Trouble within National’s ranks?

Written By: - Date published: 3:43 pm, May 22nd, 2018 - 126 comments
Categories: national, Simon Bridges - Tags: , ,

It looks like the National collective has doubts about Simon Bridges’ pulling power.

Also they must be worried that Northcote might tip in the by election.

Because they are bringing out the big guns.

126 comments on “Trouble within National’s ranks? ”

  1. Adrian 1

    Conflict of interest methinks. Key is on a few boards of Govt entities is he not ?
    Oh, but of course, Cof I has never been a prob for John boy, eh.

    • Gosman 1.1

      Are You claiming Labour never utilised former PM’s or senior members for political purpose despite them being involved in supposedly non partisan roles?

      • McFlock 1.1.1

        I’m sure you can link to screeds of tories bleating about it if they did. Actually, even if they didn’t but the tories just said they did.

      • Sanctuary 1.1.2

        “…Are You claiming Labour never utilised former PM’s…”

        No, he is just positing a question as is his democratic right. Why do you hate democracy, Gosman?

        • dukeofurl 1.1.2.1

          This is a deep involvement with a particular candidate rather than just general party support.
          Maybe previous leaders have a particular issue they were involved with ?

          Sign of desperation. Maybe Bidois is the wrong candidate for national in a by election on the Shore and their polling is telling them that

        • Gosman 1.1.2.2

          Twas not a question in the first sentence. Was an opinion.

      • cleangreen 1.1.3

        Fishy smell is back as Shonkey enters the picture again.

        Smells like “the cup of tea” with ACT saga eh?

        Crooked = National

    • alwyn 1.2

      “Key is on a few boards of Govt entities “.
      Well no, actually.
      What are facts between friends though?

    • Phil 1.3

      Key is on a few boards of Govt entities is he not ?

      Key’s on the board for Air New Zealand, and ANZ Bank…. Maybe he checks his LinkedIn requests in alphabetical order? 😛

      Air NZ is majority owned by the Crown but it’s publicly traded, so the obligations on directors are clearly established and no different from any other listed entity.

      Neither directorship presents anything even remotely resembling a conflict of interest for Key. If he wants to shill for a candidate, then he’s absolutely entitled to do so.

      • WILD KATIPO 1.3.1

        A little bit like a former All Black endorsing National in and around the time of a general election perhaps ?

        Or perhaps not quite as bad ,… this being a by election…

        But you must admit,… something stinks,… and if you think Denmark has problems with stenches , – they have nothing to complain about compared to this,… and Key.

        • Phil 1.3.1.1

          A little bit like a former All Black endorsing National in and around the time of a general election perhaps ?

          If you think Ritchie’s endorsement swayed anyone, you probably also think Robyn Malcolm was instrumental in keeping the Greens above 5%.

          Denmark has problems with stenches , – they have nothing to complain about compared to this,… and Key.

          I’m pretty certain John Key didn’t murder Helen Clark.

  2. Ad 2

    They may as well use Key now before he’s properly damaged by the Australian banking inquiry.

    At least when Labour have brought out their star power in this election, they used their existing leader.

    • Gosman 2.1

      You really are a Muppet. Key never worked in retail banking and certainly never for Australian banks

      • KJT 2.1.1

        https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11934188
        “Sir John Key joins ANZ bank as chairman”.

        A conflict of interest i thought even National could see?

        However it is obvious that he has been working for the banks all along.

        • Gosman 2.1.1.1

          So in your mind the fact that Key recently became involved in the NZ side of ANZ means he will be caught up in the Banking inquiry despite not being there for the time being looked at.

          • KJT 2.1.1.1.1

            Not what i said.
            The concern is the too close a relationship between NZ politicians, and private businesses they are later getting jobs with.

        • Wayne 2.1.1.2

          How on earth is being Chair of the NZ wing of ANZ Bank a conflict of interest with appearing with Dan Bidios?

          Or indeed a conflict of interest with anything that he currently does.

          For years Sir Michael Cullen has been Chair of Kiwibank (appointed by National). He chairs the Tax Working Group. No-one has suggested that is a conflict of interest.

          The commenters here are letting their antipathy of Sir John Key cloud their judgement. No surprise there.

          • KJT 2.1.1.2.1

            Kiwibank is not a private company.

            And. Cullen is actually competent enough to get the job on his own merits.

            Of course a National MP does not see any conflict of interest. It would prevent too many of them from jumping on their, after politics, gravy train.

          • WILD KATIPO 2.1.1.2.2

            Antipathy ?

            Of john key?

            He is no ‘sir’

            We don’t reward treasonists with the title ‘Sir’.

      • mickysavage 2.1.2

        Key worked for Elders Finance up until 1988, Aussie owned bank.

        Now he is a director of ANZ Bank. Hint the A stands for Australia.

        • Gosman 2.1.2.1

          Elders was not a retail bank

          • mickysavage 2.1.2.1.1

            But it was an Australian Bank. As is ANZ which is also a retail bank.

            • Gosman 2.1.2.1.1.1

              Yes and I stated he never worked for an Australian retail bank before. He does so now but as his role is new and based in NZ he is unlikely to be pulled in to the inquiry by the Australian government on what Australian Retail banks did in Australia. But if you want to place a wager on it…

              • Doogs

                Don’t forget that a parallel inquiry is getting under way on the same banks in NZ. So Key while may not have been involved in the period under question, he is there now and will be tainted by association

                • Gosman

                  Link please on the announcement of this parallel inquiry on the Australian banks in NZ.

                  Who is holding this inquiry given I have not heard the Government of NZ nor the RBNZ announcing they will be conducting any inquiry. The Australian government has no jurisdiction in NZ over financial matters here.

                  • Ad

                    It’s not a public inquiry.

                    Just a nice stiff letter and a chat from the Reserve Bank with a whole bunch of questions for them to answer, specifically referencing the Australian inquiry findings.

                    However Sam Stubbs is building the groundswell for a public inquiry – see NZHerald today. Now that would be fun.

            • cleangreen 2.1.2.1.1.2

              Click – click. – Bang. 100% Mickey for connecting the dots.

          • paul andersen 2.1.2.1.2

            dancing on the head of a pin….somehow fitting

        • dukeofurl 2.1.2.2

          Yes but hes only just joined the board ( Jan ) and as Chair of the ANZ NZ subsidiary and later an ordinary member of the main board in Australia
          Compare with the board of AMP which was up to its neck in regulatory malfeasance.

        • Gosman 2.1.2.3

          He is extremely unlikely to be caught up in any banking inquiry looking at the practice of Australian banks in Australia as a result of his recent appointment.

        • alwyn 2.1.2.4

          I shall reword you comment to be more accurate.
          Now he is a director of ANZ Bank in New Zealand which is a subsidiary of the Australian Parent company. The operational workings are distinct from the Australian operation. Hint the NZ stands for New Zealand.

          • Phil Anderson 2.1.2.4.1

            Hint the NZ stands for New Zealand.

            Your comment is accurate, but it’s also called “ANZ” in Australia too. 😛

            • alwyn 2.1.2.4.1.1

              “also called “ANZ” in Australia”.
              As someone who has accounts with the ANZ in both Australia and New Zealand I am only to aware that that is just about the only thing they have in common.
              It is impossible to deal with the Australian bank in New Zealand. It is also impossible to deal with the New Zealand bank in Australia. The fabled Chinese Wall is absolutely impregnable.
              Drives me crazy sometimes.

              • paul andersen

                you are obviously not as smart as you thunk you are alwhinge. I have lived in aus and banked with anz in both countries simultaniously, with accounts in both countries . had no probs with the crossover once I pointed out to the lady behind the counter in sydney what the nz in anz stood for.

                • alwyn

                  Amazing.
                  Please tell me pawlie. Assuming you lived in New Zealand and did not actually have a residential address in Australia how hard was it to persuade them to give you a credit card denominated in Australian dollars that would be paid, by direct debit, from an Australian account each month on due date?

                  And could the nice lady behind the counter tell you the balance in one of your New Zealand accounts from her Sydney terminal?

                  • alwyn

                    @paul Andersen.
                    I had really hoped you could have taken the time to answer my questions. You obviously find it a very simple matter to arrange these things and I was looking forward to your explanation for what I should do.
                    But, from you, nothing.
                    Is it really not as easy as you claim?

          • Draco T Bastard 2.1.2.4.2

            The operational workings are distinct from the Australian operation.

            Yeah, I think we need an inquiry to ensure that. I’m pretty sure that the culture of criminality in the Australian banks would transfer across. Probably via direct instruction along the lines of: We’re doing it this way so you guys do to. This is a command from your owner.

      • WILD KATIPO 2.1.3

        And how do you know if he never worked for Australian banks even if indirectly?

        And don’t feed us that bullshit that he worked as a bloody teller at the front of the bank, either,

        But using a shitty ‘ Key – ism’ ,… what we can say is that John Key worked in tandem with Andrew Kreiger in pulling off the greatest FOREX heist in history against none other than the KIWI DOLLAR.

        There’s your shitty hero in all his glowing true colours,- a self centered narcissistic , greedy grasping prick who never gave one shit about the economy thus the people of this country.

        That’s your hero ‘John Key’ for you.

        And the final authority that signed off on an SAS operation that saw the massacre of 6 civilians including a three year girl.

        Mr fucking ‘ GET SOME GUTS ‘ Key.

        John Key / Andy Krieger – timeline debate – true or false? | NZ Court …
        https://voter08.wordpress.com/john-key-andy-krieger-a-timeline-debate-true-or-false/

        • Gosman 2.1.3.1

          Forex heist???

          What are you on about?

          Explain how Key managed to game a floating exchange rate given no laws were broken.

          • WILD KATIPO 2.1.3.1.1

            Lol! – this guy.

            Always in denial.

            Doesn’t it strike you as rather coincidental that Key collaborated with Kreiger in almost collapsing the NZ economy when a Labour govt was in power? So much so that an official in Michael Cullen’s office called New York and virtually told Kreiger to ‘ get your fucking hands off our economy ‘ ?

            Of course you would deny that as well.

            Are you that much of a slimebag you cant even admit to that?

            I guess not.

            Anything to save either your ego , your vested interests or your Americanized worldview..

            How odious.

            And I don’t have to explain a thing, bud.

            That’s why we provide links. I’m not here to hold your hand and wipe your dirty arse for you.

            • Gosman 2.1.3.1.1.1

              Answer the question.

              How do you game the Forex market for a floating exchange rate?

              • YOU , little man ,… do NOT demand I do anything.

                So you can take your prepubescent tone and take yourself squarely back to the link provided.

                And yet while we are at it ,….

                Just WHY did Roger Douglas demand Rob Muldoon float the dollar ?

                Answer that , and I may consider answering you.

                Or do you not know how the FOREX market works?…

                • Gosman

                  I know how the Forex market works. You on the other hand obviously have little clue.

                  • 1/ Hardly the essence of this article.

                    2 / I am not interested in your personal estimations of your own intellectual prowess.

                    3 / You cannot answer why Douglas left a report to be conveniently ‘discovered’ outlining his plans to float the NZ dollar.

                    4 / If you’d really like to know, – and have your whole neo liberal premise ( and that of your hero Keys ) exposed I am more than happy to oblige.

                    5 / The fact that the far right lost its hold during the Clarke years has much to do with it , – including why Key acted in the reckless , narcissistic manner he did with Kreiger against the KIWI at a much later date.

                    6 / It may be painfully embarrassing for you – and your hero Key , – if I did.

                  • One Two

                    You don’t even understand counter party risk Gosman…

                    Yeah I remember you floundering over derivatives…

                    By all means go ahead and indicate something technical which signals that you know the ‘forex markets’…

                    There is a high probability Key was involved in the attack on NZD…

                    Previous activity and his record after that event describe just how likely Keys involvement was…

                • alwyn

                  “Just WHY did Roger Douglas demand Rob Muldoon float the dollar “.
                  Well technically it was David Lange and it was a devaluation not a float.
                  The fact that you actually have to ask that question astounds me. Are you really so ignorant of international trade and foreign exchange that you have to ask?
                  For a very simple explanation of what happened in 1984 why don’t you have a look at this.
                  https://www.eastonbh.ac.nz/1989/09/from_run_to_float_the_making_of_the_rogernomics_exchange_rate_policy/
                  Can I also suggest you get, or borrow from the Library, a simple book on Economics and read it. It isn’t really that hard to understand the basics and you won’t make yourself look so foolish in future.

                  • Well , thank you for making all the others’ look so foolish’ as well …

                    …. ‘ it was a devaluation not a float ‘…

                    Which just goes to show that Gosman speaks through a hole in his arse with all his pompous bluster about ‘ knowing all about Forex’….

                    L0L0L0L !

                    Thank you.

                    And no , you are completely wrong, – it was Douglas who ‘accidentally released a statement ‘…

                    ——————————————————–

                    …’ A key point of the free-market cabal’s programme was to devalue the New Zealand dollar, an extremely sensitive issue. Several weeks before the July 1984 election. Douglas, Labour’s shadow finance minister, “accidentally” released a statement which signaled his intent to devalue.

                    Since it was a near certainty that Labour, aided by the New Zealand Party’s drawing votes from National , would win, speculators began to dump the New Zealand dollar, planning, post-devaluation, to cash in each dollar of foreign currency for more New Zealand dollars than previously ‘…

                    ——————————————————–

                    You , my wee dear laddie , ….have fallen straight into the noose unassisted.

                    Thank you.

                    And now may I introduce you to the REAL HISTORY of this country and the bogus premises with which the far right seized power,… and far from ME having to go to a library , … I would suggest that YOU save yourself a trip to the library and read this historic yet very up to date historical narrative on New Zealand’s recent political and economic history…

                    New Right Fight – Who are the New Right?
                    http://www.newrightfight.co.nz/pageA.html

                    Read it up , you arrogant psuedo intellectual moron. And lets see you come back with an answer to the charges it makes.

                    I think you will find it more than damning on each and every level that you , and your fellow neo liberal travellor’s have tried to pollute this site, this country’s democracy and this economy for the last 34 years.

                    Good luck.

                    • Oh ,… and one other thing,… we don’t talk ‘technically’ it was this person or that person when clearly it was one individual. And in this case,.. Roger Douglas.

                      Lange and Douglas ended up hating each others guts.

                      And if there is one redeeming quality about Lange it was because HE at least had a conscience.

                      And , – the whole premise of ‘devaluing ‘ was to be able to float the NZ dollar.

                      And cash in.

                      So there’s bugger all similarity’s between the short straws you are trying to draw and the actual reality’s I’m talking about.

                      IS THERE.

                    • Following on;

                      …. ‘ And , – the whole premise of ‘devaluing ‘ was to be able to float the NZ dollar’….

                      Ever wondered where the concept of ‘ Corporate NZ ‘ came from ?

                      Well , that’s when a company opens itself to be registered and ‘ publicly floated’…ie ;

                      Instead of being exclusively privately owned , it ‘floats itself’ and opens itself up to public shareholdings. These shareholdings could, depending on the govt’s rules be local or offshore…

                      And one of the reasons behind Douglas’s drive to devalue was to create an artificial ‘crises’…and in that ‘crises’ would provide strong motivation and incentive to essentially ‘ float ‘ ‘corporate NZ ‘ and its economy by deregulation – particularly of Treasury and the Reserve Bank , – and open it up to private ( usually foreign) investment.

                      We are registered on the New York Stock Exchange as ‘ Corporate NZ’.

                      Moving on,… and we have after 34 years , – Australian banks virtually controlling ALL of our finances, dictating our interest rates, and hence our economy and hence our social conditions.- with a large bulk of profits due to foreign interest rates exiting this country , …. now ,… does any of this seem like sovereign New Zealand or in New Zealand’s best interests ?

                      And yet meanwhile , – free trade agreements which are imbalanced – ie FTA with China,…mean that we are vulnerable to power plays in the Pacific ,… sandwiched as it were between the USA and China , …along with increased pressure from other offshore banking / business interests ie ; Austalia , mean that slowly ( yet rapidly as the process actually was originally … ) we lose all notion of sovereignty barring that in name only.

                      In effect?

                      We have been systematically hollowed out as a nation.

                      Ever wondered why in a land of plenty there is so little to go round?

                      Here is your answer.

                      Again I say ,.. read these timely and wise words from an extract from Hugh Price of Hugh Price Publishers.

                      Hugh Price was a New Zealand Patriot.

                      Then read it again. Let it sink in.

                      Do your children and grandchildren a favour, and for Gods sakes fight for them.

                      And fight for them hard.

                      New Right Fight – Who are the New Right?
                      http://www.newrightfight.co.nz/pageA.htm

                    • And here is yet another peculiarity :

                      … ‘ Thus it was perfectly understandable, indeed predictable, that any election called with some possibility of a devaluation shortly after would cause a run on the dollar. The practice in previous elections had been for the Treasury and the Bank to increase the liquidity of their foreign exchange holdings as the country moved into the final stages of the election. This apparently had been planned for a November 1984 election, but a snap election five months early had not been allowed for. However, given the extent of the run that actually occurred, there may not have been enough official liquidity, even if the officials had anticipated the early election ‘…

                      Interesting ;

                      ‘Given the extent of the run, there may not have been enough official liquidity , even if the officials had anticipated the early election’….

                      And yet who caused the snap election ?

                      None other than Marilyn Waring.

                      And why ?… by threatening to cross the floor and vote with the opposition in favour of what would become Langes ‘nuclear moment’… have we heard that before recently?

                      Was Waring involved ?

                      We cannot say,… but it all seems so coincidental that right at the time that Bob Jones was lining up his ‘NZ party’ to dethrone Rob Muldoon by splitting the National vote, and around the same time Douglas was leaking his ‘devaluation’ papers,..that there was indeed a movement afoot to first ‘devalue’ the dollar, deregulate the financial markets and that, … by definition , … meant the Reserve bank as well as Treasury would have to follow suit ,.. which was exactly what happened.

                      And Corporate NZ was then up for sale , – often to the lowest bidder.

                      And why was devaluing and the ensuing deregulation of our financial markets so important to the Riogernomes?… simply because it meant that now the KIWI could be traded and a profit made on it. Massively huge profits.

                      And that , in effect was the very genesis of out current woes.

              • Draco T Bastard

                By buying and selling a huge amount in an effort to crash the targeted currency. Just as Key and Krieger did.

                And just because it wasn’t illegal doesn’t mean that it was ethical.

                • Gosman

                  Who suffered Draco ?

                  • Draco T Bastard

                    All of NZ but especially the ones that were thrown out of work by Key/Kreiger’s attack on the NZ$.

                    Their bludging cost NZ around $300m at the time.

  3. Well of course the National collective has doubts about Simon Bridges,… he has not the ‘presence’ to carry it off. Key used smarmyness, Collins uses ‘ brute appeal’.

    I would say Bridges will give way to Collins eventually .

    Which is not far from the natural order of things.

    Key is gone , and that leaves Collins a free path, Bridges will be OK with that because he is a close colleague of Collins. Key will just make an appearance to validate it.

    As for the big guns?

    That area is Tory country anyways. Though there are signs of even that changing…

    There are no ‘ big guns’ happening , – if anything , – more a liability and an opportunity for uncomfortable questions to be asked, such as ‘ why did you really leave , John ,.. was the heat over Operaton Burnham getting too hot?’… and what was that about tax havens , Johnno ?,… ‘was the sale of your home to a Mainland Chinese investor worth it in light of all the homeless in New Zealand, John ‘ Are you enjoying that wealth with a free conscience , John ? ‘…

    If anyone who has followed the John Key disaster for the last 9 years will already know… there are rich pickings and much low hanging fruit to be had to gorge on…

    A veritable feast , no less…

  4. Quokka 4

    It will be interesting to hear Key on the Tiwai aluminium smelter and the Australian commission of inquiry into banking practices.

    ANZ blue seems a suitable backdrop.

    • Gosman 4.1

      Why should those topics concern him?

      • KJT 4.1.1

        See above.

      • Quokka 4.1.2

        Are you living under a rock somewhere like a pre-Jacksonian Gollum ?
        I’m not sure how far his court order extends ..

        • Gosman 4.1.2.1

          Why would they be interested in talking to a recent appointee to one of the Australian banks NZ subsidiaries?

          • WILD KATIPO 4.1.2.1.1

            Gosman cant correlate a subsidiary with a parent company…

            The essence of compartmentalized thinking , folks…

            • Gosman 4.1.2.1.1.1

              The Australian and NZ Banking sectors are very different beasts. It would serve little to no purpose calling over NZ based executives or Board members (unless they also worked in Australia at some stage). It certainly would make zero sense to have a NZ based board member be questioned about activities that occurred in Australia BEFORE HE WAS EVEN APPOINTED.

              • And ,… um ,… you are trying to suggest that a former Prime Minister of New Zealand who was all Bro- mates with Australia’s PM and was a major
                player in the New York Forex markets is not intimately kept in the loop with what happens across the Tasman’s banking and financial systems …

                OKKKKKK…

                We have a right one here , Ladies and Gentlemen,…

                Introducing Gosman , the new up and coming comedy act that will set New Zealand on the world stage along with the likes of Lorde, Split ENZ, and Crowded House….

  5. Dv 5

    Key is back on face book touting bitcoin too.

    • james 5.1

      DV – that was a fake advert that had nothing to do with key at all.

      As you were told before – the last time you mentioned this.

      But I guess if you are stupid enough to believe the advert …..

      • Dv 5.1.1

        Prove that it’s fake James
        I don’t think it’s genuine, but it is still there.

        In fact when I asked the anz about the last series of ads,I got no reply

        • Gosman 5.1.1.1

          Prove that you are not a complete moron

          • Dv 5.1.1.1.1

            Prove that you are as clever as you think you are.
            So no proof that key is not involved then.

            Seem like a raw nerve.

            • Gosman 5.1.1.1.1.1

              You are really struggling with the concept of burden of proof aren’t you?

              • Dv

                Nope,
                Prove key is not involved with bit coin?
                You obviously have a clear idea of what proof is, so should be no problem for you to produce proof that key is not involved with bitcoin.

                I find it interesting that anz didn’t take the opportunity to comment when I asked.

              • Nah mate , were struggling with the fact a dishonest murderous bastard like Key managed to fleece New Zealanders for 9 years without a whimper from our MSM , – including gullible bastards like you , bud.

                https://thespinoff.scdn5.secure.raxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/fatima-e1490084556189-850×510.jpg

                • cleangreen

                  Wild Katipo;

                  James/Gosman are really freckling out today eh? Where’s Alwyn though?

                  Puckish rouge is there too so the are all out there today after parliament resumed the “Budget debates” must have upset them badly.

                  The national party support team..

                  • I consider them mere sport .

                    Like a fox hunt or a rabbit cull.

                    But please don’t tell them that.

                    It may offend their sensibilities. And we wouldn’t want that , now would we…

                  • James

                    I think I had made a single post (correcting bullshit) and you think that’s fracking out?

                    You are strange.

                    Or are you inferring I am gosman also ?

                    • Well this is a rather humorous shot out of the blue, – from whence did you spring from all of a sudden ?

                      Oh well , no matter , … Gosman , James, Yaga, and whatever , all the same to me… you see that’s the problem, … all you far right wing apologists all blur into one after a while, … you really need to learn to diversify a little bit…

                      Mix it up a bit. Be a little more military about it,… you know ,… spread out when attacking , concentrate forces when defending,… that sort of basic stuff.

                      But you don’t do that and you become easy meat. And in this case , – the comedians dream material.

                      So James , Gosman , Yaga or whatever else you care to call yourself at the moment ,,… I wish you a good day and hope you get over your confusion,… I really am perplexed at your sudden and unexplained appearance… and wish you well…

                      Do take care….

        • james 5.1.1.2

          So DV – you dont think its genuine – but you are quite happy to pill out the line “Key is back on face book touting bitcoin too.”

          So quite happy to spread lies that a) you dont think are right and b) were proven to you before.

          Since you are such an obvious moron – a quick google would give you this

          http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2017/12/sir-john-key-being-used-in-fake-nz-herald-bitcoin-article.html

          Ill save the link and pull it out again in 6 months when you spread the same bullshit again.

          • dv 5.1.1.2.1

            At last some evidence James.
            Took awhile though.

            Interesting the ANZ ignored a query though.

            • James 5.1.1.2.1.1

              Yeah sorry I haven’t been sitting on here all day answering your bullshit conspiracy post that even you can’t believe.

      • Cinny 5.1.2

        James, you may be correct, your comment caught my interest so, I did an image search online, and nada, the image is only on here according to my image search.

        • James 5.1.2.1

          Cinny – if you go to the news hub site you will see it’s a screenshot.

          Google John key bitcoin fake and there are other articles.

          • WILD KATIPO 5.1.2.1.1

            Well , one can only assume its a screenshot designed to send John Key up,… but truly now,… does it really matter when Key sent himself and this country up on an almost weekly basis?

            One only has to Google John Oliver to see the evidence.

            And why , pray tell would Key do that ?

            Was it self mockery and embarrassment that he only achieved being Prime Minister of New Zealand and not Planet Key ?

            Planet Key – The Song – The Hits
            Video for planet key song▶ 4:09
            http://www.thehits.co.nz › Video

          • Cinny 5.1.2.1.2

            James, couldn’t find it on the newshub.

            Lolz forgot about the bitcoin; I have seen the PM that quit in a dodgy looking get rich quick scheme before (not bitcoin).

            Wouldn’t have surprised me if the nats had whipped out key to try and push their Northcote candidate, that’s the funny/crazy thing, it’s easily believable.

            Glad I read your comment 🙂

  6. Incognito 6

    Nah, Bridges is too busy liking WO tweets leading the Opposition and Key’s got plenty of time on his hands (keep those hands to yourself, John).

  7. Puckish Rogue 7

    Sir John Key not only retired undefeated but still manages to troll the lefties 🙂

    • Incognito 7.1

      He did not retire, he quit and ran away. Nice framing though 😉

    • dukeofurl 7.2

      So Truck Stop Paula doesnt have enough star power ?

      Looks Strategy A was to downplay the by-election which is usually done if you sure you will win and dont want to other sides voters to even be aware an election is on.

      Now they are onto Strategy B, which is to get publicity for their candidate and tell all their own voters , wake up there is an election on.
      Expect an announcement about roads and bridges next !!! ( the only time Soimum will be mentioned) hahahaha

    • Nope . Hasn’t even managed that.

      And he didn’t retire, – he ran.

      Like a coward.

      Especially when he saw the Donald didn’t give a crap about this no namer pony tail puller from where?… Nu Zaland??? What a creep ! Can we bomb that place???

      And caused the National party to lose magnificently. Left Boring Dipping Bill in charge and didn’t give a shit. A bit like hes always been.

      Yeah ,… real master of the trolls he is…. not.

      • Gosman 7.3.1

        Eh????

        You feeling okay WK? Your comment is slightly more unhinged that usual.

        • WILD KATIPO 7.3.1.1

          Havin’ a bit of fun watching all the sycophants rush to a wankers defense, that’s all,… quite humorous, actually.

          But all humour aside, … supporting a pony tail pulling, shower pissing creep like Key is the height of your aspirations?

          I mean seriously… come on… here’s your hero , idiot…

          John Oliver – John Key – YouTube
          Video for john oliver john key radio interview youtube▶ 1:45
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LT2k4uR4ho

    • Stuart Munro 7.4

      Yup – undefeated world champion most corrupt PM ever to parasite off NZ.

  8. greywarshark 8

    Oh damn. He is a fine man in the true National mould(y).
    It would be a mistake to look beyond this man’s excellence which has been recounted in these historic lines.

    (Simon) had a pair of boots with great big spurs
    on;.
    A fighting pair of which he was particularly fond.
    On Tuesday and on Friday, just to make the street
    look tidy,
    He’d collect the passing villagers and kick them in
    the pond…..

    but, those villagers got out of the swamp…

    (Simon) went a journey and he found a lot of
    duckweed.
    They pulled him out and dried him and they
    blipped him on the head.
    They took him by the breeches and they hurled
    him into ditches
    And they pushed him under waterfalls and this
    is what they said:
    “You are Si.. — don’t laugh,
    You are Si.. — don’t cry;
    You are Si.. as bold as a lion —
    (Simon) the Lion, goodbye!”

    Thanks to AA Milne, for his wit and whimsy.

  9. Cinny 9

    I’ve some questions for the pair of them….

    Meanwhile, is there a Northcote Meet the Candidates function, and if so is anyone on here planning on attending?

  10. Ad 10

    He’s such a spent event.

    At least Labour sent an actual drawcard PM.

    • ScottGN 10.1

      There’s a whole cohort of diehard Nat voters who are still pining for him though Ad. Presumably they need motivating in Northcote.

  11. Quokka 11

    Current ANZ advertising is *so* Key !

    Two dim-witted yuppie fashionistas ..

  12. Stunned mullet 12

    Good Grief – Key has been gone for well over 12 months and still the mad frothing from certain commenters bit like Helen is to those on the other side ..red rag to a bull..

    Anyhoo after looking at the candidates in Northcote if it was my electorate i’d be voting for the green candidate rather than the muppets the red or blue team have put up.

    • Nah , time means nothing when it comes to justice and with Key , – there’s unfinished business.

      You wouldn’t deny Arthur Allan Thomas or Teina Pora justice would you despite the fact that they are ‘historic cases’… and there’s a whole range of issues surrounding Key that needs the spotlight shined fully on him.

      And for him to turn up and show his face endorsing the very party that he dumped unceremoniously and left to lose an election smacks of a man who never gave a shit about the people of this country anyway, – yet deems he is sufficiently safe in hiding behind some sort of ‘statesman’ like facade.

      Well hes not even that , – and many among us view him as a cheap conman.

      Worse still , culpable in the murder of a 6 year old girl in Afghanistan .

      Not so rosy when put in those terms,…

      IS IT.

      • Stunned Mullet 12.1.1

        LOL you really do write some hilarious drivel.

        • WILD KATIPO 12.1.1.1

          Hilarious, – I most certainly hope so.

          Drivel?… I assure you ,… I am deadly serious.

          And the mere fact I induce you into making that statement shows you are playing into my game , not yours.

          Keep playing, please.

      • cleangreen 12.1.2

        WILD KATIPO

        Key’s presence here will send a negative action, he will lower the national vote here.

        Key will spook the electorate now as he is not trusted and creepy remember the pony tail pulling?

        maybe he is back to find some more?

        I thinks that Simon Bridges is time is short and bloodletting will be out soon.

  13. Quokka 13

    Stunned you, mullet ?

    Where do our Nationalists go from here ?

    “Francoist Spain (Spanish: España franquista) or the Franco regime (Spanish: Régimen de Franco) is the period of Spanish history between 1939, when Francisco Franco took control of Spain after the Nationalist victory in the Spanish Civil War”
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francoist_Spain

  14. adam 14

    I feel a hekia lot of trouble for national when they did up old fossils…

  15. mary_a 15

    Natz must really be on the skids for it to roll the creepy, slimy one out once more to save its burnt bacon! Amazing what desperation can lead to at times.

    • Oh not really , mary_a,…

      After all ,.. they did try the almost deceased Richard Prebble ( at least his political career can be described as such … ) in rolling him out on commenting on rail ,… or in his words… ‘trams’… the other day…

      So why not the shower pissing wonder and obligate narcissist John Key ?

      As the old adage says … ‘ If the cap fits,… wear it’….

      • edgil 15.1.1

        Thanks for the posts Wild Katipo. You are someone who understands what has happened here in Aotearoa.

  16. repateet 16

    What’s with all the stuff about banks and conflicts of interest?

    I don’t see any problem with Bidois needing John Key.

    Just like Steve Hansen will be getting Buck Shelford, Sid Going and Christian Cullen in to help with the games against the French in June.

    If he is really, really, really desperate and is trying to find some sort of magic ‘last resort.’

  17. R.P Mcmurphy 17

    nationals were totally unprepared for defeat. everybody kept their thoughts to themselves, held their cards close to their chest and let the media do its little dance thinking that was enough.
    nah.
    the people had enough of nationals ramshhackle venal attitude to everything.
    sure they made little booms here and there but the ultimate cost is enormous.
    the media here is timid, unlearned, ignorant and devoted to their jobs first and foremost because that is the way the world rolls.
    the cost of repairing nationals mistakes is going to exhaust any government but one thing for sure is that another ring in like john key and his style of government should never be repeated.
    his job was to loot the treasury and he did so successfully.
    lets hope his policies have not brought the country to its knees.
    a lot of shit is about to come down the pike as they say and we have to be ready and alert to change.
    and that means no wasting money on absurd ideological experiments and reminding the population that new zealand is not some completely infantilised episode out of a reality t.v. show.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Losing The Left.
    Descending Into The Dark: The ideological cadres currently controlling both Labour and the Greens are forcing “justice”, “participation” and “democracy” to make way for what is “appropriate” and “responsible”. But, where does that leave the people who, for most of their adult lives, have voted for left-wing parties, precisely to ...
    54 mins ago
  • The New “Emperor’s New Clothes”.
    “‘BUT HE HASN’T GOT ANYTHING ON,’ a little boy said ….. ‘But he hasn’t got anything on!’ the whole town cried out at last.”On this optimistic note, Hans Christian Andersen brings his cautionary tale of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” to an end.Andersen’s children’s story was written nearly two centuries ago, ...
    1 hour ago
  • BRYCE EDWARDS: The vested interests shaping National Party policies
      Bryce Edwards writes – As the National Party gets closer to government, lobbyists and business interests will be lining up for influence and to get policies adopted. It’s therefore in the public interest to have much more scrutiny and transparency about potential conflicts of interests that ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 hours ago
  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: A conundrum for those pushing racist dogma
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – The heavily promoted narrative, which has ramped up over the last six years, is that Maori somehow have special vulnerabilities which arise from outside forces they cannot control; that contemporary society fails to meet their needs. They are not receptive to messages and ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 hours ago
  • CHRIS TROTTER:  The greater of two evils
    Not Labour: If you’re out to punish the government you once loved, then the last thing you need is to be shown evidence that the opposition parties are much, much worse.   Chris Trotter writes – THE GREATEST VIRTUE of being the Opposition is not being the Government. Only very ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 hours ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 30
    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:Labour presented a climate manifesto that aimed to claim the high ground on climate action vs National, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    9 hours ago
  • Litanies, articles of faith, and being a beneficiary
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past two weeks.Friday 29Play it, ElvisElection Hell special!! This week’s quiz is a bumper edition featuring a few of the more popular questions from last weekend’s show, as well as a few we didn’t ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    10 hours ago
  • Litanies, articles of faith, and being a beneficiary
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past two weeks.Friday 29Play it, ElvisElection Hell special!! This week’s quiz is a bumper edition featuring a few of the more popular questions from last weekend’s show, as well as a few we didn’t ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    10 hours ago
  • The ‘Recession’ Has Been Called Off, But Some Households Are Still Struggling
    While the economy is not doing too badly in output terms, external circumstances are not favourable, and there is probably a sizeable group of households struggling because of rising interest rates.Last week’s announcement of a 0.9 percent increase in volume GDP for the June quarter had the commentariat backing down ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 day ago
  • Climate Change: The wrong direction
    This week the International Energy Association released its Net Zero Roadmap, intended to guide us towards a liveable climate. The report demanded huge increases in renewable generation, no new gas or oil, and massive cuts to methane emissions. It was positive about our current path, but recommended that countries with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • “Racism” becomes a buzz word on the campaign trail – but our media watchdogs stay muzzled when...
    Buzz from the Beehive  Oh, dear.  We have nothing to report from the Beehive. At least, we have nothing to report from the government’s official website. But the drones have not gone silent.  They are out on the election campaign trail, busy buzzing about this and that in the hope ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Play it, Elvis
    Election Hell special!! This week’s quiz is a bumper edition featuring a few of the more popular questions from last weekend’s show, as well as a few we didn’t have time for. You’re welcome, etc. Let us press on, etc. 1.  What did Christopher Luxon use to his advantage in ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Pure class warfare
    National unveiled its fiscal policy today, announcing all the usual things which business cares about and I don't. But it did finally tell us how National plans to pay for its handouts to landlords: by effectively cutting benefits: The biggest saving announced on Friday was $2b cut from the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Ask Me Anything about the week to Sept 29
    Photo by Anna Ogiienko on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week for an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session for paying subscribers about the week that was for an hour, including:duelling fiscal plans from National and Labour;Labour cutting cycling spending while accusing National of being weak on climate;Research showing the need for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 29-September-2023
    Welcome to Friday and the last one for September. This week in Greater Auckland On Monday, Matt highlighted at the latest with the City Rail Link. On Tuesday, Matt covered the interesting items from Auckland Transport’s latest board meeting agendas. On Thursday, a guest post from Darren Davis ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • Protest at Parliament: The Reunion.
    Brian’s god spoke to him. He, for of course the Lord in Tamaki’s mind was a male god, with a mighty rod, and probably some black leathers. He, told Brian - “you must put a stop to all this love, hope, and kindness”. And it did please the Brian.He said ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Labour cuts $50m from cycleway spending
    Labour is cutting spending on cycling infrastructure while still trying to claim the higher ground on climate. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Labour Government released a climate manifesto this week to try to claim the high ground against National, despite having ignored the Climate Commission’s advice to toughen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Greater Of Two Evils.
    Not Labour: If you’re out to punish the government you once loved, then the last thing you need is to be shown evidence that the opposition parties are much, much worse.THE GREATEST VIRTUE of being the Opposition is not being the Government. Only very rarely is an opposition party elected ...
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #39 2023
    Open access notables "Net zero is only a distraction— we just have to end fossil fuel emissions." The latter is true but the former isn't, or  not in the real world as it's likely to be in the immediate future. And "just" just doesn't enter into it; we don't have ...
    2 days ago
  • Chris Trotter: Losing the Left
    IN THE CURRENT MIX of electoral alternatives, there is no longer a credible left-wing party. Not when “a credible left-wing party” is defined as: a class-oriented, mass-based, democratically-structured political organisation; dedicated to promoting ideas sharply critical of laissez-faire capitalism; and committed to advancing democratic, egalitarian and emancipatory ideals across the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago
  • Road rage at Kia Kaha Primary School
    It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Road rage at Kia Kaha Primary School
    It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Road rage at Kia Kaha Primary School
    It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Hipkins fires up in leaders’ debate, but has the curtain already fallen on the Labour-led coalitio...
    Labour’s  Chris Hipkins came out firing, in the  leaders’ debate  on Newshub’s evening programme, and most of  the pundits  rated  him the winner against National’s  Christopher Luxon. But will this make any difference when New  Zealanders  start casting their ballots? The problem  for  Hipkins is  that  voters are  all too ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    2 days ago
  • Govt is energising housing projects with solar power – and fuelling the public’s concept of a di...
    Buzz from the Beehive  Not long after Point of Order published data which show the substantial number of New Zealanders (77%) who believe NZ is becoming more divided, government ministers were braying about a programme which distributes some money to “the public” and some to “Maori”. The ministers were dishing ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • MIKE GRIMSHAW: Election 2023 – a totemic & charisma failure?
    The D&W analysis Michael Grimshaw writes –  Given the apathy, disengagement, disillusionment, and all-round ennui of this year’s general election, it was considered time to bring in those noted political operatives and spin doctors D&W, the long-established consultancy firm run by Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. Known for ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • FROM BFD: Will Winston be the spectre we think?
    Kissy kissy. Cartoon credit BoomSlang. The BFD. JC writes-  Allow me to preface this contribution with the following statement: If I were asked to express a preference between a National/ACT coalition or a National/ACT/NZF coalition then it would be the former. This week Luxon declared his position, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • California’s climate disclosure bill could have a huge impact across the U.S.
    This re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Andy Furillo was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The California Legislature took a step last week that has the potential to accelerate the fight against climate ...
    2 days ago
  • Untangling South East Queensland’s Public Transport
    This is a cross post Adventures in Transitland by Darren Davis. I recently visited Brisbane and South East Queensland and came away both impressed while also pondering some key changes to make public transport even better in the region. Here goes with my take on things. A bit of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago
  • Try A Little Kindness.
    My daughter arrived home from the supermarket yesterday and she seemed a bit worried about something. It turned out she wanted to know if someone could get her bank number from a receipt.We wound the story back.She was in the store and there was a man there who was distressed, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • What makes NZFirst tick
    New Zealand’s longest-running political roadshow rolled into Opotiki yesterday, with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters knowing another poll last night showed he would make it back to Parliament and National would need him and his party if they wanted to form a government. The Newshub Reid Research poll ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • September AMA
    Hi,As September draws to a close — I feel it’s probably time to do an Ask Me Anything. You know how it goes: If you have any burning questions, fire away in the comments and I will do my best to answer. You might have questions about Webworm, or podcast ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Bludgers lying in the scratcher making fools of us all
    The mediocrity who stands to be a Prime Minister has a litany.He uses it a bit like a Koru Lounge card. He will brandish it to say: these people are eligible. And more than that, too: These people are deserving. They have earned this policy.They have a right to this policy. What ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • More “partnerships” (by the look of it) and redress of over $30 million in Treaty settlement wit...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point of Order has waited until now – 3.45pm – for today’s officially posted government announcements.  There have been none. The only addition to the news on the Beehive’s website was posted later yesterday, after we had published our September 26 Buzz report. It came from ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • ALEX HOLLAND: Labour’s spending
    Alex Holland writes –  In 2017 when Labour came to power, crown spending was $76 billion per year. Now in 2023 it is $139 billion per year, which equates to a $63 billion annual increase (over $1 billion extra spend every week!) In 2017, New Zealand’s government debt ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • If not now, then when?
    Labour released its fiscal plan today, promising the same old, same old: "responsibility", balanced books, and of course no new taxes: "Labour will maintain income tax settings to provide consistency and certainty in these volatile times. Now is not the time for additional taxes or to promise billions of ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • THE FACTS:  77% of Kiwis believe NZ is becoming more divided
    The Facts has posted –        KEY INSIGHTSOf New Zealander’s polled: Social unity/division 77%believe NZ is becoming more divided (42% ‘much more’ + 35% ‘a little more’) 3%believe NZ is becoming less divided (1% ‘much less’ + 2% ‘a little less’) ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the cynical brutality of the centre-right’s welfare policies
    The centre-right’s enthusiasm for forcing people off the benefit and into paid work is matched only by the enthusiasm (shared by Treasury and the Reserve Bank) for throwing people out of paid work to curb inflation, and achieve the optimal balance of workers to job seekers deemed to be desirable ...
    3 days ago
  • Wednesday’s Chorus: Arthur Grimes on why building many, many more social houses is so critical
    New research shows that tenants in social housing - such as these Wellington apartments - are just as happy as home owners and much happier than private tenants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The election campaign took an ugly turn yesterday, and in completely the wrong direction. All three ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Old habits
    Media awareness about global warming and climate change has grown fairly steadily since 2004. My impression is that journalists today tend to possess a higher climate literacy than before. This increasing awareness and improved knowledge is encouraging, but there are also some common interpretations which could be more nuanced. ...
    Real ClimateBy rasmus
    3 days ago
  • Bennie Bashing.
    If there’s one thing the mob loves more than keeping Māori in their place, more than getting tough on the gangs, maybe even more than tax cuts. It’s a good old round of beneficiary bashing.Are those meanies in the ACT party stealing your votes because they think David Seymour is ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • The kindest cuts
    Labour kicks off the fiscal credibility battle today with the release of its fiscal plan. National is expected to follow, possibly as soon as Thursday, with its own plan, which may (or may not) address the large hole that the problems with its foreign buyers’ ban might open up. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Green right turn in Britain? Well, a start
    While it may be unlikely to register in New Zealand’s general election, Britain’s PM Rishi Sunak has done something which might just be important in the long run. He’s announced a far-reaching change in his Conservative government’s approach to environmental, and particularly net zero, policy. The starting point – ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    4 days ago
  • At a glance – How do human CO2 emissions compare to natural CO2 emissions?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    4 days ago
  • How could this happen?
    Canada is in uproar after the exposure that its parliament on September 22 provided a standing ovation to a Nazi veteran who had been invited into the chamber to participate in the parliamentary welcome to Ukrainian President Zelensky. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, a Ukrainian man who volunteered for service in ...
    4 days ago
  • Always Be Campaigning
    The big screen is a great place to lay out the ways of the salesman. He comes ready-made for Panto, ripe for lampooning.This is not to disparage that life. I have known many good people of that kind. But there is a type, brazen as all get out. The camera ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • STEPHEN FRANKS: Press seek to publicly shame doctor – we must push back
    The following is a message sent yesterday from lawyer Stephen Franks on behalf of the Free Speech Union. I don’t like to interrupt first thing Monday morning, but we’ve just become aware of a case where we think immediate and overwhelming attention could help turn the tide. It involves someone ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Competing on cruelty
    The right-wing message calendar is clearly reading "cruelty" today, because both National and NZ First have released beneficiary-bashing policies. National is promising a "traffic light" system to police and kick beneficiaries, which will no doubt be accompanied by arbitrary internal targets to classify people as "orange" or "red" to keep ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Further funding for Pharmac (forgotten in the Budget?) looks like a $1bn appeal from a PM in need of...
    Buzz from the Beehive One Labour plan  – for 3000 more public homes by 2025 – is the most recent to be posted on the government’s official website. Another – a prime ministerial promise of more funding for Pharmac – has been released as a Labour Party press statement. Who ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: The Vested interests shaping National Party policies
    As the National Party gets closer to government, lobbyists and business interests will be lining up for influence and to get policies adopted. It’s therefore in the public interest to have much more scrutiny and transparency about potential conflicts of interests that might arise. One of the key individuals of ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Labour may be on way out of power and NZ First back in – but will Peters go into coalition with Na...
    Voters  are deserting Labour in droves, despite Chris  Hipkins’  valiant  rearguard  action.  So  where  are they  heading?  Clearly  not all of them are going to vote National, which concedes that  the  outcome  will be “close”. To the Right of National, the ACT party just a  few weeks  ago  was ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    4 days ago
  • GRAHAM ADAMS: Will the racists please stand up?
    Accusations of racism by journalists and MPs are being called out. Graham Adams writes –    With the election less than three weeks away, what co-governance means in practice — including in water management, education, planning law and local government — remains largely obscure. Which is hardly ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on whether Winston Peters can be a moderating influence
    As the centre-right has (finally!) been subjected to media interrogation, the polls are indicating that some voters may be starting to have second thoughts about the wisdom of giving National and ACT the power to govern alone. That’s why yesterday’s Newshub/Reid Research poll had the National/ACT combo dropping to 60 ...
    4 days ago
  • Tuesday’s Chorus: RBNZ set to rain on National's victory parade
    ANZ has increased its forecast for house inflation later this year on signs of growing momentum in the market ahead of the election. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: National has campaigned against the Labour Government’s record on inflation and mortgage rates, but there’s now a growing chance the Reserve ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • After a Pittsburgh coal processing plant closed, ER visits plummeted
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Katie Myers. This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Pittsburgh, in its founding, was blessed and cursed with two abundant natural resources: free-flowing rivers and a nearby coal seam. ...
    4 days ago
  • September-23 AT Board Meeting
    Today the AT board meet again and once again I’ve taken a look at what’s on the agenda to find the most interesting items. Closed Agenda Interestingly when I first looked at the agendas this paper was there but at the time of writing this post it had been ...
    4 days ago
  • Electorate Watch: West Coast-Tasman
    Continuing my series on interesting electorates, today it’s West Coast-Tasman.A long thin electorate running down the northern half of the west coast of the South Island. Think sand flies, beautiful landscapes, lots of rain, Pike River, alternative lifestylers, whitebaiting, and the spiritual home of the Labour Party. A brief word ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Big money brings Winston back
    National leader Christopher Luxon yesterday morning conceded it and last night’s Newshub poll confirmed it; Winston Peters and NZ First are not only back but highly likely to be part of the next government. It is a remarkable comeback for a party that was tossed out of Parliament in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 20 days until Election Day, 7 until early voting begins… but what changes will we really see here?
    As this blogger, alongside many others, has already posited in another forum: we all know the National Party’s “budget” (meaning this concept of even adding up numbers properly is doing a lot of heavy, heavy lifting right now) is utter and complete bunk (read hung, drawn and quartered and ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    5 days ago
  • A night out
    Everyone was asking, Are you nervous? and my response was various forms of God, yes.I've written more speeches than I can count; not much surprises me when the speaker gets to their feet and the room goes quiet.But a play? Never.YOU CAME! THANK YOU! Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • A pallid shade of Green III
    Clearly Labour's focus groups are telling it that it needs to pay more attention to climate change - because hot on the heels of their weaksauce energy efficiency pilot programme and not-great-but-better-than-nothing solar grants, they've released a full climate manifesto. Unfortunately, the core policies in it - a second Emissions ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • A coalition of racism, cruelty, and chaos
    Today's big political news is that after months of wibbling, National's Chris Luxon has finally confirmed that he is willing to work with Winston Peters to become Prime Minister. Which is expected, but I guess it tells us something about which way the polls are going. Which raises the question: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • More migrant workers should help generate the tax income needed to provide benefits for job seekers
    Buzz from the Beehive Under something described as a “rebalance” of its immigration rules, the Government has adopted four of five recommendations made in an independent review released in July, The fifth, which called on the government to specify criteria for out-of-hours compliance visits similar to those used during ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • Letter To Luxon.
    Some of you might know Gerard Otto (G), and his G News platform. This morning he wrote a letter to Christopher Luxon which I particularly enjoyed, and with his agreement I’m sharing it with you in this guest newsletter.If you’d like to make a contribution to support Gerard’s work you ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: Alarming trend in benefit numbers
    Lindsay Mitchell writes –  While there will not be another quarterly release of benefit numbers prior to the election, limited weekly reporting continues and is showing an alarming trend. Because there is a seasonal component to benefit number fluctuations it is crucial to compare like with like. In ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • BRIAN EASTON: Has there been external structural change?
    A close analysis of the Treasury assessment of the Medium Term in its PREFU 2023 suggests the economy may be entering a new phase.   Brian Easton writes –  Last week I explained that the forecasts in the just published Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023) was ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • CRL Progress – Sep-23
    It’s been a while since we looked at the latest with the City Rail Link and there’s been some fantastic milestones recently. To start with, and most recently, CRL have released an awesome video showing a full fly-through of one of the tunnels. Come fly with us! You asked for ...
    5 days ago
  • Monday’s Chorus: Not building nearly enough
    We are heading into another period of fast population growth without matching increased home building or infrastructure investment.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Labour and National detailed their house building and migration approaches over the weekend, with both pledging fast population growth policies without enough house building or infrastructure investment ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Game on; Hipkins comes out punching
    Labour leader Chris Hipkins yesterday took the gloves off and laid into National and its leader Christopher Luxon. For many in Labour – and particularly for some at the top of the caucus and the party — it would not have been a moment too soon. POLITIK is aware ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Tax Cut Austerity Blues.
    The leaders have had their go, they’ve told us the “what?” and the “why?” of their promises. Now it’s the turn of the would be Finance Ministers to tell us the “how?”, the “how much?”, and the “when?”A chance for those competing for the second most powerful job in the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • MIKE GRIMSHAW:  It’s the economy – and the spirit – Stupid…
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Over the past 30-odd years it’s become almost an orthodoxy to blame or invoke neoliberalism for the failures of New Zealand society. On the left the usual response goes something like, neoliberalism is the cause of everything that’s gone wrong and the answer ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #38
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Sep 17, 2023 thru Sat, Sep 23, 2023. Story of the Week  Opinion: Let’s free ourselves from the story of economic growth A relentless focus on economic growth has ushered in ...
    6 days ago
  • The End Of The World.
    Have you been looking out of your window for signs of the apocalypse? Don’t worry, you haven’t been door knocked by a representative of the Brian Tamaki party. They’re probably a bit busy this morning spruiking salvation, or getting ready to march on our parliament, which is closed. No, I’ve ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Climate Town: The Brainwashing Of America's Children
    Climate Town is the YouTube channel of Rollie Williams and a ragtag team of climate communicators, creatives and comedians. They examine climate change in a way that doesn’t make you want to eat a cyanide pill. Get informed about the climate crisis before the weather does it for you. The latest ...
    1 week ago
  • Has There Been External Structural Change?
    A close analysis of the Treasury assessment of the Medium Term in its PREFU 2023 suggests the economy may be entering a new phase. Last week I explained that the forecasts in the just published Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023) was similar to the May Budget BEFU, ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago

  • New community-level energy projects to support more than 800 Māori households
    Seven more innovative community-scale energy projects will receive government funding through the Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund to bring more affordable, locally generated clean energy to more than 800 Māori households, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. “We’ve already funded 42 small-scale clean energy projects that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Huge boost to Te Tai Tokerau flood resilience
    The Government has approved new funding that will boost resilience and greatly reduce the risk of major flood damage across Te Tai Tokerau. Significant weather events this year caused severe flooding and damage across the region. The $8.9m will be used to provide some of the smaller communities and maraes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Napier’s largest public housing development comes with solar
    The largest public housing development in Napier for many years has been recently completed and has the added benefit of innovative solar technology, thanks to Government programmes, says Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods. The 24 warm, dry homes are in Seddon Crescent, Marewa and Megan Woods says the whanau living ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Te Whānau a Apanui and the Crown initial Deed of Settlement I Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me...
    Māori: Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna te Whakaaetanga Whakataunga Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna i tētahi Whakaaetanga Whakataunga hei whakamihi i ō rātou tāhuhu kerēme Tiriti o Waitangi. E tekau mā rua ngā hapū o roto mai o Te Whānau ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Plan for 3,000 more public homes by 2025 – regions set to benefit
    Regions around the country will get significant boosts of public housing in the next two years, as outlined in the latest public housing plan update, released by the Housing Minister, Dr Megan Woods. “We’re delivering the most public homes each year since the Nash government of the 1950s with one ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Immigration settings updates
    Judicial warrant process for out-of-hours compliance visits 2023/24 Recognised Seasonal Employer cap increased by 500 Additional roles for Construction and Infrastructure Sector Agreement More roles added to Green List Three-month extension for onshore Recovery Visa holders The Government has confirmed a number of updates to immigration settings as part of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Poroporoaki: Tā Patrick (Patu) Wahanga Hohepa
    Tangi ngunguru ana ngā tai ki te wahapū o Hokianga Whakapau Karakia. Tārehu ana ngā pae maunga ki Te Puna o te Ao Marama. Korihi tangi ana ngā manu, kua hinga he kauri nui ki te Wao Nui o Tāne. He Toa. He Pou. He Ahorangi. E papaki tū ana ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Renewable energy fund to support community resilience
    40 solar energy systems on community buildings in regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events Virtual capability-building hub to support community organisations get projects off the ground Boost for community-level renewable energy projects across the country At least 40 community buildings used to support the emergency response ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • COVID-19 funding returned to Government
    The lifting of COVID-19 isolation and mask mandates in August has resulted in a return of almost $50m in savings and recovered contingencies, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Following the revocation of mandates and isolation, specialised COVID-19 telehealth and alternative isolation accommodation are among the operational elements ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Appointment of District Court Judge
    Susie Houghton of Auckland has been appointed as a new District Court Judge, to serve on the Family Court, Attorney-General David Parker said today.  Judge Houghton has acted as a lawyer for child for more than 20 years. She has acted on matters relating to the Hague Convention, an international ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government invests further in Central Hawke’s Bay resilience
    The Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Govt boost for Hawke’s Bay cyclone waste clean-up
    Another $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Taupō Supercars revs up with Government support
    The future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • There is no recession in NZ, economy grows nearly 1 percent in June quarter
    The economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Highest legal protection for New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs
    The Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today.   “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • More support for victims of migrant exploitation
    Temporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Strong export boost as NZ economy turns corner
    An export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Funding approved for flood resilience work in Te Karaka
    The Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Further business support for cyclone-affected regions
    The Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New maintenance facility at Burnham Military Camp underway
    Defence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Foreign Minister to attend United Nations General Assembly
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will represent New Zealand at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, before visiting Washington DC for further Pacific focussed meetings. Nanaia Mahuta will be in New York from Wednesday 20 September, and will participate in UNGA leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Midwives’ pay equity offer reached
    Around 1,700 Te Whatu Ora employed midwives and maternity care assistants will soon vote on a proposed pay equity settlement agreed by Te Whatu Ora, the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) and New Zealand Nurses Association (NZNO), Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “Addressing historical pay ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • New Zealand provides support to Morocco
    Aotearoa New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We are making a contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help meet humanitarian needs,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Government invests in West Coast’s roading resilience
    The Government is investing over $22 million across 18 projects to improve the resilience of roads in the West Coast that have been affected by recent extreme weather, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today.  A dedicated Transport Resilience Fund has been established for early preventative works to protect the state ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Government invests in Greymouth’s future
    The Government has today confirmed a $2 million grant towards the regeneration of Greymouth’s CBD with construction of a new two-level commercial and public facility. “It will include a visitor facility centred around a new library. Additionally, it will include retail outlets on the ground floor, and both outdoor and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Nanaia Mahuta to attend PIF Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in Suva, Fiji alongside New Zealand’s regional counterparts. “Aotearoa New Zealand is deeply committed to working with our pacific whanau to strengthen our cooperation, and share ways to combat the challenges facing the Blue Pacific Continent,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • PREFU shows no recession, growing economy, more jobs and wages ahead of inflation
    Economy to grow 2.6 percent on average over forecast period Treasury not forecasting a recession Inflation to return to the 1-3 percent target band next year Wages set to grow 4.8 percent a year over forecast period Unemployment to peak below the long-term average Fiscal Rules met - Net debt ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago
  • New cancer centre opens in Christchurch
    Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall proudly opened the Canterbury Cancer Centre in Christchurch today. The new facility is the first of its kind and was built with $6.5 million of funding from the Government’s Infrastructure Reference Group scheme for shovel-ready projects allocated in 2020. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago
  • Government invests in top of the south’s roading resilience
    $12 million to improve the resilience of roads in the Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman regions Hope Bypass earmarked in draft Government Policy Statement on land transport $127 million invested in the top of the south’s roads since flooding in 2021 and 2022 The Government is investing over $12 million to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago
  • New Zealanders continue to support the revitalisation of te reo as we celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Mā...
    Ko tēnei te wiki e whakanui ana i tō tātou reo rangatira. Ko te wā tuku reo Māori, e whakanuia tahitia ai te reo ahakoa kei hea ake tēnā me tēnā o tātou, ka tū ā te Rātū te 14 o Mahuru, ā te 12 o ngā hāora i te ahiahi. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2023-09-30T03:52:20+00:00