Opportunity flirt with ruling NZ First out – but then change their mind

Last week, Opportunity Party leader Qiulae Wong told media she was close to ruling NZ First out as a Coalition partner, after NZ First’s latest sexist video, claiming HMNZS Manawanui sunk because it was piloted by a female officer.

By current numbers NZ First and ACT are assured a place in Government, so a win for National is also a return to power for Seymour and Peters.

So by flirting with the option to rule out NZ First, Qiulae signalled to the left, and to a values based politics framework, that she is more open to forming a bloc with the left.

At least, that was what I thought until I learned she walked it back the next day.

Still, Opportunity will need to enter Government, and they are doing well in the polls, and are expected to “make history” this November.

On the National Party front, the party appears desperate. Simeon Brown, fresh from refusing to release Health NZ privatisation data, but not refuting reports 80% of new health funding, and almost 50% of current health funding is going to corporates and the private sector, spent his time in a press conference attacking Labour and repeating misleading campaign lies.

In Epsom, former Auckland Councillor and now 8-portfolio National Party Minister, Paul Goldsmith is pleading with voters to give him their vote, saying that David Seymour and he work well together, and Seymour’s seat is assured due to his list position in the party.

So please vote for me!

Many of National’s senior Ministers could lose their seats their election – that includes Bishop, Willis, Goldsmith and Brownlee.

Meanwhile, Christopher Luxon is calling on voters to ignore the latest poll, which shows National tanking at below 25%, a poll that Labour’s Campaign Manager Kieran McAnulty says is consistent with Labour’s internal polling.

Also, talking about McAnulty, what a poster:

Green Party electorate’s MP candidate, Lauren Craig, had this to say about Kieran today:

“I really do back Kieran for the electorate, and encourage anyone that lives in the Wairarapa to electorate vote Kieran (and party vote Green).

Kieran has been really great to work with across many debates. I have a lot of respect for him and genuinely hope he wins.”

Now I’ve come back for a few articles on a platform I dislike, but let’s be honest – my quality has dropped and I do not have the same capacity to do so in a way that is fair to the readers here.

But I do want to end with a reminder of something that’s very important to all Kiwis – regardless of age, colour, or creed.

And that’s healthcare.

I’ve written at length about Tend Health / Aratataki as one example of the systematic privatisation and corporatisation of our healthcare system under National.

And after learning of the billions moving to private and corporates under Simeon Brown, it reminded me of Cecilia Robinson, and the mystery of how Tend Health were helped by Health NZ to get a PHO contract during a PHO moratorium.

Or awarded mental health contracts when long standing community providers were cut off.

Today I was reminded that telehealth providers receive government funding of up to $95 per casual patient visit, compared to only $20.45 for general practice to see the same patient.

These policies have the effect of boosting corporate players and creating an environment where it’ becomes easier for them to acquire smaller, local, community GPs.

And these private, corporate telehealth providers that charge $99 for a phone call are essentially funded on taxpayers money, while the returns on investment get pulled to a select group of equity holders (foreign or domestic)

Our health system is in a state of absolute tragedy with only one, senior surgical doctor supporting 150,000 Kiwis in Nelson. And others near collapse.

It’s by design, so vote wisely …. and thank you for for your friendship.

Labour talk cost of living, property managers, and RBNZ