Strong team at leaking

Written By: - Date published: 7:43 am, October 9th, 2020 - 56 comments
Categories: election 2020, Judith Collins, national, same old national, Simon Bridges - Tags:

I wish they would stop doing this.  I want to write about Labour’s proposed changes to the RMA.  Because they are significant and contain lots of detail that need to be investigated further.

But National keeps leaking and self destructing and providing me with more to write about.  And a National MP or a number of National MPs are leaking and doing their best to undermine their leader Judith Collins as well as their campaign.

From Tova O’Brien at Newshub last night:

Newshub can reveal a lack of sympathy from National MPs for leader Judith Collins stems from perceived disloyalty from her.

Once again National MPs are leaking to Newshub saying there’s a communication breakdown between the leadership and the caucus.

The caucus apparently hasn’t seen internal polling for over a month now – nearly two. But Collins says her polls are looking good.

“We’re doing very well, thank you,” she said in Dunedin on Thursday.

Maybe they should disclose what Curia polling results are.  They won’t but this endless “our polls are better than the polls from Colmar Brunton/Reid Research/Roy Morgan” is tiresome.  They should put up or shut up.

And it seems that the leaker is from the Bridges faction, as opposed to the Muller faction.  Again from Newshub:

National MPs have told Newshub there’s a lack of sympathy for Collins because of the perception she was disloyal.

Collins says she’s “never asked anyone for sympathy”.

Newshub can reveal it stems back to April last year when Collins had a standoff with about half a dozen caucus colleagues who confronted her for failing to express support for then-leader Simon Bridges.

“I support the leader,” Collins said at the time, when repeatedly asked by Newshub to specifically say she supported Simon Bridges.

Leaking at this stage of the election campaign?  It looks like an overt sabotage job from an MP or MPs who want to lose as badly as possible.  National’s caucus meetings must be a real hoot right now.

And Judith is clearly feeling the effects and is spouting out some real gibberish suggesting that she still has a chance of being Prime Minister after the election.

The post election melt down will be tremendous to see.  I suspect that National will never be the same again.

56 comments on “Strong team at leaking ”

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  1. Patricia Bremner 1
    9 October 2020 at 8:20 am

    We don't need to go there. It is their own self made mess, with a Wong Tung on top.

  2. mikesh 2
    9 October 2020 at 8:38 am

    Even ACT, under David Seymour, is looking more honorable these days than National. We may disagree with their policies, but they seem open, honest, and much more focused on what they want. National, under Judith Collins, just looks unsavoury and disorganized.

    • Hanswurst 2.1
      9 October 2020 at 8:51 am

      Even ACT, […] seem open, honest, and much more focused on what they want.

      Really? Looking at their list and the way they have allowed the gun lobby to latch onto them, I'm more inclined to say that ACT probably don't even know themselves what they want; they are likely to find out over the first months of the next parliament, however.

    • Chris 2.2
      9 October 2020 at 10:05 am

      Sure, but collins does seem to be holding the support above where English took the nats in 2002. That's a benchmark. The nats are obviously toast this election. But we want to see burnt toast.

      • Andre 2.2.1
        9 October 2020 at 10:12 am

        In 2002, disaffected moderate Nats had a couple of other viable options. They could vote for WinnieFirst, or the Hairdo from Ohariu Plus Cling-ons.

        This time disaffected moderate Nats have the choice of wasting their vote on waaay sub-threshold WinnieFirst or New Cons or TOP, or not voting, or choking down a heaping helping of dead rat and voting Nat.

        I'm guessing there's a lot of recipes for Sauce to Smother Dead Rat getting passed around in Nat circles right now.

      • Obtrectator 2.2.2
        9 October 2020 at 5:16 pm

        "But we want to see burnt toast."

        OK, as long as the toaster itself doesn't catch fire.

        • NZJester 2.2.2.1
          9 October 2020 at 7:02 pm

          I don't think it will have a chance to catch fire. At the sort of heat that looks to be coming their way it will simply melt into a pile of molten metal and the toast will be just a pile of carbon dust.

    • Anne 2.3
      9 October 2020 at 10:29 am

      @ mikesh.

      ACT honorable? Open, honest and more focused? They don't know what the words honorable, honest and open means. Focused yes, but on the kind of policies that would decimate our democratic system if they ever got a chance to implement them.

      Seymour is riding in on the back of the Euthanasia referendum. He's a one eyed pipsqueak who should never be allowed near the treasury benches. Last night's debate was a good example – simplistic statements and riding roughshod over the other leaders in his attempt to dominate the debate. That's not laudable stuff.

  3. Anker 3
    9 October 2020 at 9:26 am
    • Yeah, I think that Act looking good is the msm meme
    • tc 3.1
      9 October 2020 at 10:47 am

      Just like in prior elections particularly the 'cup of tea' stunt and the subsequent actions of nationals police where the MSM were played, like a guitar apparently.

      The media crush around that was sycophantic as they obediently trotted along with Banksie having to hold court till shonky arrived.

  4. Adrian 4
    9 October 2020 at 9:39 am

    My wife heard yesterday on one of the things she listens to that Seymour couldn't remember the names of possible Act caucus MPs beyond the first two or three.

    • anker 4.1
      9 October 2020 at 12:00 pm

      Adrian……….ha ha ha! re Seymour not remember his potential caucus. But why isn't this headlines?

      • Red Blooded One 4.1.1
        9 October 2020 at 12:28 pm

        To be fair (argh) Seymour did get to all the names eventually, It was reported on TV1 and a bit funny watching him wallow around blaming passing traffic until he finally remembered them all. Having said that I think it's a bit unfair those gotcha type questions, on the spot, same with "what's the price of …" etc

  5. Byd0nz 5
    9 October 2020 at 11:45 am

    Nats in disarray, hey hey, yay yay,
    Isn't it a lovely day,
    From the leader down the line up is poor,
    The sinking ship nears the ocean floor,
    Flotsam and jetsam will wash to the beach,
    Blond strands of hair and a bottle of bleach.
    Good bye to the party of austerity,
    Only for the richest, prosperity,
    Let us hope the sand sucks you down deep,
    So future generations hear not a peep.
    May you not rest in peace but writher in pain,
    And if you dare surface, we will red boot you again.

  6. anker 6
    9 October 2020 at 12:01 pm

    Love the pic for this post Mickey. One of many, many mis steps by the Nats along the way.

    Speaking of this mansplaining ad, wheres James nowadays?

  7. Michael 7
    9 October 2020 at 12:48 pm

    It looks to me that the Nats (+ACT, really the shock troops) will be formidable in the next Parliament. Although smaller in total number, the group will be far more ideologically united; if not actually neofascist, closer to it than before the election. It will also have support from white supremacist, religious fundamentalists, gun nutters (some overlap), all bankrolled by fatcats who calculate they'll get even richer while fragments of the non-rich fight it out. Meanwhile Labour offers pallid neoliberalism with no intention of disrupting the status quo, even though the model is unfit for the challenges of 21st century politics. The most we can hope for is a few Greens MPs in the mix to add a dash of fresh thinking and energy – unless Labour's strategy to drive them out of Parliament altogether (see the Auckland Central campaign) succeeds.

    • Ad 7.1
      9 October 2020 at 1:18 pm

      Unless Green Party sympathisers pull their damn finger out, they will be gone from Parliament and it will be a National+Act government. Not Labour mixed with a "dash" of anything.

      So wank on about the fascists and neoliberalism all you like, or save your breath and go knock on some doors to get your turnout up.

      • Andre 7.1.1
        9 October 2020 at 1:28 pm

        If it's any comfort, the voters in my circles that that used to vote Green but haven't this year have all gone to Labour.

        And the way the polls are looking, there will still need to be an awfully big swing back to Nact for them to get a larger vote share than Labour alone. Especially if the numbers of votes the Greens pull from Labour isn't enough to get them over 5%.

      • lprent 7.1.2
        9 October 2020 at 3:48 pm

        Pretty much my thoughts after reading 'Michael'.

        The probability of the Greens getting and holding an electorate seat over any length of time are minimal. In Auckland Central, if Labour tried to tell Labour voters that they should vote for a Green candidate, the majority would likely vote for a moderately acceptable National candidate.

        Michael is characteristic of the naivity and outright political stupidity that I often hear from some of the Greens and their supporters. Political parties and politicians don't own voters – they woo them.

        If you look at Auckland Central at present you can see the limits of the wooing from the Greens. They are behind the National candidate. If Labour did what the dimwitted Green supporters want, then they would still be behind the National candidate.

        They might get to 3x their party support instead of the double that they are getting right now. But most of the Labour electorate vote would go to the better candidate – the soft National candidate.

        FFS you get the impression that political morons like 'Michael's need to exerting some shoe leather at some time so that they can learn what real voters are like.

        • lprent 7.1.2.1
          9 October 2020 at 3:52 pm

          I'd point out that as a Labour supporter I will probably vote party vote Green this election purely to keep them in parliament – just as I have for the last two elections. I like MMP and recognize that if we want to keep it then keeping viable parties in circulation is worth voting against my other interests and inclinations.

          Reading a unrealistic lazy political fool like Michael makes me wonder why I should bother… It is like voting for Mana.

        • Incognito 7.1.2.2
          9 October 2020 at 4:03 pm

          But most of the Labour electorate vote would go to the better candidate – the soft National candidate.

          Why do you think that Emma Mellow is the better candidate?

          • lprent 7.1.2.2.1
            9 October 2020 at 10:40 pm

            More representative of their own position. Most of the electorate are rather centrist and have been getting more so over the last couple of decades.

            In a representative democracy, voters tend to look for electorate candidates who they think will represent them. That is why you see people like Nikki Kaye or Chris Bishop different to the general trend of their own party – but able to carry electorates that have party votes that should mean that they shouldn't carry their electorate.

            That guy in Central Melbourne is a good example about how to do that as a Green. But he does have an advantage because of the way he tends to ride in on preferences under STV.

            • Draco T Bastard 7.1.2.2.1.1
              9 October 2020 at 11:44 pm

              In a representative democracy, voters tend to look for electorate candidates who they think will represent them.

              No they don't. They look for a policy platform that broadly align with their values and then look for a candidate that fits. This usually results in people looking at the party platforms and then voting for the party's candidate.

              This is why independent politicians pretty much don't exist.

              That is why you see people like Nikki Kaye or Chris Bishop different to the general trend of their own party – but able to carry electorates that have party votes that should mean that they shouldn't carry their electorate.

              Or, more likely, FPP voting in electorates is putting the wrong candidate into parliament. Really need preferential voting in electorates.

              But he does have an advantage because of the way he tends to ride in on preferences under STV.

              I'm pretty sure that many safe seats would change hands under a preferential voting. Auckland Central is actually a good example:

              • VOTES COUNTED:
              • 30,070
              • 100.0%
              • LEADING CANDIDATE:KAYE, Nikki13,198
              • 2nd CANDIDATE:WHITE, Helen Ione11,617
              • MAJORITY:
              • 1,581
              • PARTY VOTE LEAD:National Party39.2%
              • 2nd PARTY:Labour Party37.7%

              I doubt if the 4170 Green Party voters would have put the National Party candidate as second preference.

        • Muttonbird 7.1.2.3
          9 October 2020 at 4:18 pm

          I though Michael was ok until the last half of the last sentence. I don't believe Labour have a strategy to drive the Greens out of parliament, but Labour have definitely swung right and have been timid in policy lest they scare the centrist vote.

          Backed down on tax reform and didn't support low-income earners into Kiwibuild houses. I also hate noises they are making about not wanting to address rampant house price growth.

          They really need a kick up the arse sometimes.

          • lprent 7.1.2.3.1
            9 October 2020 at 10:41 pm

            Such a self-entitled attitude. Reads like a lazy Conservative.

            • Michael 7.1.2.3.1.1
              10 October 2020 at 12:47 am

              At least I rattled the cages of a few complacent Labour Party hacks. I still believe the next NACT caucus will be a formidable challenge to Labour, particularly if the Greens don't make it back. The Nats will be much further to the Right than earlier iterations, even more so with ACT providing the shock troops and ideas. Neofascist is a useful shorthand description of their position – certainly not neoliberal, which is the position Labour occupies. I certainly hear your disdain for the Greens loud and clear. Any alliance with Labour will be purely tactical and cannot form a stable basis for cooperation. Another material difference to the NACT relationship. While Labour has some very competent people on its front bench, the same cannot be said for its caucus as a whole, while its membership looks decidedly rickety and threadbare. Smugness and complacency are perennial diseases in all middle class institutions; Labour in 2020 is no exception.

              • lprent …
                12 October 2020 at 9:58 am

                Well yes – you convinced me to party vote Labour yesterday. I've party voted Green for the last two elections to do help them get into parliament.

                With politically stupid dingbats like you around (and whoever the idiot was that decided to try for a 3-way split and a National MP in Auckland Central), the Greens simply don't need opponents. Some of their partisan dimwitted supporters can easily get rid of their friends.

    • Stunned mullet 7.2
      9 October 2020 at 5:41 pm

      Neofascist 🙄 the closest to a neofascist party in NZ parliament at present is NZF and they are not within a country mile of deserving that description.

    • Sacha 7.3
      9 October 2020 at 11:22 pm

      the group will be far more ideologically united

      Boy are you in for a surprise. 🙂

      • Michael 7.3.1
        10 October 2020 at 12:56 am

        Perhaps but the Nats will have lost many of their "liberal" caucus (eg Nikki Kaye). The remainder are on the right of the spectrum. 8-10 ACT MPs will have a big influence too. I don't see much ideological dissonance between them and the Nats. An interesting question is whether a harder-Right NACT opposition will drag Labour further in their direction? FWICS, that's distinctly possible.

        • Sacha 7.3.1.1
          10 October 2020 at 2:15 pm

          Look at the broader party, not just the caucus. Faction City.

          • Michael 7.3.1.1.1
            11 October 2020 at 1:06 am

            Does the "broader party" matter? It doesn't seem to in the case of the Labour Party. Perhaps that's because there is no "broader party", just the caucus.

            • Incognito 7.3.1.1.1.1
              11 October 2020 at 9:43 am

              Whataboutery = diversion attempt

            • Sacha 7.3.1.1.1.2
              11 October 2020 at 4:30 pm

              Eh? Of course you need to look at the whole apparatus of any party, not just the shopfront. Where do you think the decisions about direction are negotiated?

              • Michael …
                11 October 2020 at 7:05 pm

                Labour doesn't make its decisions at grassroots level. Neither do the Nats FWICS. With Labour power is tightly held by caucus and the highest echelon of the party machine. No one else gets a look in. And it shows, IMHO.

  8. nzlemming 8
    9 October 2020 at 2:04 pm

    ACT understand honour about as much as Collins understands 'woke'.

    [Please stick to one user name here, thanks]

  9. observer 9
    9 October 2020 at 2:25 pm

    Continuing a familiar story … today's campaigning:

    Ardern in Northland (Nat seat, could go Labour).

    Collins in Blenheim (part of safe Nat seat).

    In 2008-14 Key was all over shopping malls in South and West Auckland. Collins has barely set foot in the cities.

    • Uncle Scrim 9.1
      9 October 2020 at 2:41 pm

      Yeah well she definitely wouldn't want to walk about in central Wellington or, god forbid, Newtown. Things could go horribly wrong.

      • Draco T Bastard 9.1.1
        9 October 2020 at 3:10 pm

        You think that there may be a danger of her being confronted with reality if she went to the cities?

        • Uncle Scrim 9.1.1.1
          9 October 2020 at 3:21 pm

          I dunno, she loves Samoa so much I'm surprised she's not campaigning in Porirua.

      • mac1 9.1.2
        9 October 2020 at 3:30 pm

        According to our local MP, Judith "understands the needs of regional areas" especially viticulture and access to skilled and RSE labour.

        He or she never understood the decline in social services, the effect of the sale of state housing, the huge local housing pressure based on the need for housing 3000 seasonal workers, the decline in potable water, the degradation of the Sounds for timber and unsustainable fishing, the highest cost for supermarket food, the lowest wage area next to the East Coast in the country.

        But the 180 well off citizens in the Whitehaven Room today come to listen to Collins in Blenheim today did not fully understand, either.

        • PaddyOT 9.1.2.1
          9 October 2020 at 4:14 pm

          So on Judith's visit to Blenheim , the wine industry needs to also know the National party would seriously undermine the wine industry, scuttling 'free ' student training in vineyard plant horticulture and winemaking cellar production in the region.

          NMIT Trades training for viticulture currently free for much needed shortage of qualified viticulturists in a large growth industry.

          With NMIT being a large tertiary training provider closely aligned to the regions industries that would also be an enormous fishing and sustainable aquaculture industry impacted too.

          * Natz policy – "Consider reintroducing fees on first year of study and first two years of training".

          And in bed with ACTZ

          * Act policy- " Reintroduce fees on first year of study and first two years of training" and " Remove the cap on fees for tertiary institutions".

          https://www.nmit.ac.nz/study/filter/all/fees-free/targeted-training-and-apprenticeship-fund

    • Peter 9.2
      9 October 2020 at 6:06 pm

      Ardern in Northland (Nat seat, could go Labour)?

      Willow-Jean Prime would need a stack of those who might have voted for Jones to vote for her. A vote for Jones is a wasted vote.

  10. ianmac 10
    9 October 2020 at 3:47 pm

    Penk was due to travel to ummm? to cast his vote on Monday. The message from the WH was that the trip was off. No explanation.

  11. mosa 11
    9 October 2020 at 4:37 pm

    " I suspect that National will never be the same again "

    No Luxon will be the healing balm to the many open wounds in the next caucus. National always rises like a phoenix from the ashes. Covid will be just another memory in 2023.

    • hanswurst 11.1
      10 October 2020 at 1:25 am

      I think there's a strong element of counting chickens before they've hatched with regard to Luxon, actually. Ardern's rise was rather abrupt when it finally eventuated, and came rather from left-field for most observers. Key's rise was relatively obviously sign-posted, but the official story of how he came to the top was a novel one in the context of NZ politics.

      Whether the vision of Luxon as leader is chiefly his own or the National Party's, it has been very clearly telegraphed, and has a broadly ring to Key's (successful in the corporate world, took a pay cut to serve the country as a politician, and maybe to rub some of his stardust off on the populace). He might find that the electorate just sees him as a boring retread.

      • Michael 11.1.1
        11 October 2020 at 7:07 pm

        I don't think Luxon's going to save them. But Crusher certainly isn't out for the count. The "wealth tax" billboards and word of mouth campaign seems to have been a diabolical masterstroke. I wouldn't be surprised if Satan was directing their campaign.

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    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
    3 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

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week 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
    5 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
    16 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
    16 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
    18 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
    24 hours 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
    24 hours 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
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