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6:00 am, June 25th, 2026 - 84 comments
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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 …
An explainer.
The amount of conservation land that can be sold is going up from 2.4 to 5.2 hectares (there is 8.5 hectares if it)
The bill is open for public submissions until 2 July.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics/620338/explainer-could-the-conservation-amendment-bill-really-lead-to-billionaires-buying-up-the-national-estate
You mission the "million" before hectares!
The objective was to turn it down a notch from millions to hectares …
Forest and Bird did the heavy lifting.
$60M worth is only hectares.
Greenpeace raises other concerns.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics/620847/controversial-clause-in-conservation-amendment-bill-that-allows-sale-of-conservation-land-to-be-removed
A hectare is equal to 2.471 acres. One acre is four times the size of theoriginally standard quarter acre residential section. The land area involved in the proposed bill was/is millions of both acres and hectares!
The actual point was that they wanted to raise $60M or so each year for spending by selling land.
That amount of money is raised selling hectares of land, not millions of hectares.
While he said that it was "expected to raise around $60 million a year" the issue is that it would be ongoing ad infinitum, would open up most conservation land for sale consideration, and they could always decide to increase the rate of sale, and change the purposes to which the proceeds are put. They've done it before. The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy funds are meant to be split between conservation initiatives to protect native species and the environment, and tourism infrastructure to maintain the facilities visitors use. They are giving $5.7 million of them to the Michelin Guide so it can deploy secret inspectors at some select restaurants and produce a guide to them. That is $5.7 million funds intended for basic tourism infrastructure and conservation being reallocated for international marketing and fine dining!
There was plenty of land sitting in that category already (without adding any), if it was about $60M a year.
The big thing seems to be that private groups want to access the use of the land, not buy it.
That is the more pressing issue apparently – then it is about why – recreational use might well be consistent with conservation land status and its continued protection.
They could ask for covering of cost (process and oversight and protection of the land) from those allowed access – $60M + etc.
That said this is just wrong*. Just have a focus on enabling access for public use.
You overlook that the development or use of such things such as mining, private luxury lodges, and farming/grazing will have to be accorded the same, if not higher, prority as conservation. Such uses are private alienation in all but name.
Potaka says he will remove the sale and exchange provisions from the Bill but they remain there until they actually are.
I await implementation of his promise with interest but won’t hold my breath on the changed proposals not being introduced until the Commitee of the House stages to avoid select committee consideration and public input!
The whole Bill is an abomination and needs to be withdrawn and rewritten!
There's been rumblings on the right awhile now. Not quite an antiTrump surge, but worth a look at this advocate's disaffection on matters of principle:
What players like this ought to consider is civil war on the right of politics. Is it really a good look? Posturing is all very well, but people are more impressed by action.
The problem faced by Labour Together was the consequence of becoming inoffensive to the established order so they could inherit power while the right wing was in disarray.
This involved some betrayal of those they represented (fiscal discipline without new tax income to make progressive change at any speed unlikely).
Then the right played the nationalist populism card (and now the first duty of a government to secure the realm by cutting welfare to spend more on defence) to undermine Labour in government.
Will the Democrats learn, or will they try and marginalise progressives from their 2028 leadership and policy platform?
https://bsky.app/profile/jaimeharrison.bsky.social/post/3moym65xe3c2w
In the last 4 polls the Greens have averaged 12 and ACT have averaged 7.
The trend is a disaster for Seymour. Watch him panic.
In 14 out of the last 15 polls Labour has been ahead of National.
Luxon is already panicking-see Micky's Kiwisaver post.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2026_New_Zealand_general_election
Do you remember Seymour Snivels from the Dickens novel?
No. Which novel?
Tories, dopey pricks since 75…
(@19 seconds)
The Cossacks, I think, were not Russian but Ukrainian. Latter-day Cossacks would probably have voted National.
Cossacks were semi-military self-governing communities (of the Tsarist Russian era), exchanging military service for autonomy (as nobles did in feudal Europe).
The Zaporozhian Cossacks originated in what is now Ukraine. The Don Cossacks, otherwise (and are associated with expansion into Siberia).
Back when National told us, just as we were sitting down to dinner, about a week before a very close election, that compulsory savings equated to communism. Well it was really the State owned and controlled investment vehicle that they were upset about, but the message was broad.
It'd be another Aotearoa all together if this ad had never been broadcast and Labour had won the 1975 election.
I think there’s a vibe slowly emanating from National’s befuddled press releases and interviews, of being paternalistic and looking after families (with jobs & houses) because National knows what’s best for them. Daddy Luxon used the word “future” 21 times in his speech at the recent National Party AGM (https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2606/S00162/christopher-luxons-national-party-annual-conference-speech.htm). It’s National’s version of being the ‘nanny’ who will look after us long after the ‘nanny’ has gone after she got paid handsomely for her devious ACTs. The ‘nanny’ is, of course, strong on order & obedience because that’s what good parenting looks like. Ask Mummy Willis for money for ice cream and a movie and she’ll tell you that you must save your money for later because times are tough and it’s gonna rain tomorrow or the day after.
I really don't think, and I was around at the time, that the Cossack ad had that much influence on the final result of the 1975 election. It was seen as funny but I don't think anyone outside the Labour party took it seriously.
The Labour Government were simply seen as not competent by the time the election came round. There handling of the oil shock was very poor indeed. In that regard the current Government should be congratulated on the way the current Oil shock has been handled
I certainly wasn't paying attention to politics in 1975.
But in retrospect, I think that the election result had more to do with the leadership of the Labour government. Moving from the high-profile and popular Norman Kirk, to Bill Rowling – who wasn't exactly noted for charisma. I think that many people felt that this was not the leadership/government that they'd voted for in 1972.
Of course, you would say that. By many accounts, the ad was novel [at the time] and quite a success. Did it fundamentally change the election outcome? Who knows? Is it still actual and relevant? Yes!
You, like so many others, particularly RWs and similar free-market ilk, pretend that voters are rational when selecting their votes, based on hard objective facts and critical reasoning only, etc. Have you heard of Trump, Hanson, and post-truth?
Both hard-liner RW and LW think that their way is the correct and rational way, and so 'small' subterfuges are justified to make sure that the greater populace aren't swayed to the other side. So both are infected with 'hard objective facts' when necessary to gain or keep advantage; as Abraham Lincoln is supposed to have said –
Did he get shot? You can't get people to be right-minded all the time – no sirree. 'And the Rest is Politics' – that is also the name of the podcast where you come close to hard objective facts, so go for it, it and notable others that commenters indicate, they are treasures.
Hanna-Barbera animation company did the adverts. for the National Party via Colenso. Muldoon had no delayed gratification, he wanted jam today.
I was being trained (on the job) in making ads that year, when Rowling came to the big videotape machine I was operating & my boss introduced me to him.
I shook his hand, as you do in such occasions, & returned to what I was doing. I'd already sussed him as incapable politically due to his media (lack of) presence.
Muldoon being a shit alternative, I jumped ship a few months later. The ad was widely acclaimed as terrific propaganda. I was mildly amused but could tell it was likely to resonate with anyone who had noticed Labour's modus operandi. Yes, I probably processed the damn thing but if so, it was just another time-slot editing job.
It is to be hoped that the wins by candidates critical of the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in New York primaries is a permanent shift, even given the failure of Thomas Massie's reelection bid. Who would have ever thought that AIPAC support would be toxic?
https://thecradle.co/articles/aipac-backed-candidates-lose-new-york-primaries-as-voters-reject-pro-genocide-lobby
It is also to be hoped that the current NZ/AO govt sycophantic shielding of Israel from any meaningful criticism will be a cause of their continuing slide in popularity. It would be great if NZFs rise in the polls could be curtailed by Peters involvement in muting NZ/AO criticism. The following link is to an award winning NZ/AO documentary (Sitting On The Fence) on the large distance between our obligation, interests as a small trading nation, and our leaders public speech.
https://www.sittingonthefence.tv/
Wow. Netanyahu has managed to make Israel toxic even in the USA. Well done Bibi.
How ‘nice’ guys are being ‘nice’ to us, the people, about the negative consequences of their and therefore also our actions – we let them get away with it.
https://theconversation.com/longtime-exxon-ceo-lee-raymonds-legacy-of-climate-denial-and-misinformation-lives-on-a-psychologist-offers-ways-to-counter-it-285667
Hmmm, that sounds familiarly close to what the Coalition is trying to make use believe about the LNG facility – they would never, would they? At least we know what textbook the Coalition is using; it has greasy pages and an oily smell and should not be read by candlelight.
"…the Greens need to engage in more breaches of the Crimes Act 1961. Get out your wire cutters, Steve Abel, it’s time to rob a store. Set up a sophisticated scam, Lan Pham. Learn how to rob a bank or at least Larnach Castle, Fransisco Hernandez. There may be a short stopoff at Rimutaka on the way. But do this and the polls are clear about the end destination. You’re heading to Floor 9, The Beehive, corner of Molesworth Street and Lambton Quay, Wellington."
The Spinoff notice what it takes for the Greens to flourish.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/25-06-2026/the-greens-need-to-commit-more-crimes
it's a brave liberal that would joke about GP criminality, all things considered.
What makes you think he is joking?
Sounds like the old adage that any publicity is good publicity.
Thanks for that link Mercurio – the Greens on 13% eh – and to think only 10 days ago Standardistas were mentioning "the likely cull of Steve Abel" (12th on the list), whereas a 13% vote share would bring four more Green MPs (13th – 16th) into Parliament.
Tania Waikato
Craig Pauling
Scott Willis
Rohan O'Neill-Stevens
https://vote.nz/ – Party vote Green !
Eat your heart out Barry Soper:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/dame-jacinda-ardern-receives-honorary-degree-from-oxford-university/I3UT5WDTINGCTBUE5IQDNHBSS4/
The prick has devoted the past ten years trying to destroy Jacinda Ardern and has described her as an evil imposter – or worse. Nobody is going to bestow an honorary degree on him that is for sure.
What's eating Barry?
Old age and the feeling of irrelevance.
Steve Braunias knows.
To paraphrase Braunias (who, as a proper writer unlike Barry) knows it's better to leave it unsaid: lifelong stupidity.
Soper is old and shall grow older for a time, as we that are left and right grow old:
Age shall weary Soper, and the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
I won't remember him.
Legacy – Lange's, Clark's, and particularly young Ardern's – is what's eating Barry.
I have zero interest in Barry Soper and his book but I did happen to read this recent review of his memoir and it got panned.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/06/22/one-last-question-barry/
I wonder if Jacinda is copying Herbert Hoover in his retirement?
After the end of his disastrous single term as President he spent the rest of his very long life collecting honorary degrees. He ended up with 87 of them apparently. Ms Ardern will have a rather a busy time if she wants to emulate him.
He was also nominated 5 times for the Nobel Peace Prize although, like Donald, he never got it.
https://hooverpresidentialfoundation.org/herbert-hoover/
Oh, look, there’s a dead cat under the table playing with a dead mouse and it’s roaring its ugly head.
'The
CatMouse That Roared' – great movie, imho. Very funny that Peter Sellers."The Wonders of alwyn", an obscure novelette published unnecessarily in the wake of Dame Jacinda Ardern's enormously successful, "A Different Kind of Power".
I CYMI
From Nick’s Kōrero on Substack.
”Today’s edition is about two people and a petition. First, let’s meet Sarah, a reader of this newsletter who sent me a message last night:
I would like to make you aware of a very important petition to assist disabled people. It is fighting for the right of a permanently disabled or chronically ill person not to lose all their government support if they have or get a working partner, or if their partner starts working. It would give them a guaranteed minimum personal income. I have written about it in the attached letter.
It closes in 5 days, and I thought you might be prepared to share it if you agree it is important.
Kind regards,
Sarah.“
https://nickrockel.substack.com/p/end-the-love-tax
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/health/620480/mother-fears-disability-support-services-bill-will-lead-to-desperate-caregivers-harming-children
This RNZ story gets up close and personal in the huge human cost of being a family carer for a disabled person. It has become (predictably) much harder to get support under this government. The government also wants to neuter last year's ruling that family care givers are employees of the State, and to push responsibility for care completely onto the family.
‘Advocate Jane Carrigan, who has been supporting families caring for their disabled relatives for 14 years, said 90 percent had openly discussed suicide with her…One case that had stuck with her was that of a family who had taken in their sick sister, who had a disabled son. The sister confessed she'd had thoughts of killing herself and her son, but her family talked her down and promised they would look after him when she was gone.
They told Carrigan later they wished they hadn't talked her out of it. "It was just horrible," Carrigan said. "It just made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck." '.
National trumpetting about low cost loans for solar installations without council consent.
Big deal.
Some councils and banks do this already and Most solar installations don't need consent anyway.
Another example of National taking someone else's ideas and claiming originality.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360997431/shane-jones-refuses-confirm-if-hotel-was-three-minute-walk-toronto-mining-conference
Luxon should get some guts and sack jones, then stare winston down !!
Spot on bwag. But dream on….Luxon will never grow any cahones.
"Luxon should get some guts and sack"
QFT
Market jitters have deflated the Musk bubble: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jun/24/elon-musk-trillionaire-spacex
Market froth sloshing back & forth is normal. Auto-trading with split-second timing done by fast machines drives the system nowadays. Whoever owns the best bot wins.
Currently profit-takers are collectively deflating expectations of AI. When prices surge, everyone with spare cash gets into play to ride the gravy train. Musical chairs, as per birthday parties of 5-year olds. Slowest to react misses out on the mass sit-down. Then its back to reality for a while – the consolidation phase. Flow & ebb.
If I were God, I'd tell the devil to stop fooling around. When people drove the market the animal spirits rationale made sense. No longer! God didn't make bots, so they must be work of the devil. God ought to tell the devil to do something useful for a change: get all that excess money flowing into improving social conditions.
The devil will bleat that he has to use bureaucrats to do that and they always stuff up any system. Just an excuse. God ought to thump his desk, direct the devil to re-read Control Systems 1.01 and get it right this time!
“Strong and stable” – be careful now RNZ.
'Oh for a prime minister with empathy, authority and competence. '
What is the value of democracy to us. The Prime Ministers and their underlings plus Finance Minister are just a replication of previous royalty, with good and bad kings and their good and bad advisors.
The royalty-merchant class exchange of power has not led us to a good functioning society. It seems that ordinary people can't even trust themselves when given elevated positions, to behave with appropriate wisdom, restraint, and decision, and foresight. Too much to hope for?
(Just think of the numerous squabbles and hates that can emerge when death of an elder with money is dealt with. n example of the frequently seen emotion of wanting and desires and personal gain that seems to swamp our behaviours too often personally and when we rise up the power and property and influence ladder.)
Just a thought about RNZ change of screen and accessibility at will. They have decided that their new format won't. Can't any entity stop this glamour-driven view of tech abilities to make their sites snap, crackle and pop like the old-time saying for breakfast dried rice. I can't enjoy RNZ news as I wish any time of the day and they have diminished its very good value as was by changing it round. I think all these tech people are descended from middle class architects, home furnishers and designers; always changing around, updating, revising, FGS leave our good things alone. Pink Floyd The Wall – We don't need no… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cR0d10DUj8
what?
Just a feeling and play on words – will/won't. It's a moan about not being able to access things as I will, but RN have changed the news page as I receive it on my computer and won't let me access it simply – I have to go through aural now it seems or something; there is a barrier before I can get it.
It certainly appears that RNZ have updated their online offering.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business_media/598571/check-out-the-changes-to-rnz-s-website
I'm unsure what elements of this you find objectionable, and why.
However, the above reference includes an audience feedback link – where you can tell them all about it, directly. Rather than hoping they read TS.
Belladonna Why should I waste my time complaining? Don't you understand how things (don't) work these days. I haven't time to make requests or complaints or feedback, and maybe get instructions on how to do it now.
There is no interest in listening and adapting to what people want which is just wallpaper – often they don't want the change anyway. It ain't broke, but the money is in changing and fixing it to suit someone else's pocket.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics/620498/luxon-constantly-underwhelmed-by-slow-ai-uptake-in-nz-businesses
Here’s the lightbulb moment when & where it becomes crystal clear and blindingly obvious that Luxon has got no fucking idea what the hell he’s talking about. He sounds like a 3-yr old when asked what his favourite ice cream is (all of the ones he knows) or what he wants for his birthday (many bigly & shiny toys and the bigliest party ever). What a fucking moron!
Real business people are, rightly, standing back and seeing if, despite the hype and bullshit, that AI is really going to add value.
At present you need even more employees, to fact check AI.
The present value proposition of AI is quite different for small SMEs & self-employed compared to, say, larger corporates & government.
I had a very major cringe moment (!) when I read Luxon’s choice of words ‘brutally commercialising our science system’ and the utter ignorance that was on display – a full frontal view of the emperor with no clothes.
Yes Incognito, he has no delayed gratification… 4 yr old!!!
If he really wanted to commercialise New Zealand science he would not have killed off the Callaghan Institute which was set up to precisely do that, and not merged the CRI's, and not shunted thousands of our remaining scientists overseas.
Agree he has no fucking idea what he is on about.
"Luxon has got no fucking idea what the hell he’s talking about"
QFT
Yo Forest & Bird team, good result. Especially when the Minister acknowledges you made him do it.
Controversial clause in Conservation Amendment Bill that allows sale of conservation land to be removed | RNZ
When a bill is so bad it united Forest & Bird with all the hunters, it's truly a dog.
OMG we have a shot at kicking this lot out!
+100 Ad. Brilliant work Forest and Bird.
But the Green Party fought this too, and is rightly still unhappy with the amended devious bill. They say it should be abandoned altogether:
"This Bill still rewrites the purpose of the Conservation Act so commercial development comes first and nature comes second. Removing these clauses does not change what this reform was designed to do.You cannot fix a Bill written for developers by trimming the worst bits and hoping no one notices. The honest thing to do is stop, pull the whole Bill, and start again with a process that puts protecting nature for future generations at its heart."
"Our public conservation land is not the Government's to sell, carve up, or quietly hand to commercial interests. The Green Party will keep fighting until this Bill is gone.."
https://www.greens.org.nz/conservation_amendment_bill_needs_to_start_again
Potaka merely sloughed a skin.
Shit sandwich had a spoonful taken out.
Still a shit sandwich.
Seems they took a leaf out of Keys book. "Fly a kite" that they know won't get through public scrutiny. Then appear to water it down under public pressure.
agree totally KJT.
Yes Ad, may this be the first win of many. CoC out in 26!!
See what the revised wording is – the CoC can't be trusted.
The sale clause may be removed but they may leave another one allowing a 99 year lease of conservation land to private interests. That would still leave ordinary Kiwis locked out of public land.
The Bill must be withdrawn because the conservation estate was not created to prop up the economy. (Jones clearly envisages putting wine bars in national parks and nature reserves),
But withdrawal would involve a huge loss of face for Luxflakes and his mates.
An email from Greenpeace Aotearoa, earlier this evening.
https://action.greenpeace.org.nz/petition/aotearoa-is-not-for-sale
DMK An accolade for the cartoonist – very very right and well done. Thanks for the insightful satire.
Is the under-16 social media ban in Australia working? It may appear to be a failure, 6 months after coming into
effectplace, but it really is too early to tell and the full effects (desired and unanticipated) won’t be known for a decade, apparently – it aims at shifting norms & habits of future generations of children rather than making the current generation quit. Some interesting parallels with smoking are drawn.https://theconversation.com/85-of-kids-are-still-using-social-media-despite-ban-but-we-need-a-new-measure-to-judge-its-success-285946
What's not to like about a scheme that allows consumers to buy energy at off peak rates to store for use when peak rates apply.
https://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/storage/octopus-energy-launches-the-a-nooka–20260622
https://octopus.energy/small-battery-octopus-energy-launches-the-nook-range-home-batteries-to-unlock-lower-bills-for-millions-of-households/
Good news and bad news!
Good news for Pucky: lifting weights will help you live longer. Even better when doing moderate aerobic activity like walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming. Best when combining strength training with aerobic activity.
More good news for Pucky:
https://theconversation.com/people-who-lift-weights-live-longer-new-study-284787
It is better with
1.some more intensive activity as well.
I preferred the 100 metre sprint, 100 metre walk cycle for half an hour or so, to jogging for that reason. Fitter at the end of the 50s than the start.
2.pilates and yoga (the gym had a combination class called body balance)
Sounds like HIIT or a variation thereof, which has many studied & reported health benefits.
Strong core [muscles] and improved balance can help prevent many accidental falls among elderly.
Too true – using core muscles protects back muscles being strained. I always carry my own groceries to car – can get heavy. If too heavy I split the load – nice to have staff offer help but important to keep body working as well as poss.
l have bought books to keep informed on how to keep going. Should follow advice more but body is willing but mind doesn't settle. Reading about Michael Mosley is like doing a workout! Just reading how easy it is gives you a boost before you start. And Jon Gabriel is strong on the connection between mind and body – once you get eating right and your mind straight the excess goes and does not come back. (Michael Mosley had trouble with insomnia so may not have achieved that condition.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Mosley#Career
fast-exercises.com https://www.fast-exercises.com
and –
The Fast Diet https://thefastdiet.co.uk
Jon Gabriel on making visualisation work for you, – mind-body approach. 12.20m https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGnwLc7Hf34
A mate spotted my old man's disease and dragged me into a great family owned gym with a wonderful mix of people, kids, retirees, men, women, and everybody in between. A lifetime of manual work had pretty much jiggered my mobility so the first couple of years were tough but I persevered. I've since settled on zone 2 cardio on the bike, stretching /neck mobility drills/hip/glute /McGill big three, etc, and machines and kettle bells resistance work.
More than a decade later and I'm as well as I was 30 years ago.
"gumm(y)membership"
In other words, the influenza virus doesn’t give a shit about Pete Hegseth’s grandiose pontification about “medical autonomy and religious freedom” and the flu vaccine helps to protect against the virus. Duh!!
https://theconversation.com/the-military-traded-its-flu-vaccine-mandate-for-medical-freedom-an-outbreak-quickly-followed-286094
What a bunch of idiots they are! No wonder that they created such a mess in Iran (and elsewhere).
Drowsy , van veldrn lost here heart and sole to the job , so I guess finger is but a minor scratch to her.
Wayne Langford, Feds Head, dumped!
https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/people/langford-reflects-on-federated-farmers-presidency-after-term-bid-falls-short/
The state of children in Gaza. From First Dog on the Moon.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2026/jun/26/the-state-of-israel-vs-the-children-of-gaza?