Kamikaze Chris does Labour a favour
On May 21st, 2026 National’s Chris Bishop did his best to lose the 2026 general election and his Hutt South electorate.
Politics
Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
No nukes
The timing of the recent suggestion by Chris Penk that New Zealand should review its nuclear free policy makes you wonder if the Trump Administration has applied pressure to do so.
Hegseth accuses New Zealand of freeloading because we don’t want to arm for war
Pete Hegseth has claimed that New Zealand is freeloading because it is not spending enough of weapons of war at a time of international chaos created by the United States.
OMG BUDGET 2026
This is simply your space to react to the hyperbole, the outrages, the theatre of this coalition government’s election year budget. Buckle in.
More fishy than a bait shop
Christopher Luxon has implied that a junior staffer met major polluters and received submissions urging him to sink Mike Smith’s bid to hold them to account which were then hidden. But it was his Chief Policy Advisor.
Doing their master’s bidding
Briefing papers from two of the corporates being sued by Mike Smith for damaging the environment urging the Government to change the law to stop the case were received but allegedly lost by Luxon’s office.
The absurdity of the Move on Orders law
Paul Goldsmith’s move on orders bill applies to young people aged 14 even though existing legislation provides police with all the powers they need to deal with homeless young people.
Walking backwards off the cliff
The coming oil shock is not just about oil. The future is baked in, and its not good. National’s backward-looking budget will make it much worse.
Do We Still Want Socialism?
There are still those who pine, from the readership of Jacinda Ardern’s biography, for a state that is perfectly kind, does everything with speed and authority, and brims with patrician wisdom for us all. Her 1.5 terms held many instances in which the state operated on the extremes of control to respond to massive crises.
National wages war on the poor
How cruel do you have to be to raise rents for some of our poorest citizens during a cost of living crisis?
National Is Destroying Wellington
Wellington is being deliberately targeted by National and it is destroying the third largest region of New Zealand.
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.
Politicians are like adulterers
Voter beware – some politicians are pathological populists who cannot be trusted.
Should we renationalise the BNZ?
Winston Peters is trying to appeal to the far left by calling for the renationalisation of the Bank of New Zealand.
The framing of Chris Hipkins’ Auckland speech – read what you like
What you read in the media is not what happened.
Reformism or bust?: Making the best of a bleak future
Some initial ideas about the integrated policy package Labour must consider if it is to meet contemporary challenges posed by emerging populism and the narrowing of the Labour vision over the past five decades
Stop This Madness
Why is Chris Bishop wanting to review the cost of the City Rail Link while at the same time is happy to proceed with roads of national signficance that are very expensive but provide limited financial return?
Constitutional outrage
The Government’s plans to retrospectively change the law to stop a case seeking damages for climate damage caused by heavy emitters is a constitutional outrage and shows not only contempt for the rule of law but also contempt for any action taken by a citizen against climate change.
Smash Left populism, get Right populism
That’s Starmer’s achievement, as the local elections show. He always was a muppet puppet; his string-pullers are much more sinister.
Dirty Politics 2.0
National has engaged in a Dirty Politics style attack on TVNZ reporter Maiki Sherman in an attempt to cower the media in election year.
Does the centre left need Te Pāti Māori to win the election?
Does the centre left need Te Pāti Māori to win the election?
Yes Test Before Getting NZ Super
Superannuation is the ultimate Don’t Go There of New Zealand politics. But unless this benefit becomes means tested rather than subsidises rich asset-hoarding old people, it is going to sink every other part of the government.
Who’s best on Foreign Affairs?
When Ambassador Chen Mingming sent Zhang Wei in 2005 to ask me whether Winston Peters would follow government policy, I said I didn’t know but would ask. I did, and he did.
I didn’t vote for Jacinda but can I say sorry on behalf of
Opinion – Jacinda Ardern was a great Prime Minister and her loss was actually ours.
Crisis what crisis
Christopher Luxon has responded to Winston Peters releasing emails suggesting Luxon wanted to support the US invasion of Iran by dressing him down publicly. The Government is clearly in crisis.
As stable as a three legged stool?
The Peters-Willis-Jones stoush during the past week underlines the importance of Labour indicating that it will not go into coalition with NZ First after the next election.
Uncertain Futures and Political Change
The world is turned upside down and challenges progressive politics to change gear.
Luxon is toast
Any time a political leader has to put their position to a vote, they become a dead pigeon. David Lange knew winning the vote didn’t end the matter.
The 5 Disgrunted National MPs
Multiple leadership coups have been attempted on Luxon, but even as the PM flails on 17% approval, he and his loyalist Ministers say unruly MPs will be disciplined. Who are the latest?
Will the real National leader please stand up
Christopher Luxon will today face his sternest challenge as leader as repeatedly bad polls are having their effect on National’s caucus’s morale.
Greens’ State Of The Planet Calls For National Electrification Plan
“The plan would electrify homes, transport and industry, ending New Zealand’s dependence on unpredictable global fossil fuel markets, cutting household power bills, and building real energy security at home.”
Without pluralism within the climate movement, we risk handing the future to the far right
“As climate politics enters a critical phase, exclusion is a luxury we cannot afford. We need all hands on deck.”
Chris Bishop signals Luxon coup attempts are over .. for now
National Party Minister Chris Bishop claims that Luxon has the full support of all Caucus members in the latest development of the Luxon coup attempts
I could be completely wrong, but…
My hunch is that Luxon stands down as Prime Minister, to be replaced by Mark Mitchell.
Trump v Pope Leo
Following threats against Canada, Greenland, Denmark and engaging in attacks on Iran, Venezuela, Latin America, Nigeria, Syria and Iraq Donald Trump has now attacked the Pope.
Is it Au Revoir, Prime Minister Luxon
Is this the final straw for Luxon? And what legacy has he left behind?