The National Party must be feeling emboldened by Boris’s win. That win was predicated, to a great extent, on the notion that if you say things over and over, people will begin to believe you. This is the only way I can understand the profligate and wasteful two page spread in this morning’s paper. The navy blue ink was not quite dry – it stained my hand a little.
Where is the political satire on telly? Simon Bridges would be portrayed as an 80 year old man who has lost his false teeth and continually mutters negative views about everything in a monologue that no-one listens to. Because, apart from the age difference, and he probably has his own teeth, that is how he comes across.
Labour needs to start urgently thinking about its election stance. The first voice is obviously Jacinda’s – calm, compassionate, looking for solutions for all – one nation perhaps, but a complex, diverse, culturally mature nation.
Labour needs to be more than Jacinda. The idea that only she and a couple of others have any talent needs to be refuted, by actions as much as words. The discourse over Kris Faafoi – the only hope for Labour and he may have to resign – is nonsense. Take Megan Woods, a person of good principles, immensely hardworking and doing good work in many hard spaces. And Andrew Little, whose courage in opening up the justice debate is commendable. We need to see the cast of characters be better developed.
I just want these good people to push on a bit, to get some more scores on the board and then get re-elected. I do not want old man Bridges as Prime Minister. He drives me mad in opposition!
Let’s ban full page or two page political adds. They are wasteful and messy. At the moment I do not have the energy for another general election. Perhaps next year!
Dr Liz Gordon is a researcher and a barrister, with interests in destroying neo-liberalism in all its forms and moving towards a socially just society. She usually blogs on justice, social welfare and education topics.
Andrew Little is the star Pike River and numerous other good things have happened under his watch. Chris Faafoi who didn’t do anything wrong, but his ‘mate’ who dobbed him in was appalling. Chris is great, Megan Woods yes (although too close with CCC mayor Lianne Dalzeil – we Labourites must stick together), Poto Williams, who is strong on human rights issues especially West Papua I have a lot of time for her, too. Jacinda is the face, great anguishing talker, too fluffy and tinkering round the edges. I was outraged when as PM and as minister of child poverty she said she would halve child poverty in 10 years… this is not bold thinking at all and her kid is not going to be in poverty ever. Do what the report they wanted done earlier this year said – INCREASE BENEFITS – which will pull huge numbers out of poverty. Oh dear no, no votes in that!
Andrew Little was union boss when the men were allowed into Pike River and he was full of praise for the company when he should have know they were cutting corners. Now he is spending millions to no real end when 148000 children are in poverty.
I understand the chief of the entry team is on $1/2 million.nice work if you can get it. He has made little headway on the treaty claims and crime continues to grow.
Trevor – Because you think that the money being spent at Pike River is to no real end, does not mean that it is to no real end. It simply means that things happen which are beyond your comprehension. And in terms of govt expenditure, it’s no big deal.
It is right, and proper that the chief of the Pike River is being well paid. And nor, as far as I know, is he responsible for Treaty Claims.
Nor is Andrew Little responsible for Treaty claims. It is a complex historical judicial process, also sometimes subject to change. Try not to worry about it too much, it could affect your health.
Perhaps if you have that comprehension, you could share what the real end is please?
Also comparing 10s of Millions of Pike River expenditure to a much huger number, is as worthy as comparing to the cost of some mother’s cancer treatment.
Your final paragraph is a personal attack : dismissive, belittling and gaslighting- suggesting the person is worrying unnecessarily and potentially sick.
I think Little was also responsible for Hitler invading Poland, Cushla Jones losing the 1969 Birmingham Mud Wrestling Championship, and the conspiracy to steal Ron Mark’s best hat.
Michal – Glad you mention Megan Woods, I’ve thought of her as a leader. Kris Faafoi is totally fine – the dopey attempt to dirty him has probably back-fired and endeared him to people; Andrew Little is so good and really needed – Nat supporters chipping away at Little show this.
PM Ardern…”too fluffy”… needs to watch this; it looks a bit like Meghan Markle who has alienated Brits hugging a lot, and spouting the sort of aphorisms on those fridge magnets which grandparents are given at Christmas.
While it’s terrible that it happened, I would hope that the worsening picture of the brutality of the NZDF in tragic Afghanistan is seen as what it was under the Nat watch, and that no-one resiles from seeing it in precisely that way – to hell with the politics of niceness when anybody thinks its acceptable to treat impoverished peasants as vermin, and to then lie and cover-up the way that cowards do. As we did.
It’s a shame that the Coalition is too scared to address unrealistic benefit levels; there are compelling reasons to do so, but articulating this seems to be too big an intellectual challenge for them, and they need to sort themselves out on that one.
“Andrew Little, whose courage in opening up the justice debate is commendable.”
Yes. Absolutely.
If the Left are to win the next election it will be by Coalition. Hopefully this will include a stronger Greens representation than this time around. Both main Left parties would benefit from some regeneration.
Here are the present Labour MPs.
Here are the Greens Team.
I don’t want to be mean about the Greens, and voted for them last election but they come across as a self centred woke mess full of constrictions and are a serious liability in terms of their voter perception.
Their inability to understand their own voters and impose their self centre views starts with the website… three of the main buttons are about themselves personally not the party… aka Marama Davidson, (first of course!), James Shaw, Our People, news (about themselves being references in the MSM with a pic of each MP beside the soundbite), Policy (looks fine), Contact, about Us, shop (consumer goods to buy).
I actually don’t think the Greens even understand how much they have destroyed the Greens values and brand by imposing themselves all over it and making the Greens about themselves. People like the Green brand not just the current set, who are destroying it and each other!
Labour are a bit better on their website in terms of it looks it bit more exciting, but again news, labour’s team, join Labour, volunteer, shop, chip in….
No policy to be seen (maybe because everyone hates their policy) but what does that say as well ????
But Natz (who I hate) keep it simple, about, get involved, news, policy… it’s short, serious, no consumer driven and not about themselves on the surface at least! (well when you sell MP seats and access for $100k+ you don’t have to be hawking merchandise and getting all you voters to ‘chip in’ that labour and Greens seem obsessed with).
I am so nervous that the current Labour and Greens are going to blow it by their pathetic non understanding of voters in this country who don’t want to chip in, shop or volunteer, they are old fashioned and expect the politicians to do their jobs and help the public, not the other way around that Labour and Greens expect!
What is even worse is that Labour and Greens also treat getting to know their voters as a way to steal information which should be illegal in itself especially with the governments track record of data management being leaked constantly to the public. Be safe, do not give out unnecessary personal details is what most people know to do!
With Labour/ Greens there is nothing about a bit more ‘ tell us about yourself, or even ways to engage with the public.
No wonder the conservatives won the ‘older’ votes on the surface the right always seems more able to provide old fashioned service, even when voters probably know they are not going to do it, at least the right wing parties seem to know what they are supposed to be doing for the people, something the left with all their woke and Rogernom idiots are totally out of touch with!
saveNZ – I voted Green the last two elections, dragged other people in with me, won’t do it again. At least – or perhaps just – two of their women seem to see that party as their own personal vehicle, and it is not. I may well go Labour once again.
The Green women blaming white NZ for the ChCh mosque massacres, was utterly irresponsible and unacceptable. But worse, if this is what they really believe, then the NZ Parliament is no place for persons who harbour such distorted delusions.
Yes the Greens – I was in the party for about 15 years but their support of the Waka jumping bill was outrageous, not to mention numerous other u turns on things Rod Jeanette and co fought hard for. Mostly I think the current mob are pathetic. Jan is their saving grace making real gains on domestic violence. They have moved so far to the middle however that they may as well join Labour.
All the current parties beleive in the GCSB and SIS, they believe in our defence forces going to all America’s god dam invasions, none of them have really challenged Jacinda, (I got into politics because of child poverty) ‘halving child poverty in 10 years’, none of them are really pushing for benefit increases. None of them have said health has been underfunded for 30 years and now getting a hernia operation in the public system is practically impossible, none of them have said they will reverse the tax cuts given to the richest by the Nats, none of them have seriously challenged the gap between the rich and the poor and ultimately capitalism!
@Snowwhite & Michael, Although I agree that the current Greens are not up to the previous standard which was generally impeccable, I am frustrated with the current Greens who are not bad people but somehow have gone into woke mode with some very bizarre decisions aka questions to the Natz, giving Chinese more water bottling, thinking everyone white is a privileged racist, and boomers and landlords are responsible for everything bad happening in NZ, and by doing that may get under 5%… I remember Alamein Kopu going with the Natz so not against the Waka jumping bill in principle… Greens are pushing for benefits tho but with the gold standard on rentals and another 250k per year of migrant visas many migrants coming are income less, where are the houses, transport, and money coming from for health and education and super?
At least the Greens were against the TPPA but failed to capitalise on that difference from Labour. They also managed to ban the plastic bag quickly.
The thing to remember though, is that you pretty much have to vote Greens and Labour just to prevent the Natz getting in. If Natz get in it’s gonna be a catastrophe for any beneficiary, working poor, the middle class, the environment and more state house sell offs… worse for Maori, jails overflowing and money flowing offshore…. more paid for MP seats, a congestion charge, more trucks on the road, more Chinese as their human rights are better than 2 Indians…
So even though Greens have failed in many areas, and Labour have been underwhelming, we also have to think back to where the rot set in, and it was from 9 years ago…
My criticism are from a place where maybe they can modify in time for the election so that the current perceptions are better… and not go with divisive, identity based policy and more taxes to honest people, not using the taxes they have wisely (aka petrol tax that has not morphed into public rail for commuters) that scares voters away…
NZ is basically screwed if the Natz get in. Their big plan is for congestion charges and more roads! Growth, growth, Growth for trucks, trucks, trucks and more in demand cheap labour more people trafficking than labour!
Congestion charges mean that trucks and heavy vehicles that have exploded over NZ roads and contributing heavily in accidents and maintenance upgrades, and under the Natz plan will not have to pay any extra for petrol and diesel. Rich people who can afford to live closer in and overseas tourists , will pay less than those who actually are doing all the work and tend to live further out who will be financially penalised from getting in cities under congestion charging!
Natz getting in, will mean the usual IT mess building the congestion charging infrastructure will ensue. They seem to forget that none of our governments no matter what type can’t organise any sort of functioning IT within budget that is fit for purpose based on past experiences.
Think Natz billion dollar Auckland Supercity whose IT is so pathetic that they didn’t actually even get it working after a billion dollars and a decade. Even today if you ring up the Auckland council you then get rerouted to the old departments based on the old cities and have to speak to a person after a huge wait, who generally knows nothing anyway because they have just arrived into NZ/Auckland and ‘getting up to speed,’ or so moronic and told not to give anything away for free or don’t know anyway, you get nowhere. Under the supercity, community council buildings are all closed down, so you then have to commute by car to a main centre. After a decade of Auckland council being run like this you realise that ordinary rate payers are now cash cows fleeced for rates, while the councils concentrate on down grading basic services, giving assets away https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12137606, and making many more things user pays. Do Labour support people like Mike Lee, nope like Mana they are more interested in getting the true lefties out than the Natz!
As for Natz more, more roads, it is a fundamentally flawed policy when NZ’s big issue is that nobody can get around by public transport and so the roads with more and more people are getting more and more clogged up!
I have little faith that Labour and Greens will provide anything meaningful in public transport under AT (bringing in the hated Patrick Reynolds after a cafe lunch speaks volumes on how out of touch Genter and Twyford are and lacking in understanding of the hard hitting experience level it needs not another unqualified village idiot to add to the board mix). But at least Labour and Greens seem slightly more realistic that we actually need public transport!
NZ is fucked, we have Natz last election pretending we have no crisis anywhere, and labour and Greens who know we do, but are so fucked up they can’t use basic practicality to even start off right by hiring experts and therefore with village idiots and their own MP’s waste time and money on Kiwibuild and public transport which is so hard they are already giving up completing major public transport and going to default upgrading bus terminals, cycle tracks and the roads and adding more congestion.
Megan Woods just rubber-stamps industry.
Way to be cleared for big electricity players to prey on low-income households
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/102708888/way-to-be-cleared-for-big-electricity-players-to-prey-on-lowincome-households
(I also believe they abolished payment discounts for electricity. Wow what a bonus to the consumer to have your bill higher for early payment and helpful for electricity companies not to give discounts!)
Chris Faafoi
In 6 December 2019, Faafoi apologised to Prime Minister Jacinda for promising to speed up an immigration visa application for Opshop singer Jason Kerrison’s father.
Apart from trying to swing the system to get his mates mother’s elderly partner into NZ from Nairobi , he seems to have done nothing apart from an underwhelming attempt to stop loan sharks.
If these are the Labour ‘talent’ that the left are talking up, god help the mainstream, let alone the poor!
Not even getting into politicians so up industry and Lobby group arses, I’m not sure we are ever seeing them again, aka Phil Twyford for construction and Iain Galloway for 250,000 per annum Visa traffickers, free residency for drug smugglers while in jail, and Cheap Labour.
saveNZ “Apart from trying to swing the system to get his mates mother’s elderly partner into NZ from Nairobi , he seems to have done nothing apart from an underwhelming attempt to stop loan sharks.”
Dirty Politics Dirty Politics Dirty Politics
Faafoi didn’t actually do anything apart from telling a rock singer that he’d help his mother’s love life, and then failing to do so.
That’s what Jason complained to the media about, and released emails about, and sent some of us scurrying trying to ascertain that if a Jason Kerrison isn’t an obsolete motor mower part, then what is it ?
Lots of free publicity for the rock singer who thinks that he’s destined for politics anyway- they all have other agendas. Song-thrush could start singing everything thrice over again – some people’s lives are really really impactful.
And it is probably a wise idea not to do anything to help, or hinder, the romantic complexities of other people’s lives. Trust me.
(Bro was in a pub with his best man when best man said,”God my wife’s a bitch.” Intoxicated Bro agreed, whereupon best man punched him.)
Chris Faafoi showed the wisdom of Solomon on this one.
“And it is probably a wise idea not to do anything to help, or hinder, the romantic complexities of other people’s lives. Trust me.”
Totally Agee.
Which is why politicians not be influencing declined visa’s for someone’s new husband when they were already declined by immigration.
If love is in the air (and it don’t last long these days with modern relationships) then they could live in Nairobi. The new husband apparently lived in the UK so why not there? If family in NZ is so important then they should have thought of that before tying the knot… they are losing nothing because they never lived together in the first place!
The NZ taxpayer should not be responsible for the health care, social security and super of someone’s overseas love interest for the rest of their lives, who have contributed nothing here.
Supporting partners should be their problem! Otherwise the individualistic, me, me sense of entitlement to taxpayer support, seems very strong in peoeple’s love lives here and creating new precedents.
Chris Faafoi was clearly in the wrong with all these txts, there is no glossing over it, he crossed the line and that is why he had to apologise.
And like Sroubek, Chris Faafoi was being used for political purposes anyway and fell into his frienemy’s trap to help the Natz, by being an idiot and not using their brains to work out, what is wrong with this picture.
It is not fair for society of NZ that private gain likely to end in social depravation for someone else in NZ in put forward. (In Sroubek’s case, friends of friend texting Jacinda to lobby for the drug smuggler in jail to get residency and Iain Galloway is an idiot for granting someone in jail residency in the first place and should be fired for crimes against drug victims, the country and promoting stupidity).
Immigration declined their applications. End of story.
How about Labour actually doing something to deserve a 2nd term because so far they have delivered nothing worthwhile. Shameful given the faith the electorate placed in them.
@Jays Yes I miss bene bashing too from the Natz, having our country turn into a toilet, (literally), giving Chinese residency because they are worth 2 Indians and selling access to list MP seats, selling off the state houses cheap to mates, not paying the teachers with bad IT from overseas firms like Talentless2 and the successful supercity integration that also blew 1 billion dollars of rate payer money on bad IT, then changing the council zoning and lazy immigration, millions of new cars and trucks hitting the roads… the Skycity convention centre bought by more gambling machines and now in ashes….
Yes they were the good old days under Natz… sarcasm.
Doing nothing with Labour is still better that destroying the country under the Natz.
Wow! save NZ you covered all bases basically nothing can be worst for our country than re-electing the national party who had plenty of time to implement changes for the betterment of all NZers.
@Michelle, Sadly people need to hold their noses and still vote Labour /Greens and NZ First, because Natz do a lot worse than nothing, they go out to actively destroy the country and in particular destroy beneficiaries and Maori and privatise health, education and social security!
(Labour tend to do it accidentally out of stupidity, so they are not as destructive or as fast moving as the socially destroying tsunami of Natz secret agenda.)
I suggest that since Labour and Greens have turned Nat Lite, and have not done a lot for the people because they still believe big business is their friend and 250k work permits are needed because Kiwis are so lazy and cafes are the future of wealth in NZ, they target their campaign on what the Natz did on their watch to the country vs their own.
AKA NZ Labour FB, Natz closing schools, Labour investing in schools. (Labour FB).
As for the Greens why oh why is this happening under their watch???? They need to urgently amend the RMA to stop big polluters immediately like the government did with gun laws.
EPA grants drilling and discharge consent for Otago coast to oil and gas company OMV
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/118277477/epa-grants-drilling-and-discharge-consent-for-otago-coast-to-oil-and-gas-company-omv
Appeals against Chinese water bottling plant dismissed
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/118255435/appeals-against-chinese-water-bottling-plant-dismissed
Simon is ( has been forever) desperate for attention. Opposition party leaders have a predilection for it. He has the worst job in the world.
He chose it.
The natz are very clearly targeting nz first voters and trying to undermine Peters.
The coalition parties have to work together to counter the ” Lorinda Order” party. Difficult for Peters.
The national party always try to undermine Peters they know he stands in the way of them getting re-elected but so does soimon he is very unpopular and after listening to his ramblings on RNZ this morning I can see why he was absolutely shocking.
Peters and Jones seem to be doing a good job of destroying NZF without help from Nats. Nats will not change their leader because they saw how constant change of leaders after Helen Clarke destroyed Labour. Simon is like a boxer slowly building himself up for the big scrap where as Jacinda is showing signs of strain as she has to clean up the messes created by her lackluster group of ministers
Trev you are very deluded. Bridges to be fair has come up with a couple of popular policies but is totally unelectable. The thing is all you Nat voters may bring down upon us this despicable piece of garbage, as our PM. Do you really want that? Probably.
Labour have under performed and reneged on some big policies that have pissed off a lot of supporters but still have an impressive list of fixes to their credit. Fixes from the last Nat government. Bridges and his dregs will say anything to get power but he’s a loser, and there policies are brutally targeted at the poor. The Nats are scum, real scum. What does that make you, you obviously like them.
Just some facts for you to reflect on as you call people scum.
You are talking about over 1/2 the voting public
2017 Election National 56 Labour 46
2019 Opinion poll National 47% = 60 seats Labour 40% = 51 seats
Labour have not been good for NZ Inc and another 3 years of them will see us all suffer especially those at the bottom of the food chain. National are not perfect but of the two choices I am happy to put my support behind a party of doers not dreamers
The only thing Bridges has in common with boxing is he’s punch struck.
Remember Bridges was on the front bench of a government that fucked up for 9 years, which he also did slowly building himself up.
What are you on about?! Simon Bridges is my fav politician.
Anyone see the present he got for Haley Holt? He is a keeper. More, mooorrr!
Yes Soymon is fabulous, when they got rid of popular shows like spitting image to save money, we now have our own reality TV version when our politicians are more satire than satire, to entertain us. Sadly we can’t turn them off tho. Pity.
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