"A positive Labour weekend. This week Chippy was on fire; Luxon was out of touch, Winston lost the plot, and as for Seymour..."
Peters went full-on batshit this week with the absurdity of his allegations against Ayesha Verrall to distract from Casey Costello. I've been impressed by Verrall this year. I knew she was smart and caring, but I didn't appreciate how fierce she could be. No wonder Winston is afraid.
As for Chippy. I saw that photo of him sitting on a bench in Dunedin that was circulating last night, and I thought - you've had a big week, fella. Best I can remember since the election. It probably helps that the government is in such disarray, with Luxon's leadership looking sillier by the day.
The best you can say for Luxon is he kept his hands to himself when he met the King.
This weekend, Mrs Rockel and I are partially empty nesters. Thea has been in Palmerston North for PACANZ—Performing Arts Competitions Association of New Zealand, essentially dance nationals. This is her last comp after many years, and her troop came third on the podium last night.
Our youngest, Matty, went to Taupo with friends yesterday. They're all meeting there and staying in AirBnBs.
Their dance school has a new video on the homepage that they feature in. You can see Matty in the middle early on, the male in the centre of things. Thea is a little harder to spot but walks through the centre to the front early on. It's here if you're interested in taking a look: https://www.danza.co.nz/
We'll be just relaxing, Fi has gardening and sewing intentions and I'm planning to do bugger all. I'll write one more over the long weekend, then back on Tuesday.
Nick if anyone deserves a break it is you and Fi. Hope the weather does not ruin her plans.
There is plenty to reflect on, and perhaps some pertinent signs to make for the next protest/march/stop work. I fancy "Seymour Compass lunches!! Wonder what they really are??"
Here's a story about my yesterday which gives me hope that ordinary decent New Zealanders are the majority.
I had to take the hospital bus (so called shuttle) a 2 hour 15 minute ride to Waikato Hospital, so when the car supposed to be taking me to the bus stop wouldn't start at 7.30 am, a man down the road whom I'd never met before took me to the bus stop when I asked if he could help.
The staff at Waikato were their usual cheerful and efficient selves but when my eftpost card didn't work as I tried to pay for lunch, the young women at the counter ( who were certainly not born here so ya boo sucks to the anti immigrant xenophobics) said "don't worry you can have it on the house"
At the end of my journey back at 6 pm I decided that walking home ( only 6 kilometres) along SH4 from the bus stop was my only option.
I had traveled less than 100 metres when a car pulled up. The lovely young woman ,a local house painter, told me she had passed me and turned around to offer me a ride. whew!
And to cap it all, shortly after I got inside another young woman came knocking at the door checking that I was alright ,saying that she had seen me on the road and when she came back to offer me a ride I was no longer there.
I'm a bit of a recluse , don't have an active social life so to have so many people who are good to a strange old woman is wonderfully inspiring.
Let's just hope that their decency and kindness will be reflected in their future voting choices
Small human kindnesses take so little and bring joy to those receiving and giving. It's lovely to read about your experiences and the good in people. Things will swing back; people are mostly decent, I just hope it doesn't take too long.
So I'll talk of love Nick. It's a dark dreich dreary day here, a cold southerly is blowing sheets of rain down the valley from off the tops of the mountains with heavy snow warnings current for the alpine passes; I'm fretting about my sister in hospital with emphysema, (thank God she's living in Sydney with her daughter so has excellent healthcare not like here on the West Coast) there's talk of palliative care now; she rang me, struggling to talk but wanting to tell me how much she loved me and to reminisce about our lovely memories of happy times and family ... she recently turned 80 and told me yesterday how she misses our Mum who passed in 1986 - love endures. This Labour weekend I remember how the benevolent face of Mickey Savage looked down on us from Mum's kitchen wall all our childhood, such a large photo of him with his kind eyes, he was our parents' hero - it was the same photo that hung in Jacinda Ardern's office in the Beehive, such a shock of recognition the first time I saw that as it had been about 40 years since I've last seen it. I also remember the love of my 5 Scottish uncles and Dad for their sole sister Mary who always managed to calm down their raging "Walker family discussions" whenever talk turned to politics when the clan got together for family Christmases at Greymouth when we travelled down from Atiamuri - the love was palpable amongst the fierceness. Dad's father was a shale miner/stonemason in Scotland, the family came out from Edinburgh to Blackball on the Coast in the 1920s so the older boys and Pop could get work with his brother-in-law, the mine manager, there.
Mum's father was a Cornish miner who was promoted to mine manager at Nababeep in Sth Africa - he died there of TB and poor Gran took her 2 young children back to Cornwall where she later married another miner who brought them all out to the Waiuta gold mine on the Coast a year after Dad's family emigrated here. With a pedigree like this the National Party was never going to be supported! - in fact I remember my Mum's scorn for Muldoon especially was top level! - if she was listening to parliament on the radio whilst making her gorgeous Cornish pasties the pastry got an extra thumping! My sister and I have often said these past 11 months "what would Mum and Dad and his brothers be saying if they were here now and witnessing this shit show of a coalition? Aunty Mary wouldn't have a chance of quietening them down!" So love and family endure, the Tories come and go and the sooner this toxic lot go the better. Good grief this has turned into a tome Nick - you did ask! ..... keep "The Red Flag" flying ....
Oh I related to so much of what you shared. My Dad passed 3 years ago and the only time I am glad about that is when I think at least he's not seeing this backward shit show
I'm gonna be full on reminding people that Labour Day has meaning, derived from the union movement and the dream of 8 hours work, 8 hours rest and 8 hours recreation. You know while we still have a 40 hour week in our minimum wage act, it is subject to the boss agreeing. I am also gonna try to calm down a bit : such anxiety with the US election coming up, where Trump thinks auto workers just take parts out of a box like lego, and in our own Parliament Brooke van Velden who will having a day off for sure, telling us her government represents all workers, while unions don't. Tell me which win from the union movement hasn't ended up applying to all workers? And then there's Winston. Awful, vile, nasty hit job on a public sector worker who can't defend herself, because he got the snots that Ayesha Verrall was criticising his precious Casey Costello. He is a bully.
I was shocked at Brooke's comments. How low can she go? Like many others she has taken Labour's actions out of the context of the pandemic. They only make sense in that context. She is appealing to the antivaxxer followers of course. Coc anti worker actions have been bit by bit and not so simple to show. Yes thank you to unions for Labour day and many other worker protections. I deplore the step by step dismantling by Coc of these protections.
Labour versus capital? Why can’t a significant number of the squeezed middle see that they are actually fighting the same fight as the unions? As they overwork at the cafe they opened, the lawn mowing franchise, the local pharmacist, the two man draining business, and a million others who currently think the socialists want to steal the right to own a Ford Ranger they must be shown that this ‘freedom’ that parties of the right espouse is only for the very rich, not the people who actually ‘work’ for a living. So, Nick how do we educate them?
The right has been successful in selling this vision to the middle class that they can get ahead if they run their own small business, have an investment property, or maybe buy some shares when a former state asset is flogged off for bugger all. I guess a few truths:
* Everyone needs social services, whether working for the man or thinking we are the man.
* Those tax cuts will actually cost you more than the things being cut to fund them. As for business, do things seem kind of slow since all the government layoffs started?
* Health is a big one. We all see the waiting times in the ED or the months or years to get a procedure we could get right away with private health insurance. I don't have any evidence, but I suspect that the recent hospital protest in Dunedin probably contained a broader range of voters than most protests—it matters to all of us.
* There is much to be done to correct misinformation. Some see the left parties as representing people who don't want to work when the opposite is true.
* I reckon the biggest one is Luxon coming across as out of touch and arrogant; the more Middle NZ sees that he doesn't relate to their lives or care about them, the quicker they will look for someone who does.
* Celebrate the left's successes where there are good alternatives or ideas. For example, that speech Chippy gave this week. Luxon can't talk like that; he doesn't have the ability. There were things in his words that would appeal beyond the left - he speaks to the average NZ, but they need to be listening, of course.
The media show some growing awareness of government truth fudging. Seymour exaggerating the quality of his "cheap" lunches. No reporter seemed to take one Perhaps they failed the sniff test.? Mountain Tui's backgrounder told of Compass past ingredient problems like Horse Meat and Listeria. Where does the food come from? How is it prepared? A little less Hollywood and more truth please.
Prebble, the stone in Labour's shoe has become a rock and a hard place in the Waitangi tribunal. Given his past statements he can not be seen as even handed. He has espoused strong anti Tribunal comments on decisions in the past. If the government hopes he will be their guard dog, they need to be aware he can quickly become a rogue dog. His active roll in Act makes his future decisions suspect. Managing conflicts of interest seem to worry COC, until it favours them. Come on Media.. where are you on this?
The COC knee capped the Constuction sector by halting the Kaianga Ora building programme and refurbishing schools, so these small businesses should be up in arms.
A substantial number of the voting public are sheep. They don’t know anything about politics or policy and align their votes with the media or friends who may be doing the same thing. It is a conundrum.
We need to know why these folk voted for any of CoC parties? If they did then what do they think of the result they got. I don't feel like I have those simple answers from them to consider why they would change.
Chunk-it Luxon awash in his own importance at CHOGM - not least in pressing the Royal flesh, twice! -telling television that Aotearoa's climate change policies are ‘well-on-track’ for the 2050 targets.
This morning WWF protest loudly that his government’s latest reporting on climate change measures are essentially a brew of spin and hogwash. (Yes, it’s hogwash that he’s awash in).
We think our media is biased. In the US, both the LA Times and Washington Post refuse to endorse a candidate in the Presidential election. Possibly for the first time ever. In the case of the LA Times, the editor was going to endorse Kamala Harris, but was overruled by the owner. They resigned.
At least they have multiple options to choose from, but that is pretty ugly in terms of the pressure that must have been applied. It's not like California was ever going to Trump. Good on them resigning, I hate to think what sort of pressure will be applied if he wins.
I also had a thought this morning- Our Political Westminster system is a capitalist model – private ownership of public assets. (kind of how communism work out!) As our politics moves more toward private ownership it becomes ownership of people and communities and resources. I thought we had passed on from ownership by our "Rulers" but no again many aspire to be Rulers! This from ChatGPT;
Contrast:
• Competition vs. Cooperation: Capitalism thrives on competition, where individuals and companies compete to succeed, whereas cooperation emphasizes collective effort and shared success.
• Profit Orientation: Capitalism seeks to maximize individual profits, while cooperation focuses on shared benefits and reinvestment into the community.
• Individualism vs. Collectivism: Capitalism tends to prioritize individual success, ownership, and freedom, while cooperation stresses collective responsibility and group well-being.
Do We - If We - want change there is only one possibility - people have to take action! Time for Action is now!
I come from working class roots so voting Labour has never been in question. Hard working grandparents and parents taught me that if you work hard, you get somewhere. That philosophy worked for me but I fear that this might not be the case for my children 🫤
Having worked in Health for over 35 years has exposed me to some of our most vulnerable, many with no voice. Advocating for them has gone hand in glove with being a Nurse.
My long winded point is; surely as a society we should be looking out for our most vulnerable, instead of grinding them underfoot? Covid rocked me to my core, but this current government has left me traumatised and wondering whether this is the Aotearoa that I love with my heart.
All of you good folk give me hope and my natural "half glass full" state rises above again and again. Much Aroha to you all 💓
It feels like a good time to take stock, not worry too much about the current situation, and think of better days ahead.
I'm not sure if we realise just how much Covid has affected us as a society and as individuals; yes, this government seems hard to take following that period of vulnerability. I do have confidence that most people in Aotearoa are pretty decent. Things will get better, but I share your concerns that the old social contracts may not be available in the future.
It's our foreign policy that's worrying me at the moment we've aligned ourselves with the USA & at a time when their one of the most hated countries in the world along with Israel scary if Trump gets in.
Please believe there are good people out there. Keep optimistic. Positive people attract others.
When talking about what is happening, listen to the complaint then ask when they lost hope /felt it wasn't what they thought/ what "on track" meant to them. A thoughtful discussion is often a turning point.
I come from a wider family where you just voted National, all my aunts, uncles and parents, and even they would be horrified at what that party has become. I started voting as soon as I was able to, although I didn’t follow politics the way I do these days. That was some 55 years ago and fortunately I was always able to look at the current issues and vote accordingly, either National, Labour or some minor party. What has always bothered me about all parties was the total lack of a cohesive plan, where all aspects of a parties policies dovetailed together and there was a long term vision of where that party wanted to get NZ to. I hated with a passion what the politicians did in the 1980’s with the neoliberalism and privatisation. I always felt that it was the governments job to look after the major aspects of life for the benefit of all the people of Aotearoa NZ. Transport, Education, Energy, just to name three. When John Key came along I thought that he was the man to do it for us and I waited to see his plan. And waited, and waited, and waited……………. What a self serving dickhead he turned out to be, wanting only to be Prime Minister of NZ for another notch in his belt. National finally completely lost me when Nick Smith considered a “wadeable” river to be an acceptable level of water quality-what!!!!!!!!!! And so we still await a party, any party, that will fulfil those critical objectives for any rational governing platform.
Except that we do, in fact have such a party, TOP, The Opportunities Party. Gareth Morgan came on the scene in 2016 and all I could think was AT LAST. An evidence backed suite of policies that all hung together in a coherent plan, that was fair for all the people of this country, and a party that was prepared to work with anyone else on any policy that aligned with their values and advanced their own plan. Didn’t want power for power’s sake, just wanted sufficient presence to be able to influence the ruling government and help propel us in the right direction. So what happened, 2 miserable percent of the vote. Gareth said he was disgusted with New Zealanders and I wholeheartedly agree. What a waste of Opportunity. One comment I heard from someone who attended a TOP meeting (living in Ongaonga makes it difficult to attend meetings ones self) was that Gareth felt that were TOP to gain a controlling interest it would take 15 years to get to where we needed to be. What a realistic view-we have to start thinking and planning long term. Fat chance of that.
We need a movement in Aotearoa NZ that will concentrate only on getting people to vote. The less well off in NZ (I use NZ rather than our full title as it’s quicker to type) are their own worst enemies. How can you expect to change things if you will not get out and vote for something different? There are alternatives to the “big” two (pathetic two), and although I would say TOP, it doesn’t matter who you vote for, just vote for someone. That movement needs to get out in the town square, in the areas they seek to influence, with loudspeakers and good orators to persuade the disenfranchised that there are more of them than the assholes at the top and that they can make a difference. Target railway stations and other transport hubs, working area bakeries where the blue collars go to get their lunches, anywhere there are lower socio economic groups or young people. There is no such thing as a wasted vote. Flood social media with the message, radio and television advertising if possible, pamphlet drops in the universities and other tertiary institutions. What I would just love to see is all the minor parties get together, be prepared to compromise like mad and thrash out a set of core, important policies that they can all live with and then unite under one banner so that we only have one alternative party to get behind and we lose the deleterious effect of the vote splitting losses. Then we will see the backs of the ruling classes and they will have to have a good re-think if they want to remain credible.
WE need to act NOW. I have been watching UK politics for around a year now and what is happening there is truly horrifying. I always thought that it was only a matter of time before the same happened here. It didn’t take long, in one year this coalition of ours are well down the track of totally ruining a beautiful country, what a sad day it was when Luxon lost whatever principles he may once have had in order to do a Key and gain the title of Prime Minister Of NZ. Sadly I have to leave the leadership of such a movement to people more capable than I, but it is every bit as important to get such a movement off the ground as any actual political party. It doesn’t matter how good your policies are if the people you are endeavouring to appeal to don’t even vote.
Yes, I remember "wadeable" water quality being the new benchmark - what an ambition.
I have an issue with TOP, not their policies; they are largely similar to the Greens, whom I support. My concern is the loss of 2-3% of the vote, which, in a tight election, could be the difference between the left and the right winning. Of course, I'm assuming that few TOP voters would select the coalition parties as their next choice.
I'd love to see that 5% threshold dropped down to, say, 3%, but as things stand, it's so hard to see them making it in, at least without a deal in a winnable seat, that it just feels like lost votes. The sad reality is they didn't make it with Gareth's money and publicity; it is hard to see them making it without.
You're right about the UK, they've been going down this austerity/privatisation road for a long time, and what they're experiencing is our future if we don't get "back on track" in the opposite direction to which we're travelling at present.
Great post and I agree wholeheartedly with your political analysis regarding TOP. They're evidenced-based and devoid of activism... they would have got my vote however, from memory they had a land or house tax that was payable without realization. While I'm all for a CGT or similar I do think expecting people to pay a tax every year is too much with our housing market the way it is... it's totally broken and propped up by the tax payers to the tune of half a billion over year. Home ownership has become unaffordable for a lot of people and even those that can afford wouldn't be reluctant to pay a tax on the grossly inflated house values of NZ. Our elderly might have their own homes but the vast number of people would struggle to meet the costs of major maintenance let alone an annual tax on top of fast rising rates (tax), insurance etc.
Disclaimer... I'm a landlord with two houses but do things very differently... my tenants haven't had rent increases since they moved in (pre covid) and so I'm currently topping up by $700 per week (interest plus expenses)... I'm OK with that because all I've put in is a deposit and legal fees, and interest rates are trending back down so soon I'll be able to have a holiday or something 😀 Paying a tax on top of that would mean I couldn't afford to keep my houses as a single working household. I'm also a tenant and haven't had a rent increase for 22 years... I try and pay it forward.
How appropriate that one of today's topics is Love. Some of you may wonder if Diana Coleman and me are related. Yes, we are very related and are celebrating our 39th wedding anniversary today! We've been together through all the stuff life throws at you and come out the other side, still as each other's favourite person. We are having a lovely quiet day, looking forward to a couple of other loves. The Black Caps winning the current test, (possibly more my love than Diana's) and some good food with something pleasant to wash it down, for dinner. We wish you all a safe, relaxing and loving Labour weekend ❤️
Congratulations—that is wonderful. I wholeheartedly agree with your description of love: "We've been together through all the stuff life throws at you and come out the other side, still as each other's favourite person."
I'm also looking forward to the cricket; it's unbelievable that we're on the verge of a test series win in India. Along with everyone else, my expectations were very low.
Thanks Nick. It's certainly been an eventful 39 years. We're looking forward to the next 39 now😊
I remember you "feeling my pain" as a fellow cricket tragic when I wrote about a somewhat suboptimal side having to face India, followed by England in the near future. Perhaps we should slightly adjust the compass to share the potential joy ahead. I have one Peroni zero left in the fridge. I can't think of a better way to celebrate!
When I became old enough to understand some of the history of NZ politics and read about the first Labour Government- well, that was what hooked me on voting for them - Free health care, education for all, social services, state housing.... treating the population as people who mattered. My faith has been tested over the years (I voted for the Values Party way back) but generally I've stuck with the Party that I believed stood for all the people. Until 1984! Still hurts to think about the cynical, deceitful, selfish policies brought in and still with us. However, call me an idealistic fool, I still believe that Labour offers our country something to believe in. Just partner up with the Greens for God's sake!!
I would love to see a combined position put forward from Labour/the Greens at the next election, but it's also healthy in an MMP environment to have points of difference. That board church of the left newsletter is on my to-do list.
I hope we all have a sunny and restful 3 days, thanks to the wonderful union actions of today and the past. Enjoy the beauty of Aotearoa in harmony with iwi. However we are all in dire need of a future. I know one in the middle, who didn't vote for the Coc, and who has struggled to stay solvent while running an honest business, laugh at so called 'benefits of the tax cuts'. Like that person, I wonder when the other 'middle' will come to their senses. I have also heard the dribble from our current, execrable pm repeated by another businessperson who had swallowed it all and somewhat nervously repeated it to me. We must find out why and who is manipulating the media. almost all of them/it in pushing the Coc line. In some media, it's obviously greed, but in others, it may be threats.
I'm a green voter because I firmly believe, and try to live by, the four philosophical pillars of the international movement.
Which, in my own words, are;
1. To look after this planet so our grandchildrens grandchildren can enjoy its bounty as we do
2. To look after the people of this planet so all may live a life of dignity and contentment.
3. To not make war with others on this planet.
4. To devolve the decision making by the people of this planet to the lowest common denominator.
The green party in NZ apply these pillars according to the circumstances and knowledge available, so they won't always get it right in hindsight. But, if you think back to their past behaviour, they haven't strayed too far from those beliefs.
Posted to FB and X:
"A positive Labour weekend. This week Chippy was on fire; Luxon was out of touch, Winston lost the plot, and as for Seymour..."
Peters went full-on batshit this week with the absurdity of his allegations against Ayesha Verrall to distract from Casey Costello. I've been impressed by Verrall this year. I knew she was smart and caring, but I didn't appreciate how fierce she could be. No wonder Winston is afraid.
As for Chippy. I saw that photo of him sitting on a bench in Dunedin that was circulating last night, and I thought - you've had a big week, fella. Best I can remember since the election. It probably helps that the government is in such disarray, with Luxon's leadership looking sillier by the day.
The best you can say for Luxon is he kept his hands to himself when he met the King.
Seymours face when eating the school lunch samples, lol, did not agree with his words.
Winnie being Winston in Samoa when a journalist pushed him on compensation
This weekend, Mrs Rockel and I are partially empty nesters. Thea has been in Palmerston North for PACANZ—Performing Arts Competitions Association of New Zealand, essentially dance nationals. This is her last comp after many years, and her troop came third on the podium last night.
Our youngest, Matty, went to Taupo with friends yesterday. They're all meeting there and staying in AirBnBs.
Their dance school has a new video on the homepage that they feature in. You can see Matty in the middle early on, the male in the centre of things. Thea is a little harder to spot but walks through the centre to the front early on. It's here if you're interested in taking a look: https://www.danza.co.nz/
We'll be just relaxing, Fi has gardening and sewing intentions and I'm planning to do bugger all. I'll write one more over the long weekend, then back on Tuesday.
Nick if anyone deserves a break it is you and Fi. Hope the weather does not ruin her plans.
There is plenty to reflect on, and perhaps some pertinent signs to make for the next protest/march/stop work. I fancy "Seymour Compass lunches!! Wonder what they really are??"
agree!
Here's a story about my yesterday which gives me hope that ordinary decent New Zealanders are the majority.
I had to take the hospital bus (so called shuttle) a 2 hour 15 minute ride to Waikato Hospital, so when the car supposed to be taking me to the bus stop wouldn't start at 7.30 am, a man down the road whom I'd never met before took me to the bus stop when I asked if he could help.
The staff at Waikato were their usual cheerful and efficient selves but when my eftpost card didn't work as I tried to pay for lunch, the young women at the counter ( who were certainly not born here so ya boo sucks to the anti immigrant xenophobics) said "don't worry you can have it on the house"
At the end of my journey back at 6 pm I decided that walking home ( only 6 kilometres) along SH4 from the bus stop was my only option.
I had traveled less than 100 metres when a car pulled up. The lovely young woman ,a local house painter, told me she had passed me and turned around to offer me a ride. whew!
And to cap it all, shortly after I got inside another young woman came knocking at the door checking that I was alright ,saying that she had seen me on the road and when she came back to offer me a ride I was no longer there.
I'm a bit of a recluse , don't have an active social life so to have so many people who are good to a strange old woman is wonderfully inspiring.
Let's just hope that their decency and kindness will be reflected in their future voting choices
Small human kindnesses take so little and bring joy to those receiving and giving. It's lovely to read about your experiences and the good in people. Things will swing back; people are mostly decent, I just hope it doesn't take too long.
One term will be too long
LOVE!
Beautiful
So I'll talk of love Nick. It's a dark dreich dreary day here, a cold southerly is blowing sheets of rain down the valley from off the tops of the mountains with heavy snow warnings current for the alpine passes; I'm fretting about my sister in hospital with emphysema, (thank God she's living in Sydney with her daughter so has excellent healthcare not like here on the West Coast) there's talk of palliative care now; she rang me, struggling to talk but wanting to tell me how much she loved me and to reminisce about our lovely memories of happy times and family ... she recently turned 80 and told me yesterday how she misses our Mum who passed in 1986 - love endures. This Labour weekend I remember how the benevolent face of Mickey Savage looked down on us from Mum's kitchen wall all our childhood, such a large photo of him with his kind eyes, he was our parents' hero - it was the same photo that hung in Jacinda Ardern's office in the Beehive, such a shock of recognition the first time I saw that as it had been about 40 years since I've last seen it. I also remember the love of my 5 Scottish uncles and Dad for their sole sister Mary who always managed to calm down their raging "Walker family discussions" whenever talk turned to politics when the clan got together for family Christmases at Greymouth when we travelled down from Atiamuri - the love was palpable amongst the fierceness. Dad's father was a shale miner/stonemason in Scotland, the family came out from Edinburgh to Blackball on the Coast in the 1920s so the older boys and Pop could get work with his brother-in-law, the mine manager, there.
Mum's father was a Cornish miner who was promoted to mine manager at Nababeep in Sth Africa - he died there of TB and poor Gran took her 2 young children back to Cornwall where she later married another miner who brought them all out to the Waiuta gold mine on the Coast a year after Dad's family emigrated here. With a pedigree like this the National Party was never going to be supported! - in fact I remember my Mum's scorn for Muldoon especially was top level! - if she was listening to parliament on the radio whilst making her gorgeous Cornish pasties the pastry got an extra thumping! My sister and I have often said these past 11 months "what would Mum and Dad and his brothers be saying if they were here now and witnessing this shit show of a coalition? Aunty Mary wouldn't have a chance of quietening them down!" So love and family endure, the Tories come and go and the sooner this toxic lot go the better. Good grief this has turned into a tome Nick - you did ask! ..... keep "The Red Flag" flying ....
Wonderful, Vicky; thank you for writing that—powerful images and memories. Loved reading it.
Oh I related to so much of what you shared. My Dad passed 3 years ago and the only time I am glad about that is when I think at least he's not seeing this backward shit show
I'm gonna be full on reminding people that Labour Day has meaning, derived from the union movement and the dream of 8 hours work, 8 hours rest and 8 hours recreation. You know while we still have a 40 hour week in our minimum wage act, it is subject to the boss agreeing. I am also gonna try to calm down a bit : such anxiety with the US election coming up, where Trump thinks auto workers just take parts out of a box like lego, and in our own Parliament Brooke van Velden who will having a day off for sure, telling us her government represents all workers, while unions don't. Tell me which win from the union movement hasn't ended up applying to all workers? And then there's Winston. Awful, vile, nasty hit job on a public sector worker who can't defend herself, because he got the snots that Ayesha Verrall was criticising his precious Casey Costello. He is a bully.
I was shocked at Brooke's comments. How low can she go? Like many others she has taken Labour's actions out of the context of the pandemic. They only make sense in that context. She is appealing to the antivaxxer followers of course. Coc anti worker actions have been bit by bit and not so simple to show. Yes thank you to unions for Labour day and many other worker protections. I deplore the step by step dismantling by Coc of these protections.
Labour versus capital? Why can’t a significant number of the squeezed middle see that they are actually fighting the same fight as the unions? As they overwork at the cafe they opened, the lawn mowing franchise, the local pharmacist, the two man draining business, and a million others who currently think the socialists want to steal the right to own a Ford Ranger they must be shown that this ‘freedom’ that parties of the right espouse is only for the very rich, not the people who actually ‘work’ for a living. So, Nick how do we educate them?
The right has been successful in selling this vision to the middle class that they can get ahead if they run their own small business, have an investment property, or maybe buy some shares when a former state asset is flogged off for bugger all. I guess a few truths:
* Everyone needs social services, whether working for the man or thinking we are the man.
* Those tax cuts will actually cost you more than the things being cut to fund them. As for business, do things seem kind of slow since all the government layoffs started?
* Health is a big one. We all see the waiting times in the ED or the months or years to get a procedure we could get right away with private health insurance. I don't have any evidence, but I suspect that the recent hospital protest in Dunedin probably contained a broader range of voters than most protests—it matters to all of us.
* There is much to be done to correct misinformation. Some see the left parties as representing people who don't want to work when the opposite is true.
* I reckon the biggest one is Luxon coming across as out of touch and arrogant; the more Middle NZ sees that he doesn't relate to their lives or care about them, the quicker they will look for someone who does.
* Celebrate the left's successes where there are good alternatives or ideas. For example, that speech Chippy gave this week. Luxon can't talk like that; he doesn't have the ability. There were things in his words that would appeal beyond the left - he speaks to the average NZ, but they need to be listening, of course.
What do others think?
The Dunedin protest was definitely had quite a broad representation. . 35,000 is a lot of people .
The media show some growing awareness of government truth fudging. Seymour exaggerating the quality of his "cheap" lunches. No reporter seemed to take one Perhaps they failed the sniff test.? Mountain Tui's backgrounder told of Compass past ingredient problems like Horse Meat and Listeria. Where does the food come from? How is it prepared? A little less Hollywood and more truth please.
Prebble, the stone in Labour's shoe has become a rock and a hard place in the Waitangi tribunal. Given his past statements he can not be seen as even handed. He has espoused strong anti Tribunal comments on decisions in the past. If the government hopes he will be their guard dog, they need to be aware he can quickly become a rogue dog. His active roll in Act makes his future decisions suspect. Managing conflicts of interest seem to worry COC, until it favours them. Come on Media.. where are you on this?
The COC knee capped the Constuction sector by halting the Kaianga Ora building programme and refurbishing schools, so these small businesses should be up in arms.
And stopping the ferries and the rail heads at the ports.
A substantial number of the voting public are sheep. They don’t know anything about politics or policy and align their votes with the media or friends who may be doing the same thing. It is a conundrum.
Rob, sad but true. The ignorance is astounding.
We need to know why these folk voted for any of CoC parties? If they did then what do they think of the result they got. I don't feel like I have those simple answers from them to consider why they would change.
That is an excellent question, they have fallen for the Nats BS hook line and sinker.
Chunk-it Luxon awash in his own importance at CHOGM - not least in pressing the Royal flesh, twice! -telling television that Aotearoa's climate change policies are ‘well-on-track’ for the 2050 targets.
This morning WWF protest loudly that his government’s latest reporting on climate change measures are essentially a brew of spin and hogwash. (Yes, it’s hogwash that he’s awash in).
We think our media is biased. In the US, both the LA Times and Washington Post refuse to endorse a candidate in the Presidential election. Possibly for the first time ever. In the case of the LA Times, the editor was going to endorse Kamala Harris, but was overruled by the owner. They resigned.
At least they have multiple options to choose from, but that is pretty ugly in terms of the pressure that must have been applied. It's not like California was ever going to Trump. Good on them resigning, I hate to think what sort of pressure will be applied if he wins.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/25/news-election-endorsements-washington-post-la-times?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Editor resigned! Thats integrity!
Yes billionaires controlling the narrative
I also had a thought this morning- Our Political Westminster system is a capitalist model – private ownership of public assets. (kind of how communism work out!) As our politics moves more toward private ownership it becomes ownership of people and communities and resources. I thought we had passed on from ownership by our "Rulers" but no again many aspire to be Rulers! This from ChatGPT;
Contrast:
• Competition vs. Cooperation: Capitalism thrives on competition, where individuals and companies compete to succeed, whereas cooperation emphasizes collective effort and shared success.
• Profit Orientation: Capitalism seeks to maximize individual profits, while cooperation focuses on shared benefits and reinvestment into the community.
• Individualism vs. Collectivism: Capitalism tends to prioritize individual success, ownership, and freedom, while cooperation stresses collective responsibility and group well-being.
Do We - If We - want change there is only one possibility - people have to take action! Time for Action is now!
I come from working class roots so voting Labour has never been in question. Hard working grandparents and parents taught me that if you work hard, you get somewhere. That philosophy worked for me but I fear that this might not be the case for my children 🫤
Having worked in Health for over 35 years has exposed me to some of our most vulnerable, many with no voice. Advocating for them has gone hand in glove with being a Nurse.
My long winded point is; surely as a society we should be looking out for our most vulnerable, instead of grinding them underfoot? Covid rocked me to my core, but this current government has left me traumatised and wondering whether this is the Aotearoa that I love with my heart.
All of you good folk give me hope and my natural "half glass full" state rises above again and again. Much Aroha to you all 💓
It feels like a good time to take stock, not worry too much about the current situation, and think of better days ahead.
I'm not sure if we realise just how much Covid has affected us as a society and as individuals; yes, this government seems hard to take following that period of vulnerability. I do have confidence that most people in Aotearoa are pretty decent. Things will get better, but I share your concerns that the old social contracts may not be available in the future.
It's our foreign policy that's worrying me at the moment we've aligned ourselves with the USA & at a time when their one of the most hated countries in the world along with Israel scary if Trump gets in.
Please believe there are good people out there. Keep optimistic. Positive people attract others.
When talking about what is happening, listen to the complaint then ask when they lost hope /felt it wasn't what they thought/ what "on track" meant to them. A thoughtful discussion is often a turning point.
Been feeling the same on & off ❤️
I come from a wider family where you just voted National, all my aunts, uncles and parents, and even they would be horrified at what that party has become. I started voting as soon as I was able to, although I didn’t follow politics the way I do these days. That was some 55 years ago and fortunately I was always able to look at the current issues and vote accordingly, either National, Labour or some minor party. What has always bothered me about all parties was the total lack of a cohesive plan, where all aspects of a parties policies dovetailed together and there was a long term vision of where that party wanted to get NZ to. I hated with a passion what the politicians did in the 1980’s with the neoliberalism and privatisation. I always felt that it was the governments job to look after the major aspects of life for the benefit of all the people of Aotearoa NZ. Transport, Education, Energy, just to name three. When John Key came along I thought that he was the man to do it for us and I waited to see his plan. And waited, and waited, and waited……………. What a self serving dickhead he turned out to be, wanting only to be Prime Minister of NZ for another notch in his belt. National finally completely lost me when Nick Smith considered a “wadeable” river to be an acceptable level of water quality-what!!!!!!!!!! And so we still await a party, any party, that will fulfil those critical objectives for any rational governing platform.
Except that we do, in fact have such a party, TOP, The Opportunities Party. Gareth Morgan came on the scene in 2016 and all I could think was AT LAST. An evidence backed suite of policies that all hung together in a coherent plan, that was fair for all the people of this country, and a party that was prepared to work with anyone else on any policy that aligned with their values and advanced their own plan. Didn’t want power for power’s sake, just wanted sufficient presence to be able to influence the ruling government and help propel us in the right direction. So what happened, 2 miserable percent of the vote. Gareth said he was disgusted with New Zealanders and I wholeheartedly agree. What a waste of Opportunity. One comment I heard from someone who attended a TOP meeting (living in Ongaonga makes it difficult to attend meetings ones self) was that Gareth felt that were TOP to gain a controlling interest it would take 15 years to get to where we needed to be. What a realistic view-we have to start thinking and planning long term. Fat chance of that.
We need a movement in Aotearoa NZ that will concentrate only on getting people to vote. The less well off in NZ (I use NZ rather than our full title as it’s quicker to type) are their own worst enemies. How can you expect to change things if you will not get out and vote for something different? There are alternatives to the “big” two (pathetic two), and although I would say TOP, it doesn’t matter who you vote for, just vote for someone. That movement needs to get out in the town square, in the areas they seek to influence, with loudspeakers and good orators to persuade the disenfranchised that there are more of them than the assholes at the top and that they can make a difference. Target railway stations and other transport hubs, working area bakeries where the blue collars go to get their lunches, anywhere there are lower socio economic groups or young people. There is no such thing as a wasted vote. Flood social media with the message, radio and television advertising if possible, pamphlet drops in the universities and other tertiary institutions. What I would just love to see is all the minor parties get together, be prepared to compromise like mad and thrash out a set of core, important policies that they can all live with and then unite under one banner so that we only have one alternative party to get behind and we lose the deleterious effect of the vote splitting losses. Then we will see the backs of the ruling classes and they will have to have a good re-think if they want to remain credible.
WE need to act NOW. I have been watching UK politics for around a year now and what is happening there is truly horrifying. I always thought that it was only a matter of time before the same happened here. It didn’t take long, in one year this coalition of ours are well down the track of totally ruining a beautiful country, what a sad day it was when Luxon lost whatever principles he may once have had in order to do a Key and gain the title of Prime Minister Of NZ. Sadly I have to leave the leadership of such a movement to people more capable than I, but it is every bit as important to get such a movement off the ground as any actual political party. It doesn’t matter how good your policies are if the people you are endeavouring to appeal to don’t even vote.
Yes, I remember "wadeable" water quality being the new benchmark - what an ambition.
I have an issue with TOP, not their policies; they are largely similar to the Greens, whom I support. My concern is the loss of 2-3% of the vote, which, in a tight election, could be the difference between the left and the right winning. Of course, I'm assuming that few TOP voters would select the coalition parties as their next choice.
I'd love to see that 5% threshold dropped down to, say, 3%, but as things stand, it's so hard to see them making it in, at least without a deal in a winnable seat, that it just feels like lost votes. The sad reality is they didn't make it with Gareth's money and publicity; it is hard to see them making it without.
You're right about the UK, they've been going down this austerity/privatisation road for a long time, and what they're experiencing is our future if we don't get "back on track" in the opposite direction to which we're travelling at present.
I agree and similar reasoning for me not voting for them. They have an excellent early childhood education policy I seem to remember.
Great post and I agree wholeheartedly with your political analysis regarding TOP. They're evidenced-based and devoid of activism... they would have got my vote however, from memory they had a land or house tax that was payable without realization. While I'm all for a CGT or similar I do think expecting people to pay a tax every year is too much with our housing market the way it is... it's totally broken and propped up by the tax payers to the tune of half a billion over year. Home ownership has become unaffordable for a lot of people and even those that can afford wouldn't be reluctant to pay a tax on the grossly inflated house values of NZ. Our elderly might have their own homes but the vast number of people would struggle to meet the costs of major maintenance let alone an annual tax on top of fast rising rates (tax), insurance etc.
Disclaimer... I'm a landlord with two houses but do things very differently... my tenants haven't had rent increases since they moved in (pre covid) and so I'm currently topping up by $700 per week (interest plus expenses)... I'm OK with that because all I've put in is a deposit and legal fees, and interest rates are trending back down so soon I'll be able to have a holiday or something 😀 Paying a tax on top of that would mean I couldn't afford to keep my houses as a single working household. I'm also a tenant and haven't had a rent increase for 22 years... I try and pay it forward.
I'm Gareth fan and told my kids at last election if you determined to vote alternative vote TOP
How appropriate that one of today's topics is Love. Some of you may wonder if Diana Coleman and me are related. Yes, we are very related and are celebrating our 39th wedding anniversary today! We've been together through all the stuff life throws at you and come out the other side, still as each other's favourite person. We are having a lovely quiet day, looking forward to a couple of other loves. The Black Caps winning the current test, (possibly more my love than Diana's) and some good food with something pleasant to wash it down, for dinner. We wish you all a safe, relaxing and loving Labour weekend ❤️
Congratulations—that is wonderful. I wholeheartedly agree with your description of love: "We've been together through all the stuff life throws at you and come out the other side, still as each other's favourite person."
I'm also looking forward to the cricket; it's unbelievable that we're on the verge of a test series win in India. Along with everyone else, my expectations were very low.
Thanks Nick. It's certainly been an eventful 39 years. We're looking forward to the next 39 now😊
I remember you "feeling my pain" as a fellow cricket tragic when I wrote about a somewhat suboptimal side having to face India, followed by England in the near future. Perhaps we should slightly adjust the compass to share the potential joy ahead. I have one Peroni zero left in the fridge. I can't think of a better way to celebrate!
Cheers Jeremy
When I became old enough to understand some of the history of NZ politics and read about the first Labour Government- well, that was what hooked me on voting for them - Free health care, education for all, social services, state housing.... treating the population as people who mattered. My faith has been tested over the years (I voted for the Values Party way back) but generally I've stuck with the Party that I believed stood for all the people. Until 1984! Still hurts to think about the cynical, deceitful, selfish policies brought in and still with us. However, call me an idealistic fool, I still believe that Labour offers our country something to believe in. Just partner up with the Greens for God's sake!!
I would love to see a combined position put forward from Labour/the Greens at the next election, but it's also healthy in an MMP environment to have points of difference. That board church of the left newsletter is on my to-do list.
Relate entirely to your comments and share your political journey now for about 20+ elections.
I hope we all have a sunny and restful 3 days, thanks to the wonderful union actions of today and the past. Enjoy the beauty of Aotearoa in harmony with iwi. However we are all in dire need of a future. I know one in the middle, who didn't vote for the Coc, and who has struggled to stay solvent while running an honest business, laugh at so called 'benefits of the tax cuts'. Like that person, I wonder when the other 'middle' will come to their senses. I have also heard the dribble from our current, execrable pm repeated by another businessperson who had swallowed it all and somewhat nervously repeated it to me. We must find out why and who is manipulating the media. almost all of them/it in pushing the Coc line. In some media, it's obviously greed, but in others, it may be threats.
The latest Jack Reacher is a rollicking read. Takes your mind elsewhere, if only for a while.
I like Lee Child's books—good escapism, as you say.
You ask who I vote for and why.
I'm a green voter because I firmly believe, and try to live by, the four philosophical pillars of the international movement.
Which, in my own words, are;
1. To look after this planet so our grandchildrens grandchildren can enjoy its bounty as we do
2. To look after the people of this planet so all may live a life of dignity and contentment.
3. To not make war with others on this planet.
4. To devolve the decision making by the people of this planet to the lowest common denominator.
The green party in NZ apply these pillars according to the circumstances and knowledge available, so they won't always get it right in hindsight. But, if you think back to their past behaviour, they haven't strayed too far from those beliefs.
Me too, although I also have great admiration for the Labour movement and party.