Any voter that considers the oddballs on the lists of Act and especially NZFirst must acknowledge that a vote for any of the coalition parties is actually a belly flop into future chaos.
Some of the National backbenchers are pretty uninspiring too, such a contrast to the awesome talent and passion coming through from aspiring Labour and Green MPs.
There's a generous sprinkling of Christian fundamentalists across Nats MPs as well, including the one in my own electorate, Ilam - that is concerning, along with the distinct lack of talent that we see evidenced on a daily basis.
Do you mean the polls? The council elections are finished. There is a by election on. And then there's the awful. one off polll showing Pauline Hanson ahead of Labor in Oz.
I asked my Sydney grandson(17) who is a lefty and plans to study political science at uni,what the heck is going on over there? They're morons was his reply.
Kia ora Nick, thank you and firstly, I agree that your kōrero is worth more than $1! It must be tough trying to make a living from your writing, especially when you are so committed, and we need your voice more than ever, so I appreciate the discounts we already get!
I wondered, in regards to Matt Burgess, whether Luxon's lack of leadership, presence etc etc etc ad nauseum, created a vacuum where MB just though f***k it...might as well start running this show myself!! And it's difficult to imagine BM working alone. Fonterra can SAY that being asked to send documents to a private email address is 'irregular'...but they did it anyway. Luxon saying they weren't lobbied...ummmmmmm, political parties are being lobbied all the time! Jeez!
Meanwhile, the world gets more cray cray every day...Trump and Netanyahooo, Farage and Hanson, NZ First and their mad policies and followers, recruiting cookers from anywhere they can get them.
They tick all the ism boxes...I guess that's why they're there. I'm reading a book called 'Men Who Hate Women - The Extremism Nobody is Talking About by Laura Bates....no jellybeans for guessing that it's not a 'light' read!....given to me to read by my awesome 22 year old niece. It's becoming more and more acceptable (we just need to look at high-profile women who have been bullied, threatened out of their roles), and raises few eyebrows, to hear misogynist comments from politicians, gutter media, and generally. The 'war on woke' makes it acceptable to be racist, sexist, anti any kind of equity, ant-climate change, anti-environment, anti-trans. And in fighting back, we become targets for ridicule, abuse and threats. We must stop this alt-right plague in its tracks and VOTE in November.
Yes, I hesitate to say this because it could appear I am anti men and therefore dismissible, but over the time of this coalition govt I have watched as what you might call a male dominant worldview has been promoted at the expense of everything that some call "woke" - community, care, compassion, environmental concern and stewardship. Knowledge, that females and indigenous people have gained through experience and observation, has been ignored or dismissed. We so need to stop sidelining the importance of care and community in order to balance the government's books. We need to democratize care - value care - share responsibility for the well being of our communities and environment. We are interdependent not independent beings as neo-liberal economic theory maintains.
I agree, from a male perspective I note that its a RW male trait to belittle women. As to care, compassion, environmental concerns being a female trait, then Van Veldon, Willis and Upston must be masquerading as males. Tongue in cheek and no offense intended
Thanks John, yes those particular women have definitely bought into the prevailing worldview - neo-liberalism, so I guess they represent women who have "succeeded" on men's terms. We just need more and more men (and women) to buy into a worldview that would turn things towards the better. There are a number of women who have promoted a different sort of economics - our Marilyn Waring being one, but they are constantly sidelined. If only they were taken more seriously. I guess we need to liberate the idea that care is a trait more common in one gender. We need to see care as a concept that should be acknowledged - should have as much significance in politics as the economy. Prof Joan Tronto, says it better than me - https://www.carermentor.com/p/an-introduction-to-caring-democracy
HEAR, HEAR....its got nothing to do with what's between your legs, I reckon....unboundedly selfish stupidity/cupidity is both boringly abysmal AND non-gender specific
You are absolutely correct Nick, if Luxon was a Labour PM he would have had to resign by now.
This is absolute corruption from a morally
morally bankrupt PM.
Peter's wants to bring as many cookers into parliament as possible before he carks it, that will be his legacy.
God forbid this morning's Roy Morgan poll is anywhere near accurate, I personally can't believe it reflects the general mood of the populace, if it does what does it say about us as
The Roy Morgan has been a joke for years; its methodology seems to benefit minor parties, and its results aren't reflected in other polls or the eventual results.
P.S. I am shocked at NZ First putting this guy in and I hadn't realised Costello was of the same ilk - Hobson's Pledge. I am also shocked at the pro-government appointments of Honours too. It is very important I feel that people submit proposals for community people to get the Honour. When I think of all those marvellous people who work in food banks etc. ...... they're the ones that deserve appreciation. Sorry - I'm ranting again!
Yes, I didn't realize until recently that anyone can nominate anyone for an honour - of course they then get scrutinized, but we could nominate our local community supporters ourselves.
Lets not forget that Erica Stanford, Chris Bishop and also Nicola Willis have also used their personal emails in relation to govt. work. In May last year they put forward innocent reasons for doing this, then admitted it needed sorting as it "was not a good look". AND ...."When asked whether it was appropriate to organise meetings using the personal account, Luxon said it was important that all meetings were captured in a ministerial diary, "whether those meetings took place or it didn't take place". https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/560077/nicola-willis-chris-bishop-join-erica-stanford-in-admitting-they-used-personal-emails
This issue has not been "sorted", evidence of corruption - surely.
Yes, she, as broadcasting minister, didn't record a meeting in a cafe with a TV executive and a tech guy! They were apparently lobbyists! What's that saying about nothing changes .... the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Sadly we seem to be following the same path as countries overseas in the race to corruption, cronyism, lies, misinformation and the funnelling of funding upwards. Chris Hedges has a post regarding the path the USA has trodden and it is depressingly obvious that this coalition, along with the neoliberal agenda we have followed, has us heading rapidly to the same outcomes. Trump, Farage, Peters, Seymour, Luxton, Hanson. The west truly is stuffed.
"Jesus wept"! and I'm not going all religious here ... just a general summing up of how I feel observing everything roiling around worldwide at present - both here and in America, the UK, the Middle East and Australia - Pauline bloody Hanson shrieking like a demented banshee on our screens again crawling out from which ever rock she's been lurking under these past decades !!!! .... there are days I really despair that integrity and morality are nowhere in sight in political spheres :/ ... yes I realise that last sentence is an oxymoron but I live in hope .....
Correct Pauline, I went to Oz in 1969 and witnessed overt racism there for the first time in my (19 year old) life, I'd grown up in the hydro dam villages along the Waikato and had never seen racism, going to Oz was a distressing eye opener for me! I find it telling that just this Monday my niece told me she's leaving her 26 year long prestigious job in Sydney to come home to Aotearoa - her Dad was Māori and she too feels things are deteriorating in Australia, she also mentioned Hanson ... Pauline and her toxic cabal are only going to amplify the xenophobia sadly.
Ugh don't know what's happening to people so many right wing governments voted in around the world. Peru is having a vote soon & having similar problems with Far right wing gaining in popularity.
Absolutely agree with your reader, Nick. One dollar is not enough for your thoughtful comments and analysis. It helps lazy people like me try to make sense regularly of what is happening. We have our own Devonport crisis here where I live in Anne Street, beaurocracy gone mad as we try and get two trees of unsuitable type on our footpath with their roots and corms making it a trap for passers by and roots getting into drains of property owners. It has been going on since 2022 - first Council removal rejected then overturned then approved, then neglected and spoken that there's a conflict of interest with the arborist and it would cost $200,000 to achieve. I have been tempted to buy a household type of electric saw and go around Devonport trimming trees at midnight. I complained last week when I walked into a low hanging branch over the footpath on King Edwards parade. I just need to get my hands on a saw. I'm sick of beurocracy in local body politics and sick of it in national politics as it impacts on democracy. Still, we keep on with the good fight.
I feel for you re the trees - all the residents where I live rue the pohutukawa planted along the berms but the council will not remove them. In the meantime, their roots break up the footpaths and driveways and heaven's knows what they are doing to underground services. They also cast shade - welcome in summer, but not so good in winter! Beautiful when in bloom, but also a blooming nuisance!
Thanks for that. Honestly, I was innocently out with the walking group last week and walked into a pohutukawa branch overhanging the footpath (if I'd been 4ft high I'd have missed it) and it gave me an awful headache. I optimistically thought when I next went a week later it might have been cut off (no harm to the tree) but no, still there hurting other people's heads. What is it about the Council ... I thought negative comments about the Council might be exaggerated but no, they seem to lack commonsense - it probably had to go through several committees before action could be taken. I will be watching! I also noted today outside the post office a beautiful tree that draped over the footpath but it wouldnt hurt you as it was mostly leaves. They recently weeded below it, but left the tree to cover the footpath. Would you or I do that? So why don't they? Tis a mystery.
Wasn't Clare Curren sacked for using a personal email? it's corruption and totally stinks! New lows every day. outright lies are the norm, racists and anti-rainbow now have a voice? it's the twilight zone where those freaky creatures are breaking the wings off planes.... I hope Chippy, Chloe and all of those who care, can keep raising their voices and spotlight the terrible path we have been dragged down.
What got me today was that Luxon himself said in May last year that the use of personal emails had to stop. So what has he done to sort that out - nothing apparently!
What has happened with Luxon is out and out corruption. A friend kindly messaged me to say be careful calling it that because our defamation laws might get me! Me? Little old me? But he is right to be cautious and who would have thought it in our supposed high place on the.anti corruption index we would even have to think about being sued for defamation. Another couple of gripes : That poll : looking at the breakdown, it seems to be overwhelmingly older men voting for the right. I can assure you ; not in my Rohe! And TOP ; sorry but I did have to point out in all the glee that the poll meant 52 people out of 870 said they would vote for them. It's been one of those days.
Well he did say last year he was going to sort out the personal email issue - doesn't seem as if he did! So you have to conclude that under his leadership corruption has been allowed to take place. I would like someone to research how many times he has said. "I'm alright with that"!
This government have rushed through legislation in spite of overwhelming public opposition, have rushed through legislation after it's own ministries have advised against it and now it seems they are rushing through legislation asked for and for the explicit benefit of big corporations. This lot are so absolutely and contemptibly crooked. #Ditch the pricks in 26
Any voter that considers the oddballs on the lists of Act and especially NZFirst must acknowledge that a vote for any of the coalition parties is actually a belly flop into future chaos.
Some of the National backbenchers are pretty uninspiring too, such a contrast to the awesome talent and passion coming through from aspiring Labour and Green MPs.
There's a generous sprinkling of Christian fundamentalists across Nats MPs as well, including the one in my own electorate, Ilam - that is concerning, along with the distinct lack of talent that we see evidenced on a daily basis.
We went to Lillie's earlier in the week to hear Chloé speak...what a breath of fresh air....she was just so inspiring.
If we're going to be optimistic, we could also look at the rise of the UK Greens. They are beating Reform in many electorate.
Do you mean the polls? The council elections are finished. There is a by election on. And then there's the awful. one off polll showing Pauline Hanson ahead of Labor in Oz.
I asked my Sydney grandson(17) who is a lefty and plans to study political science at uni,what the heck is going on over there? They're morons was his reply.
Kia ora Nick, thank you and firstly, I agree that your kōrero is worth more than $1! It must be tough trying to make a living from your writing, especially when you are so committed, and we need your voice more than ever, so I appreciate the discounts we already get!
I wondered, in regards to Matt Burgess, whether Luxon's lack of leadership, presence etc etc etc ad nauseum, created a vacuum where MB just though f***k it...might as well start running this show myself!! And it's difficult to imagine BM working alone. Fonterra can SAY that being asked to send documents to a private email address is 'irregular'...but they did it anyway. Luxon saying they weren't lobbied...ummmmmmm, political parties are being lobbied all the time! Jeez!
Meanwhile, the world gets more cray cray every day...Trump and Netanyahooo, Farage and Hanson, NZ First and their mad policies and followers, recruiting cookers from anywhere they can get them.
They tick all the ism boxes...I guess that's why they're there. I'm reading a book called 'Men Who Hate Women - The Extremism Nobody is Talking About by Laura Bates....no jellybeans for guessing that it's not a 'light' read!....given to me to read by my awesome 22 year old niece. It's becoming more and more acceptable (we just need to look at high-profile women who have been bullied, threatened out of their roles), and raises few eyebrows, to hear misogynist comments from politicians, gutter media, and generally. The 'war on woke' makes it acceptable to be racist, sexist, anti any kind of equity, ant-climate change, anti-environment, anti-trans. And in fighting back, we become targets for ridicule, abuse and threats. We must stop this alt-right plague in its tracks and VOTE in November.
Yes, I hesitate to say this because it could appear I am anti men and therefore dismissible, but over the time of this coalition govt I have watched as what you might call a male dominant worldview has been promoted at the expense of everything that some call "woke" - community, care, compassion, environmental concern and stewardship. Knowledge, that females and indigenous people have gained through experience and observation, has been ignored or dismissed. We so need to stop sidelining the importance of care and community in order to balance the government's books. We need to democratize care - value care - share responsibility for the well being of our communities and environment. We are interdependent not independent beings as neo-liberal economic theory maintains.
I agree, from a male perspective I note that its a RW male trait to belittle women. As to care, compassion, environmental concerns being a female trait, then Van Veldon, Willis and Upston must be masquerading as males. Tongue in cheek and no offense intended
Thanks John, yes those particular women have definitely bought into the prevailing worldview - neo-liberalism, so I guess they represent women who have "succeeded" on men's terms. We just need more and more men (and women) to buy into a worldview that would turn things towards the better. There are a number of women who have promoted a different sort of economics - our Marilyn Waring being one, but they are constantly sidelined. If only they were taken more seriously. I guess we need to liberate the idea that care is a trait more common in one gender. We need to see care as a concept that should be acknowledged - should have as much significance in politics as the economy. Prof Joan Tronto, says it better than me - https://www.carermentor.com/p/an-introduction-to-caring-democracy
HEAR, HEAR....its got nothing to do with what's between your legs, I reckon....unboundedly selfish stupidity/cupidity is both boringly abysmal AND non-gender specific
You are absolutely correct Nick, if Luxon was a Labour PM he would have had to resign by now.
This is absolute corruption from a morally
morally bankrupt PM.
Peter's wants to bring as many cookers into parliament as possible before he carks it, that will be his legacy.
God forbid this morning's Roy Morgan poll is anywhere near accurate, I personally can't believe it reflects the general mood of the populace, if it does what does it say about us as
a country?
The Roy Morgan has been a joke for years; its methodology seems to benefit minor parties, and its results aren't reflected in other polls or the eventual results.
P.S. I am shocked at NZ First putting this guy in and I hadn't realised Costello was of the same ilk - Hobson's Pledge. I am also shocked at the pro-government appointments of Honours too. It is very important I feel that people submit proposals for community people to get the Honour. When I think of all those marvellous people who work in food banks etc. ...... they're the ones that deserve appreciation. Sorry - I'm ranting again!
Not a rant. You speak truth.
Yes, I didn't realize until recently that anyone can nominate anyone for an honour - of course they then get scrutinized, but we could nominate our local community supporters ourselves.
Lets not forget that Erica Stanford, Chris Bishop and also Nicola Willis have also used their personal emails in relation to govt. work. In May last year they put forward innocent reasons for doing this, then admitted it needed sorting as it "was not a good look". AND ...."When asked whether it was appropriate to organise meetings using the personal account, Luxon said it was important that all meetings were captured in a ministerial diary, "whether those meetings took place or it didn't take place". https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/560077/nicola-willis-chris-bishop-join-erica-stanford-in-admitting-they-used-personal-emails
This issue has not been "sorted", evidence of corruption - surely.
Isn't this how the Nats got rid of Claire Curran?
Yes, she, as broadcasting minister, didn't record a meeting in a cafe with a TV executive and a tech guy! They were apparently lobbyists! What's that saying about nothing changes .... the more things change, the more they stay the same.
I totally agree!
Sadly we seem to be following the same path as countries overseas in the race to corruption, cronyism, lies, misinformation and the funnelling of funding upwards. Chris Hedges has a post regarding the path the USA has trodden and it is depressingly obvious that this coalition, along with the neoliberal agenda we have followed, has us heading rapidly to the same outcomes. Trump, Farage, Peters, Seymour, Luxton, Hanson. The west truly is stuffed.
🎯🎯🎯
"Jesus wept"! and I'm not going all religious here ... just a general summing up of how I feel observing everything roiling around worldwide at present - both here and in America, the UK, the Middle East and Australia - Pauline bloody Hanson shrieking like a demented banshee on our screens again crawling out from which ever rock she's been lurking under these past decades !!!! .... there are days I really despair that integrity and morality are nowhere in sight in political spheres :/ ... yes I realise that last sentence is an oxymoron but I live in hope .....
I've been left wondering about the mentality of some Aussies although I know there's always been huge racism over there.
Correct Pauline, I went to Oz in 1969 and witnessed overt racism there for the first time in my (19 year old) life, I'd grown up in the hydro dam villages along the Waikato and had never seen racism, going to Oz was a distressing eye opener for me! I find it telling that just this Monday my niece told me she's leaving her 26 year long prestigious job in Sydney to come home to Aotearoa - her Dad was Māori and she too feels things are deteriorating in Australia, she also mentioned Hanson ... Pauline and her toxic cabal are only going to amplify the xenophobia sadly.
Ugh don't know what's happening to people so many right wing governments voted in around the world. Peru is having a vote soon & having similar problems with Far right wing gaining in popularity.
Absolutely agree with your reader, Nick. One dollar is not enough for your thoughtful comments and analysis. It helps lazy people like me try to make sense regularly of what is happening. We have our own Devonport crisis here where I live in Anne Street, beaurocracy gone mad as we try and get two trees of unsuitable type on our footpath with their roots and corms making it a trap for passers by and roots getting into drains of property owners. It has been going on since 2022 - first Council removal rejected then overturned then approved, then neglected and spoken that there's a conflict of interest with the arborist and it would cost $200,000 to achieve. I have been tempted to buy a household type of electric saw and go around Devonport trimming trees at midnight. I complained last week when I walked into a low hanging branch over the footpath on King Edwards parade. I just need to get my hands on a saw. I'm sick of beurocracy in local body politics and sick of it in national politics as it impacts on democracy. Still, we keep on with the good fight.
I feel for you re the trees - all the residents where I live rue the pohutukawa planted along the berms but the council will not remove them. In the meantime, their roots break up the footpaths and driveways and heaven's knows what they are doing to underground services. They also cast shade - welcome in summer, but not so good in winter! Beautiful when in bloom, but also a blooming nuisance!
Thanks for that. Honestly, I was innocently out with the walking group last week and walked into a pohutukawa branch overhanging the footpath (if I'd been 4ft high I'd have missed it) and it gave me an awful headache. I optimistically thought when I next went a week later it might have been cut off (no harm to the tree) but no, still there hurting other people's heads. What is it about the Council ... I thought negative comments about the Council might be exaggerated but no, they seem to lack commonsense - it probably had to go through several committees before action could be taken. I will be watching! I also noted today outside the post office a beautiful tree that draped over the footpath but it wouldnt hurt you as it was mostly leaves. They recently weeded below it, but left the tree to cover the footpath. Would you or I do that? So why don't they? Tis a mystery.
Wasn't Clare Curren sacked for using a personal email? it's corruption and totally stinks! New lows every day. outright lies are the norm, racists and anti-rainbow now have a voice? it's the twilight zone where those freaky creatures are breaking the wings off planes.... I hope Chippy, Chloe and all of those who care, can keep raising their voices and spotlight the terrible path we have been dragged down.
What got me today was that Luxon himself said in May last year that the use of personal emails had to stop. So what has he done to sort that out - nothing apparently!
Alarming rise of a pervasive and offensive stench in this election year ❗️
What has happened with Luxon is out and out corruption. A friend kindly messaged me to say be careful calling it that because our defamation laws might get me! Me? Little old me? But he is right to be cautious and who would have thought it in our supposed high place on the.anti corruption index we would even have to think about being sued for defamation. Another couple of gripes : That poll : looking at the breakdown, it seems to be overwhelmingly older men voting for the right. I can assure you ; not in my Rohe! And TOP ; sorry but I did have to point out in all the glee that the poll meant 52 people out of 870 said they would vote for them. It's been one of those days.
Well he did say last year he was going to sort out the personal email issue - doesn't seem as if he did! So you have to conclude that under his leadership corruption has been allowed to take place. I would like someone to research how many times he has said. "I'm alright with that"!
Useful disclaimer for your opening statement: 'It is my honestly held opinion that ...'
This government have rushed through legislation in spite of overwhelming public opposition, have rushed through legislation after it's own ministries have advised against it and now it seems they are rushing through legislation asked for and for the explicit benefit of big corporations. This lot are so absolutely and contemptibly crooked. #Ditch the pricks in 26
It's nuts and scarey.
That cartoon is brilliant and accurate