Winston adds to National’s tax cut credibility problem

Written By: - Date published: 2:18 pm, September 27th, 2023 - 26 comments
Categories: act, Christopher Luxon, election 2023, national, nicola willis, nz first, same old national, winston peters - Tags:

There is this sense that what looked inevitable a couple of weeks ago, a National Act Government following the election, is now not such a clear cut thing.

Leading up to the election National and its puppet proxies had accumulated a huge war chest funded essentially by the same people, those with a level of privilege the rest of us can only dream about, but somehow who think deserve and need even more.

The campaign conditions have been perfect for the opposition.  After Covid and the Ukraine fueled International economic crisis and the floods that devastated large parts of the country earlier this year people are really fed up.  They want change.  They yearn for change.  They seek change.  Any sort of change from the status quo.  And for many of them arguments about how the actual cause of the problems are not this Government’s fault do not matter.

National’s messaging has been very disciplined.  Ever the last election it has been incessantly negative.  Everything is awful and the Government is to blame.

So it is not surprising that Labour is struggling.  And it has not helped that Labour has not been brave enough.  Hipkins is a believer in the importance of political triangulation, not the importance of standing on principle and this has affected morale.

But the party itself has a very sold list of achievements.  Check this out if you need the details.

And it has successfully led us through a one in 100 year pandemic, a terrorist attack, and two devastating storms.  I shudder to think how things would have gone if the other parties had been in charge.

National has until recently taken full advantage of people’s feelings of grumpiness.  And a few weeks ago the polls were showing it.

National however has managed to score a spectacular own goal by advocating for tax cuts funded by policies that have attracted considerable attention and extreme cynicism.  Too many experts say that the policies do not make sense.

Its credibility has taken a blow.  As shown by the contents of polling released last night by Newshub.  From Jenna Lynch:

Our latest Newshub-Reid Research poll reveals a majority doesn’t think the party can pay for its campaign centrepiece – tax cuts.

Luxon simply cannot bear passing by a head without checking for hair. It conjures memories for one couple of an embarrassing trait of a former National leader.

“It might be following on from John Key with the ponytails,” one woman said.

There’s a lot of fun and games on the campaign trail.

But there’s no fun and games when it comes to the finances.

National’s been under an immense amount of pressure to release the modelling around its tax plan. It pledged to pay for tax cuts in part by introducing a foreign buyers tax bringing in $740 million.

Several economists have rubbished the numbers.

Asked if he thought Kiwis believe National can pay for its tax cuts, Luxon said: “Absolutely yes.”

“Yes Kiwis know that we can pay for our tax cuts.”

But, no, they don’t.

We asked in our latest Newshub-Reid Research poll, do you believe National can pay for its tax cuts?

A majority – 53.8 percent – said no, while only 29.9 percent thought they could.

The worse news is even 29.4 percent of National’s own voters don’t think they can pay for their tax cuts, though the majority does.

I suspect this incredulity is directly related to National’s slide in the polls.

The problem for National is that as its popularity slides and its dependence on NZ First increases people are realising that a National-Act-NZ First coalition would truly be a coalition of chaos.

Winston Peters has cast major doubts about whether a National-Act-NZ First Government would put through any of National’s tax cut proposals.

From Thomas Coughlan at the Herald:

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says he wants to see National’s detailed tax costings ahead of forming any government with the party.

Current polling shows NZ First may be needed for National and Act to get over the line and form a government after the election.

National has come under fire in recent weeks for its proposed foreign buyers’ tax, which would levy a 15 per cent stamp duty on the sales of homes worth more than $2 million to non-tax residents.

But economists have criticised the policy, saying the revenue assumptions are unrealistic. National wants to get $2.9 billion from the tax over four years to fund its $14.6b tax plan. But economists warn the actual revenue could come in $2.1b short, leaving National with the choice of borrowing to fund the tax plan, or ditching part of it.

“To the best of my efforts, I can’t work out how the fiscals work, and nor can any economist,” Peters told the Herald.

This is the country’s former treasurer speaking.

Peters previously said that National’s plan was not a formula for economic recovery and just last week said that now was not the time for tax cuts.

And he also does not think that Willis’s weekend performance answered any questions.  Again from the Herald:

Peters said he watched National’s finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis on Q+A last weekend, when Willis brandished a copy of the party’s tax plan to show the public the quality of what National had released, but he was unconvinced.

“I looked at it later on, and I didn’t think anybody got an answer, so maybe they’ve gone back to do some calculations and we’ll find out,” Peters said.

“There’s $500 million missing,” he said.

He expressed a preference for a $14,000 tax-free threshold, something which the Greens and Te Pāti Māori have also advocated for.

He also thinks that the proposed tax cuts for landlords is lacking in detail and again expressed reservations with the proposal.

Peters was open to National’s decision to bring back the full deductability of interest costs from tax bills for landlords.

“If it is to help speculation, that will be disastrous. If it is to help accommodation costs coming down and being passed on to the tenant, then that is a matter someone could explain to me how they will do that,” he said.

But he warned the plan was “short of detail”.

He opposes the lifting of the age of eligibility for superannuation, which National and Act back.

Essentially there is no existing support for any of the cuts that National wants to make, apart from the beneficiary bashing that NZ First has signed up to enthusiastically.

If National have to rely on Peters to get its tax cuts through there will be a cost.  And it will be messy.

26 comments on “Winston adds to National’s tax cut credibility problem ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Tricledrown 1
    27 September 2023 at 2:40 pm

    Tax cuts will lead to inflation so the tax cuts will be sucked up by price increases and subsequent interest increases to cool inflation the only winners will be those on high incomes the so called squeezed middle will continue to get screwed with big mortgage payment increases.Young home buyers no chance to get on the property ladder.

  2. Ad 2
    27 September 2023 at 2:45 pm

    Winston is setting the electorate up for another 1996 and 2017 "who will he go with" dance.

    So I have a sneaking suspicion Hipkins will change his mind about NZFirst once the votes are completed. They are more sympatico on paper and as people than they care to believe or state.

    No Parliamentary term is worth sitting out if you've got a choice and and chance.

    • Chris 2.1
      27 September 2023 at 3:49 pm

      Interesting hearing Key say Hipkins "is a man of his word" – all part of the deception game aimed at putting voters off NZF.

    • bwaghorn 2.2
      27 September 2023 at 5:23 pm

      Na they'd both lose all credibility, and the country would rightly be exceedingly angry, they've ruled each other out end of story.

      That being said I think national is looking more incompetent by the day on tax , potaka is being mocked on social media as we speak for his nutty bar story, they're going to snatch defeat from the Jaws of victory .

      • Belladonna 2.2.1
        27 September 2023 at 7:15 pm

        Hipkins may have ruled Winston out – but I don't believe it's truly the case the other way around, Winston can always find a loophole to wriggle through if it benefits him.

      • Sanctuary 2.2.2
        28 September 2023 at 9:46 am

        If Seymour sees advantage in playing the long game as an uncompromising nascent strongman and refuses to work with Winston Peters, then it would be very easy for Hipkins to do a deal with Peters and present himself as going back on his pre-election statements for the good of the country.

  3. Tiger Mountain 3
    27 September 2023 at 3:11 pm

    Great column Micky. There is so much unfocused anger out there, along with post COVID fallout. COVID could be mentioned more often–would you have wanted your gran or partner to die? The Ardern led response significantly made sure that did not happen as difficult as it was.

    The tide seems to be turning slightly, and those of us that want a Labour, Green, TPM Govt. have to keep the messaging up wherever we might operate or what our networks are.

    Chris Hipkins was anointed rather than elected by the Party at large, and that created a major problem for this General Election–more Cap’n’s calls, particularly on Wealth Tax. NZ Labour would likely be comfortably anticipating victory now if he had made a call the other way.

    So lets be optimistic, 4.9% NZ First, a narrow victory to Labour/Green/Te Pāti Māori, Hipkins replaced and the list of progressive reforms implemented…but there are indeed many other scenarios possible too.

    I was looking forward to quietly enjoying my gold card years but now it looks like ’81 Tour all over again if NActFirst attain office and start hammering the working class (regardless of ethnicity) and Māoridom in particular.

    • Belladonna 3.1
      27 September 2023 at 7:20 pm

      would you have wanted your gran or partner to die?

      While this may be factually true (the Covid strain pre-vaccination was much more deadly than the current variants); most people quite simply don't have the science background to understand/explain this. For them, it's the case of 'I had Covid, no big deal, no worse than the flu. What was all the fuss about'

      • Drowsy M. Kram 3.1.1
        27 September 2023 at 8:39 pm

        I had Covid, no worse that the flu, and I understood what all the 'fuss' was about.

        If Aotearoa NZ's Covid-19 death rate (637 per million) had been closer to, say, the UK (3397) or the US (3332), then maybe a few more Kiwis would understand what the fuss was all about, but possibly not that many more – we can be a determinedly ignorant bunch.

        https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus/country/new-zealand?country=NZL~GBR~USA#cumulative-confirmed-deaths-how-do-they-compare-to-other-countries

        So, while not wanting to minimise the tragedy of losing 3000+ Kiwi lives to Covid-19, basically I agree with you – most Kiwis didn't and don't understand just how 'lucky' we were – thanks to circumstances and a government that prioritised health.

        All things considered, we 'got off' lightly.

      • Incognito 3.1.2
        27 September 2023 at 10:21 pm

        The flu kills Kiwis

        • Belladonna 3.1.2.1
          28 September 2023 at 8:11 am

          Yes, and we don't shut down the country every year. Even though deaths from flu were at zero during the Covid lockdowns (because flu couldn't get into the country either)

          • Descendant Of Smith 3.1.2.1.1
            28 September 2023 at 8:44 am

            Humans have evolved to influenza due to the flu pandemic in 1918. Basically we evolved by having susceptible people dying and taking their susceptible genes out of the gene pool – while it remains a problem it most likely won't ever be a pandemic again. It would take quite a significant mutation.

            (Most people seem to think the influenza virus evolved to become milder – it did not and as a rule viruses do not do this.)

            COVID-19 was a corona virus not an influenza one and one for which we could have played the same game and had many more deaths. We chose not to and frankly the New Zealand public supported that position as did the main political parties Those that did not were very much a minority – albeit a very vocal one.

            "Nor are there many documented instances of viruses whose virulence has abated over time. The rare, classic example is the myxoma virus, which was deliberately introduced to Australia in the 1950s from South America to control invasive European rabbits. Within a few decades, the virus evolved to reduce its virulence, albeit only down to 70 to 95 percent lethality from a whopping 99.8 percent. (It has since ticked up again.)

            But myxoma stands nearly alone, Parrish says. For instance, he notes, there is no evidence that recent human pathogens such as Ebola, Zika or chikungunya viruses have shown any signs of becoming less pathogenic in the relatively short time since jumping to humans."

            https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-viruses-evolve-180975343/

          • Incognito 3.1.2.1.2
            28 September 2023 at 9:59 am

            Never mind

  4. Mike the Lefty 4
    27 September 2023 at 3:27 pm

    Note that Luxon promised to REDUCE the cost of living.

    The taxes he needs to cut to do that are general petrol excise tax and GST (and perhaps the tax on alcohol to make all the National Party piss ups a bit cheaper)

    We all know he won't do that.

    Income tax reductions will only help people pay for the increases in the cost of living a little bit, with those at the top getting a lot more to help pay for it than those at the bottom. Plus there is the chance that tax cuts in themselves might keep inflation rates up.

    It is amazing how so many economists are coming out and saying that National's tax policies are both flawed and error ridden, whilst although not exactly excited about Labour's – at least conceding that they are more plausible and accountable.

    National's self-described "best managers of the economy" label looks dumber every day.

    Economic charlatans – that is what National are.

    • Drowsy M. Kram 4.1
      27 September 2023 at 4:30 pm

      Economic charlatans – that is what National are.

      Charlatans in deed – scummy scammers of the first order – "bottom feeders", imho.

      Projected revenue of $740 million per year from Willux's foreign buyer tax? Pull the other one. If it seems to good to be true, don’t worry – Willis has promised to resign.

      Scam activity rises 13%, but Kiwis becoming 'more scam savvy'

      Nigel Latta Turns Spotlight On Scammers And Psychology Of Scams [23 June 2023]
      "New Zealanders like to think they’re a savvy bunch – in fact, 90 per cent believe they can spot a scam – but the losses tell a different story.
      …
      "The more people can understand the way scammers try to exploit their emotions, the greater the chance of preventing scams.
      …
      Episode two examines investment and buying and selling scams…

      • Dennis Frank 4.1.1
        28 September 2023 at 9:14 am

        I agree but still hope the scam will be exposed soon. A competence test for sceptics is what we have now. Financial credibility demanded, yet not supplied: a classis supply & demand situation which neolibs will expect Market Forces to magically produce the goods.

        If that deity with a surname delivers, we'll get exposure of the truth. If not, then it's just another market failure for the neolibs to not learn from.

  5. Chris 5
    27 September 2023 at 3:52 pm

    "National's self-described "best managers of the economy" label looks dumber every day."

    Yes it does, but where's Labour's attempt to tell the public the truth about who historically have been the best managers of the economy?

  6. James Simpson 6
    27 September 2023 at 4:15 pm

    Why do people keep talking about a coalition with ACT and NZ First in it. There is as much chance of that happening as there is Greens and NZ First being in coalition. 0.04032% chance.

    The leaders of both ACT and the Greens will never go into government for government's sake. For ACT they need substantial tax cuts and cuts to government services. For Green they need meaningful climate action and poverty reduction. NZ First will never allow any of those things to happen. For that reason there will never be either of those coalitions.

    They will sit on the cross benches if that situation ever came up.

    • Chris 6.1
      27 September 2023 at 5:14 pm

      I think you're half right – the half that says the Greens wouldn't even consider being in a coalition with NZF in it.

      • James Simpson 6.1.1
        28 September 2023 at 9:21 am

        You think ACT will go into coalition with someone that won't allow them to cut tax and public services?

        No chance.

        There are only two principled parties in New Zealand. The Greens and ACT. Their principles are fundamentally different, but they are both in politics for the sole purpose of advancing those principles. They won't go into into government for the sake of it.

        National, Labour and NZ First differ. They are in politics for power and will do whatever it takes in pursuit of that power.

  7. AB 7
    27 September 2023 at 5:34 pm

    Prediction: ACT under 5% and Paul Goldsmith inadvertently plays a blinder in Epsom to beat Seymour. Luxon seen leaving late on election night on a chartered AirNZ flight to take up a role with Liz Truss's favourite nutter think tank, the IEA in London. He has the whole plane to himself and all the cabin crew refer to him as "boss" and "leader". David Seymour goes bush in Northland to rediscover his Ngapuhi roots and comes out in 2032 as a committed TPM candidate. Winston lives on till 2078 contesting all 18 elections between now and then – in 2050 he is made Lord Peters of Whananaki – his coat of arms shows a pinstripe suit emblazoned with ballot papers and a dead snapper.

    History unrolling before our eyes.

  8. Ffloyd 8
    27 September 2023 at 7:06 pm

    Our young neighbours across the road said that they will be voting for Labour because Chris Hipkins looks honest and the other one doesn’t.
    Good on them. I think Chris and Grant are honest as well.

    Just saw Oppos little financial genius not answering questions about her own costings but immediately going into full on attack on Labour.

    Not called out on it. Labour needs to put out a full page advertisement detailing all the successes they have had.

  9. Thinker 9
    28 September 2023 at 7:50 am

    Luxon confirming he's willing to go with Winston will surely have the effect of both increasing Winston's vote (now that he's got credible potential) and dropping National's vote (some will sense it as a desperate move, given National's past criticisms).

    That would then create a greater probability that Luxon will need to do a 3-way handshake.

    However, Willis has staked her colours to the mast regarding the tax cuts. Rightly so, because they have set themselves up with a Faustian Bargain for the votes of those who put themselves before their childrens' futures. The tax cuts have to happen.

    So, National is going to have to look for other sources of funding to pay for the cuts, which is likely to hurt those who are not its traditional voting base – workers, public servants, beneficiaries.

  10. Patricia Bremner 10
    28 September 2023 at 9:40 am

    This is the pivotal moment imo. Luxon is not smart enough or principled enough.

    He says a great deal without giving the why of his position.

    When pushed it was 'the law is settled',(abortion) and he would choose Peters to exclude Labour, if the right needed that to keep Labour out of government. He forgets Act might not agree, and Peters also may have even greater leverage after last night, as he is now the injured suitor.

    The left will be uplifted by last night. If you did not watch, please do.

  11. SPC 11
    28 September 2023 at 12:19 pm

    National has form on tax cuts.

    1.Promising to end the surtax in 1990 and keeping it 1991

    2.In real time cutting benefits because of the budget but also ending the estate tax 1991 – because rich families should be able to pass on all their wealth.

    So the decision to continue to claw back from those on super and reduce those on benefits to poverty, was made at the same time they ended the estate tax on wealthy families – thus of a deliberate effort to end an egalitarian New Zealand and run a class system (elite, managed middle class and those under occupation (tenants, exploited labour, precariat).

    3.In 2008 promising a tax cut .

    4.Unable to afford the plan, they increase GST in 2009 to finance it.

    5.They make promises based on a plan that does not stand scrutiny in 2023

    They are dependent to a degree on ACT and NZF partners agreement when finding a way to make their budget work.

    They are also dependent on Treasury staff remaining silent about National's but the books have got worse and are worsening – so things have changed.

    ACT would target those on super for saving – something NZF would block.

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    These dire woeful and intolerant people have been so determinedly going about their small and petulant business, it’s hard to keep up. At the end of the new government’s first woeful week, Audrey Young took the time to count off its various acts of denigration of Te Ao Māori:Review the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Another attack on te reo
    The new white supremacist government made attacking te reo a key part of its platform, promising to rename government agencies and force them to "communicate primarily in English" (which they already do). But today they've gone further, by trying to cut the pay of public servants who speak te reo: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • For the record, the Beehive buzz can now be regarded as “official”
    Buzz from the Beehive The biggest buzz we bring you from the Beehive today is that the government’s official website is up and going after being out of action for more than a week. The latest press statement came  from  Education Minister  Eric Stanford, who seized on the 2022 PISA ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Failed again
    There was another ETS auction this morning. and like all the other ones this year, it failed to clear - meaning that 23 million tons of carbon (15 million ordinary units plus 8 million in the cost containment reserve) went up in smoke. Or rather, they didn't. Being unsold at ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On The Government’s Assault On Maori
    This isn’t news, but the National-led coalition is mounting a sustained assault on Treaty rights and obligations. Even so, Christopher Luxon has described yesterday’s nationwide protests by Maori as “pretty unfair.” Poor thing. In the NZ Herald, Audrey Young has compiled a useful list of the many, many ways that ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Rising costs hit farmers hard, but  there’s more  positive news  for  them this  week 
    New Zealand’s dairy industry, the mainstay of the country’s export trade, has  been under  pressure  from rising  costs. Down on the  farm, this  has  been  hitting  hard. But there  was more positive news this week,  first   from the latest Fonterra GDT auction where  prices  rose,  and  then from  a  report ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    3 days ago

  • ROB MacCULLOCH:  Newshub and NZ Herald report misleading garbage about ACT’s van Veldon not follo...
    Rob MacCulloch writes –  In their rush to discredit the new government (which our MainStream Media regard as illegitimate and having no right to enact the democratic will of voters) the NZ Herald and Newshub are arguing ACT’s Deputy Leader Brooke van Veldon is not following Treasury advice ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Top 10 for Wednesday, December 6
    Even many young people who smoke support smokefree policies, fitting in with previous research showing the large majority of people who smoke regret starting and most want to quit. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Wednesday, December ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Eleven years of work.
    Well it didn’t take six months, but the leaks have begun. Yes the good ship Coalition has inadvertently released a confidential cabinet paper into the public domain, discussing their axing of Fair Pay Agreements (FPAs).Oops.Just when you were admiring how smoothly things were going for the new government, they’ve had ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Why we're missing out on sharply lower inflation
    A wave of new and higher fees, rates and charges will ripple out over the economy in the next 18 months as mayors, councillors, heads of department and price-setters for utilities such as gas, electricity, water and parking ramp up charges. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Just when most ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • How Did We Get Here?
    Hi,Kiwis — keep the evening of December 22nd free. I have a meetup planned, and will send out an invite over the next day or so. This sounds sort of crazy to write, but today will be Tony Stamp’s final Totally Normal column of 2023. Somehow we’ve made it to ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • At a glance – Has the greenhouse effect been falsified?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • New Zealaders  have  high expectations of  new  government:  now let’s see if it can deliver?
    The electorate has high expectations of the  new  government.  The question is: can  it  deliver?    Some  might  say  the  signs are not  promising. Protestors   are  already marching in the streets. The  new  Prime Minister has had  little experience of managing  very diverse politicians  in coalition. The economy he  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    4 days ago

  • You won't believe some of the numbers you have to pull when you're a Finance Minister
    Nicola of Marsden:Yo, normies! We will fix your cost of living worries by giving you a tax cut of 150 dollars. 150! Cash money! Vote National.Various people who can read and count:Actually that's 150 over a fortnight. Not a week, which is how you usually express these things.And actually, it looks ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Pushback
    When this government came to power, it did so on an explicitly white supremacist platform. Undermining the Waitangi Tribunal, removing Māori representation in local government, over-riding the courts which had tried to make their foreshore and seabed legislation work, eradicating te reo from public life, and ultimately trying to repudiate ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • Defence ministerial meeting meant Collins missed the Maori Party’s mischief-making capers in Parli...
    Buzz from the Beehive Maybe this is not the best time for our Minister of Defence to have gone overseas. Not when the Maori Party is inviting (or should that be inciting?) its followers to join a revolution in a post which promoted its protest plans with a picture of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Threats of war have been followed by an invitation to join the revolution – now let’s see how th...
     A Maori Party post on Instagram invited party followers to ….  Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti, Join the REVOLUTION! & make a stand!  Nationwide Action Day, All details in tiles swipe to see locations.  • This is our 1st hit out and tomorrow Tuesday the 5th is the opening ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Top 10 for Tuesday, December 4
    The RBNZ governor is citing high net migration and profit-led inflation as factors in the bank’s hawkish stance. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Tuesday, December 5, including:Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr says high net migration and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Nicola Willis' 'show me the money' moment
    Willis has accused labour of “economic vandalism’, while Robertson described her comments as a “desperate diversion from somebody who can't make their tax package add up”. There will now be an intense focus on December 20 to see whether her hyperbole is backed up by true surprises. Photo montage: Lynn ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • CRL costs money but also provides huge benefits
    The City Rail Link has been in the headlines a bit recently so I thought I’d look at some of them. First up, yesterday the NZ Herald ran this piece about the ongoing costs of the CRL. Auckland ratepayers will be saddled with an estimated bill of $220 million each ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    5 days ago

  • And I don't want the world to see us.
    Is this the most shambolic government in the history of New Zealand? Given that parliament hasn’t even opened they’ve managed quite a list of achievements to date.The Smokefree debacle trading lives for tax cuts, the Trumpian claims of bribery in the Media, an International award for indifference, and today the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Cooking the books
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis late yesterday stopped only slightly short of accusing her predecessor Grant Robertson of cooking the books. She complained that the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU), due to be made public on December 20, would show “fiscal cliffs” that would amount to “billions of ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • Most people don’t realize how much progress we’ve made on climate change
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The year was 2015. ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars was at the top of the music charts. Jurassic World was the most popular new movie in theaters. And decades of futility in international climate negotiations was about to come to an end in ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Of Parliamentary Oaths and Clive Boonham
    As a heads-up, I am not one of those people who stay awake at night thinking about weird Culture War nonsense. At least so far as the current Maori/Constitutional arrangements go. In fact, I actually consider it the least important issue facing the day to day lives of New ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago

  • Bearing True Allegiance?
    Strong Words: “We do not consent, we do not surrender, we do not cede, we do not submit; we, the indigenous, are rising. We do not buy into the colonial fictions this House is built upon. Te Pāti Māori pledges allegiance to our mokopuna, our whenua, and Te Tiriti o ...
    Bowalley Road
    5 days ago

  • You cannot be serious
    Some days it feels like the only thing to say is: Seriously? No, really. Seriously?OneSomeone has used their health department access to share data about vaccinations and patients, and inform the world that New Zealanders have been dying in their hundreds of thousands from the evil vaccine. This of course is pure ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • A promise kept: govt pulls the plug on Lake Onslow scheme – but this saving of $16bn is denounced...
    Buzz from the Beehive After $21.8 million was spent on investigations, the plug has been pulled on the Lake Onslow pumped-hydro electricity scheme, The scheme –  that technically could have solved New Zealand’s looming energy shortage, according to its champions – was a key part of the defeated Labour government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • CHRIS TROTTER: The Maori Party and Oath of Allegiance
    If those elected to the Māori Seats refuse to take them, then what possible reason could the country have for retaining them?   Chris Trotter writes – Christmas is fast approaching, which, as it does every year, means gearing up for an abstruse general knowledge question. “Who was ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON:  Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies. Brian Easton writes – The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Climate Change: Fossils
    When the new government promised to allow new offshore oil and gas exploration, they were warned that there would be international criticism and reputational damage. Naturally, they arrogantly denied any possibility that that would happen. And then they finally turned up at COP, to criticism from Palau, and a "fossil ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • GEOFFREY MILLER:  NZ’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    Geoffrey Miller writes – New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the government’s smokefree laws debacle
    The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out – for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    6 days ago

  • Top 10 links at 10 am for Monday, December 4
    As Deb Te Kawa writes in an op-ed, the new Government seems to have immediately bought itself fights with just about everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Monday December 4, including:Palau’s President ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Be Honest.
    Let’s begin today by thinking about job interviews.During my career in Software Development I must have interviewed hundreds of people, hired at least a hundred, but few stick in the memory.I remember one guy who was so laid back he was practically horizontal, leaning back in his chair until his ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he left off. Peters sought to align ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    6 days ago

  • Auckland rail tunnel the world’s most expensive
    Auckland’s city rail link is the most expensive rail project in the world per km, and the CRL boss has described the cost of infrastructure construction in Aotearoa as a crisis. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The 3.5 km City Rail Link (CRL) tunnel under Auckland’s CBD has cost ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • First big test coming
    The first big test of the new Government’s approach to Treaty matters is likely to be seen in the return of the Resource Management Act. RMA Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed that he intends to introduce legislation to repeal Labour’s recently passed Natural and Built Environments Act and its ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume III
    Time to revisit something I haven’t covered in a while: the D&D campaign, with Saqua the aquatic half-vampire. Last seen in July: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/07/27/the-song-of-saqua-volume-ii/ The delay is understandable, once one realises that the interim saw our DM come down with a life-threatening medical situation. They have since survived to make ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago

  • Chris Bishop: Smokin’
    Yes. Correct. It was an election result. And now we are the elected government. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    6 days ago

  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 26, 2023 thru Dec 2, 2023. Story of the Week CO2 readings from Mauna Loa show failure to combat climate change Daily atmospheric carbon dioxide data from Hawaiian volcano more ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Affirmative Action.
    Affirmative Action was a key theme at this election, although I don’t recall anyone using those particular words during the campaign.They’re positive words, and the way the topic was talked about was anything but. It certainly wasn’t a campaign of saying that Affirmative Action was a good thing, but that, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • 100 days of something
    It was at the end of the Foxton straights, at the end of 1978, at 100km/h, that someone tried to grab me from behind on my Yamaha.They seemed to be yanking my backpack. My first thought was outrage. My second was: but how? Where have they come from? And my ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • Look who’s stepped up to champion Winston
    There’s no news to be gleaned from the government’s official website today  – it contains nothing more than the message about the site being under maintenance. The time this maintenance job is taking and the costs being incurred have us musing on the government’s commitment to an assault on inflation. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • What's The Story?
    Don’t you sometimes wish they’d just tell the truth? No matter how abhorrent or ugly, just straight up tell us the truth?C’mon guys, what you’re doing is bad enough anyway, pretending you’re not is only adding insult to injury.Instead of all this bollocks about the Smokefree changes being to do ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • The longest of weeks
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Friday Under New Management Week in review, quiz style1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • Suggested sessions of EGU24 to submit abstracts to
    Like earlier this year, members from our team will be involved with next year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The conference will take place on premise in Vienna as well as online from April 14 to 19, 2024. The session catalog has been available since November 1 ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Under New Management
    1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. Under New Management 2. Which of these best describes the 100 days of action announced this week by the new government?a. Petulantb. Simplistic and wrongheaded c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • While we wait patiently, our new Minister of Education is up and going with a 100-day action plan
    Sorry to say, the government’s official website is still out of action. When Point of Order paid its daily visit, the message was the same as it has been for the past week: Site under maintenance Beehive.govt.nz is currently under maintenance. We will be back shortly. Thank you for your ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Ministers visit Hawke’s Bay to grasp recovery needs
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Cyclone Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell and Transport and Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, to meet leaders of cyclone and flood-affected regions in the Hawke’s Bay. The visit reinforced the coalition Government’s commitment to support the region and better understand its ongoing requirements, Mr Mitchell says.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity
    New Zealand has joined the UK and other partners in condemning malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Government, Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau Judith Collins says. The statement follows the UK’s attribution today of malicious cyber activity impacting its domestic democratic institutions and processes, as well ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Disestablishment of Te Pūkenga begins
    The Government has begun the process of disestablishing Te Pūkenga as part of its 100-day plan, Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills Penny Simmonds says.  “I have started putting that plan into action and have met with the chair and chief Executive of Te Pūkenga to advise them of my ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Climate Change Minister to attend COP28 in Dubai
    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will be leaving for Dubai today to attend COP28, the 28th annual UN climate summit, this week. Simon Watts says he will push for accelerated action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, deliver New Zealand’s national statement and connect with partner countries, private sector leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New Zealand to host 2024 Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins yesterday announced New Zealand will host next year’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM). “Having just returned from this year’s meeting in Nouméa, I witnessed first-hand the value of meeting with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security and defence matters. I welcome the opportunity to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Study shows need to remove distractions in class
    The Government is committed to lifting school achievement in the basics and that starts with removing distractions so young people can focus on their learning, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.   The 2022 PISA results released this week found that Kiwi kids ranked 5th in the world for being distracted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Minister sets expectations of Commissioner
    Today I met with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to set out my expectations, which he has agreed to, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. Under section 16(1) of the Policing Act 2008, the Minister can expect the Police Commissioner to deliver on the Government’s direction and priorities, as now outlined in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand needs a strong and stable ETS
    New Zealand needs a strong and stable Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that is well placed for the future, after emission units failed to sell for the fourth and final auction of the year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  At today’s auction, 15 million New Zealand units (NZUs) – each ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • PISA results show urgent need to teach the basics
    With 2022 PISA results showing a decline in achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford is confident that the Coalition Government’s 100-day plan for education will improve outcomes for Kiwi kids.  The 2022 PISA results show a significant decline in the performance of 15-year-old students in maths compared to 2018 and confirms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Collins leaves for Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today departed for New Caledonia to attend the 8th annual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting (SPDMM). “This meeting is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security matters and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Pacific,” Judith Collins says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Working for Families gets cost of living boost
    Putting more money in the pockets of hard-working families is a priority of this Coalition Government, starting with an increase to Working for Families, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “We are starting our 100-day plan with a laser focus on bringing down the cost of living, because that is what ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Post-Cabinet press conference
    Most weeks, following Cabinet, the Prime Minister holds a press conference for members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery. This page contains the transcripts from those press conferences, which are supplied by Hansard to the Office of the Prime Minister. It is important to note that the transcripts have not been edited ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme scrapped
    The Government has axed the $16 billion Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme championed by the previous government, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says. “This hugely wasteful project was pouring money down the drain at a time when we need to be reining in spending and focussing on rebuilding the economy and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • NZ welcomes further pause in fighting in Gaza
    New Zealand welcomes the further one-day extension of the pause in fighting, which will allow the delivery of more urgently-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza and the release of more hostages, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. “The human cost of the conflict is horrific, and New Zealand wants to see the violence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Condolences on passing of Henry Kissinger
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today expressed on behalf of the New Zealand Government his condolences to the family of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has passed away at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut. “While opinions on his legacy are varied, Secretary Kissinger was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Backing our kids to learn the basics
    Every child deserves a world-leading education, and the Coalition Government is making that a priority as part of its 100-day plan. Education Minister Erica Stanford says that will start with banning cellphone use at school and ensuring all primary students spend one hour on reading, writing, and maths each day. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • US Business Summit Speech – Regional stability through trade
    I would like to begin by echoing the Prime Minister’s thanks to the organisers of this Summit, Fran O’Sullivan and the Auckland Business Chamber.  I want to also acknowledge the many leading exporters, sector representatives, diplomats, and other leaders we have joining us in the room. In particular, I would like ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Keynote Address to the United States Business Summit, Auckland
    Good morning. Thank you, Rosemary, for your warm introduction, and to Fran and Simon for this opportunity to make some brief comments about New Zealand’s relationship with the United States.  This is also a chance to acknowledge my colleague, Minister for Trade Todd McClay, Ambassador Tom Udall, Secretary of Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • India New Zealand Business Council Speech, India as a Strategic Priority
    Good morning, tēnā koutou and namaskar. Many thanks, Michael, for your warm welcome. I would like to acknowledge the work of the India New Zealand Business Council in facilitating today’s event and for the Council’s broader work in supporting a coordinated approach for lifting New Zealand-India relations. I want to also ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Coalition Government unveils 100-day plan
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has laid out the Coalition Government’s plan for its first 100 days from today. “The last few years have been incredibly tough for so many New Zealanders. People have put their trust in National, ACT and NZ First to steer them towards a better, more prosperous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

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