Own our future

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, October 6th, 2022 - 43 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, efeso collins, elections, local body elections, local government, supercity - Tags:

This year’s Local Government election is reaching a critical stage.

And it is vital to get the right people elected.

Conservative cost cutting mayors will cause mayhem.  At a time when we need to prepare Aotearoa for climate change and accelerate investment in walkways and cycleways and public transport anyone advocating for anything but this is doing our grandchildren a great disservice.

The science is settled.  Thanks to global warming we are facing decades of carnage.  All we can hope for is that enough people throughout the world adjust their lifestyles and enough governments and councils throughout the world change the way they run their countries and their cities.

Then we hang on.  And hope.  And prey.

If right wing mayors and councillors and MPs get elected then we continue a debate that was frankly settled by the science some time ago.

They will adjust their language.  It will now be about sensible spending and consulting with road users when Council wants to make cycling safer and more attractive and why can’t we reduce rates and prepare for the climate change cataclysm at the same time?

Unfortunately we can’t do both.  Either Councils prepare for the future or they ignore it and become part of the problem.

There are only a few days before the local elections close.  And can I suggest that you make sure that friends and whanau and aiga and anyone who wants a better world votes?

If you want my personal recommendations for the mayoral races in the four major cities here they are:

  1. Dunedin Otepoti – Aaron Hawkins is great.  Give him another chance.
  2. Christchurch Ōtautahi – David Meates.  He wants to make Christchurch a climate leader.  Let’s give him that chance.
  3. Wellington Te Whanganui-a-Tara – Tory Whanau.  I am afraid that Paul Eagle lost me with his comments about cycleways.
  4. Auckland Tamaki Makaurau – this is easy.  Efeso Collins who has placed climate change at the centre of his campaign and will make it the centre of his mayoralty if he wins.

And remember to vote for progressive councillors and local board members.  In Auckland there are some tight council seat races.  In particular can I recommend Kerrin Leoni for Whau, Pippa Coom for Waitemata, Julie Fairey for Albert Eden and Richard Hills for the North Shore.  And any Labour, City Vision, Green or Future West candidate.

It is too late to post your ballots in.  But they can be dropped off at libraries, Council service centres and some Countdown supermarkets.

But please vote.  Your kids and your grandkids futures depend on it.

43 comments on “Own our future ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Ad 1
    6 October 2022 at 9:29 am

    +100

    Hope you make it Efeso.

    All power to every progressive who took the time and money out of their lives to stand for civic life.

  2. Roy cartland 2
    6 October 2022 at 9:45 am

    Then we hang on. And hope. And prey.

    Hope it doesn't come to that! Jokes; good article and couldn't be more relevant. Vote!!

  3. bwaghorn 3
    6 October 2022 at 9:58 am

    Took my stab in the dark yesterday,with a special vote .never received voting papers , they sent a letter to my old address acknowledging my change of address,but no voting papers arrived at either.??

    I don't get local rags as nz post has sold local run to slack barstard whoo only delivers when feels like it,so couldn't read up,

    Was short on time so only picked a couple on each category that a was vaguely aware of ,while trying to work out if they are vff loons or not.

    Democracy 2023!

    • lprent 3.1
      6 October 2022 at 2:27 pm

      That is terrible. It was ok in Auckland.

      I eliminated most candates by what was in the wee booklet that came with the voting papers.

      Then I looked up the Auckland city vouncil site that had fuller statements from each candidate – and eliminated based on internal policy coherence (vague hand waving at salaries, stopping rate rises and more services 🤔), local body experience (like mayoral candidates who have never been even on a local board), and idiots who don't know basic law (sacking CCO boards as mayor or counciler just indicated that they have never read the legislation).

      Basically I applied the scammer test. If it sounds too good to be true, then look for a suitable branch for a rope.

      • bwaghorn 3.1.1
        6 October 2022 at 2:35 pm

        A couple of the wealthy old fallas I know where keen on a youngish Maori fulla by the last name of Pue for mayor so went for him ,over a business man, a recycled ex mayor or a lady that looks like she'd be into crystals and incence.

      • weka 3.1.2
        6 October 2022 at 2:37 pm

        I went with anyone who said something coherent about climate (not vague greenwashing type things)

        • bwaghorn 3.1.2.1
          6 October 2022 at 3:10 pm

          Was in a rush and only has a quick scan of booklet, but picked one lady for district council that I've been informed by a local cockie has some funny green ideas, ! That'd make me a class traitor around here ,and awhile I don't entirely trust the green movement a bit of stirring is good.

        • lprent 3.1.2.2
          6 October 2022 at 3:53 pm

          Like Mickey I tend to count that under the "coherent" category. Obvious delusional unrealism and simple self-wishing insanity isn’t coherent.

          Anyone who thinks that the climate isn't rapidly changing from our effects on it is right up there on the self-delusional pedestal with Bishop Usher. Those who think that it won't make a real difference need to learn to learn some paleo-climatology of the Jurassic and the stress limits on human food production systems.

          Not to mention the physiological limits of a humans and human ancestral species who evolved during entirely within the current 45 million year old ice age with its frequent glacial periods.

          • weka 3.1.2.2.1
            6 October 2022 at 4:51 pm

            it's the ones who say they believe in CC and that we should do something about it, but then go on to promote BAU that worry me.

            • AB 3.1.2.2.1.1
              6 October 2022 at 5:37 pm

              Yep – the latest and to date most sophisticated stage of denialism, i.e. governments should get the incentives right and then step back so the market can innovate to come up with solutions and so move to a new equilibrium. The mechanism which created the problem will also solve it – the way forward is the way back.

            • mickysavage 3.1.2.2.1.2
              6 October 2022 at 8:19 pm

              Yep and I deal with them every day. They don't seem to understand that climate change needs radical adjustment not business as usual. Any candidate who says the right things about climate change but rails against a cycleway deserves contempt. Hence my dissing of Paul Eagle.

      • Incognito 3.1.3
        6 October 2022 at 8:58 pm

        Easiest Local Election ever! No DHB candidates this time certainly helped and I only had to vote for three different sub-elections instead of the five in the past.

  4. Poission 4
    6 October 2022 at 10:35 am

    Conservative cost cutting mayors will cause mayhem

    You don't own your future,the credit markets do.Auckland city council in hock for 11.5b,with large debt awaiting such as CRL ( at least >3 b) plus accumulated debt rolling into a higher interest burden as investment markets say nah.

    • Ad 4.1
      6 October 2022 at 2:17 pm

      Auckland Council's next mayor has very, very little room to move aside of selling more assets off, and have lost over 1/3 of their asset base from water.

  5. Tiger Mountain 5
    6 October 2022 at 10:56 am

    Political participation needs a shake up. Central Govt. is not a big fan of Local Govt. as history shows. Online voting and or paid time off on a voting day needs to happen.

    Voting in my Far North area only reached the low 20% mark two days ago, with the codger vote on the more white/Tauiwi East Coast trending higher. So veteran Wayne Brown and John Carter suck up, Deputy Mayor Ann Court, who has done virtually no campaigning could quite likely be FNDC Mayor.

    With the low turnout it is in reality a lottery. My pick, young Moko Tepania, a guy who fought back against Carter and got a Māori Ward via a special Council Meeting with hundreds of people in attendance, before the legislation changed, has shown his form and has campaigned in the tiniest communities. So we wait…Tai Tokerau needs its first Māori Mayor.

  6. mosa 6
    6 October 2022 at 12:49 pm

    " But please vote. Your kids and your grandkids futures depend on it "

    That sounds like the Greens election campaign slogan some years back and like " build back better " they are just that slogans.

    Neo liberal Labour and its members are good at those including " a brighter future " and we all know how that turned out.

    The “No Confidence” vote in local body elections could be as high as 60 per cent by the end of this week

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2022/10/05/political-roundup-no-confidence-in-dire-local-govt-elections/

    ” In Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill, for instance, it’s not clear who will win ”

    Well here in Christchurch one of the candidates Mr Maugher believes he had already won three weeks ago and began having meetings with ” like minded ” councillors and candidates about what they were going to do when he had won. That is refreshing arrogance !

    For the first time in 36 years I tore up my ballot paper and I don’t regret joining many thousands of others who won’t be casting a vote because every three years its the same. I promise to listen , I promise to act , I will get things done , I am independent but you will never know which way I will vote until after they have cast a vote , I am going to support ” modest rates rises ” we need action to repair earthquake damage ten years after the event and so on and this area has been ignored by council.

    All I see in Christchurch is neglect , blocked drains , weeds and unkempt areas , graffiti , rubbish everywhere , broken dangerous foot paths , vacant land that is left to the vandals the litter and the weeds , many flooded areas particularly in the east of the city.

    Christchurch has had for the last three terms one of Mickey's progressives and the result has been a huge drop in confidence and satisfaction with the council , in other words they have failed and Mickey wants to reward that failure over again by voting to " own our future " I am sorry but when was that ever going to happen ? this is part of the problem. Its just not reality , read Chris Trotters post on local government.

    I think most of these things get neglected because to fix any of it does not return a profit which reflects how this country is run in other words no profit won’t get done !

    I know this is how the council operates because I know people who work in administration for the council and how inefficient they are with the billions of dollars they collect in rates.

    Local government is more about squeezing hard pressed ratepayers by adding on ridiculous costs to do anything and suffocating bureaucracy. They are legalised gangsters and they want to be re elected every three years to continue acting like a dictatorship.

    Chris Trotter got it right.

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2022/09/29/they-call-it-democracy-but-theyre-lying/

  7. James Simpson 7
    6 October 2022 at 12:57 pm

    The four major cities? Are you talking about the 1980 election?

    Tauranga and Hamilton are much bigger than Dunedin by population, are growing much quicker, and are much more important to the National GDP.

    The golden triangle region makes up 50% of New Zealand’s population and generates most of New Zealand’s GDP, and the New Zealand Government forecasts 35% population growth over the next 25 years.

    Although for the purposes of your post there is no election in Tauranga for some bizzare reason. So I can guess you can ignore them

    • Ad 7.1
      6 October 2022 at 2:18 pm

      So Mickey was right to ignore Tauranga since there isn't an election there.

    • lprent 7.2
      6 October 2022 at 2:36 pm

      I was down in Hamilton yesterday and realised that I had absolutely no idea of any idea about any of the names on billboards there.

      As an Aucklander I know way more about Dunedin local politics than I do about Hamiltons. I even know more about Southland and invercargill politics than that of Hamilton and the Waikato.

      I will bet that MS is in the same boat.

      And I did uni in Hamilton, work for an office in Hamilton and have quite a few relatives there.

      • tc 7.2.1
        6 October 2022 at 6:38 pm

        V8's, events centres, flogged assets from previous leaves little room. Trons grown heaps without matching it in infrastructure thanks to consistent political alignment in that town. Blue as which will continue.

      • Temp O'Rary 7.2.2
        7 October 2022 at 6:16 pm

        https://factaotearoa.nz/misinformation-linked-candidate-media-roundup/

        This site collects articles about candidates across the country. Hamilton only has two results about 3 mayoral candidates to be aware of :

        Donna Pokere-Phillips​ is amongst three Hamilton City Council candidates using their social media platforms to disperse misinformation about vaccinations and anti-government conspiracies.

        She is a deputy leader of the Freedom and Outdoors Party…

        Rudi Du Plooy is a member of a four-strong Team Integrity group seeking election to Hamilton City Council… Du Plooy has been part of the New Conservative party as well as the Hamilton Residents and Ratepayers Association…

        Roger Stratford was an early adopter when it comes to an anti-vaccine stance, but says he’s changed his tune now… In long, rambling posts, Stratford also linked the “illegal vaccine mandate” to 5G contamination and the closure of the Marsden Point refinery – with the prime minister responsible for all.

        https://i.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/300675179/revenge-and-antivax-agendas–the-motives-behind-hamiltons-mayoral-hopefuls

      • Jilly Bee 7.2.3
        8 October 2022 at 12:26 pm

        The three candidates vying for the mayoralty in Matamata Piako DC are all of the farming variety, one (female) is already a councillor, the other two being vehemently opposed to Three Waters. One of the candidates is an ex NZ First candidate and a little bird told me that apparently he offered to settle a difference of opinion with a heckler outside the hall after a 'meet the candidates' meeting. I do fear that he is going to be our next Mayor. I have voted for the sitting councillor as I guess she has the experience of being in the council tent for the past three years.

    • Poission 7.3
      6 October 2022 at 2:53 pm

      Although for the purposes of your post there is no election in Tauranga for some bizzare reason.

      Of course not,the rating agency had voiced concerns.

      “The Crown commissioners outlined a baseline for the council's operating and capex requirements,as well as its funding strategy. We believe there are risks to the council achieving the objectives of the 2021-2031 LTP, particularly as the council transitions back to elected councilors in October 2022. This is because elected officials may refrain from imposing the significant rate increases proposed beyond fiscal 2023 (ending June 30, 2023) for political purposes. Tauranga prepares an annual plan yearly and a long-term plan every three years.”

      https://www.tauranga.govt.nz/Portals/0/data/council/reports/credit_rating/standard-and-poors-oct2021.pdf

  8. adam 8
    6 October 2022 at 4:08 pm

    A few things.

    Lack of special voting papers in Northland.

    Myself and quite a few others, have just fallen off the role. Got no papers, so went and checked the role myself. Talked about this on facebook and other social media. Have found, I'm far from being the only one in Northland to be no longer on the roll.

    So much for doing it Online if it just removes you.

    Last and Most Disturbing

    Hearing today that Māori ward candidates have been harassed in their homes by far right nut bars. And that their addresses are being made public.

    • mickysavage 8.1
      6 October 2022 at 8:21 pm

      Yep after the election we need to review closely what happened. There have been too many examples of lost voting papers. Basically our postal system is stuffed and all Councils need to find a different system.

  9. Belladonna 9
    6 October 2022 at 4:48 pm

    Just filled out my papers (I prefer to wait until close to the end – just to make sure nothing breaks which would change my vote) – ready to trot down to the library tomorrow and hand them in.

    Astounded that there were actually 23 names on the ballot for mayor (Auckland)!

    This kind of potential confusion does no favours to the politically unaware (apparently a lot of Aucklanders – Wayne who? Efeso – come again?).

    How many people would look at the list, and the booklet, and think – I can't be bothered reading 23 sales pitches.

    Yes. You could argue that those people deserve the local government they get. But if you want to engage people, and increase the voter participation – then eliminating candidates who have no background or experience in any form of local or regional government – from the mayoralty election – would be a good way to start.

    TBH – the hardest choice is at the community board level – where I actually have personal knowledge of many of the (extremely hard-working) incumbents. And have to decide who to vote back in, and which of the newbies deserve a chance.

  10. Mat Simpson 10
    6 October 2022 at 7:45 pm

    " How many people would look at the list, and the booklet, and think – I can't be bothered reading 23 sales pitches "

    Then that is not an informed vote. It won't make any difference read the following but its probably to late.

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2022/09/29/they-call-it-democracy-but-theyre-lying/

    • Belladonna 10.1
      6 October 2022 at 8:36 pm

      So how many votes really are 'informed'!
      Very few, I'd say.

      There's lots of research around the fact that people at the top of the voting paper have an advantage over those lower down; that 'name recognition' (just being a minor celebrity for some completely irrelevant reason) gives candidates an advantage; I even recall one that said names that were shorter and easy to pronounce gave people an advantage.

      If being ‘informed’ is a requirement to exercise the franchise – we’d better admit that we’re aiming for 10% of the electorate – at the very best!

      And, yes, I agree with the lived reality that none of the elected representatives (certainly at the local level) have any capacity to shift the Council bureaucracy. The active contempt that AT have shown our local community board is …. I would say 'unbelievable'; but, sadly, it's all too believable.

      I vote because of civic duty – not because I actually believe it will make a difference.

      • Mat Simpson 10.1.1
        7 October 2022 at 7:52 pm

        " I vote because of civic duty – not because I actually believe it will make a difference.

        That is why we go around pretending we live in a democratic country because people like you make themselves feel better because they did their civic duty but admit it won't make any difference when their vote gets counted.

        That is why this country is continually shafted by elected corrupt political parties.

  11. Muttonbird 11
    6 October 2022 at 9:07 pm

    Voted today for myself and my wife who simply doesn't care.

    Two more votes for Efeso Collins and associated Labour council candidates.

  12. Barfly 12
    7 October 2022 at 9:03 am

    Well it was easy for me …voted for the brown guy rather than the Brown guy. Also voted for the City Vision Candidates I guess I was lucky in it being so easy smiley Oh and 2 years without alcohol ..any suggestions how to celebrate? Lol.

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 12.1
      7 October 2022 at 9:17 am

      Onya Matey : ) And also re the alcohol ? Great stuff! I could say…the Feel Good from having made your personal voting choice, and followed your moral compass is also something to be proud of : ) ?

      Maybe climb some cool hill? Or Bike somewhere nice ( if you bike?) Or walk somewhere also nice? Feeling great about making that choice. For you. And for a better place.

      Even meet up some fellow Like Minds….Alike : )

  13. Mike the Lefty 13
    8 October 2022 at 10:00 am

    Stuff posted a story today claiming that nationally at least 200 local body election candidates had links to anti-vaccination conspiracy groups, the so-called "Voices for Freedom", Q-Anon and other similar groups.

    But true to form Stuff didn't actually provide a list, which would have been helpful if you want to avoid accidentally voting for nutters but provided a series of links to old stories which (after a lot of scrolling) you could find a few names but not the 200 claimed.

    Not very good for a news service that always tells you how great they are and begs for donations every time you go onto their web page. Also one of the story writers was Andrea Vance and I would have expected such a senior journalist to do a better job than that.

  14. Ad 14
    8 October 2022 at 12:03 pm

    Really popular late voting in Dunedin this morning.

    Hundreds of Specials coming in.

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    2 days ago

  • Most people don’t realize how much progress we’ve made on climate change
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The year was 2015. ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars was at the top of the music charts. Jurassic World was the most popular new movie in theaters. And decades of futility in international climate negotiations was about to come to an end in ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Of Parliamentary Oaths and Clive Boonham
    As a heads-up, I am not one of those people who stay awake at night thinking about weird Culture War nonsense. At least so far as the current Maori/Constitutional arrangements go. In fact, I actually consider it the least important issue facing the day to day lives of New ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • Bearing True Allegiance?
    Strong Words: “We do not consent, we do not surrender, we do not cede, we do not submit; we, the indigenous, are rising. We do not buy into the colonial fictions this House is built upon. Te Pāti Māori pledges allegiance to our mokopuna, our whenua, and Te Tiriti o ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • You cannot be serious
    Some days it feels like the only thing to say is: Seriously? No, really. Seriously?OneSomeone has used their health department access to share data about vaccinations and patients, and inform the world that New Zealanders have been dying in their hundreds of thousands from the evil vaccine. This of course is pure ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • A promise kept: govt pulls the plug on Lake Onslow scheme – but this saving of $16bn is denounced...
    Buzz from the Beehive After $21.8 million was spent on investigations, the plug has been pulled on the Lake Onslow pumped-hydro electricity scheme, The scheme –  that technically could have solved New Zealand’s looming energy shortage, according to its champions – was a key part of the defeated Labour government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • CHRIS TROTTER: The Maori Party and Oath of Allegiance
    If those elected to the Māori Seats refuse to take them, then what possible reason could the country have for retaining them?   Chris Trotter writes – Christmas is fast approaching, which, as it does every year, means gearing up for an abstruse general knowledge question. “Who was ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON:  Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies. Brian Easton writes – The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Fossils
    When the new government promised to allow new offshore oil and gas exploration, they were warned that there would be international criticism and reputational damage. Naturally, they arrogantly denied any possibility that that would happen. And then they finally turned up at COP, to criticism from Palau, and a "fossil ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • GEOFFREY MILLER:  NZ’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    Geoffrey Miller writes – New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the government’s smokefree laws debacle
    The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out – for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Top 10 links at 10 am for Monday, December 4
    As Deb Te Kawa writes in an op-ed, the new Government seems to have immediately bought itself fights with just about everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Monday December 4, including:Palau’s President ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Be Honest.
    Let’s begin today by thinking about job interviews.During my career in Software Development I must have interviewed hundreds of people, hired at least a hundred, but few stick in the memory.I remember one guy who was so laid back he was practically horizontal, leaning back in his chair until his ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he left off. Peters sought to align ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    3 days ago

  • Auckland rail tunnel the world’s most expensive
    Auckland’s city rail link is the most expensive rail project in the world per km, and the CRL boss has described the cost of infrastructure construction in Aotearoa as a crisis. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The 3.5 km City Rail Link (CRL) tunnel under Auckland’s CBD has cost ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • First big test coming
    The first big test of the new Government’s approach to Treaty matters is likely to be seen in the return of the Resource Management Act. RMA Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed that he intends to introduce legislation to repeal Labour’s recently passed Natural and Built Environments Act and its ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume III
    Time to revisit something I haven’t covered in a while: the D&D campaign, with Saqua the aquatic half-vampire. Last seen in July: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/07/27/the-song-of-saqua-volume-ii/ The delay is understandable, once one realises that the interim saw our DM come down with a life-threatening medical situation. They have since survived to make ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • Chris Bishop: Smokin’
    Yes. Correct. It was an election result. And now we are the elected government. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    4 days ago

  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 26, 2023 thru Dec 2, 2023. Story of the Week CO2 readings from Mauna Loa show failure to combat climate change Daily atmospheric carbon dioxide data from Hawaiian volcano more ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Affirmative Action.
    Affirmative Action was a key theme at this election, although I don’t recall anyone using those particular words during the campaign.They’re positive words, and the way the topic was talked about was anything but. It certainly wasn’t a campaign of saying that Affirmative Action was a good thing, but that, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 100 days of something
    It was at the end of the Foxton straights, at the end of 1978, at 100km/h, that someone tried to grab me from behind on my Yamaha.They seemed to be yanking my backpack. My first thought was outrage. My second was: but how? Where have they come from? And my ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Look who’s stepped up to champion Winston
    There’s no news to be gleaned from the government’s official website today  – it contains nothing more than the message about the site being under maintenance. The time this maintenance job is taking and the costs being incurred have us musing on the government’s commitment to an assault on inflation. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • What's The Story?
    Don’t you sometimes wish they’d just tell the truth? No matter how abhorrent or ugly, just straight up tell us the truth?C’mon guys, what you’re doing is bad enough anyway, pretending you’re not is only adding insult to injury.Instead of all this bollocks about the Smokefree changes being to do ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • The longest of weeks
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Friday Under New Management Week in review, quiz style1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Suggested sessions of EGU24 to submit abstracts to
    Like earlier this year, members from our team will be involved with next year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The conference will take place on premise in Vienna as well as online from April 14 to 19, 2024. The session catalog has been available since November 1 ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Under New Management
    1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. Under New Management 2. Which of these best describes the 100 days of action announced this week by the new government?a. Petulantb. Simplistic and wrongheaded c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • While we wait patiently, our new Minister of Education is up and going with a 100-day action plan
    Sorry to say, the government’s official website is still out of action. When Point of Order paid its daily visit, the message was the same as it has been for the past week: Site under maintenance Beehive.govt.nz is currently under maintenance. We will be back shortly. Thank you for your ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • DAVID FARRAR: Hysterical bullshit
    Radio NZ reports: Te Pāti Māori’s co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has accused the new government of “deliberate .. systemic genocide” over its policies to roll back the smokefree policy and the Māori Health Authority. The left love hysterical language. If you oppose racial quotas in laws, you are a racist. And now if you sack ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #48 2023
    Open access notables From this week's government/NGO section, longitudinal data is gold and Leisorowitz, Maibachi et al. continue to mine ore from the US public with Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Fall 2023: Drawing on a representative sample of the U.S. adult population, the authors describe how registered ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • ELE LUDEMANN: It wasn’t just $55 million
    Ele Ludemann writes –  Winston Peters reckons media outlets were bribed by the $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund. He is not the first to make such an accusation. Last year, the Platform outlined conditions media signed up to in return for funds from the PJIF: . . . ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Weekly Roundup 1-December-2023
    Wow, it’s December already, and it’s a Friday. So here are few things that caught our attention recently. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt covered the new government’s coalition agreements and what they mean for transport. On Tuesday Matt looked at AT’s plans for fare increases ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    6 days ago

  • Shane MacGowan Is Gone.
    Late 1996, The Dogs Bollix, Tamaki Makaurau.I’m at the front of the bar yelling my order to the bartender, jostling with other thirsty punters on a Friday night, keen to piss their wages up against a wall letting loose. The black stuff, long luscious pints of creamy goodness. Back down ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • The Hoon around the week to Dec 1
    Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop and other National, ACT and NZ First MPs applaud the signing of the coalition agreements, which included the reversal of anti-smoking measures while accelerating tax cuts for landlords. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • 2023 More Reading: November (+ Writing Update)
    Completed reads for November: A Modern Utopia, by H.G. Wells The Vampire (poem), by Heinrich August Ossenfelder The Corpus Hermeticum The Corpus Hermeticum is Mead’s translation. Now, this is indeed a very quiet month for reading. But there is a reason for that… You see, ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago

  • Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies.The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. They also describe the processes of the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 days ago

  • Questions a nine year old might ask the new Prime Minister
    First QuestionYou’re going to crack down on people ram-raiding dairies, because you say hard-working dairy owners shouldn’t have to worry about getting ram-raided.But once the chemist shops have pseudoephedrine in them again, they're going to get ram-raided all the time. Do chemists not work as hard as dairy owners?Second QuestionYou ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • Questions a nine year old might ask the new Prime Minister
    First QuestionYou’re going to crack down on people ram-raiding dairies, because you say hard-working dairy owners shouldn’t have to worry about getting ram-raided.But once the chemist shops have pseudoephedrine in them again, they're going to get ram-raided all the time. Do chemists not work as hard as dairy owners?Second QuestionYou ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • Finally
    Henry Kissinger is finally dead. Good fucking riddance. While Americans loved him, he was a war criminal, responsible for most of the atrocities of the final quarter of the twentieth century. Cambodia. Bangladesh. Chile. East Timor. All Kissinger. Because of these crimes, Americans revere him as a "statesman" (which says ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • Government in a hurry – Luxon lists 49 priorities in 100-day plan while Peters pledges to strength...
    Buzz from the Beehive Yes, ministers in the new government are delivering speeches and releasing press statements. But the message on the government’s official website was the same as it has been for the past several days, when Point of Order went looking for news from the Beehive that had ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • DAVID FARRAR: Luxon is absolutely right
    David Farrar writes  –  1 News reports: Christopher Luxon says he was told by some Kiwis on the campaign trail they “didn’t know” the difference between Waka Kotahi, Te Pūkenga and Te Whatu Ora. Speaking to Breakfast, the incoming prime minister said having English first on government agencies will “make sure” ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Top 10 at 10 am for Thursday, Nov 30
    There are fears that mooted changes to building consent liability could end up driving the building industry into an uninsured hole. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Thursday, November 30, including:The new Government’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on how climate change threatens cricket‘s future
    Well that didn’t last long, did it? Mere days after taking on what he called the “awesome responsibility” of being Prime Minister, M Christopher Luxon has started blaming everyone else, and complaining that he has inherited “economic vandalism on an unprecedented scale” – which is how most of us are ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    7 days ago

  • We need to talk about Tory.
    The first I knew of the news about Tory Whanau was when a tweet came up in my feed.The sort of tweet that makes you question humanity, or at least why you bother with Twitter. Which is increasingly a cesspit of vile inhabitants who lurk spreading negativity, hate, and every ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • Dangling Transport Solutions
    Cable Cars, Gondolas, Ropeways and Aerial Trams are all names for essentially the same technology and the world’s biggest maker of them are here to sell them as an public transport solution. Stuff reports: Austrian cable car company Doppelmayr has launched its case for adding aerial cable cars to New ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    7 days ago

  • November AMA
    Hi,It’s been awhile since I’ve done an Ask-Me-Anything on here, so today’s the day. Ask anything you like in the comments section, and I’ll be checking in today and tomorrow to answer.Leave a commentNext week I’ll be giving away a bunch of these Mister Organ blu-rays for readers in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago

  • National’s early moves adding to cost of living pressure
    The cost of living grind continues, and the economic and inflation honeymoon is over before it began. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: PM Christopher Luxon unveiled his 100 day plan yesterday with an avowed focus of reducing cost-of-living pressures, but his Government’s initial moves and promises are actually elevating ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Backwards to the future
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed that it will be back to the future on planning legislation. This will be just one of a number of moves which will see the new government go backwards as it repeals and cost-cuts its way into power. They will completely repeal one ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago

  • New initiatives in science and technology could point the way ahead for Luxon government
    As the new government settles into the Beehive, expectations are high that it can sort out some  of  the  economic issues  confronting  New Zealand. It may take time for some new  ministers to get to grips with the range of their portfolio work and responsibilities before they can launch the  changes that  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    1 week ago

  • Treaty pledge to secure funding is contentious – but is Peters being pursued by a lynch mob after ...
    TV3 political editor Jenna Lynch was among the corps of political reporters who bridled, when Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters told them what he thinks of them (which is not much). She was unabashed about letting her audience know she had bridled. More usefully, she drew attention to something which ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • How long does this last?
    I have a clear memory of every election since 1969 in this plucky little nation of ours. I swear I cannot recall a single one where the question being asked repeatedly in the first week of the new government was: how long do you reckon they’ll last? And that includes all ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • Minister sets expectations of Commissioner
    Today I met with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to set out my expectations, which he has agreed to, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. Under section 16(1) of the Policing Act 2008, the Minister can expect the Police Commissioner to deliver on the Government’s direction and priorities, as now outlined in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • New Zealand needs a strong and stable ETS
    New Zealand needs a strong and stable Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that is well placed for the future, after emission units failed to sell for the fourth and final auction of the year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  At today’s auction, 15 million New Zealand units (NZUs) – each ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • PISA results show urgent need to teach the basics
    With 2022 PISA results showing a decline in achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford is confident that the Coalition Government’s 100-day plan for education will improve outcomes for Kiwi kids.  The 2022 PISA results show a significant decline in the performance of 15-year-old students in maths compared to 2018 and confirms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Collins leaves for Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today departed for New Caledonia to attend the 8th annual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting (SPDMM). “This meeting is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security matters and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Pacific,” Judith Collins says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Working for Families gets cost of living boost
    Putting more money in the pockets of hard-working families is a priority of this Coalition Government, starting with an increase to Working for Families, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “We are starting our 100-day plan with a laser focus on bringing down the cost of living, because that is what ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme scrapped
    The Government has axed the $16 billion Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme championed by the previous government, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says. “This hugely wasteful project was pouring money down the drain at a time when we need to be reining in spending and focussing on rebuilding the economy and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • NZ welcomes further pause in fighting in Gaza
    New Zealand welcomes the further one-day extension of the pause in fighting, which will allow the delivery of more urgently-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza and the release of more hostages, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. “The human cost of the conflict is horrific, and New Zealand wants to see the violence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Condolences on passing of Henry Kissinger
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today expressed on behalf of the New Zealand Government his condolences to the family of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has passed away at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut. “While opinions on his legacy are varied, Secretary Kissinger was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Backing our kids to learn the basics
    Every child deserves a world-leading education, and the Coalition Government is making that a priority as part of its 100-day plan. Education Minister Erica Stanford says that will start with banning cellphone use at school and ensuring all primary students spend one hour on reading, writing, and maths each day. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • US Business Summit Speech – Regional stability through trade
    I would like to begin by echoing the Prime Minister’s thanks to the organisers of this Summit, Fran O’Sullivan and the Auckland Business Chamber.  I want to also acknowledge the many leading exporters, sector representatives, diplomats, and other leaders we have joining us in the room. In particular, I would like ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Keynote Address to the United States Business Summit, Auckland
    Good morning. Thank you, Rosemary, for your warm introduction, and to Fran and Simon for this opportunity to make some brief comments about New Zealand’s relationship with the United States.  This is also a chance to acknowledge my colleague, Minister for Trade Todd McClay, Ambassador Tom Udall, Secretary of Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • India New Zealand Business Council Speech, India as a Strategic Priority
    Good morning, tēnā koutou and namaskar. Many thanks, Michael, for your warm welcome. I would like to acknowledge the work of the India New Zealand Business Council in facilitating today’s event and for the Council’s broader work in supporting a coordinated approach for lifting New Zealand-India relations. I want to also ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Coalition Government unveils 100-day plan
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has laid out the Coalition Government’s plan for its first 100 days from today. “The last few years have been incredibly tough for so many New Zealanders. People have put their trust in National, ACT and NZ First to steer them towards a better, more prosperous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Further humanitarian support for Gaza, the West Bank and Israel
    The Government is contributing a further $5 million to support the response to urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, bringing New Zealand’s total contribution to the humanitarian response so far to $10 million. “New Zealand is deeply saddened by the loss of civilian life and the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

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