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2:28 pm, February 3rd, 2026 - 28 comments
Categories: Chlöe Swarbrick, chris hipkins, election 2026, greens, labour, marama davidson -
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Livestream from Waitangi from Labour and Greens leadership.
this is very good. My estimation of Hikpins has gone up.
Davidson and Chloe reminding us that Chloe won her seat despite the polls, twice, because she took the policies to the voters on the ground.
Both parties are saying no political party is owed anything, that it's up to taking it to the people ✊
Journos being rapid wee terriers over Peeni Henare's announcement. Hipkins saying the will speak on that after 4pm (looks like MSM broke an embargo)
maybe no MSM but Tuia news, a new outlet?
It's on RNZ – reporting by Lillian Hanley.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/585795/peeni-henare-not-contesting-tamaki-makaurau-at-election
RNZ article & video:
Unlike the COC
It was a good interview, it was a bad interview.
Overshadowed by the pending resignation of Peeni Henare from politics and the press pack wanted frothing at the mouth, the smell of blood, and the sound of breaking bones and crushing collagen. I think one of the reporters commented at one stage that it was ‘awkward”. Indeed, it was; lift your game.
Would love to see the reporters lift their game.
Labour? Didn’t follow the politics, did Henare go off piste with the timing?
It sounded like some MSM outlets broke the embargo given for the announcement and published ahead of the embargo time.
This is not about an interview. It is not about MSM, although most interviewers think it is about them!!
It is about community and co-operation between Labour and the Greens. It is about presenting strength of numbers. A united front.
As to Peeni Henare, he was Tutor in Maori to Jacinda Ardern, "a tough taskmaster" she said.
Peeni wanted to go on the list in 2023. After 11 years he has called time. Thank you Peeni. He is a member of several Trust boards, including the Waitangi Trust Board, so will still be very busy.
"Peeni wanted to go on the list in 2023"
What do you mean by this statement? Do you mean that he wanted to only be on the list and that he didn't want to stand for an electorate?
Do your own research Alwyn.
I have often been told that on this site you should always give a reference to a statement of fact that you say.
If you don't, and you are asked for one, you should always provide one and it is not an acceptable response to say, in effect, piss off.
I find it hard to believe that his actions, after he lost his seat in the last general election make a great deal of sense if he only wanted to be a list MP. He was one after the 2023 General election, and should have been happy. If so why would he run in the by-election after the seat became vacant on the sad death of the incumbent MP.
That is why I asked my question. If your comment meant something other than my interpretation his actions might make sense. As it is they don't.
Are you going to now tell me the source of your comment or do you find being asked to back up tour claims is beneath you?
Agree. Patently untrue because Henare contested the Tamaki seat only last year.
And if Labour really wanted to contest the young Maori vote, they would promote and profile Shanan Halbert rather than that crusty old Willie Jackson.
The MSM was really miffed to see the Greens and Labour coming out strongly as a team that can work together. So of course it concentrated on a non story….Henare's resignation being leaked a few hours early after 12 years in parliament.
But the real story is how well Hipkins, Chloe and Marama played it today. Talk about a contrast with the dysfunctional COC.
Weren’t they just? They were desperately digging for signs of disunity within and between parties. You’ll have to wonder if they are so used to adversarial politics, and it’s their job to dig for dirt, or because it leads to more online ‘engagement’, and it’s their job to dig for dirt.
What it tells us is the corporate MSM is going to relentlessly push the centrist neoliberal narrative that the Greens and TPM are somehow unfit to govern in a way the extremist pro-oligarch ACT party and the dollar store mini-MAGA NZ First are not.
It is the establishment MSM playbook in action. It is now a disease that has infected the entire corporate MSM across the Anglosphere – UK data about BBC question time shows a massive bias towards right wing perspectives –
https://theconversation.com/bbc-question-time-analysis-of-guests-over-nine-years-suggests-an-overuse-of-rightwing-voices-232315
I am 100% sure that if you were to look at the influence of lobby groups like the TPU, Rate Payers Alliance and NZ Initiative you'd find a similar (probably worse) bias in our media in how they frame the political narrative – the Atlas aligned, far right NZI has ten(!) opinion writers in the NZ Herald alone!!!
Here in NZ we don't (of course we don't) have any safeguards or measures of the influence of lobbyist on our jornalists, but Maki Sherman and Jason Walls are excellent examples of the following symptoms…
It is all buttressed by an irresponsible performative puzzlement at their culpability in the resulting cynicism, anger and the delegitimisation of democratic and counter-majoritarian institutions.
The time for massive media reform is way past due – much more government intervention in ownership models, lobbyist transparancy, and tough restrictions of revolving door roles for MSM journalists would be a start. And I don't want to hear any bullshit about censorship – we are already subject to massive, one way censorship and right wing propaganda from our corporate MSM and SM oligarchs. Time to shut them down and get some balance back into the equation!
Absolutely.
That comment should be framed and hung on the MSM’s Wall of Shame.
The two main obstacles, as I see them:
Watched chippie pulling Ryan Bridges up for basically making shit up.
Good strategy IMO. Also remind folk you can smell the tobacco on all the coalitions breath as they crush our health system.
Not sure where that specifically was, but would not surprise me on both counts !
Chris Hipkins definitely has the intelligence and wit to run rings all over Ryan hosko Bridge.
Maybe just a tad more Chippie rapier would be good?
…
I think this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLa9Pht39xA.
Incognito…Thanks. I did watch it, however not too sure where the specific pulling Bridge up…for making shit up ? Maybe I didnt see enough nuance ? Or was expecting different ?
Of course Ryan Bridge was trying out the ooer TPM angle….Still I think Chris Hipkins talked up Future Responsible Government (as opposed to…the irresponsible NACT1 at present on view)
Lets hope that the Plan….rolls soon.
Can't link, it's a BHN piece on YT 8 days ago "Ryan Bridge trying to label Chris Hipkins as a far-right anti-immigration politician"
"….you've just literally made that one up Ryan" is what chippies responds with about 2min in.
It's quite telling that Bridges pathetic excuse is "..what do you expect me to do''. Journalism used to be the expectation but Ryan thinks he's expected to make shit up.
Thanks
https://www.youtube.com/live/XhsoxK_ot1o?si=2ZAABX4FDnTznzeR&t=2573
It's a shame tpm are off proving that Maori politics hasn't evolved since colonists first arrived, in fighting and scrapping.making them ineffective.
Labour greens for 61 seats between them is the only option
I thought it was great. As Chippy said, the Peeni thing was a bit untidy when a media outlet jumped the gun on an embargoed statement. The reporters questioning missed completely the importance of demonstrating unity at Waitangi between the Greens and Labour and I think completely undermined Peeni's announcement. I was furious with Maiki Sherman, but I think we are all through that now after the abysmal performance of the CoC leaders at Waitangi today.
TVNZ again.