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6:00 am, July 2nd, 2026 - 28 comments
Categories: open mike -
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Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.
The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
👀
Can you provide a link for that outrageous claim, weka?
https://hmpg.net/
Would you object if I ("..") answered for her?
Nope.
The asteroid has arrived for the neoliberal dinosaurs of the US Democratic party, when will it's shockwave engulf the handbrakes like Hipkins (a leader worth a solid -5 or more in the polls IMHO) in the NZ Labour Party?
https://www.npr.org/2026/06/23/nx-s1-5868676/mamdani-nyc-primaries-progressive-dsa
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/democratic-socialist-melat-kiros-unseats-diana-degette-colorado_n_6a446f20e4b0aaefe64491a4
Oh sure but does an internal leftie revival within the Democrats actually change power? That's what elections are for, and I'm skeptical.
When it comes to the cold windy heights of the Senate races, the races Democrats actually need to win to regain some semblance of control are Alaska, Maine, Ohio, and honestly it will be close on those three but frankly unlikely.
Texas in particular has the ultimate Mr Smith Goes To Washington candidate, but it will as ever go full Lucy-spotting-Charlie-Brown's Football on them.
MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON: MODERN TRAILER
… and Texas is for the Dems the best of their marginal Senate races.
The main observation for me is the impressive way the Democrats are beginning to have a bottom up clearing out of the AIPAC backed Democratic house gerentocracy.
I am frankly extremely envious of vitality of the DSA activists in the US. Our moribund and intellectually empty mainstream political parties have nothing like it, having long ago centralised all meaningful political power to tiny cadres of self serving careerists.
Were I still in Auckland or Wellington, watching those smaller parties demolish previously heartland Labour seats, I could understand.
But outside of three cities, everything else is blue in both electorate and in sensibility. All that horseshit hopey-changey stuff.
Just the very idea of a warm blooded bloke with a decent rural drawl eg Kieran McAnulty or Damien O'Connor who can get 8,000 electorate and Party votes would be gratefully received here, well before the hyper-liberal AOC variants in Wellington or Central Auckland fire up their bleating socials.
Or a warm-blooded Georgina Beyer.
It's alarming how quickly the health system has been brought to its knees under Simeon Brown:
Ayesha Verrall should be absolutely nailing Brown on this, and if you think it's wrong to be politicising such a tragedy, then you are wrong because politicising such a tragedy is exactly what Labour should be doing. Political parties mach funding decisions based on ideology so it's inherently political.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/the-bulletin/02-07-2026/our-health-system-is-falling-apart
Hear, hear. The politicians are trying to change everything it seems (in my opinion). One thing I remember is one of them (I think Key) saying about something he didn't want to hear, it was just 'playing politics'. OMG. And so it goes… They get lots of money for denying the body of work they should be attending to.
And the difference between this situation and that in ED healthcare over the last decade is?
People have been dying from treatable conditions – despite coming to ED, and not being seen/treated in a timely manner for the last 10 years (at least)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/300614947/a-woman-left-ed-because-of-long-waits-hours-later-she-had-a-fatal-brain-haemorrhage
There are systemic issues with our hospital system – which have not been effectively dealt with either by this government or the previous one.
Wait times over 10 hours are absolutely endemic in every hospital in the country.
And, increasing the staffing in ED is not (in isolation) an effective response.
ATM, if you turn up with an obviously life-threatening condition (traffic accident, coronary, etc.) – then the treatment you will receive is outstanding. If you present with a serious, but not critical, condition – then the treatment that you will receive is poor, and getting worse.
There are multiple issues involved, some of which are:
I agree that all of this is political. However, no government has dealt with it effectively. Or has well-thought-through plans to do so.
NZLabour is planning to ease the EDs by providing 3 free Dr. visits as a start.
We have a cost of living crisis, chosen by this CoC.
We have underfunding chosen by this CoC. (Levi still lurking with his scalpel.)
We have large numbers of homeless people, with their needs, one being warmth caused by austerity from this CoC.
We have ideology that sees human life as a finite number of dollars.
We have unemployment through the roof for 16 to 24 year olds, and in the general population.
We have worked with a low paid workforce model since Key's time.
We have had all contingency and resilience monies reallocated by this CoC, so many and so much it is downright cavalier.
To say the same thing has happened for years is telling.
To excuse the current trends as usual is a bloody great stretch by any yard stick.
CoC have to go. They are a danger to the people. imo
The only health policy AFICS that Labour have announced is their 3 free GP visits. Which will have close to zero impact on the numbers of people visiting ED.
If this issue is so dear to Labour's heart – I would expect to see a fully thought through and costed policy about hospital care.
I'm still waiting.
I agree that the ED services in this country are a disgrace. However, this has been just a true under the last government (a single party majority one – so not even the fig-leaf excuse of coalition partners holding them back) – as for this one.
That's a confident reckon B – how "close to zero impact", in your opinion?
Who are you agreeing with? Anyhoo, ‘a disgrace’ has not been my experience (six visits to Palmy A&E in the last year) – the staff there do their best, and it's (still) a very good best. Plus I find a little appreciation goes a long way – YMMV.
Our Policies – besides 3 free GP visits:
Can appreciate it's not the big-ticket policy, but each of those add to prevention = a lighter burden on ED.
A seemingly reasonable deduction and expectation but really more of a straw man.
And you’ve been waiting for almost 3 years now, but patience is a virtue – is next week okay, or before 7 Nov, before Christmas, during the first 100 days in government, or when they present Budget-2027?
You know, it’s not easy to do it Right.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/07/02/health-budget-shortfall-unions-warn-of-up-to-600m-funding-gap/ [behind temporary subscription wall]
BTW, you love your zeroes, don’t you?
Bella bella bella!
To say no govt deals with it is disengenuous. Labour always attempts to pick up the health system after national get voted out after kicking the crap out of it.
Browns taken advantage of it struggling post covid era in which it saved many lives and a restructure little didn't complete.
He's gagged the workforce, written 10 year contracts for private to replace public services (further undermining it), is neutering professional bodies and more.
Haters and wreckers v builders is a clear alternative this election.
In that case, I'm sure you'll be able to provide a link to the Labour policy on building a better ED system.
Slogans don't replace policy.
[NB: perhaps especially ones coined by Clark against the Foreshore and Seabed hikoi – not her finest moment]
Now, that’s a fine slogan right there – are you channelling Simeon Brown?
The logic escapes me but I like how sure you are [of yourself] – confident people are indeed beautiful people.
He has and is in deed.
GP's were promised extra funding by Mr Atlas, Dave Seymour in the campaign to be eventually screwed over by ACT.
Its a comprehensive kicking health is getting we all suffer
You are correct in what you say.
Succesive governments have dropped the ball.
You would have to admit that this government has made a bad situation dire. Their rhetoric, their laser focus on the $ and the hiring freeze.,
For all the reasons given and I will add Willis/van Velden's actions on Fair Pay agreements, impacting the likes of Health Care Assistants. A good, happy HCA makes all the difference on a busy ward.
Taking well over 18 months to negotiate the last nurses pay round is a blight too.
For my sins I live in the Manawatu, bereft of Gastroenerology surgeons, should have 7, we’ve got none.
I’m in the bracket to get bowel testing but I’m very reluctant in case they find something.
Been turned down twice for hernia surgery too. Light duties at work is no cure.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/health/631760/health-nz-to-front-community-as-palmerston-north-loses-last-gastro-doctor
Te Whatu Ora says (am I allowed to call it that?)”it wants to reassure the community gastro services are continuing and that recruitment is under way.”
If only health was part of the culture war, we might have seen some action on that.
Big Hairy News chew on Ryan Bridge's takedown of Brian Tamaki. Bridge gets Tamaki to admit that if a muslim cleric in Auckland was running around threatening to burn churches, the police should investigate them.
Fun to watch, view from around 57 minutes.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X7_JJ4qSiJM