Shane Jones the smoko room candidate

Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, August 26th, 2013 - 146 comments
Categories: labour, Shane Jones - Tags:

shane-jonesThen there were two.  Shane Jones has announced his candidacy for the Labour leadership.

From the Herald this morning:

List MP Shane Jones is entering the race for the Labour leadership, saying he believes he can attract blue-collar workers back to the fold and take on “the $50 million gorilla”, Prime Minister John Key.

Mr Jones said last night his style of “smoko room” politics and debating ability were the best way to beat National and get working-class voters to turn to Labour, which he said had lost its relevancy.

…

Up against two former diplomats, Mr Jones is pitching himself as the non-PC, grass-roots candidate. Taking a swipe at those in his party with academic backgrounds – despite himself having an MA from Harvard University – Mr Jones said his style “might not resonate in the common room, but rest assured it will be relevant in the smoko room”.

I would not describe Shane as a “grass roots” candidate.  My impression is that support for him amongst the membership is sparse although it is there.

He acknowledged his underdog status, but believed his focus on “bread and butter” issues rather than beltway political issues would have support.

“The Labour brand is a proud and true brand. Unfortunately, we have allowed that brand to become irrelevant in how a whole bunch of New Zealanders see their personal circumstances.

“The 800,000 who didn’t vote last time need to see Labour as relevant to what they need to help bring their kids up. It’s simple stuff: jobs, income, security, sport, life.”

I have not been able to track down a press release or a website but he does have a facebook page here.

Mike Williams is right in that Shane will inject a degree of humour into the campaign and that the distribution of his preferences could be vital.

In related room Grant Robertson said this morning that he can unify the Labour Party.  He denied letting Shearer flounder and said that he supported Shearer fully.  He promised  that there would be a position in his senior team available for David Cunliffe if he was leader.  He did not see the motion of no confidence in Shearer.  He also used the word “mythology” when talking about ABC.  He promised to unify the party and lead it to victory in 2014.  The audio is here.

146 comments on “Shane Jones the smoko room candidate ”

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  1. Tiger Mountain 1
    26 August 2013 at 8:29 am

    Jones would appear to be running interference for ABC and his preferences could play a spoiler role depending on your pick, but but, the Greens have the man/woman/Māori thing sorted in their co leadership so can Labour members afford to ignore that factor in the selection process?

    • weka 1.1
      26 August 2013 at 8:37 am

      Maybe that’s a typo in the Herald and Jones is really running for deputy leader.

      • marty mars 1.1.1
        26 August 2013 at 9:00 am

        I think he has come in as a counterweight to grant which will allow david to be in the middle and give shane a chance of getting deputy. That will be another step closer to shane’s ultimate goal.

    • karol 1.2
      26 August 2013 at 8:38 am

      Greens have the man/woman/Māori thing sorted in their co leadership so can Labour members afford to ignore that factor in the selection process?

      And Labour’s woman candidate is?

      • Colonial Viper 1.2.1
        26 August 2013 at 8:46 am

        Still got time to convince someone to stand.

        • karol 1.2.1.1
          26 August 2013 at 8:50 am

          If Jacinda stood, would she be an adequate foil to Jones as spoiler? Would she take votes from Robertson or Cunliffe?

          • Colonial Viper 1.2.1.1.1
            26 August 2013 at 8:58 am

            No, she’s not up to taking the crown this round, for her maximum political career prospects she’s made the right move to not stand.

            • karol 1.2.1.1.1.1
              26 August 2013 at 9:19 am

              It wasn’t a serious suggestion for a leadership bid – but then, neither is Shane Jones.

              I realise there’s no woman set to contest the leadership – neither is their a Maori contender.

              • Colonial Viper …
                26 August 2013 at 11:13 am

                Understood. IMO Jones is being presented to us in order to take some of the microscope time off Robertson’s performance within the recent Robertson-Shearer leadership pairing.

                • Tracey …
                  26 August 2013 at 11:15 am

                  Would Jones agree to that in return for being made deputy? Big risk to Jones to let himself be seen as a sideshow (again).

                  • Polish Pride …
                    26 August 2013 at 12:20 pm

                    Actually it is a good move for Jones so that he can be seen as something other than a sideshow by the majority of New Zealanders. It will hopefully give people the opportunity to see him in a more serious light and hopefully a bit more distance from what he is most famous for to date.

              • lurgee …
                26 August 2013 at 6:51 pm

                Shane Jones isn’t Maori?

              • Takere …
                26 August 2013 at 8:10 pm

                Spoken like typical pakeha … bigot.

          • Anne 1.2.1.1.2
            26 August 2013 at 9:06 am

            If Jacinda stands karol I think you could take it she is there to be a spoiler… She’s not ready. Hasn’t been there long enough and is lacking experience. We’ve just seen what happens to a leader who is thrown in the deep end before he’s ready. Jacinda is young – only in her early thirties – time is on her side.

      • bad12 1.2.2
        26 August 2013 at 8:57 am

        The 3 most likely to have ‘any’ wide electoral support would seem to be Jacinda Adhern, Nanaia Mahuta and Lousia Wall,

        None of them seem to have expressed an interest in standing and i should imagine that if any of them did they would simply distract votes going to the ‘favorite’ David Cunliffe…

  2. karol 2
    26 August 2013 at 8:37 am

    Shane Jones sounds as though he sees “working class” as being a very male thing: smoko room? Reminds me of my Dad and all his very male dominated clubs (working men’s and sports clubs), back int he 50s & 60s – with women in the kitchens making sandwiches.

    And my Dad was a Nat voting Muldoonist.

    Shane Jones, the mid-20th century candidate!

    • Chooky 2.1
      26 August 2013 at 8:58 am

      +1 Karol…he has soiled his copy book with the 21st century woman vote

      • Greywarbler 2.1.1
        26 August 2013 at 9:13 am

        +1 Karol
        It wasn’t Labour at the forefront of women moving up from under – it was women coalescing and acting together, thinking, discussing, arguing and lobbying. Maybe they can do that again, this time to save New Zealand from becoming a low-rent drudge in the world.

    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 2.2
      26 August 2013 at 9:17 am

      +1 Karol.

      An attempt to connect with the “working class” that ignores women. Yeah right. Shane Jones is a small part of the reason Kristine Bartlett is in the news.

    • Mary 2.3
      26 August 2013 at 10:31 am

      If Jones got anywhere near the leadership he would be a liability. It’s bores me to say it but as Brian Edwards said “nobody survives blue movies”. He would be constant fodder for any opposition so must be ruled out. I’d even go so far as saying he’s a liability to the party as an MP. If not for his attitude towards women then that silly childish and condescending intonation in his voice when he tries to be cute. For that alone he deserves to be sacked.

    • Populuxe1 2.4
      26 August 2013 at 1:47 pm

      That sounds like you gender policing to me – or do you think working women eat their lunch somewhere else in the twenty-first century.

      Muldoon would probably be somewhere to the left of Neoliberal Labour these days.

    • David H 2.5
      26 August 2013 at 1:50 pm

      Yeah same Karol, my dad near had a heart attack when I told him i was voting Labour, this was just before the 72 Election. And after, well the silence was deafening…

    • Roy 2.6
      26 August 2013 at 4:46 pm

      Well said Karol.

    • newsense 2.7
      27 August 2013 at 6:37 pm

      Yeh- it sounds like another pitch to this mythical waitakere man malarky

      ‘there seems to be like Key a nostalgia for the 70s, or the past.

      Surely they’d be more support for Mallard than Jones? At least Mallard gives it a go, even if that isn’t always popular.

      Can’t think of anything much that he’s done. Can think of what he hasn’t done- won an electorate seat.

      Maybe he is this great figure in waiting, but what he’s done so far with the opportunities he’s had seem very very underwhelming.

  3. Not a PS Staffer 3
    26 August 2013 at 8:45 am

    Great news. All the Women’s vote will roll in behind Cunliffe now.

    I just jeard that his announcement is a surprise to the Whangarei and Northland LECs!

    • Skinny 3.1
      26 August 2013 at 9:57 am

      Well that’s not quite correct as it’s no surprise at all to me ( in a position to comment) He is running for deputy if you cut to the chase. Having heard him on Radiolive and now just on Radio NZ, he comprehensively dealt to Robertson. He has my tick of approval as deputy as he will get some of the non voters off their arse to vote, win against Sharples replacement and now given a platform be combatable against quote Jones “the 50 million dollar gorilla that is John Key. But hey it’s up to Caucus who gets deputy!

  4. just saying 4
    26 August 2013 at 8:48 am

    Except, in case the poli-wonky-media types have forgotten, there is no such thing as a smoko room anymore. They haven’t existed for some time.

    Shane jones may not know this because he probably only saw the inside of one (back in the day) when he went to pick up his car at the garage at lunchtime.

    A phony pitching to a myth – a winning strategy. Go Labour!

    • cricklewood 4.1
      26 August 2013 at 10:50 am

      Plenty of work sites still have a ‘smoko room’ sure no one smokes in them now but none the less there terminology remains. Sounds better than the ‘Lunch room’

  5. Anne 5
    26 August 2013 at 8:49 am

    He also used the word “mythology” when talking about ABC.

    It wasn’t mythology and Grant knows it. Jane Clifton’s latest pondering in the Listener and to some extent Vernon Small’s article yesterday are testament to that. What I suspect is: the membership of that club has dropped, and those left don’t wield quite as much power in caucus that they did a year ago.

  6. Colonial Viper 6
    26 August 2013 at 8:49 am

    Live TV Election Debate: Shane Jones versus John Key!!!

    Labour better hope all its hoarding signs are up by air time. Because there will be no volunteers left afterwards. This match up simply does not work, does it.

  7. Takere 7
    26 August 2013 at 8:55 am

    Great to see Jonesee putting his hand up …… now there’s an highly intelligent man. Ability to connect with the working classes and korero with Key and kick his arse. He’s got the best chance out of all the candidates to broaden the base for the party and tap into the 880,000 non voters instead of fighting over the swing-voters, 3 or 4 percent of them between the nat’s & the Greens. Labours last hope before oblivion!

    • Tracey 7.1
      26 August 2013 at 9:20 am

      were they mainly men in smoko rooms takere seeing as you have met with them all and I didn’t?

      • Takere 7.1.1
        28 August 2013 at 11:55 am

        I reckon you fancy him tracy? Maybe a hook up in a smoko room is a fantasy of yours?

        • bad12 7.1.1.1
          28 August 2013 at 12:04 pm

          From the look of your contribution to this Post Takere i would suggest it would be you rather than Tracey that would rush to get His rags off for a little tryst with Jones,

          You will have to time your ‘hitting on’ of Shane well tho, He might not have much ‘steam’ in the tank if you catch Him to soon after a ‘red blooded males’ video session….

    • North 7.2
      26 August 2013 at 11:24 am

      Takere = Dreamer.

  8. Nicolas 8
    26 August 2013 at 8:56 am

    Funny that he talks about “simple” stuff like jobs when, during the period he was the chairman of Sealord, the company chartered a Ukrainian vessel, hiring foreign workers instead of locals. Foreign workers who, we all know, are often subjected to inhumane working conditions.

    And what the hell is an injection of “humour”, in the political sense? There is nothing funny about the prospect of having Shane Jones become a minister, let alone the Prime Minister, come 2014.

    Being a list MP, what’s Labour’s excuse for still keeping this guy around?

    • Tracey 8.1
      26 August 2013 at 9:20 am

      source?

      ‘the chairman of Sealord, the company chartered a Ukrainian vessel, hiring foreign workers instead of locals”

  9. Linz 9
    26 August 2013 at 8:57 am

    Can someone tell me, please, about the preferential voting system?
    Is it a good idea to vote for just the candidate you like best and not give a second and third choice so they don’t get any points? Or could you vote for first and second choice and not give your third choice any points?

    • Don't worry. Be happy. 9.1
      26 August 2013 at 9:45 am

      This is a point I wanted clarified too so, this morning, I rang Labour Party HQ, Wellington and navigated through the call list to Geoff Haywood. Seems the Party have yet to decide, tomorrow probably, if your vote will count at all (be valid) if you vote only for the candidate you want (in my case DC).

      I do not want to give any support at all to Shearer Clone Robertson or to Shane ‘Stallion’ Jones and I should not be forced to.

      It seems that the Party will decide this issue ‘to be consistent with voting for other Party positions’…I would rather they decide to be ‘consistent’ with democratic rights…or even just winning the next election.

      Expect a lot of ‘invalid votes’ esp. from women

    • Colonial Viper 9.2
      26 August 2013 at 10:10 am

      Your 2nd choice vote will only be counted if your first choice loses.

      So if you do have a real preferred 2nd choice, you should put them down as “2”. Doing so won’t disadvantage your first choice preference in any way.

      If you have no real preferred 2nd choice (or third choice) leave them blank.

      • Skinny 9.2.1
        26 August 2013 at 11:27 am

        If you leave the 2nd or 3rd preference blank ‘only plugging for 1 candidate usually makes your vote invalid. I guess this issue will be stated on the form.

        • Rich 9.2.1.1
          26 August 2013 at 9:02 pm

          I guess they may be assuming a sophisticated electorate who understand voting systems.

          If your preferred candidate gets eliminated, then with three candidates it comes down to a choice between the other two. If you really feel they are equally unacceptable, toss a coin, then if either win, leave the party and don’t vote for them next time. There is an alternative and it starts with G. (and unless they change their rules, they elect theirs leaders by delegate votes after a consensus has been reached at branch meetings, or something like that).

  10. Ant 10
    26 August 2013 at 9:01 am

    Shane Jones is popular with blue collar workers in the same way as the guy that gets fired for looking at porn on the office computer – popular to be laughed about.

    • Populuxe1 10.1
      26 August 2013 at 1:54 pm

      Meh. He paid for it out of his own money when he found out it had gone onto his work card. He admitted it. And come on, it’s just porn, enjoyrd by approximately 99.999% of males and a surprsingly significant proportion of females. No one cares.

      • QoT 10.1.1
        26 August 2013 at 9:45 pm

        Ah, the good old “why do you hate porn” argument.

        He also chartered a plane on the credit card. Guess what: it’s not a “controversy” because people hate planes.

        (You may actually need this spelled out to you, so: it’s because people hate unethical misuse of public funds.)

  11. Hami Shearlie 11
    26 August 2013 at 9:02 am

    Women won’t vote for Jones, South Auckland won’t vote for Robertson (“I can unify the party – yeah right!) so who is left – The obvious choice of the members and the wider public and someone who looks and sounds like a Prime Minister – Mr David Cunliffe!!

  12. Hami Shearlie 12
    26 August 2013 at 9:08 am

    Apart from everything else, Grant Robertson hasn’t even been an MP in a Government, let alone a Cabinet Minister – David Cunliffe has been both, has been tried and tested, and not found wanting in any capacity. Labour can’t afford another wild gamble. And neither can the people of NZ, who are suffering under the government of John Key!

  13. Tracey 13
    26 August 2013 at 9:22 am

    interesting media we have when they clearly consider being gay is an impediment but paying for porn on the public purse isn’t.

    oops fat finger syndrome, hit caps lock again.

    [fixed for you = MS]

    Thanks MS

  14. Rich 14
    26 August 2013 at 9:23 am

    MA from Harvard University

    It’s just next door to MIT right?

    All he has to do is pretend it’s in Otahuhu and nobody will be the wiser.

  15. Tracey 15
    26 August 2013 at 9:25 am

    “We may trust the prime minister, but we don’t necessarily believe him.

    A majority of New Zealanders do not fully believe what John Key says, despite rating him as a strong and effective leader whom they trust to run the country, the latest Fairfax Media-Ipsos poll testing voters’ attitude to our political leaders shows.

    Asked if they fully believed what Key said, 58.6 per cent said no and just 23.5 per cent yes.

    Ironically, in the poll taken before David Shearer stood down as Labour leader, the man who was widely criticised for his stumbles actually rated higher on that score than the PM – despite forgetting to declare a New York bank account containing more than $50,000.

    About 33 per cent said they fully believed what Shearer said, although more – 43 per cent – said they did not.”

    the electorate gets what they deserve. To say you trust someone who you also say is a liar is a sad indictment of the electorate. HOW do you trust someone you don’t believe?

    Again someone with good qualities is drummed out of politics.

    Alice? Alice? You can have your looking glass back, I am going to bed.

    • Colonial Viper 15.1
      26 August 2013 at 10:13 am

      “HOW do you trust someone you don’t believe?”

      Because you think he is lying for good reason, or that he is lying because he’s simply being a savvy politician, etc.

      • Tracey 15.1.1
        26 August 2013 at 10:16 am

        Then wouldn’t your answer be

        He’s a lair but he has good reason”

        Not

        He’s a liar but I trust him.

        It’s being presented as though the electorate is stupid.

        • Short Plank 15.1.1.1
          26 August 2013 at 11:44 am

          We trust him to lie?

          You know where you are when you know someone’s lying because their mouth is opening and closing. It’s much harder to know where you are with a politician if they occasionally tell the truth.

  16. weka 16
    26 August 2013 at 10:02 am

    List MP Shane Jones is entering the race for the Labour leadership, saying he believes he can attract blue-collar workers back to the fold and take on “the $50 million gorilla”, Prime Minister John Key.

    Mr Jones said last night his style of “smoko room” politics and debating ability were the best way to beat National and get working-class voters to turn to Labour, which he said had lost its relevancy.

    Enough with the identity politics, when are we going to get back to the real issues?

  17. Craig Y 17
    26 August 2013 at 10:20 am

    Actually, I can understand Jones’ aspirations and those of Maori who support him. Fair enough too. And given that capitalism was built on the back of appropriated Maori land and the disruption of Maori culture and society, and consequently resulted in institutional racism as a key element of New Zealand society since then, the identity politics/economic inequality ‘dichotomy’ looks even more ridiculous in that context. How can Maori-inclusive policies not address the latter?

    It is past time that New Zealand had a Maori Prime Minister. I understand those aspirations and it’s just a damned shame he’s standing against Grant Robertson and David Cunliffe, two equally high-calibre candidates. Added to, like Cunliffe, Jones has a Minister of Public Administration, albeit not from Harvard.

    And I agree about the core issues – which should be public service capacity and quality under Key, and the elaboration and development of a capital gains tax policy instead of totally focusing on the iniquity of privatisation.

    • weka 17.1
      26 August 2013 at 10:34 am

      Hi Craig,

      Yeah, but Jones is pretty happy with capitalism isn’t he? And wants a slice of the capitalist pie for some Maori without disrupting the bakery too much. I agree with you about Maori-inclusive politics, but don’t really see Jones as a champion of that.

      (btw, my comment about identity politics was deeply sarcastic, as I noticed a complete lack of comment along these lines from the people that usually condemn identity politics when feminists or queer people speak up)

      • Colonial Viper 17.1.1
        26 August 2013 at 10:46 am

        Someone in Labour finally makes a reference to class politics and the politics of poverty and wealth. Its ok right? That is the root of the Labour movement after all.

        • weka 17.1.1.1
          26 August 2013 at 12:28 pm

          “Someone in Labour finally makes a reference to class politics and the politics of poverty and wealth. Its ok right? That is the root of the Labour movement after all.”

          Sure it’s ok, good even. The problem is when class is elevated above other identities.

          As for Labour’s roots, are you suggesting that Labour should reflect the socal and cultural ethos of 1916? Am curious how class identity politics sees this. In 1916 (and before) white working class men organised politically, but if it were happening now, it wouldn’t just be white working class men, would it? And it wouldn’t just be the agenda of white working class men’s issues, right?

          • karol 17.1.1.1.1
            26 August 2013 at 12:30 pm

            The splitting of the politics of gender, sexuality and “race” from that of class, seems to assume that working class doesn’t include women, brown & LGBTI people, etc.

            • Colonial Viper 17.1.1.1.1.1
              26 August 2013 at 1:36 pm

              That’s because class issues are broader and more encompassing of entire populations, entire towns and districts even. Class issues are primarily those of unemployment, poverty and poor working conditions and low pay. Discussions about equal gender or LGBTI representation on corporate boards doesn’t come into it.

              • weka …
                26 August 2013 at 7:54 pm

                Good grief man, you really have no idea what feminism has been on about for basically the whole of your life.

                And. If you want to look at class issues, look at people politicised around class and what happened to women in those movements and why they left them and created second wave feminism.

                Then look at all the other so called ‘identities’ and ask yourself why in 2013 we arguing about class with those things separated out. There is a bloody good reason.

          • Colonial Viper 17.1.1.1.2
            26 August 2013 at 1:33 pm

            Sure it’s ok, good even. The problem is when class is elevated above other identities.

            You really think that working class issues have been elevated above other identity politics issues in the last 30 years?

            There’s no votes in supporting the interests of the bottom 10% of the population. That’s the sad fact.

            • weka 17.1.1.1.2.1
              26 August 2013 at 7:58 pm

              “Sure it’s ok, good even. The problem is when class is elevated above other identities.”

              “You really think that working class issues have been elevated above other identity politics issues in the last 30 years?”

              Not at all. I mean in conversations like this that divide politics up into class politics and other identity politics. In those conversations a heirarchy gets created where class gets elevated.

              eg http://thestandard.org.nz/shane-jones-smoko-room-candidate/#comment-685582

        • QoT 17.1.1.2
          26 August 2013 at 7:42 pm

          Someone in Labour finally makes a reference to class politics

          But is that what Jones did? Yes, he used words like “jobs” and “income” and referred to his target demographic as “blue-collar” … but how do we know that that’s about a class analysis of politics and not shorthand for “working-class hetero men who think the bitches have been getting too uppity”?

      • Tracey 17.1.2
        26 August 2013 at 10:47 am

        What about Nanaia Mahuta. Or is she too female for those maori who support Jones?

        • SHG (not Colonial Viper) 17.1.2.1
          26 August 2013 at 12:14 pm

          Other than being uncharismatic, untalented, and with no experience at anything she’d be perfect.

  18. Mary 18
    26 August 2013 at 10:59 am

    Listening to Grant Robertson and Shane Jones this morning knowing that currently these were the only two contenders hit home the seriousness of the trouble Labour’s currently in. To think that without Cunliffe this is all Labour can muster is pretty depressing. Things are so bad for Labour it’s almost as if it’s become Cunliffe’s duty to New Zealand to stand. Of course I’m sure Cunliffe will stand, but that’s what it felt like imagining that these were the only two people Labour were putting forward to deal to the morally bankrupt Key and his greedy henchmen. It’d be back to the future.

  19. Mary 19
    26 August 2013 at 11:09 am

    “Mike Williams is right in that Shane will inject a degree of humour into the campaign…”

    Yes Mike, just what we need at the moment. One clown recommending another clown.

    • Skinny 19.1
      26 August 2013 at 11:50 am

      Oh such doom and gloom! The fact is Labour were 10,000 votes shy of taking the benches last time. If Jones can inspire 50,000 unengaged non voters from the last election to show up at the voting booths and a quarter of the 800,000 turn up also then Nact are tossed out.

      • Mary 19.1.1
        26 August 2013 at 12:26 pm

        Firstly, I don’t think he can. Secondly, even if he could it wouldn’t last long. People would very soon get sick of his condescending failed attempts at cute humour that just makes him come across as a complete git. He’s just way too undisciplined to be even an MP let alone leader or deputy leader. Just imagine how he’d react in the House to the constant jibes he’d inevitably get, and not just the movies thing either, but his attitudes towards women as well. The guy just isn’t viable. I sincerely hope that Robertson talking him up as a possible senior minister doesn’t come to anything. Cunliffe must surely have the smarts to see this.

        • Ant 19.1.1.1
          26 August 2013 at 12:43 pm

          I don’t get where this idea that he’s somehow going to get the non vote out comes from? Some success he’s had in the past that no one else knows about?

          He doesn’t even have a land based electorate.

      • Ron 19.1.2
        26 August 2013 at 1:34 pm

        One would expect that however many non voters turned out, I would expect them to vote much the same way as the rest of the country so you would expect last election that National would have got slightly more than Labour from the extra voters

  20. Tanz 20
    26 August 2013 at 11:30 am

    Isn’t it a bit rich for Grant Robertson, who comes arcross very well in the media, to be saying that people arn’t voting because they fell like politics is something that is ‘done to them.’
    No, it’s just that those in power think its okay to run roughshod over the elctorate over many important issues without actually asking the electorate first. There are so many agendas in place that Joe Public never gets asked.

    With both the major parties, our democracy isn’t what it used to be. Shane Jones would be a good leader, he’s kind of grass-roots, a good bloke.

  21. Delia 21
    26 August 2013 at 11:51 am

    Watch old Shane laugh and sneer at women’s issue if he were Leader. The guy who forgets that many women vote Labour. Leadership material – forget it – from a so called gelding.

    • Tracey 21.1
      26 August 2013 at 11:53 am

      I have searched for the gelding comment and can only find it referred to in blogs with no source.

      • karol 21.1.1
        26 August 2013 at 11:58 am

        First up on google:

        Shane Jones gelding moment, via NZ Herald: On gender quotas:

        Mr Jones said he had spent yesterday in and around Kerikeri and Kaitaia talking about the proposal, “and the overwhelming response is the public doesn’t want the country run by geldings”.

        “Of course it’s important that we have a diverse set of personalities in our caucus but merit cannot be disowned for mediocrity, whether it’s Maoris, women or anyone else.”

        Mr Jones said most people in the provinces – where Labour needed to recapture support – were focused on the economy.

        “They don’t care who is going to exercise the power provided they’re talented, they’ve got merit and they can develop a solution to the economic woes affecting so many people.”

        • Lanthanide 21.1.1.1
          26 August 2013 at 12:01 pm

          Yeah, was just going to post the same. Tracey can’t have searched very hard.

        • Tracey 21.1.1.2
          26 August 2013 at 12:24 pm

          Thanks. I searched google. My terms were shane jones gelding. What I got was four blog comments, all of which I visited but none quoted the source.

          • karol 21.1.1.2.1
            26 August 2013 at 12:27 pm

            hmmm. Curious. I used the same search terms.

            • Lanthanide 21.1.1.2.1.1
              26 August 2013 at 12:35 pm

              As did I.

            • Macro 21.1.1.2.1.2
              26 August 2013 at 1:35 pm

              Google is NOT the same for everyone! While two can enter the same search terms, that does not mean they will get the same results – because google has been looking at what you normally view and what “interests” each user. It then makes decisions upon what your previous browsing has been. The results can be quite dissimilar. And you thought the GCSB Bill was scarey… Google have been at it for some time.

              • One Anonymous Knucklehead …
                26 August 2013 at 2:03 pm

                Three words: duck duck go.

                PS: that said, a search for “Shane Jones gelding” on duck duck go returns equestrian news as its top comment 😆

                PPS: Macro, to paraphrase Weka, can you really not tell the difference between Google and the NSA?

    • Mary 21.2
      26 August 2013 at 12:30 pm

      Jones would be at home in the Australian Liberal Party. He could get a cameo on The GC.

  22. Craig Y 22
    26 August 2013 at 12:01 pm

    About the only problem I have with Jones is his potential incompatibility with our Green allies.

    • Mary 22.1
      26 August 2013 at 12:34 pm

      How about being laughed at every day in the House?

    • lprent 22.2
      26 August 2013 at 12:37 pm

      …potential incompatibility with our Green allies..

      Potential? They dislike him as much as I do. They tend to view him as being the member for Sealords and other corporates..

      My objections go a different way. Shane Jones is a dickhead who can’t help himself. He is serially incompetent. He screws up politically on average about every 18 months to two years and has done so from the time I first noticed him.

      Rather than getting better as he gets more experienced, he is getting more and more crazy over time. After running this site over the last 6 years, I class him amongst the worst performing of all of the MP’s, just simply because he ALWAYS screws up. Basically he virtually defines himself as being a complete lazy dickhead who appears to be incapable of learning.

      He is a complete liability for the Labour party and should have been dumped long ago. Good at losing seats and not much else.

      • SHG (not Colonial Viper) 22.2.1
        26 August 2013 at 1:07 pm

        All Jones’s problems flow from his laziness. He’s been handed everything on a plate his entire life by Northland Maori tribal interests desperate for someone to lead them, and on paper he looks great. Bilingual, strong speaker, proficient at the protocol of the marae, intelligent. But he’s just plain lazy. He was anointed as Northland’s future Maori leader at a young age and he doesn’t have to work for it. He always looks to obtain the maximum personal benefit with the bare minimum of personal effort. That inevitably bites him – as lprent observed, about every 18 months – when he makes a complete cockup of something that would have gone smoothly if he’d just taken the time to actually read the goddamn briefing papers. But nooooo, that sort of stuff – work – is for people who aren’t The Chosen One.

      • Mary 22.2.2
        26 August 2013 at 1:08 pm

        That was extremely dumb of Williams to encourage him. Lowers the tone of the whole exercise.

        I’m getting absolutely sick to death of seeing and hearing Williams. Went to sleep after seeing him blathering on on The Nation last night, then woke up to hear his self-obsessed opinions on Morning Report, then all of a sudden he’s spouting off again on Ninetonoon. Had to turn him off. Isn’t there someone else who’s not such an “I” specialist? “I’ve done this” and “I’ve done that” and “I used to be…so I know”. I wish that Mike Williams would just go away.

        • GarethGee 22.2.2.1
          26 August 2013 at 6:37 pm

          He tried to but Owen Glenn wouldn’t give him a job.

          Nor, it would seem, would anyone else. He’s gotta make a crust somehow.

        • gnomic 22.2.2.2
          26 August 2013 at 6:40 pm

          Would that be Mike “I’ve got three houses” Williams? What about shut up and go away? No chance of course, he’ll just keep on blathering, and being dragged out to pontificate at any conceivable opportunity by Radio NZ et al.

    • Murray 22.3
      26 August 2013 at 3:13 pm

      I would call that a strength. Until Labour put distance between themselves and Greens they will always be open to criticism as being the dog that’s wagged by the tail. Jones can destroy Key in a debate.

      • Colonial Viper 22.3.1
        26 August 2013 at 4:29 pm

        Jones can destroy Key in a debate.

        Can you point to an example in the House where this has happened, say in Question Time.

        • lprent 22.3.1.1
          26 August 2013 at 6:25 pm

          …say in Question Time

          Indeed. I can’t remember ever seeing him do anything like that. I have this problem when I’m listening to speeches. I listen for content and belief rather than phrasing. Jones isn’t bad at making up a fine sounding but essentially meaningless speech. On the occasions when I’ve heard him I tend to spend most of the speech pretty bored because there is nothing of substance.

          • Mary 22.3.1.1.1
            26 August 2013 at 10:26 pm

            Some journo in the next couple of weeks should ask Jones what he’d say to those who’ve said he’s not too bad at making up a speech that might sound fine but which is essentially meaningless and has nothing of substance.

          • lprent 22.3.1.1.2
            27 August 2013 at 12:22 am

            Asking about his wealth of ministerial experience would also help. From Oct 2007-Nov 2008

            Jones was made a Cabinet Minister with the portfolios of Building and Construction, and was made an Associate Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

            That wikipedia is a bit damning. It’d be fun keeping an eye on the edits to it over the coming weeks. Even with that it reads better than Grant Robertson’s one in terms of ministerial experience.

            The Labour Caucus really is a bit of a disaster zone when you’re hunting for experienced ministers to become PM at present.

            Having untried MP’s as PM is a bit of a mugs game in my opinion. Sure Key has been an electoral success in 2008, but only just by the one seat in 2011. But his leadership of the country has been marred by fumbling, being largely incompetent (the disaster of bulding ChCh comes to mind), and has fostered a level of distrust of politicians that I’d hoped we’d lost with Shipley.

        • QoT 22.3.1.2
          26 August 2013 at 7:50 pm

          According to the Parliament website, he’s only asked 9 primary questions this term. And 15 in the last term.

          • lprent 22.3.1.2.1
            27 August 2013 at 12:12 am

            I thought he’d been trying for the record that David Farrar seems so concerned with (the Labour MP with the fewest questions in the house). It appears that he is making progress towards that target.

            Bearing in mind the remaining sitting days, I’d anticipate that he should reach either 13 or 14 by the end of the term.

  23. gobsmacked 23
    26 August 2013 at 1:24 pm

    Shane Jones on Radio Live with Jackson & Tamihere. Geting the nutty talkback endorsement.

    He needs to learn that when people ring up and say “I support you …”, it’s important to wait for the “because …” before thanking them. 🙂

  24. tracey 24
    26 August 2013 at 1:48 pm

    What have jones and cunliffe and robertson achieved during their careers as mps. What bills mark their past achievements.

    • Colonial Viper 24.1
      26 August 2013 at 4:28 pm

      Bills? Meh. How about real action.

      Cunliffe broke up multi-billion dollar Telecom.

  25. Adam 25
    26 August 2013 at 4:20 pm

    Interesting to see the “lazy Jones” meme in this thread. Sounds like “Maori = lazy”, or for those old enough to remember, “Matt Rata reads comics.”
    Channeling Andrea Vance perhaps, who measures indolence based on how many times a day an MP calls her.
    And why do all these highly-educated people on this site think “gelding” refers to female parts? Obviously not spent enough time in the country.

    • Te Reo Putake 25.1
      26 August 2013 at 4:34 pm

      Good comment, Adam, you make a very perceptive point about the ‘lazy maori’ connection. It fits nicely alongside the strawman issue of Robertson’s sexuality and Cunliffe’s supposed smugness in the righty narrative.

      • SHG (not Colonial Viper) 25.1.1
        26 August 2013 at 4:45 pm

        Case studies: the “Nanny State” showers fiasco in 2008 and the Bill Liu immigration clusterfuck. Both damaging to Labour, both the direct result of the Chosen One taking the easy option and not reading the briefing papers and not seeking advice from experts.

        • Adam 25.1.1.1
          26 August 2013 at 6:13 pm

          Nanny state showers fiasco: A Green idea, foisted on the minister at Cabinet level, then the Greens ran away when it blew up. What about getting a new building act through that has allowed people to do renovations again without getting bogged down with red tape?
          Bill Liu – if ministers don’t have ministerial discretion, why have them? Almost a third of appeals to minister on immigration matters are successful which is why people do them. Jones didn’t believe the officials, the High Court didn’t believe the officials, so who were these supposed “experts”. Shearer, who had never been a minister, panicked and benched Jones for a year. Your slanderous history is falling apart.

    • Mary 25.2
      26 August 2013 at 4:49 pm

      “Interesting to see the “lazy Jones” meme in this thread. Sounds like “Maori = lazy”, or for those old enough to remember, “Matt Rata reads comics.””

      What utter rubbish you write. If you were correct you would’ve heard the same thing said about Parekura Horomia but you didn’t because Parekura wasn’t lazy. Mat Rata was equally renown for great things he did, through hard work, such fighting for introduction of the Waitangi Tribunal. Rata walked away from the Labour Party in the late 1970s because he didn’t like the direction it was taking. Couldn’t imagine Shane Jones ever doing that. Heaven knows he’s had plenty of opportunities.

    • weka 25.3
      26 August 2013 at 4:59 pm

      “And why do all these highly-educated people on this site think “gelding” refers to female parts?”

      Context (or, women are gelded males because they have no balls). Although myself, I thought he was referring to his male colleagues who let all these wimmin into the party and in charge of things. Doubly insulting that way.

      • karol 25.3.1
        26 August 2013 at 6:42 pm

        Over-heard in the crowd at New Lynn today:

        “Shane Jones said the people who object to his gelding comment have university degrees. Jones has a degree from Harvard, FFS!” – or words to that effect.

      • gnomic 25.3.2
        26 August 2013 at 6:47 pm

        The ‘gelding’ bit is apparently a reference to a quote from a president of the USA named Grover Cleveland. It seems Grover thought the American people did not want a gelding in the White House. The relevance of this to NZ politics today escapes me. Maybe Jones can explain, that’s assuming he wasn’t just babbling nonsense.

    • lprent 25.4
      26 August 2013 at 6:32 pm

      There have been a number of hard-working Labour Maori MPs. Shane Jones is not amongst their number.

      He has been bloody irritating because of the amount of effort he has caused me over time here. You can’t imagine how irritating it has been trying to defend a Labour MP when they screw up again and again, when the refrain keeps going through your head of “stupid arrogant dickhead”. Eventually I stopped trying to defend him, and added him to the “complete fuckwit” list. It is so liberating…

      I think that anyone who is engaged with politics has also done the same thing long ago, or they’re on the right in a faux support mode.

  26. Virginia Linton 26
    26 August 2013 at 5:48 pm

    Shane being lazy has nothing to do with being Maori. He’s just lazy. When kids and young people in their dozens were committing suicide earlier this year, where was Shane? Where is his big gob about poverty, housing, education, and caring for the Far North’s elderly (and not just in occasional posturing sound bites)? He’s not a proactive Labour MP up here and I’ve never heard him espouse Labour values; Shane is out for Shane. As for not being the Pope, well duh. Personally I like leaders to be passionate, hard-working, inspirational, aspirational, and there’s nothing wrong with ethics and integrity either. His ex is the real deal; I think she should replace Shane high on the list.

    • Adam 26.1
      26 August 2013 at 6:19 pm

      You are confusing sound bites with action. You probably think Hone Harawira is effective.

      • karol 26.1.1
        26 August 2013 at 6:31 pm

        Really, Adam?

        Harawira: Feed the Kids Bill, breakfast for Sth Auckland children, on the front line for Glen Innes housing protest, on various street demos, great speech at the Town Hall against the GCSB Bill.

        Shane Jones: defending the rights of the likes of Sealord, and…… ?

        • Adam 26.1.1.1
          26 August 2013 at 7:05 pm

          Feed the Kids Bill = band aid rather than structural change (and now appropriated as corporate PR by National’s Fonterra wing); houses still being trucked out of Glen Innes (to house his constituents); Shearer had a more substantial Town Hall speech, just delivered it with usual crashing ineptitude.
          Too bloody right defending the rights of Sealord. Why would you believe anything Peter Talley tells you?

          • lurgee 26.1.1.1.1
            26 August 2013 at 7:08 pm

            How much structural change do you think a singleton MP is capable of carrying out?

            Sorry, what was that you were saying about soundbites? Try to think a bit more before posting!

        • Takere 26.1.1.2
          28 August 2013 at 12:10 pm

          When labour was the government, Fenton defended Labours position to do nothing about the issues with NZ fishing companies ….. and now? In 2001 the minimum wage was about, $10.25. 8 years later $11.25 ….. talking about lazy and ineffective??

    • Mary 26.2
      26 August 2013 at 8:24 pm

      “Where is his big gob about poverty, housing, education, and caring for the Far North’s elderly…”

      Nowhere, because Jones is a right-winger.

  27. Tim 27
    26 August 2013 at 6:40 pm

    At one time – not that long ago, Tau Henare used to grace the smoko rooms too! Of course he didn’t have the luxury of dwelling in ‘2 worlds’ and nor was his edgikayshun as spektacyalah. But dwell he did in blokish cameraderie (pulling the tits of many a fine bloke).
    But then again, so did Paul Tollich amongst members of the Tramways Union – then I learn (courtesy of a TS contributor) that he’s an ABC man. Go figure!
    Funny old world.
    I’m thinking Websters need to come up with new definitions for ‘principle’ and ‘honesty’

    • North 27.1
      26 August 2013 at 6:57 pm

      +++ Tim. Yeah. A current very activist Maori union activist of my acquaintance cracks me up when he hoots about “Ray Henry of the union”. What a dog !

      As to Jones, he’s been demonstrating for a long time that he’s a fake fulla. Hone’s ten times the man.

      I know plenty of Labour people, not just women, who simply can’t countenance the prospect of Jones anywhere near the box seat.

      Bro’……imagine trying to convert pompous talking down into “street” ? Vainglorious wahanui I say !

  28. Virginia Linton 28
    26 August 2013 at 6:43 pm

    Shane … Action … Oxymoron.

  29. Virginia Linton 29
    26 August 2013 at 6:54 pm

    Shane did not approach the Northland or Tai Tokerau LECs and hasn’t been endorsed by them. He’s been endorsed by Sonny Tau who is a member of the Maori Party.

  30. Murray Olsen 30
    26 August 2013 at 6:58 pm

    Who are all the new people who have suddenly appeared to promote Sealord Jones? The paranoia in me suggests they might actually be visitors from the right, interested in seeing Labour lose.

  31. North 31
    26 August 2013 at 6:59 pm

    Oh yeah, OK, but our mate Takere’s endorsed him. That should be enough.

    What……Sonny as well ? Oh that’s it. Step aside Dave.

  32. millsy 32
    26 August 2013 at 7:17 pm

    Shane Jones is more preferable than GR in my onion. If nothing else he wouldn’t be caught dead taking a photo of a tofu and spinach panini to put on his Facebook page in some fancy fancy cafe. He would be down by the local reserve with some fish and chips. We need more fish and chip eaters and less panini eaters in the NZLP.

  33. lurgee 33
    26 August 2013 at 7:22 pm

    What, are the workers not to eat tofu? Elitist!

  34. Tracey 34
    27 August 2013 at 2:01 pm

    Doing what I can to find what each candidate stands for.

    ““Well, look, I’ve said some colourful things in the past, and I finally found something that I can agree with the Greens on – ie, regulating the power industry.””

    Labour’s Shane Jones says he now fully supports his party’s energy policy despite earlier saying he had reservations.

    http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/labours-shane-jones-realises-he-does-support-partys-energy-policy-139280

    “I am keen to defang these misapprehensions that are abounding that somehow industry has disappeared from our purview.

    “Nothing could be further from the truth and if my visit provides the opportunity to reinforce the centrality of jobs, the importance of industry and the need for a future Labour-led government to assuage whatever anxieties might be there in the minds of employers or future investors then I am up for the task,” he said.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/8937854/Labour-duo-keen-to-talk-jobs-and-growth

  35. Vanessa Rare 35
    31 August 2013 at 12:51 pm

    SHANE JONES has got everything that is needed to lead Labour and become a serious threat to National. His potency from the time he entered parliament has been standout. His intellect, guts and fearlessness, I believe hasn’t been matched. For me is orator skills and power has echo’s and reminders of the late great Mr Lange. We need Shane’s strength up the front, he will not back down from National and he’ll give them as good as Labour gets with a curiously tactical and strategic edge. Labour needs his strength to lead them, and with his front row of top guns flanking him, he will be unstoppable in the process of drop kicking National OUT!! Only SHANE JONES has the grit to push Labour forward, no one is as strong as SHANE JONES in Labour this is for sure. If he can keep a calm and poker face appearance to himself when under the stress and pressure that comes with being a PM, he’ll win the Country over. Cause lets face it, there’s more poor people in this country than there are rich, so we have to win, cause the poor wont vote for Key, but they will if the Leader of Labour shows any signs of weakness, like those in the past that have tried but haven’t lasted. I’ve always had a feeling for a long time that SHANE JONES will be the Prime Minister of Aotearoa one day, and he’ll be chosen to be there and he’ll be loved cause he’ll reverse all the shit that National has done, and the people will love him for it….. GO FOR IT SHANE

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    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    3 days ago

  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • NZ not backing down in Canada dairy dispute
    Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago

  • Stronger oversight for our most vulnerable children
    The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago

  • Streamlining Building Consent Changes
    The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.      “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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