Trump’s not so bad: manslaughter edition

Written By: weka - Date published: 12:07 pm, May 6th, 2020 - 49 comments
Categories: covid-19, Donald Trump, us politics - Tags: authoritarianism, fascism, trumps not so bad

Trump: <staring at forest fire> We've probably used enough water, doncha think, Fellas? I mean, we've put it out a little bit, right? That's good enough. Okay, let's roll up the hoses and you guys can buy me dinner. https://t.co/EuQmpCA0SI
— Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) May 5, 2020

The task force’s demise would only intensify questions about whether the administration is adequately organized to address the complex, life-or-death decisions related to the virus and give adequate voice to scientists and public health experts in making policy.

Can we just get to the bit where we acknowledge that this isn’t simple incompetence, but is a deliberate tactic as part of a deliberate strategy?

And here's the clip itself: https://t.co/Tof2vQz2bq
— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) April 17, 2020

Trump told you his plans. His backers — the true source of power — often told you their plans. The levels of compromise and complicity required to make this nightmare possible is enormous; it goes back decades. That's why I wrote a book documenting it.https://t.co/IpjLWPjBH8 pic.twitter.com/zLPAmehksp
— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) April 17, 2020

I also cohost a podcast @gaslitnation that describes this transnational crime syndicate masquerading as a government in excruciating detail.

If I know this, your officials know it too. And they went on vacation.https://t.co/Na8D7sa2BC
Transcripts: https://t.co/4ZBE1DrKDi
— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) April 17, 2020

NZ had a close shave, I’m so glad that FJK and his ‘never waste a crisis‘ was over and done with before we hit this decade. Competent fascist frontsman or incompetent fascist frontsman, both are cut from the same cloth and serve the same purposes. That ours came with a smile and wave doesn’t change the essential nature of what was going on. That we continue to ignore the differences between neoliberalism and authoritarianism, or broken democracy and fascism is unconscionable, doubly so when it’s staring us right in the face.

The incompetent frontsman is also a sociopath,

"Everything to Mr. Trump is transactional, and you – all of you – are the transaction." @sarahkendzior
Extraordinary summary of why a pandemic means nothing to Trump. https://t.co/bTCpkDa1hS
— Debi Gordon (@debigordon11) March 25, 2020

49 comments on “Trump’s not so bad: manslaughter edition ”

Comments are now closed

Andre 1

6 May 2020 at 1:14 pm

Looking back at 2016 and those that thought that electing the tiny-fisted fascist was going to bring the revolution sooner: was Joe Biden really the revolutionary leader they had in mind?
- weka 1.1
  
  6 May 2020 at 1:16 pm
  
  Lol. Probably just needs a few more years 😉
  - Andre 1.1.1
    
    6 May 2020 at 1:18 pm
    
    Like fusion energy.
- Ad 1.2
  
  6 May 2020 at 2:47 pm
  
  You know that's not what Biden is for.
  
  The nomination for Vice President is critical because it's Vice President that will be the likely Dem Presidential nominee-presumptive in 2024.
  - Andre 1.2.1
    
    6 May 2020 at 3:25 pm
    
    Yah. That 2024 nominee-presumptive to be selected by Biden isn't likely to have many Che berets in her closet either.
    - Ad 1.2.1.1
      
      6 May 2020 at 3:52 pm
      
      Oh you Warren-sellout You!
Tricledrown 2

6 May 2020 at 1:22 pm

Trump make America bankrupt again
RedLogix 3

6 May 2020 at 1:36 pm

I've persuaded myself Trump is high functioning psychopath. He ticks all the boxes.

As the Hiding in Plain Sight references point out however, all the energy expended over Trump's latest crazy is largely wasted unless and until we ask ourselves, what made his rise to power possible?

And why have the Democrats been so singularly helpless at decisively defeating him? That is the one big job they need to do, and yet somehow it's still no longer clear they can do it.

"You feel haunted by the alternative America that could have existed had people told the truth."

Indeed.
- Andre 3.1
  
  6 May 2020 at 1:44 pm
  
  Whenever I read a question like why have the Democrats or Labour been so useless at defeating [insert opponent], I can't help wondering if a big part of the answer lies in the way the question wasn't "why have we been so useless at beating him?"
  - weka 3.1.1
    
    6 May 2020 at 1:50 pm
    
    The left is ever expert at punching sideways.
    - Andre 3.1.1.1
      
      6 May 2020 at 1:54 pm
      
      By itself, that's not wholely a bad thing. In the right time and place, it's probably even useful. The thing is knowing when to stop and redirect.
      - weka 3.1.1.1.1
        
        6 May 2020 at 3:23 pm
        
        can't see the point of punching one's allies.
        
        Andre 3.1.1.1.1.1
        
        6 May 2020 at 3:28 pm
        
        In the context of a primary or other selection process, it can serve the useful function of finding and toughening up weak spots. The time to stop is when the selection has been made.
        
        weka …
        
        6 May 2020 at 3:47 pm
        
        way better ways to test resiliency than punching though. Watching the US Dem primaries, the damage being done is glaringly obvious.
  - RedLogix 3.1.2
    
    6 May 2020 at 2:24 pm
    
    Twenty years ago the idea of someone as nonsensical as Trump could be POTUS would have been laughed at. What changed? It always was a nation with it's flaws and fault lines, often more intense in the past than now. But for 200 odd years they did manage to elect a passable succession of actual grown ups to the job.
    
    So why the appalling fall from grace now?
    
    Part of it is the glib grandiosity of Trump's psychopathy, part of it is his killer instinct for the gamble, unencumbered by much in the way of empathy.
    
    Another part of the story is that the very meaning of Republican and Democrat has changed, the political alliances that have made them relatively stable configurations since at least the 1930's has slide away from under them.
    
    Part of the story is the impact of the global trade order they underwrote, but gained relatively little from. How it has bled away good jobs and their social infrastructure, while rival nations grew at their expense.
    
    Part of the story must be the corrosive materialism that was the American Dream, a dream that offered comfort and complacency, but failed to offer anything more sustaining for the soul. Too many truth-tellers were assassinated along the way.
    
    But in crude political terms the question must be, what comes after Trump? Maybe the COVID 19 death toll will so shock the American people they will demand a reckoning? Maybe Biden will prove to be another Roosevelt or Truman, maybe a new generation of Democrats can united a fractious, stressed nation into believing in themselves and a worthy vision once again?
    
    Or as one Medical Professional put it recently, "I so miss the days when the USA could show the world the way".
    - woodart 3.1.2.1
      
      6 May 2020 at 2:37 pm
      
      I think its a lot simpler than that. america had just twice elected a black man, now the same party were putting up a woman!, that was just to much for too many different reasons. this is a country with a big restaurent chain called hooters..very conservative with a side of misogny please, and I'll have guns with that…thoughts and prayers.
      - RedLogix 3.1.2.1.1
        
        6 May 2020 at 3:03 pm
        
        Yup the redneck populist element of Trump's support is real enough (although oddly enough the Hooters chain isn't quite as thriving as you might imagine). As is the white identitarian backlash movement another component. And it's worth not overlooking the TeaParty social conservatives who probably are responsible for cracking open the door for Trump in the first place.
        
        But I'd point to an underlying truth about the USA we're apt to overlook. By nature of it's unique geography, natural security and resources, the Americans will not only always be the wealthiest nation (for the next century at least), but also the one that needs the rest of the world the least.
        
        They are a remarkably insular super-power, one that by and large doesn't care all that much about the rest of the world, and always had a tendency to default toward isolationism. Trump has re-captured this old sentiment and manipulated it expertly into flame. CV19 has merely added a volatile fuel to the mix.
      - Andre 3.1.2.1.2
        
        6 May 2020 at 3:16 pm
        
        There was an awful lot of very specific Hillary-hate on top of the generalised sexism. I've long pondered on why she was so popular among high profile Dems, when they would all have been well aware of the decades of smears laid on her, which would of course be revived and amplified. The best guess I've come up with is they were blinded by her high popularity ratings at the end of her tenure in her various positions.
        
        Another factor I felt strongly, but have no idea if it was shared by others, is that I've got a real distaste for anything that even vaguely looks like a political dynasty. So the way she had already spent 8 years in the White House at the top level of decision making really went against my preference for fresh blood and ideas, and any hint of a feeling of entitlement to that top spot really goes against my grain. That was a large part of why I supported Sanders in 2016 up until it was no longer mathematically possible for him to win.
        
        At the presidential level, dynasties haven't been a regular feature. The overdose of Bush and Clinton in the last three decades is kind of an anomaly. Prior to that, the only real presidential family was the Adams father and son in the early 1800s. Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt were only distantly related, and apparently the family branches had at least some hostilities. There certainly wasn't a political line joining them.
        
        So there may have been an anti-dynastic backlash against Hillary, as there might also have been against Jeb. Or maybe it's just that Hillary was too much the DC insider. There seems to be a sweet spot of a candidate having enough governing experience somewhere to be credible while still being able to present themselves as a DC outsider. If that's the case then it's a worry for Biden.
        
        RedLogix 3.1.2.1.2.1
        
        6 May 2020 at 3:58 pm
        
        Yes the American anti-dynasty sentiment is absolutely worth adding to the list. After all it was a nation founded in rebellion against dynasty and it's a strong element of their national narrative.
        
        There seems to be a sweet spot of a candidate having enough governing experience somewhere to be credible while still being able to present themselves as a DC outsider.
        
        An especial hazard for a party that on one hand claims to represent change, but puts up a candidate with a long track record of bau. Voters are sensitive to open hypocrisy, and will punish candidates who signal virtue on one hand, but act differently on the other.
        
        It's perverse logic I know, but in many ways at least everyone knew at some level Trump was a profoundly deficient human being. Few can plausibly claim to have been disappointed by him. After all his personal approval ratings have usually been pretty damned abysmal. Most Americans realise what a deeply flawed person he is, even when they turned out to vote for him. Understanding that is the key to all of this.
        
        Andre …
        
        6 May 2020 at 4:46 pm
        
        For a gobsmackingly large proportion of voters, that the dayglo daycare escapee is indisputably profoundly deficient as a human was the reason they voted for him. Call them deplorables or middle-finger voters or whatever else you want, it is a wake-up call as to how many there are.
        
        It's a real headache that that particular can of worms has been opened, but the last three years has shown that pandering to them doesn't lead to anything worthwhile. The better path lies elsewhere.
        
        The history of the civil rights movements among many other civics crises shows it's not a hopeless cause, there are always ways to come through it better and stronger.While Biden certainly doesn't look like a new LBJ (and when it comes to foreign policy that may be a good thing), he may yet surprise us.
        
        Obtrectator 3.1.2.1.2.2
        
        6 May 2020 at 4:59 pm
        
        "Prior to that, the only real presidential family was the Adams father and son in the early 1800s."
        
        Don't forget the Harrisons – William in 1841; grandson Benjamin 1889-93. (Though Harrison senior was only in the job for a month before snuffing it, so barely counts.)
        
        Andre …
        
        6 May 2020 at 5:10 pm
        
        Good catch. I s'pose since the intermediate generation was a pollie too definitely makes them dynastic, even though he only rose as high as two terms in the House.
    - Tricledrown 3.1.2.2
      
      6 May 2020 at 3:10 pm
      
      The Simpson's predicted such a scenario
      - woodart 3.1.2.2.1
        
        6 May 2020 at 4:14 pm
        
        yes, most accurate and truthful programme ever made by fox.
        
        Tricledrown 3.1.2.2.1.1
        
        7 May 2020 at 1:55 pm
        
        Better than the bible and nostrodamus
    - Rosemary McDonald 3.1.2.3
      
      6 May 2020 at 6:14 pm
      
      "But for the past 200 years they did manage to elect a passable succession of grown ups…"
      
      Huh?
      
      Clinton was at best locked into adolescence. Reagan was well past his best by date, and as for the Bush Boys…there are a couple of photos I recall when both of them were frozen with looks of infantile wonder on their faces. Junior especially when told of the unfolding 9/11.
      
      Then there's Kennedy. But I guess to some his reputation of being a philandering party hard was a sign of greatness.
      
      No, RedLogix, all previous POTUSES were forerunners to this one.
      
      And he's on track to be elected again.
      
      The post Covid world just might be one where the rest of us will stay safe in our island bubbles while the Great Powers self destruct.
      - Incognito 3.1.2.3.1
        
        7 May 2020 at 1:59 pm
  - North 3.1.3
    
    7 May 2020 at 8:34 pm
    
    Hear Hear Andre ! Could go on but why bother…..your comment poses that big question AND gives the answer. Decent people shoulda said enough is enough long ago and stopped indulging this twisted old bastard in the White House. And for God's Sake don't no putative lefties come back bitching about Hillary or Bernie or whomsoever, by default promoting Bubba Trump. To be kind that is at best asshat iconoclasm (at worst fucked up leftie-authoritarianism) which had me decide to stay away from The Standard for quite a while. Imagine that……The Standard a bugle for Bubba Trump. Couldn't fucking believe it ! The man's a vicious, corrupt, incompetent old fuck and the whole world knows it. America will or it won't save itself in November.
bill 4

6 May 2020 at 3:09 pm

Sarah Kendzior looks worth checking out.

Trump told you his plans. His backers — the true source of power — often told you their plans. The levels of compromise and complicity required to make this nightmare possible is enormous; it goes back decades.

Those bits in bold are too often missed out. Trump is the symptom of a disease, or a secondary effect of a disease – not the actual disease, as many neo-liberal or corporate types in the red team and blue team hanging out in corridors of power would rather people believe.

And… off to find out a bit more about Sarah Kendzior.
- weka 4.1
  
  6 May 2020 at 3:25 pm
  
  Yes. Kendzior has been writing about Trump and the rise of fascism in the US since before the 2016 election.
  - bill 4.1.1
    
    7 May 2020 at 4:34 pm
    
    Seems I misinterpreted her tweet.
    
    The idea that Trump has been on a defined or deliberate trajectory since the 80s is quite absurd. His backer for the 2016 election was Robert Mercer – and Robert Mercer had been backing Ted Cruz before Cruz dropped out, and he redirecting his financial heft to Trump's campaign.
    
    In return, Mercer got to position his preferences around the administration (eg – Steve Bannon, Jeff Sessions, his daughter Rebekah Mercer….)
    
    On the fascist angle – for quite a few years, liberals were asking whether 'such and such' an event or policy or announcement marked the stepping over a line into fascism.(eg – the response to 9/11) In my mind, that's always been the wrong question. The intelligent question would have been "How fascist?" rather than "Is it fascist?" But since liberalism always defaults to fascism, I guess there's a psychological need for liberals to cast fascism as somehow external to the ideology they cleave to.
    - joe90 4.1.1.1
      
      7 May 2020 at 7:24 pm
      
      For thirty years tRump's had more than a passing interest in being pres/emperor.
      
      https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/02/donald-trump-first-campaign-speech-new-hampshire-1987-213595
      
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_2000_presidential_campaign
      
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_career_of_Donald_Trump
      - bill 4.1.1.1.1
        
        7 May 2020 at 8:24 pm
        
        Being in and around political players and offering up opinions isn't the same as being the figurehead of some conspiracy stretching back some 40 years, which is what Kendzior seems to be implying.
- Andre 4.2
  
  6 May 2020 at 3:40 pm
  
  Her work on Trump-Russia connections is very good. Here's just a little sampler.
  
  https://thecorrespondent.com/7106/how-trump-fulfilled-a-30-year-fantasy-of-becoming-president-with-a-little-help-from-the-kremlin/2009932931402-52e375f5
  - adam 4.2.1
    
    6 May 2020 at 3:51 pm
    
    That conspiracy theory is getting tired.. All we have is wet dreams of a few, which that link was full of. That piece is part of that dreamy sad and tragic othering that yanks do. The ability not to accept they are not nice people all by themselves. Trying desperately to look for a scapegoat for there shittyness. It be nice if they acted like adults and took responsibility for there actions.
adam 5

6 May 2020 at 3:41 pm

Idiots run the asylum…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sff7Kc77QAY
Dennis Frank 6

6 May 2020 at 4:08 pm

Strange to say it, but Balsanaro seems even loopier than Trump. There was a report I read the other day quoting him denying that covid-19 exists. Trump never went that far.

My take is that Trump sees the thing defeating him, preventing re-election, therefore he has to restart the economy. But will the Republicans agree? It's a gamble. Removing public health regulations is only ever likely to get support if they seem non-essential. Case numbers in the US continue their linear increase according to the Hopkins website tracker graph. Social distancing seems essential still. Only fools & gamblers…
Ad 7

6 May 2020 at 4:15 pm

My Vice Presidential pick, to cover those virus press conferences: Morgan Freeman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaZ00_AdPcM
- Andre 7.1
  
  6 May 2020 at 4:54 pm
  
  I don't like soft nougaty centres. Does that mean I hafta use the suppositories?
  - Ad 7.1.1
    
    6 May 2020 at 4:56 pm
    
    Especially them
    - Andre 7.1.1.1
      
      6 May 2020 at 6:33 pm
      
      Oh shit …
adam 8

6 May 2020 at 5:49 pm

weka if it gets a bit much, there is always comedy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldJQc5mkuHU&ab_channel=NetflixIsAJoke
- weka 8.1
  
  6 May 2020 at 6:59 pm
  
  This is more my style 🙂
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48NUvos4QOQ
joe90 9

6 May 2020 at 6:05 pm

The Red Sate minority (real 'Murica) delivers power to the GOP via the electoral college to govern in the 1%'s interest in return for the financial support of the Blue State majority (not real 'Murica).

https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1257750413211766788

https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1257752618589356032
- Andre 9.1
  
  6 May 2020 at 6:23 pm
  
  For more info on how much federal taxes a state pays vs what it gets back:
  
  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/the-misleading-rhetoric-on-blue-states-needing-to-be-bailed-out-by-the-federal-government/ar-BB13hcPr
  
  spoiler: states that pay more than they get back most vote Dem, Repug states almost all get more back than they pay
Andre 10

6 May 2020 at 6:33 pm

Appropriate music selection.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-live-and-let-die_n_5eb2169fc5b6f8deb4e900a2
joe90 11

6 May 2020 at 7:05 pm

tRump and the GOP loathe democracy.

WASHINGTON — President Trump says Washington, DC, won’t ever be a state because Republicans aren’t “stupid” enough to add guaranteed Democratic seats in Congress.

“DC will never be a state,” Trump told The Post on Monday during an exclusive interview in the Oval Office. “You mean District of Columbia, a state? Why? So we can have two more Democratic — Democrat senators and five more congressmen? No thank you. That’ll never happen.”

The capital city is home to roughly 700,000 people — more people than Vermont and Wyoming, and nearly as many as Alaska

https://nypost.com/2020/05/05/trump-says-washington-dc-will-never-be-a-state-because-of-all-the-democrats/
- Andre 11.1
  
  6 May 2020 at 7:36 pm
  
  I s'pose we should give Malice in Blunderland a gold star for getting the number of senators correct, DC would get two Senators and one House Representative for three new members of Congress. Wouldn't make a difference in the Electoral College – DC already gets 3 Electors.
  
  If Puerto Rico were made a state, then that would be two likely Dem Senators and six House Reps, for eight new members of Congress and eight new Electors.
mpledger 12

6 May 2020 at 7:38 pm

"Vote him away" choir

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkU1ob_lHCw

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1 day 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
2 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
2 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
2 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
2 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
2 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
2 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
2 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
2 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 ...
Greater AucklandBy Matt L
2 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
2 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
2 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
3 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
3 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 ...
Skeptical Science
3 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
4 days 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 ...
Skeptical Science
5 days 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
5 days ago

Another Labour bully
Back in June, we learned that Kiri Allan was a Parliamentary bully. And now there's another one: Labour MP Shanan Halbert: The Labour Party was alerted to concerns about [Halbert's] alleged behaviour a year ago but because staffers wanted to remain anonymous, no formal process was undertaken [...] The ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
5 days ago

Climate Change: Ignoring our biggest problem
Its that time in the election season where the status quo parties are busy accusing each other of having fiscal holes in a desperate effort to appear more "responsible" (but not, you understand, by promising to tax wealth or land to give the government the revenue it needs to do ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
5 days ago

JERRY COYNE: A good summary of the mess that is science education in New Zealand
JERRY COYNE writes – If you want to see what the government of New Zealand is up to with respect to science education, you can’t do better than listening to this video/slideshow by two exponents of the “we-need-two-knowledge-systems” view. I’ve gotten a lot of scary stuff from Kiwi ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
5 days ago

Good news on the GDP front is accompanied by news of a $5m govt boost for Supercars (but what about ...
Buzz from the Beehive First, we were treated to the news (from Finance Minister Grant Robertson) that the economy has turned a corner and New Zealand never was in recession. This was triggered by statistics which showed the economy expanded 0.9 per cent in the June quarter, twice as much as ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
5 days ago

The Scafetta Saga
It has taken 17 months to get a comment published pointing out the obvious errors in the Scafetta (2022) paper in GRL. Back in March 2022, Nicola Scafetta published a short paper in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL) purporting to show through ‘advanced’ means that ‘all models with ECS > ...
Real ClimateBy Gavin
5 days ago

Friday's Chorus: Penny wise and pound foolish
TL;DR: In the middle of a climate emergency and in a city prone to earthquakes, Victoria University of Wellington announced yesterday it would stop teaching geophysics, geographic information science and physical geography to save $22 million a year and repay debt. Climate change damage in Aotearoa this year is already ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
5 days ago

CHRIS TROTTER: Calling the big dog’s bluff
For nearly thirty years the pundits have been telling the minor parties that they must be good little puppies and let the big dogs decide. The parties with a plurality of the votes cast must be allowed to govern – even if that means ignoring the ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
5 days ago

The electorate swing, Labour limbo and Luxon-Hipkins two-step
Another poll, another 27 for Labour. It was July the last time one of the reputable TV company polls had Labour's poll percentage starting with a three, so the limbo question is now being asked: how low can you go?It seems such an unlikely question because this doesn't feel like the kind ...
PunditBy Tim Watkin
5 days ago

A Womance, and a Nomance.
After the trench warfare of Tuesday night, when the two major parties went head to head, last night was the turn of the minor parties. Hosts Newshub termed it “the Powerbrokers' Debate”.Based on the latest polls the four parties taking part - ACT, the Greens, New Zealand First, and Te ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
5 days ago

When The Internet Rushes To Your Defense
Hi,You can’t make this stuff up.People involved with Sound of Freedom, the QAnon-infused movie about anti-child trafficker Tim Ballard, are dropping like flies. I won’t ruin your day by describing it here, but Vice reports that footage has emerged of executive producer Paul Hutchinson being inappropriate with a 16-year-old trafficking ...
David FarrierBy David Farrier
5 days ago

Doubts about Robertson’s good news day
The trading banks yesterday concluded that though GDP figures released yesterday show the economy is not in recession, it may well soon be. Nevertheless, the fact that GDP has gone up 0.8 per cent in the latest quarter and that StatsNZ revised the previous quarter’s figure to show a ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
5 days ago

The Votes That Media Dare Not Speak Its Name
.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..A recent political opinion poll (20 September) on TV1 presented what could only be called bleak news for the Left Bloc:National: 37%, down two points equating to 46 seatsLabour: 27%, down one point (34 ...
Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
6 days ago

Skeptical Science New Research for Week #38 2023
Open access notables At our roots Skeptical Science is about cognition of the results of climate science research in the minds of the entire human population. Ideally we'd be perfectly communicating understanding of Earth's climate, and perfectly understood. We can only approximate that, but hopefully converging closer to perfection. With ...
Skeptical Science
6 days ago

Failing To Hold Back The Flood: The Edgy Politics of the Twenty-First Century.
Coming Over The Top: Rory Stewart's memoir, Politics On The Edge, lays bare the dangerous inadequacies of the Western World's current political model.VERY FEW NEW ZEALANDERS will have heard of Rory Stewart. Those with a keen eye for the absurdities of politics may recognise the name as that of the ...
Bowalley Road
6 days ago

Pick this Chris, you get the Greens. Pick the other one you get Seymour.
A bit of a narrative has been building that these two guys, your Chris and your Chris, are not so very different.It's true to a point. The bread and butter timidity has been dispiriting to watch, if you have a progressive disposition. It does leave the two of them relatively ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
6 days ago

RICHARD PREBBLE: Who won the Leaders’ debate?
Richard Prebble writes – There was a knockout winner of the Leaders’ debate. Check for yourself. Recall how they looked. If you cannot remember or missed it, the debate is on TVNZ’s website. Turn off the sound and ask: “Which one looks like a Prime Minister?” ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 days ago

Thursday's Chorus: GDP up an extra 33c per person per week
Just like National when it was in government, Labour bought nominal GDP growth and momentum by pulling as hard as it could on the population lever. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTLDR: Stats NZ has reported better-than-expected GDP growth in the June quarter, thanks largely to record-high net migration of ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
6 days ago

Climate Change: National’s policy for failure
We already know that the National Party are de facto climate change deniers who want to reverse virtually all climate change policy. So how do they think they'll cut emissions? According to their climate change spokesperson, polluting corporations will do it out of the goodness of their hearts: The ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
6 days ago

NZ’s big dairy company reports a massive profit jump – but the lobby group Greenpeace doesn’...
Dairy farmers, or at least those who are also shareholders in the Fonterra dairy co-operative would have received a second dose of good news this week, when the dairy giant reported a massive profit jump. This followed news of a better sale at the Fonterra GDT auction this week. Net ...
Point of OrderBy tutere44
6 days ago

Big issues out of the mouths of giant babes
A longtime New Zealand broadcaster and commentator is taking a theatrical turn in advance of the General Election to draw different kinds of attention to the issues New Zealanders will be voting on in October.In a pre-election event that invites audiences to consider New Zealand politics through a theatrical lens ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
6 days ago

That new hospital which Labour is promising – is it the same one which Sepuloni mentioned in May ...
Our busy ministers – desperately busy trying to whip up voters’ support as their poll support sags, among other things – have added just one item of news to the government’s official website over the past 24 hours or so. It’s the news that the Government has accepted the Environment ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
6 days ago

Queenstown was keeping rates low
On Monday, we learned that Queenstown, one of the country's largest tourist destinations, suddenly had to boil its water to avoid cryptosporidium. Now, it looks like it will last for months. Why? The usual reason: they'd been keeping rates low: Queenstown could face months of having to boil water ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
6 days ago

Gordon Campbell on chaotic coalitions, drinking water and useless debates
This week’s ONE News-Verian poll had the National/ACT coalition teetering on the edge of being able to govern alone while – just as precariously – having its legislative agenda vulnerable to a potential veto by Winston Peters in the House. So close, but so perilous. During the run-up to election ...
Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
6 days ago

An ill wind
National Leader Christopher Luxon likes to bag the way the Resource Management Act worked. Though it has been repealed and replaced by the Labour government, Luxon plans, before Christmas, to repeal the new legislation and, for the foreseeable future, revert to the old Act that he has consistently criticised. ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
6 days ago

Further Adventures with Martin the Chess Bot
Earlier this month, I had a bit of fun with Chess.com’s worst AI, the one and only Martin Bot: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/09/02/nine-queens-against-martin-chess-hilarity/ Well, in the past few days, I’ve achieved a trio of notable personal firsts against Martin. I thought I would record them in the morbid interests of ...
A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
7 days ago

The Inflation Reduction Act is reducing U.S. reliance on China
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. Over a year later, its climate provisions remain a hot topic. The law’s proponents argue that it’s created a boom in domestic manufacturing jobs within the United States while paving ...
Skeptical Science
7 days ago

Relief for dairy farmers – and the NZ economy – as prices rise again at latest GDT auction
New Zealand’s dairy farmers will be relieved that prices rose for the second time this month at the latest Fonterra GDT auction. The encouraging feature of the sale was the activity of Chinese buyers who drove up prices. As a result, the GDT price index rose 4.6%, helped by a 4.6% lift ...
Point of OrderBy tutere44
7 days ago

Democracy McNuggets
Here is a review of last night’s Democracy McNuggets debate, delivered in the style of last night's Democracy McNuggets debate.McNugget #1This format was very advantageous for the man who speaks in lazy SLAM DUNK.To hark back a few editions: The lazy SLAM DUNK doesn’t bother to make its case. It simply offers ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
7 days ago

A Forced Pause.
Unfortunately I will need to take a bit of time off from this blog. After months of misdiagnoses and a change in GPs, my precious son is in Starship Hospital about to have major surgery. He already has had one … Continue reading → ...
KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
7 days ago

Better-than-expected BoP figures give Robertson something to bray about – but revisions helped, a...
Buzz from the Beehive Source: ANZ The latest balance of payments statistics – providing a broad measure of what the country earns and spends internationally – gave grist to Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s publicity mill today. The current account deficit narrowed to 7.5 per cent of ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
7 days ago

Dirty dairy corrupts our democracy
The planning process under the RMA is meant to be one of public consultation: the council prepares a plan, and we all get to have a say on it. But it turns out that in Otago, the dirty dairying industry has been trying to rewrite the new land and water ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
7 days ago

Calling The Big Dog’s Bluff.
Can This Be Possible? For nearly thirty years the pundits have been telling the minor parties that they must be good little puppies and let the big dogs decide. The parties with a plurality of the votes cast must be allowed to govern – even if that means ignoring the ...
Bowalley Road
7 days ago

Climate Change: “Offsets” aren’t
Since we began worrying about climate change, the market fundamentalists have pushed the idea of "offsets" rather than actual emissions reductions. There's just one atmosphere after all, so in theory it doesn't matter where the reductions are made, so you can just pay someone on the other side of the ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
7 days ago

GRAHAM ADAMS: Is Ardern a liability for Labour?
Ministers are pretending the former PM has simply vanished. Graham Adams writes – Late last week, Tova O’Brien asked Grant Robertson on her Stuff podcast if Jacinda Ardern should be “rolled out” to “galvanise the base” to help save Labour’s faltering campaign. Robertson laughed. ”I’m sure for ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
7 days ago

Wednesday’s Chorus: Biggest insurer starts targeted climate retreat
Owners of property deemed at risk from climate change related floods and rising sea levels will increasingly find their access to affordable insurance shut off. Some may become ‘prisoners’ in their uninsurable and therefore unbankable homes. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: IAG, which insures more than 60% of homes ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
1 week ago

Release: National out of ideas on law and order, copies Labour’s policies and costings
After years of criticising the Government on law and order, National have embarrassed themselves by conceding they have no new ideas and instead copied Labour’s Police policy announced three weeks ago, Labour Police spokesperson Ginny Andersen says. ...
Labour Blog
17 mins ago

Release: Labour releases balanced, costed and credible fiscal plan
Labour’s fiscal plan will continue its focus on carefully managing the books while protecting critical public services like health and education and investing to deliver high wage jobs and a low carbon economy. ...
Labour Blog
4 hours ago

Green Party will end child poverty
The Green Party will double the Best Start payment and make it available for every child under three years of age - and it will be paid for with a fair tax system. ...
Greens
1 day ago

Release: Labour pledges billion-dollar medicines boost
Labour will fund more medicines for more New Zealanders by investing over $1 billion of new funding into Pharmac if re-elected, Chris Hipkins announced today. ...
Labour Blog
1 day ago

National's welfare policy is cruel
The National Party’s job seeker policy announced today is heartless. ...
Greens
1 day ago

Release: Labour releases New Zealand’s first climate manifesto
New Zealand faces a stark choice this election – vote for Labour to continue to confront the climate emergency with eyes wide open or bury your head in the sand alongside Christopher Luxon. ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Green voice crucial for climate action
The Green Party is today welcoming Labour’s climate manifesto, but is clear that much more will need to be done to tackle the climate crisis. ...
Greens
2 days ago

Speech: Chris Hipkins – Wellington Rally, 24 September
...
Labour Blog
3 days ago

People need a government that will build many more homes
Labour’s plan to build more homes is a welcome step forward, but it lacks ambition. ...
Greens
3 days ago

Release: Supercharging public housing
Labour is supercharging its plan to solve the public housing shortfall created by National, promising another 6,000 homes on top of what has already been committed says Labour Housing spokesperson Dr Megan Woods. ...
Labour Blog
3 days ago

Release: New Super Visa for migrants’ parents and rights for Dawn Raid victims
Labour will back migrant working families by introducing a 10-year multiple-entry parents’ and grandparents’ Super Visa, and make good on the Dawn Raids apology by providing a one-off visa for overstayers who have been in the country ten years or more, Labour’s Immigration Spokesperson Andrew Little says. ...
Labour Blog
4 days ago

Only the Greens will deliver a fair amnesty for overstayers
The Green Party is today welcoming Labour coming to the table to ensure an amnesty for overstayers, but only the Greens will ensure immigration settings actually reflect the reality of people who have been failed by our immigration system. ...
Greens
4 days ago

Climate future of communities on the line this election
Green Party co leader James Shaw attended a South Dunedin Future street meeting today to discuss local responses to climate change. ...
Greens
4 days ago

Green Party calls for stronger action by Auckland Council to protect urban trees and native forest
The Green Party is calling on Auckland Council to do more to protect urban trees and housing developer Aedifice Property Group to restore and replant the native forest it cleared, and protect all the remaining trees on Ngahere Road in Pukekohe after a significant number of native trees were cut ...
Greens
5 days ago

Release: Ram Raids drop to two-year low
Latest Police data shows monthly ram raids have hit a two-year low, laying waste to Christopher Luxon’s false claim that there are two ram raids a day says Labour’s Police Spokesperson Ginny Andersen. ...
Labour Blog
5 days ago

Every party needs to step up on school lunches
Labour has finally said it would continue free school lunches - and the Green Party is calling on every party to step up. ...
Greens
5 days ago

Release: School lunches on the line this election
Free and healthy school lunches will be here to stay if Labour is re-elected, guaranteeing food for our kids who need it most and significant cost saving for parents. ...
Labour Blog
5 days ago

Release: Labour commits to a new hospital for the people of Hawke’s Bay
The next Labour Government will build a new hospital in Hawke’s Bay, Labour leader Chris Hipkins and Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall announced. ...
Labour Blog
6 days ago

Govt changes fall short of what’s needed for migrant protection
The Green Party will keep up the fight to support exploited migrant workers, including pushing to end single employer visas, after the government picked up Green recommendations to improve immigration settings. ...
Greens
7 days ago

Clean Power Payment the smartest way forward to reduce emissions and bills
Green Party co leader James Shaw visited a home in Auckland today that has been upgraded with a wide range of energy improvements, similar to those that would be supported through the Green Party’s Clean Power Payment. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Foreign Minister's Action – A Contempt For “Caretaker Government” Convention
The Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s presence in New York today at the United Nations General Assembly is a contempt of New Zealand’s “caretaker government” convention. Despite the long-standing caretaker convention, Minister Mahuta is today at the UN to sign a highly contentious “Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement”, delivering a ...
NZ First Press Release
1 week ago

Back To Black Responsibly
The Pre-Election Fiscal Update Changes Everything Within an hour of this speech there is going to be a debate between the political parties that the media, under MMP, still think are the only parties that matter in this campaign. Both of those parties are riddled with inexperience, as evidenced by ...
NZ First Press Release
1 week ago

Stop the cuts before they start – Labour launches new TV ad
National and ACT's tax plans don't add up, and that means deep cuts to the public services New Zealanders rely on, says Labour Campaign Chair Megan Woods. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Free school lunches paid for with a wealth tax
The Green Party will expand free school lunches and pay for it with a fair tax system. ...
Greens
1 week ago

The Pacific Reset & the Blue Continent
Thank you for your invitation to speak with you this afternoon about New Zealand Foreign Policy. After offering one or two general thoughts about the nature of foreign policy, the focus today will be the Pacific Reset and why its goals remain even more important today as when they were ...
NZ First Press Release
1 week ago

Release: Huge hole in National’s climate budget
National’s plan to cut policies that are reducing New Zealand’s climate emissions will result in a huge gap in the country’s emissions budgets and could see Kiwis paying significantly more at the petrol pump as a result of Christopher Luxon hiking the ETS price. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Greens would push Labour much further on solar power
Labour’s plan to support rooftop solar is a step in the right direction, but falls short of what could be achieved through the Green Party’s Clean Power Payment. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Release: Doubling rooftop solar to reduce bills & emissions
Labour will double the number of houses with rooftop solar in New Zealand, lowering household power bills, reducing emissions and boosting renewable electricity generation. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Labour will advance women’s health, careers, and legal protections
A re-elected Labour Government will continue its proud tradition of advancing women’s health, employment, and legal rights Spokesperson for Women Jan Tinetti said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Green Party confirms plan for five weeks annual leave
Speaking at the E Tū Election Launch in Auckland today, Green Party co leader Marama Davidson outlined the Green Party’s manifesto commitment to ensure everyone has five weeks of annual leave. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Labour to keep lifting worker wages and rights
A re-elected Labour Government will protect hard-fought workers’ rights and keep the momentum on wage growth to lift incomes for all New Zealanders, leader Chris Hipkins announced today. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

New Zealand First Party List 2023
New Zealand First is proud to announce the Party List for the upcoming 2023 General Election. We have had a great number of applicants and potential candidates moving through the selection process over the past few months. Our final selection for our list proves we have a wide range ...
NZ First Press Release
2 weeks ago

A National/ACT Government would make life miserable for those already worst off
Only a party vote for the Greens will end poverty. ACT’S welfare policy announced today is as cruel as it gets. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Willis’ resignation call means only one thing – $2 billion more cuts
Massive cuts to public service are on the cards as Nicola Willis has promised to resign if she doesn’t deliver tax cuts but is refusing to make the same commitment if she doesn’t raise enough income from her bungled foreign buyer’s tax. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: A faster justice system focused on victims
Labour will help more victims of crime achieve justice faster by introducing a formal class-action regime, modernising consent laws and increasing the use of technology to speed up hearings. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Gaping hole confirmed in National’s tax plan
A whopping $2.1 billion dollar hole has been confirmed in National’s tax scheme in a new report released today. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Labour pledges biggest ever increase to training Doctors
Labour will deliver the largest ever increase to the number of doctors trained each year, adding an additional 335 doctors a year to our health workforce from 2027, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins has announced. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

PREFU Exposes Political Promises
Today’s PREFU has some alarming statistics showing an economy deteriorating and the cost of unaffordable government expenditure, mainly in the 2022 and 2023 budgets. Despite this alarming economic and fiscal picture, political parties are making unaffordable promises, talking about a surplus by 2027, or four years time, all of which ...
NZ First Press Release
2 weeks ago

State of books makes clear case for wealth tax
The case for a wealth tax has never been stronger. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Labour pledges free cervical screening
If re-elected Labour will make cervical screening services free to all women and people with a cervix aged 25 – 69 years, delivering better cancer care for over 1.4 million New Zealanders. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks 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
1 day 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
3 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
4 days 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
5 days 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
5 days 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
5 days 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
5 days 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
6 days 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
6 days 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
6 days 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
6 days 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
6 days 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
7 days 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
1 week 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
2 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
2 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
2 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
2 weeks ago

New Wildlife Act to better protect native species
The 70-year-old Wildlife Act will be replaced with modern, fit-for-purpose legislation to better protect native species and improve biodiversity, Minister of Conservation Willow-Jean Prime has announced. “New species legislation is urgently needed to address New Zealand’s biodiversity crisis,” Willow-Jean Prime said. “More than 4,000 of our native species are currently ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 weeks ago

Further safety initiatives for Auckland City Centre
Central and Local Government are today announcing a range of new measures to tackle low-level crime and anti-social behaviour in the Auckland CBD to complement Police scaling up their presence in the area. “Police have an important role to play in preventing and responding to crime, but there is more ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 weeks ago

Govt confirms additional support for Enabling Good Lives
The Government has confirmed $73.7 million over the next four years and a further $40.5m in outyears to continue to transform the disability support system, Minister for Disability Issues Priyanca Radhakrishnan has announced. “The Enabling Good Lives (EGL) approach is a framework which guides positive change for disabled people, ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 weeks ago

New Zealand gets AAA credit rating from S&P
Standard and Poor’s is the latest independent credit rating agency to endorse the Government’s economic management in the face of a deteriorating global economy. S&P affirmed New Zealand’s long term local currency rating at AAA and foreign currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook. It follows Fitch affirming New ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 weeks ago

Appointment of Environment Court Judge
Christchurch barrister Kelvin Reid has been appointed as a Judge of the Environment Court and the District Court, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Mr Reid has extensive experience in Resource Management Act issues, including water quality throughout the South Island. He was appointed to the Technical Advisory Group advising the ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 weeks ago

NZ’s biggest ever emissions reduction project hits milestone
New Zealand is on track to have greener steel as soon as 2026 with New Zealand Steel’s electric arc furnace project reaching a major milestone today. The Government announced a conditional partnership with New Zealand Steel in May to deliver the country’s largest emissions reduction project to date. Half of ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 weeks ago

The book Raf Manji wishes he never read
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: TOP leader Raf Manji. The book I wish I’d written The Mandibles: A Family 2029-2047 by Lionel Shriver. It covers much of what I’ve been thinking ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff Review of Books
25 mins ago

Labour’s Fiscal Plan Doubles Down On More Spending, High Taxes And Runaway Debt
Responding to the Labour Party’s Fiscal Plan, Taxpayers’ Union Head of Campaigns, Callum Purves, said: “Labour’s current economic plan of overtaxing hard-working New Zealanders just to waste money on middle-managers, consultants and vanity projects ...
Scoop politics
1 hour ago

Māori Health Should Not Be A Political Football : Hāpai Te Hauora & E Tipu E Rea Whānau Servi...
It has been just over a year since Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority, came into effect and yet as we lead into the election a running theme from some parts of the political sphere is to ask the question "Why hasn't the Māori Health ...
Scoop politics
1 hour ago

Fiscal plans fly as overseas voting opens
Everything the Labour Party has promised it can pay for with some left over, it says, but National has dubbed the notion a fantasy The Labour Party has released its fiscal plan showing how its election promises and the ongoing cost pressures in the public sector would fit within Budget allowances. Finance spokesperson ...
Newsroom
1 hour ago

Ruapehu has had a great ski season – but we need to reimagine the future of NZ’s iconic volcano
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Thorpe, Professor in Sociology of Sport and Gender, University of Waikato As a former competitive snowboarder and instructor, and later a researcher of snow sports, I’ve been lucky to enjoy ski resorts around the world. But nothing compares to Mount Ruapehu ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 hours ago

Election 2023: What you need to know before voting
Explainer - On 2 October, early voting will begin for the general election that will decide who will govern the country for the next three years. So let's take a look at the nuts and bolts of casting a vote. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 hours ago

Hackers offer stolen Auckland Transport data for sale on dark web
Customer and financial data 'not compromised', city's transport agency believes Auckland Transport confirms hackers have made good on their threat to offer up the transport agency’s stolen data on the dark web. Roger Jones, the executive general manager for business technology, and his team were monitoring the threat overnight, after a group ...
Newsroom
2 hours ago

Election 2023: National announces plan for 300 more frontline police to tackle inner-city crime
Citing an escalation in crime in CBD areas, National has announced it would increase the number of frontline police officers focused on inner-city crime, if elected. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 hours ago

Politics Of Benefit Sanctions Cruel And Dishonest
Benefit advocate and Welfare Expert Advisory Group member Kay Brereton is calling for some basic facts and empathy from political parties looking to fish for votes with beneficiary bashing. Brereton says the call to put sanctions on people on benefits ...
Scoop politics
2 hours ago

Hipkins Completely Misunderstands His Own Party’s GST Costings
Chris Hipkins’ claim this morning that Labour’s costings for removal of GST off fruit and veg account for behavioural changes are completely untrue. Responding to Mr Hipkins’ attacks on the Union, spokesman Jordan Williams said: “We couldn’t ...
Scoop politics
2 hours ago

Demise of CSU news journalism course was ‘greatly exaggerated’
A Charles Sturt University journalism academic says the evolving communication course at his institution in Australia continues to feed the ranks of the irrepressible “Mitchell Mafia’”. Jock Cheetham, senior lecturer in news and media in the Charles Sturt School of Information and Communication Studies in Bathurst, said recent “news” ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
2 hours ago

Overseas voting opens, campaign encourages Kiwis in Australia to vote
About 78,000 enrolled voters have an overseas address, the Electoral Commission says. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 hours ago

New poll: Labour maintains lead in Te Tai Tonga, albeit a shrinking one
Te Tai Tonga, the largest of the 71 electorates, and encompassing the entire South Island, Stewart Island, the Chatham Islands, all the islands in the Southern Ocean, as well as a large part of Wellington City, has been held by incumbent Labour MP Rino Tirikatene for 12 years. And according ...
The SpinoffBy Charlotte Muru-Lanning
2 hours ago

Election 2023: National announces 300 more frontline police to tackle inner-city crime
Citing an escalation in crime in CBD areas, National has announced it would increase the number of frontline police officers focused on inner-city crime, if elected. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 hours ago

Shop the fit: Winston Peters
This week in our campaign style series, Winston Peters is the king of snot-less pocket squares and bringing things back from the depths of his wardrobe. Not many encyclopaedic entries include politicians’ personal style, choosing instead things like biography, policies, speeches and ideological alignments. But in Te Ara, the official ...
The SpinoffBy Gabi Lardies
2 hours ago

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 ...
Scoop politics
3 hours ago

Younger Voters And Aucklanders Most Likely To Consider Voting Women’s Rights Party This Election
Nearly half of voters aged 18-39 [49%] said, in a Curia Poll, they would consider giving the Women’s Rights Party their party vote in the upcoming Election. In a poll conducted by Curia Market Research commissioned by the Women’s Rights ...
Scoop politics
3 hours ago

Cold weather doesn’t stop regional democracy
It’s a cold and blustery day here in the central Hawke’s Bay and I’ve just pulled into a local cafe for a coffee and some food (I now understand why being on the road like our political leaders encourages you to eat a very pastry-heavy diet). I’m here to spend ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
3 hours ago

Media Led Into Incorrectly Crediting Firearm Registry
Media have once again been led into incorrect reporting on the firearm registry, this time repeating claims that the new firearms registry enabled identification of a firearm on-seller, even though the data had been collected separately by Police ...
Scoop politics
3 hours ago

Labour’s fiscal plan doubles down on its ‘trust us with your money’ aesthetic
No surprises in today’s final fiscal announcement – but clear evidence Labour believes its request that National ‘show it the money’ is working. Prime minister Chris Hipkins and finance minister Grant Robertson delivered Labour’s fiscal plan – its vision for how it will raise money, and what it will spend ...
The SpinoffBy Duncan Greive
3 hours ago

NZ govt ‘welcomes’ US diplomatic relations with Cook Islands, Niue
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist The New Zealand government has given its full blessing to Cook Islands and Niue establishing diplomatic relations with the United States. At the US-Pacific summit on Monday (Washington time), President Joe Biden said he recognised the two island nations as sovereign and independent states, ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
3 hours ago

NZ govt ‘welcomes’ US diplomatic relations with Cook Islands, Niue
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist The New Zealand government has given its full blessing to Cook Islands and Niue establishing diplomatic relations with the United States. At the US-Pacific summit on Monday (Washington time), President Joe Biden said he recognised the two island nations as sovereign and independent states, ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
3 hours ago

New Report Shows National Emissions Reduction Policies Could Impact Auckland Economy Harder Than Res...
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland could experience a six per cent reduction in GDP compared to the rest of Aotearoa New Zealand in 2050, according to a new climate report. Mitigating climate change in New Zealand: impacts on Auckland’s economy describes how the ...
Scoop politics
3 hours ago

The everyday technologies essential for accessibility
It’s easy to take for granted, but technology exists to help us. The Spinoff spoke to four people with disabilities about the tech they consider essential. We often think of technology as irking us – Duolingo scolds, Instagram pesters and TikTok steals time. But, if I did throw my phone ...
The SpinoffBy Gabi Lardies
4 hours ago

Weird but true: The year’s most emotional TV played out on Celebrity Treasure Island
The inspired casting of Tāme Iti on a fundamentally silly reality TV show paid off in an impossibly resonant scene last night. The scene is unimaginably pretty. Somewhere outside Wānaka, on an island far from any road, two men wander along the lakeside. The pair are bathed in sun despite ...
The SpinoffBy Duncan Greive
4 hours ago

Candidates Front Up On Social Issues
...
Scoop politics
4 hours ago

Leaflet Campaign Ranks Party Climate Policies — National And NZ First Bad, ACT Worst
Climate change campaigners will be delivering 40,000 leaflets around the country to alert voters about which parties are best and worst on climate change policies. See attached leaflet. "You wouldn't know it from a lot of political posturing ...
Scoop politics
4 hours ago

Newsletter: September 27 2023 – Items of interest and importance today
New Zealand Politics Daily is a collation of the most prominent issues being discussed in New Zealand. It is edited by Dr Bryce Edwards of The Democracy Project. NZ Politics Daily: 27 September 2023 ELECTION Gordon Campbell: On whether Winston Peters can be a moderating influence and bashing beneficiaries, again Jessica Mutch ...
Evening ReportBy Bryce Edwards
4 hours ago

Election 2023: Labour's fiscal plan looks to reduce government spending, maintain income tax se...
Labour has released its fiscal plan stating now is not the time for additional taxes and acknowledged the next few Budgets would be tight. ...
Radio NZ – political
4 hours ago

New IEA Report A Warning That National Must Abandon Offshore Oil Drilling Policy – Greenpeace
Following the release of the International Energy Agency (IEA) ‘Net Zero Roadmap Update' yesterday, Greenpeace Aotearoa says that the National Party is out of touch with its promise to reverse the 2018 ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration. ...
Scoop politics
4 hours ago

Labour releases fiscal plan promising further savings and return to surplus in 2027
Labour has released its fiscal plan, a 12-page document laying out its spending plans over the next three years in response to the PREFU released earlier this month. It is forecasting a return to budget surplus in 26/27, and net debt to peak at 22.8% in the 24/25 fiscal year. ...
The SpinoffBy Duncan Greive
4 hours ago

Labour releases fiscal plan promising further savings and return to surplus in 2027
Labour has released its fiscal plan, a 12-page document laying out its spending plans over the next three years in response to the PREFU released earlier this month. It is forecasting a return to budget surplus in 26/27, and net debt to peak at 22.8% in the 24/25 fiscal year. ...
The SpinoffBy Duncan Greive
4 hours ago

Westpac McDermott Miller Employment Confidence, September Quarter 2023
The Westpac McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index (ECI) fell by 7.4 points to 98.3 in the September quarter. This is the first time since March 2021 that households have held a negative view about conditions in the labour market, and the lowest reading ...
Scoop politics
5 hours ago

Mount Albert candidates listen to renting horror stories at event
At an event in Grey Lynn last night hosted by advocacy group Renters United, candidates for the Mount Albert electorate discussed housing issues with renters. Instead of a standard debate format, the event rotated candidates between tables of renters, giving attendees the chance to talk about some of their concerns ...
The SpinoffBy Shanti Mathias
5 hours ago

Mount Albert candidates listen to renting horror stories at event
At an event in Grey Lynn last night hosted by advocacy group Renters United, candidates for the Mount Albert electorate discussed housing issues with renters. Instead of a standard debate format, the event rotated candidates between tables of renters, giving attendees the chance to talk about some of their concerns ...
The SpinoffBy Shanti Mathias
5 hours ago

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Labas, Lecturer in Management, Federation University Australia Food waste is a global problem with approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food wasted each year throughout the food lifecycle – from the farm to food manufacturers and households. Across the food supply chain, ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
5 hours ago

7 ways to look after yourself and your community before and after the Voice referendum
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacob Prehn, Associate Dean Indigenous College of Arts, Law, and Education; Senior Lecturer – Indigenous Fellow, Social Work, University of Tasmania GettyImages The lead-up to the Voice referendum is already affecting the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
5 hours ago

Why the Voice could be a bulwark against Trumpism gaining a stronger foothold in Australia
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Wolpe, Non-resident Senior Fellow, United States Study Centre, University of Sydney As former Labor minister Barry Jones has wisely noted, the Voice referendum feels like 2016 all over again. The shock from the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom in ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
5 hours ago

What do we know about long COVID in kids? And what do I do if I think my child has it?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shidan Tosif, Honorary Clinical Associate Professor, The University of Melbourne While COVID in children has generally been milder than in adults, there are concerns long COVID may be a major consequence for children and young people arising from the pandemic. Long COVID, ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
5 hours ago

Playful whales can use seaweed as a hat – or exfoliant. This “kelping” behaviour is more commo...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olaf Meynecke, Research Fellow in Marine Science, Griffith University WA Western Whale Watch Australia, CC BY-NC-ND If you’re a whale, there’s often not too much to see out in deeper water. Perhaps that’s why so many whales get playful with ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
5 hours ago

Meet the experts in selling science
For New Zealand scientists trying to solve big-picture problems, turning them into commercial businesses is often an afterthought. Vanessa Young from the MacDiarmid Institute talks to some of the people guiding scientists through this journey. For many of us, trying to understand the hi-tech world of startups is challenging at ...
The SpinoffBy Vanessa Young
5 hours ago

Meet the experts in selling science
For New Zealand scientists trying to solve big-picture problems, turning them into commercial businesses is often an afterthought. Vanessa Young from the MacDiarmid Institute talks to some of the people guiding scientists through this journey. For many of us, trying to understand the hi-tech world of startups is challenging at ...
The SpinoffBy Vanessa Young
5 hours ago

On the campaign trail with Carmel Sepuloni
The deputy PM on boosting the Pasifika vote turnout, her go-to cafe order and why she doesn’t want to be prime minister. Nestled among Titirangi’s native bush and towering trees, down a short steep driveway, with Labour Party hoardings spotting the yard, is the home of deputy prime minister and ...
The SpinoffBy Sela Jane Hopgood
5 hours ago

The candidate prepared to cross the floor against their own party
The voters aren't coming to them, so Maungakiekie's candidates are going to the voters. ‘They want to hear me say that if I become the local MP, I will lie on the proposed railway tracks. And I will!’ ...
Newsroom
5 hours ago

The Bulletin: Does more advance voting impact results?
Overseas voting in the October election starts today, ahead of local voting booths opening on Monday. In today’s Bulletin, the rise and rise of advance voting. In 2020, Claire Robinson concluded that advance voting probably benefits the traditional major parties and that the so-called minor parties benefit from late strategic voting. “Since ...
The SpinoffBy Anna Rawhiti-Connell
6 hours ago

Luxon and Hipkins ready for next showdown
It’s Tuesday, September 27 and welcome back to The Spinoff’s election live updates. I’m Stewart Sowman-Lund, on deck from Palmerston North, with support from our news team around the country. Get in touch with me on [email protected] Learn more about the political parties and where they stand at Policy.nz ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
6 hours ago

National, NZ First propose tougher beneficiary sanctions, trade tax barbs
In the same week National leader admitted he would work with New Zealand First, both parties have launched new policies aimed at reducing the number of people on benefits. Both take a hardline approach, though are significantly differ. While National’s proposal would introduce a tiered, traffic light framework at which ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
6 hours ago

The golden girl returns
Tayla Bruce has gone from a teenager fan with an NZ fern in her hair to world champion in bowls. Angela Walker tells her remarkable story “A true full circle moment,” is how Tayla Bruce described the surprise celebration that was put on for her at her bowls club in Christchurch. When ...
Newsroom
6 hours ago

The rise and rise of advance voting
Overseas voting opens today and advance voting starts on Monday. How influential could offshore voting be, and why are we still waiting for fiscal plans, asks Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Just ...
The SpinoffBy Anna Rawhiti-Connell
6 hours ago

NZ’s Green Party is ‘filling the void on the left’ as voters grow frustrated with Labour’s c...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Priya Kurian, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, University of Waikato The Green Party has run a strong campaign. With a 14.2% share in the latest Newshub-Reid Research poll, up by 1.9 percentage points since the previous poll, that is more ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
7 hours ago

Election 2023 updates: All the latest developments on 27 September
Overseas voting for this year's general election starts today, with people having up until Election Day to cast their ballots. ...
Radio NZ – political
8 hours ago

Māori leaders' debate ricochets from one hot button to next
Aaron Smale tuned in to TVNZ’s Kaupapa Māori Debate which heard from Māori from each of the main parties. He didn't find a lot to get excited about. Comment: It was a shambles but it was also telling. None of the political parties seem to have any coherent vision about where ...
Newsroom
8 hours ago

Revolutionize Ocean Conservation: End Bottom Trawling And Dredging
Independent Whangarei Candidate Fiona Green thinks bottom trawling and dredging should be phased out because they have significant negative impacts on marine ecosystems. "Bottom trawling involves dragging a large net along the seafloor to catch fish ...
Scoop politics
9 hours ago

Welfare experts group members criticise National's beneficiary policy
Members of the 2019 Welfare Expert Advisory Group have rejected National's claim their report backs up the party's harsher sanctions for some jobseekers. ...
Radio NZ – political
9 hours ago

Will The Next Government Do Enough For Breast Cancer?
Ahead of the election, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ has laid down a challenge to political parties to tackle breast cancer – the leading killer of New Zealand women under 65. The charity surveyed the seven biggest parties, asking them to adopt the ...
Scoop politics
9 hours ago

The power and potential of the overseas vote in Election 2023
Overseas voting in the general election opens today. Could those in Australia decide the winner? One million New Zealanders currently live overseas, representing 20% of New Zealand’s resident population and eligible voters. Almost 70% of our offshore citizens reside in Australia, which could mean up to half a million votes ...
The SpinoffBy Tracey Lee
9 hours ago

The hottest seat in the country? Why Wellington Central is a race unlike any other
In the heart of a politically charged city, a high-stakes election battle is unfolding between three highly impressive candidates with significant political potential, all almost perfectly tied in the polls. With the Beehive at its centre, the symbolic importance of Wellington Central is obvious: it’s the home of the government, ...
The SpinoffBy Joel MacManus
9 hours ago

Shock claim: people reading NZ fiction
An annual report on the state of New Zealand fiction as something that people actually want to buy About 18 months ago, I wrote a piece for Newsroom that, along with plugging our inaugural Allen & Unwin Fiction prize, lamented the sorry state of New Zealand fiction sales at ...
Newsroom
9 hours ago

How the Greens have supercharged their campaign
The Green Party is on track for its best electoral result ...
Newsroom
9 hours ago

The no-brainer of removing extra tax on women and ethnic minorities
The Greens have policies on reducing pay gaps, but Act thinks employers and employees should determine contracts ...
Newsroom
9 hours ago

Making our drinking water safe
The more we know, the more it costs when it comes to delivering water. With new discoveries about bugs come new technologies to deal with them, and it often adds up to more than councils can afford. In the 1950s, supplying drinking water was simple: find your cleanest ...
Newsroom
9 hours ago

A big Labour collapse would make McAnulty vulnerable in Wairarapa
Voters skew conservative and older, but MP's local and national profile make the seat a tough nut to crack for National ...
Newsroom
9 hours ago

Daily crossword, Wednesday 27 September
...
Newsroom
9 hours ago

Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 27 September
Loading...(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...
Newsroom
10 hours ago

NZ election 2023: Exposing National leader Christopher Luxon’s Māori health falsehood in debate
ANALYSIS: By Ella Stewart, RNZ News longform journalist, Te Ao Māori National Party leader Christopher Luxon made claims about health outcomes that were clearly false. Why was he left unchallenged? In the TVNZ leaders’ debate last night, Luxon and Labour’s Chris Hipkins had a testy exchange over Māori healthcare. Hipkins ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
14 hours ago

NZ election 2023: Exposing National leader Christopher Luxon’s Māori health falsehood in debate
ANALYSIS: By Ella Stewart, RNZ News longform journalist, Te Ao Māori National Party leader Christopher Luxon made claims about health outcomes that were clearly false. Why was he left unchallenged? In the TVNZ leaders’ debate last night, Luxon and Labour’s Chris Hipkins had a testy exchange over Māori healthcare. Hipkins ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
14 hours ago

Bid to protect Pacific indigenous knowledge in the global digital space
A recent webinar hosted by the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) brought together minds from across the region to delve into the intricate issues of the digital economy and data value. The webinar’s focus was clear — shed light on who was shaping the rules of the digital landscape ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
15 hours ago

Dan Andrews leaves office as a titan of Victorian politics – who drove conservatives to distractio...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Strangio, Professor of Politics, Monash University Daniel Andrews, who has announced he will step down after nearly nine years as premier, leaves office as a titan of Victorian politics. An activist premier, a gifted political communicator and a hard man of ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
16 hours ago

Newsletter: September 26 2023 – Items of interest and importance today
New Zealand Politics Daily is a collation of the most prominent issues being discussed in New Zealand. It is edited by Dr Bryce Edwards of The Democracy Project. NZ Politics Daily: 26 September 2023 NEWSHUB-REID RESEARCH POLL Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Newshub-Reid Research poll: NZ First in powerful position as ACT support crumbles, ...
Evening ReportBy Bryce Edwards
16 hours ago

Election 2023 updates: All the latest developments on 26 September
Tonight's political debate focused on the top priorities for Māori voters - check out RNZ's updates from the kaupapa Māori debate. ...
Radio NZ – political
16 hours ago

Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Economic Growth per Capita: New Zealand in Context
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Chart by Keith Rankin. Chart by Keith Rankin. The principal measure of economic success in the mainstream narrative is economic growth. The pointy heads associated with that narrative will correctly point out that its economic growth per capita that matters, and which serves as a crude ...
Evening ReportBy Keith Rankin
17 hours ago

Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The Vested interests shaping National Party policies
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. 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 ...
Evening ReportBy Bryce Edwards
17 hours ago

National says traffic light policy for beneficiaries driven by 'love'
National says its new benefit sanctions policy would target the kind of person who shows up to a job interview in their pyjamas, not struggling young families. ...
Radio NZ – political
18 hours ago

NEW POLL: Voters torn in Auckland Central electorate
A new Taxpayers’ Union – Curia poll in the Auckland Central Electorate has voters undecided between Greens incumbent Chlöe Swarbrick (polling at 26% of voters) and National candidate Mahesh Muralidhar (polling at 24%) - a statistical tie when accounting ...
Scoop politics
18 hours ago

The Albanese government blew its shot at setting a historic new unemployment target
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the federal government’s employment white paper is “ambitious”. I’m not convinced. A clearly ambitious statement would have specified a target for unemployment, ideally one ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
19 hours ago

Trump’s not so bad: manslaughter edition

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