No surprise here: Latest poll: Christopher Luxon’s popularity crashes after allowance blunder, now trails Chris Hipkins - NZ Herald It took 5 years for Jacinda Ardern to move into negative approval/disapproval. That is a comparison from the same TU/Curia ...
Taxpayer funding? It financed Melissa Lee's broadcasting career before she became an MP. She presented and produced Asia Dynamic and Asia Down Under (both good and useful shows, but unfortunately stuck in the Sunday morning timeslot). Without NZ on Air (i....
I think he reversed after pressure from anyone living on Planet Earth.
My comment at 1.02 pm: "As so many times before, his political judgement is hopeless. We can predict what will happen: like Bill English, he will insist that it's not an issue, and then after public pressure, he will later pay it back. How can he or his ...
How can he be so tone-deaf? Of all the possible responses, he chooses "I'm entitled!". Does he really not understand how that will look? Live: PM answers questions on $52k accommodation allowance | Stuff "it's an entitlement and I'm well within the rules ...
Luxon has given the classic justification ... it's "within the rules". Luxon claiming $52,000 accommodation allowance for his apartment | The Post (thepress.co.nz) As so many times before, his political judgement is hopeless. We can predict what will ...
There is still some humanity and decency in Parliament. House will adjourn after 2 pm tributes today, resumes next week. Thanks to all parties for that.
Horrible, shocking news. Can't believe it. All Aroha to his family.
Congratulations to Barbara Edmonds on her new role, taking on Nicola Willis in Finance. She is more than qualified for the job. It also finishes off Willis' one line of attack: "The big bad previous minister yada yadda yadda ...". Eventually Labour will ...
In theory, yes. In reality, they were offered 3 Cabinet positions each, and plenty of policy gains. If they'd walked away there would have been months before the GG would agree to an election (Seymour and Peters couldn't call one, they weren't PM). It ...
I assume that National will replace Luxon before the election, the usual internal change to be presented as real change (Thatcher/Major, etc). But then again, I assumed the same before the last election, and was proved wrong. The difference is that he was ...
I'm not going to comment every time our embarrassing PM says something false or foolish, because I'd be doing it every day and we all have lives. But this is an absolute whopper, on TV3 this morning, talking about the Treaty Principles Bill: He said it was...
If "all its forms" means absolute, no exceptions, then it generally doesn't. But there are few advocates for that view. Prohibition in selected contexts, increasing over time, clearly does work. It was once unthinkable that people couldn't smoke in cafes, ...
The broader issue here is that Luxon handed himself over to Peters after the election, and signed a deal saying "let me be your hostage". Labour and National ministers have stuffed up often over the years, and faced the consequences. PMs can easily and ...
Dear oh dear. You do use a vast number of words to say nothing. Chloe will get the job because she's the best candidate. It's that simple. Who's paranoid? Any examples, anybody at all? In reality, not your imagination.
I don't ask a right-wing PM to favour leftish policies. I don't expect him to be the PM I want. But couldn't he at least buy a dictionary? Maybe read a book? Anything to expand his vocabulary beyond a handful of cliches. On the 6 pm news tonight he was ...
[to Alwyn] Complete nonsense. The opposition kept complaining that Ardern was given too much TV time. They thought it was unfair, because she used that time so effectively. If you asked the current opposition if Luxon should hold daily press conferences ...
Another day, another "clarification". This time it's Mark Mitchell. PM says Police Minister Mark Mitchell was wrong on coalition commitment backdown - NZ Herald The government's best weeks were Christmas/New Year, when politics was on holiday. The public ...
Politics is absurdly unfair sometimes. Try the "meet the Martians" test. Imagine the aliens arrive on Earth and say "take me to your leader!". Now, ignoring all issues of party policy but focusing only on qualities of human leadership (empathy, integrity, ...
When an MP leaves they give a valedictory speech, and often it's along the lines of "sorry about that thing I did, that law I supported", a phoney self-justification after the fact. James won't need to say that. He can honestly say "I did everything I ...
Simon Wilson's column in the Herald is paywalled (I've read the print version) but it's worth a read. In short, he writes an alternative Luxon speech that a National PM could deliver. In the end, it is the National party and its wiser heads that will need ...
Stand by for a flood of "poor James, if only the Greens had let him be green" garbage from commentators who wouldn't vote Green even if their co-leaders proposed corporal punishment in schools and selling off hospitals.
It's disheartening to see the 'left' still grinding and nashing their teeth, months after the election result a'la National supporters post 2017 election. Not really a good comparison. Political tragics like us might be engaged in what Labour & co have to ...
Breaking news: Government announces total price freeze, affecting all private business, and enforced by law. Gosman says that's fine, because they said they "would tackle the cost of living crisis". Obviously absurd. So try again. Address the policy.
Shane Reti needs to take control of the health portfolio, or resign as Minister. And Luxon needs to back him, not pander to NZF. Call for Luxon to replace Costello over cigarette tax freeze | New Zealand Doctor (nzdoctor.co.nz)
The defence that you and other government apologists have put up is that National and their sidekicks are only doing what they promised the voters before the election. On this issue, and others, that defence fails. You are welcome to show us when Luxon ...
In fact, it's even worse than that! NZF has clearly stated that they will not support it beyond first reading, so the bill is doomed even if National decide to support it. "We'll participate in the process to have the bill tabled in Parliament, debated in ...
"No commitment" means it's open. Decision not yet taken. "No intention" means it's closed. Decision taken. If anyone doubts that, try using the two phrases when your partner asks if you're free to help out with chores tomorrow. That will make the ...
Chaotic post-Cab press conference today, as Luxon was asked repeatedly about the Treaty principles bill, and what happens after the first reading in Parliament. He kept saying "no intention" to support it, and "no commitment" to support it. Somebody please...
Quite simply, this is all a colossal waste of time. At least, that's the most positive take (less positive would be that it's divisive, not just in the country but within the government). Ministers are directly contradicting one another. Seymour says the ...
I thought that too and would really like to believe it. Problem is, death threats don't go away on schedule this afternoon. But the police did.
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