Perhaps the Standard could compile an ongoing list of election promises broken by the Nats and their sidekicks? It will soon be a long one, to be constantly updated.
This should include all such examples, regardless of whether you think the U-turn is welcome. A Luxon pork pie is still a pork pie, even if you like the taste.
The biggest so far is the foreign buyer's tax, but there are more tax frauds to add, such as …
"Luxon said he was confident they would find the revenue to fill the shortfall from elsewhere – and said National was no longer planning to repeal the so-called “app tax”.
That is a tax on app-based services such as Airbnb and Uber, which National campaigned on repealing along with others introduced by Labour."
Many times in the campaign I heard the Nats say that they would implement measures that would meet NZ's climate change commitments. In which case this is already perilously close to a U-turn, as the climate change minister and the environment minister have been left outside the cabinet. This is a tactical mistake and probably a crude and nasty dig at Ardern’s “Climate Change moment” that they couldn’t resist.
Has the environment minister ever been outside the cabinet before?
I think, it's possibly more relevant to look at who the Climate Change ministers are, and what their other roles are.
Simon Watts (also Minister of Revenue) and Nicola Willis (Associate CC) – Minister of Finance.
Two people with a very heavy financial leaning in their portfolios – I think that the new government will be looking at Climate Change very much in a financial context.
There are also two Ministers for the Environment (both outside cabinet): Penny Simmonds (who also has Tertiary Education – and will have her plate full with that one); and Andrew Hoggard (who will be looking at it from an Agriculture perspective).
Neither are likely to stand up to the rest of cabinet in ensuring that Climate Change mitigation is on the agenda.
Yes, there has been a Climate Change minister outside the Cabinet, before. James Shaw was Minister for Climate Change, outside Cabinet, in 2017-2020. David Parker has been Minister for the Environment (inside cabinet) since 2017. But it's pretty much Shaw who's been doing the heavy policy lifting in the climate change space.
All in all, I'd say that it's a very strong indication that Climate change will not be at the core of this government's policies. Which is not surprising.
Going on this type of witch hunt is a wee bit pointless and could end up as an own goal because under MMP pre election promises mean nothing until after coalition negotiation agreements have been written and published. At that point those pledges are what you hold the government to account for.
The danger here is that at some point the parties on the left will likely be in a position to also negotiate a government and the same brush of criticism could be used against them to paint a picture of broken promises as you are trying to use now.
One of the areas that showed up the current National party's inexperience and possible naivety during this election was the nature of their absolute promises of abolishing this that and the other and introducing other pies in the sky. The lesson here is the dropping of the foreign buyers policy and the TAX they expected to generate from it. ACT and NZF also made promises using similar language and they both seem to have had win's in regard to getting most of those accepted in one form or another, that's the advantage of the smaller parties because they will always have the balance of power in their favour if the bigger parties want to govern.
During the negotiations Peters had the option available to him of walking out and supporting Labour instead. Luxon had no other option except that of settling for the position of leader of the opposition. That gave Peters a certain amount of power, but not an unlimited amount.
Income tax cuts were a cornerstone of National's campaign, with Luxon repeating "$250" until the CTU exposed his dishonesty and the media belatedly reported it.
And prior to that, he spelled it out with no ambiguity. Not "here's a policy to be negotiated", but a cast-iron promise to the voters. If words mean nothing, then we all lose.
"Here's my commitment to you. When I become Prime Minister, I'll reverse Labour's tax grab, National will repeal each of these tax increases implemented by Labour."
No, I doubt anybody voted National because they believed Luxon was going to make tackling climate change a priority. It was barely mentioned in the campaign.
Income tax cuts were a cornerstone of National's campaign
the point I was trying to make is that it doesn't matter what any party says during an election campaign because all of it is up for negotiation during the formation of a government under MMP.
That Luxon kept on talking in absolutes all through the election just shows how naive he is and also shows how little he or his current National Party colleagues understand the nature of MMP.
The only statements that matter after the election is the policy documents agreed on by the coalition partners, in this case the three headed dog Nactnzf, and then the speech from the throne..
Would fees-free tertiary study going from the first year to the final year of study, despite a promise to retain it, constitute a broken promise?
They've done it to reduce total cost because it will deter some people from even starting and others will start and then drop away. There's also more than a touch of malice – they don't want to open an opportunity to a class of people who otherwise might never have started, they'd rather subsidise a class of people who were always going to go and were always likely to finish.
The points you make are valid but you miss a big one –
Why are they doing it? Well the answer is that fees- free will not cost a cent in the next 2 years – they won't be giving anyoine a last year free that has already had one so the people qualifying for fees free will be …/drumroll Nil, No-one, Zero and Nobody. Political chicanery dressed up as "we're so fucking clever'. As Mr Creosote said “bucket!!”
Good point. It will still be first year fees-free in 2024. Then from 2025 it goes to last year. As Labour introduced it in 2018, a student would need to have started in 2017 and be finishing in 2025 to receive anything that year, which would be unusual. As you say, pretty much a 2-year hiatus on paying anything in 2025/6 and then tapering in from 2027 as some degrees are longer than 3 years.
Given that, it would not be a surprise if National's 2026 manifesto kills the policy entirely from 2027 onwards.
I doubt that anyone who has benefitted from a 'fees free' year at the beginning of their qualification will be able to get another one at the end of it.
That is certainly the case, now. If you sign-up for fees-free for one qualification, you don't get another go, if you then sign up for another one.
[NB: this has caused major issues for people, who are doing a low-level tertiary certificate – and don't realize that getting fees-free for that minor qualification – precludes them from then getting it for the undergraduate degree, they then decide to do]
Sure – realise that and clearly if the policy is to support only 1 year of study, that can be the first or the last, not both. However, Barfly appears to be correct in saying that the act of switching from first year to last year creates a two-year hiatus where expenditure on the policy drops to almost nothing.
If the government then uses this hiatus to 'review' the policy, it looks like a golden opportunity to cancel the whole thing at that point. Effectively, the policy would then have been killed from the end of 2024, even though the 2023 election promise was to continue it.
While we can all remember the challenge to National's figures for their tax plan – especially the $700m from a tax on and return of foreign buyers CLuxon said this to the Herald about the veto of NZF on this funding
Instead, Luxon said the tax package – National’s centrepiece in the campaign – would be funded by other means, given there were already “buffers” in its fiscal plan and there would be other savings and “reprioritisations” that could be dipped into.
So the plan all along was to fix the hole in their budget by doing this.
1.There will be no further adjustments to income tax brackets to deliver further tax cuts — as they cannot afford to.
2.The slight of hand over free fees
3.No adjustment to the WFF tax credit threshold
Hitting pause on future changes to income tax beyond next year is also not going to lose Luxon any credibility; National’s tax package was to continue adjusting the income tax thresholds for inflation only if it was “affordable and responsible”.
Among those is the estimated $555m National will no longer be spending to lift the Working for Families abatement threshold from $42,700 to $50,000 in 2026.
None of this planned duplicity made known to voters before the election.
So the debate over amounts and the reassurance that they were confident about the numbers was just a deception.
The money no longer to be spent lifting the Working for Families abatement threshold from $42,700 to $50,000 in 2026 means the so called $10 a week IETC low income workers get would be outweighed by this change – they will soon be worse off.
Re news that National have dropped their overseas property buyers' tax policy and need to find revenue of $740 million p.a. from other sources for their planned tax cuts, it was widely reported that this amount was never accepted as realistic by various economists.
"National's policy document stated it expected the policy to raise $715m in the first year it was introduced, increasing to about $764m in 2027/28, averaging out to about $740m a year.
Economists Sam Warburton and Michael Reddell – who lean left and right respectively – decided to do their own analysis using data from Stats NZ, real estate data from Corelogic, and the information National has so far publicly revealed about its policy.
Their independent modelling resulted in a "best estimate" of $210m a year in revenue, leaving a gap of $530m or 71 percent between their data and National's proposal. A more generous "higher-end estimate" calculated at $290m in revenue – still falling $450m, or 61 percent, short".
Did National really believe overseas property buyers would generate so much revenue? Surely they knew NZ First did not agree with this policy and might be needed to help form a government. Did National always intend to cancel this policy, and plan to cut funding and staff from public services and perhaps increase GST? How will the new government fund their tax cuts?
National knew that if they said "tax cuts" loud and often, it would work. And it did.
They could have said they were going to pay for it by making banknotes smaller, it wouldn't have mattered. A magical treasure was needed so they conjured one up. That's all it ever was.
Unfortunately the new Government has a lot of work to repair the economic and social damage the last six years of a Labour/Green party has done to New Zealand.
However based of the documents released yesterday if they achieve only a quarter of it New Zealand will still be a thousand times better off.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[lprent: Authors have the option of limiting the trolls who can comment on their posts. Don’t waste my time trolling on my posts ever again. You appear to be too stupid or too lazy to actually do anything more than run the troll playbook. ]
Yeah right. If you ignore the pandemic related tourism, trade and employment issues, I'd love you to actually point out any policies that actually caused any significant damage to the underlying economy. This would give me opportunities to point out again just how much of a unthinking simpleton you are.
Unlike you, I actually appear to have been working in a growing economy. One where we've been starting to get on top of a multi-decade chronic housing shortage.
Offhand I suspect that every example that your simple brain ( that so resembles that of a parrot) can come up with will involve something about the benefits to those who exploit them of having readily available low wage workers.
Lprent does this policy apply to everybody here or just the sycophants who parrot the echo chamber's preferred narative?
We encourage robust debate and we’re tolerant of dissenting views. But this site run for reasonably rational debate between dissenting viewpoints and we intend to keep it operating that way.
What we’re not prepared to accept are pointless personal attacks, or tone or language that has the effect of excluding others.
If you would like to actually engage in a discussion I would be more than willing to once you stop acting like a child with name calling and whining because you didn't get the election results you wanted because more New Zealanders felt your side were the worse of the available choices.
Please see a doctor you appear to have an untreated head injury
Does this statement comply with this sites stated policy of:
We encourage robust debate and we’re tolerant of dissenting views. But this site run for reasonably rational debate between dissenting viewpoints and we intend to keep it operating that way.
What we’re not prepared to accept are pointless personal attacks, or tone or language that has the effect of excluding others.
"if they achieve only a quarter of it New Zealand will still be a thousand times better off" (my bold)
Well ye of the thin skin I rest my case (thousand??) although I will concede you may simply be dishonest or delusional rather than having an untreated head injury.
Clearly you've never heard of hyperbole so hopefully, this helps.
hyperbole
noun
exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.
"he vowed revenge with oaths and hyperboles"
If however, that is your issue let me help you and rephrase my comment to:
However based off the documents released (1 & 2) yesterday if they achieve only a quarter of the program of work outlined in them New Zealand will still be significantly better off than it has been over the previous Labour led government.
Ah , the great futurologist who believes in the magic powers of one deodorant salesman
Australias Reserve Bank has had a triple mandate for some generations now and has led to higher growth over NZ previously single focus for the RBNZ , so what higher power provides certainity that going backwards will change what was a poor past outcome
Our new govt and their backers aren't interested in 'repair', unless you mean the repair of unearned income streams. As for your assertion that:
…if they [NActNZF] achieve only a quarter of it [their work] New Zealand will still be a thousand times better off…
perhaps "very big brain" Willis can help you with "the technical numbers", now that her woeful miscalculation of the foreign buyers tax revenue won't be further exposed.
Like Barry @3, I'm picking another rise in the regressive GST to fund tax cuts for the wealthy, although this lot won't wait as long as Key did – Luxon is “very impatient“.
Key defends tax cuts for wealthy [19 May 2010]
He [Key] was attacked by the Greens in Parliament for suggesting on Monday that people should not be envious of tax cuts for the wealthy and for its plans to increase GST.
Our new govt and their backers aren't interested in 'repair', unless you mean the repair of unearned income streams.
I disagree completely, just read the policy agreement, there are so many positive outcomes for New Zealand in my opinion that as I said even if they achieve a quarter of what it contains New Zealand will be a thousand times better off.
Take for example just the Strengthening Democracy section, these are tangible steps to reduce the massive social division that has occurred over the last 6 years by ensuring all citizens are equal, something the last Labour/Green/Maori Government seemed very keen to destroy.
Can you give us examples of how you, as a citizen, have been discriminated against? Can you tell us how you have suffered, in reality? And can you tell us how the new government is going to stop that?
And since you say "6 years", not "3 years", why are you accusing Winston Peters of doing it?
(and by the way, you have also invented a government that never existed in the past 6 years).
Can you give us examples of how you, as a citizen, have been discriminated against?
I never said I had been discriminated against.
Can you tell us how you have suffered, in reality
Example 1:
I have two children with significant medical issues I have spent a lot of time over the past 16 years dealing with the medical system.
Over the last 6 years I have experienced first hand a significant decline in the quality and availability of health care including:
– Being told I would be better to go private
– Being told when calling 111 for an ambulance that there were none available
– Being told by staff that due to staff leaving treatment options previously available could no longer be provided.
Example 2:
This year I have had to deal with the Police on 3 occasions. Incident 1: I witnessed a road rage incident where a truck driver pulled the driver out of their vehicle and assaulted them before stealing their mobile phone.
When 111 was contacted (approximatley 0900 on a weekday) the victim who I had stopped to assist was advised that there were no police cars available (Tauranga) and that he should go to the local station to report the theft.
Incident 2:
While parked at the beach a car arrived and parked beside a woman's car who was also in her car. The two persons obviously were known to each other and the male driver got out of their car with a length of metal (looked like re-enforcing metal crowbar) and started smashing the woman's rear window while the two screamed at each other.
The male then fled the scene and I followed and called 111 (there were other people also in the carpark so I figured she a) wouldn't be alone and b) they could provide any assistance as well as I could).
After following the vehicle for about 10 minutes with the operator on the line (who had dispatched an ambulance btw) advised that there were no police vehicles available.
This occurred around 3pm-4pm on a Sat/Sun.
Incident 3:
Due to one of my kids medical issues I had to call 111. When the police arrived the office yelled and scream and made the entire situation worse and told us "It isn't our (the Police's) job to deal with mental issues and you should be contact CAHMS (who one of my kids is significantly involved with).
So how will this governmental change help first off:
Fund Gumboot Friday/I Am Hope Charity to $6 million per annum.
This will likely assist my kids with greater options available.
Renegotiate the Crown funding agreement with St John with a view to meeting a greater portion of their annualised budget.
This will hopefully people like me are told to there are no ambulances available when people need urgent medical care.
Better recognise people with overseas medical qualifications and experience for accreditation in New Zealand including consideration of an occupations tribunal.
This will hopefully means my kids might be able to start getter the medical services that were available when they were younger but which we have been told recently are no longer available.
Commit to training no fewer than 500 new frontline police within the first two years
This hopefully will mean cops actually turn up when they're needed.
And since you say "6 years", not "3 years"…(and by the way, you have also invented a government that never existed in the past 6 years
A slight mis-quote of what you wrote which I hope you don't mind as I wanted to deal with both of your points at once.
I say 6 years and not 3 because the state of the nation (IMHO) has decline significantly over that time period including with WP was part of the Labour led Government and the reason for my reference to a Labour/Green/Maori government because the policies, attitudes and influence has been made up significantly by these three party's.
I accept your point however and agree I should have worded that differently/better.
In both these examples, I've included independent assessments (a factcheck, and then the Police Association spokesman).
It is very sad that the right-wing parties have successfully conned voters into believing their rhetoric. That only means false hopes are raised, followed by greater anger when the promises are broken.
Less funding under the National government before, more funding under the one just voted out. And now the promise is only to “renegotiate”, which means nothing.
Again, it pays to look beyond the rhetoric to the reality.
Labour deliberately chose not to fund St Johns properly, or to integrate them into the new national health service when it was amalgamated. Shame on them.
This was despite a full independent review requesting that full service integration from late 2019, released in 2020.
What they got was a one-off $21m in the next budget. Not sustainable funding for their 25% shortfall. So they had to cut over 100 of their staff. Those are staff that could have saved lives.
You may notice they have to put staff outside supermarkets to try and get subscriptions to fill this gap (and I happily have done so). This is a basic emergency service for the whole of New Zealand.
Response times since 2021 have worsened, their budget isn't keeping up, and they continue to have massive vacancies.
Sounds like observer has debated you in good faith and having been soundly whipped (metaphorically) you've decided to take your ball a go home ya wee man!
I disagree completely, just read the policy agreement, there are so many positive outcomes for New Zealand in my opinion that as I said even if they achieve a quarter of what it contains New Zealand will be a thousand times better off.
There are no outcomes (positive or negative) from the policy agreement as yet, but if our new govt does "achieve a quarter of what it [the agreement] contains", then please give an example of how "NZ will be a thousand times better off" – just one.
Reckon I’ll be waiting a while for a rational example – imgo, “a thousand times better off” is simply political hyperbole.
It's so simple to break down every war at the moment.
It's one far right warmongering turd with a hard-on for violence and death verses another far right warmongering turd with a hard-on for violence and death.
Examples in no particular order:
Hemedti
Russian oligarchs
Mohammed bin Salman
Netanyahu
Hamas
Ukrainian oligarchs
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan
Putin
and the real meat in the pie,
the Corporate oligarchs
Or if you want, pick a side, and become just another jingoist with a desperate need for war porn.
Which one of my examples did not expound with their actions your point Red Blooded One? They all use what ever tool they have at hand, and for many speaking for/with God seems to be a common trait.
As a theist myself – they only real answer is to hold them to account – including, but not limited to – not let them speak for/with God. Nor let them use the pageantry and trappings of a faith for their political ends.
I am not clear on what exactly is proposed – do they intend to remove all restrictions on purchasers? Whatever it means, they are putting money ahead of lives – killing many with a horrible disease for short term tax cuts for the wealthy. Labour saved 20,000 lives; NactFirst may be trying to reverse that – CLuxon and Willis may not care about their children, but some of us care about ours . . .
Willis was laying it at nzfs feet but was happy to not restrict outlets because it'll increase revenue, that's a level of cold that I struggle to grasp from a leading elected politician.
I had to watch the Newshub item to believe it. She laid the blame at the feet of ACT and NZ First who wanted it "and we agreed to it" she said. She admitted it would bring in an extra one billion dollars for the tax-cuts. I presume it was per annum.
There is their political philosophy laid out in black and white. They regard the lives of [potentially] thousands of NZers to die prematurely as acceptable… in order to fund their big election bribe – tax-cuts.
And they moaned and complained about the Covid mandates because of the loss of revenue stream. Didn't give a damn about the loss of life. They were okay cos they could escape to their holiday homes etc.
I wonder how many of the idiots who voted for NAct are already starting to wonder what they've done.
People on the left need to get smarter about this. The tactic (imported from USA Republicans) is to provoke a response from the people National want to respond.
We could call it Hone Harawira syndrome. John Key's government would do something questionable, "middle NZ" or swing voters would say "I don't like the sound of that" and then Hone would pop up on TV saying "f*** you National" and those voters would say "but I'm not on his side".
The Newshub piece was, through the lens of those voters, about Maori getting angry, not health policy. Bait … and hooked. Expect much more of this.
This should be reprinted far and wide. If you can do it contact Webworm. Hayden Donnell has my admiration, again and again. Labour should be contacting him, because I’ll sure as f be listening to what he thinks of the results of their soul searching or not.
‘The World’s Biggest Hypocrites
Free speech is actually under threat – and our loudest free speech warriors are nowhere to be found.
This has to have corruption at its very core. The scrapping of the smoking cessation legislation and wait there’s more!!!! the scrapping of the de-nicotineising of smoking products. Pressure for these measures could have only come from the industry, one of the shoddiest industries in the world which is well represented by ex ( really? ) sales people of this shit in the new government. Follow the money, if only some journalist had the ability.
Evil is being complicit in the suppling of lethal drugs for profit.
I wonder if someone who fell out with Ardern/Labour over a difference of opinion on a matter of principle may have disappointed some influential backers who demanded value for that support. Just musing.
Maybe we need a huge petition to present to the government.
That is not only inaccurate but venal and unwarranted.
I was referring to the likes of Goldsmith and Seymour in particular who claim to have a modicum of Maori blood in them. No doubt they do, but they are not Maori in the accepted sense of the word. Indeed Seymour is 'the racist' and a fascist to boot.
A bit of mea culpa would suffice but I doubt you are up to it.
The bolter must surely be Tama Potaka who picks up Conservation, Whanau Ora, Minister for Crown – Maori relations, Maori Development, and Associate Housing.
Casey Costello will certainly be a strong understudy to Mitchell as Minister of Police. She's a great pick and great to see in Cabinet already.
Nicole McKee picking up Courts and Associate Justice is a big step up.
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In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
Te Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office. “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Clement, Lecturer in Visual Art and McGlade Gallery Director, Australian Catholic University Tracey Clement, Impossible Numbers.Tracey Clement I slip the needle through a small loop of black thread, pull it tight and snip. Done. I have just tied off the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jochen Kaempf, Associate Professor of Natural Sciences (Oceanography), Flinders University Gonzalo Buzonni/Shutterstock From around 1996 to 2010, Australia was gripped by the millennium drought. As water shortages bit hard, most of Australia’s capital cities built large seawater desalination plants – Sydney, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria O’Sullivan, Associate Professor of Law, Deakin Law School, Deakin University Students have been protesting on university campuses across Australia for several weeks now, calling on their institutions to cut ties with weapons manufacturers supplying arms to Israel. Some have noted their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Hail, Adjunct Associate Professor, Torrens University Australia Wolfilser/ShutterstockThis article is part one of The Conversation’s “Business Basics” series where we ask leading experts to discuss key concepts in business, economics and finance. For the most part, economists continue ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin O’Brien, Associate Professor, School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University University campuses around the world have become the site of tiny tent cities in recent weeks, with student activists protesting the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Though the protests on ...
In this extract from The Bulletin, Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at the proposed law and the ongoing concern about it. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Where we’re at with the fast-track ...
The revamped school lunch programme is budgeting $3 per lunch, rather than the current $8. But is it really so simple to cut costs? Shanti Mathias investigates. Last week, associate education minister and Act Party leader David Seymour announced the government’s revamped school lunch programme, which will provide food to ...
Exactly 100 years ago, on the eve of another Paris Olympics, young Kiwi Gwitha Shand was the talk of the swimming world. The 19-year-old from Christchurch had broken the world record in the 440-yard freestyle multiple times leading up to the 1924 Olympics, and was described in newspapers as one ...
The New Zealand book trade is still reeling after the shock news that Penguin has axed its head of publishing. The redundancy comes just as the biggest week of the year in New Zealand literature is set to take place. The winners of the Ockham national book awards are announced ...
A rest home with a concierge, iced tea fountain, hybrid Jaguars to drive, and caviar on the menu. That’s not imaginary or from some far-flung country – it’s reality here in Aotearoa. Oceania Healthcare just officially opened ‘The Helier’ – a retirement apartment and aged-care complex in the Auckland suburb ...
The USA and China are beefing, Winston Peters is getting sued by some Australian guy, and Helen Clark and Don Brash are friends now? Here’s everything you need to know about Aukus but were too afraid to ask. What is Aukus?Aukus, which stands for Australia, the United Kingdom, and ...
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Opinion: The cold weather and spikes in power demand have been well handled by the electricity system The post No need to shock with a fake crisis appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report About 1000 people in Aotearoa New Zealand gathered for a two-hour rally in central Auckland today and marched down Queen Street and returned to Aotea Square to mark the Nakba three days early — and protest over Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. They called for an immediate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As it looks to an election next year when holding up Labor’s female vote will be vital, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has declared Tuesday will bring “a budget for mums and middle Australia”. “The primary ...
By Repeka Nasiko in Suva “Justice has won,” says Fiji’s acting Director of Public Prosecutions John Rabuku following the sentencing of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and former police commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho. Speaking to The Fiji Times, Rabuku said that while they welcomed the judgment by acting Chief Justice Salesi ...
The foreign affairs minister has landed in Solomon Islands for the first leg of his Pacific tour, and an audience with the newly elected Prime Minister. ...
On an unusually hot night in January 2019, a little boy’s lifeless body was found face up in a small town’s sewage oxidation pond. To the police, it was an open and shut case: three-year-old Lachlan Jones had run away from his home in the Southland town of Gore, climbed ...
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Perhaps the Standard could compile an ongoing list of election promises broken by the Nats and their sidekicks? It will soon be a long one, to be constantly updated.
This should include all such examples, regardless of whether you think the U-turn is welcome. A Luxon pork pie is still a pork pie, even if you like the taste.
The biggest so far is the foreign buyer's tax, but there are more tax frauds to add, such as …
"Luxon said he was confident they would find the revenue to fill the shortfall from elsewhere – and said National was no longer planning to repeal the so-called “app tax”.
That is a tax on app-based services such as Airbnb and Uber, which National campaigned on repealing along with others introduced by Labour."
National, Act, NZ First coalition: Incoming PM Christopher Luxon on Nats’ tax sacrifice and stopping the coalition falling apart – NZ Herald
Many times in the campaign I heard the Nats say that they would implement measures that would meet NZ's climate change commitments. In which case this is already perilously close to a U-turn, as the climate change minister and the environment minister have been left outside the cabinet. This is a tactical mistake and probably a crude and nasty dig at Ardern’s “Climate Change moment” that they couldn’t resist.
Has the environment minister ever been outside the cabinet before?
I think, it's possibly more relevant to look at who the Climate Change ministers are, and what their other roles are.
Simon Watts (also Minister of Revenue) and Nicola Willis (Associate CC) – Minister of Finance.
Two people with a very heavy financial leaning in their portfolios – I think that the new government will be looking at Climate Change very much in a financial context.
There are also two Ministers for the Environment (both outside cabinet): Penny Simmonds (who also has Tertiary Education – and will have her plate full with that one); and Andrew Hoggard (who will be looking at it from an Agriculture perspective).
Neither are likely to stand up to the rest of cabinet in ensuring that Climate Change mitigation is on the agenda.
Yes, there has been a Climate Change minister outside the Cabinet, before. James Shaw was Minister for Climate Change, outside Cabinet, in 2017-2020. David Parker has been Minister for the Environment (inside cabinet) since 2017. But it's pretty much Shaw who's been doing the heavy policy lifting in the climate change space.
All in all, I'd say that it's a very strong indication that Climate change will not be at the core of this government's policies. Which is not surprising.
99 out of 100 rightist politicians can't see past the $ on anything.
Andrew Hoggard doesn't speak for all farmers , just the act aligned ones and the ones who haven't worked out that act has taken over fed farmers.
Bring back blip, i miss blip
Going on this type of witch hunt is a wee bit pointless and could end up as an own goal because under MMP pre election promises mean nothing until after coalition negotiation agreements have been written and published. At that point those pledges are what you hold the government to account for.
The danger here is that at some point the parties on the left will likely be in a position to also negotiate a government and the same brush of criticism could be used against them to paint a picture of broken promises as you are trying to use now.
One of the areas that showed up the current National party's inexperience and possible naivety during this election was the nature of their absolute promises of abolishing this that and the other and introducing other pies in the sky. The lesson here is the dropping of the foreign buyers policy and the TAX they expected to generate from it. ACT and NZF also made promises using similar language and they both seem to have had win's in regard to getting most of those accepted in one form or another, that's the advantage of the smaller parties because they will always have the balance of power in their favour if the bigger parties want to govern.
Na I have 5 working dogs to HELP me govern this farm ,
I make damn sure they know who is boss though. One thing key did that was right is ran a coalition not letting the minions run it
Luxin and Ardern where /are weak .
During the negotiations Peters had the option available to him of walking out and supporting Labour instead. Luxon had no other option except that of settling for the position of leader of the opposition. That gave Peters a certain amount of power, but not an unlimited amount.
Winston did not have that choice, they had ruled each other out, and a 4 way coalition hell no in any case.
Luxon is weak ,willis ,winston and seymour are going to run rings around him.
It's not a "witch hunt".
Income tax cuts were a cornerstone of National's campaign, with Luxon repeating "$250" until the CTU exposed his dishonesty and the media belatedly reported it.
And prior to that, he spelled it out with no ambiguity. Not "here's a policy to be negotiated", but a cast-iron promise to the voters. If words mean nothing, then we all lose.
"Here's my commitment to you. When I become Prime Minister, I'll reverse Labour's tax grab, National will repeal each of these tax increases implemented by Labour."
Christopher Luxon's State of the Nation speech: Government needs to stop its 'tax grab' | RNZ News
There'll be tax cuts, likly targets for nat savings , the Cullen fund, kiwisaver contributions, oh and the poor they always fuck the poor.
But can you find an equivalent bottom-line commitment from Luxon on climate change? I'd suggest not.
No, I doubt anybody voted National because they believed Luxon was going to make tackling climate change a priority. It was barely mentioned in the campaign.
Neither was covid mentioned. They ignore the elephant in the room until they can't.
Would fees-free tertiary study going from the first year to the final year of study, despite a promise to retain it, constitute a broken promise?
They've done it to reduce total cost because it will deter some people from even starting and others will start and then drop away. There's also more than a touch of malice – they don't want to open an opportunity to a class of people who otherwise might never have started, they'd rather subsidise a class of people who were always going to go and were always likely to finish.
The points you make are valid but you miss a big one –
Why are they doing it? Well the answer is that fees- free will not cost a cent in the next 2 years – they won't be giving anyoine a last year free that has already had one so the people qualifying for fees free will be …/drumroll Nil, No-one, Zero and Nobody. Political chicanery dressed up as "we're so fucking clever'. As Mr Creosote said “bucket!!”
willis' work nodoubt, I know her type.
Good point. It will still be first year fees-free in 2024. Then from 2025 it goes to last year. As Labour introduced it in 2018, a student would need to have started in 2017 and be finishing in 2025 to receive anything that year, which would be unusual. As you say, pretty much a 2-year hiatus on paying anything in 2025/6 and then tapering in from 2027 as some degrees are longer than 3 years.
Given that, it would not be a surprise if National's 2026 manifesto kills the policy entirely from 2027 onwards.
I doubt that anyone who has benefitted from a 'fees free' year at the beginning of their qualification will be able to get another one at the end of it.
That is certainly the case, now. If you sign-up for fees-free for one qualification, you don't get another go, if you then sign up for another one.
[NB: this has caused major issues for people, who are doing a low-level tertiary certificate – and don't realize that getting fees-free for that minor qualification – precludes them from then getting it for the undergraduate degree, they then decide to do]
Sure – realise that and clearly if the policy is to support only 1 year of study, that can be the first or the last, not both. However, Barfly appears to be correct in saying that the act of switching from first year to last year creates a two-year hiatus where expenditure on the policy drops to almost nothing.
If the government then uses this hiatus to 'review' the policy, it looks like a golden opportunity to cancel the whole thing at that point. Effectively, the policy would then have been killed from the end of 2024, even though the 2023 election promise was to continue it.
While we can all remember the challenge to National's figures for their tax plan – especially the $700m from a tax on and return of foreign buyers CLuxon said this to the Herald about the veto of NZF on this funding
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/nz-cabinet-announcement-live-updates-the-concessions-christopher-luxon-had-to-make-to-get-coalition-over-the-line/PAACRXJNT5FKJAEJMHDSLPQQ6I/
So the plan all along was to fix the hole in their budget by doing this.
1.There will be no further adjustments to income tax brackets to deliver further tax cuts — as they cannot afford to.
2.The slight of hand over free fees
3.No adjustment to the WFF tax credit threshold
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/nz-cabinet-announcement-live-updates-the-concessions-christopher-luxon-had-to-make-to-get-coalition-over-the-line/PAACRXJNT5FKJAEJMHDSLPQQ6I/
None of this planned duplicity made known to voters before the election.
So the debate over amounts and the reassurance that they were confident about the numbers was just a deception.
The money no longer to be spent lifting the Working for Families abatement threshold from $42,700 to $50,000 in 2026 means the so called $10 a week IETC low income workers get would be outweighed by this change – they will soon be worse off.
Re news that National have dropped their overseas property buyers' tax policy and need to find revenue of $740 million p.a. from other sources for their planned tax cuts, it was widely reported that this amount was never accepted as realistic by various economists.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/election-2023/497974/economists-analysis-rubbishes-national-s-foreign-buyers-tax-numbers
"National's policy document stated it expected the policy to raise $715m in the first year it was introduced, increasing to about $764m in 2027/28, averaging out to about $740m a year.
Economists Sam Warburton and Michael Reddell – who lean left and right respectively – decided to do their own analysis using data from Stats NZ, real estate data from Corelogic, and the information National has so far publicly revealed about its policy.
Their independent modelling resulted in a "best estimate" of $210m a year in revenue, leaving a gap of $530m or 71 percent between their data and National's proposal. A more generous "higher-end estimate" calculated at $290m in revenue – still falling $450m, or 61 percent, short".
Did National really believe overseas property buyers would generate so much revenue? Surely they knew NZ First did not agree with this policy and might be needed to help form a government. Did National always intend to cancel this policy, and plan to cut funding and staff from public services and perhaps increase GST? How will the new government fund their tax cuts?
Many people's resentment towards Labour overrode their willingness to see National's tax plan for the con job it was. After repeated challenging of National's tax cuts plan: https://thespinoff.co.nz/live-updates/05-10-2023/nicola-willis-confirms-only-3000-households-will-get-full-250-a-fortnight-tax-cut Evidently many people knowingly voted for a party that lied by omission and implication about the supposed benefits of a major policy.
You and SPC have summed it up.
National knew that if they said "tax cuts" loud and often, it would work. And it did.
They could have said they were going to pay for it by making banknotes smaller, it wouldn't have mattered. A magical treasure was needed so they conjured one up. That's all it ever was.
Winston Peters
Shane Jones
Judith Collins
Potentially the most corrupt government Aotearoa has ever had.
Judith Collins is one of the most corrupt politicians New Zealand has been unfortunate enough to be burdened with.
Now she is the top law officer in the country. We are turkeys voting for Christmas.
This "strong and stable" drivel is starting to piss me off. We need a more appropriate moniker
How about ":shitty and sadistic" or "bone-headed and backward"
Strong, stable and stupid!!
This week's buzz word is "historic "
"Bone-headed and backward" has definite appeal
Sick and sadistic would be my take on these unhinged and deranged individuals. God help us.
There are just so many awful policies. Don’t know where to start……
With luck they'll bicker fight and unravel before they can get them up and running.
https://twitter.com/NewshubNationNZ/status/1728163975827702251?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
We need her more than ever!
The Elders Group……..it wouldn't surprise me if Helen is destined for a big part in world leadership……..and great to see her wearing the colours……
Unfortunately the new Government has a lot of work to repair the economic and social damage the last six years of a Labour/Green party has done to New Zealand.
However based of the documents released yesterday if they achieve only a quarter of it New Zealand will still be a thousand times better off.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[lprent: Authors have the option of limiting the trolls who can comment on their posts. Don’t waste my time trolling on my posts ever again. You appear to be too stupid or too lazy to actually do anything more than run the troll playbook. ]
You had three numbers in your comment. One was accurate, the other two plucked out of your arse.
Yeah right. If you ignore the pandemic related tourism, trade and employment issues, I'd love you to actually point out any policies that actually caused any significant damage to the underlying economy. This would give me opportunities to point out again just how much of a unthinking simpleton you are.
Unlike you, I actually appear to have been working in a growing economy. One where we've been starting to get on top of a multi-decade chronic housing shortage.
Offhand I suspect that every example that your simple brain ( that so resembles that of a parrot) can come up with will involve something about the benefits to those who exploit them of having readily available low wage workers.
Lprent does this policy apply to everybody here or just the sycophants who parrot the echo chamber's preferred narative?
If you would like to actually engage in a discussion I would be more than willing to once you stop acting like a child with name calling and whining because you didn't get the election results you wanted because more New Zealanders felt your side were the worse of the available choices.
Debate ?
Just pushing out Nationals pre election talking points doesnt come near to starting a debate.
What was the specific damage to the economy- from the Labour- Greens AND NZF after 6 years – you proffer
I noticed how you have airbrushed NZF out of its coalition role from 2017.
Please see a doctor you appear to have an untreated head injury
Does this statement comply with this sites stated policy of:
[lprent: yes. It is a shorted way of saying what I said. Don’t comment on one of posts again.]
"if they achieve only a quarter of it New Zealand will still be a thousand times better off" (my bold)
Well ye of the thin skin I rest my case (thousand??) although I will concede you may simply be dishonest or delusional rather than having an untreated head injury.
Clearly you've never heard of hyperbole so hopefully, this helps.
If however, that is your issue let me help you and rephrase my comment to:
I hope this change is acceptable to you.
Ah , the great futurologist who believes in the magic powers of one deodorant salesman
Australias Reserve Bank has had a triple mandate for some generations now and has led to higher growth over NZ previously single focus for the RBNZ , so what higher power provides certainity that going backwards will change what was a poor past outcome
https://www.rba.gov.au/about-rba/our-role.html
Our new govt and their backers aren't interested in 'repair', unless you mean the repair of unearned income streams. As for your assertion that:
perhaps "very big brain" Willis can help you with "the technical numbers", now that her woeful miscalculation of the foreign buyers tax revenue won't be further exposed.
Like Barry @3, I'm picking another rise in the regressive GST to fund tax cuts for the wealthy, although this lot won't wait as long as Key did – Luxon is “very impatient“.
I disagree completely, just read the policy agreement, there are so many positive outcomes for New Zealand in my opinion that as I said even if they achieve a quarter of what it contains New Zealand will be a thousand times better off.
Take for example just the Strengthening Democracy section, these are tangible steps to reduce the massive social division that has occurred over the last 6 years by ensuring all citizens are equal, something the last Labour/Green/Maori Government seemed very keen to destroy.
Can you give us examples of how you, as a citizen, have been discriminated against? Can you tell us how you have suffered, in reality? And can you tell us how the new government is going to stop that?
And since you say "6 years", not "3 years", why are you accusing Winston Peters of doing it?
(and by the way, you have also invented a government that never existed in the past 6 years).
I never said I had been discriminated against.
Can you tell us how you have suffered, in reality
Example 1:
I have two children with significant medical issues I have spent a lot of time over the past 16 years dealing with the medical system.
Over the last 6 years I have experienced first hand a significant decline in the quality and availability of health care including:
– Being told I would be better to go private
– Being told when calling 111 for an ambulance that there were none available
– Being told by staff that due to staff leaving treatment options previously available could no longer be provided.
Example 2:
This year I have had to deal with the Police on 3 occasions.
Incident 1: I witnessed a road rage incident where a truck driver pulled the driver out of their vehicle and assaulted them before stealing their mobile phone.
When 111 was contacted (approximatley 0900 on a weekday) the victim who I had stopped to assist was advised that there were no police cars available (Tauranga) and that he should go to the local station to report the theft.
Incident 2:
While parked at the beach a car arrived and parked beside a woman's car who was also in her car. The two persons obviously were known to each other and the male driver got out of their car with a length of metal (looked like re-enforcing metal crowbar) and started smashing the woman's rear window while the two screamed at each other.
The male then fled the scene and I followed and called 111 (there were other people also in the carpark so I figured she a) wouldn't be alone and b) they could provide any assistance as well as I could).
After following the vehicle for about 10 minutes with the operator on the line (who had dispatched an ambulance btw) advised that there were no police vehicles available.
This occurred around 3pm-4pm on a Sat/Sun.
Incident 3:
Due to one of my kids medical issues I had to call 111. When the police arrived the office yelled and scream and made the entire situation worse and told us "It isn't our (the Police's) job to deal with mental issues and you should be contact CAHMS (who one of my kids is significantly involved with).
So how will this governmental change help first off:
This will likely assist my kids with greater options available.
This will hopefully people like me are told to there are no ambulances available when people need urgent medical care.
This will hopefully means my kids might be able to start getter the medical services that were available when they were younger but which we have been told recently are no longer available.
This hopefully will mean cops actually turn up when they're needed.
A slight mis-quote of what you wrote which I hope you don't mind as I wanted to deal with both of your points at once.
I say 6 years and not 3 because the state of the nation (IMHO) has decline significantly over that time period including with WP was part of the Labour led Government and the reason for my reference to a Labour/Green/Maori government because the policies, attitudes and influence has been made up significantly by these three party's.
I accept your point however and agree I should have worded that differently/better.
Thank you for your reply. I'm sorry that you have had some very unpleasant experiences.
The question then is "Will that improve now? Can these promises be believed?".
The evidence is clear. I'll take just one example for now, policing levels.
First, this is what happened under National before 2017. Police numbers per capita decreased.
NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says police numbers declined under National’s leader – Australian Associated Press (aap.com.au)
Then after 2017 police numbers per capita increased.
Police numbers climb by 1800: Government expected to announce target reached today – NZ Herald
In both these examples, I've included independent assessments (a factcheck, and then the Police Association spokesman).
It is very sad that the right-wing parties have successfully conned voters into believing their rhetoric. That only means false hopes are raised, followed by greater anger when the promises are broken.
The funding for St John's ambulances has been covered extensively in the media.
How it was:
Paramedics, St John want more funding | RNZ News
How it is:
St John offers biggest pay correction in the history of the ambulance service
Less funding under the National government before, more funding under the one just voted out. And now the promise is only to “renegotiate”, which means nothing.
Again, it pays to look beyond the rhetoric to the reality.
Labour deliberately chose not to fund St Johns properly, or to integrate them into the new national health service when it was amalgamated. Shame on them.
This was despite a full independent review requesting that full service integration from late 2019, released in 2020.
https://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/article/undoctored/release-martinjenkins-review-st-john
What they got was a one-off $21m in the next budget. Not sustainable funding for their 25% shortfall. So they had to cut over 100 of their staff. Those are staff that could have saved lives.
You may notice they have to put staff outside supermarkets to try and get subscriptions to fill this gap (and I happily have done so). This is a basic emergency service for the whole of New Zealand.
Response times since 2021 have worsened, their budget isn't keeping up, and they continue to have massive vacancies.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/02/ambulance-sector-shake-up-on-the-cards-as-funding-staffing-issues-plague-st-john.html
The staff they have are grossly overworked and present massive risks to emergency patients across NZ. So no one applies to work there.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/06/06/st-john-staff-highlight-ridiculous-exhausting-working-conditions/
Good on them for making it a specific coalition line. If only Labour had.
Sorry Observer but it appears that this is not a site to discuss, debate or challenge the ideas (especially those of the host or their sycophants).
Perhaps we will encounter each other on another site that seeks to be more than a left wing echo chamber.
Sounds like observer has debated you in good faith and having been soundly whipped (metaphorically) you've decided to take your ball a go home ya wee man!
It was Lprent not Observer that was the issue and you know it.
He didn't ban him and the conversation could easily carry on , nobody needs either a spine or honesty
That's a solid and thoughtful answer.
None should try and argue that mental healthcare got better under Ardern's government.
The really tough stat is how fast gun crime and street assaults went up in Auckland in particular, again under Labour.
501s
I think Ad is a secret supporter of the ACT Party bwaghorn. 😉
There are no outcomes (positive or negative) from the policy agreement as yet, but if our new govt does "achieve a quarter of what it [the agreement] contains", then please give an example of how "NZ will be a thousand times better off" – just one.
Reckon I’ll be waiting a while for a rational example – imgo, “a thousand times better off” is simply political hyperbole.
To Lprent:
Your house, your rules.
All the best for the future.
It's so simple to break down every war at the moment.
It's one far right warmongering turd with a hard-on for violence and death verses another far right warmongering turd with a hard-on for violence and death.
Examples in no particular order:
Hemedti
Russian oligarchs
Mohammed bin Salman
Netanyahu
Hamas
Ukrainian oligarchs
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan
Putin
and the real meat in the pie,
the Corporate oligarchs
Or if you want, pick a side, and become just another jingoist with a desperate need for war porn.
Don't forget how much "Religion" and "Faith" have to do most conflicts. "Nothing more Hateful than the Love from a good Theist"
Which one of my examples did not expound with their actions your point Red Blooded One? They all use what ever tool they have at hand, and for many speaking for/with God seems to be a common trait.
As a theist myself – they only real answer is to hold them to account – including, but not limited to – not let them speak for/with God. Nor let them use the pageantry and trappings of a faith for their political ends.
Fuck me just watching newshub nation ,willis is saying removing labours smoke-free policies will increase revenue for funding tax cuts!!!!!
Most fucked thing I've ever heard.
Geez.
I am not clear on what exactly is proposed – do they intend to remove all restrictions on purchasers? Whatever it means, they are putting money ahead of lives – killing many with a horrible disease for short term tax cuts for the wealthy. Labour saved 20,000 lives; NactFirst may be trying to reverse that – CLuxon and Willis may not care about their children, but some of us care about ours . . .
Willis was laying it at nzfs feet but was happy to not restrict outlets because it'll increase revenue, that's a level of cold that I struggle to grasp from a leading elected politician.
I had to watch the Newshub item to believe it. She laid the blame at the feet of ACT and NZ First who wanted it "and we agreed to it" she said. She admitted it would bring in an extra one billion dollars for the tax-cuts. I presume it was per annum.
There is their political philosophy laid out in black and white. They regard the lives of [potentially] thousands of NZers to die prematurely as acceptable… in order to fund their big election bribe – tax-cuts.
And they moaned and complained about the Covid mandates because of the loss of revenue stream. Didn't give a damn about the loss of life. They were okay cos they could escape to their holiday homes etc.
I wonder how many of the idiots who voted for NAct are already starting to wonder what they've done.
Don't fret Anne it's mostly poor Maori especially woman who smoke . I'm sure national voters will sleep soundly.
Of course they will.
People on the left need to get smarter about this. The tactic (imported from USA Republicans) is to provoke a response from the people National want to respond.
We could call it Hone Harawira syndrome. John Key's government would do something questionable, "middle NZ" or swing voters would say "I don't like the sound of that" and then Hone would pop up on TV saying "f*** you National" and those voters would say "but I'm not on his side".
The Newshub piece was, through the lens of those voters, about Maori getting angry, not health policy. Bait … and hooked. Expect much more of this.
This should be reprinted far and wide. If you can do it contact Webworm. Hayden Donnell has my admiration, again and again. Labour should be contacting him, because I’ll sure as f be listening to what he thinks of the results of their soul searching or not.
‘The World’s Biggest Hypocrites
Free speech is actually under threat – and our loudest free speech warriors are nowhere to be found.
by Hayden Donnell.’
This has to have corruption at its very core. The scrapping of the smoking cessation legislation and wait there’s more!!!! the scrapping of the de-nicotineising of smoking products. Pressure for these measures could have only come from the industry, one of the shoddiest industries in the world which is well represented by ex ( really? ) sales people of this shit in the new government. Follow the money, if only some journalist had the ability.
Nicky Hager has but he can't be across everything.
It may be a bit early to be talking legacies but let’s talk Winston Peters. Tobacco, cigarettes, smoking, illness, death.
Evil is being complicit in the suppling of lethal drugs for profit.
I wonder if someone who fell out with Ardern/Labour over a difference of opinion on a matter of principle may have disappointed some influential backers who demanded value for that support. Just musing.
Maybe we need a huge petition to present to the government.
It's great to see a progressive Maori representation in this new centre-right government, with 7 Maori ministers.
And not just with token ministries either, unlike under Labour.
You've put you're pawn in a weak position.
Oh you mean the pretend Maoris – apart from Winston Peters, Shane Jones and Shane Reti.
None of them could be described as ‘progressive’.
Your moist left reflex of simple racist sneer and pearl-clutching is such a skill.
That is not only inaccurate but venal and unwarranted.
I was referring to the likes of Goldsmith and Seymour in particular who claim to have a modicum of Maori blood in them. No doubt they do, but they are not Maori in the accepted sense of the word. Indeed Seymour is 'the racist' and a fascist to boot.
A bit of mea culpa would suffice but I doubt you are up to it.
Disagree – progressive means continuing, developing, growing, ongoing
There's a world waiting out there for those with dreams Anne, as opposed to resignation to victimhood
The bolter must surely be Tama Potaka who picks up Conservation, Whanau Ora, Minister for Crown – Maori relations, Maori Development, and Associate Housing.
Casey Costello will certainly be a strong understudy to Mitchell as Minister of Police. She's a great pick and great to see in Cabinet already.
Nicole McKee picking up Courts and Associate Justice is a big step up.
Well done all three.
Nicole McKee? Isn't she ACT’s gun toting supporter of the American NRA who are closely aligned to the Trump loving Republican Party?