Who will win tonight’s debate? Will Christopher Luxon release his foreigner land purchase tax calculations spreadsheet? Will Chris Hipkins talk about sausage rolls?
We do have to realise TVNZ has made a loss and there is real fear as to what a National government might do about that (cost cutting no more money …).
Hipkins saying Labour is “wining the battle on inflation” is fine.
But adding that “National’s tax cuts would make things worse” is wrong.
Labour wants to raise the MW to the LW and for the FPA to lift wages – to deliver as much or more help to those who need it (than tax cuts where the most goes to those on above the average/median wage).
It's good he stomped on the National Party deception about $250 every 2 weeks for the average family with kids – that is only for those paying child care with kids under 5, for the rest is $25 per week/$50 a week for a couple.
Mutch-MacKay seems as gormless and shallow as usual. These supposed 'debates' are always inconclusive and pointless. By far the best format is one-on-one interview with a well-informed, intelligent interviewer. Switched off now.
Hipkins is quite good. They're both doing the gladiator bullshit, but Luxon is doing far more playing the man not the ball. Hipkins seems better at explaining policy, probably because Labour have actual policy. Luxon is obviously well schooled at evasion.
There was a great cartoon after a Reagan-Mondale debate in the 1984 US election. Captioned something like: "Mondale gets ruthless". The speech bubbles were:
Reagan: "Flubble bubble flubble mumble …'
Mondale: "I respect the President …"
This feels like that. Given a chance to destroy, Hipkins acts nice. The only answer about Luxon's leadership should be "let's face it, he's not up to the job and we all know it".
But that wouldn't be respectful, so the BS gets a free pass. The public will pay the real price, not Hipkins.
I'm reminded of Oliver Sacks famous account of The President's (Reagan's) speech. (Although, Christopher Luxon probably has much less acting ability than what Reagan had.)
Luxon standing head and shoulders above Chippy whom seems unable to point to any successes his government has achieved while Luxon clearly communication a path forward for New Zealand.
What makes you think that there were no ram raids or crime under National when 30 police stations closed down due to a lack of funding and that no cabinet minister lost their job? Nick Smith and Judith Collins did for starters.
Nobody is born a ram raider, or a murderer – there but for the grace of God…
Imho, Mr Nobody is, and will be pretty comfortable – up the "bottom feeders"!
Why poverty in New Zealand is everyone's concern
Liang describes poverty as a "heritable condition" that perpetuates and amplifies through generations: "It is also not hard to see how individual poverty flows into communities and society, with downstream effects on economics, crime and health, as well as many other systems. Loosen one strand and everything else unravels."
A Kete Half Empty Poverty is your problem, it is everyone's problem, not just those who are in poverty. – Rebecca, a child from Te Puru
Mr Nobody is, and will be pretty comfortable – up the "bottom feeders".
After growing up in Mangere, living in South Auckland over 30 years and currently living in a suburb with significant social disparity your belief is 100% wrong.
Poverty is 100% a major motivator crime and addressing that will without doubt positively effect the crime statistics. However after six years of the current government:
Crime is worse,
Poverty is worse,
Health is worse,
Social cohesion is worse,
Cost of living is worse
New Zealand not only deserves better it requires better and this Government has proved itself as incapable of delivering.
After growing up in Mangere, living in South Auckland over 30 years and currently living in a suburb with significant social disparity your belief is 100% wrong.
Apologies for my incorrect assumption about where you currently sit at 'The Table' – up the "bottom feeders", and all the best for the future.
New Zealand not only deserves better it requires better…
Don't know about "deserves", but 100% agree with "needs" – whether our next govt is capable of delivering reduced inequality/cost of living/crime, and improved public health and social cohesion, time will tell.
Zen and the art of motorway maintenance [7 August 2023]
In this sense the pothole is a good symbol how of this election is proceeding. There are itches all around the body politic that demand scratching. In the moment we are far more aware of them than we are of the tumour quietly growing inside, the virus caught but not yet symptomatic, the vehicle crash that awaits around the corner, the fire about to engulf our home. The snake oil retailers draw attention to the easy solutions to the surface and immediate issues and we are often only too willing to reward them for it.
And what policies of National are designed to address poverty?
You tell me, I'm not a National Supporter. I thought this thread was about who performed best in last night's debate between the Labour Party and National Party and as I said last night in my opinion:
Luxon standing head and shoulders above Chippy whom seems unable to point to any successes his government has achieved while Luxon clearly communication a path forward for New Zealand.
Next you will be arguing the fact that we need air to stay alive is a claim, but to hopefully to satisfy you:
[really excessive number of links deleted]
The most frightening thing about all of those headlines (I found while putting them together at least) is how many are from this year alone.
New Zealand is BROKEN and the staus quo hasn't worked and
[evidence on TS means an explanation in your own words, backed up by selected and relevant quotes and links or references. Long lists of links with no context are considered spam and tend to piss of the moderators because your comment gets caught in the spam filter and we have to edit then release it manually – weka]
There are 2 ram raids per day in Te Puke? That could be Chris Luxon trying to park his black Merc and/or his [wife’s] Tesla or maybe his 50cc scooter. He must be holidaying there a lot based on those ‘stats’.
There are? I wouldn't know as I don't live there and would have thought that 2 ram raids per day referred to in last night's debate was nationwide. But considering crime has reached the point that the PM security team has to prevent him walking down main streets in Christchurch in the middle of the day as discussed with Megan Wood this morning on the radio perhaps that is correct.
When Chris Hipkins was in your electorate and I can't remember where it was. It must have been last week or possible the week before there was a street they were walking down Security did not want him to walk down that street. What was that street?
Megan Wood
Oh it was Selwyn Street.
Mike Hosking
Why wouldn't you want to walk down Selwyn Street?
Megan Wood
Oh I don't know it wasn't a decision that the prime minister or any of his team made it was Security.
Mike Hosking
But why would they be worried about Selwyn Street?
But considering crime has reached the point that the PM security team has to prevent him walking down main streets in Christchurch in the middle of the day…
Did "the PM security team” really “prevent him walking down main streets in Christchurch in the middle of the day…", or is that just spin?
Ah jeez, I'll start taking this seriously in a moment – I apologise.
[@5:19 minutes]
There are? I wouldn't know as I don't live there and would have thought […]
The problem with your factual assertions is that they are fact-free and amount to nothing more than RW talking points. In other words, you are trolling with made up BS reckons, not facts.
I note that another Mod has already dealt with your other comment (https://thestandard.org.nz/the-great-debate/#comment-1968904) that was a litany of RW spin. Just as well because I had another inconvenient piece of information for you to digest:
It has already been acknowledged in the past that ram raids were not singled out as a crime.
They were merely grouped in with robberies for statistical purposes.
Sorry, no evidential link to that.
It then became a political football that National picked up and ran with.
No one tackled them so they scored with it and are still scoring with it.
Dear Labour Party strategists. When you tell Chippy to talk about climate change get him to own the NZ Steel deal which will effectively take 300,000 cars off the road for a pretty cheap price. It is not a negative. It should be celebrated. It is what an activist Government does.
I just heard Fran O'Sullivan over at the Daily blog's working group panel say "New Zealander's are past egalitarian values .Now they just want to get ahead "
And that folks, is what 40 years of neoliberalism delivers .Getting ahead by trampling on the heads of those underfoot.
Communities fractured into dog eat dog , peak individualism
Get ahead? By owning property, creating nothing, doing nothing memorable or useful or valuable for the community. Work for a multi-national company overseas, come back and buy a couple of houses. Trade them up and realise their untaxed capital gains.
I will be tempted to break my sobriety when that evil women shuffles off this mortal coil. Ruth Richarson's "Mother of all Budgets" caused immense societal damage which the country is continuing to suffering from.
I think the Daily Blog post debate panel is really worth watching. Bryce Edwards, Fran, Simon Wilson and Jordan Williams. Comperes Bomber and Damien Grant.
Some how what that panel had to say and how they operated sums up NZ politics for me.
BTW I think Fran wasn't necessarily endorsing that people should concentrate on getting ahead rather than egalitarianism. I think it was just her perspective on current attitutes.
I also interpreted "getting ahead" as meaning not merely scrapping by. But of course Fran is the only one who confirm what she meant.
I found it interesting that she called out what you are not allowed to talk about nowadays without facing cancellation. She mentioned cogovernance, gender and the Listener 7
Simon Wilson is more an activist than a journalist and of course he is allowed to be.
There has always been an advantage to those able to work with others – we once had the co-operative society to assist with this and the trustee bank (profits back into community) – but we have allowed banking rules/regulation and corporate monopoly to form the neo-liberal order – the people as wage slave to corporate profit (suppressed unions and migration to enable greater employer profit is now the norm) doing the best for themselves.
Luxon's game was to dominate every conversation and have the last word. It didn't matter if he was talking nonsense – which he frequently was – just so long as he spoke the most often and the loudest.
Didn't watch it all, but from what I saw – it wasn't a debate. Not in any real sense. How many topics were covered, 50+? (including all the silly quickfire nonsense).
If you can't say A therefore B but C because D … then there's no debate, no depth. You might as well just say "Petrol prices, boo! Climate change, boring!"
Spinners will say their guy won, but let's face it, we all lost. Treated like game show idiots. F*ck TVNZ.
Hipkins missed a few chances to deliver decisive blows to Luxon on the issue of how ACT threatens to divide New Zealanders over the Treaty of Waitangi and abandon the small gains we have made on climate change. He made only one reference to the right wing coalition of nutters that I picked up and it was far too polite. Luxon was very vulnerable on these issues but Hipkins let him off too lightly.
Hipkins needs to get down and dirty in the next debate. Graphically describe how the NACTs want to dismember the public service and lift house prices and interest rates to new levels.
He failed on a really basic principle. Do not passively accept your opponents' framing. And in this case, the moderator's framing, which was more or less the same thing.
But he's done this since he became PM, so nothing new.
His game now will be to try and avoid blame for the loss.
Sure members of his team let him down, but he’s chosen to accept that we can cut back the public service and he’s consistently signaled that much climate change work is to be defunded.
The Chris & Chris Show successfully broke the chronic tedium of the campaign so well done TVNZ. The surprise winner was Cunliffe. First time ever, he didn't come across as totally clueless. In fact, everything he said was good, so life after politics has worked a miraculous transformation.
Jack Tame was as good too. Hipkins has to ditch the worried look but I like his new fast-talking style. Luxon oscillated between the usual Nat roboticism and authenticity; still not much substance there, flunked a few credibility challenges too. If Hipkins can somehow get a gravitas transplant, game on!
The PM's problem is Labour's dead cat bounce potential. Given their record, what can secure a bounce? Luxon's helping him by faking it on finance. Anyone with half a brain watching knows refusing to release his professional advice is a sign of weakness.
Apart from the contention over misrepresentation over the value of Nationals tax cuts, the heat was over dealing with disadvantage in accessing health care, assistance to landlords and plans to reduce emissions.
Hipkins was disadvantaged by the lack of questions over wages, working conditions and National being dependent of making savings to government.
Luxon did make it known that National intended to use external providers in health (whanau ora and maybe private), education (charter schools are back) and housing (including supply of “state/public housing” – reducing that from the waiting list). Mentioned talking to iwi about devolution of delivery.
Not fair really that Chris Hipkins had to compete against Chris Luxon and Jessica MM. She cut off our Chris to prevent him bringing substance to the non-debate. Bah!
JMM cut Hipkins off before he was able to respond to Luxon's 'mistruths'. Yes, she cut off Luxon too, but Chippy wasn't mistruthing in the first place.
All actual political discussion aside… what was with the disturbing hand choreography? Both Jessica Much and Jack Tame were gesticulating like lovelorn Italian men in a stage play…a new visual language I don't understand?
They all do it now. It must be part of the training curriculum. It annoys the hell out of me. I have yelled at them [via the TV] many a time but they still do it. 🙁
National's tax plan has blown enormous holes. Economists have said it doesn't add up and have called it bullshit. John Key said it won't work. Luxon parrots his lines but is evasive and looking dodgy by refusing to release the costings and you don't think that will affect Luxon and the National Party's polling, fisiani?
Hoping like hell that the next debate will be moderated by Kim Hill. Whatever happens will be the truth. All this crap being shovelled up to us by RW ahem! Journalists is just plain arrogant bull faeces. Time for rich people to start looking at us as the enemy. We are the people who have created their wealth. We can also create their poverty if we so wish. Tread carefully, for we tread on your dreams.
I was out tonight, so I didn't see the debate. Looking at the comments here, it seems that it would be a struggle to put together a highlights package.
There were no new policy surprises, and nor were there any new arguments (i.e. that we hadn't heard before) in support of existing policies. It was all very predictable.
Sorry NZ farmers you are not the most efficient in the world or the most efficient way to produce food taking climate change into consideration and just repeating it doesn’t affect what we will have to pay to meet our Paris obligations.
I didn't watch – the minute I heard Jessica Mutch-McKay – the ultimate concierge gallery journalist – was going to moderate I knew the debate was going to be an exercise in political kabuki. I also predicted that the outcome would be scripted performance cynicism from our utterly predictable dire pundit class – Tova was quick to not let me down this morning. To me, the unfortunate meta is Hipkins seems incapable in igniting any skerrick of tribal passion in Labour leaning voters. Expecting people to vote just to keep the other lot out isn't going to be enough. People need a reason to want to vote for you as well.
"You had 6 years" (Luxon on any topic) and "that's not true" (Hipkins on most things Luxon said on most topics – beginning with the lie that families with children got $250 extra a fortnight from tax cuts – it's only $25 a week each individual and $50 a week for a couple – the rest only occurs if there is a claim for a rebate on child care for under 5's).
I didn't see the debate. But I have seen a few snippets and read various commentaries on it.
My thoughts are that Luxon won by not losing. I haven't even seen any commentators from any political perspective claiming that Chippy wiped the floor with Luxon. Most I have seen call it a draw or a slight win for Luxon.
Many swing voters don’t really know much about Luxon. So, seeing him performing OK may have reassured them that Luxon is safe to vote for. Whereas, people already know Chippy quite well. So, they probably didn’t learn much new from him.
I think the roles are reversed from last election where Collins needed to destroy Ardern to have a chance of turning the tide. That didn't happen then. That is what Chippy needs now. But, it didn't happen last night. And, I don't think the style of either of them means it is going to happen in upcoming debates either.
If I was in Labour's shoes I would be quite worried I think.
If I was in Labour's shoes I would be quite worried I think.
I'm not in Labour's shoes, and I am quite worried about potholes, smoke and mirrors.
Zen and the art of motorway maintenance [7 August 2023]
In this sense the pothole is a good symbol how of this election is proceeding. There are itches all around the body politic that demand scratching. In the moment we are far more aware of them than we are of the tumour quietly growing inside, the virus caught but not yet symptomatic, the vehicle crash that awaits around the corner, the fire about to engulf our home. The snake oil retailers draw attention to the easy solutions to the surface and immediate issues and we are often only too willing to reward them for it.
Nats could make up some of the projected shortfall in revenue from their 15% foreign buyer tax/hoax by raising it to 25% – like they raised GST to part-fund tax cuts.
Govt’s 2010 tax cuts costing $2 billion and counting [13 May 2012]
The Green Party has today revealed that the National Government has so far had to borrow an additional $2 billion dollars to fund their 2010 tax cut package for upper income earners.
…
“The National Government said that their signature 2010 income tax cut package would be ‘fiscally neutral’ — paid for increased revenues from raising GST. That hasn’t happened.”
…
“National’s poor economic decisions have led to record levels of government debt and borrowing.”
Reminded me of 2017 where Ardern just had to not lose badly against Bill English. Anything close would be seen as a good outing, and that feels like the case here too.
In my Leaders Debate I would have a proper mediator and a decent chunk of time set aside for an actual debate like the Economy, or Housing, or Cost of Living.
Speak for 2 minutes each outlining your position
Then 10 minutes for discussion, "What would your party to to fix Economy or….."
The mediator would not be allowed to cut off the speaker.
Gabby, your comment is inane and intellectually lazy. If you watched the debate, you would be fully aware that Jessica MM repeatedly let Luxon talk at length without interruption, yet repeatedly spoke over Hipkins to prevent him from completing his responses.
A notable example of Jessica MM cutting off Hipkins yet allowing Luxon to speak extensively was when the topic of the health system and doctor training was raised- she let Luxon rave on about a pie in the sky, grandiose idea of a new medical school at Waikato University, but when Hipkins replied that the current medical schools can cater to increased doctor training numbers, Jessica MM talked over him, didn’t let him elaborate, and cut him off.
She also jumped from topic to topic, not allowing Hipkins to answer in depth. Jessica MM at one point commented that Luxon was doing really well- this is totally biased, fawning, and unprofessional.
Politics is about compromise, right? And framing it so the voters see your compromise as the better one. John Key was a skilful exponent of this approach (as was Keith Holyoake in an earlier age), and Chris Luxon isn’t too bad either. But in politics, the process whereby an old ...
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Open access notablesPublicly expressed climate scepticism is greatest in regions with high CO2 emissions, Pearson et al., Climatic Change:We analysed a recently released corpus of climate-related tweets to examine the macro-level factors associated with public declarations of climate change scepticism. Analyses of over 2 million geo-located tweets in the U.S. showed that climate ...
You can be all negative about these charter schools if you want, but I’m here to accentuate the positive. You can get all worked up, if you want to, by the contradiction of Luxon saying We’re going to make sure that every school in the country is teaching exactly the same ...
Losing The Room: One can only speculate about what has persuaded the Coalition Government that it will pay no electoral price for unreasonably pushing ahead with policies that are so clearly against the national interest. They seem quite oblivious to the risk that by doing so they will convince an increasing ...
Name suppression decisions can be tough sometimes. No matter your views on free speech, you have to be hard-hearted not to be torn by the tug of the competing arguments. I think you can feel the Supreme Court wrestling with that in M v The King. The case for ...
The Merchants of Menace: The Coalition Government has convinced itself that the “Brahmins’” emollient functions have become much too irksome and expensive. Those who see themselves as the best hope of rebuilding New Zealand’s ailing capitalist system, appear to have convinced themselves that a little bit of blunt trauma is what their mollycoddled ...
When National first proposed its Muldoonist "fast-track" law, they were warned that it would inevitably lead to corruption. And that is exactly what has happened, with Resources Minister Shane Jones taking secret meetings with potential applicants:On Tuesday, in a Newsroom story, questions were raised about a dinner Jones ...
Buzz from the Beehive One day – hopefully – we will push that Russian rascal, Vladimir Putin, beyond breaking point. Perhaps it will happen today, when he learns that Foreign Minister Winston Peters is again tightening the thumbscrews. Peters announced further sanctions, this time on 28 individuals and 14 entities ...
How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought New Zealand to the brink of economic and cultural chaos.TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition Government’s failure to retain, and build upon, the public ...
“Members of Parliament don’t work for us, they represent us, an entirely different thing. As with so much that has turned out badly, the re-organising of MPs’ responsibilities began with the Fourth Labour Government. That’s when they began to be treated like employees – public servants – whose diaries had ...
It’s becoming a classic case study for why lobbying deals with politicians need greater scrutiny. Former National Minister Steven Joyce runs a lobbying company with a major client – the University of Waikato. The University desperately wants $300m+ of taxpayer funding to establish a third medical school in New Zealand, ...
Time To Choose: Like it or not, the Kiwis are either going into AUKUS’s “Pillar 2” – or they are going to China.HAD ZHENG HE’S FLEET sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks ...
Henry Ergas writes – When in Randall Jarrell’s Pictures from an Institution, a college president is accused of being a hypocrite, the novel’s narrator retorts that the description is grossly unfair. After all, the man is still far from the stage of moral development at which the charge ...
David Farrar writes – Radio NZ reports: The Education Review Office says too many new teachers feel poorly prepared for their jobs. In a report published on Monday, the review office said 60 percent of the principals it interviewed said their new teachers were not ready. ...
New Zealand’s economic performance and the PM’s vision Michael Reddell writes – When I wrote yesterday morning’s post, highlighting how poorly both New Zealand and its Anglo peer countries have been doing in respect of productivity in recent times (ie, in the case of New ...
Hi all,Firstly - thank you! You guys are awesome. The response I’ve received to last night’s mail has been quite overwhelming. It’s a ghastly day outside, but there are no clouds in here.In case you didn’t read my email and are wondering what on earth I’m talking about you can ...
If there was still any doubt as to who is actually running this government – and it isn’t the buffoon from Botany – then this week’s announcement of a huge spend up on charter schools has settled the matter. While jobs and public services continue to be cut in the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gaye Taylor As widespread drought raises expectations for a repeat of last year’s ferocious wildfire season, response teams across Canada are grappling with the rapidly changing face of fire in a warming climate. No longer quenched by winter, nor quelled by the ...
Half of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd’s directors and its chair resigned en masse last night in protest at Christchurch City Council’s demand to front-load dividends File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The chair of Christchurch City Council’s investment company and four of its independent directors resigned in protest last ...
The University of Waikato has reworded an advertisement that begins the tender process for its new $300 million-plus medical school even though the Government still needs to approve it. However, even the reworded ad contains an architect’s visualisations of what the school might look like. ACT leader David Seymour told ...
As a follow-up to the Rings of Power trailer discussion, I thought I needed to add something. There has been some online mockery about the use of the same actor for both the Halbrand and Annatar incarnations of Sauron. The reasoning is that Halbrand with a shave and a new ...
This isn’t quite as dramatic as the title might suggest. I’m not going anywhere, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about.Let’s start with a typical day.Most days I send out a newsletter in the morning. If I’ve written a lot the previous evening it might be ...
Buzz from the Beehive The promise of tax relief loomed large in his considerations when the PM delivered a pre-Budget speech to the Auckland Business Chamber. The job back in Wellington is getting government spending back under control, he said, bandying figures which show that in per capita terms, the ...
Yesterday de facto Prime Minister David Seymour announced that his glove puppet government would be re-introducing charter schools, throwing $150 million at his pet quacks, donors and cronies and introducing an entire new government agency to oversee them (the existing Education Review Office, which actually knows how to review schools, ...
Te Pāti Māori have launched a petition to stop the repeal of Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act. This announcement comes prior to the first reading of the Section 7AA repeal bill in Parliament today. “Section 7AA forces the Government to adhere to Te Tiriti o Waitangi with respect ...
The Government has yet again failed to do the one thing that needs to happen to ensure houses can be built – commit to ongoing funding, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Treasury officials have outlined many ways in which the Fast Track Approvals Bill is deeply flawed, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking says. ...
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick used this year's State of the Planet to call on the Government to prioritise people and planet as the delivery of the Budget approaches. A full transcript of their speeches can be found below. ...
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick have used their State of the Planet speeches to challenge the Government to prioritise people and planet over profit as the delivery of the Budget approaches. ...
The Government’s introduction of legislation that would enable landlords to end tenancies with no reason marks a dark day for the 1.4 million people who rent their home in Aotearoa. ...
The Minister for Mental Health has found the Suicide Prevention Office and mental health support for 111 calls slipping through his fingers, says Labour spokesperson for Mental Health Ingrid Leary. ...
Today’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate deception. ...
The Green Party says the Government’s misguided policy on gangs will fail, following the announcement of the establishment of a national gang unit and district gang disruption units to target gang activities. ...
“With Police pay negotiations still unresolved after six months in Government, Mark Mitchell has today rolled the Commissioner out for a rebrand of their approach to gang crime,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said. ...
The Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Te Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
The Coalition Government’s Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill, which will improve tenancy laws and help increase the supply of rental properties, has passed its first reading in Parliament says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The Bill proposes much-needed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 that will remove barriers to increasing private ...
Standing here in Cassino War Cemetery, among the graves looking up at the beautiful Abbey of Montecassino, it is hard to imagine the utter devastation left behind by the battles which ended here in May 1944. Hundreds of thousands of shells and bombs of every description left nothing but piled ...
I present a legislative statement on the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill Mr. Speaker, I move that the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Social Services and Community Committee to consider the Bill. Thank you, Mr. ...
The Bill to repeal Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has had its first reading in Parliament today. The Bill reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the care and safety of children in care, says Minister for Children Karen Chhour. “When I became the Minister for Children, I made ...
Kia ora koutou, good morning, and zao shang hao. Thank you Fran for the opportunity to speak at the 2024 China Business Summit – it’s great to be here today. I’d also like to acknowledge: Simon Bridges - CEO of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. His Excellency Ambassador - Wang ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed a New Zealand Government plane will head to New Caledonia in the next hour in the first in a series of proposed flights to begin bringing New Zealanders home. “New Zealanders in New Caledonia have faced a challenging few days - and bringing ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed a New Zealand Government plane will head to New Caledonia in the next hour in the first in a series of proposed flights to begin bringing New Zealanders home. “New Zealanders in New Caledonia have faced a challenging few days - and bringing them ...
The Coalition Government will introduce legislation this year that will enable roadside drug testing as part of our commitment to improve road safety and restore law and order, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Alcohol and drugs are the number one contributing factor in fatal road crashes in New Zealand. In ...
The Government has announced a series of immediate actions in response to the independent review of Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “Kāinga Ora is a large and important Crown entity, with assets of $45 billion and over $2.5 billion of expenditure each year. It ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour is pleased that Pseudoephedrine can now be purchased by the general public to protect them from winter illness, after the coalition government worked swiftly to change the law and oversaw a fast approval process by Medsafe. “Pharmacies are now putting the medicines back on their ...
Tēnā koutou katoa. Da jia hao. Good morning everyone. Prime Minister Luxon, your excellency, a great friend of New Zealand and my friend Ambassador Wang, Mayor of what he tells me is the best city in New Zealand, Wayne Brown, the highly respected Fran O’Sullivan, Champion of the Auckland business ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced that the Government will make it easier for lines firms to take action to remove vegetation from obstructing local powerlines. The change will ensure greater security of electricity supply in local communities, particularly during severe weather events. “Trees or parts of trees falling on ...
Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani were the top winners at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy awards recognising the best in Māori dairy farming. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced the winners and congratulated runners-up, Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board, at an awards celebration also attended by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister ...
"On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden. “I raised my concerns after being ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools. “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...
New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019. “It is my pleasure ...
New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says. “This ...
Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...
Distinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...
Today’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners. “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...
Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...
Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...
The upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...
“The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
Health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Snow, Research Scientist, CSIRO CSIRO How often do you check your local weather forecast? How about your local climate projections for 2050? For many farmers, the answer to the first question is all the time. But the answer to the ...
Pacific Media Watch A Māori supporter of Pacific independence movements claims the French government has “constructed the crisis” in New Caledonia by pushing the indigenous Kanak population to the edge, reports Atereano Mateariki of Waatea News. A NZ Defence Force Hercules is today evacuating about 50 New Zealanders stranded in ...
COMMENTARY:By Gordon Campbell The split opening up in Israel’s “War Cabinet” is not just between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his long-term rival Benny Gantz. It is actually a three-way split, set in motion by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. It was Gallant’s open criticism of Netanyahu that finally flushed ...
Reacting to today’s Budget Speech from Labour’s Finance spokesperson, Barbara Edmonds, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “It is encouraging to see that one of Labour’s stated priorities is to focus on creating ‘a level ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kylie Turner, System Lead, Sustainable Economies, Climateworks Centre atk work/Shutterstock In the budget last week, the government was keen to talk about its efforts to turn Australia into a renewable superpower under the umbrella of the Future Made in Australia policies. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Opposition Leader Peter Dutton might have done us a favour. As part of his budget reply speech on Thursday night he promised to stop foreigners buying existing Australian homes. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Maguire, Associate Professor in Human Rights and International Law, University of Newcastle The request by Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), for arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders is a significant step in the effort to ...
RNZ Pacific A New Zealand author, journalist and media educator who has covered the Asia-Pacific region since the 1970s says liberation “must come” for Kanaky/New Caledonia. Professor David Robie sailed on board Greenpeace’s flagship Rainbow Warrior until it was bombed by French secret agents in New Zealand in July 1985 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Renwick, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Lincoln University, New Zealand Fonterra caught the business world by surprise last week with plans to sell off its consumer brands and businesses – including supermarket mainstays such as Anchor, Fresh’n Fruity and Mainland. The move ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Small, Senior lecturer, Above the Bar School of Educational Studies and Leadership, University of Canterbury With an air force plane on its way to rescue New Zealanders stranded by the violent uprising in New Caledonia, many familiar with the island’s history ...
A New Zealand government plane is heading to New Caledonia to assist with bringing New Zealanders home. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today confirmed it was the first in a series of proposed flights. Peters said the flight would carry around 50 passengers with the most pressing needs from Nouméa ...
Regional councils must focus on building meaningful and enduring relationships with iwi and hapū to support better freshwater management, says the Auditor-General in a new report. ...
Chris Glaudel, Deputy Chief Executive of Community Housing Aotearoa, sees the announcement as a step towards addressing New Zealand’s high and rising levels of homelessness by improving our approach and system to delivering affordable homes. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research fellow, Middle East studies, Deakin University The death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash this week occurred during one of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s most challenging periods. Raisi, a prominent figure in the political elite, ...
The end of universal flu shot funding for under-12s is a step backwards for New Zealand child health, say experts from the University of Auckland and the University of Otago. New Zealand’s decision to no longer offer free influenza vaccines for all children under 12 will likely wipe out recent ...
The PSA is taking action to force the Ministry of Education to comply with its legal obligations to do everything it can to find other roles for staff it is laying off because of the Government’s spending cuts. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Waling, Senior Lecturer & Research Fellow, Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University Netflix There has been much excitement in the lead up to the first four episodes of Bridgerton’s season three, featuring leading couple Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa De Bortoli, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Council for Educational Research Taylor Flowe/Unsplash, CC BY Australian teenagers have more disruptive maths classrooms and experience bullying at greater levels than the OECD average, a new report shows. But in better news, Australian ...
Poet, editor and former bookseller Jane Arthur’s debut children’s novel Brown Bird is the story of a shy, self-conscious 11-year-old – partly based on her childhood self – venturing out of her quiet comfort zone. Children’s books are close to my heart because mostly I believe that adults are rings ...
Peter Jackson is bringing Lord of the Rings back to Wellington, producing two new Gollum films in Wellington. Madeleine Chapman (Gollum) argues with Madeleine Chapman (Smeagol) about it. First of all, I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation. Of course it’s great news!I don’t know, it gives me ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a part-time media librarian and superannuitant explains how he spends and saves. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Male Age: 65 Ethnicity: EuropeanRole: Media librarian ...
The Government’s Environmental Select Committee is refusing to engage meaningfully when it matters the most over new fast tracking environmental legislation, says Ngāti Ruanui. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Marsh, Senior Research Fellow in Public Health, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Christoph Soeder/dpa New Zealand’s decision to no longer offer free influenza vaccines for all children under 12 will likely wipe out recent gains in uptake. And it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexis Anja Kallio, Deputy Director (Research), Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University Many young people in contact with the justice system come from backgrounds of extreme poverty, parental abuse or neglect, parental incarceration and disrupted education. These complex traumas often manifest as addictions ...
The agency was found to be underperforming and ‘not financially viable’, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A damning report A government-ordered ...
Asia Pacific Report For more than 76 years, Palestinians have resisted occupation, dispossession and ethnic cleansing, culminating in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. Yet in the midst of this catastrophic seven months of “hell on earth”, it is a paradox that there exists an extraordinary oasis of peace and nature. ...
You’ll never set foot in one. But its emissions still effect you. Shanti Mathias reports on a campaign to make private jet owners pay for their emissions in some way. The private jet passengers saunter down the red carpet, wearing sunglasses and heels; paparazzi cameras flash. The sky is blue, ...
Quality teachers back on the front line can only be a good thing. One of the difficult things we teach in senior English classes at secondary school is the development of an idea. This involves deepening your argument, without instead “going sideways” and merely adding examples while repeating the same ...
Opinion: People with certain types of health conditions are more likely than others to have their symptoms dismissed, minimised or disbelieved. These conditions are diagnosed based on the patient self-report of symptoms, where there is no definitive diagnostic test that can prove the existence of disease or demonstrate structural or ...
The intensity of it, ironically, can feel like bullying. Social media activism is reaching something of a peak with the war in Gaza, using the hashtag Blockout2024. It started at this year’s MetGala when influencer and model Haley Kalil was caught on video muttering ‘let them eat cake’ – suddenly ...
It’s 2011 and I am 43 years old. My partner, Christine, and I got together when I was 36. We had been friends for about 10 years before that. One of the first things I asked Christine was whether she wanted to have kids. I had just come out of ...
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Opinion: As an indication of the eye-watering sums involved for the mega-prison plans announced two weeks ago by Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell, consider that $932 million has already been spent on a separate facility due to open at Waikeria next year – that’s about $1.5 million for each of the ...
New Caledonia’s Tontouta International Airport remains closed, and Air New Zealand’s next scheduled flight is on Saturday — although it is not ruling out adding extra services. Air NZ’s Captain David Morgan said on Monday evening flights would only resume when they were assured of the security of the airport ...
Asia Pacific Report As Israel drives the Palestinians deeper into another Nakba in Gaza with its assault on Rafah, the Palestine Youth Aotearoa (PYA) and solidarity supporters in Aotearoa New Zealand tonight commemorated the original Nakba — “the Catastrophe” — of 1948. The 1948 Nakba . . . more than ...
Young people on the streets in New Caledonia are saying they will “never give up” pushing back against France’s hold on the Pacific territory, a Kanak journalist in Nouméa says. Pro-independence Radio Djiido’s Andre Qaeze told RNZ Pacific young people had said that “Paris must respect us” and what had ...
This episode of A View from Afar podcast was recorded live from 12:45pm May 20, 2024 (NZST). Political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning examine: The United States and how the world is engaging with it geopolitically.Specifically, Paul and Selwyn analyse what has changed in this regard in ...
Analysis - Power is not being abused, but it is not being well managed either. New Zealand democracy, unique and currently brittle, should be handled with greater care, Alexander Gillespie writes. ...
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Hipkins talks about climate change and Luxon talks about the economy. Sums up the difference between the left and the right.
I'm unable to stream online off TVNZ.
I’ve had to go to Stuff for news reporting of it.
I’ll have to wait for it to go on demand and watch then.
Just as well they do not do the world cup …
You're not missing much, I've turned off even before the first ad break.
"I love the energy you're bringing!" says Jess to Luxon. Who cares? What does she think she is? It's not Celebrity Treasure Island.
Pretty chaotic so far. I think that it will be more important to look confident than to be coherent …
We do have to realise TVNZ has made a loss and there is real fear as to what a National government might do about that (cost cutting no more money …).
Hipkins saying Labour is “wining the battle on inflation” is fine.
But adding that “National’s tax cuts would make things worse” is wrong.
Labour wants to raise the MW to the LW and for the FPA to lift wages – to deliver as much or more help to those who need it (than tax cuts where the most goes to those on above the average/median wage).
Tried again (from the start) and to the weather …
Hipkins start about hearing from Christopher and himself reminds one a Jim Carrey film about Irene.
It's good he stomped on the National Party deception about $250 every 2 weeks for the average family with kids – that is only for those paying child care with kids under 5, for the rest is $25 per week/$50 a week for a couple.
Mutch-MacKay seems as gormless and shallow as usual. These supposed 'debates' are always inconclusive and pointless. By far the best format is one-on-one interview with a well-informed, intelligent interviewer. Switched off now.
Freakin Michael Hill Jeweller ad followed by a Countdown ad during the break. Ah capitalism …
sugar ads after the sugar tax debate.
KFC Crispy ad too, lol.
I'd forgotten how shrill and shouty the ads are (I rarely watch TV these days).
It's all about ram raids and the cost of living – giving the people what they want.
Hipkins' answer on Taiwan was freakin good and well weighted.
It was so good Luxon understood and quickly agreed. Would've been great if Luxon answered first, he would've fucked it up for sure.
I'm waiting for jessica@6pm.news to ask how often the candidates masturbate…….this is the worst leaders debate I have ever seen…….
Hipkins is quite good. They're both doing the gladiator bullshit, but Luxon is doing far more playing the man not the ball. Hipkins seems better at explaining policy, probably because Labour have actual policy. Luxon is obviously well schooled at evasion.
Gotta say, for all the resources, this is underwhelming.
The Working Group does a way better, if a tad more chaotic, job. Without state funding, as you will be told if you have a look.
Tonight there is a review of these two by a panel of political pundits at 9pm. On the usual platforms.
In the quickfire, it shows how closely aligned these two are.
Agree. I've been pretty underwhelmed. Both seem to be PR-polished to within an inch of their lives.
There was a great cartoon after a Reagan-Mondale debate in the 1984 US election. Captioned something like: "Mondale gets ruthless". The speech bubbles were:
Reagan: "Flubble bubble flubble mumble …'
Mondale: "I respect the President …"
This feels like that. Given a chance to destroy, Hipkins acts nice. The only answer about Luxon's leadership should be "let's face it, he's not up to the job and we all know it".
But that wouldn't be respectful, so the BS gets a free pass. The public will pay the real price, not Hipkins.
Good point.
I'm reminded of Oliver Sacks famous account of The President's (Reagan's) speech. (Although, Christopher Luxon probably has much less acting ability than what Reagan had.)
https://www.salon.com/2015/08/31/oliver_sacks_brilliant_essential_lesson_what_the_legendary_science_writer_taught_us_about_politics_the_human_mind/
Luxon standing head and shoulders above Chippy whom seems unable to point to any successes his government has achieved while Luxon clearly communication a path forward for New Zealand.
Well then perhaps you might like to answer the question how often you masturbate…..
No body there?
More frequently than Labour Ministers loose their Cabinet position but less frequently than Ram Raids are committed in Labour's New Zealand.
Phew.. not as frequent as Luxons verbal ejaculations then……
What makes you think that there were no ram raids or crime under National when 30 police stations closed down due to a lack of funding and that no cabinet minister lost their job? Nick Smith and Judith Collins did for starters.
Nobody is born a ram raider, or a murderer – there but for the grace of God…
Imho, Mr Nobody is, and will be pretty comfortable – up the "bottom feeders"!
The Side Eye’s Two New Zealands: The Table
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/16-08-2022/the-side-eyes-two-new-zealands-the-table
After growing up in Mangere, living in South Auckland over 30 years and currently living in a suburb with significant social disparity your belief is 100% wrong.
Poverty is 100% a major motivator crime and addressing that will without doubt positively effect the crime statistics. However after six years of the current government:
Crime is worse,
Poverty is worse,
Health is worse,
Social cohesion is worse,
Cost of living is worse
New Zealand not only deserves better it requires better and this Government has proved itself as incapable of delivering.
Apologies for my incorrect assumption about where you currently sit at 'The Table' – up the "bottom feeders", and all the best for the future.
Don't know about "deserves", but 100% agree with "needs" – whether our next govt is capable of delivering reduced inequality/cost of living/crime, and improved public health and social cohesion, time will tell.
Evidence?
And what policies of National are designed to address poverty?
You tell me, I'm not a National Supporter. I thought this thread was about who performed best in last night's debate between the Labour Party and National Party and as I said last night in my opinion:
All claims without supporting evidence.
And without reference to the global circumstance – both pandemic and global cost pressures on all nations.
Next you will be arguing the fact that we need air to stay alive is a claim, but to hopefully to satisfy you:
[really excessive number of links deleted]
The most frightening thing about all of those headlines (I found while putting them together at least) is how many are from this year alone.
New Zealand is BROKEN and the staus quo hasn't worked and
[evidence on TS means an explanation in your own words, backed up by selected and relevant quotes and links or references. Long lists of links with no context are considered spam and tend to piss of the moderators because your comment gets caught in the spam filter and we have to edit then release it manually – weka]
mod note.
Are all nation states broken when there are global problems?
None, SPC.
There well may have been, but what ever the statistic was it wasn't 2 per day.
There are 2 ram raids per day in Te Puke? That could be Chris Luxon trying to park his black Merc and/or his [wife’s] Tesla or maybe his 50cc scooter. He must be holidaying there a lot based on those ‘stats’.
There are? I wouldn't know as I don't live there and would have thought that 2 ram raids per day referred to in last night's debate was nationwide. But considering crime has reached the point that the PM security team has to prevent him walking down main streets in Christchurch in the middle of the day as discussed with Megan Wood this morning on the radio perhaps that is correct.
Link? Crime or citizens abusing a politician?
Newstalk ZB – 20230920
Hmm you listen to Hosking?
The poster child of nodding RW bobbleheads uugh ……enough said
I try to catch ĥis interviews with the PM (Tuesday) and the MPs on Wednesday mornings as they coincide with when I run my girls to school.
Otherwise usually listen spotify/podcasts/audio books. Really enjoying re-listening to World War Z currently.
Did "the PM security team” really “prevent him walking down main streets in Christchurch in the middle of the day…", or is that just spin?
Is that you Mike?
The problem with your factual assertions is that they are fact-free and amount to nothing more than RW talking points. In other words, you are trolling with made up BS reckons, not facts.
I note that another Mod has already dealt with your other comment (https://thestandard.org.nz/the-great-debate/#comment-1968904) that was a litany of RW spin. Just as well because I had another inconvenient piece of information for you to digest:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/498394/the-falsehood-christopher-luxon-was-allowed-to-repeat-in-the-leaders-debate
Count yourself lucky that I had a busy day today and weka got to you first.
Incognito
It has already been acknowledged in the past that ram raids were not singled out as a crime.
They were merely grouped in with robberies for statistical purposes.
Sorry, no evidential link to that.
It then became a political football that National picked up and ran with.
No one tackled them so they scored with it and are still scoring with it.
Dear Labour Party strategists. When you tell Chippy to talk about climate change get him to own the NZ Steel deal which will effectively take 300,000 cars off the road for a pretty cheap price. It is not a negative. It should be celebrated. It is what an activist Government does.
Two things stood out for me.
Both Chrises bought their first house at 24. That's the sound of everyone under 30 banging their head in the TV screen.
TVNZ's Ipsos poll found that 50% of New Zealanders don't think climate change will affect them. Fucking hell.
I just heard Fran O'Sullivan over at the Daily blog's working group panel say "New Zealander's are past egalitarian values .Now they just want to get ahead "
And that folks, is what 40 years of neoliberalism delivers .Getting ahead by trampling on the heads of those underfoot.
Communities fractured into dog eat dog , peak individualism
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2023/09/19/9pm-live-tonight-freeview-200-the-working-group-taxpayers-union-post-leaders-debate-analysis-live-from-backbenchers-pub/
God I hope you are wrong.
What binds us as a country?
Get ahead? By owning property, creating nothing, doing nothing memorable or useful or valuable for the community. Work for a multi-national company overseas, come back and buy a couple of houses. Trade them up and realise their untaxed capital gains.
Spit on the third of the country renting.
Well I hope I'm wrong too.
I hope we can get our mojo back, but the divisions over covid don't make me that hopeful
I will be tempted to break my sobriety when that evil women shuffles off this mortal coil. Ruth Richarson's "Mother of all Budgets" caused immense societal damage which the country is continuing to suffering from.
I think the Daily Blog post debate panel is really worth watching. Bryce Edwards, Fran, Simon Wilson and Jordan Williams. Comperes Bomber and Damien Grant.
Some how what that panel had to say and how they operated sums up NZ politics for me.
BTW I think Fran wasn't necessarily endorsing that people should concentrate on getting ahead rather than egalitarianism. I think it was just her perspective on current attitutes.
I also interpreted "getting ahead" as meaning not merely scrapping by. But of course Fran is the only one who confirm what she meant.
I found it interesting that she called out what you are not allowed to talk about nowadays without facing cancellation. She mentioned cogovernance, gender and the Listener 7
Simon Wilson is more an activist than a journalist and of course he is allowed to be.
Hipkins did so in partnership with his brother.
There has always been an advantage to those able to work with others – we once had the co-operative society to assist with this and the trustee bank (profits back into community) – but we have allowed banking rules/regulation and corporate monopoly to form the neo-liberal order – the people as wage slave to corporate profit (suppressed unions and migration to enable greater employer profit is now the norm) doing the best for themselves.
Luxon's game was to dominate every conversation and have the last word. It didn't matter if he was talking nonsense – which he frequently was – just so long as he spoke the most often and the loudest.
Remind you of any particular physical activity Anne…….
Lets just say it as it is, National and Luxon are just a facsimilie of the real deal…comes on strong but somewhat faded and illegible in the end……
Where is Brian Edwards when you need him….maybe Jack is the real deal…stuff it i’m off to bed….
So …
Didn't watch it all, but from what I saw – it wasn't a debate. Not in any real sense. How many topics were covered, 50+? (including all the silly quickfire nonsense).
If you can't say A therefore B but C because D … then there's no debate, no depth. You might as well just say "Petrol prices, boo! Climate change, boring!"
Spinners will say their guy won, but let's face it, we all lost. Treated like game show idiots. F*ck TVNZ.
well put. It was stupid really, what a waste.
Hipkins missed a few chances to deliver decisive blows to Luxon on the issue of how ACT threatens to divide New Zealanders over the Treaty of Waitangi and abandon the small gains we have made on climate change. He made only one reference to the right wing coalition of nutters that I picked up and it was far too polite. Luxon was very vulnerable on these issues but Hipkins let him off too lightly.
Hipkins needs to get down and dirty in the next debate. Graphically describe how the NACTs want to dismember the public service and lift house prices and interest rates to new levels.
He failed on a really basic principle. Do not passively accept your opponents' framing. And in this case, the moderator's framing, which was more or less the same thing.
But he's done this since he became PM, so nothing new.
His game now will be to try and avoid blame for the loss.
Sure members of his team let him down, but he’s chosen to accept that we can cut back the public service and he’s consistently signaled that much climate change work is to be defunded.
In part he’s made National’s case for them.
The Chris & Chris Show successfully broke the chronic tedium of the campaign so well done TVNZ. The surprise winner was Cunliffe. First time ever, he didn't come across as totally clueless. In fact, everything he said was good, so life after politics has worked a miraculous transformation.
Jack Tame was as good too. Hipkins has to ditch the worried look but I like his new fast-talking style. Luxon oscillated between the usual Nat roboticism and authenticity; still not much substance there, flunked a few credibility challenges too. If Hipkins can somehow get a gravitas transplant, game on!
The PM's problem is Labour's dead cat bounce potential. Given their record, what can secure a bounce? Luxon's helping him by faking it on finance. Anyone with half a brain watching knows refusing to release his professional advice is a sign of weakness.
Apart from the contention over misrepresentation over the value of Nationals tax cuts, the heat was over dealing with disadvantage in accessing health care, assistance to landlords and plans to reduce emissions.
Hipkins was disadvantaged by the lack of questions over wages, working conditions and National being dependent of making savings to government.
Luxon did make it known that National intended to use external providers in health (whanau ora and maybe private), education (charter schools are back) and housing (including supply of “state/public housing” – reducing that from the waiting list). Mentioned talking to iwi about devolution of delivery.
As to making savings … the issue of National standing by its policies and not adopting those of ACT to afford its tax cuts …also not covered
Probably a win for Luxon on the basis he didnt shit the bed.
I think the stand out winners were the audience. Were they real? Just asking for a friend.
Chris Hopkins was great.
Jessica whatshername was dressed to go to a cocktail party. Let Pollyanna go on way too far.
Didn’t address the BIG QUESTION. Show us your costings
. Hipkins by far. Showed empathy, caring and passion for New Zealand/Aotearoa.
Luxon is a slimy turd and needs to be flushed.
"Hipkins by far. Showed empathy, caring and passion for New Zealand/Aotearoa"
Yes.
Not fair really that Chris Hipkins had to compete against Chris Luxon and Jessica MM. She cut off our Chris to prevent him bringing substance to the non-debate. Bah!
JMM cut Hipkins off before he was able to respond to Luxon's 'mistruths'. Yes, she cut off Luxon too, but Chippy wasn't mistruthing in the first place.
All actual political discussion aside… what was with the disturbing hand choreography? Both Jessica Much and Jack Tame were gesticulating like lovelorn Italian men in a stage play…a new visual language I don't understand?
They all do it now. It must be part of the training curriculum. It annoys the hell out of me. I have yelled at them [via the TV] many a time but they still do it. 🙁
Best comment on the debate. By George!!
Hipkins had to dominate because he is so far behind. ODDS are $5.50 versus $1.15.
He did not dominate. next weeks poll should be interesting
National's tax plan has blown enormous holes. Economists have said it doesn't add up and have called it bullshit. John Key said it won't work. Luxon parrots his lines but is evasive and looking dodgy by refusing to release the costings and you don't think that will affect Luxon and the National Party's polling, fisiani?
Hoping like hell that the next debate will be moderated by Kim Hill. Whatever happens will be the truth. All this crap being shovelled up to us by RW ahem! Journalists is just plain arrogant bull faeces. Time for rich people to start looking at us as the enemy. We are the people who have created their wealth. We can also create their poverty if we so wish. Tread carefully, for we tread on your dreams.
Isn't Jack Tame doing the next one?
I was out tonight, so I didn't see the debate. Looking at the comments here, it seems that it would be a struggle to put together a highlights package.
consensus seems to be that it was boring.
There were no new policy surprises, and nor were there any new arguments (i.e. that we hadn't heard before) in support of existing policies. It was all very predictable.
Sorry NZ farmers you are not the most efficient in the world or the most efficient way to produce food taking climate change into consideration and just repeating it doesn’t affect what we will have to pay to meet our Paris obligations.
disappointing that Luxon was allowed to get away with that one.
Yes, TVNZ choose to use their senior autocue reader, a pretty useless moderator.
We deserve better, Campbell or Kim, Kim's retiring she would be ideal IMO so unlikely we will see her.
I didn't watch – the minute I heard Jessica Mutch-McKay – the ultimate concierge gallery journalist – was going to moderate I knew the debate was going to be an exercise in political kabuki. I also predicted that the outcome would be scripted performance cynicism from our utterly predictable dire pundit class – Tova was quick to not let me down this morning. To me, the unfortunate meta is Hipkins seems incapable in igniting any skerrick of tribal passion in Labour leaning voters. Expecting people to vote just to keep the other lot out isn't going to be enough. People need a reason to want to vote for you as well.
Curiously bloodless affair and I can't remember any specific lines.
"You had 6 years" (Luxon on any topic) and "that's not true" (Hipkins on most things Luxon said on most topics – beginning with the lie that families with children got $250 extra a fortnight from tax cuts – it's only $25 a week each individual and $50 a week for a couple – the rest only occurs if there is a claim for a rebate on child care for under 5's).
Yawn.
Yeah labour going to lose to keep control of the left.
Predictable as its a joke on you.
I didn't see the debate. But I have seen a few snippets and read various commentaries on it.
My thoughts are that Luxon won by not losing. I haven't even seen any commentators from any political perspective claiming that Chippy wiped the floor with Luxon. Most I have seen call it a draw or a slight win for Luxon.
Many swing voters don’t really know much about Luxon. So, seeing him performing OK may have reassured them that Luxon is safe to vote for. Whereas, people already know Chippy quite well. So, they probably didn’t learn much new from him.
I think the roles are reversed from last election where Collins needed to destroy Ardern to have a chance of turning the tide. That didn't happen then. That is what Chippy needs now. But, it didn't happen last night. And, I don't think the style of either of them means it is going to happen in upcoming debates either.
If I was in Labour's shoes I would be quite worried I think.
I'm not in Labour's shoes, and I am quite worried about potholes, smoke and mirrors.
Nats could make up some of the projected shortfall in revenue from their 15% foreign buyer tax/hoax by raising it to 25% – like they raised GST to part-fund tax cuts.
In other news, frauds and scams are on the rise…
Reminded me of 2017 where Ardern just had to not lose badly against Bill English. Anything close would be seen as a good outing, and that feels like the case here too.
I dared a few seconds of the 'show' switched off lest I start breaking things
In my Leaders Debate I would have a proper mediator and a decent chunk of time set aside for an actual debate like the Economy, or Housing, or Cost of Living.
Speak for 2 minutes each outlining your position
Then 10 minutes for discussion, "What would your party to to fix Economy or….."
The mediator would not be allowed to cut off the speaker.
Somewhere this morning I read where someone had tracked last nights timing:
Luxon had 47% time.
Hipkins had 32% time
JMM had 25% of the time
And they also logged the number of words each spoke.
haven't read this properly yet but some good graphics on language and time.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/election-2023/498355/hipkins-vs-luxon-the-first-leaders-debate-by-the-numbers
Thanks Weka. The data was based on the words spoken.
Luxon 43%
Hipkins 31%
JessMM 24%
Sounds like Hippy's heart just isn't in it. Maybe he doesn't disagree strongly enough with Luxie.
Gabby, your comment is inane and intellectually lazy. If you watched the debate, you would be fully aware that Jessica MM repeatedly let Luxon talk at length without interruption, yet repeatedly spoke over Hipkins to prevent him from completing his responses.
A notable example of Jessica MM cutting off Hipkins yet allowing Luxon to speak extensively was when the topic of the health system and doctor training was raised- she let Luxon rave on about a pie in the sky, grandiose idea of a new medical school at Waikato University, but when Hipkins replied that the current medical schools can cater to increased doctor training numbers, Jessica MM talked over him, didn’t let him elaborate, and cut him off.
She also jumped from topic to topic, not allowing Hipkins to answer in depth. Jessica MM at one point commented that Luxon was doing really well- this is totally biased, fawning, and unprofessional.
How about you do better with your comments.