Labour obviously never worked out MMP

Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, September 26th, 2014 - 104 comments
Categories: election 2014, greens, labour, national, nz first - Tags:

Click for a larger view

Click for a larger view

Labour lost the party vote, but retained the electorates. Looking at the results it is pretty clear that this appears to have been a deliberate decision by Labour’s remaining electorate MPs.

With the exception of the six Maori electorate MPs, Damien O’Conner on the West Coast, and Iain Lees-Galloway in Palmerston North (plus Stuart Nash benefiting from a split right vote in Napier) the rest of the MPs are holed up in urban electorates that lend themselves to the personal attention from MPs.

This shows in the lack of attention that Labour MPs give to the party vote. The only general electorates where Labour is now ahead of National in the party vote (in the preliminary results) are Dunedin North (by 24 votes), and 4 South Auckland seats.

Party               

Party
Votes

%
Votes

Electorate
Seats

List
Seats

Total
Seats
National Party

1,010,464

48.06

41

20

61
Labour Party

519,146

24.69

27

5

32
Green Party

210,764

10.02

0

13

13
New Zealand First Party

186,031

8.85

0

11

11

There are many ways to display just how much the aversion that Labour has to being a MMP party. For instance the table at the right from the preliminary results.

It is evident that there are genuine MMP parties in parliament. The Greens and NZ First most definitely are with all of their seats coming from the list. So is National with a third of their seats from the list. In each case these party itself made a fairly deliberate decision to become focused on the list.

In 2002, the Greens could have made a decision to throw all of their efforts into the Coromandel electorate that they had won in 1999. But that has been a backstop to their campaign to achieve the 5% threshold and they chose to continue increasing that – now to 10%. Winston Peters losing the Tauranga electorate in 2005 proved to be a boon for NZ First. NZ First has proved to be resilient as a MMP party running almost entirely on the list.

Party Party
Votes		 %
Votes		 Electorate
Seats		 List
Seats		 Total
Seats
Labour Party 838,219 41.26 45 7 52
National Party 425,310 20.93 21 6 27
New Zealand First Party 210,912 10.38 1 12 13
ACT New Zealand 145,078 7.14 0 9 9
Green Party 142,250 7.00 0 9 9
United Future 135,918 6.69 1 7 8
Progressives 34,542 1.70 1 1 2

After their shattering 2002 defeat where they dropped to levels even worse than Labour in the 2014 election. National’s party made quite sweeping changes to the focus of their organisation.

The most important of which was that the party vote became predominant in their targeting. Their electorate MPs are judged by the party organisation for how much they bring to the party. This has been clearly evidenced by the rash of well paid resignations over recent years. This shows up in their party vote steadily rising even in electorate seats held by Labour MPs.

Labour has no such ambitions as National achieved in 2002. Or rather its parliamentary team do not.

Their electorate MPs ran quite good and effective electorate campaigns, that at best out the “Party Vote Labour” in small letters on their billboards with the face of their local candidate in prominence.  When I went through the safe Labour electorates of Mt Albert and Mt Roskill during the election campaign that was all that you ever saw.

In other electorates that the candidate was even a member of Labour  was carefully downplayed – Clayton Cosgrove in Waimakariri for instance. The ill-fated and unfortunately chosen (in the light of Dirty Politics turning up late in the election campaign) slogan of “Vote Positive” was a similar distancing from the party branding.

Pretty much the only support for a Labour party campaign was coming from the small and underfunded Labour HQ, the party activists, and the few MPs who were party minded like David Cunliffe, David Parker, and a few others.

Which is of course why they are the targets of the silo electorate MPs and electorate thinking fossils like Josie Pagani. She spent the day after the election proclaiming this…

National are really, really good at organisation. Labour’s head office told us it would win with its ground game. There was some spectacular ground-game effort by Labour people out there, let down by a head office that is awful.

1. It is implausible that President Moira Coatsworth and General secretary Tim Barnett have not already resigned. If 24% is not enough to bring about their accountability, how bad would it have to be? Do they have no sense at all how heartbroken and devastated, Labour people feel?

Stuart Nash and Kelvin Davis, (plus wins in Te Tai Hauauru and Tamaki Makaurau) were the only bright spots. Both battled head office interference, when they should have been asked to run things.

Some spectacular simple minded stupidity there. Stuart Nash had a split right vote with a popular conservative McVicar bleeding vote away from the National candidate on the basis of some purely local issues. Stuart Nash sneaked through that with a similar vote to the one he achieved and lost with last election. Kelvin Davis had a main opponent who had was tainted with the decision to campaign with Kim DotCom, and gained a pretty narrow victory that was by less than the Maori party vote in the electorate. Both MPs will have to work hard to retain their electorates.

Labour’s head office has a handful of people there. The parties entire paid staff is probably less than two hands these days. Most of the on the ground effort of volunteers is directed from the electorates and the bulk of that is within electorates with sitting MPs. They can advise, not run.

Similarly the leaders office while better staffed can run under-funded advertising and media campaigns. However they were saving most of their ammunition for the weeks before the election. National had been running serious advertising blitzes since March which has steadily improved the poor poll ratings that they had after christmas.

I knew that Dirty Politics was coming and roughly what its target was (but not a lot about the detail) because of my information and contacts about Whaleoil and Kiwiblog. But I had been requested to keep quiet.

The Labour party did not know. I also knew that Nicky Hager was trying to get it out before the election so that the voters could understand what kind of corruption underlaid the National party.

But the HQ and leaders office got caught flat-footed by Dirty Politics because of the timing. It essentially disrupted the whole party level campaign because they hadn’t started back in March.

A well-funded and locally targeted electorate campaign that the electorate MPs had forced out of the party could survive the storm. But a late running underfunded, however well conceived, country wide campaign could not.

As we saw, the electorate MPs largely chose to run a non-party campaign. They effectively caused the party vote campaign to be caught by the vagaries of the political mood. Now of course they will blame those who work for the party rather than themselves.

Labour is good at winning electorates. Their entire system from the constitution onwards is focused towards that. They haven’t transitioned to a MMP party vote environment.

Perhaps it is time for activists to have two parties. The one that specialises in electorates and the one that focuses on party vote.

Because it is becoming evident that Labour is unlikely to ever manage to make the transition to being a MMP party.

104 comments on “Labour obviously never worked out MMP ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Liam Hehir 1
    26 September 2014 at 9:21 am

    Interesting piece, Lprent.

    Just a short note to say that Palmerston North [should] be considered an urban seat. The population of the constituency is all but concentrated in one, contiguous urban area containing most of the city.

    The Parliamentary Library classifies it as a “wholly urban electorate”.

    • Ian 1.1
      26 September 2014 at 12:09 pm

      So what do we mean by ‘urban’? Not a dictionary definition, but what significance does this have in terms of electoral/party politics? You mention Palmerston North. True, Palmy is technically urban but it is not in the sense that Wellington Central, or Mangere might be. Many urban electorates within larger cities (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch) often have safe electorates well defined by ethnicity and/or class. Palmerston North is not one of these. The electorate encompasses almost the entire city that transcends class & ethnicity, so the challenges in rallying the Party vote are quite different to some in bigger cities. Despite promoting the Party vote (as well as the candidate – a bloody good thing too or he wouldn’t be representing us) we still only got 30% of the Party vote. This is not a matter of an MP promoting his own little fiefdom at all. His ground game started almost a year before the Election. In that time, we canvassed, door knocked, distributed propaganda urging votes for both candidate AND party. Iain holds regular ‘coffee & politics’ evenings ( not just in election cycles) promoting the Party’s policies. He brought in a range of Labour MPs including Jacinda, Chris Hipkins, Annette King and even DC to highlight Party policy. What more can we do? At least for us, this is much bigger than simply ‘not getting’ MMP or running a campaign for the local fiefdom.

      • Liam Hehir 1.1.1
        26 September 2014 at 1:18 pm

        The significance is that Palmerston North is not a ‘provincial seat’ in the same way that, say, Napier or New Plymouth are. In many ways, it is quite unique because it is also a university and military town with a young and highly educated population.

        The seat does not encompass the whole city insofar as the fast growing and prosperous south side of the Manawatu river is excluded. The seat encompasses the ‘core’ of the city (which is redder) and some of the outer suburbs (which are bluer).

        Because of this geography, boundary changes have tended to simply shift around the blue parts which are and are not included in the electorate. If the city continues to grow that way it the seat might be split into a “North” and “South” seat which would probably go blue.

        That’s unlikely to happen any time soon, of course, which is why the Palmerston North seat will continue to look a bit like West Berlin for a few years.

        • Ian 1.1.1.1
          26 September 2014 at 2:48 pm

          Agreed – but it still doesn’t account for the appallingly low Party vote relative to the Electoral vote…

  2. mickysavage 2
    26 September 2014 at 9:28 am

    I agree entirely lprent with one minor quibble …

    Labour won the party vote in Kelston (West Auckland not South Auckland seat) and on analysis I have seen there was a significant increase in the party vote in that electorate. That particular campaign showed how to do it. Carmel Sepuloni, aided by some great local people, ran another boisterous energetic campaign and the results showed. New Lynn’s party vote held up. Mt Albert’s and Mt Roskill’s tanked by over 7% points. The four electorates are next to each other. I hope the review gets to the guts of why some electorates went relatively well and others did not.

    The Maori electorates went well. Giovanni Tiso posed the interesting theory that this was also evidence of a right wing trend as the Maori seats were historically very left wing and going to the middle from the left helped Labour.

    One other bright performer was Poto Williams in Christchurch East where Labour’s share of the party vote went up. Well done Poto.

    The on the ground activist campaigning really helps. The party needs to have a think about how to maintain and increase membership activity.

    I am thinking more and more that the Caucus ought to cool it, stick to the status quo and then review matters when the party has concluded its review of the election result.

    • Enough is Enough 2.1
      26 September 2014 at 10:02 am

      The party seems to have gone backwards in the past 9 years in relation to strategy.

      Correct me if I am wrong but the Clark/Williams Labour party knew how to win MMP. 1999, 2002 and 2005 Labour campaigned as a party and the party vote was central. The pledge card was all about what Labour would deliver.

      The Cunliffe/Coatsworth Labour party didn’t follow what has worked well for the party in the past.

      • lprent 2.1.1
        26 September 2014 at 10:09 am

        The Cunliffe/Coatsworth Labour party didn’t follow what has worked well for the party in the past.

        The same thing happened in 2011 – well before Cunliffe. It is a choice being made by what the MPs (especially traditionalists like Goff) will accept rather than what Labour HQ or most of the leaders office staff think. Or for that matter by almost any activist.

        Because of the way that the power lies in the Labour party constitution, the MPs as individuals carry a lot of power. They are the people who are making this choice to put their own individual interests over that of the party.

        No amount of obstrufication from you is going to change that picture. Perhaps you should have a good close look at your reasons for doing it?

        • Enough is Enough 2.1.1.1
          26 September 2014 at 10:18 am

          I did not realise we were dissecting the 2011 result as well.

          I was making the point that the party has campaigned well in the MMP environment in the past, and I am certain that if we look back to how it was done over those 3 elections, then the mistakes of the past 2 elections can be remedied.

          • lprent 2.1.1.1.1
            26 September 2014 at 11:42 am

            I didn’t realize we were either until you attempted to drag a leader into it who’d had less than a year in the job.

            Basically you were just being a partisan fool ignoring the issue that I raised and trying to use it to stick the knife in on a short-term issue.

            Helen focused on the party vote and drove everything that way. That wasn’t just at the national level either. When I was doing the targeting for Mt Albert, that was the entire focus of those campaigns from 1996-2008. It paid off. It turns out that a local campaign run on a party basis will help a good local candidate as well.

            But I didn’t see a trace of that type of party focus in Mt Albert or Mt Roskill during the election. I saw more in Auckland Central where the Labour candidate did strive for party vote.

            The lack of that focus is why Mt Roskill and Mt Albert are barely managing to sustain their electorate vote despite the strange Auckland electorate boundaries redraw in the isthmus. Strengthening two already strong Labour electorates has simply managed to drop the previous party vote in both.

            It is completely stupid.

            • Enough is Enough 2.1.1.1.1.1
              26 September 2014 at 12:38 pm

              Yeah I think we are in general agreement.

              And apologies, I will refrain from hijacking your thread re leadership or clear lack of, in this campaign.

              • the pigman …
                26 September 2014 at 10:27 pm

                FIFY:

                I will refrain from hijacking your thread re leadership or clear lack of, in this campaign NOPE just kidding I’ll keep trying to hijack it!

            • Roger Calnan 2.1.1.1.1.2
              27 September 2014 at 8:43 am

              “Basically you were just being a partisan fool ignoring the issue that I raised and trying to use it to stick the knife in on a short-term issue.”

              And that there is the perfect example of why Labour will continue to fail. Someone doesn’t agree with you, so you use ad-hominems, or you ban them.

              You really should consider that perhaps people didn’t vote for Labour, purely because their policies are terrible. They are designed to appeal to minority groups at the expense of the majority of New Zealand. On top of that they have no respect or idea for how to run an economy in a challenging global and domestic environment. Running an economy on a credit binge like Clark and Cullen did is a piece of piss in comparison.

              Middle New Zealand is smart enough to know that having Labour and the Greens running the country, would slam our economy into the proverbial wall.

    • cricklewood 2.2
      26 September 2014 at 10:14 am

      I would think that gentrification in Mt Albert and Mt Roskill etc is playing a large part. They are now becoming very expensive suburbs to live in and the demographics are changing accordingly.

      Im in Mt Roskill, Phil knocked on my door 3 times in the run up to election day and he did push the party line. I suspect that the personal effort was rewarded in spite of the demograhic change swing against labour.

      • lprent 2.2.1
        26 September 2014 at 11:46 am

        The gentrification in Mt Albert happened long ago. Mostly back in the late 90s and early 00s as the infill housing went in.

        Are you a strong Labour voter? Why were you door knocked three times?

        There are about 40 thousand voters on the roll in Mt Roskill. Can you explain why someone who votes had that amount of attention?

        • cricklewood 2.2.1.1
          26 September 2014 at 12:09 pm

          Usually Labour voted Green (disunity issues), In my neck of the woods at least Phil was extremely visible and campaigned hard and he did seem to be knocking on every door as far as I could see. The only thing I did find off putting was the megaphone announcement from the red wagon disturbing the peace at dinner time.

          I can’t answer as to why he was in my particular area so often but their is a reasonably large Indian community where I am and a number of his volunteers were Indian.

    • adam 2.3
      26 September 2014 at 10:21 am

      Look I don’t like labour, I think the sold working people down the river in 1984 and when they were re-elected for a 5th term, they were given the opportunity to fix that villainy – they chose not to. So sorry for them.

      That said, I thought Carmel Sepuloni proved she was more than a labour party hack. She has shown herself not to be a self absorbed ass, like the bulk of the current labour party MP’s.

      Carmel was visible in Kelston, standing on the streets waving the labour signs alongside her volunteers. And it was vote labour signs, not vote Carmel signs. Carmel answered questions and took an interest in her constituents. Actually she proved to be a real human being, who was not only empathetic with her constituents, but generally concerned about everybody.

      Trying to think when, Shearer or Goff for that matter have done that? Maybe once or twice to say they have done it – but actually alongside their own party members – piff. Labour supporters have a real dilemma facing them – they have some amazing people and the have some down right nasty, self absorbed, lovers of cupidity.

      I say – end it – it’s over – it’s been over for some time.

      LPRENT just showed why the rot, is worse than you may think – even worse than I thought. They have not adapted, they have not changed and they can’t. And worst of all, their is a cabal who won’t let it, and would rather lose an election to make sure that it never changes.

      • David H 2.3.1
        26 September 2014 at 12:28 pm

        “And worst of all, their is a cabal who won’t let it, and would rather lose an election to make sure that it never changes.”

        And now they the ABW club will sit back and blame the leader, the opposition, the phase of the moon. But blame the face they look at every morning??? In your dreams. I wonder how they sleep at night knowing that they are complicit in the worst election loss in history.

        They need to be Found, Named, and SHAMED, each and every one, they need to have the scorn of the electorate heaped upon their loser heads, and price of their treachery should be resignation. Public and humiliating resignation.

        This should be the warning that is sent back to Caucus from the membership. Let them know they are on notice. They will be found out and named.

        • weka 2.3.1.1
          26 September 2014 at 1:22 pm

          Bradbury’s take on the factions 15 months ago. Needs updating.

          Team Shearer (11)
          David Shearer, Phil Goff, Annette King, Trevor Mallard, David Parker, Damien O’Connor, Darien Fenton, Kris Fa’afoi, Ross Robertson, Maryan Street, Ruth Dyson.

          The Young and The Restless (8)
          Grant Robertson, Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, Phil Twyford, Clare Curran, Megan Woods, Ian Lees-Galloway, David Clark.

          Cunliffe’s People (11)
          David Cunliffe, Lianne Dalziel, Moana Mackey, Nanaia Mahuta, Louisa Wall, Sue Moroney, Rajen Prasad, Rino Tirikatene, Su’a William Sio, Raymond Huo, Carol Beaumont,

          Other(3)
          Shane Jones, Andrew Little, Clayton Cosgrove

          http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2013/07/15/labour-party-coup-watch-downgrade/

            • weka 2.3.1.1.1.1
              26 September 2014 at 7:31 pm

              thanks. Still needs clarity on who the ABCs are I think (as opposed to those who want DC out. eg not sure where Little fits into it all).

              This morning in the NZ Herald, Claire Trevett lists the pro- and anti-Cunliffe factions:

              • Camp Cunliffe: David Cunliffe, Iain Lees-Galloway, Nanaia Mahuta, Sue Moroney, Carmel Sepuloni, Su’a William Sio, Louisa Wall.

              • Another candidate: Jacinda Ardern, David Clark, Clayton Cosgrove, Clare Curran, Kelvin Davis, Ruth Dyson, Kris Faafoi, Phil Goff, Chris Hipkins, Annette King, Andrew Little, Trevor Mallard, Stuart Nash, Damien O’Connor, David Parker, Grant Robertson, David Shearer, Rino Tirikatene, Phil Twyford, Megan Woods.

              • Unknown: Peeni Henare, Adrian Rurawhe, Jenny Salesa, Meka Whaitiri, Poto Williams.

        • Hami Shearlie 2.3.1.2
          26 September 2014 at 3:51 pm

          Agreed David H!

    • Tom Gould 2.4
      26 September 2014 at 10:41 am

      Kelston was a new seat and only a booth by booth analysis on former and current boundaries would show the actual impact, if any, of the alleged “boisterous” campaign. It looks like facts being made to fit.

      Labour cannot get away from the fact that the electorate, after 7 elections, has pretty much worked out MMP. They can have both a good hard working local MP and the party that will best run the country for them. End of story.

      We actually have two elections. A first past the post election at electorate level for the local MP. And an MMP election at national level for the party vote. It seems that Labour is the one that doesn’t get it.

      But the public certainly do, hence the results on Saturday. It will come as no surprise that some on the ‘higher-ups’ in Labour think the public got it wrong, of course.

      • mickysavage 2.4.1
        26 September 2014 at 11:28 am

        Disagree about Kelston. The figures are …

        2011 party votes for Labour cast in polling booths now situated in the Kelston electorate – 10,461.

        2014 party votes for Labour cast in the Kelston electorate BEFORE specials are included – 10,647

        • greywarbler 2.4.1.1
          26 September 2014 at 11:46 am

          @Tom Gould
          “We actually have two elections. A first past the post election at electorate level for the local MP. And an MMP election at national level for the party vote. It seems that Labour is the one that doesn’t get it. ”

          That’s a perversion of the MMP system, even if it has happened this time. And if it has it’s an indication of Labour’s sickness. The MPs are virtually running as independents, but managing to keep the Labour name alive in the meantime while the Party itself is out of favour.

          Good on them now if they have, or that is the effect, but Labour must rectify this firmly and decisively with an overhaul and spring clean! Otherwise it will be sliding further and just present itself as a hollow echoing voice with no substance. If it doesn’t recover the MPs won’t have anything of substance at their back and the Party will be anarchic till it folds.

    • george Hendry 2.5
      26 September 2014 at 11:48 am

      Erm, Poto (Williams) actually.

  3. Che 3
    26 September 2014 at 9:44 am

    “the small and underfunded Labour HQ”
    I would start with questioning why HQ is so small and underfunded to start with. It appears to me that the messages from HQ simply do not resonant with sufficient people to allow a robust national campaign to be run and certainly not funded. This allows campaigning to be left to the whims of electorate candidates who I suspect understand their individual electorates better than HQ.
    In terms of your analysis is may also pay to think about National having 17 list seats and 31 electorate seats in 2005 and being in opposition, again having 17 list seats in 2008 but having 41 electorate seats and being in government.

    • Tracey 3.1
      26 September 2014 at 9:51 am

      how much did you donate to the party in the last 3 years?

      I donated about 250 to the greens

    • Colonial Viper 3.2
      26 September 2014 at 12:06 pm

      I would start with questioning why HQ is so small and underfunded to start with

      One major reason is that Labour sold off and cannabalised the majority of its property assets in the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s.

    • lprent 3.3
      26 September 2014 at 12:12 pm

      The way that it is organised at present, the Labour HQ are mostly there to talk to the members and electorates. That is why they have so few staff and the number of staff has been reducing.

      They have little to do with messages to the general public. That is currently mostly been done by the MPs and their parliamentary staff.

      Consequently as the number of list MPs reduces the Labour message tends to be biased increasingly on electorates rather than party.

      Your precepts are wrong. Perhaps you should restart?

    • AmaKiwi 3.4
      26 September 2014 at 1:09 pm

      I am shocked to read, “Labour’s head office has a handful of people there. The parties entire paid staff is probably less than TWO hands these days. ” No wonder we can’t run an MMP campaign.

      I have suspected the Greens have a much more contemporary and DEMOCRATIC organizational model. I know Labour’s is antique.

      What part of, “One party member, one vote” does the caucus not understand?

  4. Tracey 4
    26 September 2014 at 9:50 am

    thanks for these observations. cunliffe cld resign from parl. get cosgrove to go toe to toe with groser for the seat…. I bet groser wins….but cosgrove resigns from parl if he loses.

  5. greywarbler 5
    26 September 2014 at 9:51 am

    If the electorates are so strong, then it explains why we continue getting MPs who are now understood to be right wing in their thinking, and unLabour-like, according to the historical definition and performance. Many must have the mindset of an electorate inner circle who are fossilised and supportive of someone who can talk good, and is matey in the right way perhaps.

    And if that sounds contemptuous, I believe that it is correct. I have noticed how a confident, outspoken person who understands little of importance to the ethos of the organisation, but thinks they know a lot and talk well, can sway a crowd for support.
    (ethos meaning – the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its attitudes and aspirations.
    “a challenge to the ethos of the 1960s” synonyms: spirit, character, atmosphere, climate, prevailing tendency, mood, feeling, temper, tenor, flavour, essence,:google)

    And being able to hold an argument, taking the ‘fight’ to the other side and get the satisfaction of winning a point, too often overshadows the real task which is to win the power to get better policies for better lives and a better and stronger economy.

    You would think all those clever aspirational Nats would know this, but they have adopted the competition-winning model while the news of our weak economy builds and they have no ideas or interest even, in wise moves to raise us from the hole they’ve dug for us. Unfortunately they are prepared to stand on other people’s shoulders to ensure their noses are above the bog.

    The question is – do Labour want to support the working people and lower income interests and needs. Does its name now represent its aim? Does a party with a christian ethos represent one with a humanist ethos, or an agnostic one? Jim Anderton tried to get New Labour going and I saw traditional but older labour people at meetings. Are there not enough true labour-thinking people left in NZ? Are they now a minority with insufficient spirit and mateship to be able to combine and achieve a combative group?
    edited

    • Tracey 5.1
      26 September 2014 at 9:53 am

      Apparently $5 billion disappears from the economy as a rest of Fonterra’s announcement … and in the media it causes nary a blip. [Tidied up for you – MS]

      • greywarbler 5.1.1
        26 September 2014 at 11:34 am

        @ Tracey 9.53
        “as a ‘result’ of Fonterra’s announcement – is that what’s meant?

        Are you drawing a comparison with this wash of money coming and going in a financial tide connected to National, while Labour are operating on short rations?

      • dave 5.1.2
        26 September 2014 at 7:21 pm

        5 billion gone key want referedum on flag to draw attention away from the rock star economy

  6. Antonina 6
    26 September 2014 at 9:54 am

    On the nail Lprent. The party vote message has not fully been accepted. The whole party is still focused on electorates.

    • The Lone Haranguer 6.1
      26 September 2014 at 11:01 am

      I disagree with the suggestion that Labour hasnt got a decent grasp or understanding of MMP and the importance of the party vote.

      But, having been in power (unlike the List Parties) they also have electorate name recognition for those who were in the last Labour led government, and particularly for those who held cabinet posts at that time.

      And voters vote on the basis of name recognition? Look at the vote for Garth McVicar to see a novice who got a bunch of votes when say, the unknown Harry The Hump may have only got 350 votes for the Conservatives.

      Now look at the “List only” parties for a minute. Can anyone (outside of Parliament) tell us who the number three person was on the NZFirst list at the 2011 election. That person was in parliament for the past three years. And for the greens, what sort of name recognition do the 2011 intake of Green MPs have in the electorates? Just see how few votes the Greens and the NZFirst get in the electorate races.

      The Greens may be winning the “Ideas Battle” with Labour, but its the Labour electorate MPs who keep the Labour name out there in their communities.

      • lprent 6.1.1
        26 September 2014 at 12:18 pm

        Sure. But they are keeping the Labour name in *their* communities.

        Tell me, how is that going to help to get party vote in the communities across the country that they have to wind to be able to form a government.

        What you described is what I say is happening. Labour is doing the silo electorate spiral. They can sustain known names in their electorates but can’t ever win an election because all their resource goes into protecting the electorates that they have already won.

        No party vote = eventual oblivion. Look at how many seats United future had back in 2002. They have one now, and that is only because of National having a kindly rort.

  7. newsense 7
    26 September 2014 at 9:58 am

    I saw a number of party and vote positive billboards in Mt Roskill.

    • cricklewood 7.1
      26 September 2014 at 11:11 am

      +1, I think Phil Goff is been unfairly lumped in with others like Cosgrove in terms of an electorate only campaign.

      • Colonial Viper 7.1.1
        26 September 2014 at 12:09 pm

        That may be…Goff is a consumate professional (most of the time)…the few hours after the election results showed Shearer and Nash as self-interested attention grabbing idiots though.

      • Foreign waka 7.1.2
        26 September 2014 at 7:45 pm

        Phil Goff is a self made man, and all respect to him for that. He worked hard to get where he is today. However, he also shifted to the right (with Douglas) and later was part of a coup against Helen Clark. He is somehow involved every time when there is a move against the leadership. Not sure whether I would be able to trust him. To opportunistic for my taste.

    • lprent 7.2
      26 September 2014 at 12:20 pm

      I did too. On the back side of the ones that said Vote Phil Goff.

      They certainly weren’t in the most effective prominent positions. You could happily go along the main drags and never see a Labour billboard.

      As I said, Phil is a traditionalist. I have no real problem with that except that the attitude is spreading amongst MPs that they need to protect their jobs rather than promoting the party. That is Peter Dunne territory.

  8. GregJ 8
    26 September 2014 at 9:59 am

    Whew – thanks lprent!

    Pretty depressing but brutally frank assessment. If it carries on down this path Labour is in danger of having overhang seats!

    I’m still trying to process the election result and see how the labour movement moves forward (or if it even can within the current structure). This piece seems to indicate a systematic, revolutionary overhaul of the party is required. That is lengthy, time-consuming and grueling work (which of course should have started in 2008 if not before). Abandoning the current party and starting anew would be another path but it would be difficult and the “Labour” name does theoretically still have some “brand” value & recognition.

    But at what stage does the “Labour” brand no longer have any political value? Parties do die and perhaps this one is terminal. Perhaps the progressive labour movement has to look elsewhere.

    • nadis 8.1
      26 September 2014 at 10:59 am

      i think the problem is summed up by “labour movement”. This has ceased to exist with union membership at 16% and those 16% mostly at the really shitty end of the employment market. In any case Labour now seems more captured by identity politics. What used to be the “labour movement” is now what I would call the “economically aspirational” and they don’t see Labour as the government that provides an aspirational message and economic environment. I think NZ has mostly moved on from working class/middle class/upper class to beneficiaries/working poor/aspirational/well off. The votes are in the aspirational group and that is who Key resonates with.

      • Colonial Viper 8.1.1
        26 September 2014 at 12:11 pm

        The votes are in the aspirational group and that is who Key resonates with.

        Various global mega trends means that the ‘aspirashanul group’ is going to continue to shrink. Currently around 1/3 Kiwi adults.

        • nadis 8.1.1.1
          26 September 2014 at 6:52 pm

          Really? Dont let your personal bias blind you to what actually is happening out there. You really think your undefined “various global mega trends” mean India and China are becoming less aspirational?

          REality is average standard of living on a global basis has rise dramatically over the last 50,40, 30, 20 or 10 years and is showing no signs of slowing.

          • Colonial Viper 8.1.1.1.1
            26 September 2014 at 6:58 pm

            “Showing no signs of slowing”

            Dude, that propaganda is so disconnected to the reality for the 80%, you really need an update. You should start with finding out how many million sq feet of retail real estate has been abandoned in the USA in the last 10 years.

    • lprent 8.2
      26 September 2014 at 12:54 pm

      Actually we’d bet better off to hunt for overhangs.

      If the Labour MPs continue down the current path, then probably the best thing to do for the left is to accelerate it. An overhang may be the best approach to effectively raising the left vote.

      As it stands at present a party vote for Labour appears to be unlikely to raise the number of left MPs in the house.

  9. nadis 9
    26 September 2014 at 10:16 am

    i cant get my head around this concept at all. Under MMP why would any party not have as their overriding focus the party vote? The fact that the question is even being discussed with respect to labour is clear and incontrovertible proof that the Labour Party organisation is willfully incompetent. My 11 year old son has a better grasp of MMP than the labour party.

    • greywarbler 9.1
      26 September 2014 at 11:50 am

      @ nadis
      I tried considering this at 2 4 1 1 in response to Tom Gould. Perhaps this would relate to your thinking.

  10. Che 10
    26 September 2014 at 10:22 am

    While I’m not disagreeing with you about the competence or otherwise of the organisation I still think it’s worth bearing in mind that over the past 4 elections National have consistently had twice as many electorate seats as list seats and they appear to be doing pretty well under MMP.

    • s y d 10.1
      26 September 2014 at 10:41 am

      Che, look at the stats – Labour has 5 times more electorate than list….FIVE.

      • Che 10.1.1
        26 September 2014 at 12:23 pm

        Yes – I obviously didn’t make my point clearly so apologies. The post gives an opinion that Labour hasn’t worked out MMP due to ‘the lack of attention given to the Party vote’. While such attention is probably right for the minor parties (Greens, NZ First as referenced above) I’m not convinced this is the key to governing. I use the example of the Nat’s use of electorate seats as a stable base – from 2005-2008 they had no increase in list seats but an increase of 10 electorate seats and formed a government. Even if you look back to 2002 the Nat’s have increased their list seats by 14 from then but their electorate seats by 20.

    • nadis 10.2
      26 September 2014 at 11:01 am

      I rest my case. The ratio of electorate seats to list seats is about as meaningful an indicator as the colour of my belly button lint. The only ratio that matters is the number of seats held by a party to the total number of seats in parliament, also known as the party vote.

  11. Puckish Rogue 11
    26 September 2014 at 10:25 am

    Are you feeling ok? This was quite a good post (by good I mean looking at the fundamental issues and not merely blaming everyone else) I’m quite surprised

    however judging on past history probably nothing will come of it, shame really

  12. Saarbo 12
    26 September 2014 at 11:05 am

    Thanks Iprent. This is the sort of analysis that caucus need to be focusing on, I agree regarding labours focus on the electorate vote. But also we were completely out marketed by the nats, they had their hoardings up on 14th july when they shouldn’t have gone up until the 20th and they went hard, they had broad spectrum coverage and it was obvious early on that the Nats were going for the govern alone option, I guess they had too. Our Party Vote hoardings were full of detailed pictures which on a 100km highway were a waste of time. So there are no shortage of issues as to why we missed so many voters. Who at head office designed the party vote hoardings? I get the impression that plenty of people are running for cover leaving Cunliffe to take all of the blame.

  13. Anne 13
    26 September 2014 at 11:14 am

    Jim Anderton expresses his views on Radio NZ. Well worth a listen:

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/20151130

    Whatever else you might say about him, this is the man who grew the party membership to a whopping 80,000 plus in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Factionalism as we know it today didn’t really exist then although it began to develop soon afterwards. That is when the membership numbers started to dramatically fall and is now barely 10,000. There are other reasons that contributed to the decrease of course, but in the 1980s many formerly solid Labour people were frozen out of the party.

    A significant part of the problem was the rise of “identity politics” which eventually claimed a stranglehold on the party. It wasn’t called that back in the 80s but if one was not prepared to align to a specific group – be it gender based, ethnic based, tertiary education based, union based etc… – then one was left out in the cold. It happened to me. These disparate groups slowly took over the party and their individual barrows often became paramount over and above the concerns of ordinary people struggling to make a living.

    I returned to the Labour Party in 2001 in the hope the identity based factions would be dissolving and the membership operating again as one inter-related group working for the party rather than merely pushing their respective barrows. It didn’t take me long to appreciate things hadn’t really changed, but I have persisted in the hope that, along with other like-minded members, we could finally bring about the necessary change. It looked like it was starting to happen with the big shake-up of 2009/10 but the identity groups have proved still largely in control.

    A very good example of this was the much pushed meme that David Shearer’s impressive “back story” was going to catapault Labour into the stratosphere of popularity. No recognition of the fact he was politically inexperienced, and still had an enormous amount to learn. It showed a lack of common sense and an enormous disconnect with reality – not to mention the damage it ended up doing to David Shearer. (One day DS may realise DC was not the cause of his downfall, but it was members in his own team)

    My patience is now fast running out!

    • greywarbler 13.1
      26 September 2014 at 12:05 pm

      @Anne
      The term pluralism may apply to NZ political thinking now more than the democratic ideal.
      This summary of pluralism does seem to relate to what we are looking at in NZ and may explain what seems strange when trying to explain it in historical comparisons.
      http://www.udel.edu/htr/American/Texts/pluralism.html

      Pluralism is the theory that a multitude of groups, not the people as a whole, govern the United States. These organizations, which include among others unions, trade and professional associations, environmentalists, civil rights activists, business and financial lobbies, and formal and informal coalitions of like-minded citizens, influence the making and administration of laws and policy. Since the participants in this process constitute only a tiny fraction of the populace, the public acts mainly as bystanders….

      Nor do pluralists think that representative democracy works as well in practice as in theory. Voting is important, to be sure. But Americans vote for representatives, not for specific policy alternatives.
      A candidate’s election cannot always be interpreted as an endorsement of a particular course of action.

      edited

      • Anne 13.1.1
        26 September 2014 at 12:18 pm

        Yes, greywarbler, the excerpt is a good example of what is happening here, but it’s not quite what I was trying to describe. I was referring to specialist lobby groups within Labour whose over-arching ambitions was/is to use the party to gain personal power sometimes at the expense of the party as a whole. If you dared to disagree with them over anything (as I did) you’re out – goneburger. I’m sure Jenny Kirk could tell a few stories.

        • greywarbler 13.1.1.1
          26 September 2014 at 12:59 pm

          @ Anne
          Interesting. Thanks for the clip. Do you think that Jim Anderton could do the left commentary instead of Mike Williams? Jim has a good critical and analytical head.
          I have done some work for Labour and noticed that I got taken for granted, as if I was thought of as a grunt like the USA army call its soldiers on the ground.

        • Jenny Kirk 13.1.1.2
          26 September 2014 at 8:24 pm

          @ Anne – 100% agree ! Thanks !

    • Chooky 13.2
      26 September 2014 at 7:24 pm

      thanks Anne…really interesting….pity you didnt become an MP…I cant help thinking that there are a lot of boys games getting played in the Labour Party…and like you I am sick of it

      ….my Mother who is in her 80s and has voted Labour all her life….says next time, if they dont keep David Cunliffe on, she is voting Green…my sister also is thinking of voting Green

  14. Adrian 14
    26 September 2014 at 11:27 am

    Saarbo, I agree about the piss poor design, can’t agree about the timeline. Billboards become wallpaper after 3 weeks, nobody notices, ( advertising campaign only run for 3-6 weeks for that reason.
    I got really angry about the lack of Party Vote billboards and an over emphasis on candidates, just feeding their meglamania, sure they’ve got a lot of “skin in the game” but it’s MMP FFS.
    One candidate told me not to put up any DC pictures because ” the candidates hadhad a meeting and agreed not too, inferring that the directive had come from party central.
    If that’s the case that nest of dickheads should be the first to go. Moira Coatsworth remember was one of the instigators of the election losing ” mam-Ban”

    • Anne 14.1
      26 September 2014 at 12:05 pm

      Hang on Adrian.

      You say : “the candidates had a meeting and agreed not [to put up DC pictures]”. I’ll guarantee you that directive did not come from “party central”. My impression is that some of the candidates have been operating outside of party central edicts. This is the problem.

      As for Moira Coatsworth and the man-ban. Where did you get the idea she was any part of that conference remit dubbed the man-ban by Labour’s enemies? It came initially from an Auckland LEC from memory and had nothing to do with Moira. She has no responsibility over what LEC’s submit to the remit process. Her job is organising the party’s over-all activities.

  15. Adrian 15
    26 September 2014 at 12:17 pm

    Anne, that’s what I was told in a very heated discussion with a candidate while I was putting up their billboards. I suspected at the time that it must have been a ” private ” arrangement because it would have been suicide if it had come out of party central, but it was implied that that was so.
    I was under the impression that the remit had very strong backing fro the womans division ( as told to me by a woman in that cohort , no names I don’t want to identify anyone), she was defending the decision at an LEC meeting after I asked WTFWYThinking. She said Moira was right behind it.

    • Anne 15.1
      26 September 2014 at 12:26 pm

      Moira may have agreed to support it Adrian but I’m sure she had no part in preparing it.

      For sure, the remit would have emanated in the first place from the womens division, but I’m sure Moira would not have dared criticise it – not in their hearing anyway.

  16. The Lone Haranguer 16
    26 September 2014 at 12:19 pm

    “One candidate told me not to put up any DC pictures because ” the candidates hadhad a meeting and agreed not too, inferring that the directive had come from party central”

    Adrian, I read that as the decision was made by the candidates, quite possibly with no input at all from Labour HQ.

    And Anne, I read a quote n the past few days that said “never introduce a policy that can be lampooned”

    And the “Man Ban” was lampooned mercilessly. It wasnt intelligent politics at all by Labour.

    And now Labour are playing civil war when the whole country needs them to be her majestys loyal opposition. The country deserves better from Labour

    • Anne 16.1
      26 September 2014 at 12:36 pm

      26 September 2014 at 12:34 pm

      And Anne, I read a quote n the past few days that said “never introduce a policy that can be lampooned”

      Couldn’t agree more. I voted against the remit because the wording of it was suicidal in my view. And so it turned out to be. Read my 14 and 14.1.1. Therein lie some of the problems.

      • AmaKiwi 16.1.1
        26 September 2014 at 1:33 pm

        @ Anne

        Example of Labour policies that are easily lampooned. I favor the capital gains tax but it is a huge threat to many Kiwis for whom a rental property or three is their ONLY pension scheme.

        Labour would not have lost so many middle class votes if their message had been, “We will look at the tax regime to see if it needs to be adjusted in the interests of fairness.”

        You can’t promise to cut off someone’s balls and then expect he will vote for you.

        • KJT 16.1.1.1
          26 September 2014 at 2:56 pm

          The retirement age of 67 went down like cold sick with working class Kiwi’s.

          • Colonial Viper 16.1.1.1.1
            26 September 2014 at 2:59 pm

            I don’t understand why people didn’t vote Labour when Labour was so clearly “fiscally responsible.”

        • Anne 16.1.1.2
          26 September 2014 at 3:23 pm

          Labour would not have lost so many middle class votes if their message had been, “We will look at the tax regime to see if it needs to be adjusted in the interests of fairness.”

          Precisely.

          Some will say its easy to say with the benefit of hindsight, but some of us saw it virtually from day one, and moreover the evidence among family and associates more than backed up my concerns. But to say anything amounted to whistling in the wind…

          Edit: and after all – as greywarbler put it – we’re just the grunts. 🙂

          • Colonial Viper 16.1.1.2.1
            26 September 2014 at 3:29 pm

            The Thorndon Bubble Labour crowd know best; If our input is wanted, I’m sure they’ll ask.

            • Anne 16.1.1.2.1.1
              26 September 2014 at 4:29 pm

              Oh well, in that case I better go back to knitting – if I could remember how…

              • greywarbler …
                26 September 2014 at 5:12 pm

                @ Anne 4.29
                Anyone who can think their way through the tangle of politics can put one needle through a loop and pull a bit of wool through, easy peasy.
                Anyone who hasn’t been driven loopy by the election and its aftermath has been strengthened through fire. Knitting will be a doddle after that Anne.

          • Chooky 16.1.1.2.2
            26 September 2014 at 7:28 pm

            you should help the Greens …they are very nice to their workers

  17. Tom Gould 17
    26 September 2014 at 1:34 pm

    Take a look at the so-called Labour south Auckland stronghold of Mangere, Manukau East and Manurewa. These three seats secured roughly 43,000 Labour party votes in 2008, roughly 50,000 Labour party votes in 2011, and roughly 40,000 Labour party votes in 2014.

    The total number of party votes cast in these three seats in 2014 was roughly 10,000 fewer than in 2011. The Labour party vote across the three seats was also roughly 10,000 fewer than 2011. The three Labour candidates secured roughly 10,000 fewer votes than in 2011.

    Similarly, if you look at the six Christchurch electorates the Labour party vote was down roughly 7,000 votes compared with 2011. The six Labour candidates secured roughly 6,000 fewer votes that in 2011.

    So it looks like the decline in both candidate and party votes from 2011 to 2014 was pretty uniform in these areas.

  18. brian 18
    26 September 2014 at 1:50 pm

    Looking at Simple statistics for each electorate and saying
    (a) Higher Party Vote than Candidate vote = “Good Guys” and
    (b) Higher Candidate vote than Party Vote = “Treacherous Selfish Bad Guys”
    is more than somewhat flawed

    Newer, or underperforming MPS, will tend to have a higher Party vote than Candidate Vote

    Older established MPs, or MPS who have proven to be hard working at an electorate level, will tend to have a higher Candidate vote than Party vote

    People like Goff and Shearer, who have been Party Leaders will have high name recognition. They are very likely to pick up a large number of Candidate votes from voters who are committed party voters to another party.

    My Party vote determines which Government I want. My candidate vote goes to the most deserving candidate, regardless of Party.

    People who are less political junkies than people on this blog site, are more likely to vote simply on the names they know. They are likely to know the Party they want. Their Candidate vote could go to the “name” they know, or simply double tick on the basis of Party affliation.

    There are many different ways people vote.

  19. Blackcap 19
    26 September 2014 at 1:59 pm

    what if the left worked together under MMP and used this strategy. Labour go for the electorate vote only and get their party to vote Green. Thus Labour get say 27 electorate MP’s and the Greens get 35% of the party vote and thus get 40 odd MP’s. That would give the left 67 seats in the house. Or am I missing something?

  20. Adrian 20
    26 September 2014 at 3:14 pm

    Anne, I believe you on the Gender-mandering, but as President she should have taken Mike Williams advice and warned that the policy was crazy even more so as I vaguely recall someone saying that for the sake of 14 votes in 2011 Carmel would have made the caucus about 48%, or am I wrong.
    I am still pissed off about the lack of DC Party vote billboards and the bullshit story that I was sold. I am still not convinced that it didn’t come from Wellington.
    Anybody have a similiar experience?
    The lack of Labour leader billboards was identified as a major mistake in 2011.
    Maybe it’s time for a good old Eastern Block style purge of the aparatchiks.

    • Colonial Viper 20.1
      26 September 2014 at 3:24 pm

      +100

      Plenty of identity politics activists in both Labour and Greens still wouldn’t change a thing, however. The irony is that Labour’s party vote was so low, that the gender balance in the Labour caucus got screwed anyhows. And I can’t see how making abortion law reform a major policy launch helped the Greens with their core conservation/environmentally focussed middle class base either.

      It’s like both parties forgot how to talk to their core constituencies.

      • KJT 20.1.1
        26 September 2014 at 3:37 pm

        It wasn’t identity politics that lost Labour the vote.

        And. Greens polices are because the consensus of members decide it is the right thing to do. It is called, Democracy!

        It is way past time that women’s rights in this matter were respected.

        It looks like National have found another treat to throw progressives way, anyway.
        To shut us up while they steal the country.
        A few pokes at reducing child poverty a little. While they ensure those children will continue poor as adults. “Look over here, aren’t we good, we are feeding some kids”. “But we will continue to make sure their parents do not earn enough to feed their own kids.

        Though, as with other rights, any progress is better than none.

        • Colonial Viper 20.1.1.1
          26 September 2014 at 11:44 pm

          It wasn’t identity politics that lost Labour the vote.

          Two polls before the election showed a massive gender differential in Labour Party support. Even if you are correct, that gender differential needs to be explained. It probably cost Labour 2% to 3% on Election Day.

          • weka 20.1.1.1.1
            27 September 2014 at 12:00 am

            Have you considered that you might be conflating identity politics with gender differences in voting patterns.

      • Chooky 20.1.2
        26 September 2014 at 7:39 pm

        @ CV…”I can’t see how making abortion law reform a major policy launch helped the Greens with their core conservation/environmentally focussed middle class base either”

        …..the abortion issue would have attracted the feminist women vote and most Green women are well educated , thinking middle class

        …it would NOT have attracted the Catholic vote…, but then that is not core Green constituency….and most NZ men are secular and would not care

        …Greens are made up of feminist women….. so yup abortion law reform was a big PolIcy WIN for the Greens

        …and I suspect it would have drawn in well educated thinking young women as well as new Green voters….really in an overpopulated world contraception with abortion back up makes sense

  21. Brian 21
    26 September 2014 at 4:58 pm

    The labour party is a neo liberal party!The middle ground according to most is to move further right!. It might seem counter intuitive but with nearly a million people not voting it would be logical to move left.Labour are full of M.P.’s who would be better of in Act,[the party of arseholes,c#*nts,traitors].The left need to co-ordinate with each other,and forget the m.s.m.No party has offered a fiscally sustainable economic policy.Running a surplus when private debt is 146% of gdp is height economic illiteracy .Its only a matter of time before that collapses.It will not matter who they elect as leader,without a long term plan that eschews neo liberalism .They are looking at extinction. National will privatise everything before the next election in time for wall street to start running N.Z. inc.The T P P A will go ahead if they can bribe N Z first.The reason Key would want as many parties supporting him in this endeavor would lend more legitimacy.You won’t have to worry about voting next election.

    • karol 21.1
      26 September 2014 at 5:24 pm

      Brian. We already have a “Brian” commenting here. It would stop confusion if you altered your handle.

  22. brian 22
    26 September 2014 at 5:13 pm

    The above comment appears to be from a new poster?, and is not mine

  23. Adrian 23
    26 September 2014 at 10:09 pm

    I’ve got the same problem. I’ve been commenting since the very start and just occasionally another Adrian turns up. I don’t really mind as he invariably makes more sense than me.
    P.s, Where is David Lange when we need him, I just heard Sean Plunkett quote his classic ” half the people in Labour are committed, the other half needs to be “.

    • Chooky 23.1
      26 September 2014 at 10:24 pm

      I am waiting for another Chooky ..as long as it is NOT a right wing Chooky…then the feathers would fly!…another Chooky would have to be Chook2…because I am the Chooky

  24. bryan 24
    29 September 2014 at 6:04 pm

    Fact check vs anecdote.
    Labour Isthmus electorates put much of their eday resources into phoning the entire isthmus, including non-Labour electorates. The 80 seat phone bank also phoned all of South Auckland (so that they could maximise their own door-knocking) and Taupo. Pretty good party vote hunting!
    In Mt Albert, all supplied party vote hoardings went up in good positions and in a standard ratio but 20 extra ordered from HQ never turned up.

  25. Jane 25
    29 September 2014 at 9:25 pm

    If Labour’s electorate MPs had been in a separate electorate only party, and nothing else had changed, the Maori Party would have chosen the government: https://imgur.com/a/glV5e

Recent Posts

  • Can taxpayers be confident PIJF cash was spent wisely?
    Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    6 hours ago

  • EGU2024 – An intense week of joining sessions virtually
    Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
    Skeptical Science
    8 hours ago

  • Submission on “Fast Track Approvals Bill”
    The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    9 hours ago

  • The Case for a Universal Family Benefit
    One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    10 hours ago

  • A who’s who of New Zealand’s dodgiest companies
    Submissions on National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law are due today (have you submitted?), and just hours before they close, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has been forced to release the list of companies he invited to apply. I've spent the last hour going through it in an epic thread of bleats, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    12 hours ago

  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    13 hours ago

  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    13 hours ago

  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    16 hours ago

  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    18 hours ago

  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    18 hours ago

  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    18 hours ago

  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    19 hours ago

  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    19 hours ago

  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    20 hours ago

  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    22 hours ago

  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    23 hours ago

  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    2 days ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    5 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-19T16:28:18+00:00