The beatings will continue until morale improves
National today intensified efforts to alienate the entire public service by announcing that a further 9,000 public positions will be culled if, god help us, they are returned to power.
Politics
national/act government
I could be completely wrong, but…
My hunch is that Luxon stands down as Prime Minister, to be replaced by Mark Mitchell.
Shane Jones: Government isn’t Nostradamus
Shane Jones appeals for understanding for the Coalition, but did he extend any to others?
Our Willingness To Earn US Approval, Via China-Bashing
The Chinese Embassy is right. The recent joint statement by Australia and New Zealand condemning China’s actions in the South China Sea reads like a relic from a bygone colonial era.
Labour Gains Ground
Latest poll results show a gain of 10 seats by Labour but don’t forget the voter disenfranchisement laws and NZME’s Editorial Direction is still to come
Paul Goldsmith tried to get homeless arrested 18 years ago
Senior National Party Cabinet Minister tried to have police arrest homelessness in Auckland 18 years ago. This year he succeeded
A comparison between the LNG Terminal deal and the NZ Steel deal
A comparison of the LNG Terminal deal and the previous Government’s deal with NZ Steel to replace its coal fired furnace with a renewable energy supplied electric arc furnace clearly shows what this Government’s priorities are.
“Surprise” unemployment high masks more damaging developments
Unemployment hits 5.4% in the December quarter, but that doesn’t include the 140,000 plus Kiwi citizens that have fled in the last 2 years
How the Atlas Network is shaping your life, even if you’ve never heard of it
Australia’s media covers the nefarious rise and links of Atlas Network in Australia and NZ.
The rise of Winston follows the rise of Pauline Hansen and Nigel Farage
Ten months to go and there is no political party currently countering the sustained rise of New Zealand First.
76% of Kiwis rate National Coalition poor to neutral
Government hits a NEW low today after hitting a previous record low in February 2025
Wrecking the country’s climate change response
If you thought that your contempt for the current administration had peaked let me disappoint you. This week they have taken steps to undermine the Climate Change Commission and the ability of the public to influence future emission reduction plans.
National’s Measles Gambit
As measles cases increase, National and ACT have chosen to come over the top of health officials and schools exercising caution.
Government by the Farmers for the Farmers
In a move that further undermines the country’s response to the climate crisis the Government has halved the methane reduction goal and determined that farms will not pay a price for greenhouse gas emissions.
Christopher Luxon: We’ve shown meaningful leadership on Palestine
Hipkins also declared his stance on Palestine recognition on the day, but it wasn’t widely reported.
So much for the relentless focus on growth
National’s crashing of GDP growth figures makes a mockery of its claim earlier this year that the Government was relentlessly focussed on unleashing growth.
This trick of National could win them the 2026 election
US voter suppression tactics are back in vogue and National’s Coalition is bringing them to Aotearoa New Zealand
Foreign Buyers Ban Reversal A Sell Out By Winston Peters & His Party
NZ First’s legacy is now firmly NZ Last
It Is Not Enough Only to Change the Government
Everyone on the left can agree that we must change the government. Elliot Crossan argues that if Labour wins in 2026 and refuses […]
Foreign Buyers Ban Will Be Lifted Under Urgency
PM Luxon has said he wants the repeal completed by the end of the year
No mandate for this
Partial strike law penalties used on nurses trying to keep themselves safe is emblematic of the wider libertarian playbook within the NZ government
National Government will have increased gross debt by over $100b – Who benefits ?
The debt bogeyman has been unleashed in NZ, which we will examine – but even on face value, National Party debt is 25% more than Labour’s full debt contribution over 6 years – with no global pandemic
Should Labour attend a set-up?
The Government is accusing Labour of all sorts of bad things for not attending the second week of the Covid-19 inquiry.
Goldsmith’s Voter Suppression Affects 15-20% of Voters
The voters registered about 13 days leading up to and including election day surpasses total ACT and NZ First votes by 140,000
NZ Government is Captured
Winston Peters’ recent “sausage” insults distract From Regulatory Capture in our government. Opinion/analysis by Mountain Tui
Do you want to protect NZ’s sensitive land and assets?
You have 2 days more to submit on ACT’s Overseas Investment Act changes
National raided $6,000,000,000 infrastructure & flood fund
Tasman, Top of the South Island patiently waits after National raided $6 billion infrastructure fund
GCSB & NZSIS warn ACT Bill risks NZ’s National Security
Judith Collins was briefed in March 2025 that David Seymour and Bryce Wilkinson’s proposal is incompatible with safeguarding the country from espionage, sabotage and terrorism.
The mother of the mother of all budgets is unrepentant
Ruth Richardson remains totally convinced that her “mother of all budgets” was appropriate and claims that it was responsible for slaying inflation and promoting a high-growth high-wage high-employment economy.
Homelessness up by 58% in Auckland
$250mn in emergency housing “savings” a year under National, while government increases corrections budget to ~$2b a year, and will surpass NZ’s ”moral and fiscal prison failure prison rate” by 2026
Work will not be so safe
Brooke Van Velden has announced changes to Workplace safety laws that will see prosecutions of Employers decrease but prosecutions of workers start.
Liam Hehir needs to relearn his civics
Generally I like reading Liam Hehir over at the The Blue Review. He is usually interesting despite his position. However he asserted that “Parliament Must Rule Itself”. Of course parliament must control itself. But rule itself – no! Voters do that. Parliamentary rules are mainly there to keep a low profile to voters looking at their poor performance. Right now that is inside the privileges committee.
Waitangi Tribunal wants halt to Regulatory Standards Bill introduction
The Waitangi Tribunal’s interim judgment on the Regulatory Standards Bill strongly suggests the Government has been playing games with it.
The beginning of the end
When the history of the sixth National Government is written I am confident that the events of this week when the Pay Equity system was smashed up will be described as the the beginning of the end.
What Tamatha Paul Really Said
Tamatha Paul’s comments on policing have been criticised by Luxon as “insane” but a closer look at what she really said shows how much her comments have been taken out of context.
Meanwhile, National’s law and order track record is only deteriorating.
Yeah, Nah, National Don’t Deserve A Second Term
A response to right wing commentator Matthew Hooton.