Shedding the deadwood

Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, November 1st, 2013 - 48 comments
Categories: election 2014, national - Tags:

The resignation announcements of National MPs are coming thick and fast. It shows that National knows that it’s going to have fewer MPs are the next election. If it doesn’t want all its seats clogged with MPs that are going nowhere, they need to retire at the election. For the Left, it’s good confirmation that National knows its losing. It’s smart politics from National, though, and something Labour could emulate.

48 comments on “Shedding the deadwood ”

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  1. One Anonymous Knucklehead 1
    1 November 2013 at 10:03 am

    “…smart politics…”

    Well, you have to wait twelve years before you’re entitled like Sir Roger, and if you’re in the National Party you have directorships promised as payment for services rendered as an MP, so that’s a big incentive to move on.

    Smart isn’t the word I’d use.

    • Nick 1.1
      1 November 2013 at 4:21 pm

      As opposed to Labour, who would never engage in that sort of nepotism

      Right?

      http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2013/07/jobs_for_the_mates_indeed.html

      • Murray Olsen 1.1.1
        2 November 2013 at 12:59 am

        Farrar gets paid to write that crap. What’s your excuse?

        I’m pretty sure OAK was meaning that NAct MPs get directorships with private companies as a reward for their service. Not many Labour MPs get this, so your post has done nothing except show your lack of understanding. Both parties appoint their political mates to boards, commissions and all that, simply because those are the people they know. In the end we see some sort of balance in government appointments, apart from the fact that NAct can appoint people who are totally unqualified, such as that squash player.

  2. Philgwellington Wellington 2
    1 November 2013 at 10:07 am

    Xox
    “Something Labour could emulate ”
    The Labs need to cut out the deadwood from it’s policies and centre right pollies if they aren’t prepared to back the fundamental change that is needed. The country has been shafted, pillaged and raped. Enough! Time for rebuilding from the grass roots. Problem is how do you sell this necessary policy transformation to the public? We had a false promise with Lange! What did we get! Douglas and Prebble, and Goff. Clark doesn’t look so hot from this historical perspective., either.

  3. tc 3
    1 November 2013 at 10:48 am

    Issue is that unlike the NACT which operates on a corporate basis of do what you’re told, here is your next gig etc which it’s players fully understand and comply with such as Aaron Gilmore…..where is he now ?

    Labour operates on a collaborative basis and if they don’t want to collaborate there’s nowhere to bury them, can anyone see Mallard as one example shuffling off quietly without chucking a few tantys and whispering in janes ear.

  4. tricledrown 4
    1 November 2013 at 11:23 am

    Michael don ‘t get carried away saying National is loosing there a long way to gone to the next election.
    Its the economy stupid.
    Unless commodity prices slump
    and the ChCh rebuild grinds to a halt National will get the credit for a growing economy.
    Let’s not count our chooks before they hatch.
    A lot of hard work has to be done to get thosr who didn’t vote last time out to vote.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 4.1
      1 November 2013 at 12:05 pm

      The improving economy is the cause of Labours polling bump.

      • alwyn 4.1.1
        1 November 2013 at 12:35 pm

        It was a very small bump wasn’t it?
        Latest Roy Morgan has Labour DOWN 1.5%, Greens DOWN 1.5% and National UP by 0.5%.
        I’m afraid the bump wasm’t pregnancy Mrs Jones, it was only indigestion.
        So sad, too bad, never mind

        • ghostwhowalksnz 4.1.1.1
          1 November 2013 at 1:14 pm

          Dont be silly, 1.5% in that context is within the margin of error from poll to poll.
          The bump is from say a year ago.

          It sounds like you dont understand what statistical sampling really means

          • McFlock 4.1.1.1.1
            1 November 2013 at 2:11 pm

            lol
            a year ago labour was on 32.5%.
            3% “bump” is pretty close to the MoE, too…

            • ghostwhowalksnz 4.1.1.1.1.1
              1 November 2013 at 4:10 pm

              Curiablog has the ‘average’ of public polls’ recently shows labour at about 35% while back in 2012 labour was often below 30%.

              The trend is rising and Nationals is falling. Put that in your pipe and smoke it

              • McFlock …
                1 November 2013 at 6:51 pm

                Curiablog has the ‘average’ of public polls’ recently shows labour at about 35% while back in 2012 labour was often below 30%.

                yes, let’s compare an “about” current approximation with the lowest measure we can cherry pick while sliding “a year ago” into “anytime in the last 11 to 23 months”.

                Gotta pretend change is evident, even if it’s not…

          • Dumrse 4.1.1.1.2
            1 November 2013 at 8:47 pm

            …margin of error… We get this fucking lecture every time the poll shows a drop.

  5. Red Horse 5
    1 November 2013 at 12:11 pm

    Labour could do the same. When someone says deadwood the names of Trevor Mallard and Annette King come to mind.

    • Anne 5.1
      1 November 2013 at 7:28 pm

      There’s a big difference Red Horse. Annette King is still well and truly on top of her game.

  6. Philgwellington Wellington 6
    1 November 2013 at 12:13 pm

    Xox
    My question is ” Why would the totally disenchanted and disenfranchised vote for labour, given its history?” I argue that both parties are the problem and unless leopards change their spots b4 the next GE, the lesser of two evils is not good enough. We need a real choice and fundamental change. Can’t see it..

  7. tricledrown 7
    1 November 2013 at 12:14 pm

    Ghost writer the bump could tirn to slump at anytime.

  10. thor42 10
    1 November 2013 at 7:25 pm

    “…something Labour could emulate.”

    It certainly could.

    Look at a lineup that includes the likes of Goff, King, Mallard, Moroney and Fenton. Gee – what an absolute picture of dynamism and youth *they* present!

    This blog calls it “shedding the deadwood”.
    It could *also* be called “rejuvenation”.
    Something that Labour could do with an *awful* lot of.

    • Pascal's bookie 10.1
      1 November 2013 at 7:28 pm

      How’s that John Ansell thing you were ever so keen about going?

      Getting lots of traction I see.

  11. Sable 11
    1 November 2013 at 8:17 pm

    Hmmm I wouldn’t be so quick to write the Tories off. They have the slimy mainstream media on their side which did devastating damage to Labor in Australia.

    This is more likely a case of out with the old, in with the new, in an attempt to revitalize their image in the eyes of the voting public.

    • thor42 11.1
      1 November 2013 at 8:45 pm

      “…mainstream media on their side…”

      Pfft….. If by “mainstream media” you mean the leftwing bootlickers at TV1 and TV3, you’re a little bit off the mark.
      The Herald and Dom Post too – hardly “on the side of the Right”.

      “…revitalize their image…”
      Hmmph…. “image”. The Nats have *results*. That matters much more than “image”. NZ has come through the GFC better than *any* other country in the world (and that includes Australia. (Mind you, they had the huge disadvantage of a Labour government. )

      I can’t wait to see Labour’s “policy” next year.
      The “living wage”? Great way to increase costs for employers so they have to lay off more staff to stay in business. I *really hope* Labour push that dead-end policy for all they’re worth next year. Great way to make the country LESS competitive, pushing up costs for employers.

      Seen the graph here? It shows you all you need to know
      about the “living wage”.
      http://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.co.nz/

      • Jim Nald 11.1.1
        1 November 2013 at 8:56 pm

        Sounds like in your world, a ‘slave wage’, ‘starving wage’ or ‘dying wage’ would be preferable and something for which to be immensely grateful.

        Btw, given “NZ has come through the GFC better than *any* other country in the world (and that includes Australia”, does that mean our wages are currently much better than theirs?

        • thor42 11.1.1.1
          1 November 2013 at 9:03 pm

          Oh, cue the violins and the pics of people starving in the streets.

          If things are so dire in NZ then why is it that orchardists and farmers have to get people in from Fiji and the Philippines to do work?

          Why is it, too, that people deliberately fail job interviews (e.g. smoking, chewing gum) and also get themselves fired from jobs so they can go back on the dole?
          Oh, “soooo dire”, ay….. 🙂

          Coming through the GFC better than anyone else means that the economy as a whole came through better. No, our wages are lower than Australia’s and they *always* will be, silly promises by MPs here notwithstanding.

          All that Labour can promise is bumper-sticker slogans and policies that have already been shown to not work. That doesn’t matter though – they will still have enough knuckledragging supporters that the election will be close.

          • ghostwhowalksnz 11.1.1.1.1
            2 November 2013 at 7:40 am

            Our wages are lower than Australias, and allways will be ???

            Wasnt the case in the late 80s. I know since I got a pay rise coming from Melbourne to Auckland.

            But the stagnation under Bolger and Richardson meant Australia roared ahead.
            THose silly Employment Contract Act laws , designed to lower wages had the desired effect

          • David H 11.1.1.1.2
            2 November 2013 at 9:46 am

            “Why is it, too, that people deliberately fail job interviews (e.g. smoking, chewing gum) and also get themselves fired from jobs so they can go back on the dole?
            Oh, “soooo dire”, ay….. :)”

            Why is it the Right wing nut jobs spout crap like this? If it was true, then you, would KNOW, where to get a link to confirm your wild accusations, well you would, wouldn’t you?

      • ghostwhowalksnz 11.1.2
        2 November 2013 at 7:36 am

        You forget about talkback radio, which gets all of nationals talking points each morning so they dont have to look for new material.

      • bodab 11.1.3
        2 November 2013 at 9:40 pm

        Hi Thor,

        “NZ has come through the GFC better than *any* other country in the world (and that includes Australia.”

        Interesting claims – let’s fact check! How’ve we done in average adult earnings since the GFC struck with force in 2009? (from NZ Stats)
        2009 NZD 868 Average weekly earnings
        2013 NZD 963
        Difference – we’re up 10.9% – yay!

        How about those Aussies then? (Australian Bureau of Statistics)
        2009 AUD 1171 Average weekly earnings
        2013 AUD 1482
        Oops – they’re up 22.4% (Bloody Labour government…)

        What about interest rates? Don’t we have the lowest interest rates in a generation? Those Aussies gotta be suffering!
        NZ OCR: 2.5%
        Aus OCR: 2.5%

        Well we’d better be better off in terms of unemployment. (Flippin’ Labour govt in Aus would have every slacker sitting on their asses after all those years in power.)
        NZ unemployment rate – 6.4% (HLFS Jun 2013)
        Aus unemployment rate – 5.6% (ABS Sept 2013)

        Oh, ok, income gap’s grown by more than 10% in the last four years, plus unemployment rate 0.8% better. Thor, help me out here, which figure am I missing! Throw me a friggin’ bone here! We’ve gotta be better at something according to your claims. What – more sheep????

        • bodab 11.1.3.1
          2 November 2013 at 10:44 pm

          Dear Thor,
          No reply? Even to the sheep dig?
          I re-read your post and detected some anxiety about next year’s Labour-led government. I think you may have picked up some nonsense somewhere, which has distorted your perceptions. Me, I’m into evidence-based stuff. Let’s have a look at some numbers – NZ growth in real GDP per annum since 1970. (Sources: NZ Stats & RBNZ) Let’s look at just how well we do in terms of growth in real GDP per annum under National and Labour governments (and National-led and Labour-led governments since MMP.)

          1970 4.0% N
          1971 2.2% N
          1972 0.9% N
          1973 2.5% L
          1974 4.9% L
          1975 1.9% L
          1976 -0.1% N
          1977 -0.6% N
          1978 -0.5% N
          1979 0.2% N
          1980 2.7% N
          1981 0.8% N
          1982 4.4% N
          1983 -0.3% N
          1984 1.4% N
          1985 4.0% L
          1986 0.3% L
          1987 1.8% L
          1988 -1.9% L
          1989 0.5% L
          1990 -0.2% L
          1991 1.0% N
          1992 -2.5% N
          1993 0.1% N
          1994 5.1% N
          1995 3.8% N
          1996 2.5% N
          1997 1.7% N-led
          1998 1.1% N-led
          1999 0.1% N-led
          2000 4.7% L-led
          2001 1.7% L-led
          2002 2.7% L-led
          2003 3.1% L-led
          2004 2.2% L-led
          2005 2.4% L-led
          2006 1.8% L-led
          2007 3.3% L-led
          2008 1.1% L-led
          2009 -1.9% N-led
          2010 1.2% N-led
          2011 1.2% N-led
          2012 2.4% N-led

          It’s been a crazy ride the last 42 years – and sadly average growth in real GDP per annum averages out at 1.5% over this period. Under National and National-led governments growth in real GDP per annum averages out at 1.2%. Under Labour and Labour-led governments growth in real GDP per annum averages out at 2.0%.
          So don’t fret – under Labour, history has shown you’ll be much better off. In fact, if we had suffered National’s low growth rates every year we had a Labour or Labour-led government since 1970, we’d have a 13.5% lower real GDP than we do now. Feeling relieved?

  12. Descendant Of Sssmith 12
    2 November 2013 at 8:11 am

    “If things are so dire in NZ then why is it that orchardists and farmers have to get people in from Fiji and the Philippines to do work?”

    1. They don’t have to
    2. They don’t like a competitive labour market where workers will do the first and second picks on their orchard and then move to the next orchard cause third picks aren’t worth the money. Overseas workers aren’t able to move orchards of their own accord
    3. They don’t like a competitive labour market where a NZ worker might start picking but will leave for a better paying job elsewhere part-way through the season
    4. They don’t like a competitive labour market where if the orchard / packhouse down the road is paying more money the word soon gets around on the cellphones and the NZ workers will go to where the pay is better.
    5. They can’t cram the NZ workers into cheap accommodation and take the rent money out of their wages. One orchardist over in Hawkes Bay was reported as having got back $400,000 in accommodation costs from his overseas workers last year.
    6. They won’t pay NZer’s for a whole weeks work even if they only have two days work that week due to weather and take out of their wages later when they work longer weeks so NZer’s prefer to work for employers where they can get a full weeks pay. (BTW the overseas workers get paid 30 hours per week every week they are here).
    7. They can no longer use even cheaper illegal labour so overseas indentured labour is the next best thing.
    8. They use overseas labour because we have agreements with other governments to do so and it’s part of our aid program to Pacific Island countries
    9. They expect the state to subsidise their labour force when there are breaks in the weather
    10. They sell in an export market (rather than for domestic consumption) and are competing against low wage economies so low and minimal wages become a key determinant in costs (the race to the bottom)
    11. They are screwed over price wise for their produce by large corporate firms who can afford to pay more for their product but choose not to
    12. The have ever changing and stupid requirements placed on them each year by the corporate buyers which make no sense and increase costs e.g. Watties requirements this year for berries to be packed in longer flatter trays instead of the traditional ice cream container which was easily manageable in the field
    13. They don’t like the fact that their NZ workers might have time off for sick spouses/children/funerals. When your family is 6,000 miles away you can’t stay home that day and look after them
    14. When work drops off as they have to guarantee the overseas workers work the NZer’s get laid off first

    There’s a few real reasons rather than your demonising of NZer’s. And don’t get me wrong the bring in of overseas workers as an aid program is something I agree with. Most of the picking and packing work is however done by New Zealanders who do want to do it and often by those communities the right despises so much – poor brown ones. They’re poor of course because much of the work they get offered year in year out is low paid work in in areas like Hawkes Bay and Bay Of Plenty seasonal.

  13. phillip ure 13
    2 November 2013 at 3:19 pm

    and what about those other dead-‘wood'(s)..?

    ..susan..and michael..?

    ..we could do with ‘shedding’ them..

    phillip ure..

  14. binders full of women 14
    2 November 2013 at 7:54 pm

    Deadwood exists all over- Winston, Dunne, Malduck, Moroney, Cosgrove, Williamson, Mahuta, Dyson (is she still in?). However I have warmed to Goff.. better check my meds.

  15. phil 15
    2 November 2013 at 9:31 pm

    Nice response Sssmith to Thor, who needn’t publish his IQ when posting. Very thorough analysis to the predicament that seasonal workers find themselves in. Poor dairy workers are imported as well, for the same reason. Waiting for Thor’s reply…. still waiting.

  16. tricledrown 16
    3 November 2013 at 8:25 am

    Bodab when you look at the volume of growth that is the cash figure you get a much different picture under labour their was 3 × the growth.
    Under National you get a stop start economy yo yo if you like.
    Election bribes followed by Nationals Austerity.
    Just pure percentages don’t give a complete picture bodab.

  17. tricledrown 17
    3 November 2013 at 8:43 am

    Thor 42 rocks in your head .Dairy farmers practice a form of slavery by making workers work
    many more hours than they are paid for ie 45 hr on salary but 80 hrs in reality farm workers are isolated then farmers take advantage bonded labour.
    Orchatdists pretend they pay wages then put workers on piece work paid per kilo tonne picked.
    Then take accomodation and food out of wages leaving bugger all pay only developing country workers are willing to work in these seasonal lower than minimum wage jobs.
    The farm and Orchard owners vote National allowing workers wage theft to flourish in the rural sector.

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    The background to In Open Seas: How the New Zealand Labour Government Went Wrong:2017-2023Not in Narrow Seas: The Economic History of Aotearoa New Zealand, published in 2020, proved more successful than either I or the publisher (VUP, now Te Herenga Waka University Press) expected. I had expected that it would ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 13

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the climate implications of the US Presidential elections; and special guests Janet ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Do or do not. There is no try

    1. Upon receiving evidence that school lunches were doing a marvellous job of improving outcomes for students, David Seymour did what?a. Declared we need much more of this sort of good news and poured extra resources and funding into them b. Emailed Atlas network to ask what to do next c. Cut ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Dangerous ground

    The Waitangi Tribunal has reported back on National's proposed changes to gut the Marine and Coastal Area Act and steal the foreshore and seabed for its greedy fishing-industry donors, and declared it to be another huge violation of ti Tiriti: The Waitangi Tribunal has found government changes to the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: National wants to cheat on Paris

    In 2016, the then-National government signed the Paris Agreement, committing Aotearoa to a 30 (later 50) percent reduction in emissions by 2030. When questioned about how they intended to meet that target with their complete absence of effective climate policy, they made a lot of noise about how it was ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Treasury warned Govt lower debt limits meant less ‘productivity-enhancing investment’

    Treasury’s advice to Cabinet was that the new Government could actually prudently carry net core Crown debt of up to 50% of GDP. But Luxon and Willis instead chose to portray the Government’s finances as in such a mess they had no choice but to carve 6.5% to 7.5% off ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Is the Media Complicit?

    This is a long read. Open to all.SYNOPSIS: Traditional media is at a cross roads. There is a need for those in the media landscape, as it stands, to earn enough to stay afloat, but also come across as balanced and neutral to keep its audiences.In America, NYT’s liberal leaning ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Black Friday

    It's Black Friday, the end of the weekYou take my hand and hold it gently up against your cheekIt's all in my head, it's all in my mindI see the darkness where you see the lightSong by Tom OdellFriday the 13th, don’t be afraid.No, really, don’t. Everything has felt a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 13-September-2024

    Ooh, Friday the thirteenth. Spooky! Is that why certain zombie ideas have been stalking the landscape this week, like the Mayor’s brainwave for a motorway bridge from Kauri Point to Point Chev? Read on and find out. This roundup, like all our coverage, is brought to you by the Greater ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #37 2024

    Open access notables Early knowledge but delays in climate actions: An ecocide case against both transnational oil corporations and national governments, Hauser et al., Environmental Science & Policy: Cast within the wide context of investigating the collusion at play between powerful political-economic actors and decision-makers as monopolists and debates about ‘the modern ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • What it is

    I liked what Kieran McAnulty had to say about the Treaty Principles bill this morning so much I've written it down and copied it out for you. He was saying that rather than let this piece of ordure spend six months in Select Committee, the Prime Minister could stop making such ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • A government-funded hate campaign

    Cabinet discussed National's constitutionally and historically illiterate "Treaty Principles Bill" this week, and decided to push on with it. The bill will apparently receive a full six month select committee process - unlike practically every other policy this government has pushed, and despite the fact that if the government is ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • How Substack works to take (some) craziness out of America’s elections

    I spoke with Substack co-founder yesterday, just before the Trump-Harris debate, about how Substack is doing its thing during the US elections. He talks in particular about how Substack’s focus on paid subscriptions rather than ads has made political debate on the platform calmer, simpler, deeper and more satisfying ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • David Seymour is such a loser

    For paid subscribersNot content with siphoning off $230,000,000 of taxpayers money for his hobby projects - and telling everyone his passion is education and early childcare - an intersection painfully coincidental to the interests of wealthy private families like Sean Plunkett’s1 backers, the Wright Family, Seymour is back in the ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Cross-party consensus: there’s no pipeline without good faith

    There’s been a lot of talk recently about a cross-party agreement to develop a pipeline for infrastructure, including transport. Last month, outgoing CRL boss Sean Sweeney talked about the importance of securing an enduring infrastructure programme. He outlined the high costs of the relentless political flip-flopping of priorities, which drives ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    5 days ago
  • Voters love this climate policy they’ve never heard of

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The Inflation Reduction Act is the Biden administration’s signature climate law and the largest U.S. government investment in reducing climate pollution to date. Among climate advocates, the policy is well-known and celebrated, but beyond that, only a minority of Americans ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • ACC wants to administer inflation at more than double the RBNZ’s target rate

    ACC levies are set to rise at more than double the inflation rate targeted by the RBNZ. Photo: Lynn GrievesonKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 12:The state-owned monopoly for accident insurance wants ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Harris vs Trump

    We’ve been selected to rock your asses 'til midnightThis is my term, I've shaved off my perm, but it's alrightI solemnly swear to uphold the ConstitutionGot a rock 'n' roll problem? Well we got a solutionLet us be who we am, and let us kick out the jams, yeahKick out ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Treaty Bill “a political stunt”

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon appears to have given ACT Leader David Seymour more than he has been admitting in the proposals to go forward with a Treaty Principles Bill.All along, Luxon has maintained that the Government is proceeding with the Bill to honour the coalition agreement.But that is quite specific.It ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • An average 219 NZers migrated each day in July

    Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 11:Annual migration of New Zealanders rose to a record-high 80,963 in the year to the end of July, which is more than double its pre-Covid levels.Two ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • What you’re wanting to win more than anything is The Narrative

    Hubris is sitting down on election day 2016 to watch that pig Trump get his ass handed to him, and watching the New York Times needle hover for a while over Hillary and then move across to Trump where it remains all night to your gathering horror and dismay. You're ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • National’s automated lie machine

    The government has a problem: lots of people want information from it all the time. Information about benefits, about superannuation, ACC coverage and healthcare, taxes, jury service, immigration - and that's just the routine stuff. Responding to all of those queries takes a lot of time and costs a lot ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Christopher Luxon: A Man of “Faith” and “Compassion” Speaks on the Treaty Pr...

    Synopsis: Today - we explore two different realities. One where National lost. And another - which is the one we are living with here. Note: the footnote on increased fees/taxes may be of interest to some readers.Article open.Subscribe nowIt’s an alternate timeline.Yesterday as news broke that the central North Island ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Member’s Day

    Today is a Member's Day. First up is the third reading of Dan Bidois' Fair Trading (Gift Card Expiry) Amendment Bill, which will be followed by the committee stage of Deborah Russell's Family Proceedings (Dissolution for Family Violence) Amendment Bill. This will be followed by the second readings of Katie ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Northern Expressway Boondoggle

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has been soaring high with his hubris of getting on and building motorways but some uncomfortable realities are starting to creep in. Back in July he announced that the government was pushing on with a Northland Expressway using an “accelerated delivery strategy” The Coalition Government is ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days ago
  • Never Enough

    However much I'm falling downNever enoughHowever much I'm falling outNever, never enough!Whatever smile I smile the mostNever enoughHowever I smile I smile the mostSongwriters: Robert James Smith / Simon Gallup / Boris Williams / Porl ThompsonToday in Nick’s Kōrero:A death in the Emergency Department at Rotorua Hospital.A sad homecoming and ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Question Two of The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50)

    Kia ora.Last month I proposed restarting The Kākā Project work done before the 2023 election as The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50), aiming to be up and running before the 2025 Local Government elections, and then in a finalised form by the 2026 General Elections.A couple of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Why is God Obsessed with Spanking?

    Hi,If you’ve read Webworm for a while, you’ll be aware that I’ve spent a lot of time writing about horrific, corrupt megachurches and the shitty men who lead them.And in all of this writing, I think some people have this idea that I hate Christians or Christianity. As I explain ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Inside the public service

    In 2023, there were 63,117 full-time public servants earning, on average, $97,200 a year each. All up, that is a cost to the Government of $6.1 billion a year. It’s little wonder, then, that the public service has become a political whipping boy castigated by the Prime Minister and members ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • New Models Show Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes, and More of Them

    This is a re-post from This is Not Cool Here’s an example of some of the best kind of climate reporting, especially in that it relates to impacts that will directly affect the audience. WFLA in Tampa conducted a study in collaboration with the Department of Energy, analyzing trends in ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago
  • Where ever do they find these people?

    A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, is how Winston Churchill described the Soviet Union in 1939.  How might the great man have described the 2024 government of New Zealand, do we think? I can't imagine he would have thought them all that mysterious or enigmatic. I think ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago
  • Motorway madness

    How mad is National's obsession with roads? One of their pet projects - a truck highway to Whangārei - is going to eat 10% of our total infrastructure budget for the next 25 years: Official advice from the Infrastructure Commission shows the government could be set to spend 10 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • Our transport planning system is fundamentally broken

    Ever since Wayne Brown became mayor (nearly two years ago now) he’s been wanting to progress an “integrated transport plan” with the government – which sounded a lot like the previous Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) with just a different name. It seems like a fair bit of work progressed ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 week ago
  • Thou Shalt Not Steal

    And they taught usWhoa-oh, black woman, thou shalt not stealI said, hey, yeah, black man, thou shalt not stealWe're gonna civilise your black barbaric livesAnd we teach you how to kneelBut your history couldn't hide the genocideThe hypocrisy to us was realFor your Jesus said you're supposed to giveThe oppressed ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • How mismanagement, not wind and solar energy, causes blackouts

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections In February 2021, several severe storms swept across the United States, culminating with one that the Weather Channel unofficially named Winter Storm Uri. In Texas, Uri knocked out power to over 4.5 million homes and 10 million people. Hundreds of Texans died as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • The ‘Infra Boys’ Highway to Budget Hell

    Chris Bishop has enthusiastically dubbed himself and Simeon Brown “the Infra Boys”, but they need to take note of the sums around their roading dreams. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Media Link: “AVFA” on the politics of desperation.

    In this podcast Selwyn Manning and I talk about what appears to be a particular type of end-game in the long transition to systemic realignment in international affairs, in which the move to a new multipolar order with different characteristics … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • The cost of flying blind

    Just over two years ago, when worries about immediate mass-death from covid had waned, and people started to talk about covid becoming "endemic", I asked various government agencies what work they'd done on the costs of that - and particularly, on the cost of Long Covid. The answer was that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Seymour vs The Clergy

    For paid subscribers“Aotearoa is not as malleable as they think,” Lynette wrote last week on Homage to Simeon Brown:In my heart/mind, that phrase ricocheted over the next days, translating out to “We are not so malleable.”It gave me comfort. I always felt that we were given an advantage in New ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Unstoppable Minister McKee

    All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?

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    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    1 week ago
  • Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP

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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)

    Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago

  • Enabling rural recovery works in Hawke’s Bay

    Cabinet has approved an Order in Council to enable severe weather recovery works to continue in the Hawke’s Bay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery Mark Mitchell say. “Cyclone Gabrielle and the other severe weather events in early 2023 caused significant loss and damage to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 mins ago
  • FamilyBoost childcare payment registrations open

    From today, low-to-middle-income families with young children can register for the new FamilyBoost payment, to help them meet early childhood education (ECE) costs. The scheme was introduced as part of the Government’s tax relief plan to help Kiwis who are doing it tough. “FamilyBoost is one of the ways we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    40 mins ago
  • Prioritising victims with tougher sentences

    The Government has today agreed to introduce sentencing reforms to Parliament this week that will ensure criminals face real consequences for crime and victims are prioritised, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. "In recent years, there has been a concerning trend where the courts have imposed fewer and shorter prison sentences ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Targets data confirms rise in violent crime

    The first quarterly report on progress against the nine public service targets show promising results in some areas and the scale of the challenge in others, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “Our Government reinstated targets to focus our public sector on driving better results for New Zealanders in health, education, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Asia Foundation Board appointments announced

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the appointments of Hone McGregor, Professor David Capie, and John Boswell to the Board of the Asia New Zealand Foundation.  Bede Corry, Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has also been appointed as an ex-officio member. The new trustees join Dame Fran Wilde (Chair), ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Endeavour Fund projects for economic growth

    New Zealand’s largest contestable science fund is investing in 72 new projects to address challenges, develop new technology and support communities, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. “This Endeavour Fund round being funded is focused on economic growth and commercial outputs,” Ms Collins says. “It involves funding of more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Social Services Providers Whakamanawa National Conference 16 September 2024

    Thank you for the introduction and the invitation to speak to you here today. I am honoured to be here in my capacity as Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, and Minister for Children. Thank you for creating a space where we can all listen and learn, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Parihaka infrastructure upgrades funded

    The Government will provide a $5.8 million grant to improve water infrastructure at Parihaka in Taranaki, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka say. “This grant from the Regional Infrastructure Fund will have a multitude of benefits for this hugely significant cultural site, including keeping local ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Serious assaults down 22% in Auckland CBD

    Cross-government action to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour in Auckland is getting traction, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “Our central cities should be great places to live and work, but in recent years they have become hot spots for crime and anti-social behaviour. In Auckland, businesses and residents suffered as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Increased certainty for contractors coming

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says upcoming changes to the Employment Relations Act will provide greater certainty for contractors and businesses. “These changes to legislation are necessary to ensure businesses and workers have more clarity from the start of their contracting arrangement. It is an ACT-National coalition ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Draft critical minerals list released for consultation

    A draft list of minerals deemed essential to New Zealand’s economy and strengthening its mineral resilience has been released for consultation, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The draft Critical Minerals List identifies 35 minerals essential to economic functions, are in demand internationally, and face high risk of supply disruption domestically ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government eliminates $190 million in trade barriers to boost the economy

    The Government has successfully removed trade barriers affecting nearly $190 million worth of exports to help grow the economy, Minister for Trade and Agriculture Todd McClay today announced.  “In the past year, we have resolved 14 Non Tariff Barriers (NTBs), returning significant value to kiwi exporters. These efforts directly boost our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Reo Māori the ‘beating heart’ of Aotearoa New Zealand

    From private business to the Paris Olympics, reo Māori is growing with the success of New Zealanders, says Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka. “I’m joining New Zealanders across the country in celebrating this year’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week, which has a big range ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Need and value at forefront of public service delivery

    New Cabinet policy directives will ensure public agencies prioritise public services on the basis of need and award Government contracts on the basis of public value, Minister for the Public Service Nicola Willis says. “Cabinet Office has today issued a circular to central government organisations setting out the Government’s expectations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to attend Police Ministers Council Meeting

    Police Minister Mark Mitchell will join with Australian Police Ministers and Commissioners at the Police Ministers Council meeting (PMC) today in Melbourne. “The council is an opportunity to come together to discuss a range of issues, gain valuable insights on areas of common interest, and different approaches towards law enforcement ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New Bill to crack down on youth vaping

    The coalition Government has introduced legislation to tackle youth vaping, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2) is aimed at preventing youth vaping.  “While vaping has contributed to a significant fall in our smoking rates, the rise in youth vaping ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Interest in agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review welcomed

    Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard have welcomed interest in the agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review. The review by the Ministry for Regulation is looking at how to speed up the process to get farmers and growers access to the safe, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Bill to allow online charity lotteries passes first reading

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government is moving at pace to ensure lotteries for charitable purposes are allowed to operate online permanently. Charities fundraising online, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust and local hospices will continue to do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Tax exempt threshold changes to benefit startups

    Technology companies are among the startups which will benefit from increases to current thresholds of exempt employee share schemes, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Revenue Minister Simon Watts say. Tax exempt thresholds for the schemes are increasing as part of the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2024-25, Emergency ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Getting the healthcare you need, when you need it

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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Targeted supports to accelerate reading

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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Survivors invited to Abuse in Care national apology

    With two months until the national apology to survivors of abuse in care, expressions of interest have opened for survivors wanting to attend. “The Prime Minister will deliver a national apology on Tuesday 12 November in Parliament. It will be a very significant day for survivors, their families, whānau and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Rangatahi inspire at Ngā Manu Kōrero final

    Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini kē - My success is not mine alone but is the from the strength of the many. Aotearoa New Zealand’s top young speakers are an inspiration for all New Zealanders to learn more about the depth and beauty conveyed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Driving structured literacy in schools

    The coalition Government is driving confidence in reading and writing in the first years of schooling. “From the first time children step into the classroom, we’re equipping them and teachers with the tools they need to be brilliant in literacy. “From 1 October, schools and kura with Years 0-3 will receive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Labour’s misleading information is disappointing

    Labour’s misinformation about firearms law is dangerous and disappointing, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says.   “Labour and Ginny Andersen have repeatedly said over the past few days that the previous Labour Government completely banned semi-automatic firearms in 2019 and that the Coalition Government is planning to ‘reintroduce’ them.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine

    The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Mpox is obviously a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Next steps agreed for Treaty Principles Bill

    Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says Cabinet has agreed to the next steps for the Treaty Principles Bill. “The Treaty Principles Bill provides an opportunity for Parliament, rather than the courts, to define the principles of the Treaty, including establishing that every person is equal before the law,” says Mr Seymour. “Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government unlocking potential of AI

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced a programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake among New Zealand businesses. “The AI Activator will unlock the potential of AI for New Zealand businesses through a range of support, including access to AI research experts, technical assistance, AI tools and resources, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government releases Wairoa flood review findings

    The independent rapid review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has been released, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today. “We welcome the review’s findings and recommendations to strengthen Wairoa's resilience against future events,” Ms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Promoting faster payment times for government

    The Government is sending a clear message to central government agencies that they must prioritise paying invoices in a timely manner, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. Data released today promotes transparency by publishing the payment times of each central government agency. This data will be published quarterly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Acknowledgement to Kīngi Tuheitia speech

    E te māngai o te Whare Pāremata, kua riro māku te whakaputa i te waka ki waho moana. E te Pirimia tēnā koe.Mr Speaker, it is my privilege to take this adjournment kōrero forward.  Prime Minister – thank you for your leadership. Taupiri te maunga Waikato te awa Te Wherowhero ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses

    Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

    More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document sets ambitious direction

    Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document, which sets out how the Ministry will carry out its work and deliver on its purpose. “I have set up the Ministry for Regulation with three tasks. One, to cut existing red tape with sector reviews. Two, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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