The Treaty of Waitangi Principles Bill gets slammed
The Treaty of Waitangi Principles Bill has now been released and it appears that the provisions take away more rights from Māori than originally proposed.
Politics
politicans
A Heavy Day
This short excerpt represents a respite from the US election. Christopher Luxon apologises to Opposition leader Chris Hipkins and more. TPM ask Luxon about using force in boot camps. Plus a quick reminder on what we shouldn’t forget here in NZ either.
The Government’s cynical manipulation of the Treaty Principles Bill
In a cynical manipulation of Parliamentary Processes the Government is changing the date of introduction of the Treaty Principles Bill. And the Waitangi Tribunal has said that the bill is a deliberate attempt to destroy the treaty relationship.
Who is undermining the Government’s approach to reducing smoking rates?
The Government’s offensive on public servants who express privately held strong views continues with Casey Costello attacking a public servant who alleged that her private research had come up with some papers that were “crap”.
The 2024 US Election: A No-Win Scenario
Tuesday (Wednesday in NZ) is election day in the United States of America. Where billionaires buy elections, the President is not elected by popular vote, and the nominee of the Republican Party attempted to overturn the results after he was voted out of office four years ago. Somehow, despite his crimes, Donald Trump is a coin-toss away from taking back the White House.
What’s up with Matt Doocey, Mike King & the $24mn of taxpayers money?
Mike King calls alcohol a solution to mental health anguish. But evidence shows alcohol is linked to a 94% increase in suicide and has links to family violence. So what is happening with King and the $24m this government handed him in a highly “irregular” contract process?
When a right becomes a wrong
The Free Speech Union is wanting an extremist right wing shock jock who the Christchurch Killer described as the person who most influenced him the privilege of visiting New Zealand to host a fundraising event.
Luxon Promotes Wealthy & Foreign Interests
Chris Luxon continues to talk up privatisation and wealthy foreign interests from the Middle East and elsewhere. Privatisation and PPP models have been shown to cost a country – but he and ACT and NZ First seem set on their course to sell NZ assets.
Seven days and counting
Please American voters do the right thing. Signed the rest of the world.
#VoteHarris
David Seymour Chooses School Lunches Provider With Questionable Record: Listeria, Horse Meat & Poor Quality
David Seymour said the new school lunches are the best food he’s ever eaten – but how true is it? And what has he chosen for our tamariki in the school lunch program?
Is the Epsom seat goneburger?
The North Island needs to lose an electorate seat. It appears that Epsom is the most logical seat to go.
Tobacco product investigation is requested and warranted
Welcome news from yesterday was the request to the Auditor General under the Public Audit Act on the arbitrary and unsupported by evidence decisions on tobacco products by the Customs Minister Casey Costello. As the request stated, Labour’s health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall had reached the limits of the information that she could seek using the Official Information Act.
Luxon Tells The World Andrew Bayly Lied
Today, Christopher Luxon said Andrew Bayly got it “horribly” wrong when telling a Kiwi worker to “f*ck” off and repeatedly call him a loser. But Bayly had denied it just last week.
Chris Trotter’s Arguments for the Treaty Principles Bill Are Flawed
Chris Trotter argues that those who oppose the Treaty Principles Bill aren’t fair. But are his arguments accurate or is his repetition of David Seymour’s human rights narrative a potential red herring?
Ferry crisis what ferry crisis?
The Cook Strait Ferry issue is getting to a critical point. An announcement was expected in July. But it appears that NZ First is digging its heels in about the need tor the replacement ferries being rail capable.
77% of NZ’s business leaders say a CGT or equivalent is needed as chorus for CGT increases
ANZ, ASB and Simplicity are the latest to join the 77% of business leaders who now say CGT is essential for NZ. CGT goes wholly to the government so why is Luxon so against it?
Hauraki Gulf Marine reserves are being Jonesied*
* the process whereby a Marine Reserve is opened up to commercial fishing.
Twelve months of this Government
This Government was elected 12 months ago. And I don’t think any of us could have appreciated how bad it would have been.
Where’s The Opposition?
Labour, Green Party and Te Pati Māori have been relatively quiet as the Coalition government move at breakneck speed to roll back laws and transfer wealth. Is it a matter of resources, media coverage, or will?
Latest poll result – National is being cleaned out by NZ First and Act
The latest Curia poll result suggests that National is tanking and NZ First and Act are eating into its support. And Luxon selling off his rental properties and saying that he does not care suggests he may be planning for an exit.
National is stuffing up health
The adding of extra costs to the Dunedin Hospital project to make it appear to be unaffordable, the reckless allowance for a tax cut for Philip Morris and the fudging of health figures to suggest there is a crisis all point to gross mismanagement of Health at a time when it is under stress. Is the goal privatisation?
Where’s the “Oomph”?
Join us to protest privatisation of health on the 23rd October. But can we have more oomph and co-ordination please?
She did her own research
It has been revealed that Casey Costello bypassed and second guessed official advice by an internet search and reading a collection of articles that do not way what she thought they said.
Inventing a crisis to privatise NZ healthcare
Yesterday a former Health NZ Chair said the government is intentionally manufacturing a crisis to privatise healthcare. However privatisation will not solve anything and will only lead to worse financial and health outcomes for all Kiwis as confirmed by Lancet Medical Journal and case studies around the world.
He is wealthy and he is sorted
“You just fake it until you make it. I have spent a whole career doing that” – Christopher Luxon.
NZ Right Wing Government Moves to Privatise Health
The National-ACT-NZ First government have signaled they want to privatise our health system. It’s a now or never moment.
When will Costello be sacked?
Casey Costello’s decision to give Phillip Morris a $216 million tax cut was based on alternative advice that she has received but which she is not disclosing. And Christopher Luxon is comfortable with this.
The Hospital Dunedin needs?
The question has to be asked, can we trust National to do anything that it has promised?
Bye, Bye Health!
NZ has already spent $1bn on thin air (Kiwirail ferries), $70bn on roads, and $35bn on tax cuts so no to your hospitals and investments!
Ferry ferry quite contrary
There appears to be an impasse in the Coalition’s ranks with Act and National not wanting rail enabled replacement ferries but Winston Peters demanding that they be rail enabled.
Luxon is deconstructing the plane while flying it
What I’m saying to you is that Chris Luxon has never crashed a country before.
The New Zealand left are in the worst place in a century
New Zealand has the most right wing government it’s had since Governor George Grey determined to eradicate all Maori power by systematic war and then systematic legislative theft in 1863. But the left shows no sign of unifying.
Luxon loses his cool when asked about doctoring gang membership statistics
On the same day that National had Parliament pass onerous anti gang laws to address allegedly dramatically increasing numbers of gang members Christopher Luxon lost his cool when it was pointed out to him that the Government is purging the list to reduce the numbers.
Lester Levy, $320,000 Part time Health NZ Commissioner: “It’s not for me to fix everything”
Lester Levy claims he is working so hard it’s probably not good for his health. Meanwhile, he failed to bring financials to the Health Select Committee while explaining he was doing well on cutting costs – and would continue to do so.
National’s gang patch ban may hinder police investigations
The police’s recent successful operation against the Comanchero gang could concievably have been compromised by National’s proposed gang patch ban.
Under National crime is out of control
Christopher Luxon yesterday celebrated a 22% reduction in crime in Downtown Auckland even though crime in the Auckland region went up by 7% during the same time. And later that day had to explain how the number of victims of violent crime had increased by 30,000.