaders' debates.
"It is a very different picture to that memorable North & South front page of just over three years ago. Half of the high ranking candidates on the cover are gone. The magazine itself is gone, too." John Hart, the farmer, gone. Alienated by leftists, I bet.
Hayley Holt, gone. I was sorry to see a brief media report recently that she'd lost her baby – had wondered at her disappearance from the TVNZ breakfast show – so wish her a speedy bounce back from that trauma.
"Perhaps more of a time warp, however, is the cover line: “Is the once ‘loony left’ ready to rule (and should we be afraid)?” For plenty of Greens – voters, members, and even some in caucus – the question is have they been loony, or at least loud, enough?"
"The Greens: we are the only ones that can achieve a true transformative tilt." Yeah, valid for the party as a whole but not for our parliamentarians, who continue to shirk that task.
Just read on 3news website the government has announced a $500pw tax free payment, for 12 weeks, for those laid off between March and October. Comes in 8th June and not backdated, and you have to be looking for work or training.
The wage subsidy should have shown clearly that the unemployment benefits for anyone on unemployement – not just hte current and growing expected wave of jobless – should get at the very minimum 585 $ (before tax 🙂 ) every week to maintain a semblance of normal life, i.e. pay rent, groceries and electricity.
Agree. Would have applauded any government that rebuilt from a solid base – from the ground up, rather attempting to provide support from the middle upwards. Doesn't look like I'll be clapping anytime soon.
The $490 for certain Covid related unemployed is useful of course, but has just put off the day of reckoning for Labour with the institutional neo liberalism of WINZ/MSD. Those Depts are punishment mazes and the Govt. knows it. Newbies do not cope well, or necessarily get the miserly assistance they seek.
Two tier unemployment payments, Covid and “Jobseeker” reinforce the “deserving/undeserving” tenet of state payments beloved of monetarist theory.
Some employers refused to apply for the subsidy, instead they gave their employee's two weeks notice of their intention to use their employees annual leave for their wages over lock down. Some of those employee's may have or did have very little accrued leave and they suffered over lock-down as a result.
Upon return to work, those employee's were told they were no longer tenable.
This is good news for them, as it was to no fault of those employee's that their employers decided against taking the subsidy.
And yes, benefits need to be increased. Living wage please and thank you.
AFAIK, the annual leave could only be used WITH the agreement of the employee. (My partner spent much of his first couple of weeks at home dealing with this issue, while working with the business owner in trying to maintain full pay for all the staff.) Those that agreed took annual leave in the final week of lockdown.
Yes they do need to streamline the WINZ//MSD . But look at the politics of it. The three months will be up for extension shortly before the election. Would Nact extend if they won – takes the election battleground to social welfare and gets its off tax increases for the wealthy.
I think this is a good small step towards a better social security system. I'd love this to be bigger and bolder, but it's still more than nothing.
I also think this is very politically astute – start with a step that should be uncontroversial, extend later, go into the election with a bigger policy piece, win the election, and by the time National see the front bench again, it's the new normal.
Hosking: "The key here is, is there a magic? The X-factor? Is there something that transforms him from just another decent person who aspires to lead their party, and therefore their country, into a person who actually attracts votes, turns tides, explains things in a way people get? Is he something or someone that has that magnetic factor that marks you out as different from the rest?"
Then fails to provides any answers. He would no doubt claim that the media does shallow, only, and answers go too deep. But then he does have a go at profound:
I googled "Greens candidate profiles 2020" to see if the GP had performed the elementary political requirement of allowing those interested to get to know those candidates better.
No. No such link to the GP website exists as yet. So the clueless dork syndrome remains in control. Look on the bright side: they have four months to get their act together.
The good news is I've read those profiles and they are available to members – and some of those people would make exceptional parliamentarians. Please don't hide them!
And only Eugenie Sage (ranked 6th) from the current crop background containing anything substantial regarding the environment. No wonder Gaia is screwed.
I wouldn't go that far. If you read Lovelock's books you get a good sense of how resilient Gaia is – as a supersystem. That said, we have dislocated the Holocene, and that was the basis of the economy. Agriculture.
Now that the supersystem is in transition from that stable state to another as yet unknown, we call the interim Antropocene. We will all live & die in that one. Comprehension of this relation between economy and ecology is non-existent – I never encountered anyone in the Green movement who even thought about it. Statism has everyone in a death-grip. Thus we still await an alternative to neoliberalism 30 years after it was obviously dead in the water!
That the members of the GP persist in denial of this fundamental reality is due to human nature: gnosis is too hard, culture is trivial, we must therefore be trite, etc.
Fairfax papers in Australia are suggesting the Federal government over there may allow travel between NZ and individual states, NSW and Victoria while borders between other states remain closed.
That's weird. Aren't victoria & NSW still battling outbreaks whereas NT & Wa are pretty much clean? Is NZ being used by slomo to shore up his political standing?
Probably more likely an effort by the federal government to get the state Labor government’s in WA and Qld to move on opening their borders to interstate travel. At any rate tv news in Australia is reporting Ardern’s comments here this morning saying that NZ was unlikely to open the border unless all of Australia was available for non-quarantined travel for NZers.
"MacDonald is a family man with two daughters, and has lived in the electorate for five years. His background is not that of a traditional Green candidate. He's been a psychotherapist for two decades, helping people with mental health issues and addiction through their troubles with talk therapy."
"MacDonald gained a spot on radio's 'Nutter's Club' show, which has him talking to callers on-air about their problems. The show, started by comedian-turned-advocate Mike King, has a strong following of dedicated listeners. Between 60,000 and 80,000 tune in, which is the largest radio audience for the 11pm to 1am weekend timeslot, MacDonald says."
"MacDonald also wrote a regular column about mental health and drugs, which ended three weeks ago when he announced his candidacy." At #14 on the list, a significant rebound will be required to get him in.
Good discussion on Novara with James Meadway on how to manage the increased government debt racked up during the COVID-19 crisis. I was getting alarmed to hear Bridges, shortly before his replacement, describe the debt as "$80k per household", and more recently Nikki Kaye claiming that young people were concerned at the thought of having to pay the debt back in future through increased taxes.
It seems that National not only poses a threat to public health by wanting to prematurely open borders, but also poses a threat to the economy because of ingrained tendencies towards austerity.
Stuff have been sold by nine. Be very interesting to see if they are going to try to be genuinely NZ or whether this is a front for a wealthy individuals. Hoping for the former, be wise for the government to now bung them a relief package ., heck I'd subscribe again if they stopped being a Nact mouthpiece
Siebert arrived at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago three days later as the new U.S. restrictions — including mandatory medical screenings — went into effect. He encountered crowds of people packed in tight corridors, stood in lines in which he snaked past other travelers for nearly five hours and tried to direct any cough or sneeze into his sleeve.
When he finally reached the coronavirus checkpoint near baggage pickup, Siebert reported his prior symptoms and described his exposure in Spain. But the screeners waved him through with a cursory temperature check. He was given instructions to self-isolate that struck him as absurd given the conditions he had just encountered at the airport.
“I can guarantee you that people were infected” in that transatlantic gantlet, said Siebert, who tested positive for the virus two days later in Chicago. “It was people passing through a pinhole.”
Jack Tame had him over a barrel when he asked the question about there being no-one of Maori descent in his Shadow Cabinet. He didn't see it coming and tried to cover up by extolling the virtues of Shane Reti who comes in at 16 on the list.
How astounding that he didn't even consider how it would look having only pale, stale Pakehas in his line-up.
Q & A interview? Yeah, that was painful. Todd, toast.
As I said on Friday, Muller did well in his first round of interviews on Day 1, but now we've got past the soft "introduce yourself" and moved on to "what are your policies?".
His policy platform appears to be "saying Amy Adams a lot".
Yes. Watching the whole of Todd;s responses to Jack's questioning and it was worse even than earlier speeches. I know I am biased but truly I was expecting Todd to be able telling us that since the Government is failing, he could offer a light on how he would rescue the Small Business owners. He could only repeatedly tell us how wonderful Amy Adams is but no specifics – at all. Jack tried but it was a no show.
And these folk have been beavering away at this plan for months and should be ready to Wow.
Wish I had of watched it! Have just listened to his interview with Kathryn Ryan this morning and what a bore he is. One of these "we could do it better" with no good evidence for why. And it turns out they don't have a plan. He will begin to sound very boring and arrogant soon……..How long will Amy think it ok to play second fiddle to him and and wait, what! more excitement… Simon's back! Happy days
I guess Todd is obliged to give it a jolly good go but if I was him I'd find it hard not to feel like a caretaker, a guy to wave the flag until Florence Nightengale wanes.
I wonder if Jacinda has positioned us to be global destination darlings.
We haven't found a vaccine for the common cold. We suppress Aids, we're yet to find a vaccine, I'm not holding my breath for the arrival of a Covid-19 job.
Looking at the complexity of mutations to date, looks like a moving target to me.
I think the healing component most likely to become fail-safe first are speedy accurate testing regimes.
If we have none here and we have a speedy 100% accurate test at our borders. It's the 60+ that have big holiday $ to spend. The most Covid threatened.
I think we could easily make it to the top of many dream destination wish-lists around the world. Not kids in a van pooing in our carparks. Those that pay $200 for a personal guided tour of a marae.
Wish I had of watched it! Have just listened to his interview with Kathryn Ryan this morning and what a bore he is. One of these "we could do it better" with no good evidence for why. And it turns out they don't have a plan. He will begin to sound very boring and arrogant soon……..How long will Amy think it ok to play second fiddle to him and and wait, what! more excitement… Simon's back! Happy days
Everyone has nice scenery. We have lots of it but it's not special.
What makes NZ unique is Maori.
I think the rebuild of an elevated $ return per guest tourism industry should revolve around them. With a 60+ punter, they're over being drunk and chasing skirt, they want to taste the culture.
I think it would be a nice way for us of a colonial extraction to say "Thanks for sharing."
Huawei are running utube videos featuring US executives that sing their praises.
As the world slides over to 5G….
The thrust of the argument being put forward by this American Huawei executive was "We are a private company, the Chinese government have nothing whatsoever to do with our business."
A few weeks ago I watched an interview with the American manager of a 3M factory in China. They make masks for their parent company, the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. 3M, those guys on the board at Wall Street. They were visited and informed "All of your output will stay here in China."
When the largest company in China says "Oh no, we have nothing to do with the CCP.",,,, oxymoron.
hold on carmel sepuloni is reforming the welfare system.After the election,so in the mean time all you unemployed can look on the new unemployed with envy and imagine if the government treated everyone fairly.
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Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
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Party releases actual list. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/121610675/election-2020-green-party-list-promotes-hello-boomer-chloe-swarbrick
The "small group" need to now be expelled from the Green party – their disruption was clearly designed to damage their own party and as such they fail the most basic tests for party discipline. Their should be consequences for that and expulsion is the most obvious.
Labour need to do a deal to give Chloe Swarbrick a clear run at Auckland Central. A victory for the Greens there would give them a lifeboat, and the Labour + Green vote would have a great chance of turfing out the National Party's deputy leader.
Is that the safest seat they could do a deal on?
There and Nelson, getting rid of Nikki Kaye and Nick Smith, what is not to like?
Why Nelson? Just do the simple arithmetic of adding up the leftish party votes and rightish party votes to see if there's any chance at all of making a deal work. Not a chance of making it happen in Nelson.
It will be tough enough getting a few Green voters to vote strategically to turf out Smith, let alone trying to get almost all Labour voters to vote for the Green candidate.
Not necessarily. Last year the Greens received a large donation on the condition they used it to try and unseat dr. custard (aka nick smith). This year it will be different, there will be strategic voting. The Nelson race will be close, but I'm predicting nick will lose his seat this time to Labour, if only by a slim margin. Looking forward to it 🙂
I read the other day after his candidature was announced, the new geologist candidate (name forgotten), state he was focussing on the party vote in Nelson.
That's good news 🙂
Yeah. Last time Boyack plus Lawrey was around 22k votes, vs 17k for the Nat candidate (what was his name?). So it wouldn't take much strategic voting to install a Labour candidate into that seat. Plus, haven't there been boundary changes that should be favourable to Labour?
Yes, the boundary change, good point. Nelson electorate has lost Brightwater (Dr custard's old stomping ground). Brightwater has now moved to the West Coast-Tasman electorate, and that will make a difference.
Dr custard was gutted about the boundary change.
That is a good thing. But getting back to the topic of electorates, is that likely to pull in more Green voters or Labour or NZF voters into the electorate.
Brightwater is a blue town, with a bit of red. I'm guessing nick will lose out on up to 1,000 votes with the boundary change. Enough to make a difference on the night.
At a guess those blue person votes from Brightwater will be split between maureen pugh and Damien. Damien has quite a bit of respect from national party voters, it's not uncommon in West Coast-Tasman for national voters to vote Labour for the person (Damien).
I'd be really surprised if NZ 1st stood a strong candidate in Nelson or the WC-Tasman seat, they haven't in the past.
It will be a straight out red v's blue for Nelson re the person vote. With a strong Green party vote.
I've had a quick look & I'd say losing Brightwater will shave off less than 400 from Smithy's majority. Would only make a difference in an extremely tight race.
[That’s the Candidate Vote margin … in terms of the Party Vote profile – the Nats take 50%., while the Govt Bloc Parties as a whole take 45% … so i would have to say a relatively Pale Blue sort of a town]
Why Auckland Central? The combined Labour and Green party votes weren't much more than the Nat vote. Trying to divert Labour voters to Swarbrick is more likely to split the vote and let Kaye win again. Anyways, better to turf her out cleanly without any hint of dodgy deals.
Whereas Wellington Central and Dunedin North have a combined Labour and Green party vote nearly double the Nat party vote.
What about after a 18% swing to the government?
Ok. In 2017 the party votes in Auckland Central were: Nat 11773, Lab 11340, Green 4170, TOP 944, Winston1st 1165. (Note that Kaye's personal vote was 13198; she picked up a lot of non-Nat personal support)
Let's make the heroic assumptions that 10% of the Nat party vote swings to Labour (20% swing to Labour), that 1/2 of Labour voters will "take orders", the Green and NZ1st vote share holds, all TOP goes to Labour, half NZ1st goes to the Labour candidate.
For party votes that will be 10600 ish to Nat, 13500ish to Labour, 4200ish Greens plus rats and mice.
Divvy those up among the candidates as wildly optimistically fantasised above, and Kaye gets 11000 ish votes (Nat plus ACT, no NZ1st vote, no personal loyalty vote to Kaye), Greens candidate 10900ish votes, Labour candidate gets 7000ish.
Whereas, assume a small swing to Labour and that a decent chunk of Greens party voters use their heads and vote for the Labour candidate, then Kaye is solidly a list MP rather than an electorate MP. Which would do wonders for her cred as deputy leader.
https://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2017/electorate-details-01.html
I think the 18% swing to the Government will happen just after I win Lotto for the third time.
We’re talking about electorate candidate votes though aren’t we?
Yes. But an electorate deal to persuade Labour party voters to strategically vote for a Greens candidate to give the Greens party a lifeboat is more likely to be successful where there is already a very strong Greens party vote, and an overwhelming Labour plus Greens dominance over the Nats.
Those conditions are not met in Auckland Central or Nelson, but they are met in Wellington Central and Dunedin North.
The Green Left are absolutely correct, Shaw, Swarbrick and Sage need to be replaced. One of the many reasons, Dennis and I are now former Greens…
Replace Shaw, Sage and Swarbrick, and the Greens would no longer be green. And would then travel the route of other "activist left" parties such as Alliance, Mana etc.
Of those on the Green list only Eugenie Sage is ranked in the top 10 with any "Green" credentials. Not sure how you include the other 2 when it is not even important enough to include in the bio any. Not a mention of anything "Green" in Chloe Swarbrick's background !!! So who in the party is concerned with environment ?? Perhaps those who have left ??
https://www.greens.org.nz/our_people
You must be joking. Trying to herd voters simply doesn’t work unless there is a already a 3 way split because a small minority will either heed the advice or decide to do it themselves. The Green vote in Auckland Central was ~2.3k odd last time. Labour was ~11.5. National was ~13k.
The Labour candidate is White who got that vote – who will have been doing the electorate work and face-to-face since becoming a MP off the list – which is essentially how you win electorate seats. I hadn’t noticed Swarbrick around much. That is a problem when dealing with a electorate seat. Kaye has been maintaining her usual level of work in the electorate. But it hasn’t been anything to write home about.
Basically you’re must be dreaming. Usually the maximum number of people shifting will be a few thousand at best unless there is a pretty piss-poor candidate. All a ‘deal’ in Auckland central will do is to increase Kayes majority. There is a good chance that a swing to Labour generally will flip that seat anyway.
The probability of neither Labour nor the Greens winning the seat will rise massively in the event of the type of deal you’re looking for. The Green vote would go up to something like 3.5-4.5k – well short of majority. It will consist almost entirely of Green split voters who party voted Green last time and electorate voted Labour.
You need to look at electorates that have a 3 way split. Offhand, I don’t know of an electorate. Even Nelson isn’t good for a Green electorate seat: Smith ~16.7k, Boyack (candidate again) ~12.4k, and Lawrey trailing well way behind at 9.7k. The Green party vote was only ~3.1k so it is likely that the split voting was pretty intense.
The split vote statistics for Nelson are indeed very interesting.
https://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2017/statistics/split-votes-electorate-30.html
Green party members and voters, in general, will not be as accepting of "deals" as Epsomites.
You reckon they'd turn their nose up at a gaurantee of getting back into parliament?
Indeed.
Is the Chinese government a client of Exceltium PR? I only ask because I want to know if Matthew Hooton, the $2 dollar store Dominic Cummings to the watered down ScoMo, is getting paid by China to tell Toddy what to do.
I have certainly wondered that-particularly after the recent Herald article by him that was pounded on social media.
First retrograde step for National?
Gerry Brownlee tipped to be campaign manager
Yep. Looking forward to this.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/content/tvnz/onenews/story/2013/11/21/praise-for-gerry-brownlee-hates-christchurch-plaque.html?variant=tb_v_1
Perhaps the words campaign chair should always be replaced by a picture off this bench
Brownlee's mascot could be Rolling Rosa.
Rosa features an innovative self-righting design that allows …. to track Rosa's face as she spins, always landing with her smile facing up.
It would be educational for Muller plus with soothing sounds designed 'to stimulate auditory development'.
https://us.tomy.com/lamaze/rolling-rosa
Nikki Kaye is on Morning Report just now. She’s not very good really.
Nikki didn't seem very assertive during Question Times.
She avoided answering the question this morning of when she and Toddy started planning.
An awful lot of Simon-like padding in her non answers.
A poor start Nikki.
Yes I started to count the number of times she said "Look".
Excellent piece by Chris Trotter….misogyny and religious fundamentalism at the core of Nationals woes
https://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/105183/chris-trotter-argues-todd-mullers-backers-have-rejected-radical-conservatism
That was rather good.
Those far right Christian zealots remain in the National Caucus. Will they fall into line or will they grumble?
do zealots ever fall into line?
People go on about Labour and the Greens being killjoy wowsers, but you have Paulo Garcia, who think sex should only be for making babies, and having any pleasure from it is verboten.
And how many creationists are in there? No wonder there was such a huge support for charter schools, it was all about giving young NZers are creationist diet and purging any mention of Darwin from large parts of the education system, along with the perodic table, etc.
Good one Trotter.
Muller hasn't made a good start though. Methinks the MAGA cap might disappear from the display cabinet in due course. 😉
Simon's junketing ambitions thwarted. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12334370
So The Herald 'has learned'.
Is that what you say when it is leaked to you?
These folk are leakier than a colander full of thin water. They would want to get on top of the internal discipline or else we may run low on popcorn.
Jacinda was live. giving an interview when the quake struck, she remained positive, up-beat, unrattled and calm. She was awesome and impressive.
After which mark richardson had a crack at her, because she wasn't scared and she kept it together.
Now the herald are reporting nats at the beehive scrambled and hid under a table.
Everyone behaves differently during a crisis, some keep it together and re-assure others and some hide under a table. Earthquake responses this morning by our politicians spoke volumes.
To be fair Cinny, if the roles were reversed you would be having a go at the Nats for not following Civil Defence guidelines with respect to earthquakes.
I hear what your saying, but too be fair, I've always been impressed when people hold it together to keep others calm in a crisis, emergency etc.
Some people panic, some don't.
That's where I'm coming from, re my comment above.
Muller just interviewed by Kathryn Ryan…considerably better than Bridges but nothing to write home about….he will need to improve to make inroads…the same old attack lines and no substance
I felt similarly, but view it as natural caution. Can't go wrong adhering to the established party line. If that rumour is correct (that he only won by a single vote) then he will be aware that he has to win support for any new National plan before sketching that in public.
His main theme seemed to be “trust us we’re National”. That and bagging Cabinet Ministers under Ardern. Kaye was banging on along the same lines so definitely a pre-organised attack line. I suppose we should be pleased they’ve finally figured out that belittling the PM isn’t going to wash.
I listened to that broadcast as well Pat. At just after 9am, Kathryn Ryan asked a basic question re when did Muller first consider challenging the Natz leadership. It took her three attempts to get some sort of a response from him, even then Ryan caught him out in a lie. To me Muller seemed to be more interested in promoting himself than answering questions.
At this rate, Jacinda should have a field day during the election leaders' debates.
You reckon Hosking will be out to get her in those debates? He's been out to get her for 2 and a half years. Or will they use a staffer?
Jacinda must have nerves of steel. She was smiling and posed. It was a very big shake and the Beehive shakes more in EQ.
Also heard her talking positively and compassionately about National. Its so soothing the amygdala…….she's a winner.
She behaved like a parent who keeps it together in a crisis so ones kid's don't panic. Made me feel very proud 🙂
Seems to be a rumor going around that amy adams may not quit politics after all.
I heard this to.
Is it the change of leader or the job market?
We are now praising people for being used to earthquakes in Wellington?
Compared to the National MPs hiding under a table?
I think we’re just admiring her sangfroid.
That's it 🙂
It's trending around the world.
Toby Manhire reviews the Green Party list here: https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/25-05-2020/the-greens-list-ranking-revealed-can-this-group-lift-them-over-the-threshold/
"It is a very different picture to that memorable North & South front page of just over three years ago. Half of the high ranking candidates on the cover are gone. The magazine itself is gone, too." John Hart, the farmer, gone. Alienated by leftists, I bet.
Hayley Holt, gone. I was sorry to see a brief media report recently that she'd lost her baby – had wondered at her disappearance from the TVNZ breakfast show – so wish her a speedy bounce back from that trauma.
"Perhaps more of a time warp, however, is the cover line: “Is the once ‘loony left’ ready to rule (and should we be afraid)?” For plenty of Greens – voters, members, and even some in caucus – the question is have they been loony, or at least loud, enough?"
"The Greens: we are the only ones that can achieve a true transformative tilt." Yeah, valid for the party as a whole but not for our parliamentarians, who continue to shirk that task.
Just read on 3news website the government has announced a $500pw tax free payment, for 12 weeks, for those laid off between March and October. Comes in 8th June and not backdated, and you have to be looking for work or training.
Cant link on this stupid IPad.
Edit:
What do you know? I can after all
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/05/income-relief-payment-tax-free-weekly-payments-of-almost-500-announced-for-workers-laid-off-due-to-covid-19.html
https://www.interest.co.nz/news/105188/people-who-lose-their-jobs-could-be-eligible-250-490-week-payment-12-weeks-under-new
could
between
for 12 weeks.
Government still so timid.
The wage subsidy should have shown clearly that the unemployment benefits for anyone on unemployement – not just hte current and growing expected wave of jobless – should get at the very minimum 585 $ (before tax 🙂 ) every week to maintain a semblance of normal life, i.e. pay rent, groceries and electricity.
I guess its baby steps.
Agree. Would have applauded any government that rebuilt from a solid base – from the ground up, rather attempting to provide support from the middle upwards. Doesn't look like I'll be clapping anytime soon.
The $490 for certain Covid related unemployed is useful of course, but has just put off the day of reckoning for Labour with the institutional neo liberalism of WINZ/MSD. Those Depts are punishment mazes and the Govt. knows it. Newbies do not cope well, or necessarily get the miserly assistance they seek.
Two tier unemployment payments, Covid and “Jobseeker” reinforce the “deserving/undeserving” tenet of state payments beloved of monetarist theory.
Some employers refused to apply for the subsidy, instead they gave their employee's two weeks notice of their intention to use their employees annual leave for their wages over lock down. Some of those employee's may have or did have very little accrued leave and they suffered over lock-down as a result.
Upon return to work, those employee's were told they were no longer tenable.
This is good news for them, as it was to no fault of those employee's that their employers decided against taking the subsidy.
And yes, benefits need to be increased. Living wage please and thank you.
AFAIK, the annual leave could only be used WITH the agreement of the employee. (My partner spent much of his first couple of weeks at home dealing with this issue, while working with the business owner in trying to maintain full pay for all the staff.) Those that agreed took annual leave in the final week of lockdown.
Yes they do need to streamline the WINZ//MSD . But look at the politics of it. The three months will be up for extension shortly before the election. Would Nact extend if they won – takes the election battleground to social welfare and gets its off tax increases for the wealthy.
Tiger Mountain "Punishment mazes" So apt. 😥
I think this is a good small step towards a better social security system. I'd love this to be bigger and bolder, but it's still more than nothing.
I also think this is very politically astute – start with a step that should be uncontroversial, extend later, go into the election with a bigger policy piece, win the election, and by the time National see the front bench again, it's the new normal.
Hosking: "The key here is, is there a magic? The X-factor? Is there something that transforms him from just another decent person who aspires to lead their party, and therefore their country, into a person who actually attracts votes, turns tides, explains things in a way people get? Is he something or someone that has that magnetic factor that marks you out as different from the rest?"
Then fails to provides any answers. He would no doubt claim that the media does shallow, only, and answers go too deep. But then he does have a go at profound:
"The polls will close, they always do." Usually at 7pm on election day. Something vaguely zen about that, eh? https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12334438
Hosking as usual going round and round the bowl at the first flush and inevitably like all waste, following all the crap that's gone before.
I googled "Greens candidate profiles 2020" to see if the GP had performed the elementary political requirement of allowing those interested to get to know those candidates better.
No. No such link to the GP website exists as yet. So the clueless dork syndrome remains in control. Look on the bright side: they have four months to get their act together.
The good news is I've read those profiles and they are available to members – and some of those people would make exceptional parliamentarians. Please don't hide them!
And this from Weka – The Green Party with an environmentalist ranked at No 11 in the new crop and will require 8.6% of the vote (Same as NZ1st)
https://thestandard.org.nz/the-green-party-list-2/
And only Eugenie Sage (ranked 6th) from the current crop background containing anything substantial regarding the environment. No wonder Gaia is screwed.
https://www.greens.org.nz/our_people
I wouldn't go that far. If you read Lovelock's books you get a good sense of how resilient Gaia is – as a supersystem. That said, we have dislocated the Holocene, and that was the basis of the economy. Agriculture.
Now that the supersystem is in transition from that stable state to another as yet unknown, we call the interim Antropocene. We will all live & die in that one. Comprehension of this relation between economy and ecology is non-existent – I never encountered anyone in the Green movement who even thought about it. Statism has everyone in a death-grip. Thus we still await an alternative to neoliberalism 30 years after it was obviously dead in the water!
That the members of the GP persist in denial of this fundamental reality is due to human nature: gnosis is too hard, culture is trivial, we must therefore be trite, etc.
NZ is blessed to have such a great leader ☺️
https://twitter.com/DrJinRussell/status/1264707155606691840?s=20
Fairfax papers in Australia are suggesting the Federal government over there may allow travel between NZ and individual states, NSW and Victoria while borders between other states remain closed.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/border-friction-new-zealand-set-to-open-for-nsw-victorian-tourists-before-queensland-20200524-p54vwg.html
That's weird. Aren't victoria & NSW still battling outbreaks whereas NT & Wa are pretty much clean? Is NZ being used by slomo to shore up his political standing?
Probably more likely an effort by the federal government to get the state Labor government’s in WA and Qld to move on opening their borders to interstate travel. At any rate tv news in Australia is reporting Ardern’s comments here this morning saying that NZ was unlikely to open the border unless all of Australia was available for non-quarantined travel for NZers.
"Kyle MacDonald is seeing more solar panels on the rooves of the electorate's million-dollar homes. That's a sign that Epsom voters are increasingly Green, he says." https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/119520709/a-poverty-agitator-a-climate-negotiator-and-a-psychotherapist-take-on-doomed-mission-for-the-greens?rm=a
"MacDonald is a family man with two daughters, and has lived in the electorate for five years. His background is not that of a traditional Green candidate. He's been a psychotherapist for two decades, helping people with mental health issues and addiction through their troubles with talk therapy."
"MacDonald gained a spot on radio's 'Nutter's Club' show, which has him talking to callers on-air about their problems. The show, started by comedian-turned-advocate Mike King, has a strong following of dedicated listeners. Between 60,000 and 80,000 tune in, which is the largest radio audience for the 11pm to 1am weekend timeslot, MacDonald says."
"MacDonald also wrote a regular column about mental health and drugs, which ended three weeks ago when he announced his candidacy." At #14 on the list, a significant rebound will be required to get him in.
Good discussion on Novara with James Meadway on how to manage the increased government debt racked up during the COVID-19 crisis. I was getting alarmed to hear Bridges, shortly before his replacement, describe the debt as "$80k per household", and more recently Nikki Kaye claiming that young people were concerned at the thought of having to pay the debt back in future through increased taxes.
It seems that National not only poses a threat to public health by wanting to prematurely open borders, but also poses a threat to the economy because of ingrained tendencies towards austerity.
This could be huge.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/kiwis-now-trust-labour-more-than-national-repair-economy-poll-suggests
Children's Commissioner calls for all benefits to be on the same level of trust, equity and accessibility as the covid payments.
I would like to know what he says about a spike in Rheumatic Fever cases in Wellington.
I heard something about that this morning – how big is it?
Stuff have been sold by nine. Be very interesting to see if they are going to try to be genuinely NZ or whether this is a front for a wealthy individuals. Hoping for the former, be wise for the government to now bung them a relief package ., heck I'd subscribe again if they stopped being a Nact mouthpiece
Reports say for $1. I am thinking they owe a bit.
This sounds like a potentially great news story.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/121615231/stuff-boss-sinead-boucher-i-asked-myself-what-i-wanted-for-the-business
Seeing the way staff produced quality editorial content, took a pay cut and the demand for content influenced the decision.
Those busting at the seams airports have come back to bite them on the arse.
https://twitter.com/gregpmiller/status/1264309638964617217
Siebert arrived at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago three days later as the new U.S. restrictions — including mandatory medical screenings — went into effect. He encountered crowds of people packed in tight corridors, stood in lines in which he snaked past other travelers for nearly five hours and tried to direct any cough or sneeze into his sleeve.
When he finally reached the coronavirus checkpoint near baggage pickup, Siebert reported his prior symptoms and described his exposure in Spain. But the screeners waved him through with a cursory temperature check. He was given instructions to self-isolate that struck him as absurd given the conditions he had just encountered at the airport.
“I can guarantee you that people were infected” in that transatlantic gantlet, said Siebert, who tested positive for the virus two days later in Chicago. “It was people passing through a pinhole.”
http://archive.li/nD49i
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKj1SMtdZfM
Just listened to the end of Stolid Todd's Media on the reshuffle of spoke persons.
Amy Adams is back as No 3 and funnily enough she is far better at speaking than Stolid Todd. Succinct. Informed and credible up to a point of course.
And after 25 minutes Todd looks a bit rattled.
Live https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12334590
Todd's a good frontman. He can put words together to make sentences. Simon struggled with that.
You made through 25 minutes of him? Well done!
David Slack – as always – comes up with a gem:
David Slack
A thorn in the new boy's side.
https://www.twitter.com/henrycooke/status/1264751244645564417
Jack Tame looking stunned at how fucking stupid Todd Muller really is!
Todd is new to being in the hot seat and gosh, it's hot.
He is yet to learn the 5 go to sentences to parrot if you don't know what to say.
Jack Tame had him over a barrel when he asked the question about there being no-one of Maori descent in his Shadow Cabinet. He didn't see it coming and tried to cover up by extolling the virtues of Shane Reti who comes in at 16 on the list.
How astounding that he didn't even consider how it would look having only pale, stale Pakehas in his line-up.
I don't think he's a nasty guy Anne….but yeah, he's among a crew with cards up their sleeves. "What Chinese donor?"
I'm not sure if he is our next PM or a nightwatchman.
But whatever his calibre, he's a Honda Step-thru racing a Katana.
Q & A interview? Yeah, that was painful. Todd, toast.
As I said on Friday, Muller did well in his first round of interviews on Day 1, but now we've got past the soft "introduce yourself" and moved on to "what are your policies?".
His policy platform appears to be "saying Amy Adams a lot".
Yes. Watching the whole of Todd;s responses to Jack's questioning and it was worse even than earlier speeches. I know I am biased but truly I was expecting Todd to be able telling us that since the Government is failing, he could offer a light on how he would rescue the Small Business owners. He could only repeatedly tell us how wonderful Amy Adams is but no specifics – at all. Jack tried but it was a no show.
And these folk have been beavering away at this plan for months and should be ready to Wow.
The panel was much more illuminating.
Wish I had of watched it! Have just listened to his interview with Kathryn Ryan this morning and what a bore he is. One of these "we could do it better" with no good evidence for why. And it turns out they don't have a plan. He will begin to sound very boring and arrogant soon……..How long will Amy think it ok to play second fiddle to him and and wait, what! more excitement… Simon's back! Happy days
I guess Todd is obliged to give it a jolly good go but if I was him I'd find it hard not to feel like a caretaker, a guy to wave the flag until Florence Nightengale wanes.
The Q+A interview was disastrous for Todd Muller. Lots of waffle and no substance. Todd is a bumbling idiot under pressure.
The question about the disappearance of Maori faces from his team slayed him.
The Q+A interview can be viewed here.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/todd-muller-commits-nationals-pledge-raise-superannuation-age-bring-back-oil-and-gas-exploration
I wonder if Jacinda has positioned us to be global destination darlings.
We haven't found a vaccine for the common cold. We suppress Aids, we're yet to find a vaccine, I'm not holding my breath for the arrival of a Covid-19 job.
Looking at the complexity of mutations to date, looks like a moving target to me.
I think the healing component most likely to become fail-safe first are speedy accurate testing regimes.
If we have none here and we have a speedy 100% accurate test at our borders. It's the 60+ that have big holiday $ to spend. The most Covid threatened.
I think we could easily make it to the top of many dream destination wish-lists around the world. Not kids in a van pooing in our carparks. Those that pay $200 for a personal guided tour of a marae.
Wish I had of watched it! Have just listened to his interview with Kathryn Ryan this morning and what a bore he is. One of these "we could do it better" with no good evidence for why. And it turns out they don't have a plan. He will begin to sound very boring and arrogant soon……..How long will Amy think it ok to play second fiddle to him and and wait, what! more excitement… Simon's back! Happy days
Two TV interviews, two leaders, same location, same day.
Todd Muller can't answer questions or keep cool during an interview.
Jacinda Ardern answers questions and keeps cool during … an earthquake.
Everyone has nice scenery. We have lots of it but it's not special.
What makes NZ unique is Maori.
I think the rebuild of an elevated $ return per guest tourism industry should revolve around them. With a 60+ punter, they're over being drunk and chasing skirt, they want to taste the culture.
I think it would be a nice way for us of a colonial extraction to say "Thanks for sharing."
First impressions count, an amazing kapa haka performance for every incoming flight and each performer paid $80k a year.
Make the most of what we've got.
Huawei are running utube videos featuring US executives that sing their praises.
As the world slides over to 5G….
The thrust of the argument being put forward by this American Huawei executive was "We are a private company, the Chinese government have nothing whatsoever to do with our business."
A few weeks ago I watched an interview with the American manager of a 3M factory in China. They make masks for their parent company, the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. 3M, those guys on the board at Wall Street. They were visited and informed "All of your output will stay here in China."
When the largest company in China says "Oh no, we have nothing to do with the CCP.",,,, oxymoron.
Huawei + global 5G = all over everyone's shit.
Aren't the Germans good at this stuff?
hold on carmel sepuloni is reforming the welfare system.After the election,so in the mean time all you unemployed can look on the new unemployed with envy and imagine if the government treated everyone fairly.