Thanks Nick. OMG - I just can't believe that Aucklanders wouldn't have taken the opportunity to have a Pasifika mayor and one who was so experienced and had such a great vision. I just can't understand it. I suspect it is something to do with voting right whatever the result to do the left in. Some will have shot themselves in the foot - as no free public transport now and that could have been a real bonus. So sad to see predominantly the gaggle of white middle-aged men. Congratulations to Wellington for such a dynamic young Maori woman. If only Ak could have had our Pasifika mayor. I feel cheated.
I agree wholeheartedly with your summary and anyone left of centre who thinks that there is not a serious kickback from the pale, stale, male right is kidding themselves. The msm constantly is quoting National Party spokespeople as if they are objective, informed commentators on Government policy and twisting headlines so that even good news stories are made into negative ones.The viciousness and misogyny on Jacinda Ardern's FB page makes distressing reading. Looking at returns across the country, the far right misinformation campaign fed through multiple social media sources, aided by a msm that seems determined to show anything connected with the government in a bad light, I would say there is a snowball in hell's chance of a Labour-led government being re-elected.
You might be right. Given who has been voted into positions of power in the local body elections, pākeha people seem to be pushing back against a perception that Māori are becoming too powerful. NACT have continued to run smear, and fear campaigns against government policies that give any autonomy and perceived advantage to Māori. The misinformation around the He Pua Pua report peddled by Judith Collins, and David Seymour has caused misunderstanding of Co-Governance agreements , and Initiatives. The constant criticism that government, and their and other Co-Governance initiatives are causing division,and inequality in the community is bizarre given the division and inequality that has existed through colonisation for two hundred years.For many pākeha that inequality and racism was easy to ignore. It seems to me that if they think division is being caused now by government policies which enable Māori to have a say in the running of our country, they would be well advised to speculate on what sort of division will result if Māori are not enabled. Māori will not step backwards. Watch this space!
Mate. People sound like they voted not for what can he do for Auckland. But because he was Blue. Shows how much hatred against the PM there is. People of Auckalnd only have themselves to blame.
Not dislike . Ignorance. Brain washing by fake bishops. And by far right white supremacists Neo Nazi. By mysoginists haters. By anti science people. You don't dislike a leader who is working continuously scarifying her family life for this country. Results speaking for all who have tge brains to understand how lucky we are to have her and all mps to steal the country thru covid ( yes covud is still around killing people ) but to drag all from 20th century into 21st. If they think all problems would be finished by changing leaders they are for a shock . Dislike her because she followed science and epidiemolgists? Because she stood up firm against terrorism? And took decisions for tge good of all? Dislike her because she is a woman who is internationally respected and lifted our coubtry profile for the best ? Because her and her ministers are working hard for our bus? For our children ? For our future? Free apprenticeships, housing , free meals in schools , sorting out mouldy homes? That's shows those people who you say dislike her don't deserve her . Like my Australian friends who said " what have kiwis done to deserve her"! Like my UK, Italian family members saying how lucky we are to have her ! Character assassination, lies, lies and repeat lies, fake bishops with vested interests and foreign influence are going to ruin NZ. Australians got wiser : voted for a Labour leader after the worst National &Liberal government ever: they were feed lies by Murdoch media . But they after 9 years got wiser. And they have better international situation understanding. And more education: the fake bishops and white supremacists Neo Nazi are not followed or represented .
Derek Tait, the bishops right hand man, got 484 votes in Hornby, Christchurch. Thank goodness Christchurch are not stupid enough to vote him in as a councilor
Really? Tamaki ? Isn't he fake? White supremacists are the beo nazi fyi . You must be living under a big ri k not to know they exist . The ones who want to kill Jacinda. The ones who follow QAnon and pro Trump and who support the terrorist. Is it shit? No dear Simon it's not : it is facts . And you are rude.
No, we loose . Because divided in this world we loose. We were the team of 5 mil and we won. Now because of few with vested interests , be money greedy, be power greedy we are divided.
Oh god Nick. I was quite excited that Efeso had aparently been elected as mayor. I havent been keeping up wiith the results but I did catch a comment earlier today that Wayne Brown and Mathew Hooton were getting ready to make a statement. About what I didnt bother to read further. Such a shame -Brown will take the city backwards, and is a very divisive personality. Not good news fo the Labour government either.I now need to check the Dunedin results and see if our Green mayor has been re-elected. I voted for him but apparently there were four possible candidates battling it out.
Chalk up a win for the racist element , I do not think that we are grown up as a societyenough yet to embrace a Mayor of colour - there were 5 votes for Mr Collins from our household.
Postal Voting has to be scrapped , the lack of turnout is nothing short of a disgrace.
Who knows we may wind up like Tauranga with a commissioner running the show......
Tory Whanau seems to be the exception to the rule. Not only has there been a move to the right with the candidates voted in but there have also been a gaggle of middle aged white males voted in as local body leaders. I am very disappointed that the Green mayor of Dunedin Aaron Hawkins has lost the race. He was a progressive mayor, and lead a vote to support the Three Waters Reforms. Jules Radich the mayor elect is not a supporter of the government''s Three Waters structural reforms. Horrendous that Nick Smith has recycled himself as the mayor of Nelson.
Agree with many of your points Nick, and an interesting read, as always.
My overall take on the why though, is apathy. The apathy that leads to many not voting in LB elections - (often the first to moan!) The upshot of that is that the biggest voting block - those who always vote - are older, conservative, often rw voters..
And then yes, many of your other points - sadly - kick in...
Re next year's election and right avoiding splitting of vote. How are the right going to avoid that if Luxon can't pull back votes from Seymour who is trying to get the anti vax vote? Mind you the left are having a little problem with vote bleeding too but not to the same degree.
And with a turn of the voting screw, Tamaki Makaurau and indeed Aotearoa are becoming rapidly distanced from our once strong community and cultural identity. Proof that money talks. Let's burn it. The money I mean. People who are not rich, white, racist and blokes are being thrown under the bus in more ways than one and ffs is only early days yet. I am still so sad at the loss of one of our good men, one who held gentleness and nurtured it with his words and being. Those to whom we are at the mercy of are not fit to lick his boots.
I am broken hearted, frankly.
Thanks Nick. OMG - I just can't believe that Aucklanders wouldn't have taken the opportunity to have a Pasifika mayor and one who was so experienced and had such a great vision. I just can't understand it. I suspect it is something to do with voting right whatever the result to do the left in. Some will have shot themselves in the foot - as no free public transport now and that could have been a real bonus. So sad to see predominantly the gaggle of white middle-aged men. Congratulations to Wellington for such a dynamic young Maori woman. If only Ak could have had our Pasifika mayor. I feel cheated.
I agree wholeheartedly with your summary and anyone left of centre who thinks that there is not a serious kickback from the pale, stale, male right is kidding themselves. The msm constantly is quoting National Party spokespeople as if they are objective, informed commentators on Government policy and twisting headlines so that even good news stories are made into negative ones.The viciousness and misogyny on Jacinda Ardern's FB page makes distressing reading. Looking at returns across the country, the far right misinformation campaign fed through multiple social media sources, aided by a msm that seems determined to show anything connected with the government in a bad light, I would say there is a snowball in hell's chance of a Labour-led government being re-elected.
You might be right. Given who has been voted into positions of power in the local body elections, pākeha people seem to be pushing back against a perception that Māori are becoming too powerful. NACT have continued to run smear, and fear campaigns against government policies that give any autonomy and perceived advantage to Māori. The misinformation around the He Pua Pua report peddled by Judith Collins, and David Seymour has caused misunderstanding of Co-Governance agreements , and Initiatives. The constant criticism that government, and their and other Co-Governance initiatives are causing division,and inequality in the community is bizarre given the division and inequality that has existed through colonisation for two hundred years.For many pākeha that inequality and racism was easy to ignore. It seems to me that if they think division is being caused now by government policies which enable Māori to have a say in the running of our country, they would be well advised to speculate on what sort of division will result if Māori are not enabled. Māori will not step backwards. Watch this space!
Ka tangi te ngakau mo te Mauri o Tamaki Makaurau me ona hunga o Te Moana nui a Kiwa
Mate. People sound like they voted not for what can he do for Auckland. But because he was Blue. Shows how much hatred against the PM there is. People of Auckalnd only have themselves to blame.
This was never about voting Brown as Mayor, it was a massive message of dislike for Jacinda Ardern
An interesting comment Simon. I hope not so, but have my suspicions. I really just cannot understand the dislike. Oh dear.
Not dislike . Ignorance. Brain washing by fake bishops. And by far right white supremacists Neo Nazi. By mysoginists haters. By anti science people. You don't dislike a leader who is working continuously scarifying her family life for this country. Results speaking for all who have tge brains to understand how lucky we are to have her and all mps to steal the country thru covid ( yes covud is still around killing people ) but to drag all from 20th century into 21st. If they think all problems would be finished by changing leaders they are for a shock . Dislike her because she followed science and epidiemolgists? Because she stood up firm against terrorism? And took decisions for tge good of all? Dislike her because she is a woman who is internationally respected and lifted our coubtry profile for the best ? Because her and her ministers are working hard for our bus? For our children ? For our future? Free apprenticeships, housing , free meals in schools , sorting out mouldy homes? That's shows those people who you say dislike her don't deserve her . Like my Australian friends who said " what have kiwis done to deserve her"! Like my UK, Italian family members saying how lucky we are to have her ! Character assassination, lies, lies and repeat lies, fake bishops with vested interests and foreign influence are going to ruin NZ. Australians got wiser : voted for a Labour leader after the worst National &Liberal government ever: they were feed lies by Murdoch media . But they after 9 years got wiser. And they have better international situation understanding. And more education: the fake bishops and white supremacists Neo Nazi are not followed or represented .
Derek Tait, the bishops right hand man, got 484 votes in Hornby, Christchurch. Thank goodness Christchurch are not stupid enough to vote him in as a councilor
Oooh, you talk a lot of shit …… supremacists, neo-nazi’s, fake bishops oooh, oooh …
Really? Tamaki ? Isn't he fake? White supremacists are the beo nazi fyi . You must be living under a big ri k not to know they exist . The ones who want to kill Jacinda. The ones who follow QAnon and pro Trump and who support the terrorist. Is it shit? No dear Simon it's not : it is facts . And you are rude.
You won, you won …. Hands down ….. you win ….. you’re a winner Michaela ….. you’re definitely on the right track, my bad
No, we loose . Because divided in this world we loose. We were the team of 5 mil and we won. Now because of few with vested interests , be money greedy, be power greedy we are divided.
Yep it was. Let the people in Auckland kick themselves.
Especially, your last two paragraphs, so important in these times of media disinformation.
chloe for president of the republic of aotearoa
Oh god Nick. I was quite excited that Efeso had aparently been elected as mayor. I havent been keeping up wiith the results but I did catch a comment earlier today that Wayne Brown and Mathew Hooton were getting ready to make a statement. About what I didnt bother to read further. Such a shame -Brown will take the city backwards, and is a very divisive personality. Not good news fo the Labour government either.I now need to check the Dunedin results and see if our Green mayor has been re-elected. I voted for him but apparently there were four possible candidates battling it out.
Chalk up a win for the racist element , I do not think that we are grown up as a societyenough yet to embrace a Mayor of colour - there were 5 votes for Mr Collins from our household.
Postal Voting has to be scrapped , the lack of turnout is nothing short of a disgrace.
Who knows we may wind up like Tauranga with a commissioner running the show......
Tory Whanau seems to be the exception to the rule. Not only has there been a move to the right with the candidates voted in but there have also been a gaggle of middle aged white males voted in as local body leaders. I am very disappointed that the Green mayor of Dunedin Aaron Hawkins has lost the race. He was a progressive mayor, and lead a vote to support the Three Waters Reforms. Jules Radich the mayor elect is not a supporter of the government''s Three Waters structural reforms. Horrendous that Nick Smith has recycled himself as the mayor of Nelson.
Bit late to the party but loved this post, especially the LOUD SOUND OF NEEDLE ACROSS VINYL lol.
Agree with many of your points Nick, and an interesting read, as always.
My overall take on the why though, is apathy. The apathy that leads to many not voting in LB elections - (often the first to moan!) The upshot of that is that the biggest voting block - those who always vote - are older, conservative, often rw voters..
And then yes, many of your other points - sadly - kick in...
Re next year's election and right avoiding splitting of vote. How are the right going to avoid that if Luxon can't pull back votes from Seymour who is trying to get the anti vax vote? Mind you the left are having a little problem with vote bleeding too but not to the same degree.
And with a turn of the voting screw, Tamaki Makaurau and indeed Aotearoa are becoming rapidly distanced from our once strong community and cultural identity. Proof that money talks. Let's burn it. The money I mean. People who are not rich, white, racist and blokes are being thrown under the bus in more ways than one and ffs is only early days yet. I am still so sad at the loss of one of our good men, one who held gentleness and nurtured it with his words and being. Those to whom we are at the mercy of are not fit to lick his boots.
So very sad, he had a massive future ahead of him.