The Greens standing a candidate in February’s Mt Albert by-election presents disgruntled Labour supporters an opportunity to send Labour a message by voting Green.
It was interesting to hear Labour’s campaign manager using one of Key’s lines, stating the party was “relaxed” about the Greens’ decision.
Labour supporters in Mt Albert won’t be disgruntled – Chairman – they’ll be pleased to see the two parties working cooperatively together, but they won’t forget their main target will be to retain the seat for Labour.
Green is no longer my color of choice. Any party who wants increases in refugee quotas (remember it isn’t just them, it’s also the people they get to sponsor into the country) when we can’t even house our own is unacceptable.
The problem isn’t the refugee quota of 1,000 its minuscule compared to the immigration number that’s being used to keep the ponzi economy afloat. We probably need additional people anyway with declining birth rates.
Nonsense, the economy is booming from immigration the problem is National managing the housing situation, i.e none for purely ideological grounds. Which leaves the market to rort everyday kiwis out of the dream. Aspirational failure that Key rightly read and you cant, Key failed, he jumped, you can never fail, never conceed, even to the reality that growing world population and stagnating kiwi birthrates due to neolibs ising cgild rearing costs, feed into the fear of invasion less we keep up our pop. growth, i.e if we dont they will come on their terms not ours.
The economy is not booming from immigration – in fact when taking the increase in numbers from immigration into account the gdp per capita remains static. Not that that is any more a measure of an effective economy than any other.
Government mismanagement means it isn’t.
A housing market so overheated that thousands of homes aren’t rented out is government mismanagement.
Immigration and refugees have nothing to do with it, other than bringing new skills, new demand and economic activity.
Every single person brings in new skills and new ways of doing things. We just need to make sure society (if we insist on a market economy) is positioned to adapt and utilise those skills in a way that provides income to the immigrant.
Food is always the go-to starter, but trade and overseas connections also contribute from an early stage. Society also needs to ensure speedy certification that meets NZ standards in more formally qualified areas, such as building and surgery, so those skills don’t atrophy in taxi drivers or kitchen hands.
But really, you’re talking a false dichotomy: certifying immigrants and training current citizens (immigrants are “our people”, too) should be done together, not as one or the other.
More people, from home and abroad, should mean more productivity and activity. That’s what people do. NZ is still incredibly over-resourced per capita, looking at our land and seas. If we can’t handle <100k immigrants in an otherwise aging population, that's a travesty in economic mismanagement.
But really, you’re talking a false dichotomy: certifying immigrants and training current citizens (immigrants are “our people”, too) should be done together, not as one or the other.
No, that’s not what I’m doing. Immigrants are being brought into NZ for their skills – skills that we already have here thus there’s no new skills brought in. Construction is a good example of this.
More people, from home and abroad, should mean more productivity and activity.
That’s a rather stupid and ill-informed opinion. The only way to get higher productivity is through automation. Through the removal of jobs and replacement of them with machinery.
NZ is still incredibly over-resourced per capita, looking at our land and seas.
Actually, we’re probably at the limits of what we can handle sustainably. The filth in our waterways is proof enough of that.
If we can’t handle <100k immigrants in an otherwise aging population, that's a travesty in economic mismanagement.
/facepalm
That’s a massive misunderstanding of reality.
To handle 100k+ immigrants per year requires that the productivity to build the infrastructure to support them needs to be diverted away from supporting everyone here. That diversion isn’t happening in the first place and there’s no productivity increase from them to allow it to happen.
Our waterways are the result of poor management, not overproduction.
Doing the wrong things in the wrong way on the wrong land type.
Automation increases individual productivity. Immigrants increase the number of individuals who can be that productive.
Construction is an excellent example, I agree: we have thousands of vacant homes in aspeculator’s market, import hundreds of construction workers, have thousands of unemployed and young people who can be trained in construction, and yet we still have a massively overpriced housing market alongside homeless people. That’s a broken system, and immigration has nothing to do with it.
Immigrants come in, obey the law, build new businesses, and buy stuff to live and love. Just like everyone else: they’re not a drain on society, they’re a tap flowing in. They’re not the proble: incompetent government is the problem.
Our waterways are the result of poor management, not overproduction.
Doing the wrong things in the wrong way on the wrong land type.
There’s still a limit to how many people we can pack into the land area that we have. No amount of wishful thinking is going to change that.
Automation increases individual productivity. Immigrants increase the number of individuals who can be that productive.
Wrong. Automation doesn’t increase a person productivity at all. It shifts it from doing one task to doing another. Of course, that new task may result in more of the original task being done.
That’s a broken system, and immigration has nothing to do with it.
And yet immigration is seen as it’s solution as we import more builders. Those imported builders don’t bring new skills or higher productivity.
Just like everyone else: they’re not a drain on society, they’re a tap flowing in.
To cater to their needs requires diversion of resources. This is a physical fact. We need to build more houses for them, more roads, and more power stations. All of these takes resources that could be utilised elsewhere. That’s basic real world economics.
Immigration has a cost – that’s a given. The question is if it has any benefits and so far we’re not really seeing any.
You, like many people, have this idea that immigration == good and you simply don’t question that even going so far as to make up BS to justify it like like having increased numbers of dishes available at the local takeaway which simply doesn’t happen because we all don’t buy takeaways on a daily basis in this country which is what’s needed to support having a large number of takeaways.
Yes, there are physical limits to population density. We’re still sparsely-populated compare tomany nations around the world.
And if automation doesn’t increase a person’s productivity, why do farmers buy tractors?
You pointed to Hickey talking about wage depression caused by immigration. Completely true, because our labour market is incompetently managed. Go to a minimum wage level that equals the living wage, tie visas to DoL rather than individual employers as soon as a personal grievance is filed, and crack down on things like employer-provided accommodation charges and kickbacks. There’d be no employer incentive to prioritise unskilled immigrants over local youth, and therefore less incentive for immigrants to choose NZ in the first place.
Your problem is that you think there’s a difference between immigrants and people born here. There isn’t, really. We all have the same potential to produce more than we consume as a trace percentage of GDP.
Oh, and yes – at the street corner I have a Chinese takeaway. Close to work I can buy korean, cambodian, turkish, thai, japanese, phillipine, french, and italian food. There’s even a roast meat & vege takeout place with kumara and everything. Or I skip it all and just have an espresso from another place. I try to avoid the american chains also in the area. Most of those places weren’t in town thirty years ago. Nobody eats at every place on every day,, but somehow they all manage tobe going concerns.
GST went up, it was neutral for the poorest yet grew in lower taxes for the wealthy. Just like economies do better when fuel is getting cheaper, that it looks like tax cuts cause growth, rather the opposite i think. So, massive investment in alternative energy cuts into growth, which in tern means taxes cuts, Keys great tax switch raised the cost of living for nz, hurt business startup, underwrote the wealrhiest debt by giving them more in their pocket to pay mortgages, etc, and so kept the housing market booming. Key then failed to address structural rorts in housing that force prices higher, from few players in the market, etc,
National have never been good managers of the economy, that requires a long view when they are hired by, funded by shorters.
“Any party who wants increases in refugee quotas (remember it isn’t just them, it’s also the people they get to sponsor into the country) when we can’t even house our own is unacceptable.”
You would be ignoring their announced housing policies then. Some parties are capable of walking and chewing gum at the same time.
I’d rather we cut immigration to about 5,000 year and offer half of the those 5,000 places to refugees myself. The extra cost of support for refugees as they come into the country would be a worthwhile investment.
I’ve been fortunate over the past 20 years to have offered employment to 3 refugees – 2 of whom it was their first position in NZ and were ludicrously over-qualified for the roles (to the point I was almost embarrassed offering it to them). They were excellent employees – motivated, hard-working and enthusiastic. Once they got some NZ experience they, of course, moved on to better things (I’ve acted as a referee for all 3). They are all high functioning, integrated and proud NZ citizens with families who are successful and genuine Kiwis. In my experience bring on more refugees.
Heavens, The Chairman, using a word that another man has used is not unusual, since we share a common language and there are only so many words available to fit a concept or context.
I mean, John Key used a word that I used at a regional Labour conference when I said that I was so relaxed about a remit not being adopted that I could almost fall over. That was about 1987.
According to Chairman, whenever anyone uses the word ‘relaxed’, they’re running one of Key’s lines, and should probably pay him royalties for the privilege. But why stop there? What about other Keyisms, like “Look, most Nu Zillanders…”, or “Akshully, I think you’ll find that…”? There’s money to be made here, and it would be most remiss of the former PM to let such a potentially lucrative opportunity pass him by.
One of the great excuses. “They did it too.” Absolutely absolves one of all blame, and personal accountability.
Heard it all the time as a teacher.
Key’s use of the word relaxed could mean “don’t care/not interested/don’t want to be held to a position/do care but don’t want to be seen to be disturbed by it”.
His actual use of language was not relaxed, but carefully constructed, even in its lack of definition and meaning, to allow double meaning and wriggle room.
Imprecision in language also endeared him to many of his listeners.
Of interest now only to political pundits, historians and linguistic academics.
That the Green Party is putting up a candidate to stand in the Mt Albert by-election is intriguing and interesting, considering that Labour and the Greens have a Memorandum Of Understanding to work together.
That this agreement doesn’t stop the airing of differences between the two parties is a good thing for democracy.
In the Northland by-election the Green Party issued what amounted to a free pass to the Labour Party to continue supporting deep sea oil drilling in Northland without any challenge.
By standing down in Northland the Green Party made sure that this issue was never discussed by the remaining main contenders, because Labour, National and New Zealand First, were all in agreement over this contentious and hot local issue denying the locals from hearing the debate on the pros and cons of deep sea oil exploration and drilling in their electorate.
In my opinion by standing down in Northland the Green Party did the voters of Northland a disservice by not allowing a discussion and evaluation of the merits or not on this hot topical issue.
Obviously deep sea oil drilling off their coastline will not be the burning topical issue that it was in Northland.
So what will be the main bone of contention in the debates between the two main candidates, in the Mt Albert by-election?
Presumably because both parties position themselves in the Left/progressive part of the political spectrum they will be in broad agreement on most other topics.
But the Labour and the Green Party still disagree about climate change and the need to urgently transition away from fossil fuels. So could this disagreement, which has become concretised around Labour’s fanatical support for deep sea oil drilling, be a topic of debate in this rather unlikely arena?
Could the Mt Albert by-election be made into the first ever electoral race in this country where climate change featured as a major election issue of difference between the two candidates?
Could the Mt Albert by-election become a referendum on deep sea oil drilling and climate change?
It is possible.
It all depends on how the Green Party approach this contest.
I would urge them to take up this strategy, (and for several, maybe not so obvious reasons).
Firstly; the Mt Albert by-election is a safe forum where this difference could be aired and debated without risking this division giving advantage to the National Party, (who are not standing a candidate), so whatever the result, there is no chance of it upsetting the proportionality parliament.
Secondly; polls cited by Greenpeace HERE indicate that 80% of the population are opposed to deep sea oil drilling. So the Green Party candidate should be onto a sure winner if she agressively took up opposition to deep sea oil drilling in her campaign, as opposed to the Labour Party’s support for deep sea oil drilling.
Thirdly; polls indicate that over 50% of the population want more government action on climate change, so if the Green Party made signifcant gains with this strategy it would be a serious whip for the government, which is dragging the chain on climate change.
And lastly; climate change is the most pressing issue of the 21st century it is well past the time it had a proper airing during an election in this country.
+1 Jenny.
I think that the Labour Party stance on deep sea oil may have changed a bit now Goff and Shearer have gone (at least I hope so), but having a Green Party candidate means there will be more discussion about climate change and, as you say, this is a good thing. Genter and Ardern will be able to show how their two parties can have some policy differences but still work together amicably.
Another positive sign, Phil Goff voting against deep sea oil in this country in his new role leading role as Mayor of our biggest city.
A respectful and collegiate contest in Mt. Albert where this major policy difference between the two parties is openly and fully thrashed out, and then put to the electorate for their decision. Could, depending on the result, strengthen the MOU putting, it on a more solid basis, putting the Labour Green coalition in a much stronger position to tackle the governement.
After housing, climate change is the governement’s worst performing portfolio. The Green Party and the Labour Party generally agree on housing issues, if they could also get agreement on climate issues then they would have two major agreed policy positions to challenge the government over.
It will.be a conversation between themselves, I suggest nobody will be listening including the media, waste of time barring protecting the democratic process so unfortunately a necessity
With National withdrawing and the Greens standing, the by-election has now become a contest between the left, thus the media will be watching. Most enjoy a fight.
And if the Greens give this a good crack, they have a lot to gain.
If they do it right, and I think that they will, it won’t be a fight. It’ll be an open discussion which will show which way the country as a whole want to go with environmentalism.
A really great exposition as to why Representative Democracy doesn’t work. The people don’t actually get to discuss and decide – the bought and paid for politicians do.
Agreed: “Representative Democracy doesn’t work. The people don’t actually get to discuss and decide – the bought and paid for politicians do.”
But.
This country does love its ‘winners, losers, battlers’ story. There’s fair amany would prefer FPP so they can snuggle up with their popcorn and opinions.
Change on this is slower than snails sliding backwards…
“Could the Mt Albert by-election become a referendum on deep sea oil drilling and climate change?”
Indeed it could, Jenny.
The Green economy could also be further promoted as a way to boost skills, employment and exports.
The Mt Albert by-election presents the Greens with an opportunity to differentiate themselves from Labour, highlighting all the issues they believe Labour solutions are lacking.
They’ll need to select a strong candidate that is competent and up to the task.
“Could the Mt Albert by-election become a referendum on deep sea oil drilling and climate change?”
Indeed it could, Jenny…..
…..They’ll need to select a strong candidate that is competent and up to the task.
The Chairman
The suggested front runner Julie-Ann Genter is certainly a strong candidate, I have heard her speak, she is a strong and principled speaker, no doubt about it, Genter would give a very good account of herself against Lucinda Adern.
But if the Green Party really wanted to make a statement, and shake things up, I would suggest that the Green Party put up their spokesperson for climate change as their candidate in the Mt Albert by-election.
And who is that you might ask?
None other than Green Party leader James Shaw. The Green Party has reserved the climate change portfolio to leader, the only political party to do so, showing the importance that the Green Party regard this issue. Though National come close giving this portfolio to their Deputy.
Labour on the other hand have ranked this issue very low in their list of important portfolios to hold. So low in fact that their last holder of this post, Moana MacKey, got bumped off the bottom of the list. The current holder of this shadow portfolio for Labour is mid-ranked Dr Megan Woods.
Putting up their leader to challenge for the Mt. Albert seat is admittedly a high risk strategy, but like most high risk bets, if it is successful carries the biggest pay off.
Putting up the Leader will certainly raise the stakes, show that the Greens take this by-election seriously and provide the necessary high profile shock value that will grab the attention of the media and the voters, and indeed the country.
Climate change is the biggest political and moral issue of all time. It is about time that we gave it the profile and attention it deserves.
And if the Greens throw everything they have at it, this is the most likely strategy to succeed in taking the seat off Labour.
Anything less will be just another Ho Hum by-election with low voter and media interest with the resultiing low turn out.
The stakes have never been higher.
So let the contest begin. And may the best candidate win.
(2) At the last Election, National successfully portrayed the Opposition parties as hopelessly divided. The MOU was supposed to undermine that strategy. Why do you assume a conflict-obsessed media focussing entirely on Opposition party divisions as Labour and the Greens go aggressively head-to-head in Mt Albert – constitutes strategic genius ??? As opposed to, say … oh I don’t know … complete fucking madness ?
“At the last Election, National successfully portrayed the Opposition parties as hopelessly divided”
Indeed.
“The MOU was supposed to undermine that strategy.”
Only to an extent. The MOU ceases at the end of the election.
This working together while also opposing each other does undermine the perception of a united front, thus reinforces the divided perception National portrayed so well.
Perhaps an insider can better explain the rationale behind the strategy. Personally, I think it leaves voters confused.
From the time stamp on your comment, Chairman, you made it before my preceding comment. And you are right. If Genter makes a good run in Mt Albert and lifts the Green Party vote running with a climate change, deep sea oil campaign. Then Shaw would be right to try the same strategy in Wellington against Robertson. The downside will be that this will all be lost in the background of a General Election.
What I have since suggested, is that Shaw doesn’t wait for Wellington but strikes now, when he will virtually have the stage to himself and will be able to grab the attention of the whole country.
“Unsettling and Ominous – Climate Alarm Bells of 2016”
Climate alarm bells should be going off in every country, every city, every household. We are losing ground as we struggle to fight climate change and global warming. The climate action trends witnessed in 2016 are both unsettling and ominous.
Without heroic — but improbable — efforts, the 2 °C world is but magical thinking…..
“……actions speak louder than words.
After giving lip service to climate change by meeting with Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio, Trump then proceeded to name three staunch climate deniers to key positions, leaving little doubt about climate policy during his term of office. It should be crystal clear that Trump will take a wrecking ball to Obama’s climate legacy….
……Trump is visibly not the kind of leader the world needs at this crucial time in human history.
But while the world needs the climate change equivalent of Winston Churchill, we just elected Neville Chamberlain. And that may well be exactly how future generations will remember him if he leaves behind a world of ever-worsening climate impacts. (Joe Romm)
Maybe New Zealand could give that Churchillian climate change leadership that the world needs.
Afterall despite our size, we gave a world lead on the Welfare State, we gave a world leader on Women’s Sufferage, we gave a world lead on anti-nuclear, we gave a world lead in isolating apartheid South Africa, and we have just given a world lead in calling out Israel on their illegal annexation through settlements of Palestinian territory.
Let us not go through another election cycle where climate change barely rates a mention but instead becomes a major battleground of contention between the major parties before the voting public.
The Mt Albert by-election could represent the first salvo in the battle to make New Zealand a world leader on climate change.
“Putting up the Leader will certainly raise the stakes, Jenny. And it’s something the Greens should seriously consider.
But how will that leave them for Wellington?”
The Chairman
Personally I don’t see a problem.
If Shaw becomes the MP for Mt Albert, Green Party stock would be greatly increased and the Greens could stand Genter in Wellington with a the chance of making a really good showing.
Mt Albert voters will not have climate change at the top of their concerns. Some mix of housing, transport, education, employment and crime seems most likely. Parties will campaign accordingly, just as they did in Mt Roskill.
“Mt Albert voters will not have climate change at the top of their concerns.”
Sacha
That would require leadership.
Of course the majority of Mt Albert voters dont’ have climate change as the top of their concerns.
Strangely neither was apartheid top of New Zealanders concerns before 1981
(And apart from the ranting and raving from one lone back bench Independent Constitutionalist Party anti-Socialist MP for Epping). The threat of facism in Europe, was not the top of the British people’s concerns in 1938′ 39′. Bread and butter issues related to lifting Britain out of the Great Depression was the main political concern of the day. Most British people could barely have pointed out Poland on the map.
The thing that brought these seemingly, (at the time), neglible issues to the forefront of public attention was leadership.
Just this week New Zealand has shown a flash of this rare quality on the world stage in the UN.
World wide, leadership in fronting up to the threat of climate change, is the single biggest missing incredient needed, before we can begin to properly address climate change.
Time will tell if our New Zealand political leaders are up to the task of providing that leadership.
By-elections are locally focused. You would need visible impact of climate change in the electorate already or a well-publicised imminent happening like a contentious rugby tour, resource interruption or national military threat to galvanise voters above their more day-to-day pressing concerns.
While by-elections are generally more locally focused, it doesn’t mean voters totally overlook wider issues. Especially when they are one of the defining issue between the two.
And speaking of being more locally focused, as Russel Norman once said, Green issues are Auckland issues.
“By-elections are locally focused. You would need visible impact of climate change in the electorate already or a well-publicised imminent happening like a contentious rugby tour, resource interruption or national military threat to galvanise voters above their more day-to-day pressing concerns.”
Sacha
And/Or, one other thing.
Leadership
Remarkable*
Uncompromising
Fearless
Leadership
That is all it will take and that is what is the missing ingredient.
Sacha even, if all the other things you mentioned happened all at once and together – without leadership to hi-lite and and channel them into a coherent narrative and direction, it would still be business as usual.
And I don’t buy it that it has to be a local issue. With the internet everything is local. And Zero degrees C at the North pole in the Northern winter heralds something terrible in the wings for humanity.
“Large numbers concerned by and will act on climate change”
“A strong majority of New Zealanders are concerned about climate change and taking actions that reduce household emissions, according to a recent survey.
Researchers at Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, an independent, not-for-profit research institute, and Victoria University of Wellington designed the survey of about 2200 New Zealanders aged 18+. The survey was conducted by Horizon Research Limited from 28 July to 1 September 2014 with support from the Sustainable Business Council.
The survey showed that about 87% of New Zealanders are at least somewhat concerned about the effects of climate change on society in general.
63% are concerned or very concerned about the societal effects of climate change and 58% are concerned or very concerned about the personal effects.
“Mt Albert voters will not have climate change at the top of their concerns. Some mix of housing, transport, education, employment and crime seems most likely. Parties will campaign accordingly, just as they did in Mt Roskill.”
Sacha
Pretty uninspiring assessment of the opportunities opened up by the Mt Albert by-election, by Sacha.
While “large numbers” of New Zealanders will look to the stars, some would keep us looking at the ground.
National has stood down, and the two remaining Left Parties have a rare unencumbered chance to put their differing visions of the future to the voters. Will they take it? Or will they stick with Sacha’s grey lifeless formula for this election.
Chairman you make me smile. Labour and Greens supporters will be thrilled, because they have a choice, both candidates are intelligent, switched on, classy ladies.
National party voters are going to be the ones whom are disgruntled, they have no choice, none, nothing, nada. Their government has abandoned them, spinning the narrative of ‘strategy’ LMFAO… any whom buy in to that excuse are either simply naive or desperate to have a reason that justifies the action.
Labour and Greens have the opportunity to not only enlighten voters about their party policy, but also to show the public how well they work together, and these classy ladies will eliminate dirty politics from this by election.
It’s MMP baby 😀 I’m a Red/Green voter, and I love being able to choose two parties. Some may vote for one candidate, because they best represent their electorate, but they may vote for another party in the general. And that’s the beauty of it. It will be a difficult choice, because both ladies are outstanding in Parliament, but either way it’s a win thanks to the MOU.
How would Green and Labour Party differences over climate change and deep sea oil drilling work themselves out? The differences between Obama and Trudeau over climate change and arctic oil drilling may be of some relevance.
“Arctic Drilling Ban Reveals Crucial Difference Between Obama and Trudeau on Climate”
The historic announcement by President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau that both countries would ban oil and gas development in Arctic and Atlantic waters was a major victory to protect our oceans and the people who depend on them, and a real victory for our climate.
But the difference between how the White House and the Prime Minister’s Office explained this announcement reveals a major rift between the leaders in their understanding of how to address the climate threat.
At the end of November, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau failed a key test of his understanding of what is required to stop climate change by approving the Kinder Morgan and Line 3 pipelines. During his speech he defended his actions:
“I have said many times that there isn’t a country in the world that would find billions of barrels of oil and leave it in the ground while there is a market for it.”
But just weeks later, the U.S. did exactly that. As part of President Obama’s announcement to permanently ban oil and gas development in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, the White House released a fact sheet explaining its justification.
“…if lease sales were to occur and production take place, it would be at a time when the scientific realities of climate change dictate that the United States and the international community must be transitioning its energy systems away from fossil fuels.”
In essence, the White House is saying that further offshore oil and gas development in these areas fails a climate test — that these projects aren’t in line with the action needed to meet international goals to fight climate change. This is a crucial signal that President Obama and his team are finally beginning to understand that action to restrict the supply of fossil fuels is ultimately required to reach a safe climate future.
Notably, the joint statement from both leaders on their effort to block Arctic drilling mentioned climate but failed to point out this crucial justification for the decision. This points to the fact that Trudeau isn’t aligned with Obama on climate action.
Prime Minister Trudeau continues to cling to an ideological and dangerous assertion that his government has no responsibility to restrict fossil fuel supply in the middle of a global climate crisis.
Garibaldi, do you really feel that the Nat’s are going to ask their voters to vote for an opposition party?
Crikey Nat’s haven’t even got the balls to stand a candidate, ummm we are too gutless to stand a candidate because we prefer if you vote Greens, lmfao yeah right. So your question appears to be invalid.
Not all Labour and Greens supporters will be thrilled. There are a number of disgruntled Labour supporters out there.
With National out of the game and with Labour expected to win this safe seat, it’s an opportunity for them to send Labour a message while ensuring the seat remains left.
Auckland Transport and other dimwits are trying to change the intercity bus terminal to Manakau 22 km away from the CBD.
Nice to see that Kiwis and tourists are going to be dumped off so that high roller gamblers can be accommodated more easily with public money at the convention centre. 100% pure inconvenience to travellers, but don’t worry about that!
Nice time at Xmas to dump bad news. Someone should look into the legality of this bake and switch.
Previously, Auckland Transport communications manager Sharon Hunter said: “The bus terminal was a condition of the resource consent for the existing SkyCity and its removal would require a change of condition under the Resource Management Act.”
So two issues there, the push by Sky City to remove it the public Intercity bus terminal and why this is being allowed.
And WTF what dimwit idiot thought that Manakau was a good place for an interchange 22km away???? That’s right, the ‘brains’ of Auckland Transport – that’s what 1 billion of public money a year buys us!
Lots of interchanges are now at full capacity. This is what happens when bus routes are expanded to meet the present demand but there’s been decades of neglect.
In other words, the problems that AT are facing are an accumulation of decades of building for cars and ignoring public transport.
Extraordinary lack of commonsense, let alone thinking on that one, saveNZ. Hope the new mayor gets onto it ….. and gives whoever it was the dunce’s cap.
One of the earlier Herald/Fairfax stories claimed SkyCity had not asked for this; AT was pushing it. Lord knows why. Good chance for new Mayor to remind them for whose interests they work.
Have you ever used the existing Manakau “interchange”? Or should I say “bus stop” or more correctly 3 person bus shelter outside the Manakau Mall on a wet and windy day waiting 20 mins for your intercity bus to come along – if your lucky and it hasn’t been gridlocked on the way south.
I don’t care if the Interchange is to be the central hub or not – Manukau NEEDS some form of bus interchange and it needs it NOW.
This is the year when we were finally forced to acknowledge what we have exiled.
No. This is the year that we rejected the agreements that we made with the serpent 30+ years ago. This is the year that neo-liberalism got rejected by the people and the rich and powerful are upset by it.
But she does not kill the serpent. Instead, she reveals its true nature, and in doing so she changes it and everything around it.
And so how the monetary system really works is now out in the public domain. How the corruption of the rich is seen for what it is and is then rejected by the people.
Yes, these things are now known and changes are coming because of them.
Nusra’s hand is felt most strongly in Aleppo, where the group has set up camp in a former children’s hospital and has worked with other rebel groups to establish a Shariah Commission in the eye hospital next door to govern the city’s rebel-held neighborhoods.
The entire article makes for interesting reading if you’ve any interest in the development/shift in the story we were told about Syria.
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TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
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The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
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While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
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The Greens standing a candidate in February’s Mt Albert by-election presents disgruntled Labour supporters an opportunity to send Labour a message by voting Green.
It was interesting to hear Labour’s campaign manager using one of Key’s lines, stating the party was “relaxed” about the Greens’ decision.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87898480/green-party-to-stand-against-labour-in-mt-albert-byelection
Labour supporters in Mt Albert won’t be disgruntled – Chairman – they’ll be pleased to see the two parties working cooperatively together, but they won’t forget their main target will be to retain the seat for Labour.
Very confident and complacent there, Jenny.
But of course, you don’t speak for all Labour supporters in Mt Albert.
A big turnout for the Greens may just be the wake up call Labour requires.
Green is no longer my color of choice. Any party who wants increases in refugee quotas (remember it isn’t just them, it’s also the people they get to sponsor into the country) when we can’t even house our own is unacceptable.
Labour are also committed to raising the refugee quota.
The problem isn’t the refugee quota of 1,000 its minuscule compared to the immigration number that’s being used to keep the ponzi economy afloat. We probably need additional people anyway with declining birth rates.
Indeed, it’s minuscule compared to immigration.
IIRC, the Greens are looking at limiting the number of people who can enter as immigrants.
It’s another area that sets them apart from Labour which they can highlight and let the voters decide what they prefer.
Nonsense, the economy is booming from immigration the problem is National managing the housing situation, i.e none for purely ideological grounds. Which leaves the market to rort everyday kiwis out of the dream. Aspirational failure that Key rightly read and you cant, Key failed, he jumped, you can never fail, never conceed, even to the reality that growing world population and stagnating kiwi birthrates due to neolibs ising cgild rearing costs, feed into the fear of invasion less we keep up our pop. growth, i.e if we dont they will come on their terms not ours.
The economy is not booming from immigration – in fact when taking the increase in numbers from immigration into account the gdp per capita remains static. Not that that is any more a measure of an effective economy than any other.
The economy should be booming, period.
Government mismanagement means it isn’t.
A housing market so overheated that thousands of homes aren’t rented out is government mismanagement.
Immigration and refugees have nothing to do with it, other than bringing new skills, new demand and economic activity.
That’s just it. They’re often not bringing new skills and in some cases the skills they bring are sub-par.
What I’m saying there is that if we trained up some of our people we’d get better skills.
Every single person brings in new skills and new ways of doing things. We just need to make sure society (if we insist on a market economy) is positioned to adapt and utilise those skills in a way that provides income to the immigrant.
Food is always the go-to starter, but trade and overseas connections also contribute from an early stage. Society also needs to ensure speedy certification that meets NZ standards in more formally qualified areas, such as building and surgery, so those skills don’t atrophy in taxi drivers or kitchen hands.
But really, you’re talking a false dichotomy: certifying immigrants and training current citizens (immigrants are “our people”, too) should be done together, not as one or the other.
More people, from home and abroad, should mean more productivity and activity. That’s what people do. NZ is still incredibly over-resourced per capita, looking at our land and seas. If we can’t handle <100k immigrants in an otherwise aging population, that's a travesty in economic mismanagement.
No, that’s not what I’m doing. Immigrants are being brought into NZ for their skills – skills that we already have here thus there’s no new skills brought in. Construction is a good example of this.
That’s a rather stupid and ill-informed opinion. The only way to get higher productivity is through automation. Through the removal of jobs and replacement of them with machinery.
Actually, we’re probably at the limits of what we can handle sustainably. The filth in our waterways is proof enough of that.
/facepalm
That’s a massive misunderstanding of reality.
To handle 100k+ immigrants per year requires that the productivity to build the infrastructure to support them needs to be diverted away from supporting everyone here. That diversion isn’t happening in the first place and there’s no productivity increase from them to allow it to happen.
Our waterways are the result of poor management, not overproduction.
Doing the wrong things in the wrong way on the wrong land type.
Automation increases individual productivity. Immigrants increase the number of individuals who can be that productive.
Construction is an excellent example, I agree: we have thousands of vacant homes in aspeculator’s market, import hundreds of construction workers, have thousands of unemployed and young people who can be trained in construction, and yet we still have a massively overpriced housing market alongside homeless people. That’s a broken system, and immigration has nothing to do with it.
Immigrants come in, obey the law, build new businesses, and buy stuff to live and love. Just like everyone else: they’re not a drain on society, they’re a tap flowing in. They’re not the proble: incompetent government is the problem.
There’s still a limit to how many people we can pack into the land area that we have. No amount of wishful thinking is going to change that.
Wrong. Automation doesn’t increase a person productivity at all. It shifts it from doing one task to doing another. Of course, that new task may result in more of the original task being done.
And yet immigration is seen as it’s solution as we import more builders. Those imported builders don’t bring new skills or higher productivity.
To cater to their needs requires diversion of resources. This is a physical fact. We need to build more houses for them, more roads, and more power stations. All of these takes resources that could be utilised elsewhere. That’s basic real world economics.
Immigration has a cost – that’s a given. The question is if it has any benefits and so far we’re not really seeing any.
You, like many people, have this idea that immigration == good and you simply don’t question that even going so far as to make up BS to justify it like like having increased numbers of dishes available at the local takeaway which simply doesn’t happen because we all don’t buy takeaways on a daily basis in this country which is what’s needed to support having a large number of takeaways.
Yes, there are physical limits to population density. We’re still sparsely-populated compare tomany nations around the world.
And if automation doesn’t increase a person’s productivity, why do farmers buy tractors?
You pointed to Hickey talking about wage depression caused by immigration. Completely true, because our labour market is incompetently managed. Go to a minimum wage level that equals the living wage, tie visas to DoL rather than individual employers as soon as a personal grievance is filed, and crack down on things like employer-provided accommodation charges and kickbacks. There’d be no employer incentive to prioritise unskilled immigrants over local youth, and therefore less incentive for immigrants to choose NZ in the first place.
Your problem is that you think there’s a difference between immigrants and people born here. There isn’t, really. We all have the same potential to produce more than we consume as a trace percentage of GDP.
Oh, and yes – at the street corner I have a Chinese takeaway. Close to work I can buy korean, cambodian, turkish, thai, japanese, phillipine, french, and italian food. There’s even a roast meat & vege takeout place with kumara and everything. Or I skip it all and just have an espresso from another place. I try to avoid the american chains also in the area. Most of those places weren’t in town thirty years ago. Nobody eats at every place on every day,, but somehow they all manage tobe going concerns.
I’m hungry.
GST went up, it was neutral for the poorest yet grew in lower taxes for the wealthy. Just like economies do better when fuel is getting cheaper, that it looks like tax cuts cause growth, rather the opposite i think. So, massive investment in alternative energy cuts into growth, which in tern means taxes cuts, Keys great tax switch raised the cost of living for nz, hurt business startup, underwrote the wealrhiest debt by giving them more in their pocket to pay mortgages, etc, and so kept the housing market booming. Key then failed to address structural rorts in housing that force prices higher, from few players in the market, etc,
National have never been good managers of the economy, that requires a long view when they are hired by, funded by shorters.
“Any party who wants increases in refugee quotas (remember it isn’t just them, it’s also the people they get to sponsor into the country) when we can’t even house our own is unacceptable.”
You would be ignoring their announced housing policies then. Some parties are capable of walking and chewing gum at the same time.
Too many people mix up immigration vs refugee quota. Huge difference.
I’d rather we cut immigration to about 5,000 year and offer half of the those 5,000 places to refugees myself. The extra cost of support for refugees as they come into the country would be a worthwhile investment.
I’ve been fortunate over the past 20 years to have offered employment to 3 refugees – 2 of whom it was their first position in NZ and were ludicrously over-qualified for the roles (to the point I was almost embarrassed offering it to them). They were excellent employees – motivated, hard-working and enthusiastic. Once they got some NZ experience they, of course, moved on to better things (I’ve acted as a referee for all 3). They are all high functioning, integrated and proud NZ citizens with families who are successful and genuine Kiwis. In my experience bring on more refugees.
Heavens, The Chairman, using a word that another man has used is not unusual, since we share a common language and there are only so many words available to fit a concept or context.
I mean, John Key used a word that I used at a regional Labour conference when I said that I was so relaxed about a remit not being adopted that I could almost fall over. That was about 1987.
So… Labour did it toooo?!
According to Chairman, whenever anyone uses the word ‘relaxed’, they’re running one of Key’s lines, and should probably pay him royalties for the privilege. But why stop there? What about other Keyisms, like “Look, most Nu Zillanders…”, or “Akshully, I think you’ll find that…”? There’s money to be made here, and it would be most remiss of the former PM to let such a potentially lucrative opportunity pass him by.
“So… Labour did it toooo?!”
One of the great excuses. “They did it too.” Absolutely absolves one of all blame, and personal accountability.
Heard it all the time as a teacher.
Key’s use of the word relaxed could mean “don’t care/not interested/don’t want to be held to a position/do care but don’t want to be seen to be disturbed by it”.
His actual use of language was not relaxed, but carefully constructed, even in its lack of definition and meaning, to allow double meaning and wriggle room.
Imprecision in language also endeared him to many of his listeners.
Of interest now only to political pundits, historians and linguistic academics.
Surprising quite how quickly he has faded into the background.
Don’t count on it. I’m sure they’ll drag him out for the election campaign(of course he’ll be a knight by then).
be in New York or somewhere by then
To differentiate themselves from National, Labour should try to avoid using Key’s well known line.
Nevertheless, I doubt Labour are relaxed about it.
Losing to the Greens would be a heavy blow Labour would want to avoid and the rivalry will further impact upon Labour’s war chest.
“Labour should”
Another attack line, disguised as an even handed attempt to help.
“You should” and “You orter” are often not used to be offer assistance, but the opposite.
This whole thread, The Chairman, is an attack on Labour, but disguised. Also known as, I believe, concern trolling.
Be open, man.
Of course it’s an attack line. However, what’s been overlooked is it’s an attack designed to strengthen and improve, not destroy.
It’s better for Labour to get the wake up call now than it is to lose in the general election.
‘Hey Labour, stop using our cool ideas.’
Ennathaday, pfft.
That the Green Party is putting up a candidate to stand in the Mt Albert by-election is intriguing and interesting, considering that Labour and the Greens have a Memorandum Of Understanding to work together.
That this agreement doesn’t stop the airing of differences between the two parties is a good thing for democracy.
In the Northland by-election the Green Party issued what amounted to a free pass to the Labour Party to continue supporting deep sea oil drilling in Northland without any challenge.
By standing down in Northland the Green Party made sure that this issue was never discussed by the remaining main contenders, because Labour, National and New Zealand First, were all in agreement over this contentious and hot local issue denying the locals from hearing the debate on the pros and cons of deep sea oil exploration and drilling in their electorate.
In my opinion by standing down in Northland the Green Party did the voters of Northland a disservice by not allowing a discussion and evaluation of the merits or not on this hot topical issue.
Obviously deep sea oil drilling off their coastline will not be the burning topical issue that it was in Northland.
So what will be the main bone of contention in the debates between the two main candidates, in the Mt Albert by-election?
Presumably because both parties position themselves in the Left/progressive part of the political spectrum they will be in broad agreement on most other topics.
But the Labour and the Green Party still disagree about climate change and the need to urgently transition away from fossil fuels. So could this disagreement, which has become concretised around Labour’s fanatical support for deep sea oil drilling, be a topic of debate in this rather unlikely arena?
Could the Mt Albert by-election be made into the first ever electoral race in this country where climate change featured as a major election issue of difference between the two candidates?
Could the Mt Albert by-election become a referendum on deep sea oil drilling and climate change?
It is possible.
It all depends on how the Green Party approach this contest.
I would urge them to take up this strategy, (and for several, maybe not so obvious reasons).
Firstly; the Mt Albert by-election is a safe forum where this difference could be aired and debated without risking this division giving advantage to the National Party, (who are not standing a candidate), so whatever the result, there is no chance of it upsetting the proportionality parliament.
Secondly; polls cited by Greenpeace HERE indicate that 80% of the population are opposed to deep sea oil drilling. So the Green Party candidate should be onto a sure winner if she agressively took up opposition to deep sea oil drilling in her campaign, as opposed to the Labour Party’s support for deep sea oil drilling.
Thirdly; polls indicate that over 50% of the population want more government action on climate change, so if the Green Party made signifcant gains with this strategy it would be a serious whip for the government, which is dragging the chain on climate change.
And lastly; climate change is the most pressing issue of the 21st century it is well past the time it had a proper airing during an election in this country.
+1 Jenny.
I think that the Labour Party stance on deep sea oil may have changed a bit now Goff and Shearer have gone (at least I hope so), but having a Green Party candidate means there will be more discussion about climate change and, as you say, this is a good thing. Genter and Ardern will be able to show how their two parties can have some policy differences but still work together amicably.
I agree Karen.
Another positive sign, Phil Goff voting against deep sea oil in this country in his new role leading role as Mayor of our biggest city.
A respectful and collegiate contest in Mt. Albert where this major policy difference between the two parties is openly and fully thrashed out, and then put to the electorate for their decision. Could, depending on the result, strengthen the MOU putting, it on a more solid basis, putting the Labour Green coalition in a much stronger position to tackle the governement.
After housing, climate change is the governement’s worst performing portfolio. The Green Party and the Labour Party generally agree on housing issues, if they could also get agreement on climate issues then they would have two major agreed policy positions to challenge the government over.
It will.be a conversation between themselves, I suggest nobody will be listening including the media, waste of time barring protecting the democratic process so unfortunately a necessity
With National withdrawing and the Greens standing, the by-election has now become a contest between the left, thus the media will be watching. Most enjoy a fight.
And if the Greens give this a good crack, they have a lot to gain.
Red,it’s a waste of time talking to RWNJs anyway, but I do take your point about our inept, corrupt, commercially owned media.
If they do it right, and I think that they will, it won’t be a fight. It’ll be an open discussion which will show which way the country as a whole want to go with environmentalism.
If they do it right it will be a good clean fight/political debate, with both trying to convince voters of their merit.
Neither a fight nor an argument as neither produces a better, more informed outcome.
No. They’ll have a discussion that includes the people of Mt Albert.
Fight as in political debate.
It’s a by-election – not a party conference.
A really great exposition as to why Representative Democracy doesn’t work. The people don’t actually get to discuss and decide – the bought and paid for politicians do.
Agreed: “Representative Democracy doesn’t work. The people don’t actually get to discuss and decide – the bought and paid for politicians do.”
But.
This country does love its ‘winners, losers, battlers’ story. There’s fair amany would prefer FPP so they can snuggle up with their popcorn and opinions.
Change on this is slower than snails sliding backwards…
“Could the Mt Albert by-election become a referendum on deep sea oil drilling and climate change?”
Indeed it could, Jenny.
The Green economy could also be further promoted as a way to boost skills, employment and exports.
The Mt Albert by-election presents the Greens with an opportunity to differentiate themselves from Labour, highlighting all the issues they believe Labour solutions are lacking.
They’ll need to select a strong candidate that is competent and up to the task.
The suggested front runner Julie-Ann Genter is certainly a strong candidate, I have heard her speak, she is a strong and principled speaker, no doubt about it, Genter would give a very good account of herself against Lucinda Adern.
But if the Green Party really wanted to make a statement, and shake things up, I would suggest that the Green Party put up their spokesperson for climate change as their candidate in the Mt Albert by-election.
And who is that you might ask?
None other than Green Party leader James Shaw. The Green Party has reserved the climate change portfolio to leader, the only political party to do so, showing the importance that the Green Party regard this issue. Though National come close giving this portfolio to their Deputy.
Labour on the other hand have ranked this issue very low in their list of important portfolios to hold. So low in fact that their last holder of this post, Moana MacKey, got bumped off the bottom of the list. The current holder of this shadow portfolio for Labour is mid-ranked Dr Megan Woods.
Putting up their leader to challenge for the Mt. Albert seat is admittedly a high risk strategy, but like most high risk bets, if it is successful carries the biggest pay off.
Putting up the Leader will certainly raise the stakes, show that the Greens take this by-election seriously and provide the necessary high profile shock value that will grab the attention of the media and the voters, and indeed the country.
Climate change is the biggest political and moral issue of all time. It is about time that we gave it the profile and attention it deserves.
And if the Greens throw everything they have at it, this is the most likely strategy to succeed in taking the seat off Labour.
Anything less will be just another Ho Hum by-election with low voter and media interest with the resultiing low turn out.
The stakes have never been higher.
So let the contest begin. And may the best candidate win.
Putting up the Leader will certainly raise the stakes, Jenny. And it’s something the Greens should seriously consider.
But how will that leave them for Wellington?
(1) Who the flying feck is “Lucinda Adern” ???
Any relation to Jacinda Ardern ???
(2) At the last Election, National successfully portrayed the Opposition parties as hopelessly divided. The MOU was supposed to undermine that strategy. Why do you assume a conflict-obsessed media focussing entirely on Opposition party divisions as Labour and the Greens go aggressively head-to-head in Mt Albert – constitutes strategic genius ??? As opposed to, say … oh I don’t know … complete fucking madness ?
Well, Labour and Greens could make it so that it’s an obvious coalition with them talking about how they’ll work together to address climate change.
“At the last Election, National successfully portrayed the Opposition parties as hopelessly divided”
Indeed.
“The MOU was supposed to undermine that strategy.”
Only to an extent. The MOU ceases at the end of the election.
This working together while also opposing each other does undermine the perception of a united front, thus reinforces the divided perception National portrayed so well.
Perhaps an insider can better explain the rationale behind the strategy. Personally, I think it leaves voters confused.
It would be an interesting test of the climate change as election winner theory.
Tell you what Jenny, if this strategy is successful in Mt Albert, Robertson will be worried Shaw will repeat it in Wellington.
From the time stamp on your comment, Chairman, you made it before my preceding comment. And you are right. If Genter makes a good run in Mt Albert and lifts the Green Party vote running with a climate change, deep sea oil campaign. Then Shaw would be right to try the same strategy in Wellington against Robertson. The downside will be that this will all be lost in the background of a General Election.
What I have since suggested, is that Shaw doesn’t wait for Wellington but strikes now, when he will virtually have the stage to himself and will be able to grab the attention of the whole country.
Desperate times require desperate acts.
http://www.boomerwarrior.org/2016/12/unsettling-ominous-climate-alarm-bells-2016/
Maybe New Zealand could give that Churchillian climate change leadership that the world needs.
Afterall despite our size, we gave a world lead on the Welfare State, we gave a world leader on Women’s Sufferage, we gave a world lead on anti-nuclear, we gave a world lead in isolating apartheid South Africa, and we have just given a world lead in calling out Israel on their illegal annexation through settlements of Palestinian territory.
Let us not go through another election cycle where climate change barely rates a mention but instead becomes a major battleground of contention between the major parties before the voting public.
The Mt Albert by-election could represent the first salvo in the battle to make New Zealand a world leader on climate change.
The stakes could not be higher
Personally I don’t see a problem.
If Shaw becomes the MP for Mt Albert, Green Party stock would be greatly increased and the Greens could stand Genter in Wellington with a the chance of making a really good showing.
I agree, Shaw should seize the larger spotlight the Mt Albert by-election presents.
Mt Albert voters will not have climate change at the top of their concerns. Some mix of housing, transport, education, employment and crime seems most likely. Parties will campaign accordingly, just as they did in Mt Roskill.
Climate change is a rather major issue, therefore it’s illogical to assume a number of Mt Albert voters wouldn’t see it as one of their top concerns.
Moreover, as it’s one of only a limited number of differences between the two opposing parties, it will be a defining matter.
The Greens stance on cannabis (which Little personally opposes) will result in less crime and no doubt be another (defining matter).
If it was showing up as a major issue in regional party polling, one of them would have been talking about it by now.
The Greens do talk about it.
That would require leadership.
Of course the majority of Mt Albert voters dont’ have climate change as the top of their concerns.
Strangely neither was apartheid top of New Zealanders concerns before 1981
(And apart from the ranting and raving from one lone back bench Independent Constitutionalist Party anti-Socialist MP for Epping). The threat of facism in Europe, was not the top of the British people’s concerns in 1938′ 39′. Bread and butter issues related to lifting Britain out of the Great Depression was the main political concern of the day. Most British people could barely have pointed out Poland on the map.
The thing that brought these seemingly, (at the time), neglible issues to the forefront of public attention was leadership.
Just this week New Zealand has shown a flash of this rare quality on the world stage in the UN.
World wide, leadership in fronting up to the threat of climate change, is the single biggest missing incredient needed, before we can begin to properly address climate change.
Time will tell if our New Zealand political leaders are up to the task of providing that leadership.
By-elections are locally focused. You would need visible impact of climate change in the electorate already or a well-publicised imminent happening like a contentious rugby tour, resource interruption or national military threat to galvanise voters above their more day-to-day pressing concerns.
While by-elections are generally more locally focused, it doesn’t mean voters totally overlook wider issues. Especially when they are one of the defining issue between the two.
And speaking of being more locally focused, as Russel Norman once said, Green issues are Auckland issues.
This would also be a view held by our current Mayor who voted with the majority of his councilors against deep sea oil drilling.
And/Or, one other thing.
Leadership
Remarkable*
Uncompromising
Fearless
Leadership
That is all it will take and that is what is the missing ingredient.
Sacha even, if all the other things you mentioned happened all at once and together – without leadership to hi-lite and and channel them into a coherent narrative and direction, it would still be business as usual.
And I don’t buy it that it has to be a local issue. With the internet everything is local. And Zero degrees C at the North pole in the Northern winter heralds something terrible in the wings for humanity.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/87891043/temperatures-around-north-pole-leap-close-to-melting-point
*(meaning, remarked on)
I guess we will all see, won’t we.
Large Numbers
https://www.horizonpoll.co.nz/page/404/large-number
Pretty uninspiring assessment of the opportunities opened up by the Mt Albert by-election, by Sacha.
While “large numbers” of New Zealanders will look to the stars, some would keep us looking at the ground.
National has stood down, and the two remaining Left Parties have a rare unencumbered chance to put their differing visions of the future to the voters. Will they take it? Or will they stick with Sacha’s grey lifeless formula for this election.
Just a dash of realism about prospects in a byelection. Hoping for more from the general election, certainly.
Sorry to break the news to you Sacha, but as for the prospects for hoping for more from the general election. It is not looking good.
Rather than break new ground, it looks at this stage to be same ‘ol same ‘ol.
Chairman you make me smile. Labour and Greens supporters will be thrilled, because they have a choice, both candidates are intelligent, switched on, classy ladies.
National party voters are going to be the ones whom are disgruntled, they have no choice, none, nothing, nada. Their government has abandoned them, spinning the narrative of ‘strategy’ LMFAO… any whom buy in to that excuse are either simply naive or desperate to have a reason that justifies the action.
Labour and Greens have the opportunity to not only enlighten voters about their party policy, but also to show the public how well they work together, and these classy ladies will eliminate dirty politics from this by election.
It’s MMP baby 😀 I’m a Red/Green voter, and I love being able to choose two parties. Some may vote for one candidate, because they best represent their electorate, but they may vote for another party in the general. And that’s the beauty of it. It will be a difficult choice, because both ladies are outstanding in Parliament, but either way it’s a win thanks to the MOU.
So what would happen if the Natz told their supporters to vote Green in the by-election? Labour would throw their toys out of the cot.
How would Green and Labour Party differences over climate change and deep sea oil drilling work themselves out? The differences between Obama and Trudeau over climate change and arctic oil drilling may be of some relevance.
https://www.desmogblog.com/2016/12/23/arctic-drilling-ban-reveals-crucial-difference-between-obama-and-trudeau-climate
“Arctic Drilling Ban Reveals Crucial Difference Between Obama and Trudeau on Climate”
Garibaldi, do you really feel that the Nat’s are going to ask their voters to vote for an opposition party?
Crikey Nat’s haven’t even got the balls to stand a candidate, ummm we are too gutless to stand a candidate because we prefer if you vote Greens, lmfao yeah right. So your question appears to be invalid.
@ garibaldi
I wouldn’t be surprised if some of their supporters became a little mischievous.
@ Cinny
Not all Labour and Greens supporters will be thrilled. There are a number of disgruntled Labour supporters out there.
With National out of the game and with Labour expected to win this safe seat, it’s an opportunity for them to send Labour a message while ensuring the seat remains left.
Auckland Transport and other dimwits are trying to change the intercity bus terminal to Manakau 22 km away from the CBD.
Nice to see that Kiwis and tourists are going to be dumped off so that high roller gamblers can be accommodated more easily with public money at the convention centre. 100% pure inconvenience to travellers, but don’t worry about that!
Nice time at Xmas to dump bad news. Someone should look into the legality of this bake and switch.
Previously, Auckland Transport communications manager Sharon Hunter said: “The bus terminal was a condition of the resource consent for the existing SkyCity and its removal would require a change of condition under the Resource Management Act.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11247034.
So two issues there, the push by Sky City to remove it the public Intercity bus terminal and why this is being allowed.
And WTF what dimwit idiot thought that Manakau was a good place for an interchange 22km away???? That’s right, the ‘brains’ of Auckland Transport – that’s what 1 billion of public money a year buys us!
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/12/21/just-when-you-couldnt-despise-auckland-transport-or-corrections-anymore-than-you-currently-do/
Britomart would have been an ideal spot but apparently it wasn’t future proofed when built and is now overloaded with buses and at full capacity.
That be banks once again, what a guy! I see the original plan had it, but the idiot in a cost cutting measure, removed it.
Got to love the neo-cons, putting con into almost everything.
Lots of interchanges are now at full capacity. This is what happens when bus routes are expanded to meet the present demand but there’s been decades of neglect.
In other words, the problems that AT are facing are an accumulation of decades of building for cars and ignoring public transport.
Extraordinary lack of commonsense, let alone thinking on that one, saveNZ. Hope the new mayor gets onto it ….. and gives whoever it was the dunce’s cap.
Where in the herald link does it say that Auckland transport want to do this ? It’s all sky city – and I think they will be pushing shit up hill.
One of the earlier Herald/Fairfax stories claimed SkyCity had not asked for this; AT was pushing it. Lord knows why. Good chance for new Mayor to remind them for whose interests they work.
Have you ever used the existing Manakau “interchange”? Or should I say “bus stop” or more correctly 3 person bus shelter outside the Manakau Mall on a wet and windy day waiting 20 mins for your intercity bus to come along – if your lucky and it hasn’t been gridlocked on the way south.
I don’t care if the Interchange is to be the central hub or not – Manukau NEEDS some form of bus interchange and it needs it NOW.
You mean like this?
Read about the Lindworm at Dark Mountain.
No. This is the year that we rejected the agreements that we made with the serpent 30+ years ago. This is the year that neo-liberalism got rejected by the people and the rich and powerful are upset by it.
And so how the monetary system really works is now out in the public domain. How the corruption of the rich is seen for what it is and is then rejected by the people.
Yes, these things are now known and changes are coming because of them.
Another consequence of the housing bubble:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/12/26/housing-shortfall-hurting-women-fleeing-domestic-violence/?utm_hp_ref=au-homepage
From the New York Times back in 2013…
The entire article makes for interesting reading if you’ve any interest in the development/shift in the story we were told about Syria.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/world/middleeast/islamist-rebels-gains-in-syria-create-dilemma-for-us.html
Wes Clark Jr. what a legend! Be warned some of the language is a bit rough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riT848W3kvY
Labour versus Greens is not a picture of collaboration but of a fight amongst the Left. Totally dysfunctional.
Given that both Paul Goldsmith and that ACT sock puppet who looks like Rimmer are in Cabinet, I think you’re over-stating this “fight” thing.
Sheesh it’s the holidays Fisiani, time to put the crack pipe down, and try rehab.
Two groups are not able to fight among themselves, fisiani, just between you and me. 🙂