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Open Mike 20/09/2026
44 comments on “Open Mike 20/09/2026”
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Its the Last day to Vote '26…
in the Forest and Bird Bird of the year. A very cool site…you can read all about the Candidates (and hear their song : )
Please support our Feathered Friend Candidates..and their Friends
: )
Sharon Murdoch, in The Post (Sunday Star-Times), 20 Sept 2026
Comrade Luxon? I'll believe it when I see it. Paraphrasing R. G. Collingwood:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_acts_of_the_54th_New_Zealand_Parliament
Pure theatre. They’ve had 3 years, plenty of prior reports and analysis plus anecdotal evidence of price gouging. They get back in this will all go away IMO.
OZ’s ACCC spent over a year on their duopoly and basically concluded they’re way too powerful. No shit Sherlock, they only have 65% there but at least Labour is following their lead with a grocery czar type role here as a start.
Adding in the greens new no frills player to that and now we’re talking.
The anti competitive behaviour from both leave little choice IMHO.
Isn't Murdoch riffing on Muldoon's anti SuperFund cartoon, with dancing Cossacks representing Labour? Although does that make Chloe Sir Rob?
Could do, although it seems to me that Chlöe is voicing her approval of comrade Luxon's theatrical [see tc @2.1] (super)market interventation policy.
One interpretation would be that the Nats have been tacking frantically towards the political centre as the election looms – Nat campaign chair Simeon must be hoping that voters will forget all the regressive wrecking the nACTf CoC has done to date.
The nACT1 CoC are wreckers – selling off (and out) NZ Aotearoa to the Sorted.
What about the non deductibility of landlords' interest? Is that still on the books?
Deductibility of landLord interest is a foreign country to me.
An expert from Epsom Tax provides two worked examples – maybe Epsom Tax helps a lot of Arohas and Tamatis, or maybe that’s just an ‘in joke’.
https://www.epsomtax.com/interest-deductibility-nz/
Guy Body, in the New Zealand Herald, 3 June 2026
I reckon I can see what’s going on here, outsourcing the punitive behaviour (blame the AI ) and reducing the process cost (less people) all at once is a win for this coalition.
AI works on rewards so imagine what goals they will set it.
Neutering the OIA process is all part of it with their love of ‘commercial sensitivity ’ to hide behind.
We shall now sing 'The Daleks, the Daleks, the Daleks are Best, so up with the Daleks and down with the rest.' Paraphrasing Flanders & Swann -'The English are Best – 'Song of Patriotic Prejudice'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOoStY95YZc
Spike Milligan was born in India and that creeps into his Irish? humour. He knows about Daleks too and combines them here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0n88tZQc4Q
Anything for a laugh, I think we are getting too serious about this elective round of Theatre Sports. If it's a collaborative affair let's choose who we really want to collaborate with. Come on darlings, let's away….Make it so! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaLyasJPyUU
But he might have been inspired by this Max Bygraves number from 1954:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/114802/death-of-max-bygraves
I know I claimed to post my last ai post in my last ai post, but this exposé from House of El covers the economic story. It recaps the main events, describes the actual limits of the tech and US political manoevering by the ai bros, and summarises their precarious financial position.
Lots of ai company info in a nutshell. End message: these folks are after pension funds to sustain their $20 bi pa losses.
https://youtu.be/kHW3Y0gObU8?si=fjyj-fycfgazUyD-
House of El has a whole -ai section I missed, may be worth exploring if you’re interested.
Checkout Ed Zitron on YT a few to choose from. He covers the finance and the tech behind the LLM’s.
Makes me think what is all this really about, uber surveillance state perhaps as cancers still with us.
Unbundling is the word du jour.
I went on the March for Nature yesterday in Auckland. A good turnout, although hard to fix an estimate of the numbers present – maybe 6,000.
I expected a few politicians to turn up for the speeches at the start, but none were there (Russel Norman, ex-MP, was present). Presumably the pollies figured that only people committed to the Greens would be there so no point in attending.
Any National MP would have got a hot reception as the main point of the gathering was the proposed changes to the Conservation Act, which will try to make conservation subordinate to commercial activities.
If you want Maccas and coffee shops, paved roads and gondolas right throughout the back country, vote ACT or National.
No mention of what shoppers can expect to save, though they say the policy would have immediate effect.
In comparison, Nationals proposal to break up Foodstuffs is expected to save households between $3.85 and $25.38 a week by 2035
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/companies/retail/nationals-foodstuffs-break-up-plan-how-much-it-would-save-shoppers-and-the-cost-to-supermarket-owners/premium/DWG4MXWDZFDS7KBZZMP24T7SHY/
Can't see Labour's policy offering voters much help.
Evidently, nor will Nationals and that's even if they go through with it.
So we can expect the pain at the checkout to continue on.
Oh well, perhaps the 2029 election will lead to better offerings?
But we know that’s Nats policy is just a stall for time. Yet another report, that eventually will mean nothing.
Indeed.
National would have a battle royal to get that done, legal costs that would be passed onto consumers as it rolls along.
All to save $25 a week in 9 years time maybe assuming so many things line up.
Levelling out the wholesale side is smart play from labour given foodstuffs have done what they were told not to do in that space. Allows the smaller operators a level playing field.
No need to get into the numbers people know they're being reamed, immediate action is the key.
Labour could get really unpopular (with the duopoly) and force the supermarkets to stop selling wine and beer over say 3% and say that it has become almost a monopoly, encourages alcoholism by buying that instead of sustaining food, and prevents real choice. Which is how big business operates as some of us realise. Protests can be held with banners Be Kind to Liquorland and not a word against supermarkets. Deflection of aim would rule the day.
Alcohol consumption is at an all time low
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/beer-remains-nzs-beverage-of-choice-as-alcohol-consumption-falls-to-lowest-level-since-records-began/4T6KJGX66NA7VCNRMR4KLE5C4U/
What shoppers are going to save and how soon will savings take effect is key
Labour are largely relying on increased competition from small grocers to aggressively take on the big players, forcing them (the big players) to lower their prices.
A very big ask that is unlikely to succeed.
Explains why there are no expected savings given
It’s about a level playing field at the wholesale level for the duopoly and smaller players, not extra competition.
Priced the same for all. Imagine all those superette owners not needing to fill trolleys at P&S with milk etc could get it from wholesalers at the price foodstuffs pay.
A level playing field at the wholesale to foster wider competition is the aim as far as I'm aware.
But there seems to be nothing stopping small grocers from merely pocketing savings rather than passing them on, let alone aggressively compete.
“Priced the same for all. Imagine all those superette owners not needing to fill trolleys at P&S with milk etc could get it from wholesalers at the price foodstuffs pay”
Just want to address the above comment you made. You seem to be forgetting the current prices at P&S and such are already far too high for a growing number of people. Hence, the problem.
Therefore, small grocers selling items at the same price isn't really going to make much difference.
I find (from the people I've spoken with) it's the high price of meat that is one of the biggest concerns when it comes to driving up the price at the checkout
Another important outcome is to give NZ food producers and suppliers better returns, as they also get screwed royally by the duopoly.
Not the ones that charge international prices
Remember what happened to the price of broadband after Telecom wholesale was split from the retail business.
This is a very good idea.
And in 2023 households were going to get a $250 a fortnight tax cut, too.
/
Apples & oranges, joe.
The Commerce Commission was used to set pricing.
Which, after years of regulatory battles delivered a decisive win for Chorus.
https://billbennett.co.nz/commerce-commission-copper-line-price-hike/
Labour have made no mention of getting the Commerce Commission in to set wholesale food pricing.
Nor have they stated there would be any regulation to prevent small grocers from merely pocketing savings rather than passing them on, let alone to go out and aggressively compete.
Which would never have happened had legislation not mandated exactly how assets, liabilities, and land would be divided between the retailer and the wholesale network provider
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2011/27/en/latest/sections/DLM3629152/
Yup, more vitamin C will do it.
/
New Zealand First has released its plan to "Make NZ Healthy", promising to put prevention at the centre of healthcare if re-elected.
[…]
Fund New Zealand scientists to assess nutritional interventions for preventing and treating mental illness
Remove Medsafe and Pharmac barriers to "recognised safe nutrients"
Invest in hospital trials to assess the effectiveness of intravenous vitamin C pre- and post-surgery for preventing and treating infections
Fund a review of vitamin D and determine optimal levels for maintaining health
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics_election-2026/1479982/new-zealand-first-reveals-plan-for-bold-shift-in-healthcare
Very Green sounding policy for NZF
Doubt that's the Greens, supplements are not the same as organic veges. That's rather Kennedy Jnr's MAHA schtick in the US Heath Department. Supplements, and as many of them as the grifters can supply, is the public health tool of choice there. While arguing against childhood vaccination and cutting food-safety monitoring.
Looking next for NZF to drop a defence policy requiring mandatory testosterone testing for over-30 defence force personnel, as just rolled out for US troops by Hegseth, the Defence Secretary.
'…screeners will check with male troops for symptoms including reduced sexual desire, erectile dysfunction or loss of spontaneous morning erections, as well as unexplained loss of muscle mass, depressed mood or low motivation, and diminished physical performance not tied to injuries.'
Sounds like, if your Defense T is too low, you'll be forced to 'take the jab'. “What could possibly go wrong?”
https://taskandpurpose.com/field-guide/pentagon-testosterone-male-troops-screening/
All the stupidest trends in online nuttiness transformed into government policy.
"screeners will check with male troops for symptoms including reduced sexual desire, erectile dysfunction or loss of spontaneous morning erections, "
As a scool leaver in the Army, word going round Waiouru was that bromide was put in to the salt to stop these sort of occurences.
Doesn't waking teens at 5.30 am and making them run 20k before breakfast essentially have the same result?
The Greens support a holistic approach to health.
https://www.greens.org.nz/health_policy
I'm sure the Greens support soil health sustainability and would support researching practical alternatives to potentially harmful agricultural sprays
I don't think the Greens would say no to providing more support for organic food producers. Do you?
I'm sure they'd also support nurses getting fair compensation and better working conditions. Don't you think?
Don't think they would say no to embeding good nutrition in the New Zealand curriculum. Do you?
Vitamin use is very common in NZ. I'm sure Green supporters would makeup a number of them.
https://www.consumer.org.nz/health/nutrition-and-supplements/why-are-natural-health-products-so-popular
So, all in all, seems to be a lot there the Greens would support
This from the Costello big tobacco party???
More the party's RFK jnr adjacent cookery wing, I reckon.
lol
/
New Zealand First appears to have copied most of its health policy from a natural health advocacy group – even going so far as to copy a typo from the group’s website into their official policy documents.
[…]
What is Make New Zealand Healthy?
Make New Zealand Healthy (the organisation) was founded by John Appleton and Patrick Fahy.
Fahy is a naturopath and nutritional biochemist who develops and sells “nutritional supplements, homeopathic, natural skin care, and functional food preparations,” according to his company’s website.
He is also the chairman of the Natural Health Alliance, a lobby group that campaigned to repeal the Therapeutic Products Act and has supported Peters and NZ First in the past.
[…]
Meanwhile, Appleton describes himself as having “[studied] nutritional medicine attempting to find answers to difficult questions” for 23 years, and distributes nutritional supplements via an online store.
Neither appear to be doctors, although two Auckland-based health specialists- a GP and a chiropractor – are listed as co-trustees and advisers.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/361036430/nz-firsts-health-policy-copy-pasted-advocacy-groups-website
https://makenewzealandhealthy.co.nz/about-us/
Covering the base….