Transition at the Limits of What People Can Cope With
Many European governments now face a perfect storm of threatened energy security, rising inflation, war-propelled refugee crisis, and climate objectives. New Zealand be warned.
Social issues
Newshub’s incredibly bad gang take
Yesterday the Government announced a slate of new powers designed to address gang violence. Newshub chose that day to imply that Labour was soft on gangs because a gang member said on social media not to vote for National.
Viv Beck going full Trump backfires
Recent leaks and publicity have caused huge damage to Viv Beck’s campaign to become Auckland’s next mayor. They also highlight the stark difference between the left and the right in terms of campaigning.
Sharma keeps digging
Last night a 4,761 word rant was published on Gaurav Sharma’s facebook page. In it he details information which on the face of it may have breached confidentiality requirements. And the overwhelming effect of the allegations is Meh.
Mark Mitchell is Kim Hilled on National Radio
National should learn. They should never send an MP into an interview with Kim Hill unless they are completely prepared. As Mark Mitchell learned this morning.
Labour’s Ardern and Democrats’ Biden: Learnings
For those fishing around for a progressive playbook in this fractious world, Biden and Ardern are pretty similar. But Biden appears to be turning the fortunes of the Democrats around but Ardern is currently unrewarded. Is there anything to learn?
The Conversion Practice Prohibition Act: what does it mean for counsellors, parents and teachers?
Will the Act catch counsellors or parents who don’t offer automatic affirmation for a young person who declares a gender identity?
Labour poised to resolve housing supply crisis
It is possible that within the next year New Zealand’s housing supply crisis will be resolved.
Labour’s “tenant tax” is neither a tax nor for tenants
National’s media spin team is at it again claiming that removing interest rate deductibility for landlords is a “tenant tax” when it is neither a new tax nor for tenants.
Not A Ripple of Difference
The polls are out and the internal revolt last month to remove James Shaw as Greens co leader hasn’t made a ripple.
Molloy drops out of Mayoralty race
Self described tough man Leo Molloy has found the going too tough and has pulled out of the Auckland mayoralty race.
Bastards Versus Assholes
This post was written before Gaurav Sharma’s Herald article and should not be taken as validation of his comments. There are necessary bastards in political life, and in developed democracies compared to everywhere else ours are gentle as lambs
Notes from the CATA Conference: keynote address by Stella O’Malley
The Child and Adolescent Therapists Association hosted a conference recently on children, adolescents and gender identity.
The Three Strikes abomination is no more
The three strikes legislation, the brainchild of dead baby identity stealing former ACT MP David Garrett, is no more.
Was This The Change We Needed?
Crises that profoundly test a small developed state like New Zealand have required huge growth in state strength and policy power. But was it the change we needed?
National’s culture problem
National MP Sam Uffindell has today been engaged in a media wide mea culpa after allegations that he bullied a young student and was expelled from Kings College have been publicised.
Luxon’s latest gaffes
Hot on his confusion of Hawaii with Te Puke Christopher Luxon’s has dropped a couple of new clangers by admitting then denying that National will not increase health funding at least by the rate of inflation and then by displaying his class prejudice by saying people are not going to get rich on welfare.
National’s weird take on the Government’s Climate Adaption Plan
The Government’s release of the National Adaption Plan to deal with climate change has been met by National with an insistence that who should pay for potentially hundreds of billions of costs should have already been identified.
Should therapists and counsellors speak about the medicalisation of gender non-conforming children?
Is there a connection between the closure of the Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service in the UK, and a conference being held 12,000 miles away in Nelson, Aotearoa?
Chris Bishop supports AND opposes vaccine mandates
Remember when National’s Chris Bishop thought that Labour was not being staunch enough of mandates? He now thinks that Labour is being too staunch.
Political donations law needs reform
Judge Jagose’s decision to acquit two persons linked to New Zealand First charged with obtaining control over $750,000 has opened up rather large holes in the obligations of political parties to report donations.
Ardern’s Leadership Generates Pacific Results
New Zealand has been overdue to show strong results in the Pacific Islands. Not a moment too soon, this is what Prime Minister Ardern delivered.
Really bad takes on the Green’s leadership issue
There have been some spectacularly bad takes on Green Party leadership issues by voices on the right and academia which were all shown to be spectacularly wrong after Chloe Swarbrick announced that she was not seeking the Green Party leadership.
The inside story of National’s civil war
Andrea Vance’s book Blood Bath provides an insider’s view of the carnage that erupted in the National Party from 2017 to 2021. And while things have calmed down under Christopher Luxon’s his weaknesses, including his glossing over the importance of policy detail and his tendency to bag businesses has been noted.
Brian Tamaki really annoys Auckland by adding to traffic congestion
Brian Tamaki and Vision New Zealand supporters sought to improve levels of support by causing significant congestion in Auckland city yesterday.
Unthinkable Renationalisation
Europe is leading the global fight against climate change by rapidly shifting away from fossil fuels. This now includes fully renationalising energy companies and forced decreases in gas use. What could New Zealand learn?
Chinese Capital in the Pacific
It would be tidy for New Zealand and Australian leaders to blame China’s debt within Sri Lanka for its collapse, so that they could scare Pacific Island nations back into the fold. It would be wrong.
Another partial privatisation that has failed
I watched the Rugby test on Saturday night. One side played with passion and vigour. Their forward pack dominated and the defensive effort from the backs was superb. The other side was the All Blacks who displayed all the passion and vigour of a National Party conference.
Wear your #$%^& mask properly
Although we still compare favourably to the vast majority of Western nations in terms of our Covid response our performance has been eclipsed by Japan and Singapore, two nations which strong mask mandates and cultural norms supporting the wearing of masks.
Luxon is still struggling to understand Mask rules
During January of this year Christopher Luxon described the traffic light system as confusing. This week he described it as “very, very confusing”. It is of concern that he appears not to have learned about what the rules require in the meantime.
Business claims crisis as country approaches full employment and wages increase
Anyone else getting tired of the media presenting the fact that New Zealand essentially has full employment is a very bad thing?
Complaint about RNZ use of Bryce Edwards article upheld
The Media Council has upheld a complaint against a Bryce Edwards article published on RNZ’s website that incorrectly stated that Labour went into the 2020 election promising to break up the supermarket duopoly and bring down the cost of food and that the policy was essentially dead when the policy only promised to conduct a market study using the Commerce Commission.
Predator Free Rakiura Stewart Island
If anyone’s keen on helping in a globally noteworthy epic conservation project, try the whole of Stewart Island.
Luxon goes to London to get campaign ideas
At the very time that the United Kingdom Conservative Government is imploding National leader Chris Luxon is visiting to get new ideas on how to run a country.
How Can Labour Win in 2023?
Right now Labour is preparing the ground for its run at 2023’s election with new policy. New policy must be wildly popular. What could make Labour popular enough to them back leading a third term in government?
The $11 billion man strikes again
Remember Steven Joyce who claimed there was a $11.7 billion dollar hole in Labour’s alternative budget? Another example of his negotiation prowess has recently received media attention and the only conclusion that can be drawn is that his ability to analyse crown accounts is matched by his ability to negotiate.