Good Vibrations

Getting Better All The Time; It can't get no worse.

I'm pickin' up good vibrations
She's giving me excitations (Oom-bop-bop)
I'm pickin' up good vibrations (Good vibrations, bop-bop)
She's giving me excitations (Excitations, bop-bop)

Song: The Beach Boys.

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Morena,

Thanks very much to all those who wished me a Happy Birthday yesterday; it was a lovely day.

My son and his fiancée, who’ve been over from Australia, made a delicious dinner of pork belly, roasted veggies, and pureed cauliflower. My best mate from school, who my youngest is named after, has also been here for the last couple of days.

Many memories, good laughs, and mostly ignoring politics and the news. So this newsletter is a bit seat-of-the-pants, much like the coalition.

Famine in Gaza and targeting Maternity Hospitals in Ukraine.

Palestine and Ukraine are both still a mess, with no real route to peace beyond simply giving their land away to their aggressor, as Trump readies himself for a Nobel Peace Prize for giving Netanyahu free rein, and shows that his primary interest in Ukraine is mineral rather than living.

Good Vibes.

The media here is still looking to make a silk purse out of Nicola Willis’ economy. However, even Thomas Coughlan at the Herald couldn’t ignore that the growth rhetoric doesn’t match reality and that focusing on the latter was not a good look for the government.

From his paywalled article:

Like the old Beatles hit, whenever a minister bleats it’s “[getting] a little better all the time”, many voters cannot help but mumble John Lennon’s unforgettable response: “it can’t get no worse”.

The uncharacteristically doubting Thomas runs through the various economic indicators, which forecast little to no progress on this side of the election, as to why National is now proclaiming that vibes and feels are the things, rather than results.

He continues:

Heading into Christmas, the Government will try – again – to change the narrative around the economy, juicing the vibe, though not the economy itself. Fiscal stimulus isn’t coming, but get used to its off-brand cousin, vibe stimulus. Get ready for announcements that try to encourage you to feel as optimistic as the Government.

So there you go, ignore the fact that you can’t afford to pay your bills and luxuriate in a nice warm bath of optimism.

Still, not everyone is ready to admit that things are as dire as reality and that, despite significant cuts, the National government continue to borrow more than Labour did.

I couldn’t quite believe that subtitle, which was reminiscent of Bill English’s desire to offer tax cuts even as he ran deficit after deficit.

Like what the heck?! We're already borrowing money for the previous tax cuts, offering teachers and nurses only 1%, the health sector is falling apart, and they're sowing seeds for more tax cuts? This is economic vandalism.

Wendy said, “Why do I feel like Alice in Wonderland? Falling down the rabbit hole?”

Jon pointed out, “Then Carter Holt Harvey closes its Tasman plant.” It’s hard to comprehend the idea of tax cuts being floated as more businesses close.

CTU President Richard Wagstaff said, “It's a pattern of regional collapses of firms, we've seen it quite a lot in the meat industry and in the timber industry, and we're deeply concerned about it because, you know, it really reflects a pattern of de-industrialisation of key industries in New Zealand.”

This isn’t just a downturn; once these jobs go, they won’t come back, and it’s hard to believe that anyone would suggest tax cuts when we’re going to have multiple such regions devastated by the loss of jobs that are the lifeblood of these towns.

As Jane said, “Tax cuts are meaningless to those who have lost their jobs and are struggling to find a new one. This current government has failed us all.”

Meanwhile, the media had finally run out of articles about past and present Labour MPs declining to attend the Covid Show Trial, having fully cooperated with the Inquiry by answering all the questions they were given. That non-story was replaced with this one:

Judging by the number of articles, it seems that the most important political issue of the day is Peeni Henare expressing an opinion on reversing the government’s gang patch ban. A ban that has coincided with an increase in gang numbers.

Cake and eat it too.

Peeni Henare told RNZ he was asked his personal view on the issue, which was informed by his whānau experience, and understood that differed from his party's view.

To be fair, I think Henare has been a bit naughty on this one. He’s dancing on the head of a pin to say he supports revoking the ban while his party doesn’t.

This contradiction provides ammunition for National, NZME, and Te Pāti Māori to question a by-election candidate, who says one thing, while his party says another.

Te Pāti Māori can paint Labour’s māori caucus as saying what their audience wants to hear while towing the party line.

National, of course, likes to publish constant attack pieces against Labour rather than discuss their own policies, which either don’t exist or have failed miserably, even if still celebrated by their supporters—boot camps, gang patch bans, and so on.

Pointless gimmicks that the Labour Party feels compelled to retain despite knowing they don’t work because the pitchfork brigade welcomes them.

Meanwhile, hardly anyone discusses the 500 police that the coalition was going to provide, whereas they have barely maintained existing numbers.

Perception over reality

So if the economy is bad and people have less money in their pockets, then talk about vibes instead. Or suggest a rate decrease from the RBNZ indicates something other than stimulus for a struggling economy.

If you can’t hire the police you promised without doing any due diligence, then concentrate on the failed policies you’ve implemented, celebrate them as a step in the right direction and shrug your shoulders about your inability to hire police in a market with high unemployment, much of which you caused.

If you don’t really want to take a position on Gaza, then miss the phone call. Say it was too late at 1 am, past your beddy-byes, and you needed your beauty sleep.

Deborah said, “I guess working at 1am is only for night shift workers like nurses, then?”

Rachel commented: “Indicative of the fact that he has no real power in world politics. What an absolute plonker. I’m sure he was missed (not).

Meanwhile, European leaders (proper grown-ups) are preparing to accompany Zelenskyy on his next visit to Trump.”

K.J. wrote: “The guy who skipped the hīkoi, Waitangi day, the TPB readings, the RSB readings... skips a world leaders conference call.. and on the same day that he told Mike Hosking that being a leader is about being accountable and showing up to answer questions.”

Sure, some people might say you’re spineless, but you’re getting pretty used to that by now, and besides, there are no photo ops on a Zoom call, no opportunity for back-slapping and recording TikToks, and that’s your jam.

Emile laughed, “Men of this character will not flock to the chiropractor.”

Can you feel the confidence? Do you believe in the vibes? Surely, it’s getting better all the time, by now? It couldn’t get no worse - could it?

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To end today, here are The Beach Boys with Good Vibrations.

This edition of Nick’s Kōrero is public, so you’re most welcome to share it.