The RSB is truly a scary beast and they way that it has been introduced is extremely sneaky. I thought that Luxon was weak and a terrible negotiator. I'm now starting to wonder if he is not in fact an ACT politician who knew that they only way to get the top job was via National. This is not democracy and you're right it is not being reported in a balanced manner.
I've believed all along that National use Act as their shadow self. Why else have they provided Seymour with his safe seat in Epsom? It's been gifted to Act since 2005 so that there was no need for Act to meet the 5% party vote threshhold. So corrupt. Make no mistake, Luxon and the National Party want Act's policies, but at just a long enough arm's length so they don't scare the silly horses away from voting Nat.
I have had the same thought. Luxon is obviously happy to be a PM in name only, collecting a handsome salary, with handsome perks and a generous retirement package all curtesy of the taxpayers, the real ones, not those in the TPU, who are able to dodge paying their fair share.
I share your obvious rage at this dreadful media ‘reportage’ It is archetypal both sidesism equating each side and as you say not declaring the ‘economist’ as a right wing shill. That he is put up as equally deserving consideration for his extreme views as Jane Kelsey is an outrage.
It may only be my observation, and please put me right if my observations are wrong, but David Seymour has had far too much airtime regarding the Treaty Principles Bill and by god he's deluded if he thinks that this record number of submissions (hopefully the majority in opposition to this bill) indicates that people want a proper debate about Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Aotearoa is simply not mature enough for this kōrero because there are far to many who actually don't know anything about Te Tiriti.
David Seymour, along with the PM by association, is quite frankly bloody devious.
He's had this submission process slipped in over the Christmas break and made it extremely difficult to understand.
Please don't hate me, but I will admit that I didn't put a submission in on the RSB bill, because no matter how much I tried, I just didn't understand it, so from my point of view there was no point in speaking on something I had no real understanding of.
It's a beautiful day here in Poneke and I wish you a great day.
Good comments Josephine. 🙂 and don’t beat yourself up over a submission. It concerns me that all of these submissions create so much noise that we fail to notice other things. Encouragement not judgement here in terms of submissions.
Kia ora, Josephine, I did write my email submission against the RSB, but at this stage it isn't actually a Bill, it's a discussion document. You'll be able to submit against the Bill at a later stage, so don't beat yourself up over this!
I don't think he's deluded Josephine, he's being duplicious. Yes he's devious, and dishonest. Once upon a time when he didn't matter and was only there through the Epsom jack-up, I thought he was gormless and easily dismissed. Not any more.
Seymour is quoted on Stuff: “Even people who don’t support my bill appear to be supporting the idea of mass participation in what the Treaty means in 2025. I think that is very, very exciting,” he told Stuff on Tuesday, as submissions closed that afternoon.
The dishonesty and Orwellian reframing is breath-taking. The reality is I believe that of the record numbers of people submitting on his Bill, masses of them think the last thing we should doing in 2025 is having a debate about what the treaty means based on his hateful, racist legislation. This man is dangerous.
But many people who rely on TV news to help them understand our country and the serious issues it faces, are not going to helped to see that by our mainstream media.
Because yes Nick, TVNZ is in the business of misleading the NZ public. I normally don't watch TV news but TV3 was on last night and they identified Wilkinson as NZ Initiative. TVNZ's bias is a real problem.
🧐Too late now but for future ref - read/listen to proven truth tellers like Prof Kelsey, and if you trust them when they say something is dangerous for our democracy, you can simply submit along the lines "I oppose this Bill & submit it should not proceed" & you can add if you have any personal connection if say it's about health or te Tiriti o Waitangi, 🫂 No Need to write screeds!
I understand how you feel about the RSB, it was nightmarish to get enough of a handle on it to comment and I left it as late as I could. I read a variety of articles about the Bill and the document a couple of times. I’m certainly no stranger to convoluted Government documents after over 30 years in the public service, but I’ve been retired three years and have become a little rusty. I said to my husband that I thought it was designed to be daunting and vague. You have my sympathy, and don’t worry about not being able to submit on it. It’s early days, there should be a further opportunity later on, unless they try introducing it under urgency. Now there’s a scary thought.
I think the fact that the TPB required an actual submission via the govt website confused people about what was required for the consultation for the RSB.
Coupled with the confusing and lengthy submission form on the Regulations website, I like alot of people were unaware that all you had to do was send a bog standard email saying as little as “I oppose the RSB”, and that you recommend that it doesn’t proceed any further.
If you scrolled to the bottom of the webpage it said that you didn’t have to answer all (or any) of the questions.
I think that form made a lot of people give up.
Anyone with a cynical mind might think that was deliberate??
I suspect that Knobby No Nuts is happy that we all think he is just a harmless TikTok Clown whilst quietly he was working alongside his Atlas mate Seymour in the coalition talks ( aided and abetted no doubt by that other Atlas stalwart Nicola No Boats ) to work out the best way to get rid of Te Tiriti and agreed that the best way was the dead cat on the table Treaty Principles Bill whilst sneakily agreeing to the RSB...Funny that we've only just recently heard about this through the good work from Jane Kelsey and Melanie Nelson in uncovering this piece of shitty subterfuge.
Yes Nick , Seymour is certainly stirring the pot with his bias rhetoric along with the one sided media. My hope is that there will be a large majority of NZers who have placed in a submission to appose the changes to te Tiriti Principles and that the results will be published. I look forward to seeing his reaction. It will be taken from the Trump playbook!
Fantastic korero Nick. It's a no brainer really. Professor Kelsey would wipe the floor in any debate over the real intent behind Seymours racist agenda
Occasionally I see a good story on 1News and feel optimistic, then they come back with an advertorial for Sandford (Monday) and the RSB story weirdly portrayed as balanced - and I sink into gloom and despondency again wondering what happened to our state broadcaster. Have they already been sold?
I agree, it is mixed, some reports are very good and others, even by the same people, not so much. They seem to confuse dumbing down with showing balance.
On journalism: "If someone says it's raining, and another person says it's dry, it's not your job to quote them both. Your job is to look out the window and find out which is true."
This is clearly a duty of journalism which has become lost by our journalists.
More and more I rely on substack blogs like yours Nick. It helps me realise I am not alone. We watch the 6pm news on TV1 and that is all. Occasionally I look at/listen to RNZ because they have other things on like the interview this morning when I was driving, about archeology on a remote island where shipwrecked sailors formed a mob and cannibalised the rest of the passengers! (Can't remember its name). Today I am thinking about leadership - you know that oft used term - and what it really means in politics. At the moment it's like being stuck in a corporate management handbook day after day.
Again beautifully written and I agree whole heartedly. It is too soon to tell but I’ve decided to give 3 news a go as I’m frustrated watching 1
I have also subscribed to RNZ news and again too soon to tell, but at least in terms of frustration levels there hasn’t been a rise. I’d welcome any one’s thoughts
While finally I loved my Jack in the Box but I have vivid memories of my siblings bashing it, which clearly I did not like. Now I can so appreciate the vision if David’s the ‘Jack’ Quite cathartic 😀
🧐RNZ is usually pretty good, both listening & written. They also pretty promptly release segments as podcasts so can get caught up with interviews or news roundups later. I subscribe to both (free$ to do) & the only reason for stress increase is that sometimes the news is horrible 🤷🏻♀️
Thanks Nick for caring and writing and rallying folks.
Some issues do not really have two sides. Some actions are just plain right or wrong. Trying to say there are good arguments for a few rich men to make more money rather than use it to take care of people is surely one of those.
Te Tiriti having having a place in Aotearoa New Zealand is not something to be debated. It has its place and what we need to do is enact it it in good faith
Jane Kelsey has been warning us all about the dangers of neoliberalism since the 1980s. She has been consistent in that. We do need to heed her warnings because they reflect what has happened and what is happening.
So now we need to keep our eyes clearly on what happens next. We have been told not everyone who wants to will get the chance to orally submit to the select committee on the principles of the treaty. Who will be chosen? How will the be reported.
We must stay vigilant on the process and progress of this bill.
We must also remain vigilant about the other matter that is not yet a bill that is about what is considered when laws are made. Not many of us are experts on this. Jane has kept her eye on this. It's her life's work to understand this 'complex process' and is what she is expert at.
As for David in some ways he is a fly by night, but at this point in history he is a dangerous one supported by 'invisible' or barely forces who care about money and not people.
So on we go Trying to make sense of it all and do the right thing for people.
Interesting comparison 👍🏾IF we managed to get this punchable faced "Jack" back in the box, another one will appear down the line like night follows day 🤬, but we have to deal with the here and now so best we work to (figuratively) blow up the box at the next election so it's taken to the tip 💪& any new iteration has to rebuild⁉️
The RSB is truly a scary beast and they way that it has been introduced is extremely sneaky. I thought that Luxon was weak and a terrible negotiator. I'm now starting to wonder if he is not in fact an ACT politician who knew that they only way to get the top job was via National. This is not democracy and you're right it is not being reported in a balanced manner.
I've believed all along that National use Act as their shadow self. Why else have they provided Seymour with his safe seat in Epsom? It's been gifted to Act since 2005 so that there was no need for Act to meet the 5% party vote threshhold. So corrupt. Make no mistake, Luxon and the National Party want Act's policies, but at just a long enough arm's length so they don't scare the silly horses away from voting Nat.
👍🏾💯Agree💯
Luxon said "We are aligned with Act and Seymore, but we don't know Winston Peters", so yes they agreed these awful actions.
The wealthy and powerful have contributed to the Right's coffers ahead of the Election to a degree it was obvious they expected favourable outcomes.
With this Coc, there is always a red cape waving to distract from the sword.
So after the election the "tax cuts" and "The treaty Principles" were the cape, the "regulations outline" the sword. imo
I have had the same thought. Luxon is obviously happy to be a PM in name only, collecting a handsome salary, with handsome perks and a generous retirement package all curtesy of the taxpayers, the real ones, not those in the TPU, who are able to dodge paying their fair share.
I share your obvious rage at this dreadful media ‘reportage’ It is archetypal both sidesism equating each side and as you say not declaring the ‘economist’ as a right wing shill. That he is put up as equally deserving consideration for his extreme views as Jane Kelsey is an outrage.
Kia ora Nick. Another great article from you.
It may only be my observation, and please put me right if my observations are wrong, but David Seymour has had far too much airtime regarding the Treaty Principles Bill and by god he's deluded if he thinks that this record number of submissions (hopefully the majority in opposition to this bill) indicates that people want a proper debate about Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Aotearoa is simply not mature enough for this kōrero because there are far to many who actually don't know anything about Te Tiriti.
David Seymour, along with the PM by association, is quite frankly bloody devious.
He's had this submission process slipped in over the Christmas break and made it extremely difficult to understand.
Please don't hate me, but I will admit that I didn't put a submission in on the RSB bill, because no matter how much I tried, I just didn't understand it, so from my point of view there was no point in speaking on something I had no real understanding of.
It's a beautiful day here in Poneke and I wish you a great day.
One last thing Nick.
Our mainstream media suck.
Good comments Josephine. 🙂 and don’t beat yourself up over a submission. It concerns me that all of these submissions create so much noise that we fail to notice other things. Encouragement not judgement here in terms of submissions.
Astute as usual Nick!! Go for it!”
Kia ora, Josephine, I did write my email submission against the RSB, but at this stage it isn't actually a Bill, it's a discussion document. You'll be able to submit against the Bill at a later stage, so don't beat yourself up over this!
Thank you for that. Hopefully by that stage my understanding will be a lot better.
I don't think he's deluded Josephine, he's being duplicious. Yes he's devious, and dishonest. Once upon a time when he didn't matter and was only there through the Epsom jack-up, I thought he was gormless and easily dismissed. Not any more.
Seymour is quoted on Stuff: “Even people who don’t support my bill appear to be supporting the idea of mass participation in what the Treaty means in 2025. I think that is very, very exciting,” he told Stuff on Tuesday, as submissions closed that afternoon.
The dishonesty and Orwellian reframing is breath-taking. The reality is I believe that of the record numbers of people submitting on his Bill, masses of them think the last thing we should doing in 2025 is having a debate about what the treaty means based on his hateful, racist legislation. This man is dangerous.
But many people who rely on TV news to help them understand our country and the serious issues it faces, are not going to helped to see that by our mainstream media.
Because yes Nick, TVNZ is in the business of misleading the NZ public. I normally don't watch TV news but TV3 was on last night and they identified Wilkinson as NZ Initiative. TVNZ's bias is a real problem.
Yes, that comment of Seymour's is pure gaslighting.
🧐Too late now but for future ref - read/listen to proven truth tellers like Prof Kelsey, and if you trust them when they say something is dangerous for our democracy, you can simply submit along the lines "I oppose this Bill & submit it should not proceed" & you can add if you have any personal connection if say it's about health or te Tiriti o Waitangi, 🫂 No Need to write screeds!
Good advice!
💯 agree I didn't either I didn't even know where to start.
I understand how you feel about the RSB, it was nightmarish to get enough of a handle on it to comment and I left it as late as I could. I read a variety of articles about the Bill and the document a couple of times. I’m certainly no stranger to convoluted Government documents after over 30 years in the public service, but I’ve been retired three years and have become a little rusty. I said to my husband that I thought it was designed to be daunting and vague. You have my sympathy, and don’t worry about not being able to submit on it. It’s early days, there should be a further opportunity later on, unless they try introducing it under urgency. Now there’s a scary thought.
I think the fact that the TPB required an actual submission via the govt website confused people about what was required for the consultation for the RSB.
Coupled with the confusing and lengthy submission form on the Regulations website, I like alot of people were unaware that all you had to do was send a bog standard email saying as little as “I oppose the RSB”, and that you recommend that it doesn’t proceed any further.
If you scrolled to the bottom of the webpage it said that you didn’t have to answer all (or any) of the questions.
I think that form made a lot of people give up.
Anyone with a cynical mind might think that was deliberate??
I agree. I think that form was designed to be both leading (in the questions it asked) & off-putting ) in design.
I ignored it & wrote an email instead.
I suspect that Knobby No Nuts is happy that we all think he is just a harmless TikTok Clown whilst quietly he was working alongside his Atlas mate Seymour in the coalition talks ( aided and abetted no doubt by that other Atlas stalwart Nicola No Boats ) to work out the best way to get rid of Te Tiriti and agreed that the best way was the dead cat on the table Treaty Principles Bill whilst sneakily agreeing to the RSB...Funny that we've only just recently heard about this through the good work from Jane Kelsey and Melanie Nelson in uncovering this piece of shitty subterfuge.
Mr 8% has far to much to say for himself
Yes Nick , Seymour is certainly stirring the pot with his bias rhetoric along with the one sided media. My hope is that there will be a large majority of NZers who have placed in a submission to appose the changes to te Tiriti Principles and that the results will be published. I look forward to seeing his reaction. It will be taken from the Trump playbook!
Thanks Nick,
A great read which clearly sets out the concerns of many of us.
An incredibly important Korero Nick!
Fantastic korero Nick. It's a no brainer really. Professor Kelsey would wipe the floor in any debate over the real intent behind Seymours racist agenda
I agree!!
Occasionally I see a good story on 1News and feel optimistic, then they come back with an advertorial for Sandford (Monday) and the RSB story weirdly portrayed as balanced - and I sink into gloom and despondency again wondering what happened to our state broadcaster. Have they already been sold?
I agree, it is mixed, some reports are very good and others, even by the same people, not so much. They seem to confuse dumbing down with showing balance.
Same here I watch about 5minutes of it to judge whether it's worth watching.
Same...I see what their lead stories are just out of interest and then change over to 3
I share your frustration, Nick, especially with the blatantly biased NZ Herald that I no longer subscirbe to.
NZ Herald asked me this morning for my opinion of it. It disappeared of my screen before I could finish giving my opinion.
I'm watching in horror and dismay the shitshow in the States, I have family living there.
It looks a little bit like Trump and co have followed little David Seymour's playbook.
With such success too!!
On journalism: "If someone says it's raining, and another person says it's dry, it's not your job to quote them both. Your job is to look out the window and find out which is true."
This is clearly a duty of journalism which has become lost by our journalists.
Bang on!
Like it!!
100% on the money. Most of them are worthy of the title journalist.
More and more I rely on substack blogs like yours Nick. It helps me realise I am not alone. We watch the 6pm news on TV1 and that is all. Occasionally I look at/listen to RNZ because they have other things on like the interview this morning when I was driving, about archeology on a remote island where shipwrecked sailors formed a mob and cannibalised the rest of the passengers! (Can't remember its name). Today I am thinking about leadership - you know that oft used term - and what it really means in politics. At the moment it's like being stuck in a corporate management handbook day after day.
Again beautifully written and I agree whole heartedly. It is too soon to tell but I’ve decided to give 3 news a go as I’m frustrated watching 1
I have also subscribed to RNZ news and again too soon to tell, but at least in terms of frustration levels there hasn’t been a rise. I’d welcome any one’s thoughts
While finally I loved my Jack in the Box but I have vivid memories of my siblings bashing it, which clearly I did not like. Now I can so appreciate the vision if David’s the ‘Jack’ Quite cathartic 😀
🧐RNZ is usually pretty good, both listening & written. They also pretty promptly release segments as podcasts so can get caught up with interviews or news roundups later. I subscribe to both (free$ to do) & the only reason for stress increase is that sometimes the news is horrible 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you and agree that some news is horrible
Thanks Nick for caring and writing and rallying folks.
Some issues do not really have two sides. Some actions are just plain right or wrong. Trying to say there are good arguments for a few rich men to make more money rather than use it to take care of people is surely one of those.
Te Tiriti having having a place in Aotearoa New Zealand is not something to be debated. It has its place and what we need to do is enact it it in good faith
Jane Kelsey has been warning us all about the dangers of neoliberalism since the 1980s. She has been consistent in that. We do need to heed her warnings because they reflect what has happened and what is happening.
So now we need to keep our eyes clearly on what happens next. We have been told not everyone who wants to will get the chance to orally submit to the select committee on the principles of the treaty. Who will be chosen? How will the be reported.
We must stay vigilant on the process and progress of this bill.
We must also remain vigilant about the other matter that is not yet a bill that is about what is considered when laws are made. Not many of us are experts on this. Jane has kept her eye on this. It's her life's work to understand this 'complex process' and is what she is expert at.
As for David in some ways he is a fly by night, but at this point in history he is a dangerous one supported by 'invisible' or barely forces who care about money and not people.
So on we go Trying to make sense of it all and do the right thing for people.
Interesting comparison 👍🏾IF we managed to get this punchable faced "Jack" back in the box, another one will appear down the line like night follows day 🤬, but we have to deal with the here and now so best we work to (figuratively) blow up the box at the next election so it's taken to the tip 💪& any new iteration has to rebuild⁉️