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6:00 am, March 29th, 2026 - 33 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 …
Highly informative interview with Z Energy chief executive Lindis Jones.
The Newsroom team and Mr Jones [the other Jones} are doing an awesome job of keeping people informed without hype, hope, or hissy-fits.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/03/28/i-heard-it-described-as-the-biggest-energy-shock-in-the-history-of-the-world-it-certainly-feels-like-it/
Very good interview with an explanation about why the price immediately goes up for existing stock. So many people whinging about that!
This, is self serving bullshit.
If we follow the same principle, wages should go up enough to buy replacement groceries at the likely future price, ahead of time.
Led bg donkeys.
/
Every Country in Our Supply Chain Has Declared an Emergency. NZ just launched an Ad Campaign.
What the ministerial press conference got wrong about NZ's fuel supply, and what it didn't mention at all.
[…]
Today the government sheld a ministerial press conference to announce a four-phase Fuel Response Plan (and that ad campaign). Here are some thoughts in response.
The TL:DR version: the plan is a framework without numbers, the stock figures are misleading, the geopolitical situation is considerably worse than the ministers alluded to, and NZ Inc still doesn’t understand what we’re looking at in terms of the scale of this disruption in coming months…
https://energyandresilience.substack.com/p/every-country-in-our-supply-chain?r=qrzbl&utm_medium=ios&fbclid=PAb21jcAQzyKdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA81NjcwNjczNDMzNTI0MjcAAac0qRZT5FJGGBimdYYnC0r9ehOcC2LPxDcN0RZENBL4tAHcrPYp4Tl1bdJn8A_aem_uPlC4ghxNE9pFmT01MT8GA&triedRedirect=true
Only two numbers matter to the Coalition Government: CPI and GDP.
CPI and GDP are not numbers, they're letters (just saying).
that made me chuckle.
One’s not a number, two's company, and three's a crowd.
Anyone else betting we get a financial crisis and house price downward hit after the energy crisis decreases?
That would follow the 1976-79 pattern.
ANZ is already predicting a 2% drop in house prices this year.
https://www.interest.co.nz/property/137825/anzs-latest-property-focus-report-forecasts-2-drop-house-prices-year-warns
It was announced a long time ago but perhaps the policy advocated by one-time Green Party leader Metiria Turei may be implemented.
In 2026 she called for a policy that would halve house prices, at least in Auckland. Did it ever become official policy and is it policy now?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/82525588/green-party-calling-for-house-prices-to-be-cut-in-half-over-time
Wellington prices have dropped by more than 25% since their peak in 2022 so perhaps it could happen.
https://www.opespartners.co.nz/property-markets/wellington/wellington-city
In
20262016 – now that's a typoYou know the answers to both these questions, so why did you ask?
According to your link, Wellington house prices now are 137% compared to when the Greens made the call to drop house prices “to about three to four times the median household income”. It was a good call then and it’s an even better call now.
Once were wealthy.
That period was one where award wages were linked to inflation (OPEC oil price impact), and interest rates were high*. House prices were flat* and wages rose relative to property value. It was the best ever time to save to buy a house (especially for those living at home and not renting).
It does seem that inflation will go to 4%. Maybe even 5% (rates, insurance and power costs were holding it at 3%).
(world gas prices will be impacted for up to 5 years – Qatar down to 80% exports)(urea fertiliser cost etc)
The RB will increase the OCR, so mortgage costs will rise (those who locked in longer term 2-5 year mortgage rates will be so smug, unless AI comes for their job).
The upcoming global financial crisis will make 76 -79, 87 and 2008 look like a walk in the park. And it'll happen hard and fast once diesel supply gets restricted. Some major melt downs coming when Joe Tradie finds he's not essential and has to walk to work, that's if the job is still running because they can't get materials. Economies world wide are going to slow down fast. And get angry ugly.
A most compelling and convincing case for free or discounted public transport for a fixed period that also makes fiscal sense.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/03/27/free-public-transport-the-fuel-crisis-response-that-makes-sense/
Will the ideologues in the Beehive take heed?
In short, no.
That would be admitting the last government got it right, something this petty CoC could/would never do!
Pride & prejudice = stupidity
Victoria and Tasmania have already made PT free.
Farmers approve, saying the business economy having continuing access to fuel has to be the priority.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/29/two-australian-states-offer-free-public-transport-to-ease-fuel-pain/
Yes, there are other places too, but each case & situation is (slightly) different, so there’s merit in making a case based on our idiosyncratic set of conditions and not simply say ‘they do/did it too, so we should do it too’.
As I said, the NZ argument is very strong in favour of encouraging PT and getting people off the roads so that other traffic such as trucks, that don’t have the same option of PT, experience better traffic flows and thus use fuel more efficiently. In the longer run, this may save our bacon.
No particular order
1.delaying non essential goods transport
2.those moving goods, sending more by train
3.using vehicles that do not use diesel.
Across the ditch doing it better. Victoria have implemented free public transport for a month. Tasmania for 3 months.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-29/free-public-transport-april-victoria-fuel-prices-cost-of-living/106506974
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-29/free-public-transport-tasmania-until-july-to-counter-fuel-costs/106508198
Of note is the stupidity coming out of the mouths of the Tory opposition in Aussie. With the big one being cutting the alternative energy support from the federal budget to help with the fuel crisis – how dumb can the right wing get?
Labour need to roll this lady out more.
Clear speaker and directly to the point.
And we need a real Minister of Foreign Affairs after the trash we have now.
Very impressive.
Ol' Wily Winnie on the Hunt…. not for the Wilder-People ,(or maybe the West Coast voter version… The Bewilder-People? : ), but anyway, seemingly keen to declaw DOC (castrate Conservation?)
M'kay as per usual Winnie chasing votes ,albeit age makes this an increasingly desperate stagger.
Anyway I was surprised to see NZFists selection of Jamie Cleine as candidate.
Do they know Jamies Woke/and/or deluded? NZFist going for the softer touch ? (Well, soft in the head/touched : )
Anyway..never mind old Jamies tears…I will leave the Kids as the main word on it all…
"The Bewilder-People"
That's really good, PLA.
Winston wants the votes from the short termers; the people who don't care about the future their children will have. It's mining uber alles.
I wonder too if Winston is trying to send a signal to the panel that will have to decide whether the proposed Santana gold mining venture in Otago must go ahead under the fast-track legislation.
Remember, seabed mining has already been turned down off Taranaki.
As for DoC, it's pure BS to say it needs to be reined in. It actually needs more funding and more staff to protect the conservation estate.
Their children…if they have any, might be of the same nature…or they might fkn hate those selfish old shits, and Vote Life for our Earth.
IMO. : )
I like Bomber's TheDailyBlog even though often it is way OTT.
But today Bomber has excelled himself with his Brooke Van Velden take-down. Excellent and accurate obituary.
I won't link it….you know where it is if you are interested. May the robot Brooke rot in hell.
Do robots rot?
Rust, perhaps, or degrade but I don't think their material substance is organically rot-able, in the way a fish might, or an avocado will. May the BvV-bot fizzle and oxidise and never grace our screens again.
Only problem with the post – it was her as Minister of Internal Affairs who has systematically screwed over the fire service workers.
God Bless the Pope!
https://www.msn.com/en-in/society-culture-and-history/religion-and-spirituality/pope-leo-xiv-denounces-justification-of-war-during-palm-sunday-mass/ar-AA1ZErEh