Shoring up their voter base at the expense of ordinary New Zealanders ?

it’s a global trend – attributesd to reasons as varied as the ageing of baby-boomers – and the removal of lead from petrol..

but it is definitely a global-trend – despite what the hysterics in the sensible sentencing trust and their attendant clowns claim..

Yes, of course, Labour did it when they were in power before, under Helen Clark, many Asians and other immigrants were welcomed here, and it happened also under the Nats after 1991, as I do well remember.

Laissez faire immigration. Labour were also compassionate with many from the islands, allowing family in for years, and so it goes around, both the big parties used immigration to get new favourable voters for themselves, again and again.

The whole problem is that Labour’s promises of kindness and transformation were not there: much like the Blairites and Dems they are wimping out again. If you want the politically disenfranchised to vote you’ve got to be bold – yay, we’re banning microbeads but we couldn’t ban the export of water in the first 100 days? Give us a break!

Gluckman is a hypocrite, he follows the money and supports the government of the day, now he is moving on and being replaced.

Absolutely, Chris, that is true.

They may in Parliament now talk so nicely and answer to set up questions by their own, the Labour ministers, praising the winter energy payments to start on 1 July.

Nobody has the gust to admit, that the increase in Accommodation Supplement only helped a few, as those in greatest need, those that also require Temporary Additional Support or Special Benefit to survive, they learned by now, that the increase from 1 April was soon taken off them again, after their first review of benefit (3 monthly for TAS, 6-monthly for SB).

So the government gave with one hand and let WINZ take it again with the other, as the abatement regime for those extra top up supplements for the poorest has not been changed.

They do not even understand the benefit system, the ministers and MPs it seems.

Let us hope the winter payments will not lead to abatements.

Spot on Siobhan! Unless Labour wake up to the truth of your words which is known by every progressive, this Government is going to be a one trick pony!

Evidently crime has been going down here in NZ over the past 5 years ?