You can never, ever, have too many Teslas

Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, June 21st, 2023 - 55 comments
Categories: Christopher Luxon, making shit up, national, same old national, spin, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

A week ago I wrote about the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon and his request for a state supplied Tesla when his household already owns one.

Little did I know that a further example of jaw breaking hypocrisy would occur so soon this.

But this is what happened.

So Christopher Luxon’s household purchased a second Tesla AND claimed the clean car discount while doing so.  Yes that is the policy that National said was subsidising wealthy people to purchase Teslas.

His use of his wife as a shield against attacks of hypocrisy is rather jarring given past pronouncements by him faithfully preserved by the excellent Rugbyintel.

Pirouetting from proud Tesla owner to my wife owns it and you should not be including this into her and by the way I own a scooter takes some nerve.

I suspect that today gin will be served with lunch for the Opposition leader’s office.

55 comments on “You can never, ever, have too many Teslas ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. PsyclingLeft.Always 1
    21 June 2023 at 10:10 am

    Pirouetting from proud Tesla owner to my wife owns it and you should not be including this into her and by the way I own a scooter takes some nerve.

    Not sure about nerve so much…I did think a level of arrogance, but IMO he's just completely oblivious.

  2. Dennis Frank 2
    21 June 2023 at 10:12 am

    So Christopher Luxon’s household purchased a second Tesla AND claimed the clean car discount while doing so.

    Do you have proof of that? I haven't seen any. Could be she paid cash for it, huh? He wasn't savvy enough to point out that the scooter is electrical, so that means he can front as an authentic BlueGreen.

    Or maybe it isn't. Maybe it's the kind of scooter us kids used in the 1950s – you push it with your legs. In which case he's going for the geriatric vote to cut Winston off at the pass. But not savvy enough to point that out, to help slow learners get it quicker.

  3. tsmithfield 3
    21 June 2023 at 10:12 am

    This says more about the government policy that allows this to happen in the first place. If the government is going to allow a rebate for those who buy high-end cars, then of course it will be the wealthy who benefit from that.

    I don't see the relevance in criticising people for doing what the government is permitting them to do.

    • Bearded Git 3.1
      21 June 2023 at 11:26 am

      Bollocks tsmith. You don't seem to understand how this looks-let me explain it:

      Hypocrite (Britttanica Disctionary)

      "a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs"

      Luxon's wife has bought a Tesla using the Clean Car Discount. It is National Party policy to scrap the CCD. Luxon has said in relation to this:

      "We've got a Government that is actually taxing people with utes and there is no alternative. And then actually subsidising wealthy Tesla drivers by giving them subsidies,"

      https://www.newsroom.co.nz/luxons-climate-policy-donut-no-anomaly

      It follows that Luxon is a hypocrite. In fact it is worse than that, he is also a liar by omission.

      “A lie of omission is an intentional failure to tell the truth in a situation requiring disclosure.”

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 3.1.1
        21 June 2023 at 11:29 am

        In fact it is worse than that, he is also a liar by emission.

        So true : )

        • Bearded Git 3.1.1.1
          21 June 2023 at 1:56 pm

          smileyI corrected that ….must have emissions on the brain….but you are so right Psych….either would do…in fact emission is better.

          • PsyclingLeft.Always 3.1.1.1.1
            21 June 2023 at 2:13 pm

            BG sorry, I did see you had corrected…( I had linked bit early,but thought quite apt ! ) but as you say…and I agree, Luxons omissions and/or emissions….

            His emissions seemingly brain farts. Best viewed at a distance : )

            Go Luxon ! And ride that 50 cc like you stol…”borrowed” it : )

            • In Vino 3.1.1.1.1.1
              21 June 2023 at 5:25 pm

              A pity he did not have that scooter when he had a Govt Limo drive him roughly 200m to parliament..

              Well, I can only assume he didn't.

    • lprent 3.2
      21 June 2023 at 1:14 pm

      sigh The reason for the policy isn't to benefit the wealthy.

      It was to increase the number of EVs and Hybrid cars in NZ. The numbers from stats clearly show that it has had that effect.

      Cars brought in and sold to the 'wealthy', including my last $15k 2nd hand hybrid, then get resold. Usually within a few years for new cars. They are then available on the second-hand market at a lower price.

      A subsidy or a tax-break like this is a classic and well-proven way to change the composition of the countries vehicle fleet. In this case to increase the numbers of EVs, HEVs, and PHEVs in second-hand market.

      This is why there are so many Ford Rangers around – because of a long-standing tax break on working vehicles for businesses.

  4. Tiger Mountain 4
    21 June 2023 at 11:06 am

    Keep up the good work Baldrick!

    Little of this would likely have mattered–if Mr Luxon had not just recently berated Tesla and by implication, other EV owners.

  5. Thinker 5
    21 June 2023 at 11:14 am

    Two questions that remain after your article (no blame intended)…

    1. They said JFK was a poor president as far as security goes, but Luxon must beat him hands-down. Does his security team also ride scooters, two in front on each flank, and two at back, ditto? Would put him a few tiers down from Biden, when travelling in convoy to the APEC summit, methinks…
    2. Your article doesn't specify what type of scooter Luxon uses. Maybe he didn't say. I'm wondering if it is a mobility scooter…
  6. Ad 6
    21 June 2023 at 11:33 am

    If I were Luxon I would drive a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost with the number plate FU ALL, pile the main Shadow Cabinet in the back to drive through Papakura, with the soundtrack to The Sopranos windows down.

    • Patricia Bremner 6.1
      21 June 2023 at 11:44 am

      Don't you think he is throwing stones from a glass house?

      Or are you playing Devil's Advocate.?? Again??devil

      Papakura?? Not his sort there, too many “Bottom Feeders” Face it he is a fudge artist. Do as I say not as I do.

  7. AB 7
    21 June 2023 at 11:45 am

    It's better for everyone if Mr Luxon's family drives an EV than if they don't – because it contributes to lower emissions. The universality of the clean car discount is absolutely the correct approach and it is what delivering outcomes for New Zealanders really looks like when done by serious people. Universality will drive the greatest uptake.

    There is an equity argument. Even with the clean car discount, new EVs are beyond the price range of ordinary people. Ordinary people will buy used hybrids and the like which get a lower discount – so rich people will get a bigger cash discount than poorer people. But if your concern is emissions reduction, then the largest discount should indeed go to the vehicles that reduce emissions the most. This is again completely the right thing to do from an emissions reduction perspective. The equity considerations should therefore be handled outside the policy itself – simply by taxing Mr Luxon's family's wealth and income more progressively. If you try to solve the equity issue inside the policy with some silly, childish attempt at targeting, that will cause injustices at the margins, be inefficient/cost more and limit how effective the policy is in reducing emissions.

    Luxon is therefore completely wrong about the policy being a bad one. Whether he really thinks it is, or figures that stoking resentments is his best chance of winning, I don't know. But I'm not all surprised that he (or his family) still pockets the savings from it anyway. Is it hypocrisy? Maybe – though not many people will turn down seemingly free money. The vulgarity and stupidity of it all annoy me more. In particular, it's the fact that what his family did tends to show that the policy actually works well in reducing emissions.

    • Patricia Bremner 7.1
      21 June 2023 at 9:09 pm

      Yes you are right AB. I let my annoyance with his forensic examination of the left, plus the playing down of a successful policy. Saving emissions is it!!yes

  8. Poldark 8
    21 June 2023 at 12:06 pm

    Yes it is like Trump getting medical treatment for Covid !

  9. alwyn 9
    21 June 2023 at 12:31 pm

    I had just a couple of thoughts about this post.

    Does Micky not accept the idea that says that a politicians family should not be regarded as fair game for attacks?

    Does Micky really hold the antedeluvian view that wives are owned by their husband and must only do the things their husband approves of? Free will is not allowed for married women?

    • lprent 9.1
      21 June 2023 at 12:53 pm

      Does Micky not accept the idea that says that a politicians family should not be regarded as fair game for attacks?

      That general rule applies if the politician doesn't pull their family into a political discussion and as an example. Which is exactly what his political ineptness, Christopher Luxon did. I was just impressed at the reserve on the part media and Micky about keeping the focus on Luxon.

      Unlike you, who has just managed to push the wife front and centre in your efforts to divert attention for a political fool.

      Any attack wasn't on the family – it was on a pretty inept politician and their apparent inability to be coherent. One with a strong tendency to throw others under a bus when it was convenient.

      The question was about the hypocrisy of a politician claiming a policy was wrong, and his household taking advantage of it. The hypocrisy used his exact words about the policy.

      Luxon by choice brought his partner and son into the interview(s) FFS. That was deliberate and really was rather inept and crass for any politician to do it.

      In effect he described his partner as taking a subsidy that in the view of the National party and himself was there solely to benefit wealthy Tesla drivers.

      Whereas the actual policy was to help the purchase of new and imported EV's. And its purpose was to increase the availability of second-hand EVs within the country in the future. Clearly the policy based on this example was working.

      Not a good look for the Christopher Luxon doing yet another dockup adn blagging someone else because of his incompetence, and speaks yet again to his lack of political credibility.

      • Thinker 9.1.1
        21 June 2023 at 3:24 pm

        Was thinking the same as lprent, Alwyn.

        It's Luxon who hid behind his wife and dragged her into his politics.

        Most politicians don't do that, other than the occasional "My wife's from Singapore" or "My husband's Samoan, so Talofa".

        If Luxon treats his family like that, how much does he care about the rest of NZ, IMHO.

  10. JohnO 10
    21 June 2023 at 2:21 pm

    Terrible hypocrisy by Luxon, who failed to prohibit little wifey from purchasing and claiming a rebate on a Tesla. It would be even worse if a Labour cabinet member, being part of a government critical of excessive bank profits, was profiting from holding undisclosed shares in an Australian bank though.

    Wait, WHAT?

  11. Reality 11
    21 June 2023 at 2:49 pm

    Luxon on a scooter? That would be as funny as the very ill-fitting suit he wore to the Coronation when he stood beside Richie McCaw and tried and failed to look statesmanlike. He just doesn't cut the mustard in so many situations.

  12. tWiggle 12
    21 June 2023 at 3:06 pm

    Spiderhoof examines Luxon's tesla

    Look at tiktok 1024, Luxon is morally corrupt.

    • tWiggle 12.1
      21 June 2023 at 3:10 pm

      Spiderhoof examines Luxon’s fiscal hole, see #2875 at the same page as above.

  13. Sabine 13
    22 June 2023 at 8:39 am

    The freeby for rich people to buy a EV was announced in May 2022. I left these comments

    https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-10-05-2022/#comment-1887573

    You know what, if i were a rich person who could spend 30.000 + on a car outright, i too would have the 8000 courtesy of the tax payer, i means like, take a family of five (a rich family of course) and that subsidy will get you a brand new car for free!!! What is not to like, maybe we should ask Mike Hoskin and his wife and the kids. I wonder if they all drive a brand new electric car

    and this one https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-13-05-2022/#comment-1887959

    a comment of funding public transport rather then

    But hey, buy an electric car if you are rich enough, you will get a nice juicy several thousand dollar subsidy so that that Stay at Home Mother of Athena and Tristan can now drive their children to private school in a tax payer subsidized EV. Now that is winning!

    so really, who cares that a rich person took a subsidy that was aimed at rich people, i mean heck, rich people were literally the only ones that could afford then and now a car that costs several ten of thousands of dollars in order to get a 8 grand tax payer hand out.

    Everyone who bought a EV since the subsidy was announced claimed that entitlement. The only one at fault here is the Labour Party who announced that tax payer funded give a way to the rich, and then not put a 'means test' on it to prevent those that they consider 'super rich' from claiming that entitlement.

    Btw, did you know that his Wife is no more in politics then the partner of the last PM? What about the families of politicians should be left in peace, or is that only another lip service / kindness demanded but not granted?

    Mrs. Luxon claimed a publicly announced entitlement of several grand for a EV because Labour granted that entitlement.

    • Incognito 13.1
      22 June 2023 at 9:06 am

      You should become Luxon’s Press Secretary or Spin Doctor, as you almost makes as little sense as he does – what many call ‘hypocrisy’ I’d call self-contradiction.

    • weka 13.2
      22 June 2023 at 9:26 am

      Everyone who bought a EV since the subsidy was announced claimed that entitlement. The only one at fault here is the Labour Party who announced that tax payer funded give a way to the rich, and then not put a 'means test' on it to prevent those that they consider 'super rich' from claiming that entitlement.

      You patently don't understand the point of the subsidy. It's not to give rich people some dosh. It's to help transition the NZ car fleet to EVs because climate change is going to turn very very nasty if we don't drop GHGs fast. And the way to transition the NZ car fleet to EVs is to encourage people who are about to buy a new car to buy an EV instead of an ICE one. One enough people do that, the secondhand EV car market will grow and the price of those will drop so that middle income and then eventually low income people will be able to afford them.

      If you have another way to transition the fleet, let's hear it. Otherwise you're just running yet another version of climate denial. The problem with the policy isn't the policy, it's that we don't have a transition plan because of the amount of climate denial on the left/liberal/progressives who still seem to think that somehow we can just muddle on through.

      And spare me any rhetoric about the problem of focusing on EVs. The reason we are doing that is because for 30 years people have been voting in centrist governments instead of the ones that understood the nature of the climate crisis and were developing more sensible transition plans.

      You can wave your hands around all you like about poor people, but you can't escape the massive hole in your position which is that poor people will get absolutely hammered as the climate crisis deepens. Which is will if we continue to have stupid fights about EV subsidies instead of doing the real mahi.

      • Sabine 13.2.1
        22 June 2023 at 9:49 am

        the real mahi would have been to use that money to make public transport an option, and currently public transport is in shambles pretty much everywhere.

        the real mahi would have been to use that money to pay bus drivers a decent salary some years ago, but we gave money to rich people who can afford a tesla on their own to pay for their own tesla with tax payers subsidies.

        the real mahi would have been to use that money to subsidize e-bikes, but we gave that money to Mrs. Luxon and those in her financial situation to buy a car she could wholesale afford on her own

        And we have yet to have a grown up discussion as to how we generate the electricity needed to ‘fuel’ all these E-gadgets. That too is real mahi that we refuse to do.

        I have pointed out that is was a stupid thing to do when it was done, and fwiw, i am comfortable with my position.

        And i would like to point out that Mrs. Luxon is not a Politian she is the wife of one, and did hte left not insist to not talk mean about the spouses?

        • weka 13.2.1.1
          22 June 2023 at 11:00 am

          the real mahi would have been to use that money to make public transport an option, and currently public transport is in shambles pretty much everywhere.

          The government did in fact put money into public transport.

          I'm sick of your faux political naivety, especially given your arguments against Labour and the Greens. For Labour to make real change on climate action they need enough people voting Green to give them the mandate, that's the real politik. You of course oppose that, and don't have any alternative solutions.

          I didn't read the rest of your comment, because if you can't get even the basics of politics right, it's just a bunch of hot air. Anyone can come online and moan about the government. I'm interested in meaningful analysis and solutions.

    • Molly 13.3
      22 June 2023 at 9:38 am

      I completely agree.

      Those that celebrated this scheme, are now complaining it was used as designed.

      • weka 13.3.1
        22 June 2023 at 9:49 am

        Those that celebrated this scheme, are now complaining it was used as designed.

        This misrepresents the point. The issue isn't that rich people take advantage of the subsidy. It's that Luxon is the leader of the party that opposes the subsidy but is happy to make use of it himself. As Incog pointed out, some people call this hypocrisy, or in Incog's view, self contradiction. It's worthwhile pointing this out about a political leader in election year, in part because of the bigger picture: Nact will block climate action and insist on making money while they do it. It's not just hypocrisy, it's dangerous.

        • Sabine 13.3.1.1
          22 June 2023 at 9:58 am

          No one is taking advantage of a situation.

          The subsidy is quite clear. Buy an E-vehicle and receive a government subsidy.

          That applies to all, if it was not intended to be used by all the Labour Party should have put a caveat on this, 'this applies not to people who are rich or the spouses of Politians on the opposition bench'.

          The subsidy worked as intended. Mrs. Luxon bought an e-vehicle and for that she got the e-vehicle subsidy.

          Now is that ethical? Who cares, she was entitled.
          And again, i was one of the few that pointed out that this subsidy would benefit those that needed it the least. And that is what you are now discussing, how that subsidy benefitted someone who did not need it, but got it because they were entitled to it.

          • weka 13.3.1.1.1
            22 June 2023 at 11:03 am

            You don't understand the critique either. Anyone can use the subsidy. If they're the leader of a political party with a policy that opposes the subsidy and they use the subsidy themselves, then they can expect to be criticised for that. It's not a hard concept to understand.

            I don't consider it an ethical issue, but good to know you don't care about ethics and think entitlements rule.

        • Molly 13.3.1.2
          22 June 2023 at 10:23 am

          "Nact will block climate action and insist on making money while they do it. It's not just hypocrisy, it's dangerous."

          Alternatively, the government claimed the Clean Car Rebate Policy was a good investment in addressing climate change when it was obvious to many it was not.

          That can also be viewed as misleading and dangerous.

          • weka 13.3.1.2.1
            22 June 2023 at 10:51 am

            I don't know what those many thing (you haven't said), but I explained to Sabine above what the point of the rebate is – to help change the NZ car fleet to EV. It's not the only thing they're doing obviously. If you have better ideas, then present them. But in this conversation we are talking about the leader of the opposition and why his positions and actions matter, and you clearly misrepresented critiques of him. And even you are right about the rebate policy, the point about Luxon remains independent of that.

            • Molly 13.3.1.2.1.1
              22 June 2023 at 11:09 am

              If politicians being hypocritical was consistently considered this newsworthy, that would barely leave space for the weather.

              The Clean Car Rebate was available to all those that could afford it – hypocrites and virtuous alike.

              The focus on Luxon misses the real failings of the policy – one of which I've highlighted in bold above.

              • weka …
                22 June 2023 at 12:03 pm

                If you think scheme is flawed, start a conversation in OM about it. Or write a Guest Post. But whatever flaws there are in the scheme the point here isn't about that, it's about Luxon.

                It's election year, climate matters and do does how MPs and leaders function. This is just another example of how Luxon leads and where his values are at. Of course that is of interest. Not as important as say climate itself, but then no-one wants to talk about that /shrug

                • weka …
                  22 June 2023 at 12:08 pm

                  Or, if you want to argue that critique of Luxon over his positions on the scheme are flawed because the scheme itself is flawed, then make the arguments. I don't see the relevance myself. He's still a hypocrite and climate denier.

            • Phillip ure 13.3.1.2.1.2
              22 June 2023 at 12:36 pm

              My 'better ideas' re e.v.'s ..(that was asked for..)..comes in the form of a question..

              Why are we not able to purchase those two-seater/side by side/cheap as city cars..that are available in so many other countries..?

              At the moment only corporates/middle class can afford e.v..

              At under 20 grand..why can't we buy these in nz…?

              Does anyone know the answer to this..?

              • Incognito …
                22 June 2023 at 12:57 pm

                At under 20 grand..why can’t we buy these in nz…?

                Where did you unearth this nugget?

                • Phillip ure …
                  22 June 2023 at 1:21 pm

                  Putting two and two together…

                  I have been harbouring this question for awhile..and I think I saw it mentioned in this forum first…

                  Then I googled electric city cars or some such thing…

                  When mentioned in this forum it was alleged that wood was blocking them..

                  And not wanting to kick a guy when he is down..I refrained from following it up here..

                  But now he is gone..so I feel freed to again raise the topic…

                  For a basic primer I would suggest googling electric city cars..

                  They are essentially two seater shopping trolleys..and as such perfect for many inner city dwellers…

                  I assumed they were being delayed because of safety issues..but I would note that countries that allow them…have already done that research…

                  Why can't we rely on that..?

                  As I said…they are cheap and cheerful…and would allow many more nz'ers to drive electric..

                  Seems like a no-brainer to me ..so I ask why the delay/blocking their import..?

                  • Incognito …
                    22 June 2023 at 1:44 pm

                    So, when you were whining about cars ‘under 20 grand’, you were really thinking about ‘electric city cars or some such thing’.

                    We’re not mind-readers here, so why don’t you make an effort to say what you mean and mean what you say? It would save us all so much time & effort …

  14. Phillip ure 14
    22 June 2023 at 2:47 pm

    In my first comment I talked about electric ' city cars'..

    So I am unsure what you are complaining about…

    And ‘ whining’..?..really..?

    Is my question not a valid one..?

    • Incognito 14.1
      22 June 2023 at 5:21 pm

      Ah yes, you did, amid the ellipses. My apologies for overlooking it.

      I withdraw my accusation of ‘whining’ and apologise.

  15. JohnO 15
    27 June 2023 at 7:50 am

    You can never, ever have too many Boeings.

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    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • A question of confidence is raised by the Minister of Police, but he had to be questioned by RNZ to ...
    It looks like the new ministerial press secretaries have quickly learned the art of camouflaging exactly what their ministers are saying – or, at least, of keeping the hard news  out of the headlines and/or the opening sentences of the statements they post on the home page of the governments ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Xmas  good  cheer  for the dairy industry  as Fonterra lifts its forecast
    The big dairy co-op Fonterra  had  some Christmas  cheer to offer  its farmers this week, increasing its forecast farmgate milk price and earnings guidance for  the year after what it calls a strong start to the year. The forecast  midpoint for the 2023/24 season is up 25cs to $7.50 per ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • MICHAEL BASSETT: Modern Maori myths
    Michael Bassett writes – Many of the comments about the Coalition’s determination to wind back the dramatic Maorification of New Zealand of the last three years would have you believe the new government is engaged in a full-scale attack on Maori. In reality, all that is happening ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Dreams of eternal sunshine at a spotless COP28
    Mary Robinson asked Al Jaber a series of very simple, direct and highly pertinent questions and he responded with a high-octane public meltdown. Photos: Getty Images / montage: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR The hygiene effects of direct sunshine are making some inroads, perhaps for the very first time, on the normalised ‘deficit ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: Oh, the irony
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Appointed by new Labour PM Jacinda Ardern in 2018, Cindy Kiro headed the Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) tasked with reviewing and recommending reforms to the welfare system. Kiro had been Children’s Commissioner during Helen Clark’s Labour government but returned to academia subsequently. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Transport Agencies don’t want Harbour Tunnels
    It seems even our transport agencies don’t want Labour’s harbour crossing plans. In August the previous government and Waka Kotahi announced their absurd preferred option the new harbour crossing that at the time was estimated to cost $35-45 billion. It included both road tunnels and a wiggly light rail tunnel ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Webworm Presents: Jurassic Park on 35mm
    Hi,Paying Webworm members such as yourself keep this thing running, so as 2023 draws to close, I wanted to do two things to say a giant, loud “THANKS”. Firstly — I’m giving away 10 Mister Organ blu-rays in New Zealand, and another 10 in America. More details down below.Secondly — ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago

  • The Prime Minister's Dream.
    Yesterday saw the State Opening of Parliament, the Speech from the Throne, and then Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s dream for Aotearoa in his first address. But first the pomp and ceremony, the arrival of the Governor General.Dame Cindy Kiro arrived on the forecourt outside of parliament to a Māori welcome. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • National’s new MP; the proud part-Maori boy raised in a state house
    Probably not since 1975 have we seen a government take office up against such a wall of protest and complaint. That was highlighted yesterday, the day that the new Parliament was sworn in, with news that King Tuheitia has called a national hui for late January to develop a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Climate Adam: Battlefield Earth – How War Fuels Climate Catastrophe
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). War, conflict and climate change are tearing apart lives across the world. But these aren't separate harms - they're intricately connected. ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • They do not speak for us, and they do not speak for the future
    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
    4 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
    5 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
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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
    7 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
    3 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
    7 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
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