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An Appeal To The Left: On Purity And The Media

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 10th, 2024 - 12 comments

The media landscape in Aotearoa NZ continues to weaken. In the same week TVNZ announced massive job cuts and further firings to come, Paul Goldsmith rewarded TVNZ Directors.

But can the left learn to avoid the trap of rapid fire – we need the journalists and newsrooms we have left.

The Treaty of Waitangi Principles Bill gets slammed

Written By: - Date published: 12:42 pm, November 8th, 2024 - 14 comments

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.

A Heavy Day

Written By: - Date published: 3:05 pm, November 7th, 2024 - 40 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, November 6th, 2024 - 20 comments

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?

Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, November 6th, 2024 - 11 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 7:18 pm, November 4th, 2024 - 50 comments

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?

Written By: - Date published: 1:55 pm, November 1st, 2024 - 15 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 1:26 pm, October 31st, 2024 - 66 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 6:28 pm, October 30th, 2024 - 12 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 2:06 pm, October 28th, 2024 - 80 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 9:44 am, October 25th, 2024 - 27 comments

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?

Written By: - Date published: 7:22 am, October 25th, 2024 - 23 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, October 24th, 2024 - 17 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 10:24 pm, October 21st, 2024 - 48 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 6:08 pm, October 18th, 2024 - 49 comments

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?

Written By: - Date published: 12:35 pm, October 17th, 2024 - 21 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 7:06 pm, October 16th, 2024 - 90 comments

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*

Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, October 15th, 2024 - 13 comments

* the process whereby a Marine Reserve is opened up to commercial fishing.

Twelve months of this Government

Written By: - Date published: 10:33 am, October 14th, 2024 - 49 comments

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?

Written By: - Date published: 11:36 am, October 13th, 2024 - 61 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 6:41 pm, October 11th, 2024 - 109 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, October 8th, 2024 - 10 comments

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”?

Written By: - Date published: 2:04 pm, October 6th, 2024 - 92 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 11:23 am, October 4th, 2024 - 25 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 10:41 am, October 4th, 2024 - 12 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, October 2nd, 2024 - 57 comments

“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

Written By: - Date published: 9:49 am, October 2nd, 2024 - 41 comments

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?

Written By: - Date published: 10:06 am, October 1st, 2024 - 35 comments

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?

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, September 28th, 2024 - 69 comments

The question has to be asked, can we trust National to do anything that it has promised?

Bye, Bye Health!

Written By: - Date published: 12:59 pm, September 26th, 2024 - 45 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 8:22 am, September 26th, 2024 - 24 comments

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.