40 years ago there was an authoritarian PM who was also Minister of Finance.
He regulated the banking sector and wanted low unemployment – and people like Bob Jones wanted him gone – they wanted the "socialist" gone and a classic free market economy.
And Roger Douglas delivered. Others gave us the nuclear policy, and the Treaty in legislation. The succeeding government kept all three and thus came the iwi settlements (and they added benefit cuts, a low wage economy and market rents for state houses – all while removing the estate tax – thus increasing rather than reducing inequality was the goal)
In the 1970s, Māori protest about unresolved Treaty grievances was increasing and sometimes taking place outside the law. By establishing the Waitangi Tribunal, Parliament provided a legal process by which Māori Treaty claims could be investigated.
National brought in Kohanga Reo, Mana Enterprises and Tu Tangata programmes and Muldoon gave PEP jobs to urban Maori "gangs".
The Waitangi Tribunal Act `1985
From 1985 the Waitangi Tribunal was empowered to investigate Treaty claims dating back to 1840. The tribunal also gained the ability to commission research and appoint legal counsel for claimants. Māori have since lodged many new claims against the Crown, and a number of major reports have been released.
Back in 1984 Maori were more employed more hours than others, this was how they afforded home ownership.
In those times older folk were landlords – either converting bank account savings into a property ownership or using super payout to buy. They owned the house and paid tax on the rent income. There was no speculation with borrowed money.
Lack of secure tenancy. Struggling to afford rent and remain in a home. a risible 25 cents an hour MW increase. A one off tax cut for workers of $10 a week.
The legacy of Rogergnomics, Ruthinasia, Birch and Jimville English.
40 years ago they closed down a business in Willis Street. Where pigs could not sweat while on duty.
In those times older folk were landlords – either converting bank account savings into a property ownership or using super payout to buy. They owned the house and paid tax on the rent income. There was no speculation with borrowed money.
Without borrowing is how investment should be done in the housing market – paying interest just tends to push up rental prices. I think TOP, at the last election, had a policy something along those lines.
Luxury Luxon and his cronies apparently care about the squeezed middle . ( I have grave doubts about that and IMO their attentions will make no difference.! )
"Why is that commitment to tax relief so important?" said Prime Minister Christopher Luxon earlier this month.
"Because those Kiwis struggling with the cost of living – what I call the squeezed middle – deserve support."
"Because those Kiwis struggling with the cost of living – what I call the squeezed middle – deserve support."
Clearly, in his warped mind, only the "right" sort of Kiwi struggling with the cost of living deserves support. (Read: if you don't work then you're obviously not affected by the cost of living, right?)
Government 48.5 against opposition 47.0 With the TMP overhang, assuming they win 6 Maori seats, this is neck and neck.
Labour is closing on the Nats. The Greens continue to poll well despite all the (mostly unjustified) crap that is being thrown at them.
Thanks BG. In spite of criticism even from own ranks, it may be that Hipkin's softly softly might be the way to go. Let the COC die from self inflicted wounds.
I can't imagine gleefully sacking people , pulling the rug out from under first home buyers feet and starving poor kids sits well with your average decent citizen.
You 'misunderestimate' the nett tax payer's loathing of bureaucrats – especially the vast number 'given' positons by the previous majority Labour government.
That is the audience the present ruling coalition is playing to … and the need for reduction in government spending precipitated by $100 BILLIONS of recent borrowing (much of it channeled to the private individual during covid lockdowns). Eventually the uncontrolled flow has to be restricted.
They believe that there is still 20,000 plus extras to be dealt with.
(p.s. Have been made redundant three times in my working life – each due to a government economic failure.)
Not only the nett taxpayer, most of the working class (the much-derided Waitakere Man and small town NZ, rather than the urban liberal unionists) regard Wellington-based bureaucrats as freeloaders. Bureaucrats in Wellington losing their (very well paid) jobs, aren't going to gain much sympathy outside their support circle.
Ahhh bureaucrats. Love the smell of bureaucrats roasting on an open fire!
Oh wait it’s the passport office.
Oh wait it’s the teacher aid who works with my neighbor’s kid.
Oh wait, it’s the post office and RD has been cut back again.
Oh wait it’s our local surgery waiting lists and the cancellation of surgeries.
Oh wait it’s the disability support person who checks accessibility.
Oh f- me it’s all the construction projects that have been stopped and subs laid off because there’s no government certainty.
Oh f- me it’s an industry that had ratcheted up just drop off a cliff.
Oh f- me it’s the team that monitors and stops noxious weeds.
Oh f- me immigration have closed all their offices near us and their phone wait times are crazy and one of our workers wants to go home because his mother’s sick. Real good no shit guy.
Oh f- me it’s the wife’s contract to supply fresh veges to get friends who make lunches for the local school.
Oh f- me I just want to finish work eat my dinner and watch the news- where’s Paddy gone?
It doesn’t feel a lot better having got rid of all the woke lot- just a lot more money gone to their big business mates and even less for us.
Always appreciate your input. Especially now you’ve moved from concern trolling to simply RW positions. Much more honest of you.
Yes the construction industry was geared up on a lot of projects because the government prioritised building houses. This had at least plateaued prices. Now the uncertainty has seen the industry creak to a halt because of the lack of certainty around projects.
And even your and Chris Trotter’s best friends can see that cutting jobs gleefully does nothing for the long term sustainability of the economy or the cost of living crisis, it simply goes to their mates’ back pockets as they avoid paying for the things we collectively need.
"Among others, local authorities are conveying to us their challenging financial predicaments, citing either a lack of funds or a need to await direction or decisions from central government before proceeding with planned works."
And we’ll find we’re paying more to borrow as the government isn’t guaranteeing water infrastructure.
/angrywithTINAandherpoisonousmates
Attempting to smear people with troll or RW labels – does no favours for your actual arguments.
From a fact-checked article:
There’s been an increase between 2017 and 2022 in both the size of the core public service, and the proportion of the workforce who are public servants.
If that resulted in such a spectacular improvement in public services – which according to you are of such benefit – then the left (which really means Labour, since the other left parties increased their representation) – wouldn't have lost the election. They did.
The coalition went into government having campaigned on, and therefore with a mandate to, trim the public sector.
I fail to see why this is such a surprise. This is something that National does every time they are in government, just as Labour bumps up the public sector employment, every time they are in government.
According to the Wellington cafes not enough public servants were frequenting their cafes making it hard to make money charging stupid prices for a muffin.
The World is not run and controlled by 'decent' people – all that matters is which tribe are they from – Ours …. or the Others. We get to pillage or they do.
You can't really expect luxury Luxon to have much sympathy, or empathy, for "freeloading" "Wellington-based bureaucrats" and "urban liberal unionists". As for empathy-free Seymour and his merry band of MPs, decency “don’t enter into it.”
Nicola 'ruthless' Willis can do ‘faux empathy’, but not well.
have revealed Bill English was signed on to head the $500k review of Kāinga Ora weeks before Chris Bishop got official sign-off on the review. The arrangement was made via text messages with Bishop promising no involvement from Kāinga Ora in the review of Kāinga Ora.
Newshub can reveal Sir Bill English was signed on to head a half-million-dollar review of Kāinga Ora through a couple of simple text messages with the Minister – weeks before he even got Cabinet signoff for the review.
Kāinga Ora's response to the scathing report said they were hardly consulted and Newshub's obtained text messages showing it was the Minister's preference they had no involvement.
[…]
"Kāinga Ora is underperforming and not financially viable," Bishop said.
Newshub can reveal how the former Prime Minister came to head the half-million-dollar probe.
Here is the text exchange:
Sir Bill: Chris will there be a review of KO.
Bishop: We are going to do an independent review into finances, performance, cost, etc. Commence it asap, hopefully get terms of reference and reviewers sorted before Christmas.
Sir Bill: I could help with that.
Bishop: Excellent lets do that.
Bishop told Newshub he "absolutely" followed proper processes in appointing Sir Bill.
The message saying "excellent let's do that" to the review was sent on November 29 but the review was only taken to the Cabinet 100-day plan committee to sign off two weeks later on December 13.
And English failed to point out that the $2.5 billion per year has resulted in $45 billion in asset growth. Funny that. Must have forgotten that small detail.
Some of that is the post-Covid shift in retail patterns (fewer people working in the CBD). Some is the longer term shift away from CBD shopping to local malls. Both economic trends that it's difficult to fight against.
But a huge amount is the ongoing misery that is the (seemingly endless) disruption caused by the CRL; the frankly dangerous vibe of Queen St and surrounding areas – not only after dark, but during the daytime; and the war against the car that AT have engaged in with their bus-only streets (with poor signage combined with high fines).
The City Council needs to put their hand up and take ownership of all of these.
I'll be sad to see the grand old lady of Queen St go – but I think that she's past saving in the current economic climate. I only fear what horror will be imposed on the Queen St facade when the building is vacated – we still have the gaping eyesore of the St James theatre, rotting across the road, as a dreadful warning. I guess the best we can hope for is conversion into luxury apartments – $2 million for a single bedroom – because the cost of conversion, heritage protection and rates won't allow for anything less expensive.
Same shit, different day. Hysterical reaction about protests being illegal because you’re not allowed to strike against racism and corruption, you don’t have those entitlements in your contracts! This is me at AIRNZ hitting them with their employment agreements. I was a king! And a better one than Joffrey, though perhaps not Robert…
Top civil servant Dick Schoof has just agreed to become PM of the Netherlands. This is good news because it means the fascist Geert Wilders will not have the job, despite being leader of the largest party.
Liberal, pro-Israel, Biden supporting non-profit J Street has had enough.
.
Mr. President, enough is enough.
Jeremy Ben-Ami
on May 28, 2024
For eight months, we have watched in abject horror the catastrophic war that has followed Hamas’ barbaric October 7 attack.
[…]
Hamas and the terrorists who attacked Israel on October 7 can and must be defeated. But that will only happen through a political resolution of the underlying Israeli-Palestinian conflict – one that rallies international support to deprive Hamas of financial, political and popular support and charts a clear, alternate, peaceful path toward Palestinian liberation. The path which President Biden is being led down by Prime Minister Netanyahu will bring only more death and destruction, a more radicalized and angry Palestinian population, and greater enemies for not just Israel but the United States as well.
And – let’s be clear – the political damage the President is suffering by going down this path is so deep that it could cost him the November election and all of us our democracy.
So we say to President Biden: Demand an end to this war now and lay out the choice clearly for Prime Minister Netanyahu. Either resolve this war and the underlying conflict the right way – in a manner that brings lasting peace, security and freedom to both peoples – or go it alone on the path of never-ending violence and bloodshed.
For four years now, orcas have been ramming and sinking luxury yachts in European waters, and scientists have struggled to work out just why these smart, social animals had learnt this destructive new trick. But, sadly, it's not their anticapitalist 'eat the rich' agenda, nor is it to do with territory and aggression. The truth is, well, it's child's play.
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are we heading ...
So the Solstice has arrived – Summer in this part of the world, Winter for the Northern Hemisphere. And with it, the publication my new Norse dark-fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens at Eternal Haunted Summer: https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/winter-solstice-2024/as-our-power-lessens/ As previously noted, this one is very ‘wyrd’, and Northern Theory of Courage. ...
The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...
Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. “This Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to “get New Zealand back on track.” When you look at the basic promises—to trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...
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Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Government’s economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management – the state of the economy was last week – is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...
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Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
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Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...
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NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. “We need ...
The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...
The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...
Hi there! I’ve been overseas recently, looking after a situation with a family member. So apologies if there any less than focused posts! Vanuatu has just had a significant 7.3 earthquake. Two MFAT staff are unaccounted for with local fatalities.It’s always sad to hear of such things happening.I think of ...
Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...
Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...
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Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...
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Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...
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In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...
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AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
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A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
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I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
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What Chris Penk has granted holocaust-denier and equal-opportunity-bigot Candace Owens is not “freedom of speech”. It’s not even really freedom of movement, though that technically is the right she has been granted. What he has given her is permission to perform. Freedom of SpeechIn New Zealand, the right to freedom ...
All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...
2024 is now officially my best-ever year for short stories. My 1,850-word dark fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens, has been accepted for the upcoming solstice edition of Eternal Haunted Summer (https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/), thereby making that six published short stories for the calendar year. As always, see the Bibliography page for ...
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The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.“Councils and voters ...
New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to make it to Jesus’s birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update “fucked up your life”? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
Asia Pacific Report “It looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,” says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza as an ...
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...
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40 years ago there was an authoritarian PM who was also Minister of Finance.
He regulated the banking sector and wanted low unemployment – and people like Bob Jones wanted him gone – they wanted the "socialist" gone and a classic free market economy.
And Roger Douglas delivered. Others gave us the nuclear policy, and the Treaty in legislation. The succeeding government kept all three and thus came the iwi settlements (and they added benefit cuts, a low wage economy and market rents for state houses – all while removing the estate tax – thus increasing rather than reducing inequality was the goal)
The Waitangi Tribunal was formed in 1975.
https://www.waitangitribunal.govt.nz/about/past-present-future-of-waitangi-tribunal/
National brought in Kohanga Reo, Mana Enterprises and Tu Tangata programmes and Muldoon gave PEP jobs to urban Maori "gangs".
The Waitangi Tribunal Act `1985
Back in 1984 Maori were more employed more hours than others, this was how they afforded home ownership.
In those times older folk were landlords – either converting bank account savings into a property ownership or using super payout to buy. They owned the house and paid tax on the rent income. There was no speculation with borrowed money.
2024.
Banking and a landlord class.
https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/the-life/looking-back-the-nz-housing-boom-when-and-how-it-all-began
Lack of secure tenancy. Struggling to afford rent and remain in a home. a risible 25 cents an hour MW increase. A one off tax cut for workers of $10 a week.
The legacy of Rogergnomics, Ruthinasia, Birch and Jimville English.
40 years ago they closed down a business in Willis Street. Where pigs could not sweat while on duty.
Animal Farm and a Brave New World.
In those times older folk were landlords – either converting bank account savings into a property ownership or using super payout to buy. They owned the house and paid tax on the rent income. There was no speculation with borrowed money.
Without borrowing is how investment should be done in the housing market – paying interest just tends to push up rental prices. I think TOP, at the last election, had a policy something along those lines.
Luxury Luxon and his cronies apparently care about the squeezed middle . ( I have grave doubts about that and IMO their attentions will make no difference.! )
On the other hand the very squeezed are going to be wrung out…
Its going down hill fast…
The only squeezed middle is Gerry Brownlees.
"Because those Kiwis struggling with the cost of living – what I call the squeezed middle – deserve support."
Clearly, in his warped mind, only the "right" sort of Kiwi struggling with the cost of living deserves support. (Read: if you don't work then you're obviously not affected by the cost of living, right?)
Oh yeah the "squeezed middle class".
What we used to call "yuppies" back in the 80s.
The only squeezing that affects them is bodily functions.
The latest Roy Morgan is interesting:
Nat 33.5
ACT 9.5
NZF 5.5
Lab 30.0
Gr 14.0
TMP 3.0
Government 48.5 against opposition 47.0 With the TMP overhang, assuming they win 6 Maori seats, this is neck and neck.
Labour is closing on the Nats. The Greens continue to poll well despite all the (mostly unjustified) crap that is being thrown at them.
https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/nz-national-voting-intention-may-2024
Thanks BG. In spite of criticism even from own ranks, it may be that Hipkin's softly softly might be the way to go. Let the COC die from self inflicted wounds.
I can't imagine gleefully sacking people , pulling the rug out from under first home buyers feet and starving poor kids sits well with your average decent citizen.
You 'misunderestimate' the nett tax payer's loathing of bureaucrats – especially the vast number 'given' positons by the previous majority Labour government.
That is the audience the present ruling coalition is playing to … and the need for reduction in government spending precipitated by $100 BILLIONS of recent borrowing (much of it channeled to the private individual during covid lockdowns). Eventually the uncontrolled flow has to be restricted.
They believe that there is still 20,000 plus extras to be dealt with.
(p.s. Have been made redundant three times in my working life – each due to a government economic failure.)
Not only the nett taxpayer, most of the working class (the much-derided Waitakere Man and small town NZ, rather than the urban liberal unionists) regard Wellington-based bureaucrats as freeloaders. Bureaucrats in Wellington losing their (very well paid) jobs, aren't going to gain much sympathy outside their support circle.
Ahhh bureaucrats. Love the smell of bureaucrats roasting on an open fire!
Oh wait it’s the passport office.
Oh wait it’s the teacher aid who works with my neighbor’s kid.
Oh wait, it’s the post office and RD has been cut back again.
Oh wait it’s our local surgery waiting lists and the cancellation of surgeries.
Oh wait it’s the disability support person who checks accessibility.
Oh f- me it’s all the construction projects that have been stopped and subs laid off because there’s no government certainty.
Oh f- me it’s an industry that had ratcheted up just drop off a cliff.
Oh f- me it’s the team that monitors and stops noxious weeds.
Oh f- me immigration have closed all their offices near us and their phone wait times are crazy and one of our workers wants to go home because his mother’s sick. Real good no shit guy.
Oh f- me it’s the wife’s contract to supply fresh veges to get friends who make lunches for the local school.
Oh f- me I just want to finish work eat my dinner and watch the news- where’s Paddy gone?
It doesn’t feel a lot better having got rid of all the woke lot- just a lot more money gone to their big business mates and even less for us.
And all those services are markedly better since the numbers of public servants increased vastly under the last government /sarc/
Always appreciate your input. Especially now you’ve moved from concern trolling to simply RW positions. Much more honest of you.
Yes the construction industry was geared up on a lot of projects because the government prioritised building houses. This had at least plateaued prices. Now the uncertainty has seen the industry creak to a halt because of the lack of certainty around projects.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/04/29/construction-workers-leaving-nz-in-droves-amid-big-project-delays/
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/518174/construction-industry-leaders-plead-for-acceleration-of-infrastructure-projects
And even your and Chris Trotter’s best friends can see that cutting jobs gleefully does nothing for the long term sustainability of the economy or the cost of living crisis, it simply goes to their mates’ back pockets as they avoid paying for the things we collectively need.
"Among others, local authorities are conveying to us their challenging financial predicaments, citing either a lack of funds or a need to await direction or decisions from central government before proceeding with planned works."
And we’ll find we’re paying more to borrow as the government isn’t guaranteeing water infrastructure.
/angrywithTINAandherpoisonousmates
Attempting to smear people with troll or RW labels – does no favours for your actual arguments.
From a fact-checked article:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/the-whole-truth/131057183/the-whole-truth-has-the-proportion-of-public-servants-grown
If that resulted in such a spectacular improvement in public services – which according to you are of such benefit – then the left (which really means Labour, since the other left parties increased their representation) – wouldn't have lost the election. They did.
The coalition went into government having campaigned on, and therefore with a mandate to, trim the public sector.
I fail to see why this is such a surprise. This is something that National does every time they are in government, just as Labour bumps up the public sector employment, every time they are in government.
According to the Wellington cafes not enough public servants were frequenting their cafes making it hard to make money charging stupid prices for a muffin.
Clearly we needed more………..
I did day decent people, only needs to be 5% shift
The World is not run and controlled by 'decent' people – all that matters is which tribe are they from – Ours …. or the Others. We get to pillage or they do.
You can't really expect luxury Luxon to have much sympathy, or empathy, for "freeloading" "Wellington-based bureaucrats" and "urban liberal unionists". As for empathy-free Seymour and his merry band of MPs, decency “don’t enter into it.”
Nicola 'ruthless' Willis can do ‘faux empathy’, but not well.
https://experteditor.com.au/blog/subtle-signs-someone-is-faking-their-empathy-and-kindness/
Similar thing happening in the UK with the tories throwing unjustified crap at Labours deputy leader Angela Rayner.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/may/28/angela-rayner-cleared-of-criminal-wrongdoing-over-sale-of-home
The key thing is Labour-Green 44% – National-ACT 43%.
NZF has never had a second term in a coalition government and probably will not be back in parliament (2008 and 2020).
Greens now have support agreement experience (2017-2020). And 2026 could be their time to step up into a coalition government role.
Presumably such a coalition would have TPM as support partners.
Nope, nothing to see here..
/
@StrayDogNZ
@NewshubNZ
have revealed Bill English was signed on to head the $500k review of Kāinga Ora weeks before Chris Bishop got official sign-off on the review. The arrangement was made via text messages with Bishop promising no involvement from Kāinga Ora in the review of Kāinga Ora.
https://x.com/StrayDogNZ/status/1795341814440046638
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/05/revealed-the-simple-texts-between-sir-bill-english-and-chris-bishop-that-led-to-k-inga-ora-review.html
And English failed to point out that the $2.5 billion per year has resulted in $45 billion in asset growth. Funny that. Must have forgotten that small detail.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/05/29/a-crisis-at-kainga-ora/
Mr Hickey lays nationals shit out on the table for all to see through
Chis Bishop hatched the hatchet job and already buried the twitching corpse even before the hit job.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/05/29/maligned-board-hits-back-over-kainga-ora-report/
Smith and Caugheys closing.
Could someone put a fire under the Auckland mayor?
Our largest city has poured over $6 billion into the CBD and downtown.
It's a crime hole. Sky City+Britomart+Commercial Bay are the winners out of this.
Revenue down 40% in 5 years I just heard on RNZ.
Some of that is the post-Covid shift in retail patterns (fewer people working in the CBD). Some is the longer term shift away from CBD shopping to local malls. Both economic trends that it's difficult to fight against.
But a huge amount is the ongoing misery that is the (seemingly endless) disruption caused by the CRL; the frankly dangerous vibe of Queen St and surrounding areas – not only after dark, but during the daytime; and the war against the car that AT have engaged in with their bus-only streets (with poor signage combined with high fines).
The City Council needs to put their hand up and take ownership of all of these.
I'll be sad to see the grand old lady of Queen St go – but I think that she's past saving in the current economic climate. I only fear what horror will be imposed on the Queen St facade when the building is vacated – we still have the gaping eyesore of the St James theatre, rotting across the road, as a dreadful warning. I guess the best we can hope for is conversion into luxury apartments – $2 million for a single bedroom – because the cost of conversion, heritage protection and rates won't allow for anything less expensive.
Spot the difference in focus?
Be honest Luxon is the worst kind of partisan hack, here trying to criminalise basic protest. ‘You can’t leave work, we own you!’
Here’s him in the fire starters and the focus? It’s all so frustrating!
https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/02/15/parliament-protest-symptomatic-of-immense-frustration-luxon/
Same shit, different day. Hysterical reaction about protests being illegal because you’re not allowed to strike against racism and corruption, you don’t have those entitlements in your contracts! This is me at AIRNZ hitting them with their employment agreements. I was a king! And a better one than Joffrey, though perhaps not Robert…
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/05/28/luxon-warns-going-on-strike-to-join-budget-hui-would-be-illegal/
Oh and Hipkins is speaking…but his microphone isn’t working well. Great people on all sides apparently?
There is a strong chance that Luxon has motivated more people to get out and protest. Thanks Luxon for the free publicity.
Or to donate at least, and if you are frail, watch on Maori Tv.
I have been wondering what Luxon lacks as he listens to the other two.
Mana. The man has no Mana.
Top civil servant Dick Schoof has just agreed to become PM of the Netherlands. This is good news because it means the fascist Geert Wilders will not have the job, despite being leader of the largest party.
https://apnews.com/article/wilders-coalition-netherlands-government-schoof-f43f6ad97e38a837851a439d9cd3d6b5
Liberal, pro-Israel, Biden supporting non-profit J Street has had enough.
.
Mr. President, enough is enough.
Jeremy Ben-Ami
on May 28, 2024
For eight months, we have watched in abject horror the catastrophic war that has followed Hamas’ barbaric October 7 attack.
[…]
Hamas and the terrorists who attacked Israel on October 7 can and must be defeated. But that will only happen through a political resolution of the underlying Israeli-Palestinian conflict – one that rallies international support to deprive Hamas of financial, political and popular support and charts a clear, alternate, peaceful path toward Palestinian liberation. The path which President Biden is being led down by Prime Minister Netanyahu will bring only more death and destruction, a more radicalized and angry Palestinian population, and greater enemies for not just Israel but the United States as well.
And – let’s be clear – the political damage the President is suffering by going down this path is so deep that it could cost him the November election and all of us our democracy.
So we say to President Biden: Demand an end to this war now and lay out the choice clearly for Prime Minister Netanyahu. Either resolve this war and the underlying conflict the right way – in a manner that brings lasting peace, security and freedom to both peoples – or go it alone on the path of never-ending violence and bloodshed.
Mr. President, enough is enough.
Jeremy Ben-Ami
President, J Street
https://act.jstreet.org/mailings/view/352452
https://jstreet.org/
Israel's capacity to keep the war going would quickly diminish if the US stopped sending them weapons and money.
Biden is too scared to act decisively because of the coming election and fears that the not inconsiderable Jewish vote will go to Trump.
It's a no win problem for Biden.
Some registered Democrats may not vote. And some Independents may vote for Israel whatever GOP.
And with housing a rising cost in the US – 7% 30 year loans – he has it tough anyhow.
Orca just wanna have fun.
.
For four years now, orcas have been ramming and sinking luxury yachts in European waters, and scientists have struggled to work out just why these smart, social animals had learnt this destructive new trick. But, sadly, it's not their anticapitalist 'eat the rich' agenda, nor is it to do with territory and aggression. The truth is, well, it's child's play.
https://newatlas.com/biology/orcas-killer-whales-boats/