Red ripple in US

Written By: - Date published: 8:22 am, November 10th, 2022 - 29 comments
Categories: abortion, Donald Trump, International, Joe Biden, us politics - Tags: , , , , , ,

Except in Florida, where Ron DeSantis led a convincing set of Republican gains, the Republican party in the US have had a disappointing mid-term election. The Democrats who were expecting to face the classic mid-term vote against incumbents, will be pleasantly surprised. There are still a lot of votes to count. This being the US, lawyers will be trying to set court dates.

Widely described as a red ripple, as of this morning it has left Republican without definite control in the Senate with 3 senate races not been called. One of which, Georgia, will probably go to a run-off election in December. As expected the Republican party will have a shallow control of the House with an unconvincing majority which is going to make it hard for them to control their undisciplined mob.

Anthony Zurcher at the BBC described it early on as “Mixed-bag kind of election”

This has been a strange kind of midterm election. Democrats are claiming victory even though they appear poised to lose control of the House of Representatives. Republicans are engaging in the kind of circular firing squads usually reserved for the defeated party.

It’s all about expectations. Republicans – looking at midterm history, Joe Biden’s negative approval ratings and a US economy that was struggling – expected to ride a wave to sweeping congressional victories.

Democrats, after watching their last two presidents get drubbed in their first midterm elections, were assuming the worst.

Antony Zurcher, BBC: Mixed-bag kind of election

That really sums it up. The Republicans focused on inflation, crime and disapproval of Joe Biden. That seems to have resonated with parts of their base.

But outside of the Republican bubble the Democratic and Independent voters voted against nut bar election denialists, shot down further restrictions on abortions and anti-abortion candidates, and against the Trump anointed candidates. They also responsibly seemed to have voted for gun control candidates.

Rising prices and abortion were the two issues top of voters’ minds as they cast their ballots, according to the national exit poll.

Almost a third of people surveyed said inflation was the issue that mattered most in deciding how they voted. A large majority of voters also said it had caused them hardship in the past year.

But abortion was another top issue, with 27% of people saying it was their deciding factor, after the Supreme Court overturned a ruling which had given nationwide protection for abortion rights.

That said, voters were sharply divided along party lines – inflation was by far the biggest issue for Republicans, while for Democrats, abortion was top.

BBC: “US midterms: How the parties are doing in maps and charts

Probably the clearest example of a refusal to elect nut-bar candidates is in Georgia with senatorial candidate Hershel Walker. There was clearly a lot of split voting from Republican supporters who convincingly voted back in Bryan Kemp as governer, while voting for the Democratic senatorial candidate. Hershel Walker is a Trump anointed candidate with what appear to be similar levels of blatant lying and outright hypocrisy between his public positions and his personal actions – especially on abortion. Of course that could also just be simple racism by Republican supporters voting against a black candidate in Georgia. But there are numerous other examples of the Trump touch being off-putting to the general population of voters.

Where restrictions on abortion was a direct question uncomplicated by other positions, it was seems to have clearly been renounced.

Five states voted on changes to abortion rules.

Vermont, California and Michigan all voted in favour of including the right to reproductive freedom in the state constitution.

In Kentucky, however, the question is the opposite – whether or not to specifically exclude the right to abortion in the state constitution. The measure was rejected by a narrow margin.

In Montana, voters have not been asked about abortion directly. Instead they are being asked to decide on a so-called “born alive” measure that would guarantee any newborn infant, even those born as a result of abortion, the right to medical care that will preserve life.

BBC: “US midterms: How the parties are doing in maps and charts

It is probably also a factor in the high turnout, something that the Republican party spends considerable time and effort to try to suppress.

Midterm elections usually have a relatively low turnout, but over 116 million people went out to vote this year, according to early figures from the US Elections Project.

This is one of the highest turnout figures in decades.

BBC: “US midterms: How the parties are doing in maps and charts

2018 was a sweep of repugnance voting against Donald Trump, especially by women. This election looks to me like it was the election by women revolting against a supreme court decision.

I haven’t had a look at the state elections yet, but I suspect that when you factor out the ridiculous gerrymandering (MMP thank you for saving us from that particular political crap) you’re going to see problems for anti-abortion extremists.

But I’m sure there will be a lot more analysis over the coming week. What I am sure about is that the Republican circular firing squad will be interesting after this election. Especially between the Trump arse-lickers and the realpolitik parts of the Republican party who want to gain wider support.

29 comments on “Red ripple in US ”

  1. Sanctuary 1

    What happened in Arizona? Please please let Kari Lake lose, I have never used heroin but I am pretty sure nothing would top the joy of watching her meltdown.

    • lprent 1.1

      Too early and close to call

      69% counted. Hobbs is ahead of Lake by 50.3% to 49.7%.

      The exit polls show interesting sectional voting. Lake isn't very popular with women or younger voters or anyone with tertiary education. A lot of voting on straight party lines which really shows up in the cross-correlations down below the fold.

      BTW: The delays in Arizona counting appear to be largely a result of Republican voter suppression laws and rules.

  2. Ad 2

    The Georgia runoff has the fate of the Biden Presidency in it.

    Ripple perhaps but they can still lock both Houses.

    That will really shut Biden down, makes for a crazy US end to the political year.

    Huge shoutout to all who fought the Republicans to a standstill.

  3. Sanctuary 3

    Given the received wisdom of the dire political pundit class in the US was these elections were going to see a sweeping GOP victory, where does that leave the shibboleths of the media talking heads everywhere? After all, our keyboard interviewing circle jerk pundit class have practically declared the next election and done and dusted for National on much of the same reasoning as the Democrats were written off.

    • Tiger Mountain 3.1

      Good point Sanctuary. The pundits there and here really seem to enjoy the aroma of their own flatulence. Plus I guess many of them are paid mouths for hire anyway.

      A hell of a lot of community organising work went into reducing the widely predicted “red wave” to the “red ripple” as LPRENT well ascribes.

  4. Peter 4

    The descriptive terms like red trickle, or flood or whatever wash over the nitty-gritty, the minutiae. Like the Kari Lake situation and that of gun-toting Lauren Boebert.

    And the most dramatic one of Marjorie Taylor Greene. The appalling, ignorant representative garnered comfortably more than 60% of the vote.

    That alone paints a picture of the terminal state of the United States.

    • lprent 4.1

      Be of good cheer.

      Lauren Boebert with 96% reported counted (153,295 votes)
      Has only 49.7%.

      Her opponent Adam Frisch has the majority

      Pretty freaky how many republicans she must have pissed off.

      Marjorie Taylor Greene is at 65% odd with 97% counted. However her district has always been one of the safest republican house seats for a very long time. She was unlikely to lose. I’d have to look it up – but wasn’t her vote down compared to 2020?

      BTW: why don't you just look these things up rather than dribbling all over yourself in anticipation whilst slagging off something you obviously know fuck all about? Google search is pretty good and designed for the lazy.

      • Peter 4.1.1

        "Slagging off something you obviously know fuck all about?" What?

        I certainly wasn't seeking to slag anything off. Just pointing out that behind the headlines there are all sorts of stories bringing joy and bewilderment.

        One little comment I saw, probably an oldie, was about the Republicans suffered from 'electile dysfunction.'

        Naturally there are stories about Herschel Walker on being told there was to be a 'ru-off.' And him last being seen, headphones aboard, jogging down the road.

  5. Drowsy M. Kram 5

    This bit of re-elected Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ victory speech has wide appeal.

    We reject woke ideology.
    We fight the woke in the legislature.
    We fight the woke in the schools.
    We fight the woke in the corporations.
    [Gott im Himmel, it/they are everywhere!]
    We will never ever surrender [one-upping Churchill], to the woke mob.

    Florida is where woke goes to die!

    Select comments under a YouTube video of Ron’s anti-woke diatribe appealed to me:

    To be fair, Florida is where many go to die

    I'd suggest, "Florida is where brain cells go to die."

    "Conservative" politics have become so embarrassing… basically boomers who took an online marketing course. [unfair to DeSantis, who is no boomer.]

    I was generally supportive of causes that aim to raise awareness of and/or address racial prejudice, sexism and other social inequalities, long before DeSantis and his ilk started labelling them ‘woke’. Imho he is a fitting successor to the previous GOP President of the United States. Unless overtaken by events, Woke War One (WWI) is coming – buckle up.

    U-S-A, U-S-A – let's make America ‘great’ again!!!

    • Visubversa 5.1

      "Woke" has taken over from "Politically Correct" as the term for "something in the 21stC I don't like", much beloved of lazy thinkers.

      • Drowsy M. Kram 5.1.1

        yes I like the original meaning of the term – its use as a pejorative not so much.

      • roblogic 5.1.2

        IMHO "Woke" is a shorthand for "Critical Theory" that rejects empirical knowledge, and importantly, ignores material (Marxist) analysis of class conflict, focusing instead on its own political project

        The focus on identity, experiences, and activism, rather than an attempt to find truth, leads to conflict with empirical scholars and undermines public confidence in the worth of scholarship that uses this approach. Because critical theories nearly always begin with their conclusion—their own assumptions about power dynamics in society, how those are problematic, and the need for their disruption or dismantling—and then seeks to find ways to read them into various aspects of society (see discourse analysis and close reading), the body of scholarship that has been growing for the last fifty years has become a towering and impressive mountain with very insecure foundations.

    • Macro 5.2

      Sleep on Florida. DeSantimonious is watching.

    • millsy 5.3

      DeSantis wants to impose a theocracy, plain and simple. His mass progroms have already started by trying to purge queer culture from the school system, and allowing people to run down protestors like dogs. I wouldnt be suprised if we started seeing the odd lynching in Florida over the next few years.

    • roblogic 5.4

      DeSantis is a scary character, building on the MAGA base, but he's much more electable and coherent than Trump.

      DeSantis is responsible for the deaths of many thousands of Floridians due to his lies and coverups re Covid safety measures

    • Ad 6.1

      How will the Democrats repay women particularly young women for saving the mid terms from total carnage?

  6. millsy 7

    If nothing else, the furniture has been saved.

    However Biden is still going to face the most right wing, racist, homophobic, transphobic, mysoginistic, authoritarian, anti union, anti welfare, anti public, sector, theocratic GOP in US history. They belive in total Biblical Christianity, and the imposing of it at gunpoint. We are talking about turning the clock back to the 1800's.

    The Republicans will stop at nothing to commence their pogroms, starting with the LGBT community. As far as the GOP goes, the are vermin who deserve to be exterminated. Same with the blacks,

  7. mickysavage 8

    Some magnificent writing from Jack Holmes at Esquire:

    "McCarthy now faces the prospect of a one- or three-seat majority where, even if he can fend off a leadership challenge, he will spend all day, every day trying to appease and corral the National Disgrace Caucus of halfwits and narcissists trying to get themselves on TV. It could amount to a Vice-Speaker Marjorie Taylor Green situation, or possibly Jim Jordan, although the caucus may be one light if Lauren Boebert crashes to shock defeat in Colorado's 3rd District. Adam Frisch led her all night and into the morning there, and the prospect that just one of these ghouls might have to get a real job is some solace indeed. Speaking of which, Sarah Palin is getting beaten like a drum up in Alaska again by Mary Peltola."

    https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a41906011/who-won-midterms-2022/?fbclid=IwAR2HWKjrUw5pKS2Ow9H8dk6urH0gCwKj-sglOvojlFJNQaYs9OynhuMYYb8

    Bobert is still behind although only just …

  8. adam 9

    All I can say is well done to our American friends for not voting in the Christian Fascists who have infested the GOP.

    Seems to be a big reaction against by republican voters.

    Time will tell.

  9. mosa 10

    " Especially between the Trump arse-lickers

    That description does you favours.

    We have such a rich language yet you choose language like that to make a point.

  10. newsense 11

    Where next for the GOP if they can shake Trump?

    Anti-democratic campaigning or plotting has been part of their long term goals for a long time. There will have been a lot of anti-democratic ultra partisan Republicans elected in key offices that decide on electoral issues. ID/voter suppression laws weren’t discussed, nor was gerrymandering.
    The Federalists seem to rather have overachieved in terms of flooding the judiciary. There seems to be more Russian sympathy with the GOP, with talk about slowing or stopping support for Ukraine. Fox News has demon spawn in OAN etc. We’ve seen Elon Musk tweeting conspiracies about Nancy Pelosi’s husband.

    In short, Trump is an issue, but if he goes American democracy isn’t necessarily free from disloyal opposition and attacks on it as an institution or a concept. To be cheerful about it, perhaps it’s only going to get worse? Perhaps ‘civility’ maybe be returned in some discussion of their plans, but the plans without the insults and reality denying fabrications won’t change an enormous amount? The next coup may be better organised and less visible.

    And let’s be honest it is far far from clear that they will shake themselves free from Trump 2024.

  11. Maurice 12

    The far greater danger in the US is that BOTH sides have had it clearly demonstrated that NEITHER can prevail by voting and the 50/50 split has been well reinforced.

    • Ad 12.1

      Not true on the Democrat and Biden record of delivery this term.

      American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is a federal bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 11, 2021, to provide economic relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

      According to the White House, the key features of the law include the following government initiatives and investments:[2]

      • Spend approximately $160 billion on national vaccination program and response
      • Spend approximately $130 billion to safely reopen schools
      • Distribute $1,400 per person in relief payments
      • Extend unemployment benefits to September 6, 2021
      • Increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by 15 percent through September 2021
      • Increase the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 to $3,000 per child over age 6 and $3,600 per child under age 6
      • Increase the Earned Income Tax Credit
      • Expand childcare assistance and provide an additional tax credit for childcare costs
      • Provide $1 billion to states for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients
      • Lower health insurance premiums

      Build Back Better Act of 2021

      The Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376) is a bill pending before the 117th Congress. It cleared the United States House of Representatives on November 19, 2021.

      House Democrats released a $1.75 trillion budget framework on October 28, 2021, for spending on climate change, childcare, and healthcare. President Joe Biden (D) announced his support for the framework the same day. Key spending included the following initiatives:

      • $555 billion aiming to address climate change and renewable energy investment
      • $400 billion aiming to address childcare, childcare costs, and universal pre-K
      • $165 billion aiming to address healthcare and Medicare hearing expansion
      • $150 billion aiming to address public housing and affordability issues
      • $150 billion aiming to address home care

      Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021

      The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) is a federal bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 15, 2021.

      According to the White House, the key features of the bill include:

      • $89.9 billion in new infrastructure funding and reauthorizations
      • $66 billion in funding for Amtrak maintenance and development
      • $40 billion in new funding for bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation
      • $55 billion in funding for clean drinking water
      • $65 billion in funding to create universal access to reliable high-speed internet
      • $65 billion in funding for clean energy transmission and power infrastructure upgrades

      Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022

      The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 is a firearm regulation and mental health bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 25, 2022.

      • Expanded background checks for individuals under the age of 21 purchasing firearms.
      • Providing $11 billion for mental health services, including increased funding for the Medicaid Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic program, increased funding for school-based mental health programs, and investments in pediatric mental healthcare services.
      • Preventing individuals who have been convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor or felony in dating relationships from purchasing firearms for five years.
      • Providing $750 million for state grants to implement crisis intervention order programs, also referred to as red-flag laws, that would allow authorities to confiscate firearms from individuals who have been determined by a court to be a significant danger to themselves or others. The grants could also be used to support mental health courts, drug courts, veterans courts, and extreme risk protection orders.
      • Providing $2 billion for community-based violence prevention initiatives.

      Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

      Signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 16, 2022, addressing climate change, healthcare costs, and tax enforcement.

      • A $369 billion investment to address energy security and climate change
      • An extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies
      • Allowing Medicare to negotiate certain drug prices
      • A 15% corporate minimum tax, a 1% stock buyback fee, and enhanced Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement
      • An estimated $300 billion deficit reduction from 2022-2030

      Joe Biden presidential administration – Ballotpedia

      Also:

      Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Act

      Directing Pentagon to give US$Trillion and counting weapons to Ukraine which have enabled them to repel Russia, and now likely to win

      Revived and expanded NATO

      Unified much of world against Russia

      Deep trade sanctions against China which are working in specific and telling areas

      Very robust defence of Taiwan

      And Biden has successfully defended the Senate majority which hasn't been done in a fair while, and he has two years to go to achieve more.

      The above I'd argue is more extensive than that achieved by LBJ, our last big New Dealer.

  12. Maurice 13

    Remember this: https://time.com/4608555/hillary-clinton-popular-vote-final/

    In the final count, Hillary Clinton’s lead in the popular vote of the 2016 presidential election was nearly three million votes.

    According to the independent, non-partisan Cook Political Report, Clinton’s final tally came in at 65,844,610, compared to Donald Trump’s 62,979,636, with a difference of 2,864,974. The total number of votes for other candidates was 7,804,213.

    Seems the reverse has occurred: https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/11/10/republicans-have-won-6-million-more-votes-than-democrats-in-house-races-but-relatively-few-seats/

    According to the Cook Political Report, as of Thursday morning, November 10, Republicans have won 50,113,534 votes, or 52.3% of the vote, compared to 44,251,768, or 46.2% of the vote. Republicans lead by 6.1%, which is better than their average in “generic congressional ballot” polls, in which the party led by 2.5% in the final RealClearPolitics average before the election. But Republicans have only managed to flip nine seats thus far — likely enough to control the House, but far short of a “wave” result many anticipated.

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    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Government lowering building costs
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