Open Mike 09/06/2026

Written By: notices and features - Date published: - 37 comments
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37 comments on “Open Mike 09/06/2026”

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  1. 1

    The purge of the Public Service started at the top and as soon as the Coalition got into power. It was a key step in the shrinking lid & defunding by the Coalition that’s ongoing and increasing in desperation. Anyone who works in the public sector and has a bit of a public profile will make a target of themselves if they point out the deficiencies in & of the Coalition’s decisions – fear & intimidation are powerful tools in the hands of ideological zealots.

    https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/06/08/slur-on-my-reputation-the-spat-behind-housing-boss-exit/

    1. 1.1

      The article shows Willis and Bishop were at the centre of destroying Kainga Ora exhibiting in the process distain for state owned housing.

      Only their free market mates should be allowed to make money. Nasty and devious.

      We need this lot voted out.

    2. 1.2

      Yep, and yet former baby snatcher CEO Grannie Moss has reemerged as a chief in Seymour's folly of a regulation ministry.

      That should be on the first order of business, post election, absorbing the staff into other ministries.

  2. 2

    Pedro Sanchez is a hero. The article linked below well worth a read.

    "Sánchez’s decision to bar U.S. warplanes from using jointly operated bases and the country’s airspace infuriated Trump. Calling Spain “terrible” and “unfriendly,” the president threatened to cut off all trade relations with Madrid, and later suggested the country should be booted from NATO.

    By singling out Sánchez, the White House inadvertently helped turn Spain’s isolated opposition to the war into a position embraced by nearly all of Europe.

    Spain’s prime minister made headlines by speaking out against the military operations in Gaza, describing them as “genocide.” The stance led Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to label him “a disgrace to Spain,” but boosted Sánchez’s standing domestically.

    Since coming to power in 2018, the prime minister’s outspoken defense of progressive ideas have made him an outlier in an EU that has drifted to the right."

    https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/06/08/pedro-sanchez-europe-opposition-trump-00949183

  3. 3

    The LNG import facility has been delayed and will not be ready until late 2027 or 2028. Presumably little if any building will have been done by November.

    National says it will sign a contract to construct the facility "this year". This timetable gives Labour the chance to cancel it as soon as it is elected with minimal cancellation costs.

    Simeon Brown is wrong where he says renewables with grid scale batteries and other already available power sources are unable to cover for dry years.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/597626/government-backs-down-on-levy-to-fund-new-lng-import-terminal

    1. 3.1

      Agreed Bearded Git. You just have to look at what's happening over the ditch in Australia. Solar, batteries and wind power are actually driving down the cost of electricity over there. This could happen here with appropriate encouragement of home solar uptake and further investment in other renewables.

      More renewables means more resilience from dry years. No brainer for most people, except the current government who have different priorities.

    2. 3.2

      As of yesterday, NZ can store an extra 93 million litres of diesel (https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-welcomes-new-diesel-storage).

      The Sapere report made a compelling & strong case for using diesel as back-up for energy generation instead of LNG (https://www.rewiring.nz/news/media-release-new-sapere-report-shows-lng-import-terminal-is-a-short-term-reaction-with-long-term-consequences).

      By my [AI’s] calculation, the storage capacity of the proposed LNG facility is roughly similar to the increased storage capacity of diesel at Marsden Point.

      1. 3.2.1

        Agreed Incog. And the CoC is still claiming the LNG import facilities will cost $1 billion where Bernard Hickey says $2.7 billion and others have said $2 billion.

        Labour needs to nail this down. Where is the business case and what numbers are they using to justify it?

        And WHERE IS THE COMPARISON WITH ALTERNATIVES?

        1. 3.2.1.1

          Bill English is writing the business case as we speak, with the help of ChatGPT (free version). His rate has increased to $300 per word since his hatchet-report on Kāinga Ora. He’ll send it to a personal e-mail address of an anonymous staffer for rubber-stamping by Cabinet. So efficient!

          1. 3.2.1.3.1

            So good Chloe. But I note the Greens are using the $1 billion number. I think this is going to turn out to be well over $2 billion- as I said above Bernard Hickey says $2.7 billion.

  4. 4

    I am dipping into Francis Fukoyama's book "Political order and decay". He makes the point that 'small state' US politics was the norm until Roosevelt put together a wartime economy, building a strong centralised bureaucracy with meritocratically appointed non-political staff. Before then, US local and state politics was run on 'the big man' concept, where votes were bought en bloc via bribery and political favours. At federal level, the government service was staffed by political appointees who changed with the party in power.

    US legislation, was, and still is made (as with Trump's Big Beautiful Bill), as unwieldy omnibus bills stuffed with bought/lobbied compromise clauses. These produce US law that is essentially honed by litigation in the courts, rather than creating law that is functional from its passing. In terms of civil rights, the US Legislature has left it to private prosecutions by citizens to achieve social progress, rather than by bipartisan development of law updated to reflect societal advances.

    This is in stark contrast to states such as France, Germany and China, and later the Britain, that were built on existing, generally meritocratic civil services. The British Parliamentary system, and other European legislatures have produced law that is crafted fit to purpose for the most part.

    This whole 'small government' movement hatched in the US seems to me to wrongly believe in a previous golden age of US political history. It is, of course, highly conducive to corruption and lobbying by monied interests. In the last decade, US christian nationalism, which has exposed itself to be a thinly-veiled white supremacy movement that is also stripping womens' rights, essentially sold its votes to Trump in order to implement Project 2025 via the government, bypassing legislature.

    We must fight hard to expose the fallacy of 'small state' US ideology, which Thatcher embraced as 'austerity' politics. Luxon is politically naive, a useful stooge who swallowed all the US big drum banging when he swam in the waters of its managerial class. He also has a strong taint of US halleluyah christianity. I would love to see exposed in the media the influence of National's so-called Taliban, who appear to form much of his support in caucus and cabinet.

    1. 5.1

      Slave ships are getting too expensive because of fuel costs, so a pipeline makes sense.

      Six years of slavery will get you eligibility for residence, as ‘reward’ – any English language requirements?

      Farming is season-dependent and this may create a group of low-paid farm nomads with no fixed abode.

          1. 5.1.1.1.1

            Well, the lazy poor could benefit from a rigorous timetable; early-morning star-jumps, swinging the Indian clubs, a few bench-presses. Plus, they'd have the whole day ahead of them – they could scrabble for drippage from the milk tankers and maybe, even, a spilled-crumb from the driver's sandwich.

      2. 5.1.2

        Could there be again old-time swagmen walking the country and doing odd jobs? One humorous story about a wily seasoned old roaming guy. Got to a village and went to the pub. 'Do you accept stamps for beer' he asked the owner. Yes was the answer as he poured the glass. The 'Shiner' swallowed it thirstily, lifted his foot, stomped three times and made a hasty exit.

    2. 5.2

      'Alarming' youth unemployment hits poorest communities hardest
      [be careful now RNZ, 29 May 2026]
      The sharp rise in youth unemployment was "a tragedy" for young New Zealanders trying to get a foothold in the job market, which threatened the future of many communities, he [Dot Loves Data director Justin Lester] said.
      …
      We need to be investing in local employment. We need New Zealand-based jobs. We need New Zealand-owned businesses.

      “It’s really concerning to see how badly these rural communities are being impacted and it must be incredibly dispiriting for young people across New Zealand.”

      Never fear, a reliable A.I.-run ACT pipeline of compliant workers is at hand – Soylent Green on tap. Ah, what price Happiness – we don't know how lucky we are, and were.

      1. 5.2.1

        A blast from the past, we get further from the era where politicians cared about doing a good job for the people and the country. We of the public, all so boring and witless compared to those grifters.

        jobsletter.org.nz › mtfjobs › mtfjobs00.htm

        Mayors Taskforce for Jobs

        The 1994 Taskforce had described unemployment as "New Zealand's greatest challenge" … and felt that by the year 2000 it was entirely feasible for us to ensure that no-one in New Zealand would be out of work or…

    3. 5.3

      Luxon said National was "the party for farmers", pointing to removing agriculture from the Emissions Trading Scheme, banning full farm to forest conversions, investing in wilding pine control, and other measures.

      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/597567/watch-christopher-luxon-says-national-will-double-qeii-trust-funding-if-re-elected

      ACT seems to have different ideas though.

      ACT was quick to take credit for the idea, saying National's policy was a tribute to ACT MP Mark Cameron's campaign for a $10m biodiversity fund which would be made available to government and trusts like QEII.

      "It's good to see that thinking now shaping other parties' policy," ACT leader David Seymour said.

      It’s good to see Coalition partners fighting over the farmer vote.

      [late edit: corrected placing of block quote]

  7. 7

    Interesting tWig – how things got to where they were. Even perfectly functioning mechanisms could be pushed to a wobble, and we can never get perfect, did aim for good enough, but the most demanding, self-directed will always find a way to make change. Particularly if the masses start being satisfied and get too many rights.

    I have just listened to a song from the past. Concert Prog played the great Cole Porter singing his own song 'You're the Tops'. His knowledge of the world was enormous almost encyclopaedic and this song could be our paean? to our world, when we start appreciating the good.

    But first we have to limit the bad, and I don't know if we can match Cole Porter's knowledge and ability (determination too, in pain after a horse riding accident in 1937).

    https://genius.com/Cole-porter-youre-the-top-lyrics

    At words poetic, I'm so pathetic
    That I always have found it best
    Instead of getting 'em off my chest
    To let 'em rest unexpressed
    I hate parading my serenading
    As I'll probably miss a bar
    But if this ditty is not so pretty
    At least it'll tell you how great you are

    (Chorus 1)
    You're the top
    You're the Colosseum
    You're the top
    You're the Louvre Museum
    You're a melody from a symphony by Strauss
    You're a Bendel bonnet, a Shakespeare sonnet
    You're Mickey Mouse…

    and many more >

    2. 8.2

      The nactoids'll be busy digging for anything they can pass off as dirt that'll up-end as many Labour and Green MPs as they can just like they did last time. That, together with Hipkins' election strategy of standing for nothing put us in the mess we're in now. I guess Hipkins wasn't to know how successful nact's black-ops would be, but he's certainly now on notice so Labour had better start standing for something before Luxon gets us annexed to the US.

    3. 8.3

      The nact-black-ops pre-election campaign to up-end as many Lab/Green/TPM MPs and candidates has started.

        1. 9.1.1.1

          I’m but a mere volunteer here, so I reject your characterisation of pompous. Anyway, the site isn’t nasty, it’s just me, and it’s nothing personal, but just because of your commenting behaviour on this site – how many warnings do you need?

          I’m truly touched how much you care about this site. If you genuinely want to make it better, then lift your game here instead of trying to bark & bite at the same time like a RWNJ on an overdose of tax cuts for the wealthy & sorted.

          Thanks for providing the same links again, that’s very helpful indeed and makes a succinct point – do you want to add some constructive words of your own to encourage lively debate here?

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