Twyford to chair Labour’s election campaign

Written By: - Date published: 5:41 pm, September 28th, 2016 - 56 comments
Categories: election 2017, labour, phil twyford - Tags:

At the Herald:

Labour MP Phil Twyford has been given a leading role in the party’s election campaign next year.

Twyford has been made Labour’s campaign chairman, which puts him charge of strategy for the election.

The Te Atatu MP was given the role because of his seniority in the caucus, his campaign experience and his strong performance in Parliament, especially in the housing portfolio.

He will also chair Labour’s campaign in a likely Mt Roskill by-election, which will be triggered if Labour’s Mt Roskill MP Phil Goff wins the Auckland mayoralty.

Good luck Phil.

56 comments on “Twyford to chair Labour’s election campaign ”

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  1. Patrick Leyland 1
    28 September 2016 at 5:43 pm

    Does anyone know the difference between this role (campaign chair) and the campaign manager position – held by general secretary Andrew Kirton?

    • Craig H 1.1
      28 September 2016 at 5:55 pm

      I don’t know for sure, but would guess it’s like the difference between a CEO and Chairperson of the Board i.e. Andrew will run the campaign, particularly the day to day stuff, and Phil will be Chairperson of the governance group.

    • DISTURBED 1.2
      29 September 2016 at 1:15 pm

      I guess Phil will be the opposite to Steven Joyce as “campaign manager” for John Key?

      Phil is very bright and an expert at focusing on issues as he did in Housing and Transport as with Our Gisborne rail he fought hard than anyone else did to expose the government for underfunding the Gisborne rail that caused the washouts because Government deliberately starved the provinces funding for rail maintenance

      see this as his Labour media prowess..

      http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1302/S00183/kiwirail-admits-lack-of-maintenance-led-to-wash-out.htm

      Phil Twyford
      Transport Spokesperson
      14 February 2013
      KiwiRail admits lack of maintenance led to wash-out
      KiwiRail has admitted that its failure to maintain old and damaged culverts was behind the wash out that closed the Gisborne-Napier line, while cuts to its maintenance budget are putting the network at further risk, Labour’s Transport spokesperson Phil Twyford says.
      “Across the country KiwiRail missed its target of replacing 71 old culverts last year, and only replaced 49. This is cause for alarm.
      “The Gisborne-Napier wash-out shows what happens when essential maintenance work is not carried out.
      “KiwiRail cut and deferred $200 million of network maintenance last year. At the very time it needs to be upgrading its network and improving efficiency, the Government’s unrealistic ‘Turn Around Plan’ is putting enormous stress on the organisation and forcing it to cut maintenance.
      “KiwiRail has told Parliament’s transport committee it has 12,197 rail line culverts around the country and has done a risk assessment identifying 53 high priority culverts but ‘…in spite of every effort to mitigate risk, some incidents of wash out may still occur…’
      “National’s plan for rail is not workable. KiwiRail has missed its financial targets for two of the last three years. It is being forced to make cuts that are a false economy.
      “At a time when the Government is wasting billions of dollars on its ‘motorways of madness’, it makes no sense to cripple the national rail line.”
      ENDS

  2. Sacha 2
    28 September 2016 at 5:47 pm

    Is this really a good thing? Someone signed off on the Chinese surname foot-in-mouth plan, hopefully not Twyford himself if that’s the level of nous on offer.

    • Lanthanide 2.2
      28 September 2016 at 6:43 pm

      +1

    • Muttonbird 2.3
      28 September 2016 at 6:50 pm

      -1

    • john 2.4
      28 September 2016 at 7:07 pm

      well racism doesn’t seem to both either the labour party or many on here.

      Go figure?

      • Muttonbird 2.4.1
        28 September 2016 at 7:16 pm

        Oh yes? Please regale the board how Twyford and the Labour Party are racist.

        • john 2.4.1.1
          29 September 2016 at 10:47 am

          Been living under a stone have you?
          Chinese sounding surnames, ring any bells?
          Any “study” produced as dear old Phillis Twyford produced. Is not only racist in it’s approach and connotation it is incompetent in it’s methodology.
          Labour’s support and obviously your support, lends itself to the allegation of racism.

    • Rae 2.5
      29 September 2016 at 1:13 am

      Sorry, but something had to be done and given that Chinese names are actually very identifiable by dint of the fact they have not interacted (as it were) with the rest of the world for long, it stood to be revealing. They have not been Anglicized as for example the name Li, which is almost certain to be Chinese, whereas Lee is probably European in origin or could be Korean. They have not, yet, by and large, intermarried.
      There was no other effort being put in to identify how many houses were being sold to foreigners and running a ruler over the number of properties being sold to actual Chinese names, not Chinese sounding ones, compared to the number who lived here was a reasonable way to come up with an equation, it did not necessarily reveal or even set out to, that all Chinese were foreigners or that all sales to foreigners were to Chinese, but it DID give us an idea that there was an imbalance that needed further investigation.
      I know this is an unpopular view, but something just had to be done, and it was reasonable to imagine that a great number of Chinese were seeking to get money out of China because of their political system and the system of property “ownership” there, but as the rest of the world is finding, that money is doing serious damage to their citizens, which, incidentally, includes people of Chinese descent.

      • john 2.5.1
        29 September 2016 at 10:52 am

        NO nothing had to be done. As was seen by the research later.
        This was blatantly racist and an attempt to blame that race for a problem that had been endemic in Auckland for many years and almost entirely down to the lack of planning and action by successive Auckland councils as too the roading and all the blocks put in the way of past Govt.’s both Labour and National.

        • Groundhog 2.5.1.1
          29 September 2016 at 2:35 pm

          And it was dumb politics. Labour’s finances are in a parlous state, and it is difficult to see much in the way of funds coming to Labour from the Chinese, or wider asian communities.

          • john 2.5.1.1.1
            29 September 2016 at 3:26 pm

            perhaps Labour are hoping for access to various union slush funds.
            Or perhaps they are looking to produce another “pledge card” using parliamentary services (ie TAX PAYERS money/ our money) to promote themselves?????

        • TheBlackKitten 2.5.1.2
          2 October 2016 at 10:45 am

          If shortage created by the Auckland council is the only cause then why are other cities around the world also experiencing the same issues of house prices rising above the average income earners reach?

      • Jerko 2.5.2
        30 September 2016 at 10:36 am

        Rae, no need to apologize if thems the facts. It is true in most western cities. The Chinese are taking over. Vancouver for example has now slapped a 15% tax on properties sold to foreigners and the market has dropped. Where I live in California – a smallish University town. The population doubles during term time. It’s pretty bloody obvious who the foreign students are and I don’t need to know their names. Not only that the women are frequently pregnant and or walking around with young children who would have been born as US citizens. For all of the political correct comments here it’s good to see yours which is a reflection of the facts. So to you I say please – don’t apologize. And to the others, – wake up!

  3. red-blooded 3
    28 September 2016 at 6:13 pm

    Hey, give the guy some credit – he’s created some real cut-through in the Housing portfolio.

  4. WILD KATIPO 4
    28 September 2016 at 6:18 pm

    Got a lot of time for Phil Twyford, to meet him in person you will see a very quietly spoken chap , to see him in full flight in parliament is to see a tiger.

    He quietly expressed his opinions about neo liberalism , and the contempt for that ideology was almost palpable. Hes one of the decent ones who has the people of this country at heart. And we could do with far more like him.

    • Richard Rawshark 4.1
      28 September 2016 at 6:48 pm

      TY WK, Nice to hear a reference from someone living and not a campaign poster or TV slot.

      I may re-evaluate my perceptions 🙂

    • Anne 4.2
      28 September 2016 at 6:57 pm

      Phil Twyford is a brilliant organiser and has commanded loyalty, respect and admiration from all those who have ever been involved in any of his campaigns. I can’t think of a better person for the job.

      • Jilly Bee 4.2.1
        28 September 2016 at 7:44 pm

        Hear, hear Anne. I lived in Phil’s electorate before I departed the mad Auckland scene last year for the quieter life in Waikato – you know the old tale, ‘you can take the girl out of Waikato, but can’t take Waikato out of the girl’. Phil is a great MP – I first met him through working (volunteering) in Helen Clark’s Mt Albert office for the two elections we lived there. I quietly thought then he had leadership potential and I still do.

      • Chris 4.2.2
        28 September 2016 at 8:40 pm

        Maybe, but he will have to have learned his lesson on the way he approached certain aspects to problems affecting Auckland house prices.

      • RedLogix 4.2.3
        29 September 2016 at 12:22 am

        Thanks Anne; always good to hear first hand from someone you trust.

    • mosa 4.3
      28 September 2016 at 7:06 pm

      Katipo why did he not stand for the leadership ?
      I have seen him front the housing issue and he is very good and performs exceptionally well in parliament and seems well liked and he has had a lot of exposure.
      He holds a pivotal West Auckland seat and that will help with a possible Roskill By election and the Auckland campaign next year.

  5. Colonial Viper 5
    28 September 2016 at 7:26 pm

    GR keeping his hands clean, I see, a clever man that one.

  6. mosa 6
    28 September 2016 at 7:29 pm

    Talking about Roskill does anyone know if a credible poll has been taken in this electorate and if the Greens withdraw will that have an effect.

    Swordfish may have the answer ?

    • muttonbird 6.1
      28 September 2016 at 7:41 pm

      From memory the Green candidate vote was under 2000 in the 2014 election.

      There are a couple of things at play in Roskill. One is the working class, disenfranchised vote who will want change, and the other is the new and recent immigrant vote who will vote for the status quo.

      • pat 6.1.1
        28 September 2016 at 9:47 pm

        why do you assume immigrants will wish to vote for status quo….it appears an unwarranted statement especially in light of the fact it is immigrants seeking to start a new party….that suggests a desire for change does it not?

    • Anne 6.2
      28 September 2016 at 7:51 pm

      A significant portion of the Mt Roskill electorate is of Indian ethnicity. I think Labour might be concerned about the effect the new Indian political party could have on their voting numbers. The Green vote should help offset the loss incurred to the new party.

      Apart from that, they have an excellent candidate in Michael Wood and with the added benefit of Twyford running the campaign for him, the end result should be a reasonable win for Labour.

    • swordfish 6.3
      29 September 2016 at 2:08 pm

      “does anyone know if a credible poll has been taken in this electorate” ?

      Not that I know of.

      By-Election Polls are usually carried out during the campaign itself and released immediately before polling day (ie during the final week). That’s assuming there are any in the first place – I think I’m right in saying that of the 7 By-Elections conducted since 2008, Public Polls were carried out in just 3 – Northland, Te Tai Tokerau and Mt Albert.

      Knowing New Zealand’s broadcast media, an Auckland-based By-Election probably has a better chance of being polled than elsewhere – certainly if that elsewhere is unlucky enough to find itself located south of the Bombay Hills – a mysterious no-mans-land populated by wildlings to TVNZ and TV3.

      ” … if the Greens withdraw will that have an effect” ?

      Have a look at my comment here …
      https://thestandard.org.nz/mt-roskill-by-election-cooperating-parties-cooperate-shock/#comment-1226231

  7. Red 7
    28 September 2016 at 7:59 pm

    At least the next mp for mt roskill won’t live in the white elite conclave of Clevedon

    • Jilly Bee 7.1
      28 September 2016 at 8:08 pm

      Yeah Red, just like the PM – the MP for Kumeu, who lives in Parnell.

      • Red 7.1.1
        28 September 2016 at 8:27 pm

        Working class, Parnell and Kumeu just like working class Clevedon and Mt Roskill, yeah right Jilly Bee good comparison

      • Anne 7.1.2
        28 September 2016 at 8:37 pm

        Jilly Bee you have reminded me of an amusing story… after the last set of boundary changes, a corner of the leafy Epsom electorate was placed in the Mt Roskill electorate. The inhabitants of this leafy corner were horrified. They lobbied hard… leafleted hard… and generally made so much noise the MSM heard them and took up their cause. Their reported concern was: there was no community of interest with Mt Roskill so therefore they should be allowed to stay in Epsom. There was a rapid ‘change of heart’ by the boundary changes committee and the electorates were reset back to their original boundaries.

        The truth of their concern was part racist and part to do with the values of their property which they believed would plummet. Electorate boundaries have no bearing on suburb boundaries so their claims were a load of codswallop, but that didn’t stop the powers that be from bowing to their demands.

      • peterlepaysan 7.1.3
        28 September 2016 at 9:10 pm

        I thought he lived in Hawaii.

    • Ad 7.2
      29 September 2016 at 11:29 am

      What’s wrong with living in Clevedon?

  8. mosa 8
    28 September 2016 at 9:39 pm

    Thankyou Muttonbird and Anne for that information.

    I grew up in Roskill not far from Akarana golf course on Dominion Rd and it was one of the Central Auckland Labour strongholds with the seat held for a long time by Mr Faulkner and then Mr Goff for Labour.
    Then the shock of National taking the seat in the 1990 landslide by Mr Myles.

    National seem to have captured the party vote in Roskill over the last few elections but returning a Labour MP to parliament.

    The Greens 2000 votes will help and be a good indicator of how the MOU will work at the next election, it will be an interesting watch.

  9. Ad 9
    29 September 2016 at 5:54 am

    Labour’s best performer by a country mile.

    Deserves a higher caucus ranking than he has.

    I’ve dealt with him a lot professionally and really like him.

  10. save nz 10
    29 September 2016 at 7:28 am

    As much as I think Twyford performs well – housing is Labours most polarising issue for voters. When Twyford was in the limelight with housing the poll came out and Labour were radically down. Now that Labour has shut up about housing and let the inevitable scandals from National dominate the airwaves like Havelock water supply then Labour surges up 8%.

    Lets hope Labour doesn’t blow getting into power, by obsessing with an issue that is likely to cost them the election if they read it wrong for most voters. (and by that I mean ordinary voters around the country not those lobbying hard for their special issues which they stand to profit from. We saw that enough with the unitary plan).

    We live in an age where anybody can lose their job or have their hours cut with little to zero compensation. It’s hard enough to buy a house, let alone keep it, so any knocks to the economy or crash talk is not a majority vote winner in my view.

  11. Nick 11
    29 September 2016 at 8:18 am

    Go Phil…. I know him, he’s excellent guy and I hope he helps kick natz ass all the way to the shitty little hole they crawled out of

  12. Heather Grimwood 12
    29 September 2016 at 9:50 am

    Anyone doubting his ability to concisely and forcefully put forth his position (on housing in this instance) should get video of his recent speech in the housing debate in parliament the day Govt members absented themselves……superior presentation. I haven’t the skills to find it again but I’m sure most Standardistas will be able to do so.

  13. Observer Tokoroa 13
    29 September 2016 at 10:14 am

    .
    .National Party Deceit

    . As we know from the attempted mauling of Phil Twyford by national party trolls and associated rabble, there are no Chinese or Foreign investors who have purchased real estate in New Zealand.

    There are no Chinese attending Auctions of Property, of land or housing whether in person or by proxy.

    We know from Barfoot and Thompson that they have never had any Chinese or Foreign clients in the past or recently.

    The problem is that John Key and Billy English cannot recognise the difference between a foreigner and gooseberry.

    No English people purchase houses here. Not a single one.

    The only consistent thing is that Key and English are so untrustworthy. Not a single New Zealander can believe a single word that comes out of their deceiving mouths.

    .

  14. The Pink Postman 14
    29 September 2016 at 2:58 pm

    Phil Twyford is an excellent Labour MP. Hard working and obliging vocally street’s ahead of any Nat and certainly a match for the awful puffed up Bennett. He will be an excellent housing minister in the next Labour Government .

    • john 14.1
      29 September 2016 at 3:29 pm

      The man has all the intellect and understanding of a floor board, to use metaphor related to housing.
      He has NO idea what he is talking about, he and Labour make grandious promises they can’t keep.

  15. Observer Tokoroa 15
    29 September 2016 at 9:11 pm

    .
    . John ? as in deceitful John Key.

    . You good boy. We have seldom seen such brilliance as yours on here. Will you get a lil bag of lollies from Paula and Billy?
    .
    . Also have you done anything for the 40 thousand homeless that you, Billy and Paula have released on an unsuspecting Aotearoa? I expect you haven’t. We know people like you are incapable.

    . Now hop away – and get your pretty pony tail pulled – with full fetish feeling.

    .

  16. TheBlackKitten 16
    2 October 2016 at 11:33 am

    I don’t mean to be rude here but housing is such a massive stuff up on the Nationals parties behalf that anyone in any opposition party should be capable of making mince meat out of the government for it. That the Labour Party still lags behind National in the polls speaks volumes of how out of touch with middle NZ they are.
    Auckland housing crisis is created by several issues:
    A) Shortage of land created by the Auckland councils piss poor planning over the past 40 years that has seen the city completely unprepared for the massive immigration numbers it has had since the Auzzie economy tanked. Shortage will always drive up price. The current lack of infrastructure, public transport and adequate roading is also a huge massive failure on councils part. Aucklanders are unable to travel too and from their jobs efficiently in many, many of the suburbs in Auckland. Council have been a huge failure.
    B) massive immigration numbers from overseas countries has seen migrants pouring into this country with cash that enables them to outbid the average Kiwi in a climate of high prices driven by the shortage at auctions. Many run of the mill suburbs in Auckland now attract a price tag of 1 million plus for an average 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home. Who is paying this price? It’s rich migrants because average Kiwis can’t afford it on their low wages in our pathetic low wage economy that was created by the ECA act in 1991. They all flock to Auckland as no where else in NZ has any jobs. Lack of jobs in the regions is another issue. National have cocked up here. They should have stopped massive migration years ago. Keep in mind, that the Clarke government also allowed Asian migrants to flock in here and push our housing inflation up. The big difference between now and then was that many kiwis were also leaving for a buoyant Auzzie economy so th effects were not as punitive.
    C) investors of the baby boomer generation and rich migrants that see housing as guaranteed money for their dollar are outbidding the average Kiwis at auctions. Again, shortage and lack of other good sound investment opportunities have attracted them to the Auckland housing market. National should have addressed this years and years ago and the bright line test is really a very poor weak fix to deter investors.
    Housing in Auckland has become like a Monopoly game that is seeing the average young Kiwi miss out and rich migrants along with prior home owners be the winners. It is a huge stain on this government to have been the ones that have allowed this to go on unchecked and to have created a society of the haves and the have nots.
    The solutions need a bold party with guts. They need to stop all migration, open up land for building, introduce a government rent to buy scheme, tax the shit out of investors and increase wages to the same level,of home prices. Sadly I don’t see any party with the initiative or guts to do all of these things.

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    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

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