Written By:
- Date published:
6:00 am, August 23rd, 2026 - 39 comments
Categories: open mike -
Tags:
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 …
Newsroom does have some interesting columns. Today Gareth Morgan compares NZ MMP with Switzerlands' system. Our Left/Right does cause stress duplication and trashing of the previous Government's actions. In Switzerland there is no Left/Right but Consensus is necessary. No place for hangers on like ACT or NZF.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/08/23/gareth-morgan-making-mmp-work-means-getting-rid-of-the-prime-minister/?utm_source=Newsroom&utm_campaign=065469e417-Sunday+Briefing+23.08.2026&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_71de5c4b35-065469e417-95522477&mc_cid=065469e417&mc_eid=88a3081e75
When you typed "No place for hangers on like ACT or NZF" did you not notice how selective you were being. Why didn't you say there was no place for a Green party hanger on when you were quoting Morgan's views?
Morgan actually said
"Whether it’s Act (all government spending is bad and the Treaty sucks) or the Greens (all wealth is evil), or the latest hideous racist and sexist manifestation of NZ First, the various parliamentary hydra outside of the two establishment parties look more and more distant from normal New Zealanders."
We are a bit loose and at the same time, limiting in our critique on certain points. That is how you slip in to the discussion partly, Alwyn. And we have a great sense of irony and humour, which in my few dealings with Swiss didn't show itself. So we embrace you Alw. – for now; but the brutal realities that faced Switzerland and were dealt with might be paralleled in NZAO and I hope not brutally. 'Needs must when the devil drives' – Shakespeare et AI.
You’re unable to distinguish between Gareth Morgan and Ianmac’s opinions and going for a straw man without adding anything useful here, as per usual.
As for Morgan’s opinion, let’s not take his characterisations literally and assume he was going for effect. However, his characterisations of ACT and NZ First were spot-on, objectively speaking, and factually correct. His characterisation of the Green’s views on ‘all wealth’ was more of a snide remark from a wealthy guy demonstrating his ignorance and/or dislike about the Greens.
With nearly 70% of Canada's exports heading to the USA every month, the collapse of trade talks between the USA and Canada is waaaay worse for the noble Carney than for Trump.
Canada's economy will suffer significantly more than the United States economy, with the imposition of 50% U.S. tariffs on roughly $20 billion of Canadian goods.
This is at least as bad as Luxon revoking CER with Australia.
For a really good (but now a little dated) analysis of how closely intertwined Canada is with the US, I'd recommend John Ralston Saul's Confessions of a Siamese Twin.
The Canadians learned how to read the labels on produce last year and have been seeking out alternatives to American products wherever possible.
In British Columbia where the State runs liquor stores, American products don't even get on the shelves.
Canadians no longer routinely go to Florida for winter holidays and go to Mexico or the Caribian instead.
Except for Alberta which is very Trumpy.
And anyway, it is the American consumers who pay the tariffs on Canadian goods and even they are beginning to drop to the reason they are paying so much more for everything they buy.
There's no doubting the Canadians are resolute and doing what they can. But they are going to pay a mighty big economic price; far larger than the Americans will.Granted Michigan and Illinois will feel it, but they simply have more options, more scale, and far more ability to absorb economic shocks like this.
It’s called having integrity and standing up for one’s principles. Sometimes, that hurts oneself and others, financially-materialistically, and that’s when the real test is of character and resolve. It’s not for the fainthearted.
You can call it your Next Of Kin if you like but it's going to drive Canadian inflation up faster than the US. There's character, then there's the groceries.
Yup, character has consequences, sometimes dire. As do character flaws. Groceries are for the body; character is for the soul. There’s a connection, somewhere …
Canada is prepared to ride out US tariff shocks. The Canada-US-Mexico trade agreement has been under negotiations for months. Carney said 'no' to egregious last-minute demands from the US that threatened sovreignity. Province premiers are behind his position. Trump is using this tariffing as a crude negotiating tool.
Wherever you read that all US-Canada trade has been tariffed is incorrect. Oil, potash, minerals, and fish [as well as car parts] are exempt. That's a big chunk of that 70% export figure you state unsupported.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cusma-deal-u-s-midterms-9.7253072
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/carney-trump-trade-tariffs-analysis-9.7317111
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_exports_of_Canada
In the meantime, the US economy is going even more rapidly down the gurgler. The government is struggling to refinance its $40 tr debt. Indicators like the US longterm bond returns and default personal credit card debt are at levels last seen around the 2007 crash. House of El explains.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ju_w3U8iJVc
Carney said "these demands included curtailing Canada’s ability to forge new trade deals, in violation of its sovereignty….Unacceptable.”
Another point: US importers will continue to buy those Canadian goods in the short to medium term, because it takes time to reorganise supply chains.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/23/canada-us-and-tit-for-tat-tariffs-how-will-it-impact-their-economies
‘Still, with 5 percent of Canadian exports affected out of a $382bn market [CEO of APAC Advisors and a trade specialist] added, “it’s not a huge hit to the Canadian economy overall.” ‘
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/subjects/international_trade/merchandise_imports_and_exports
House of El describes why the negotiations fell through: Lutnick, Trump's Commerce Secretary stepped in and derailed good-faith bargaining, virtually on the last day before sign-off. Trumped!
American businesses and states with strong dependence on Canadian goods are very unhappy with the latest in Trump’s tariff war. Canada is retaliating by setting tariffs preferentially in Republican states. Smart move, with the midterm elections coming up.
El also points out Trump is using obscure presidential-power legislation to set trade tariffs. It was last used in the 1930s and contributed to a recession becoming the Great Depression.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zAUrJnVB0LY
As much for my own sanity and headspace, a brief update from the Bread and Circuses Department.
A courageous win by the ABs at Ellis Park coming from 13-12 down at halftime and a scrum on rollerskates to prevalling in the second half, winning it 21-3. Winning the test 33-16 and finishing the Springbok 12 test undefeated run.
There is a 15-20% improvement in the ABs, the Boks, not so much.
An update from the bully boy section, the Warriors celebrate coach Andrew Webster's 100th game and the extension of his contract to 2032 by beating Rabbitohs 45-26 in Sydney. The 19 point margin takes them temporarily to the top of the table, thanks to a last minute drop goal from the young Australian half Luke Hanson. Notable as he is part of the sixth halves pairing the Wahs have used this year.
Airfares for early October will be a premium as reportedly Wahs fans make up 24% of all Grand Final ticket sales so far!
And the Fern's, especially Ayesha Leti-I’iga’s, cracker effort, too.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/361023122/black-ferns-v-australia-all-you-need-know-about-womens-rugby-test
True, the Satiti whanau will be very proud with Amarante's late try, along with the Tapsells as Pia debuted for the Wallaroos after playing for the Black Ferns.
From the Category ‘WTF, Simeon Brown’:
https://otaihangasecondopinion.wpcomstaging.com/2026/08/22/health-minister-drops-medical-council-in-a-right-political-pickle/ [HT to Scoop https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2608/S00055/health-minister-drops-medical-council-in-a-right-political-pickle.htm ]
How would you feel if your GP tried to profiteer, on his medical credentials and professional status, from selling snake oil supplements from his snake oil quack company? It wouldn’t fall under the Category ‘Freedom of Expression to state and/or sell BS’, would it?
You couldn't make this shit up.
Not to worry, one of Mulgan's first tasks can be 'streamlining' Medical Council's overly 'inefficient' and 'intrusive' Ethical guidelines./sarc/fury.
No doubt Mr Thumb will be relaxed about Peewee Herman's mis-steps.
Simeon Brown is National’s Election Campaign Manager and the big brains behind the attacks on (political) opponents (mostly Labour, so far), the BS claims, and the blatant lies. He’s the most dangerous man in National and wielding more influence than Luxon ever has and ever will – the man behind the throne is always the one to watch (at your peril).
Forgive the rugby analogy…
Maybe the greatest strength turns out to be a weakness.
The 'Boks were to be unbeatable due to their depth. (Rassie is thought to be able to field at least three full strength teams.) When they came under pressure, they seemed to lack cohesion and familiarity with each other and started playing like individuals.
Brown with the responsibilities and power he has wielded this term obviously has a big Achilles heel. It will just take a well crafted sentence or two for this to be exposed.
With a bit of luck there is a socialist minded marketing guru out there working on this.
Unbelievable!
Was questioning when the large-scale public advertising campaign (to inform the wider public about the expanded citizen's arrest laws) was planned to launch and to my surprise, there doesn't seem to be one.
The updated citizen’s arrest laws are a big shift from our current standing and many aren't aware of the do's and don't when enacting one.
Listening to a number of discussions, there seems to be little understanding of what is and isn't allowed.
You'd be surprised how many wannabe vigilantes there are out there ready to reek their (what they now believe is legal) vengeance.
Which is going to make matters far worse. Putting untrained members of the public at risk of injury and potentially of greater risk of being charged themselves.
The police have put out a police's guide to doing it legally (and in the absence of an official campaign) this needs to be shared far and wide
https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/08/16/citizens-arrest-rules-now-in-force-polices-guide-to-doing-it-legally/
Quite small cable ties will be needed to detain Simeon Brown for actively vandalising the Public Health System…
Ganesh has some interesting comments on fiscal and economic policy, debunking the neolib mythology and wanting to put people at the centre of any fiscal policy.
10 minutes long – and it would be a damn good thing if Labour took notice – though their recently reaffirmed emphasis on well-being might be approaching the same end. The Greens would be all in favour IMO.
And here we are with the election contest sharpened up:
National = No New Taxes at all.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/08/23/luxon-vows-no-new-taxes-dumping-bank-and-bed-tax-ideas/
Labour = Capital Gains Tax dedicated to health.
This is, as was in 1996 and 2014, a tax election.
No New Taxes, yeah right, heard that before from Key, then he went and put GST up.
I remember that so well. You and I know how regressive GST is on low income households. It was a proper National gut punch.
And it's addictive for government. That passive income stream. Once it's in place, it seems to be effectively impossible for a different government to move it back down (or at least, it wasn't done in the 2017 or 2020 governments)
Yep.
Waiting for Nationals GST increase to 20%, to fill Nicola's hole after the election.
They have to fill it somehow, and obviously taxing the rich is Not, an option.
Though, I think they are more likely to raise more sneaky levies, user pays and welfare cuts, and pass even more costs onto councils, forcing them to borrow, as rate rises are capped.
So national have canceled the lng gas plant levy?
From memory I think they cancelled that a while ago BWag. (Possibly they already had their no new tax policy in mind then)
But it does raise the issue of how they are going to pay for the LNG import plant-Bernard Hickey says it will be close to $3 billion to build when all plant, port infrastructure and LNG capable boats are added in.
And this for something that roof and grid scale solar with attached batteries has probably already made redundant.
Ditty in the city – we don't want to hear: 'London [Auckland] Bridge Is Falling Down, falling down.'
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2608/S00156/wholly-inadequate-industry-urges-government-to-reverse-regulations-that-ignored-expert-advice.htm Friday, 21 August 2026, 7:25 am
Press Release: Engineering New Zealand
Representatives from across industry bodies, including Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau, are urgently calling on the Government to reverse changes it made to the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 and the NZ Wiring Rules, before somebody is injured or killed.
Last year, in an effort to reduce barriers to the installation of renewable energy technologies including solar panels and EV chargers, the Government made a number of regulatory modifications, including removal of clauses from the standard which prohibited the switching of protective earth and neutral (PEN) conductors…
(It may not refer to bridges but the response is the same.)
Oncology expert pretty much destroys ACT's Two-Huge-Cancer-Centres policy, calling it "magical thinking".
It's funny how Act think they can fund health from philanthropy, but they won't entertain paying tax to fund the same outputs.
Someone from Mt Roskill, where only Carlos Cheung (Nat) and Michael Wood (Lab) are candidates, picked up on the latest Curia poll there, asking who gets your electorate vote.
Trick question, because only Lab and Nat are standing, but all parties are listed as options. Not quite dirty politics but definitely sneaky. Then Curia can report ‘huzza, Cheung more popular than Wood’.
https://www.reddit.com/r/nzpolitics/comments/1vvx83a/curia_polling_up_to_more_dodgy_tricks_suggesting/
Additionally, Cheung apparently shut down comments from the Chinese community on his Social media after the Peters-Luxon fish affair.
That’s incorrect.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candidates_in_the_2026_New_Zealand_general_election_by_electorate
Nat, Lab, ACT, OP. Only the 1st two had names on the Curia poll. Sneakiness factor unchanged by your point.
In your comment, you made two incorrect claims:
Incorrectness unchanged by your Wikipedia link (in fact, it confirms it).
Updated your own unsupported observation with an actual citation. The reddit/nz politics comment I quoted got it wrong in those standing in the electorate (your 2.), but not wrong on their image of the Curia poll with only these two named on the form (your 1.) Despite there being ACT and OP candidates. Hence still sneaky Curia behaviour, just two lots of misdirection instead of one.
Luxon (or Simeon Brown and the other PM-handlers) still haven't grasped that a sound bite gets you a headline for a day but serious problems afterwards, if the words are false. Thus undermining any gains from the photo-op.
In April the sound bite was the Auckland deal. In August the sound bite is "no bed tax", which contradicts the Auckland deal. Mayor Wayne Brown is not happy.
Christopher Luxon and Wayne Brown sign 'Auckland City Deal' | RNZ
But now …
Wayne Brown ‘deeply disappointed’ as National rules out bed tax | Stuff