Chris Hipkins Is Right
Chris Hipkins is not Jacinda Ardern. His small bore policies may not even reward Labour in 2026 vote share. But 2026 is the right time for the Chris Hipkins school of politics.
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jacinda ardern
New Zealand’s Gas Panic Was Entirely Lies
Anyone remember it was just a year ago that businesses and government politicians were crying about the loss of natural gas availability?
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.
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.
We owe a great debt to Grant Robertson
Today I learned, we owe a great debt to Grant Roberston and just wanted to say thanks
The oil crisis – What would Jacinda do?
Jacinda Ardern led the country through some of the most taxing international crises imaginable. How would she deal with the potential oil shock caused by the Iranian war and how does this compare to Christopher Luxon’s response?
Voices for Freedom’s local government campaign
Anti vax organisation Voices for Freedom has published a glossy well presented booklet suggesting how local body campaigns should be run. And it looks like a number of right wing campaigns are borrowing heavily from the information in the booklet.
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 […]
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.
Corbyn still draws a crowd – what’s new?
Zarah Sultana for one – she’s a star. Gaza for another – anti-zionism/semitism won’t work this time. 500,000 signed up in a week for a new party is impressive.
Reality Check Radio needs a reality check
Reality Check Radio has on the eve of the Royal Commission of Inquiry’s hearings into the Government’s Covid response released a petition suggesting that Jacinda Ardern and others have been put on trial.
A different way of doing politics
Hopefully what we witnessed in Parliament this week will return a trend to the politics of kindness that Jacinda Ardern practised. And one holding respect for Te Ao Māori at its core.
The other Jacinda Book
Shortly after the release of Jacinda Ardern’s autobiography comes news of the release of a new biography for which the funding of and motivation for are not clear.
Meta Ardern
This is about what’s good and what works and why.
Nicola Willis’s Debt Higher Than All 6 Years of Ardern Government
Current & planned debt will surpass Labour’s full term debt in less years. Willis also admitted Budget 2024 had a higher deficit than all of Grant Robertson’s bar Covid.
Jacinda Ardern’s speech to Yale graduates: leading with empathy is a strength
Ardern at her finest.
Yeah, Nah, National Don’t Deserve A Second Term
A response to right wing commentator Matthew Hooton.
Tui: National Party’s Local Water Done Well – A more expensive 3 Waters with potential for privatisation
Simeon Brown is working on National’s New 3 Waters called “Local Water Done Well.” But is it just a more expensive version with a privatisation catch?
NZ White Rural Rage
What is really going on in the minds of
Labour and the Democrats
Both the US Democrats and NZ Labour need to take hard looks at themselves. Failure is not inevitable. But there is now only one English-speaking centre-left democracy left in the world: that is the state of where we are now.
NZ policy is consistent about Russian invasion
Unlike Mike Smith and other noisy members of the imperialist cohort, I applaud that NZ foreign policy has remained consistent in upholding UN and ICC policies against invasions and forced annexations. Ardern, Hipkins and now Luxon have all said the same thing.Supporting the UN charter has massively reduced war casualties over the last 70 years. Clearly the Russian Federation finds this constraining.
Peak NZ Liberal
As National dismantles with speed some of the institutional reforms made by the last Labour Government the concern is that we may have witnessed the peak in progressive influence.
Let’s do the time warp again
Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary Winston Peters has accused Jacinda Ardern of hiding the fact that her office received the Christchurch Massacre shooter’s manifesto shortly before the massacre occurred.
How Hipkins Can Still Win
Hipkins being himself is his election-winning attribute.
The Mind of Xi Jinping
An excellent interview with a well-connected American who would like to see the US and China work together, and knows Xi Jinping well, provides some real insight as to why he is a serious leader. Interviewed today by Richard Harman, Tim Groser backs it up.
Jacinda’s Valedictory Speech
Video of Jacinda Ardern’s Valedictory speech given today in Parliament.
Go well Jacinda
Today is Jacinda’s official last day on the job as a member of Parliament.
Sturgeon, like Ardern, a casualty of online abuse
Nicola Sturgeon’s shock resignation as Scotland’s First Minister was something of a replay of Jacinda Ardern’s resignation. While subject to widespread abuse, both were reluctant to cite this as their main reason for quitting. But the abuse undoubtedly played a major role. But the misogynist trend is endemic and needs to be quelled.
Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation and Scottish Independence.
While Sturgeon’s strong leadership and vision have helped build support for Scottish Independence, the Conservative and Unionist Party’s arrogance and self-serving incompetence in government have greatly aided her in this.
There is no misogyny in New Zealand *
* sung to the famous tune from Blam Blam Blam.
Jacinda Ardern – How will her five years in power be remembered?
It is too soon to say what Jacinda’s legacy will be. She will certainly be remembered for becoming a mother whilst being a world leader. For her presence on the world stage as a voice for feminism and progressive politics. She ushered in a generational and attitudinal change in New Zealand politics. While internationally she offered an alternative to the politics of Trump, Bolsonaro, Scott Morrison, and Viktor Orban.
Behind every strong woman leader are more strong women leaders
Chris Hipkins and Carmel Sepuloni have been confirmed as the next Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand.
It will be Chippy for PM
Chris Hipkins is now set to become prime minister. I rather expected that would be the likely outcome. Helps the election campaign as it will mute the revolting misogynist arsehole conservatives of the right and some on the left. I’m really tired of listening to them, and I suspect that way more than half of the countries population are as well.
Running on empty
Jacinda Ardern has realised that she was not in a position to commit to four more years as Prime Minister and has called it quits. Recent levels of abuse and misogyny shown to her have clearly played their part.
Nick Kelly’s email to Jacinda Ardern
In particular, I wish to acknowledge the strong compassionate leadership you took after the Christchurch Mosque attack. Your simple statement “they are us” regarding Muslims living in Aotearoa had a profound impact and broke down barriers of hate and ignorance at a time when tensions were so high. I still tear up thinking about how important your showing humanity and compassion was at that dark time. Thank you.