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6:00 am, April 17th, 2026 - 37 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 …
Hang in there Luxon you're perfect.
For the election.
Imagine the media furor if in the middle of a major crisis a Labour government was demonstrating a distracting factional instability with an ineffectual PM and vague plans.
The NZME troll farm would be strident, the editorials thundering, the media mischief making incessant.
Instead, we are getting crickets.
Stuart Smith, chief government whip, sits behind his leader Luxon in Parliament and is the conduit between the caucus and the leader. We read today that Smith has been unable for a fortnight to organise a meeting with Luxon to inform him of rising dissension in the ranks.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/christopher-luxon-evaded-mp-who-tried-to-tell-him-of-flagging-support-faces-possible-challenge-this-fortnight-sources
Now is this a case of an ineffectual Smith, or huge evasion by Luxon of the consequences of his own ineffectiveness? A combination of both? Luxon says he is always accessible to his MPs, but not to his own Chief whip.
Whichever, the Luxon "to be or not to be" leadership question underlines the decidedly ineffective nature of this government. A recent cartoon had Luxon taking cover from the media by cowering behind his lectern!
Pundits might say that the Chief Whip would be flogging a dead horse……….
Agree 100% keep up the good work Luxon, you'll bring the COC home again in the 2026 Election especially with Winston and NZF on 15-20%.
Not long now – a knighthood is one thing money can't always buy – arise, Sir Sorted.
What chance more votes go to Winston as result of the infighting? I reckon a change of leader would send even more his way.
If Labour and NZ first have enough votes to govern in a two party coalition it would be a real possibility to see that coalition with Winston citing Nationals lack of stability as a key reason. He'd also have more than enough wriggle room to walk back his not working with Hipkins if he was to be leading the government as it Prime Minister in a final term before retirement.
Winston would want to be the PM though.
Yes and I think its a credible path if Winston ends up with somewhere between 15 and 20% of the vote and Labour in the mid 30's. It would be the only path for Labour to form a govt and i'm sure they'd take it.
How is ACT perceived these days Seymour does not appear to be getting much coverage in the Press, likewise we are not hearing much from TOP. Are they being stifled by MSM ???
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/16-08-2022/the-side-eyes-two-new-zealands-the-table
As true today as when it was written, imho, Rakuraku.
??? Whoever is supposed to be stifling Seymour, they must try harder, imho.
Agree 100% divide and rule. Tell a lot of half truth's and get everybody confused and disorientated. ie Selling State Assets will create efficiency and lower prices. Like we were sold by Max Bradford and the privatisation of the Electrical Sector.
The latest talbot Mills is grim reading for the Left.
Lab 36 Gre 7 TPM 2=45
Nat 29 NZF 15 ACT 8=52
It appears NZF are taking a lot of votes from the Nats and probably some from Labour, but Labour is picking up votes from the Greens to compensate.
The lies being told by Peters and Jones about the oil crisis (Labour closing Marsden Point and failing to provide enough fuel storage) and NZF’s overall shift to the Right, seem to be resonating. This should, to some extent, abate as the oil crisis passes-Trump is desperate for an end to the war.
You might want to read this post on why we should be talking the left up not down.
https://thestandard.nz/changing-government-in-2026/
Single polls are less important than trends. Someone who understands polling needs to look at undecideds and margins of error in individual polls.
NZF is a real problem. The Greens haven't hit their stride yet. The election campaign hasn't started.
Even if the war ends today, there is a long tail to the recovery (recovery won't be a matter of weeks or a handful of months)
two new posts up
https://thestandard.nz/tick-tock-2/
https://thestandard.nz/changing-government-in-2026/
Cheers Weka…you will note the only people I am slagging off are NZF.
I was referring to this,
NZF at 15% supposedly heading to 20%, must be picking up disaffected National & ACT voters ???
NZF are centrists. They will be picking up votes from both left and right.
Weka-Agree that they are picking up votes from the Left and Right but NZF have shifted way to the Right since 2017.
Hipkins should rule out joining with them in a coalition. Then he can say a vote for NZF is a vote for Luxon.
I don't think most of the centre voters realize that and the more the Nats shit the bed the more vote will go Winstons way.
I think given enough vote the old fox will be more than happy to go into a two party coalition govt with Labour if he was the PM rather than another 3 party arrangement with a disfunction National party and he'd love to shaft Seymour i'm sure.
No way Hipkins will rule Winston out as it's an ever more credible option if Labour want to be able to form a govt.
You can't be serious.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
If I have to I will be putting you on a three day ban, largely because I’m very busy today and tomorrow and don’t have the time for this. If the backend authors decide it’s not defamatory, I will reinstate the deleted parts of the comment.
Your continued contempt for moderation here is noted.
to make it really obvious. If you won't accept that the people who run TS have a right to protect TS owners from legal risk, then you will find yourself in premod and/or getting a ban. It's really that simple. The contempt for moderation is a large part of of that from my pov, because it makes moderation more difficult, and it wastes moderator time.
and for even more clarity. If instead of reacting to being moderated you had instead asked what was potentially defamatory, I would know that you actually gave a shit about legal protection for the site owners. We could have had a useful and interesting conversation about where the line is between informed opinion (backed up with evidence where necessary) and fact that are defamatory (even when expressed as opinion).
There are two issues here.
1. are the claims you made potentially defamatory?
2. if not a legal risk for the site, would you still be expected to provide some evidence for your claims? (almost certainly in this case because of the nature of the claims, that they were about a political journalist, and that it's election year where the standard of debate has to be particularly high)
I don't have contempt for moderation generally.
Old petrol fuel cars remaining on our roads and reducing road safety under new WOF rules – the latest failure to maintain even 20th Century standards of transportation (the future Cook Strait disaster made 2023-2025).
WOF checks are being reduced to every two years for cars over 4 years old, including those 10 year to 14 years old.
https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360987912/new-wof-rules-very-likely-lead-unsafe-vehicles-association-says
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/592641/new-wof-rules-very-likely-to-lead-to-unsafe-vehicles-association-says
As a mechanic of about fifty years, I've seen many dangerous cars following a six monthly WOF check. Another case of this government knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing,
And the stupid twits include no regulation relating to mileage which is a bigger contribution to wear (particularly in steering and suspension). They should think of the mileage an ex-taxi has driven as an example and remember the slogan safety first.
The end of the BSA
Thus there will only be voluntary subscription to the Media Council, press and online content, which has no legal powers.
Complaints are filed against groups that have agreed to abide by its principles, it only requires members to publish its rulings on their content.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/592650/what-is-the-broadcasting-standards-authority-and-why-is-its-future-in-doubt
Those gib board days are here again
Rising costs of production of building materials and transportation will add to construction costs.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/592613/building-industry-will-get-tanked-crisis-is-looming-as-construction-costs-soar-experts-say
Budget tax speculation
https://www.thepost.co.nz/business/360986726/act-party-might-be-biggest-hurdle-mooted-bank-levy
They could move to the Australian two tier tax system
A 25% rate for base rate entities (small to medium businesses) & 30% for larger companies (or passive income companies).
Then add 3% for banks (to 33%).
Of course Epstein is in the mix.
/
Jon Stewart
@jonstewart
This will blow your fucking mind!!!!!
https://xcancel.com/jonstewart/status/2044456501473862080
This came up here on TS yesterday (thread starting @ https://thestandard.nz/open-mike-16-04-2026/#comment-2060178).
https://theconversation.com/more-than-60-of-home-battery-installations-inspected-in-australia-are-substandard-280449
In other words, shoddy workmanship.
Systemic pressure that could have been foreseen when launching the Cheaper Home Batteries Program that “has proved hugely popular”.
Good Links/content for more information on the Australian home solar installation setup and some of its problems.
Re your "In other words, shoddy workmanship"
IMO not only shoddy and extra expense,but also some potentially life threatening fire risk..
In your second Link is, IMO both the problem and answer.
Surely its obvious ? (maybe not quite to the Aust Govt? And certainly not to ours !)
In the run up to the last election I had commented on how IMO NZ Labour needed to engage much more with the Trades…and Apprentices.. Visit sites, and be visible. Support and Encouragement. And talk to them in their language. ( I have worked in many areas incl building, construction etc; still know people, young too, in them, IMO there has been…a lack ?)
Sadly now under NACT1…many of our Tradies, and yes Apprentices, have fled…likely to Australia? IMO all NACT1 actually want to do, is punish the young.
Anyway I think there are chances here for Labour to again connect. Trades. Apprentices.
I fully agree! I hope that Labour will come out with strong policy in this area but it might be wishful thinking on my behalf; the one and only relevant result I could find on the Labour Party website was this press release of 16 Oct 2024: https://www.labour.org.nz/news/release-cuts-to-apprenticeship-boost-will-fail-future-nz/.
I feel sure that by far the majority of young people need Hope and a good future to work towards. NACT1's punitive attitude to them (cast as couch lounging game players) and increasingly targetted traffic light MSD actions are surely an opening for Labour. Thankyou, I will watch this with interest
While the world is distracted. (more inside)
shaul Arieli שאול אריאלי
@shaulari
There are moments when reality leaves no room for interpretation. The cabinet’s decision of April 1, made in the midst of the war with Iran, is precisely such a moment. While the Israeli public is preoccupied with existential threats and security distractions, the government chose to approve the establishment of 34 new settlements in the West Bank. It is difficult not to see this as a cynical use of war as a smokescreen, intended to create facts on the ground in preparation for future annexation.
[…]
https://xcancel.com/shaulari/status/2043929488975638756
https://smry.ai/x.com/shaulari/status/2043929488975638756
edit: btw https://smry.ai/