The Race to be the Democratic Party’s Presidential nominee

Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, September 17th, 2019 - 38 comments
Categories: elections, International, Left, liberalism, social democracy, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, us politics - Tags: , , , , ,

It’s been on my mind for some time to write down some thoughts on the race within the Democratic Party for some time. So here are some thoughts.

There are just three candidates in the race who might make a reasonable claim to being progressive or left. They are Bernie Sanders, Tulsi Gabbard and Elizabeth Warren. As such, and because that’s the direction of travel in the world today, they’re really the three nominees worth any focus. Biden’s only worth mentioning, and only in passing, because he’s cutting such a tragic figure. He really needs to be instructed to stand down. Hell – he makes even Donald Trump look to be wrapped tight.

The majority of the rest of the candidates are just entrenched centrists or establishment figures like Biden. Some of them are simply using the nomination to raise their political profile for whatever other political goals they have. And, of course, there are a couple of atypical candidates in the shape of Yang and Williamson.

So need it be said that mainstream/corporate media has been rubbish in presenting the nomination process to the public at large? Besides waxing lyrical over initial and decidedly sketchy polls that gave Biden a huge lead over the rest of the field, they have tried and failed in turn to talk up and propel establishment types like O’Rourke, Harris and Buttigieg, while ghosting, gas lighting and smearing the likes of Gabbard and Sanders.

Of the three progressive candidates, Gabbard resigned her chair on the DNC in 2016 to endorse Sanders, while Warren, possibly because she had her sights set on being Hilary Clinton’s pick for VP didn’t. It’s worth noting that Sanders only ran in 2016 after failing to convince Warren that she should.

I’ll cut to the chase here. Warren is the dead rat the establishment are willing to swallow if that’s what it takes to avoid the possibility of a Sanders Presidency.

Now, I don’t believe they’ll get the chance to experience that gastronomical delight, because Sanders is going to be the nominee. Tulsi Gabbard’s stated intent is to stay in the race until the convention, (then endorse Bernie?) but the DNC have lumped her with dead weight through their arbitrary and opaque use of “DNC recognised” polls to exclude her from the debate stage.

Putting aside any possibility of their being a grand strategy playing out between the progressive candidates, the question to be asked is whether Warren fancies her chances.

I’d guess she does, or she wouldn’t be talking to the ‘Clinton machine’ – presumably to secure the nod of Super Delegates should they come into play. Here’s the thing though. They say you should have a long spoon when you sup with the Devil. But I’m not sure Warren has any kind of a spoon at all. What payment might Clinton and her cohorts extract from Warren for helping her bid to be the Democratic nominee? They’re certainly not in the business of doing things for free. And it’s worth remembering that Clinton played Warren right out of the game back in 2016 by simply suggesting she might be a VP pick.

That aside, Warren has stated (from 3:38 in the linked vid) she’ll be taking corporate money and PAC money and any ‘dark money’ she can get her hands on should she be contesting the Presidency. That simply isn’t going down with the burgeoning progressive base of Democratic voters.

Should Warren’s possible optimism not be misplaced, the question is whether the US needs an Obama Presidency redux – one that leaves the left stonewalled for the duration of a President’s term in office? Because that’s what a Warren Presidency would probably be. And beyond that, the world doesn’t need Trump 2.1.

Looking further afield than just the borders of the US, the world certainly doesn’t need the US intelligence and foreign policy establishment continuing to run amok and filling peoples’ heads with bullshit through its mainstream propaganda outlets. And while Sanders has said he will take on the fossil industry, the pharmaceutical industry and Wall Street, he remains decidedly patchy on foreign policy. As is Warren. Gabbard is the only nominee who has their head screwed on when it comes to US foreign policy/relations and the US intelligence community. But besides being marginalised by the DNC, when not being ghosted by msm she’s been relentlessly vilified (variously and interchangably) as an Assadist/a Putin Puppet/a Hindu Nationalist/a Trump 2.1/a homophobe… and that’s been by both msm and more than a few fauxgressive news sites.

When all is said and done, I’m optimistic that something not too far removed from a Sanders/Warren/Gabbard triumvirate will come to pass in 2020. Certainly, barring a catastrophe, Sanders will be President. And it’s worth noting that besides Warren and Sanders ‘tag teaming’ on the debate stage, when it comes to foreign policy, it’s been very much the case that Gabbard has been the ice breaker clearing a passage for Sanders to safely speak up on aspects of US foreign policy. Gabbard would make a fantastic Foreign Secretary in a Sanders cabinet, just as Warren would do great things were she to be empowered and unleashed on Wall Street and corporate monopolies.

In the meantime, we’ve got – how much longer!? – msm dispensing nothing but garbage and rubbish – of illustrating how it’s just another wagon in a long train of various liberal, corporate and establishment wagons that have stopped forging on and begun circling.

38 comments on “The Race to be the Democratic Party’s Presidential nominee ”

  1. There's some seismic stuff happening in US politics when the lead candidates openly endorse Socialism, criticise Wall St, and don't pay homage to US militarism & world hegemony.

    But is it enough to dislodge Trump? I have my doubts. The Democrat brand is very tarnished.

  2. Kevin 2

    I have serious concerns for Biden's mental health. He does not come across as someone in full control of their mental state.

    • mosa 2.1

      " He does not come across as someone in full control of their mental state "

      I thought that was a pre requisite for the job.

      • KevinTrue. 2.1.1

        True.

        When you pose a rhetorical question like "imagine if President Obama was assassinated" then the writing is definitely on the wall.

  3. Tiger Mountain 3

    Feel the Bern! Some say Bernie is too old, but there is not much he can do about that… He would have one good term in him at least going by his demonstrated energy level and commitment.

    He has been with the people for so many years, it really would restore some faith in US citizens if he made it through–the DNC and Superdelegates firstly, and then the gerrymandering and voter suppression and Electoral College.

    One thing is for sure, if he defies the odds and is the candidate, Trump will not be menacing him on a TV stage.

    • aj 3.1

      One thing is for sure, if he defies the odds and is the candidate, Trump will not be menacing him on a TV stage.

      And for this reason alone he should be the pick. He is the strongest debater by far, he's called BS on Trump the longest, and the clearest. Good luck Bernie.

      • Phil 3.1.1

        And for this reason alone [Trump will not be menacing him on a TV stage] he should be the pick.

        If you're solely looking for a nominee with the best ability to stand up to Trump on a debate stage, it's hard to look past Kamala Harris.

        • KevinTrue. 3.1.1.1

          I am guessing you have never seen her in a debate then. Her record might appeal to republicans, because democrats have seen through her bullshit and the polls show it.

    • Phil 3.2

      Feel the Bern!

      In 2016 Bernie won more than 40% of the primary vote. He's currently somewhere between 10% and 20% depending on the pollster.

      ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    • Adrian Thornton 3.3

      I know this is pretty low brow of me, and politics should be about more than a couple of managed debates…but Trump vs Sanders would have to be one of the epic political debates of all time, like Ali/Foreman, a big heavy hitting ring bully vs a seasoned ring warrior. If it happens it will without doubt be the most viewed debate in history that is for sure.

      Lets just hope the DNC don't find a way to screw him, we all know that they will if they can…I guess the question they are asking themselves right now is..how?

  4. Dukeofurl 4

    "He really needs to be instructed to stand down. "

    Thats why they have primaries so the voters decide who continues.

    Has any even heard of Gabbard being in any sort of serious contention. She has been on Faux news to wave all sorts of conspiracy allegations about the campaign process…that will convince dems for sure

    The Debate threshold that Gabbard said wasnt transparent is listed here
    1) The polling threshold: A candidate must have hit 2 percent or more in at least four polls released between June 28 and August 28.

    — These can be either national polls or early state polls (of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, or South Carolina).

    — These polls must be conducted by one of these organizations: CNN, Fox News, CBS, ABC, NBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Associated Press, NPR, the Des Moines Register, Monmouth University, Quinnipiac University, the University of New Hampshire, or Winthrop University.

    — One catch is that a candidate cannot use multiple polls by the same organization covering the same geographic area. (For example, if there are two NBC national polls showing a candidate meeting the threshold, only one of them will count).

    2) The donor threshold: A candidate must have received donations from 130,000 people. Also, they must have at least 400 donors each in at least 20 different states
    When you dont comply you go on Fox News to say the DNC is using ‘secret rules’ ?
    https://www.vox.com/2019/8/30/20840530/tulsi-gabbard-dnc-september-debate-exclusion

    • Adrian Thornton 4.1

      "Has any even heard of Gabbard being in any sort of serious contention."

      That is exactly what Bill didn't say, but maybe you are more insightful than the rest of us so how about pointing out to us where that was said?

      Or maybe you are just using the opportunity to attack Gabbard, as instructed by your handlers at The Washington Post .

  5. Stuart Munro. 5

    Yall can take Biden from the DNC’s cold dead hands.

  6. Dennis Frank 6

    I predicted a while back that Trump would win a second term. Nothing has happened since to change my mind. The failure of any of the Dem contenders to impress thus far is tempting me to go even further. So I will now predict that Trump wins decisively.

    If you think the Dem contenders are all trying to underwhelm everyone to lull Trump into a false sense of security, I hope you're right but doubt any are that clever!

    If you think any are worth rating as potential winners, read the appraisal by three Vox reviewers talking to each other after the recent debate featuring all those contenders in a group event, and see if your faith evaporates…
    https://www.vox.com/2019/9/13/20864951/democratic-debate-september-2019-biden-warren-sanders-podcast

    • Dukeofurl 6.1

      No President can be reelected with Trump like approval ratings

      • Dennis Frank 6.1.1

        Obama had Trump-like approval ratings & got re-elected! https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/trump-hits-50-percent-approval-in-new-poll/

        "Trump has scored 50 percent with Rasmussen several times this year, and has even hit 51 percent. Other polls, though, tell a similar story: Trump’s approval rating is ticking up. He’s at 47 percent according to The Hill, 44 percent with Reuters, 44 percent with The Economist, 43 percent with Politico. The RealClearPolitics polling average gives Trump an overall score of 44.1 percent. On this day in 2011, then-President Obama’s approval rating according to the same metric was 44.0 percent."

        • Dukeofurl 6.1.1.1

          Rasmussen is well known robo polling , but numbers are often not in line with the others.

          Trump has consistenly been unfavourable , just cherry picking a few dates doesnt prove anything

          • Dennis Frank 6.1.1.1.1

            But I don't see how you think an average of polls is cherry-picking. Trump 0.1% ahead of Obama at the same stage of the electoral cycle is the point. Obama came from that level to get re-elected, so Trump can do likewise…

            • Phil 6.1.1.1.1.1

              Obama came from that level to get re-elected, so Trump can do likewise…

              One key difference is the economy. Approval of Obama's handling of the economy was lower than approval of his handling for other functions (foreign policy, crime, immigration etc), and when the US got properly clear of the GFC his approval rating overall, and on the economy specifically, picked up.

              Trump, on the other hand, has a higher approval rating for his handling of the economy, while being weighed down with poor ratings on almost every other presidential function. If the economy tips into recession (which, as president, he can't really do much about) and his approval rating on the economy then falls, it's impossible to see him suddenly doing a better job elsewhere to make up for that.

              • Dennis Frank

                Good reasoning. I had a look at Marty Armstrong's blog: "Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell stated during a press conference this Wednesday… that the FOMC is prepared to lower rates later in the year in the event of an economic downturn. However, Powell does not foresee an economic decline in the near-term."

                "Today’s rate decision was met with expected criticism. “Jay Powell and the Federal Reserve Fail Again. No ‘guts,’ no sense, no vision! A terrible communicator!” President Trump tweeted after the Committee’s official statement. Trump has repeatedly pointed to other nation’s low or negative rate policies, claiming that the US is at a disadvantage. However, the data indicates that measures to artificially lower rates have not prevented economic declines." https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/market-talk/market-talk-september-18-2019/

                So the Fed aren't fussed about a recession. The loose cannon-in-chief bitches at the top capitalists – to a hammer, everyone else is a nail…

  7. mosa 7

    If Bernie is sworn in as president then he would have overcome the biggest challenge's any candidate would have faced in recent history.

    It will be miraculous event for him too get there and even more astonishing if he gets to implement his programme.

    He must win decisively as a close election would not be helpful in terms of his authority.

    Of course that would come down to numbers in the congress and senate and the intense pressure a lot of elected members would be under to thwart his domestic agenda.

    No one but a few believed Trump would become president but here we are.

    The outcome of this Democratic race will decide the future prospects of this party and its long term survival.

    It is a pivotal moment.

  8. Adrian Thornton 8

    Good piece there Bill, for sure Biden won't make to the end of the primaries, I cannot for the life of me understand why his people haven't pulled him already. A while ago I spent a few years going around the country interviewing old cycle racers in their late 60's to early 90's, quite a few in rest homes. Age related cognitive degeneration isn't hard to identify, and Biden unfortunately has it quite badly.

    As to Sanders being 'decidedly patchy on foreign policy' I would say that Sanders is playing this one as he should, we have to remember sitting here that the US population has been well and truly propagandized into being extremely paranoid about the outside world. With that in mind, Sanders is doing enough to keep his progressive base happy, and at the same time not freak out that huge base of voters who could be swayed by a seemingly 'weak on defense' candidate.

    I happen to believe sanders will be excellent on foreign policy, he has said and done enough in the above mentioned climate to assure me for one, that his world view is by far and away the best and most sane of any US president in the past 50 or so years (probably a lot longer) that I can think of anyway.

    The US liberal media and DNC establishment has already started to fall in behind Warren, hell even the Koch funded center-left think tank 'Third Way' have come down on Warrens side…

    'Warren emerges as potential compromise nominee'

    https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/19/democratic-establishment-elizabeth-warren-1369874

    And of course we have this ..but they won't be able to Stop Sanders this time.

    'The Incredible Belief That Corporate Ownership Does Not Influence Media Content'

    https://fair.org/home/the-incredible-belief-that-corporate-ownership-does-not-influence-media-content/?awt_l=CnT3e&awt_m=iP7iJWAjrYR._TQ

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss7tjLZKdMQ

    • Dukeofurl 8.1

      "The Incredible Belief That Corporate Ownership Does Not Influence Media Content'

      Thats why Sanders spent a bit more than Clinton, $220 mill….in the primaries alone to tell voters directly. because you can read news stories online doesnt mean many US voters are reading the Washington Post

      And yet with all that money to give his message didnt win. He wont even get 43% this time either as he has competition for that side of Democratic politics. No real path for him to get momentum and win the nomination

  9. McFlock 9

    Biden's the king everyone takes a swipe at to show how awesome they are. I think the odds are well against him.

    A Sanders:dolt45 debate will be two old men with crazy hair yelling at each other. Advantage:the orange mindwander.

    Most of the bland candidates come across as too polished. Advantage: the rapey prez.

    Warren could do it, but she comes pre-primed with taglines from the dementia demagogue: "Pocahontas", for example. She could pull it back, but it'll be a fight.

    That leaves a bunch of folk who are all adequate, but each has a policy shortcoming. But I reckon they'll have good odds of beating the fuckwit, and if the dems turn the senate with some #metoo wave candidates, a lot of the executive power so fundamentally abused will go back to the legislature. And if the dems don't turn the senate, there will be no fundamental change anyway.

    • Adrian Thornton 9.1

      Man your above comment really exposes how much you really hate the idea of a real progressive project being allowed the chance of rocking your safe world, and thereby helping and working for the working classes for a change. It also shows that Sanders is exactly on the right track if it obviously scares and threatens you and people like you so much.

      • McFlock 9.1.1

        Dude, if either Sanders or the orange shitgibbon are known for their soft-spoken delivery or well-ordered flowing locksI will gladly concede that my characterisation of their debate as "two old men with crazy hair yelling at each other".

        Are you guaranteeing that if Warren gets the nom the twistie won't keep calling her "Pocahontas"? He's spent the last few years preparing a raft of lines like that specifically aimed at her.

        You confuse an assessment of unfavourable ground with criticism of the competitors.

        The only dem candidates I criticised were the ones I didn't name. The bland & polished, or the left but with a policy blank. Maybe wanting to keep corporate healthcare, or a foreign policy I'm not overly enamoured with.

        But you obviously saw someone prodeicting something other than a righteous Sanders victory and decided that this was horrendous neoliberal criticism of him. People like you are part of the reason we have the pootus in chief with his tiny hands on the nuclear trigger.

  10. TheBlackKittenReturns 10

    Trump will win 2020. Just watch him campaign and sway those middle American voters with the same populist bullet point topics he used to entice them to go to the polls and vote for him in 16. As much as you may despise Trump, you have to give him his due in knowing what to say and how to get those people to vote for him. He is good. You may hate him but he is good.

    I can’t see Warren overcoming Trump and power he has over middle America. The only one I can think of that may is Sanders. Sanders also talks to middle America about their concerns. But I think Trump will overcome that when he starts bringing up things like Mexican boarder immigration, China, jobs back to America, America being the king of the world. Middle America love that.

    I am surprised with Biden. I remember watching him in a debate years ago when he was Obama’s vice president and he was not too bad. Quite surprising.

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    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
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