You won’t believe this Herald hack’s hilarious homophobia!

Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, November 13th, 2015 - 87 comments
Categories: journalism - Tags: , ,

Really Fran? What with the week we’ve just had, you felt it necessary to

Andrew Little’s grab for territory limp-wristed

So we’re in for hilarious homophobia then. Righto.

If Andrew Little was hoping to craft a new Labour playbook, last weekend’s sop to the party faithful at their annual conference was remarkably effete.

Yup.

Labour activists have also allowed themselves to be seduced if they believe …

Uh huh.

But in truth all he has done is produce a blank canvas that on current performance Key will write on before he gets his pen out.

Stop. Just stop.

87 comments on “You won’t believe this Herald hack’s hilarious homophobia! ”

  1. sabine 1

    this too merits a polite

    Yes Dear. 🙂

  2. Jenny Kirk 2

    My first thought was – Fran is showing her true colours.
    My second thought was – is someone else (from ShonKey’s office maybe) impersonating Fran.
    It is a very odd story .

    • Grindlebottom 2.1

      Hey … Go look at the article again. The headline has been changed from:

      Andrew Little’s grab for territory limp-wristed
      to
      Andrew Little’s grab for territory is weak.

  3. Lanthanide 3

    As a gay, I personally don’t associate the phrase “limp-wristed” by itself to be homophobic. But in conjunction with “effete” it clearly is.

    Pretty lame by Fran.

    • Crashcart 3.1

      Do you often refer to yourself as “a gay”. Honest question as I can never tell if this is considered a slur any more. I suppose context has a lot to do with it?

      • tracey 3.1.1

        When I refer to myself as gay, I use it as a noun not an adjective. When people use it as an adjective it is a pejorative, synonymous with “bad”, “sick” etc

      • Red Blooded 3.1.2

        Only speaking for myself but referring to someone as Gay is no big deal, Saying “that’s so Gay” is unfortunately used ignorantly as an insult. Personally I think John Key is effete and limp wristed sometimes and I’m not questioning his sexuality.

      • Lanthanide 3.1.3

        That was entirely tongue-in-cheek, which I guess doesn’t really work over the internet.

        When anyone refers to someone as “a gay” or “the gays” I think they’re a dim-witted moron.

        Gay is an adjective, lesbian is a noun. They’re used differently.

        • Tracey 3.1.3.1

          Gay is also a noun surely? I am Gay.

          • Lanthanide 3.1.3.1.1

            1. I am cold -> adjective.
            2. I am gay -> adjective.
            3. I am a man-> noun
            4. I am a gay -> noun
            5. I am a gay man -> adjective + noun

            #4 is unacceptable and I consider anyone who says that a dim-witted moron. Nothing wrong with the other examples I’ve given.

            • Grindlebottom 3.1.3.1.1.1

              Fair enough. You can consider anyone a dim-witted moron if you want. But your opinion that gay is not acceptable as a noun is a personal interpretation and is actually wrong, even though you might like it to be correct. Check a few dictionaries.

        • Grindlebottom 3.1.3.2

          A quick google dictionary check produces:

          gay
          /gei/
          adjective
          1. (of a person, especially a man) homosexual.

          2. dated. light-hearted and carefree.

          noun
          1. a homosexual, especially a man.
          2. Gay – a female or male given name.

          • tracey 3.1.3.2.1

            That’s my understanding Grindlebottom…. but maybe it is generational… and Lanth is, I think, much younger than me.

  4. savenz 4

    Can’t be bothered reading our political Pravda/Fox news, “The Granddaddy Herald” and their commentators adoration of John Key. Ra Ra. Is it real or just to keep their job? Who Knows?

    I would not even bother to click a link on the Herald these days as you are just supporting their revenue.

  5. tracey 5

    This is what Key’s ouburst this week promotes. It gives people comfort that their wrongheaded thinking is actually OK even when they are derogatory and demeaning to others. This is the environment he is intentionally creating and has been for 7 years.
    He pushes Hot Buttons, and clearly pushed Fran’s, or gave her the security to post her outdated and disrespectful views.

  6. Olwyn 6

    I just read a Chris Trotter piece, in which he claims that Labour wants to concentrate on bread-and-butter issues, and avoid the trap of overemphasis on “identity” politics.

    http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2015/11/of-dreams-and-nightmares.html

    While it is true that you can chew gum and walk at the same time you have to watch out for wedge potential – the right says, “They don’t give a stuff about ordinary people, they are only there for minorities”, then when they try to defend themselves there is a good chance they will end up ruffling feathers, and having to defend themselves again, and so on. Fran is probably doing her bit to tempt Labour into a trap of that kind. At the moment there seems to be an all out rush to gain or retain control the narrative – even Dunne was on RNZ this morning, forcefully asserting the good old golden mean that served him so well in the nineties.

    • tracey 6.1

      Chris also needs to read the counter to the wedge strategy. It isn’t as easy as some think

    • Chris 6.2

      The references to Little being ‘limp-wristed’ and ‘effete’ were just silly and unnecessary but she’s right when she said “all he has done is produce a blank canvas that on current performance Key will write on before he gets his pen out.” Little said at the conference “And where people can’t work, the government should support them because we don’t believe in throwing Kiwis on the scrap heap.” There was a lot of talk about “detail coming later”, but Labour’s never released a detailed social welfare policy since before the 2008 election, that’s nothing at all before at least the last three elections. Why should we think anything’s going to change just because he spouted some rhetoric even Bennett, Tolley et al wouldn’t disagree with? I’ll wait, yet again, to see what comes. But I learned a while back now not to be disappointed.

      • Olwyn 6.2.1

        Little said before the conference that he would not have a lot to say about policy – his speech was intended to be direction-setting. And we will all have to wait and see how these things play out. He may not be able to do all he hopes to do, but from what I have seen of Andrew Little, he is not a dissembler like Bennett and Tolley are.

        • Chris 6.2.1.1

          I hope you are right. It’s just that Labour has done nothing since well before 2008 to suggest it will provide the detail it has again said it would provide. When it comes to things welfare Labour simply says nothing and hopes nobody will notice. And most people don’t notice most of the time and it’s likely many people don’t care which is why Labour gets away with what it does but as I say I hope you are right but I’ll still bet my house that when it comes to welfare and benefits Labour will continue to sidestep the issue.

  7. Brutus Iscariot 7

    O’Sullivan making Little out to be “un-manly” or weak of conviction doesn’t necessarily make any comment or inference on his sexuality.

    Think you’re drawing a very long bow here, and the inference probably says more about you than it does about O’Sullivan.

    • savenz 7.1

      Well I bet Little could hammer a nail!

    • tracey 7.2

      Limp wristed and efete dont mean less manly in your world? Fascinating. What country do you live in?

      • DR 7.2.1

        There is a ( claimed left wing) poster here that refers to the “Ponce Key” quite regularly. not a murmur from anyone that I recall.

        • Anno1701 7.2.1.1

          “There is a ( claimed left wing) poster here that refers to the “Ponce Key” quite regularly. not a murmur from anyone that I recall.”

          Ponce is an old fashioned word for a Pimp (sort of, more like a tout )

          pick up a dictionary FFS

          • Brutus Iscariot 7.2.1.1.1

            ponce

            Term originated in the UK and came to prominence in the 1960’s, initially to describe a pimp. In Spanish it means “prince” and could have either been referring to the fancy, over-the-top clothing and jewelry popular with pimps, or because he was surrounded by a harem of women, involved in the underworld, but usually not the actual “king” of the area (he had to pay tribute to use the block or neighborhood).

            Now it is generally used to refer to someone (usually a male) who dresses in nicer clothing and acts in a polished fashion; often interchangable with fag or pussy, but not necessarily as derogatory: a ponce is not necessarily homosexual, nor are they necessarily passive or weak, but they would tend to be thought of as metrosexual or gay in their manner of dress.

            http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ponce

            Try again…

            • Anno1701 7.2.1.1.1.1

              Noun

              ponce ‎(plural ponces)

              (Britain, slang) A man employed by a prostitute to find clients, and who may also act as a bodyguard and driver. A ponce is different from a pimp in being the prostitute’s employee, not the employer.

              https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ponce

              where as you my good man are probably more of a Nonce…

        • McFlock 7.2.1.2

          not a murmur from anyone that I recall.

          It’s been tried once or twice. Trouble is that the person responsible just doubles down and plays the old “unfamiliar with that broadly-known use of the word” trick that bigots like to pull.

          I’m not sure most people are comfortable with it, I just can’t see a way of the behaviour being changed.

          • North 7.2.1.2.1

            Of course it’s unlikely that my “behaviour”……viz. the use of “The Ponce Key”……will change. The subject reflects it more and more demonstrably as the kaupapa advances.

            I believe you go too far with mention of “bigot” though McFlock. That’s OK…..your view and not even a burdensome one, to me at least…..

            Suspect that the burden would lessen were you to know a bit about me. We’d probably share a chuckle. Sorry, secret squirrel stuff. A la the styles of The Rt. Hon. John Phillip Key, Our Sovereign Lady’s Chief Minister And Gushing Highlands Guest…..I must not elaborate.

            Wow ! Was that an epiphany just happened ???

            McFlock !!!

  8. ankerawshark 8

    Save NZ LOL!

    This is obviously spin from Fran.

    I was at the conference. I heard his spin. It was inspiring. It was brilliant. It was strong and confident. It was passionate. Even my friend who was very doubtful about Little was completely won over.

  9. Geriatric 9

    It was definitely an odd piece of work from Francis. But the more you look at it, it’s obvious that it is a “dead cat” strategy . Trying to create a diversion from the real news around the Guantanamo Christmas Island saga and Her heroe’s outburst in Parliament the other day. Here is a quote from Wiki on Lynton Crosby’s bio, describing the strategy.
    “In a 2013 article for the Daily Telegraph written by former client Boris Johnson, the current London mayor said one of Crosby’s tactics when losing an argument and having the facts against you was to do the equivalent of “throwing a dead cat on the table”: bring up an issue you want to talk about that draws widespread attention from the populace, forcing opponents to also talk about your new issue instead of the previous issue.[24]”
    Watch for more of these strategies as the Natz become increasingly desperate. More important that the opposition and Bloggers don’t buy into it.

  10. Morrissey 10

    Fran O’Sullivan is dire, never more so than when she’s dumbing it down for the troglodytes at NewstalkZB…..

    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-29072015/#comment-1051571

  11. Brutus Iscariot 11

    So the argument from this piece seems to be:

    Gays are often demeaned as unmanly.
    Little has been described as unmanly.
    Therefore Little is being disparaged as gay.

    Complete and utter failure of logic.

    Key has been described as effete. And indeed i would describe him as such, with no question mark on his sexuality.

    • McFlock 11.1

      … and a golliwog is just a doll, and minstrel shows are just plain old fun…

    • Sabine 11.2

      i tend to describe Key as a wanker, in very manly way of course. So you see, no harm done there too. 🙂
      Just horsing around, cause girls will be girls n stuff.

    • Grindlebottom 11.3

      Key has been described as effete. And indeed i would describe him as such, with no question mark on his sexuality.

      Effete:

      adjective

      – affected, over-refined, and ineffectual.
      “effete trendies from art college”
      synonyms: affected, over-refined, ineffectual, artificial, studied, pretentious, precious, chichi, flowery, mannered; More…

      – no longer capable of effective action.
      “the authority of an effete aristocracy began to dwindle”
      synonyms: weakened, enfeebled, enervated, worn out, exhausted, finished, burnt out, played out, drained, spent, powerless
      “the whole fabric of society is becoming effete”

      (of a man) weak or effeminate.
      “he chatted away, exercising his rather effete charm”
      synonyms: effeminate, unmasculine, unmanly; More

      Et tu Brute. Your failure to consult a dictionary leads you to the wrong conclusion.

      • Brutus Iscariot 11.3.1

        Haven’t you just exactly proved my point? Where are the allusions to homosexuality in those definitions?

        And I ask you McFlock, who would describe Little as homosexual?

        If O’Sullivan has described his actions as unmanly, and you’ve brought his sexuality into the equation, isn’t it you then who are drawing the link between “unmanliness” and homosexuality?

        • Grindlebottom 11.3.1.1

          A very common belief about men who are perceived as “limp-wristed” and “effeminate” is that they are camp gays. A typical example is Julian Clary. Fran is using dog-whistle language that conveys that picture. She is not a fool & she chooses her words carefully.

        • McFlock 11.3.1.2

          I have no idea who would describe Little as a homosexual, including whether he himself does so.

          However, we do know who repeatedly refers to Little or describe him with terms that have a long and strong history of being used perjoratively against gay men in particular. That person is Fran O’Sullivan.

          Your insistenence that you don’t understand the subtleties of the lingua franca is ever so butch, but she’s not exactly using palare palaver.

          • Brutus Iscariot 11.3.1.2.1

            I understand perfectly how those words can be used, and against whom.

            But against Little, they have none of that undertone, and it doesn’t take a genius to work that out. Little is just a joe average, your typical NZ straight white male with no particularly notable features in any direction.

            As i said, if anything, Key is effete and limp-wristed, and he is a heterosexual male with a penchant for ponytails.

            • Grindlebottom 11.3.1.2.1.1

              You might have a slightly stronger argument when Fran describes Key in her next article as effete, limp-wristed and with a penchant for pulling women’s pony tails.

              She’d still deserve the same criticism but at least she could claim to be even-handed in her dog whistling.

            • McFlock 11.3.1.2.1.2

              Oh, you claim perfect understanding despite all evidence to the contrary? I stand corrected, then. And Mickey Rooney’s role in Breakfast at Tiffany’s is solid and unremarkable in every way, even by today’s standards… /sarc

            • tracey 11.3.1.2.1.3

              but Fran didn’t describe Key that way, she chose those words and phrases to describe Little.

    • tracey 11.4

      I’d like to read the journo who called Key effete. Can you link please to the major daily so I can read it.

    • Daniel Cale 11.5

      Not only that, but no-one described Little as either limp wristed or effete. O’Sullivan described Little’s speech as ‘effete’, and his grab for territory ‘limp wristed’. These are descriptions of Little’s policy, not his personality. More faux offence from the left.

  12. tc 12

    What do you expect from the dead cat choir once the song sheet is released from dirty politics HQ.

  13. Grindlebottom 13

    As at now the bulk of the comments on Fran’s article are critical of it for its bias, only one for its homophobic headline. Will be interesting to see if that changes over the next few hours.

    • Grindlebottom 13.1

      Fran’s headline has been changed from:

      “Andrew Little’s grab for territory limp-wristed”

      to now read:

      “Andrew Little’s grab for territory is weak”.

  14. gangnam style 14

    She did an article a year or so back writing about John Keys ‘big swinging dick’.

    • McFlock 14.1

      To be fair, he has fucked the nation so thoroughly it’s walking funny…

    • North 14.2

      For a bit of levity in this nothing debate – The Perfects (The Prefects?) v. The Non-Immaculates (The Bigots?) – that reference to “big swinging dick” was surely satirical……how would Fran know anyway ? Oh Jeezuz……it’s come to that has it ?

  15. Brutus Iscariot 15

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QT3JgcwojY

    Here is Key being “effete” if you want an example.

    • tracey 15.1

      a link to a Major daily please, so we can see the true comparisson of your view. You said Key had been described as effette.

  16. North 16

    Confession is the strongest of evidence Tracey. I know that’s in your learning……be a bugger if nothing were ‘real’ unless published in a major daily. Oh God……there I go again.

    This is a fucked debate anyway. I can look after myself. I don’t need ‘Carping Immaculates’ to drive ‘my’ car around/through such obstacles as I encounter on the highway of ‘my’ life. I don’t need their vaunted yet essentially tepid concern. ‘Outrageously’ I extend ‘me’ to include ‘many’. I do that on empirical authority.

    Please note…..I don’t perceive you as CI. Hope you’ll take me at my word.

    PS – in that clip The Ponce Key was effete principally on the score that he was prepared to ‘act out’ at the suggestion of a bunch of guffawing fools.

    • tracey 16.1

      PLease note, this should be directed to Brutus Escariot who stated John Key has been called effette

      • North 16.1.1

        Yeah well perhaps I went off at a bit of a tangent there Tracey but if there’s one thing that really pisses me off it’s people who guess at and then presumptuously, imperiously, ‘colonise’ the life experience of others to demonstrate firstly to themselves and secondly to the world how ‘immaculate’ they are.

        Knowing fuck all about the life experience of those others. Telling those others what they can and can’t say. ‘Punishing’ with Hosking-like throwaway lines accusing of bigotry and so on. Fuck off, traveller on your imperfect personal journey !

        It’s not their right unasked to polish the shoes that others wear, especially when the essential motive is to see their own ‘perfect’ faces brilliantly reflected. That applies even if they are as me. Fuck them ! In my reading, Brutus Iscariot has accurately identified the fragile, intrusive snottiness of the ‘Immaculates’ contributing to this thread. Good on him/her ! With respect demanding links to MSM is somewhat nitpicking. Yeah I know I do it too but I’m not at my best when I do it……

        • Tracey 16.1.1.1

          Your first 2 paragraphs describe your attitude in lecturing me.

          So in your world a defence of something not being homophobic can be that Key has been called a poof too (by the meda) but we just take brutus word for it cos you agree with him?

          I genuinely want to know which MSM journos have called him effete other than to describe his affected catwalk prank. To my knowledge Little was not trying to be effete or limp wristed so a different example is required to make brutus’point which you so passionately support

          So you can fuck off too, with your pseudo philisophical self righteousness and I will stand by request of Brutus cos when he posts it I can concede he is right that a widely read MSM journo has invoked homophobic imagery toward Key.

        • Tracey 16.1.1.2

          How passive aggressive of you North

          Your first 2 paragraphs describe your attitude in lecturing me.

          So in your world a defence of something not being homophobic can be that Key has been called a poof too (by the meda) but we just take brutus word for it cos you agree with him?

          I genuinely want to know which MSM journos have called him effete other than to describe his affected catwalk prank. To my knowledge Little was not trying to be effete or limp wristed so a different example is required to make brutus’point which you so passionately support

          So you can fuck off too, with your pseudo philisophical self righteousness and I will stand by request of Brutus cos when he posts it I can concede he is right that a journo in the MSM has been homophobic toward Key too.

  17. sabine 17

    they really really must not have liked the feel of the labour Conference last weekend.

    Effete, limp wristed, supporters of “rapists, murderers, and child molesteres”, uppity women walking out of parliament being all hysterical n stuff.

    Wonder what they did not like about it? That Labour seems to be doing well, that there is co-operation between the Labour Party and The Greens, that no one gave them policies that they could ridicule or steal?

    Really it seems to me that the right at the moment is shitting themselves. So much bile, and hate in such a short time. Bucket loads of bile and hate and all coming from the National Party. I wonder why? But maybe that’s just how they are made.

  18. peterlepaysan 18

    Why did she write it? It is so so late 20th century.

    Maybe she is of a certain age. Sigh , are’nt we all?

  19. Smilin 19

    Its sexism anyway

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    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    1 week ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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