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6:00 am, September 9th, 2025 - 19 comments
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Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.
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Step up to the mike …
Today's Posts (updated through the day):
Taxpayers Union Running Interference In Local Council Elections
Excellent in-depth history and analysis of the EDS. Reminds us of how common cause collaboration can embed and demonstrate collective resilience!
https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/09/who-benefits-how-a-tiny-charity-rewrote-nzs-environmental-law/
Legally a charity, operationally a lobby group, politically a representation of the Green movement. That triad could be expanded via recognising subtler dimensions of their endeavour such as policy development, BlueGreen liaison, etc. Half a century of problem-solving infrastructural issues shows the model works well. Probably the most salient point is that they do Green politics well without being in parliament – due to their praxis of constructive attitude and commitment to consensus.
Trump
demandedrequested data from drug companies demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines. Here’s a response from the President of the (US) National Academy of Medicine.https://nam.edu/news-and-insights/statement-on-effectiveness-of-covid-19-vaccines-under-operation-warp-speed/
Aside from the data. eg 84%-86% effectiveness in preventing hospitalisation according to meta-analysis of 50 studies, there's this:
So Trump can admit Operation Warp Speed was by POTUS 45, rather than have POTUS 47 pretend otherwise.
The state of democracy in Aotearoa is threatened by the people, apparently, according to Sir Geoffrey. His mastery of cause & effect relations is set out in a new book, apparently, as per these quotes…
Unfortunately we are not informed what is causing the rot and decay. Too many National/Labour govts, anyone? Or would you rather go for God's will?
In case you're wondering where the hell perdition is, Google reckons its "a state of eternal punishment and damnation into which a sinful and unrepentant person passes after death". I suspect your average kiwi would respond "Well I'll be dead and gone long before that ever happens." Kiwis are not all that good at rationality. A theologian would point out that perdition, being a state after death where sinners go, is just a technical term for hell anyway. But why does Sir G believe we are all sinners contaminating democracy?
I came to a happy compromise in my 'do I or don't I' vote dilemma.
One vote for a Regional Councillor who does a good job and it would be nice to have him back.
And participated in the Maori Wards referendum.
So I sort of voted
An economist at Westpac says it is likely the new RBG would be amenable to a 2.5% inflation rate target (currently 1-3, 2%)
He claims that this should occur because (with the COVID period in the current era) the average up is up to 2.6%.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/money/360814192/major-bank-calls-increase-inflation-target
New Zealand is falling down the growth table
An Infometrics economist calls it the consequence of our COVID economy period
It would be wonderful, if he supplied evidence of this to media when he made his comment – maybe media should start asking?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/money/360816224/new-zealand-income-growth-one-worst-world
A group of economists wrote to the Minister of Finance in 2024 asking her to rethink plans to focus on fiscal discipline.
Including Productivity Commissioner Ganesh Nana, Craig Renney, Girol Karacaoglu former Treasury chief economist, Suzanne Snively, Rob Campbell, and Susan St John.
https://www.interest.co.nz/public-policy/130860/open-letter-warns-coalition-governments-focus-balancing-budget-could-hurt-its
Why do New Zealanders cite the cost of living as their prime concern?
2 years on, no improvement.
And inflation is not coming down any faster than predicted before the last election.
It is currently 2.7%, the forecast in 2023 was 2.7%.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/money/360812857/rising-costs-continue-outpace-incomes-kiwis-strive-keep-financially
Bad enough for those who have or can find enough paid work.
I want a labour government that makes employers increase wages yearly in.line with inflation, I just got a wage rise for the first time in 20 months , 3% , so I'm effectively poorer,
And I'm figjam as I tell ya.
The general election in Norway was won by Labour who campaigned to retain wealth tax.
There was a strong well funded campaign by the Right to scrap wealth tax but they were seen off.
Labour NZ should make reforming the tax code a central plank of their campaign.
It’s also likely Labour will move from EEA membership to full EU membership. Makes the English look a bit silly.
Norway has a long tradition with wealth tax. New Zealand has got virtually nothing like it. Also, the Landlord Union is very strong in NZ.
While Labour retained their position as the largest party (largely due to the "Stoltenberg, effect") – and were able to form a centre-left government – I'd think that the fact that the very long-standing wealth tax was the centre of a highly charged political debate during the election campaign, combined with the resurgence of the far right political party the Progress Party (now the largest opposition party – which has doubled in size in Parliament since the last election) – would be concerning to Norwegians.
I doubt that this can seriously be described as being 'seen off'.
We're not a Scandinavian country with a Scandinavian tax+welfare framework.
We were for about 40 years. Having read Tony Judt's Ill Fares The Land and others I agree that's the tragedy of New Zealand we continue to live through.
Whatever Labour does in tax is going to be careful and gradual, otherwise they will simply not get in power. That's the fact of it.
Mountain Tui has published a momentous column on the state of the play of Labour/left against the dreadful lies and misinformation of Luxon's lot.
I have saved it to use to defend our Democracy against the coming tyranny.
The article by Mountain Tui is extremely informative and great reference material.
Despite the constant demands from the Coalition and the media for Labour to provide details of their policies, Chris Hipkins has explained repeatedly that Labour wants to make sure that their policies "add up" and that they can deliver on them, which National evidently didn't do prior to the election.
Hipkins has pointed out that the government has another budget to deliver, and Labour wants to know they can afford what they promise.
In this excerpt Mountain Tui linked to Hipkins responding to questions about Labour's policies and noted "an early $8.5 billion hole in National’s numbers".
…"Labour aren’t allowed to critique left wing parties…
"For example, when the Green Party budget came out, Hipkins critiqued it as ‘some positive, some negative’, but pointed out that not everything had been costed. He has explained his party is taking time to cost the implications of National’s policies, and not everything is out in the open yet – and I think last week’s revelation of an early $8.5 billion hole in National’s numbers reinforced the intelligence behind that. "…