General Debate 24 February 2025

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artemisia

Public health funding is under the knife with huge job cuts proposed in the National Public Health Service, so clearly sector job prospects are fading fast. The union is worried.

Better get a headline grabber quick then. And so it comes to pass.

NZ road lobby’s tobacco industry-like tactics revealed in study – These strategies are similar to those used by other powerful industries to resist a policy they don’t like, Miller said – like tobacco, junk food, or alcohol.

What dreadful tactics. How could this happen in Aotearoa?

Public health sector – take a good look in the mirror.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/542758/nz-road-lobby-s-tobacco-industry-like-tactics-revealed-in-study
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February 24, 2025 8:04am
- peterwn
  
  And the cyclists lobby group – very effective and probably getting more than a reasonable share of resources especially from Labour/ Green dominated councils.
  
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  February 24, 2025 8:14am
  - imalwaysright
    
    The cost of constructing cycle lanes, and the ongoing costs of the disruption to traffic that they cause, would probably cover the cost of making public transport free.
    
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    February 24, 2025 10:42am
    - judith8409121
      
      you can make the ratepayer pick up the cost of public transport so another group can be subsidised by hard working new zealanders – but its not free – but i would also point out the buses can use ratepayers money to pay people and i would still not subject myself to the disgusting form of transport called shared transport also known as buses – i would rather bike than take part in that form of torture
      
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      February 24, 2025 12:43pm
      - John Loveridge
        
        So would most people. It’s vanishly rare to see more than a very small handful of people on any Christchurch bus.
        
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        February 24, 2025 6:00pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    “Probably”?
    
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    February 24, 2025 11:56am
- kowtow
  
  Of course RNZ ( and most of the legacy media) is itself essentially a lobby group , that also uses questionable strategies to push policies it likes.
  
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  February 24, 2025 8:36am
- Taieri
  
  NZ road lobby’s tobacco industry-like tactics revealed in study
  ———–
  
  I would not call it a “study”. It’s just another attempt at a hatchet job from the usual culprits.
  
  The full article contains 14 pages, including the abstract and references and can be accessed here:
  
  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140525000192?via
  
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  February 24, 2025 9:19am
- bennerg
  
  “What dreadful tactics. How could this happen in Aotearoa?”
  
  I’m concerned it could happen here in New Zealand as well.
  
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  February 24, 2025 9:45am
  - judith8409121
    
    yeah – i have no idea where this mythical land aoteraroa is – but i’m begining to understand its full of wellingtonians, lefties, and loonies who call things free when someone else is paying.
    
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    February 24, 2025 12:44pm
Chuck Bird

Things are looking good for Peter Dutton in Oz.

He is doing good in the polls and on Sports Bet Aust.
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February 24, 2025 8:05am
- wrightingright
  
  The German election though is the one to watch this morning
  
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  February 24, 2025 8:25am
  - kevn
    
    wright… Looks to be like a replay of the French (non) neuter result.
    
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    February 24, 2025 9:56am
    - wrightingright
      
      AfD ends up being the biggest party on election night, but nobody wishes to work with them
      
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      February 24, 2025 2:02pm
- kowtow
  
  Talking of Oz , there’s a huge story there , which has genuine global implications , but of course our Te Media Paahti , is not interested .
  
  Whyalla steelworks fiasco.
  
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  February 24, 2025 8:39am
  - Bevan
    
    LOL, so huge its barely made the news. And whats it got to do with the NZ media?
    
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    February 24, 2025 10:55am
    - kowtow
      
      LOL .
      
      QED.
      
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      February 24, 2025 12:22pm
Matt Long

Sad news for the business community, TVNZ ace business reporter Katie Bradford has resigned to work for Infrastructure NZ.
Why would INZ need a Marxist green to work for them?
This excerpt from an INZ submission to government might explain.
“INZ fully supports the Government’s approach in recognising Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) ‘s strategic importance and contribution to accelerating New Zealand’s decarbonisation efforts and growing our economy overall. 2.2 Despite initial momentum under the previous Labour government, this Bill has been significantly delayed. The current Government also made commitments to establish regulatory settings by July 2024, which were also delayed. However, it should be…”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/media-insider/media-insider-katie-bradford-resigns-from-tvnz-as-1news-business-correspondent/HQ3WR3O33VGQHPJJJHFOCKKBXY/
https://infrastructure.org.nz/resources/submissions/
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February 24, 2025 8:10am
- peterwn
  
  She has had the get up and go to make her own way in life, despite being set a poor parental example.
  
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  February 24, 2025 8:17am
  - pdm
    
    pw – I am sure this, or wording very close to it, is attributed to her a few years ago.
    
    `No matter what we do, no matter what we say the polls don’t change’.
    
    Lead up to the 2017 election I think and she sure as hell was not supporting a National led Coalition.
    
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    February 24, 2025 8:35am
    - Gravelroad
      
      Ms Bradford is/was a TVNZ “journalist” with a clear and open bias.
      I knew that everything she reported or editorialised on, was coming from a Labour/left perspective.
      At least you knew where you stood with that and what to expect – unlike some of the others who try to fudge it with a knowing smirk.
      As for TVNZ, they should explain why they employed a known political activist to slant the “news” in the first place.
      
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      February 24, 2025 8:45am
    - RalphT
      
      2014 I think.
      
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      February 24, 2025 8:52am
      - pdm
        
        2017 was a guess.
        
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        February 24, 2025 9:09am
    - peterwn
      
      I merely said that “She has had the get up and go to make her own way in life”. I had made no comment on her political attitude.
      This was in comparison to her mum who had no compunction about remaining on a benefit simply because it was available so she considered she was ‘entitled’ to take advantage of it.
      
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      February 24, 2025 8:59am
      - Tarquin North
        
        I heard she spent a lot of her time being brought up by her grand parents while mum was busy being an activist. Does anyone know for sure if this is true?
        
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        February 24, 2025 9:07am
      - stewmar
        
        Peterson, “She has had the get up and go to make her own way in life“
        All I’ve seen in Bradford has been a mediocre career as an auto yr reader at TVNZ. None of what she has done necessarily requires get up and go. Thank goodness she has got up and went.
        
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        February 24, 2025 9:19am
  - G152
    
    Is that the ‘No matter what we do’ that haunts our news screens?
    
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    February 24, 2025 11:12am
- Simon
  
  National are harming the economy / everyone’s living standards via heavy regulation through carbon emission reduction fakery. There will be rent seeking parasitic winners though like INZ as this fraud is played out – what better to have a chocolate Marxist on board with running climate propaganda for the cattle.
  
  See https://infrastructure.org.nz/behind-the-scenes-of-wsps-decarbonisation-commitment/
  
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  February 24, 2025 8:33am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Rats and sinking ships spring to mind.
  
  Same as Jessica Mutch-McKay, who surprised me with her nous when springing last year to an ANZ role.
  
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  February 24, 2025 11:58am
  - Paulus
    
    Where is Tova ?
    
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    February 24, 2025 3:13pm
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      Baby, apparently
      
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      February 24, 2025 8:32pm
- PurplePen
  
  Small point “regulatory settings”, what’s wrong with just saying “regulations”. They, govt, do this with “policy settings” as well when just “policy” will do.
  
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  February 24, 2025 2:39pm
Grunter

The German MMP elections remind us in NZ that no matter what, we are stuck in a centre-left (at best) doom spiral.

The AfD got a credible, but ineffective 19.5% of votes. Ineffective because they will get almost no say (if any) in the future direction of Germany. Germany will continue on their current self-destructive socialist path. In fact they are now signalling they will combat all the Super Powers (China, Russia & The USA). How they do that is stuff of wet-dreams of course.

In NZ, the current coalition is most likely the best we can ever expect. Of course ACT may rise, to say, 20% of the vote, just like the AfD. But so what? That doesn’t make them much more effective than what they are now.

So, NZ is on a similar pathway as socialist Europe. We have no possibility of a Trump or Melei event. We are therefore stuck in a hard-left, or at best centre-left future with a Maori “partnership” now baked in.

Time, for anyone that can, to leave for a country that will treat you better. Socialism fails 100% of the time. Apartheid fails 100% of the time. So it is very easy to predict NZ’s ultimate future.
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February 24, 2025 8:11am
- alloytoo
  
  Apartheid and socialism are two sides of the same coin. The only real difference is who’s in charge.
  
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  February 24, 2025 9:38am
  - Pope Punctilious II
    
    Apartheid and socialism are two sides of the same coin? What coin would that be?
    
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    February 24, 2025 3:43pm
- rockape
  
  I disagree re AVCT getting 20%. If ACT and NZ First combined gat more of the vote than National then it may put some backbone in the Government. ACT 20%, National 20% and NZ First on 10% is a possibility in 2026 and would be a very different beast.
  
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  February 24, 2025 9:47am
  - Grunter
    
    I like your optimism! Yes, that would be an effective result. It would be even better if ACT got 21%, giving a total majority of 51% and ACT as leader of the Coalition.
    
    rockape – you’ve given me hope!
    
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    February 24, 2025 10:24am
    - pdm
      
      Poor G and Mark Hanley – you will have given both of them heart attacks,
      
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      February 24, 2025 11:20am
    - rockape
      
      Well I have hope. I left National having been an office holder for 12 years. My reasons were I started feeling like a life support system for the party not a member whose voice could be heard.
      I haven’t changed my policy views one iota. However to find a home close to my own views and beliefs I have had to find a new home for them and that is with ACT. However not sure I will be listened to there either ! I guess that’s the new party politics model, you support the party machine, even if they don’t represent your views and hopes for NZ.
      
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      February 24, 2025 1:16pm
    - wrightingright
      
      The problem is that ACT only gets to 20% via turning itself into National. A lukewarm boring party. Long gone are the good days intellectually for ACT.
      
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      February 24, 2025 2:04pm
      - rockape
        
        I disagree the people whowill go to ACT are the right of National. National,are a big mistake by splitting itself into factions. So we have Blue greens, PI factions etc. I a, just surprised we don’t have a Blue. Communist wing to complete the picture of trying to appeal to all!
        
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        February 24, 2025 8:58pm
  - Ghost
    
    Act and nz first will always be minor parties, despite the fantasies. NZ is a centre left country. If NZ went more to the right national would follow.
    
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    February 24, 2025 10:29am
    - imalwaysright
      
      “NZ is a centre left country.”
      Correct.
      That’s why NZ has chosen to be poor.
      
      NZ has resources that could probably support 30 million people very comfortably by any metric.
      Instead we whinge and moan and ankle tap anyone who gets above the mediocre average.
      NZ is a house divided. That’s not because of the maori activism cancer, its because we don’t support and encourage each other.
      
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      February 24, 2025 10:56am
    - pdm
      
      Not sure about that last sentence these days Ghostie.
      
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      February 24, 2025 11:21am
    - MCōs
      
      I’m 76yo. For the first half of my life NZ was far more socialist than the second inasmuch as the state controlled so much of the economy.
      If our present administrations are centre left they are a pale shadow of those that preceded them.
      
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      February 24, 2025 12:16pm
      - Paulus
        
        But the population has grown exponentially too!
        
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        February 24, 2025 3:15pm
    - Pope Punctilious II
      
      “If NZ went more to the right …” That absurdly passive attitude is a big part of the problem. The younger half of the population is very woke because the last two centre-right governments (especially the Key government) did little to combat the progressive capture of the country’s institutions, in particular the education system.
      
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      February 24, 2025 3:19pm
- David Garrett
  
  Grunter: I wish I could disagree with anything significant in that comment.
  
  As you say, even if ACT got 20% in some future election, so what? We would end up with exactly the same situation Germany finds itself in this morning – with one significant difference: ACT would not be a pariah party as the AfD apparently is.
  
  But even a Nact coalition would have limited power – especially if the Nats were still led by Luxon, or a Luxon clone. In one sense only ACT is in the same position as the Greens: they only have one possible coalition partner, which will always limit its bargaining power.
  
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  February 24, 2025 10:06am
  - cmm
    
    DG: In the election in which you participated, and then got 3S through in 18 months, Act clearly worked well and got things done.
    
    What has happened? Why can’t that happen again?
    
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    February 24, 2025 10:48am
    - David Garrett
      
      Cmm: What can I say that won’t sound like boasting? Perhaps that the major difference between ACT 2008 and the 3S law and now is that in 2008 the Nats did not totally reject 3S from the outset, which Luxon has done with the TPB.
      
      Rather Key agreed to give our 3S Bill “full and and fair consideration” – I remember those exact words in our C and S agreement because that was the best we could get out of them. As the media gleefully noted at the time, in themselves those words meant nothing.
      
      As I have said here a number of times we had Judith Collins and a significant number of the Nat caucus on out side. I have no idea what percentage of the current Nat caucus would support the TPB if they could.
      
      Key did indeed give the evidence for 3S “full and fair consideration” and didn’t bow to blackmail from the duplicitous Simon Power once we had reached agreement on the final form of the Bill.
      
      From memory, once the Nats had agreed in principle to support it, Judith and I had it finalised in less than a month.
      
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      February 24, 2025 11:14am
      - cmm
        
        Please don’t be modest if that stands in the way of informing us.
        
        The way “support to first reading” has been interpreted by National is clearly not within the spirit of providing any support at all.
        
        I think Seymour sold himself short here. Whether that was through naivete, deliberate or he just didn’t have the bargaining chips, I cannot say.
        
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        February 24, 2025 11:41am
  - Colville
    
    DG.
    Sadly if ACT got 20% then National would jump into bed with Labour and call it a centrist government.
    
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    February 24, 2025 10:49am
    - David Garrett
      
      Colville: While such a “grand coalition” is not very likely, in the scenario you outline – and given our MMP environment – I think that is a distinct possibility.
      
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      February 24, 2025 11:56am
- kowtow
  
  ‘How they do that is stuff of wet-dreams of course.’
  
  Oh they’ve tried it before .
  
  Reasonably successful in the later part of the 19 C , but come the 20th , spectacularly not , but they did give it a run .
  
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  February 24, 2025 12:25pm
- PurplePen
  
  “The AfD got a credible, but ineffective 19.5% of votes. Ineffective because they will get almost no say (if any) in the future direction of Germany.”
  
  That’s no different to Labour and National each getting around 30%, and one of them gets almost no say in the future direction of NZ.
  
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  February 24, 2025 2:43pm
- John Loveridge
  
  “In fact they are now signalling they will combat all the Super Powers (China, Russia & The USA).”
  
  Not the first bunch of Germans to try that.
  
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  February 24, 2025 6:02pm
- pb
  
  German and French parties have been brainwashed. It would be like instead of partnering with ACT, to prevent ACT from having any say, the Nationals would join with the Greens or even Labour. They have been programmed to reject any party from the right, to the point of self immolation. National are left of Labour on many issues
  
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  February 24, 2025 8:33pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Did we ever find out why our naval vessel HMNZS Aotearoa and HMAS Sydney sailed through the Taiwan Strait last September?

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/529229/nz-naval-vessel-sailing-through-taiwan-strait-routine-movement-defence-minister
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February 24, 2025 8:16am
- cmm
  
  It’s different when we do it.
  
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  February 24, 2025 8:29am
  - rangitoto
    
    It was signaled well in advance and no live fire exercises so it is somewhat different.
    
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    February 24, 2025 9:05am
- fightingtemeraire
  
  The PRC says that the S China Sea is theirs in contradiction of the UNCLOS.
  
  Naval ships sail through there using the “Right of Innocent passage”. The PRC do not like this.
  
  What they have done is use the right to sail through Aus waters and into International Waters ie past the 200nm limit and started firing off their weaponry as a show of force.
  
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  February 24, 2025 8:29am
  - NoCash
    
    C’mon the live fire drills were limited to firing the main gun at sea targets, not firing missiles, which the type 055 has 112 VLS cells to play with; that means at no time aviation safety was an issue. IMO the Oz govt and MSM are hyping up the event.
    
    We can’t out spend the Chinese in military, not even the US could. So stop wasting money on it is my take. Be smart in diplomacy is what we need to do.
    
    Welcome to the multipolar world, we can’t hide behind the Western bloc and need to be realistic about it. China isn’t going to invade us, they are not dumb. We need to stop projecting based on the colonial past of the West. Let’s focus on win-win through trading and stop fucking around in the Taiwan Strait and SCS.
    
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    February 24, 2025 9:43am
    - Grunter
      
      Well said – I agree!
      
      A minnow like NZ has no business poking a Super Power. If in doubt, just look at Ukraine.
      
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      February 24, 2025 10:27am
      - NZer In Exile
        
        The Chihuahuas have to do their obligatory yapping I guess.
        
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        February 24, 2025 3:58pm
    - Nobby2
      
      NoCash; Yep, just like Chamberlain did before the start of WW11. If you won’t or can’t stand up to the bully, you may as well just roll over and get shafted.
      
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      February 24, 2025 11:32am
      - NoCash
        
        False equivalence, China is not Nazi Germany and the Pacific is not Continental Europe.
        
        The context that preceded WW2 both in Europe and Asia doesn’t apply to our part of the world.
        
        You are still projecting based on the imperialistic past of the West.
        
        Btw, who is the bully to begin with? The US and allies?
        
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        February 24, 2025 11:49am
    - Gussy Fink-Nottle
      
      “We can’t out spend the Chinese in military, not even the US could”
      The Yanks spend twice as much on their military than the Chinese.
      The gap is closing, and Chinese get more bang for their yuan, but no-one outspends the US.
      
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      February 24, 2025 11:54am
      - NoCash
        
        Yes, in dollar terms you’re correct. I should have said out produce military assets.
        
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        February 24, 2025 12:40pm
    - MCōs
      
      We can’t outspend China, but there’s some people who’d like to give it a good shot!
      
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      February 24, 2025 12:46pm
    - PurplePen
      
      Agree. China has never been into empire building, unlike Europe, the UK, US and Russia. Also, they’re not even capable of taking Taiwan currently, and unlikely they ever will because of Taiwan’s geography and the treacherous sea. And even if they were successful, the subsequent sanctions would be severe on a primarily export based economy which in turn would make the Party extremely unpopular with a lot of locals.
      
      The more likely issue here is for Australia. The Chinese can throttle their shipping access.
      
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      February 24, 2025 2:52pm
      - NoCash
        
        This Oz skit comes to mind…
        https://youtu.be/MTCqXlDjx18?si=WYejKRTX5A7TUj_W
        
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        February 24, 2025 3:59pm
    - Ra Henare
      
      Watched an interesting interview with the Black Waters Ex CEO and founder, Navy seal etc etc
      Not stupid by any stretch of the imagination.
      
      His solution in modern warfare(talking Taiwan specifically)
      But could apply to NZ.
      Arm the population with simple weapons. A citizens’ army is hard to beat
      American War of independence, citizens against the British Empire)
      Afghanistan against both Russia and US
      Iraq
      Ukraine
      and believe it or not, Hamas.
      
      Dont waste money on military heavy metal, Warplanes, warship etc. They will all be gone in the early stages of any Chinese invasion>
      
      It seems that Taiwan/USA has very few missiles(in comparison to China) to fight back.
      
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      February 24, 2025 4:00pm
  - Paulus
    
    Just China at play at our political expense !
    
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    February 24, 2025 10:01am
  - kiwimike
    
    The CCP are bullies in all they do.
    Monsters in the way they corral their people.
    
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    February 24, 2025 5:38pm
- Cassandra
  
  NZ Government demonstrating that NZ’s quasi-neutrality is over, that we cannot do it be part of the team. Defence Review due soon will confirm that although “as close to 2% as possible” is not encouraging.
  
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  February 24, 2025 8:31am
  - cmm
    
    I would have thought that was even more clear when NZ decided to provide logistic and training support for Ukraine. That kinda burst the bubble on being peace makers.
    
    NZ really doesn’t have the capability to play expeditionary games. Rather stay local.
    Our Navy is far more like a coast guard than a “real” Navy.
    Our Airforce is far more like an air support arm for coast watch and Army log support.
    
    We should acknowledge that and rather play the roles we are more suited to: local defence and emergency relief.
    
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    February 24, 2025 8:42am
    - Andrei
      
      25% of our Navy is at the bottom of the ocean off the Samoan Coast.
      
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      February 24, 2025 8:52am
      - rangitoto
        
        We have lots of wakas we could use.
        
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        February 24, 2025 9:14am
      - Bevan
        
        You suck at Maths.
        
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        February 24, 2025 11:00am
    - Taieri
      
      Our Navy is far more like a coast guard than a “real” Navy.
      ———–
      
      Not even that. There’re 4 active ships of which only HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Taupo have any patrol capabilities. Not much for a country with the ninth longest coastline in the world and over 4M square kilometres EEZ.
      
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      February 24, 2025 9:24am
      - Master Mariner
        
        Not too mention NZ is responsible for Search and Rescue in NAV area 14, Which is one of the largest globally.
        I guess we can drop “Care Packages” during rescues //
        
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        February 24, 2025 10:21am
      - Ra Henare
        
        Do keep up.
        NZ doesn’t need Ships to patrol the EEZ,
        Think HD satellites, recognisance aircraft(P*?)
        
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        February 24, 2025 4:04pm
    - thirteenstars
      
      Much like the British Armed Forces where there are more Admirals than fighting ships…
      
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po9duwvipB0
      
      …and more horses in the army than tanks:
      
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4TmtkjcY9A
      
      It’s an apt cultural metaphor that ceremony has replaced real military capability. Potemkin militaries, indeed. Send in the admirals! Horses, charge!
      
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      February 24, 2025 10:38am
  - David Garrett
    
    Cass: I am no Trump fan, but what we need is a Musk like figure to identify waste in the public sector and prune it back – hard. We could start by getting rid of the low hanging fruit – the Ministry of Women’s affairs, and the various “Commissioners” of this or that.
    
    Think of the savings that would be made if, instead of importing Tongans and Samoans to pick fruit, those on the dole were given a bus ticket to Hawkes Bay or Nelson, $100 to cover food for a couple of days, and told to go and work instead of drawing the dole. Don’t want to do that, no dole for you.
    
    We could double our defence budget in a year.
    
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    February 24, 2025 8:44am
    - pdm
      
      DG – I think David Seymour is trying to do that.
      
      However, he is not achieving what we want to see because both National and NZFirst each have one of his arms twisted up his back.
      
      When the Regulation Ministry starts on (I think) 1 March he may make a bit more progress.
      
      I hope.
      
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      February 24, 2025 8:57am
      - cmm
        
        pdm: It’s all professional wrestling.
        Is Seymour really trying to do that? Or is he just pretending to try to do that?
        Either way it does not matter. He’s not really achieving anything.
        
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        February 24, 2025 9:01am
      - David Garrett
        
        pdm; I don’t talk to Seymour, but I very much doubt he is “just pretending”. There is a lot of talk about small parties being “the tail that wags the dog”, but the reality is rather different; especially in the current arrangement in which Seymour and Peters – who clearly hate each other and have very different political philosophies – have to try and work together without the whole house of cards coming down, followed by an election which would see a horror coalition involving the Greens and the Maori Party.
        
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        February 24, 2025 9:08am
      - Taieri
        
        He’s not really achieving anything
        ———–
        
        He can’t. It requires changes on the scale similar to that of 1984. Unfortunately, Seymour is not another Douglas…
        
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        February 24, 2025 9:12am
      - cmm
        
        DG: Yup, I’m probably over stating that. Sorry David Seymour.
        
        Winston seems to play wag the dog pretty well though.
        
        Still it is rather frustrating that to see Seymour stymied by his so-called “coalition partners”. It is very much a one way road.
        
        Even the agreement to support the TPB to first reading has not really been observed. Sure they might vote for it in the first reading, but what they have done is everything other than actually supporting it.
        
        Somehow you managed to get the rather contentious 3S bill through in about 18 months from scratch. It is a pity that that sort of action is no longer visible.
        
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        February 24, 2025 10:06am
      - David Garrett
        
        Taieri: Not only is Seymour no Roger Douglas, we are in an MMP environment quite unlike 1984.
        
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        February 24, 2025 10:11am
      - cmm
        
        DG: You were able to achieve 3S in 2008/9 – with MMP.
        
        IIRC the 3S support from National was rather reluctant but Act were able to keep their feet to the fire.
        
        So what’s changed?
        
        I really think that National have moved so far left that their natural bedfellows are Labour. If not yet, it is bloody close and likely will be that way in another one or two elections.
        
        South Africa went that way with their current government. Instead of the ANC (major party) shacking up with a minor party, they shacked up with the DA (the second party) which had been the major opposition for the last 20 years.
        
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        February 24, 2025 11:37am
      - PurplePen
        
        I’ve only got the Productivity Commission to go by. Another Seymour initiative that went nowhere. Sometimes he’s just not always right.
        
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        February 24, 2025 2:55pm
      - Benedict Yu
        
        “I’ve only got the Productivity Commission to go by…”
        
        David Seymour was not even in Parliament when the Productivity Commission was established.
        
        The Commission produced some excellent reports. Invariably ignored by governments.
        
        Then Grant Robertson wrecked it by appointing a useless CE.
        
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        February 24, 2025 3:20pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        The Douglas razor gang basically pulled a bait and switch didn’t they? Pretty sure they didn’t run an austerity and cuts election campaign.
        
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        February 24, 2025 4:03pm
    - kowtow
      
      I believe Seymour would do that .
      He’s hamstrung by his coalition partners .
      
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      February 24, 2025 8:59am
      - RoboRob
        
        It is hard to know. He might be hamstrung, he might not. Certainly he isn’t saying he is.
        
        I might add that having recently emailed Seymour with regards to an issue I am incredibly disappointed to not even get a ‘got your email’ response from his office. When I emailed Luxon, some time ago, I disagreed with his reply but his team did reply and they did address the issue raised. That is a lot more then Seymours team did.
        
        +1 Luxon, -1 Seymour
        
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        February 24, 2025 9:58am
      - PurplePen
        
        My bad earlier. The Productivity Commission was established as a condition of the ACT Party supporting the National Party government on confidence and supply, not by Seymour but when Rodney Hide was ACT leader. Seymour introduced the Act to repeal the legislation so as to disestablish the Commission.
        
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        February 24, 2025 5:09pm
    - cmm
      
      DG: There are far too many ways we could clean up spending.
      
      I was rather shocked on the week end to read that they’re proud that the Hamilton-Auckland train service “only” needs an 85% subsidy. That is apparently much better than the average of 89% subsidies on commuter train tickets.
      
      That means someone traveling from Hamilton to Auckland and back is getting over $300 a day in train fare subsidies.
      
      Assuming for a moment they are going to work in a $35/hour job, it would be cheaper for the taxpayer to pay the person their full wages to stay at home and play XBox.
      
      When paying the dole makes more sense than the transport provided to get them to work you know things are very, very broken.
      
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      February 24, 2025 9:09am
      - bennerg
        
        I wonder what the cost of providing a Bus in place of the Hamilton-Auckland train would be?
        
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        February 24, 2025 9:50am
      - imalwaysright
        
        They may as well subsidise public transport 100%.
        The extra 12% cost to the taxpayer would be offset by less traffic and less fuel use etc.
        I’m not saying its an ideal solution, but the small increment in cost could lead to other benefits of far greater value.
        
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        February 24, 2025 9:59am
      - JackRabbit
        
        Things at NZR have not changed in a very long time. Unless NZR have to run at break-even or a profit, it will continue to be subsidised.
        
        Same as council bus services. Seeing CCC buses drive around town empty is nuts, and just another confirmation that socialism doesn’t work.
        
        Supply and demand: If there was no subsidised public transports, people would make better decisions. If it cost $300 per day in commuting costs homeowners might think twice about living in Hamilton and working in an office in Auckland.
        
        Plenty of jobs in Hamilton at Pak’n’Save, or in produce warehouses. Stay in Hamilton and save $1500 per week.
        
        Despite what people say about China, Chinese immigrants in business here tell you there is no free lunch in China, so you work or starve. When you have Chinese immigrants talk about NZ, they mention that Chinese have more pride, and that the shame of being a loser is a real thing in China.
        
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        February 24, 2025 10:14am
      - rangitoto
        
        It would probably save money to replace the service with free helicopter transport.
        
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        February 24, 2025 10:15am
      - cmm
        
        bennerg: A while back I did the numbers.
        
        It would be cheaper to do any of the following things:
        1) Buy each regular commuter a Suzuki Swift, keep it insured, serviced and maintained with “free” fuel etc and free parking at each end. Replace the Suzuki Swift for a new one at 100,000km. Pay them $100 per day each if they carpool.
        2) Provide a “free” helicopter shuttle.
        3) Pay the people full wages to sit on the dole.
        
        So I think a bus would be a no-brainer. Unless the government did it.
        
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        February 24, 2025 10:41am
      - alloytoo
        
        This is the fundamental problem with subsidized public transport programs. Not only do they such up taxpayers funds like a sponge, they also prevent market competition by introducing price ceilings.
        
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        February 24, 2025 10:46am
      - cmm
        
        alloytoo: Yup, the subsidised transport kills off private solutions.
        
        Here in Christchurch we have buses that run all around town that only have reasonable passenger numbers during rush hour. The rest of the time they might have 2 or 3 passengers.
        
        While the ticket price on a bus might be $2 from the city centre to the airport, each ticket is being subsidised by 90% or more – meaning the actual cost is $20 or so.
        
        We also have un-subsidised shuttle buses that pick people up from hotels and transport them and their suitcases etc to the airport for a flat rate of $15. They are profitable and they also have the extra cost of dragging around a large trailer, stopping to load/unload suitcases etc.
        
        That suggests that a passenger-only bus service could do the same run and be profitable at $10 per run (ie. half of what it costs to run the taxpayer/ratepayer funded system).
        
        But such a service cannot compete with the taxpayer/ratepayer funded option so it won’t come into being.
        
        This is exactly why the government should stay out of everything possible.
        
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        February 24, 2025 11:53am
      - JackRabbit
        
        @cmm 10:41
        
        It would be cheaper to do any of the following things:
        
        [4] Can the train completely and let private operators run mini-van people movers at market rates. The mini-vans work well in SA.
        
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        February 24, 2025 1:34pm
      - cmm
        
        JackRabbit: Indeed, this should been left to the free market. I just raised some absurd examples to show how outrageously stupid the train set is.
        
        SA-style minibus taxis are an extremely effective form of transport – even though they are a pest to other road users. Somewhere I think there is a middle ground to be found where you can have a system that is 90% as effective as the SA taxis while eliminating 90% of their cowboy behaviour.
        
        Surveys show that the train users are 90% positive about the train service. Of course they would be. They’re paying 15 cents for every $ of “value”.
        
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        February 24, 2025 3:49pm
      - John Loveridge
        
        The Timaru public transport system would surely have merit elsewhere?
        
        https://timaru.metroinfo.co.nz/myway-by-metro
        
        Christchurch has a huge number of very large, very empty buses running around the streets all day. Only sustained by long-suffering ratepayers.
        
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        February 24, 2025 6:10pm
    - artemisia
      
      Work or no dole, good in theory. But it does require an employer to take them on. And keep them on.
      
      Even if they work for free for the employer (while getting the dole) and if their accom is paid for (also by the taxpayer) if they don’t earn their keep the employer won’t want them.
      
      Our small tradie firm has taken a few on from the dole over the years. One was good and went on to an apprenticeship. One was terrible – drugs, unreliable, stole tools, was evicted from 2 different emergency housing places in 3 months. The rest were very average. We don’t do that any more.
      
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      February 24, 2025 9:14am
      - kowtow
        
        ‘One was terrible – drugs, unreliable, stole tools, was evicted from 2 different emergency housing places in 3 months. The rest were very average. We don’t do that any more’
        
        It is literally a societal problem.
        
        As a society we have allowed ourselves to sink into the dregs , accepting shit standards from what passes for the family these days , then schools .
        Drugs ( narcotics) is acceptable .All manner of stuff once frowned upon can no longer be “judged” , not even obesity .
        
        Then the welfare state . What should always have been a safety net ( for economic downturns) is now literally a lifestyle choice.The state has made it that way .( as have voters)
        
        Neither main party is prepared to address the underlying issues .
        
        Without a Disruptor Movement I’m afraid the future is grim .
        
        An army of unemployables laying about ( pulling all down ) and then the state importing armies of low skilled replacements .
        
        Societal disaster.
        
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        February 24, 2025 1:16pm
    - Benedict Yu
      
      I used to think that. But look at things from the perspective of the orchard owner. A bunch of resentful drugged up men turning up to pick your crops? How will that go?
      
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      February 24, 2025 9:21am
      - pdm
        
        It doesn’t BY.
        
        WINZ workers damaging fruit, machinery etc in Orchards since the mid 1980’s or even earlier..
        
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        February 24, 2025 9:37am
      - cmm
        
        There was apparently something similar tried in the FOrestry Board or whatever it was called.
        
        Apparently seedlings don’t grow if you plant them upside down.
        
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        February 24, 2025 10:07am
      - David Garrett
        
        Pdm: surely the answer to that is the workers have to get sign off from the employer each day that they did a fair day’s work and didn’t deliberately damage anything?
        The wider problem is of course that for 40 years we have brought up people to believe that being on the done is a legitimate lifestyle choice rather than a hand up to get back to “normal)”, which is working for a living.
        
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        February 24, 2025 11:27am
      - cmm
        
        DG: Geez nice tractor you’ve got there boss.
        It would be terrible if it caught fire.
        
        I doubt most farmers want to also play prison warden signing off work and keeping an eye out for sabotage etc.
        
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        February 24, 2025 11:56am
    - Gravelroad
      
      I have a family member who manages vineyards in the grape growing for wine industry.
      At busy times, van loads of beneficiaries who claim they want to work, have been sent out by WINZ to give it a try.
      Say 20 come at a time-
      By the end of the first day, at least 3 will have quit due to work being “too hard. Don’t like it outside because hot, windy, cold etc; family problems, just remembered doctor’s appointment, too far to travel, internet no good.”
      By end of the week, possibly one of the originals would still be coming to work.
      They will still be eligible for all benefits – work or no work.
      That is why the very good, capable and friendly guys from places such as Vanavatu are so valuable. They turn up and work – and they have to pay for their accommodation and other expenses.
      
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      February 24, 2025 9:29am
      - Steve Otto N Shore
        
        Did not see your comment Gravelroad.
        Mine below is similar. Vineyard owners want reliability,
        
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        February 24, 2025 9:49am
      - JackRabbit
        
        And the hardworking respectful nurses (male and female) in our health system, are mostly from the Philippines.
        
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        February 24, 2025 10:17am
      - MCōs
        
        No they’re not
        From my experience Filipinos are very empathetic and competent nurses, but they’re not the majority and most doctors I encountered in hospital were either pakeha or Chinese
        
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        February 24, 2025 12:57pm
      - Observer of Life
        
        MCos: A friend has a family member at Middlemore at the mo. Has been there for 2 weeks. 99% Indian Nurses. Not kidding.
        
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        February 24, 2025 3:10pm
      - PurplePen
        
        It must be the same the world over. Eg. NZ employees are highly prized by British employers as the NZers are known to be diligent, hard working. So it must be that anyone that travels away from their home country, we’ll almost anyone, is a good worker such as those that come here from Vanuatu.
        
        Although, friends have found foreign woofers are not what they used to be. There’s no guarantee that they’re a good worker. Maybe it’s a generational attribute.
        
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        February 24, 2025 3:30pm
      - MCōs
        
        The demographics of the nursing staff could have changed in the various Middlemore wards I interacted with a year ago, but at the time there were quite a mixture of ethnicities
        
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        February 24, 2025 8:45pm
    - Benedict Yu
      
      David yes we could get rid of the small agencies. But the big savings are to be made in the big agencies.
      
      Here is a thought. If you cut the public service by another 10,000 today it would still be bigger than it was in 2017.
      
      The Public Service Commission itself should be a target. Why is it needed? The last government established the “regional” public service. Each region has a regional public service boss who coordinates public servants in that region. These folk, in every region of New Zealand are paid about 200k plus they have their little empire of staff.
      
      These people did not exist before 2020.
      
      Honestly, the potential savings are enormous. And the average “man in the street” would not notice a change.
      
      31 1
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      February 24, 2025 9:31am
      - alloytoo
        
        Just start cutting until the public complains.
        
        Reduce taxes at the same time.
        
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        February 24, 2025 10:51am
      - Steve Otto N Shore
        
        Can the Govt make you New Zealand’s DOGE, Benedict?
        
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        February 24, 2025 12:10pm
    - Steve Otto N Shore
      
      DG, with fruit picking I think the orchard owners want those who know what they are doing.
      Relatives owned a vineyard in Hastings. When it came pruning or ‘thinning’ time they would contract a group to do it. Usually Indians and Sri-Lankans. They would come in, set up a tent, bbq, music, and fridges for cold drinks. Appear at 5.30 or so in the morning and work until dusk. Carried on until the job was done. Even then our relies have dismissed some who did it wrong. Vineyard and orchard owners get one payday a year.
      Pruning is cutting off the leaders after so many nodes or new growths.
      Thinning is dropping bunches of grapes (sometimes large) on the ground so the plant thinks it is dying and pumps growth into the existing bunches. Such a waste, but they are not really eating grapes.
      Unskilled labour is just not good enough, so I see it the same with other fruits.
      
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      February 24, 2025 9:46am
      - David Garrett
        
        Steve : As a youth I picked apples and pears in the Autumn and pruned grape vines in the winter. An hour or so’s “training” was all it took to do both jobs…and the boss kept an eye out for the first day or so I guess.
        
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        February 24, 2025 11:33am
    - Paulus
      
      Thought that Brian Roche has made a start, but it will be like pissing into the wind, sadly.
      
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      February 24, 2025 10:02am
    - Handyman
      
      I have been part of restructuring efforts across many NZ industries, and therefore have no expectation the NZ bureaucracy will be reduced.
      Anything less than a 20% target is literally pruning. That is, clipping around the edges to encourage future growth. Private equity firms over cull and watch the organisation self-heal, like mercury amalgamating.
      There will be no success if the people involved come from within the bureaucracy, (including the big consultancies.). It needs some serious commercial or private equity grunt.
      
      Here is what not to do (so watch it happen).
      1. Run a series of workshops with stakeholders to “identify areas of waste in your department.” The unspoken part is “Based on your feedback you may lose your job.”.
      2. Identify the services provided by your team and ask the clients and stakeholders how they would be affected by those services being cut.
      3. Be open and transparent so every staffers’ concerns and worries are on a team site accessible by TVNZ and RNZ.
      
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      February 24, 2025 10:37am
    - Colville
      
      DG.
      You cant make New Zealanders pick fruit in Hawkes Bay as there is no accommodation for them and they wont do it for min wage anyway.
      
      A RSE worker gets a few sq meters of floor space, 15 or so in a 3 bed house and are charged handsomely for that privilege.
      
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      February 24, 2025 10:55am
      - David Garrett
        
        Colville: Theyll do it for minimum wage if it is that or no dole. I can’t comment on the accommodation issue.
        
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        February 24, 2025 11:35am
      - MCōs
        
        During my working career I collected the unemployment benefit two or three times.
        There was no way I would have gone fruit picking
        Apart from the fact that I wouldn’t have been fit enough for a labouring job I needed to available to look for employment in my line of work
        
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        February 24, 2025 1:11pm
      - Rintintin
        
        Wrong, and wrong again re: Accomadation, have a look around Irongate Road and go up to Onga Onga
        and Tiko.
        Great purpose built accommodation
        
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        February 24, 2025 1:12pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        I did apple picking in my youth. Was pretty short term work but it was fun. Back then it was pre-corporatisation/get-rich-quick days so the owners just seemed to be happy enough with the people just doing the job in an orderly fashion.
        
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        February 24, 2025 4:09pm
  - fightingtemeraire
    
    NZDF which is backed by 5.5 million people, not even the size of a city in Aus should stop buying “top of the line” assets like $500 million frigates and buy ships that could be used to police our HUGE area of responsibility in the S Pacific.
    
    Corvettes with a range of 5000 NM for example equipped with missiles and choppers.
    
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    February 24, 2025 9:15am
    - Paulus
      
      Beelieve that Corvett hull design structures not suitable for the Southern Waters.
      Too narrow in long waves.
      
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      February 24, 2025 10:04am
    - Cassandra
      
      fighting: No, that’s not their job. Their main task is to keep our lines of communication open and any enemy as far away as possible. That means working closely with Australia. Going it alone is not an option.
      
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      February 24, 2025 10:07am
    - RoboRob
      
      The more we see modern warefare the more it seems to me the future isn’t billion $ Ships and million $ Jet fighters. It looks like it will be who has the best drone attack and defence capabilities.
      
      The US Navy fleet, in particular carriers, may be an expensive dinosaur at this point.
      
      NZ, with sattelite and drone tech could do most of the Navys militiary role for a fraction of price and better. That leaves rescues etc.
      
      In fact drones allow countries like NZ to have a much better military then they have even been able to afford.
      
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      February 24, 2025 10:13am
      - All_on_Red
        
        The US Navy will be fine from Drone or Missile attack.
        This Helios system needs to get a bit more powerful and then it will be a cheap effective way of defending against drones and missile.
        Israels’ Iron Beam system is working well.
        https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/02/05/us-navy-helios-laser-weapon-warship/78239697007/
        
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        February 24, 2025 1:41pm
    - Jack5
      
      Fightingtremeraire’s [NZ] … should stop buying “top of the line” assets like $500 million frigates …
      
      Would it make a difference if we build them in South Korea instead of Australia?
      
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzac-class_frigate
      
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      February 24, 2025 1:28pm
    - kiwimike
      
      how about buy 4x type 055 Destroyers off of China with 112 VLS and main gun.
      oh look there is one in between NZ and Oz right now.
      
      they would do the job.
      just need to merge the fire sysrem and radars and such with Oz’s
      
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      February 24, 2025 5:54pm
  - Benedict Yu
    
    Sorry. We can’t have a bigger defence force and economic growth and net zero and universal pensions at 65. I could add another 10 “ands” but you get the picture.
    
    We have become a low trust underperforming country. If a government lies about the reasons for vaccine passes and lies about the impact of net zero, they can lie about anything and everything.
    
    I have stopped believing anything this government says, especially anything the PM says. They are simply a more efficient version of the last government.
    
    So no defence spending won’t reach 2 percent of GDP in my lifetime.
    
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    February 24, 2025 9:16am
    - Taieri
      
      They are simply a more efficient version of the last government.
      ———–
      
      More efficient? Come on…
      
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      February 24, 2025 9:27am
    - Handyman
      
      There are two ways to get to 2%. If China stops buying our kiwifruit and dairy, the current defence spend will quickly be 2% of the lower gdp.
      
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      February 24, 2025 9:45am
      - Jack5
        
        China’s takes about 23 per cent of NZ’s exports, including about a third of NZ’s dairy exports.
        
        China produces about twice as much in dairy products in NZ. We helped develop the Chinese dairy industry.
        
        About a third of NZ’s dairy products still go to China, along with 60 per cent of NZ forestry products. What happens when the last forests of Indonesia have been gutted? Surely there will still be Chinese demand for our radiata pine.
        
        We need gas and oil and minerals to sell overseas.
        
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        February 24, 2025 1:40pm
    - kowtow
      
      I’d also add that the Crown has ‘treaty partners” to consult and who as partners can make decisions too .They must be paid and all those ‘settlements” and legal processes for 150 year old ‘breaches” cost so much such that we can neither nor even should afford to defend the Realm . All that matters is good ‘race relations”.
      It can’t even be debated!There’s nothing we like about the debate!
      
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      February 24, 2025 1:32pm
  - slightlyrighty
    
    To all of the pearl clutchers moaning about increasing our defence spending to 2% of GDP, the size of that increase would be about 6 Billion.
    
    To put that in perspective, Labour spent 70 Billion on the Covid response.
    
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    February 24, 2025 11:54am
- Keith White
  
  Couldn’t find a reef to crash into.
  
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  February 24, 2025 8:58am
  - kowtow
    
    That’s OK cos now it’s designed to be one.
    
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    February 24, 2025 1:33pm
- Philview
  
  Judith Collins mentioned this morning UN work related to North Korea but that may be different ships. The NZ Navy certainly didn’t fire any shells on the way through but we probably don’t have the budget to waste ammo.
  
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  February 24, 2025 9:22am
- G152
  
  Freedom of Navigation Act.
  
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  February 24, 2025 11:14am
- Nobby2
  
  China claims all of the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait as their territory. They moan and threaten whenever any other nation sails through those areas, as they are legally entitled to. I have never heard of other nations conducting a live firing exercise while transiting through the South China Sea or Taiwan Strait area. China by its actions in the last 3-4 days is using bully boy tactics against Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island countries to send a message that they will decide who does what in the South Pacific.
  
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  February 24, 2025 11:23am
  - NoCash
    
    The US and Australia have been bullying around in the Taiwan Strait and SCS for years citing freedom of navigation and rules based international order. Now you get upset because the Chinese reciprocate and play by the rules conducting FONOPS and up the ante yet still well within the rules. What’s gives…
    
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    February 24, 2025 1:56pm
  - Wayne1749
    
    “I have never heard of other nations conducting a live firing exercise while transiting through the South China Sea or Taiwan Strait area.”
    
    For heaven’s sake, there’s something called Google nowadays: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-11/us-the-philippines-biggest-military-drills-south-china-sea/102209752
    
    Included US, Filipino, and Australian forces in the South China Sea.
    
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    February 24, 2025 7:26pm
- rouppe
  
  I think I heard that they were on their way back from pirate duties off Somalia.
  
  No idea whether I remember accurately or whether that is a reasonable route to take if it is so.
  
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  February 24, 2025 12:29pm
Grunter

Keir Starmer talking up a direct war with Russia.

Does he realise that his entire military (75,000) could fit inside Twickenham Stadium as well as his entire fleet of just 40 battle-ready tanks?
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February 24, 2025 8:17am
- kevn
  
  Grunter… (lower case) starmer must rank as one the worst UK PMs..
  
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  February 24, 2025 10:03am
  - Paulus
    
    Opinion Polls agree with you !
    
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    February 24, 2025 10:05am
    - Jack5
      
      Comparison of UK and Russian military power outlined at link below.
      
      Details include:
      
      Aircraft: UK 631, Russia 4,292; fighters UK 113, Russia 833.
      
      Tanks: UK 227, Russia 5,750; all armoured vehicles UK 38,200, Russia 131,527.
      
      Navy: UK 109 ships, Russia 419.
      
      Active military personnel: UK 184,860, Russia 1,320,000.
      
      https://www.globalfirepower.com/countries-comparison-detail.php?country1=russia&country2=united-kingdom
      
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      February 24, 2025 10:32am
      - slightlyrighty
        
        Now do a combined European force.
        
        They have 2066 Fighter aircraft and 5000 Main Battle Tanks.
        
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        February 24, 2025 11:56am
      - Burtland
        
        GDP
        US $27T
        Germany $4.5T
        Uk $3.4T
        France $3T
        Italy $2.3T
        Canada $2.1T
        Russia $2.0T
        Mexico $1.8T
        
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        February 24, 2025 1:07pm
      - Jack5
        
        Re Burtland on GDP …
        
        If you go down the page on this link you will get interesting comparisons of GDP of the big parties in World War 2.
        
        The giant by far was USA with a GDP almost four times that of the Soviet Union, whose GDP was also well behind that of Germany.
        
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_production_during_World_War_II
        
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        February 24, 2025 1:53pm
      - Jethrod
        
        And also the UK has the unfortunate position of being on the wrong side of the channel.
        
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        February 24, 2025 2:06pm
      - Jethrod
        
        And where is China’s GDP?
        
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        February 24, 2025 2:08pm
      - Grunter
        
        I read somewhere (can’t find the link sorry) that most of the tanks aren’t ‘battle-ready’. And some UK military guy stated that only 40 tanks were ready for battle. Obviously that could change quickly.
        
        But my point stands, if silly starmer think he’s going to have a crack at the dirty Ruskies, I think “ya dreamin mate…!”
        
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        February 24, 2025 2:33pm
      - Paulus
        
        Its not the size but the Quality !
        
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        February 24, 2025 3:25pm
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        Jack, could be those Russia numbers date from three years ago? I wonder how many of them are burnt out hulks somewhere near Kursk.
        
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        February 24, 2025 8:49pm
  - kowtow
    
    That sir is a very low bar indeed.
    
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    February 24, 2025 1:34pm
- imalwaysright
  
  Starmer can relax.
  NZ have just implemented further sanctions on Russia.
  
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  February 24, 2025 10:08am
- MCōs
  
  I would suggest a lot of water would have to have passed under the bridge before the UK were involved in a war with Russia and then they wouldn’t be on there own.
  
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  February 24, 2025 1:17pm
- Jules99
  
  He thinks all the young white men who have been insulted and overlooked for good jobs in favour of women and minorities will now go and give their lives on the killing fields of Ukraine. No they won’t. To quote one of young guys on Lotus Eaters, why should I care where the line on a map of another country is? Good point, especially if you feel your country hates you.
  
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  February 24, 2025 1:18pm
  - Conservatarian
    
    Lotus Eaters is by far the best commentary I have found on UK politics and society / culture, and they even talk about us sometimes.
    
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    February 24, 2025 3:55pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  And yet, the mighty Russia has received a bloody nose from Ukraine.
  
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  February 24, 2025 8:47pm
Scooter

So the Cook Islands have just done a deal with China on mining for seabed minerals. Also this week is the very timely interview with Muriel Newman on Leighton Smith’s Newstalk podcast. From about 15 Min but worth listening to it all, is her take on what could happen if Iwi are given title to NZ coastal seabed (before the courts) and as a result the minerals which according to her Iwi could sell or allow China to mine. NZ and our govt need to wake up and stop pandering to the Judiciary/ Maori because the more they appease the more they want and ultimately it’s not good for any of us.

https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/podcasts/the-leighton-smith-podcast/
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February 24, 2025 8:28am
- Tauhei Notts
  
  Rather than listen to that meandering podcast I looked at the transcript. I imagine that it was artificial intelligence as the phrase “tea conger” appeared several times.
  
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  February 24, 2025 9:18am
  - Scooter
    
    You’ve lost me there but in any case it can only go in 2 directions Maori get the foreshore or they don’t.
    
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    February 24, 2025 10:00am
- Steve Otto N Shore
  
  Muriel Newman did a post on her website NZCPR about Cooks and China on Feb 14th
  Luxon does not seem very interested in the NZ Marine and Coastal Area Act being amended even though he campaigned on it. I wonder why he avoids all things Maori?
  
  https://www.nzcpr.com/parliamentary-sovereignty-hangs-in-the-balance/#more-40452
  
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  February 24, 2025 10:06am
  - Scooter
    
    Luxon is only interested in the economy and will ignore all things Maori or climate etc. I think he sees NZ as a company, the people as customers and he is the CEO trying to get back into profit. Maori issues, climate, China, USA are in the too hard/long term committment basket to be of any interest.
    
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    February 24, 2025 10:56am
    - Steve Otto N Shore
      
      My opinion is that Luxon is a Maori activist. Ask him about co-governance.
      He will tell you what Pters said, and tell you what Seymour said, but he will not tell you his opinion. It is all just diversions and the usual word salad.
      3 emails and no replies!
      
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      February 24, 2025 3:47pm
- JackRabbit
  
  So long as they are not targeting the minerals in the Clarion–Clipperton zone, or surrounding areas.
  
  https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dark-oxygen-discovered-coming-from-mineral-deposits-on-deep-seafloor/
  
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  February 24, 2025 10:23am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Oh, they’ll be busy enough hoovering up the Cook’s Co-laden Mn-nodules and Kiribati’s for a few years
    
    https://www.moanaminerals.com/cook-island-nodules
    
    https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael-Petterson/publication/354881985/figure/fig1/AS:1078600652599296@1634169843084/Map-of-Manganese-Nodule-Rich-Regions-in-parts-of-the-Pacific-and-Indian-Oceans-Pacific.png
    
    before they wander over to the C-C zone
    
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    February 24, 2025 12:37pm
Biscuit

Yes, Biscuit is over the moon this fine Monday morning.
No, he won’t bother explaining why!
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February 24, 2025 8:51am
- David Garrett
  
  Biscuit: Anything to do with modern pharmaceuticals by any chance??
  
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  February 24, 2025 8:54am
- pdm
  
  Did you get lucky last night?
  
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  February 24, 2025 8:58am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  A draw…is that all?
  
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  February 24, 2025 9:03am
- Ghost
  
  Biscuit finally got dunked
  
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  February 24, 2025 9:05am
  - pdm
    
    Clever Ghostie.
    
    But I happen to know Biscuit is a `Boarding School’ Old Boy so it would not be his first dunking.
    
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    February 24, 2025 9:13am
BeaB

Some things don’t add up.
Why have we got bulging school rolls when so many thousands of NZers have fled to Australia?
Why are teachers facing burnout after 7 weeks holiday, two long weekends, teacher-only days and a 9-3 working day? They haven’t been back at work for a full month yet.
Why is teaching basic literacy and numeracy to little primary kids so demanding and stressful, even with a workbook, that our primary school teachers aren’t up to it?
Why wouldn’t we have a teacher shortage, despite very good pay and conditions, when every day principals, teachers and unions are in the media whining, moaning and complaining about how terrible their lives are?
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February 24, 2025 9:05am
- Grunter
  
  This is because Government monopolies always fail. We are witnessing that failure before our eyes. NZ Education has clearly been taken over by the hard-left woksters. Guaranteed to fail.
  
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  February 24, 2025 9:50am
- Paulus
  
  Perhaps we are left with family’s who are unable to get to Australia due to parental incursions in earlier life.
  
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  February 24, 2025 10:07am
- Steve Otto N Shore
  
  Teachers can only teach Marxist crap and Maori indoctrination. Literacy and numeracy is just far too hard.
  No sarc.
  
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  February 24, 2025 10:10am
- greybeard
  
  “a 9-3 working day” ?
  Get real.
  
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  February 24, 2025 10:11am
  - Steve Otto N Shore
    
    Yes, far less.
    
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    February 24, 2025 12:20pm
- imalwaysright
  
  “Why is teaching basic literacy and numeracy to little primary kids so demanding and stressful,…”
  
  Because they don’t see that as their job.
  Teachers in NZ, especially primary , see themselves as the arbiters of the childrens view of their role in society.
  
  They don’t care if the children can’t count, it only matters that the children agree with the teachers ideology.
  
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  February 24, 2025 11:20am
- Jules99
  
  Local state primary school here is majority Indian – think that might be a factor.
  
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  February 24, 2025 1:20pm
- Paulus
  
  But the first thing Primary children do at school is to learn how to do the Haka.
  And listen to the wailing of some fat old lady continuously and probably every day.
  
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  February 24, 2025 3:28pm
- PurplePen
  
  Don’t forget that a lot of teachers will be those that have grown up during and since the Clark government. That government removed any incentive to do well, or win at anything and kids from them were wrapped in cottonwood and every issue resolved for them. So it’s no wonder that we have all the issues with teachers from that period onwards.
  
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  February 24, 2025 3:41pm
BeaB

If kids are so hungry when they come to school why don’t we give them breakfast rather than leaving them to starve all morning?
Why don’t we provide food for the kids in genuine need rather than compulsorily to every child in the school regardless. Schools know who their needy kids are.
Why don’t we calculate the amount needed to provide a basic lunch to every school child and add that small amount to benefits and Working for Families so no-one has an excuse not to feed their own kids?
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February 24, 2025 9:08am
- Benedict Yu
  
  IIRC there are about 100000 children getting free breakfast and free lunch.
  
  https://www.kickstartbreakfast.co.nz/breakfast-clubs#:~:text=KickStart%20Breakfast%20currently%20provides%20free,a%20kickstart%20to%20their%20day.
  
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  February 24, 2025 9:24am
  - Paulus
    
    Thought it was much greater for lunch alone – the figure I think was something like 180,000 !
    May be I am wrong but ?
    
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    February 24, 2025 10:12am
- Paulus
  
  Our neighbour, a few years ago, did Breakfasts daily, including holdays, at our local Dec 1 school – now a huge new Kura !
  No more Breakfasts though.
  
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  February 24, 2025 10:10am
Biscuit

Oh, alright, just to curtail the doubts – drugs, sexual good fortune, non-results, encounters with full teacups – Biscuit’s fave football team went to the home of the reigning EPL champions at 5.30 am today:

Manchester City 0
Liverpool 2

11 games to play and Pool are a massive 11 points (plus Goal Difference!) ahead of the ‘chasing’ Arsenal.

Cat is in line for what, Hobbit-style, she calls ‘second breakfast’!
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February 24, 2025 9:09am
- pdm
  
  Is that all – what a let down.
  
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  February 24, 2025 9:13am
- Libertarians are right
  
  Arsenal have a game in hand to be fair.
  Also, the two teams are still to play at Anfield.
  
  But Arsenal are also still missing their entire front line so have issues scoring at the moment (20 shots to 5 with West Ham only having 1 on target and still losing).
  
  I think Arsenal’s only real chance is if Salah gets injured. He has had one of the best years in the Premier League I have ever seen and is responsible for a lot of their points.
  
  Arsenal also needs to stop getting reds.
  
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  February 24, 2025 9:21am
- Tauhei Notts
  
  When Biscuit walks through a storm he holds his head up high. 2-0 at Maine Road is great.
  
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  February 24, 2025 9:22am
  - pdm
    
    Next he will be standing for Mayor of Superior Hutt. lol.
    
    Or challenging Chippy for the Rimutaka Electorate seat.
    
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    February 24, 2025 9:43am
- David Garrett
  
  biscuit: Ah Jesus man! Your joy is of course understandable, but your reluctance to reveal the source of said joy had us all going there.
  
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  February 24, 2025 9:22am
- Northshoredoc
  
  They’ll be celebrating on the beaches….
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIhFwLjsQug
  
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  February 24, 2025 10:12am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Oh heck,
  when you told us you had red undies on the line, I thought you were a ManU fan.
  
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  February 24, 2025 12:44pm
  - Biscuit
    
    Wash yer mouth, Maggy!
    
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    February 24, 2025 1:23pm
Philview

I was thinking last night if the US Navy was in the Tasman Sea doing live firing and causing airlines to get out of the way, every lefty in the country would be on the streets protesting.
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February 24, 2025 9:26am
- sungsamning
  
  Can’t have the ever lovin, ever lyin left biting the philosophical hand that feeds them.
  
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  February 24, 2025 10:22am
Bridgenag

Sunday Strip: Don’t Believe…
your lying eyes

https://open.substack.com/pub/rwmalonemd/p/sunday-strip-dont-believe?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
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February 24, 2025 9:53am
Bridgenag

sunday memepool: DEI for our sins
because if letting a bunch of bulk bin halfwits take over your culture is not a sin, i don’t know what is

https://open.substack.com/pub/boriquagato/p/sunday-memepool-dei-for-our-sins?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
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February 24, 2025 9:53am
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRjJ_uLGn-w
Trump Seals Georgescu to Scare EU-Romania

Romania is at the center of a brewing geopolitical storm as the Trump administration reportedly pressures Romanian authorities to allow controversial pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu to run in the upcoming presidential elections. With strong anti-West, anti-Ukraine rhetoric, Georgescu’s potential win could shift power dynamics in Eastern Europe, creating headaches for Brussels, Kyiv, and Romania’s current leadership. Billionaire Elon Musk’s vocal support and Trump’s strategic moves have heightened tensions, with Romania caught between Washington and Brussels. Will Georgescu make it to the ballot and reshape Romania’s political future?
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February 24, 2025 10:03am
sungsamning

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/02/qatar_the_hidden_enemy.html
Qatar: The hidden enemy.
Qatar is a small country of less than 5,000 square miles that wields enormous power due to its immense wealth, with which it has bought off politicians throughout Western Europe and North America. It has used its money to promote the jihadist Islam of the Muslim Brotherhood (M.B.) variety, along with anti-Western and antisemitic incitement. According to Dr. Udi Levy, former head of the Mossad’s Unit of Economic War against Terror, “Qatar has conquered Europe” and has great influence on some of the richest people in the U.S., many of them Jews, who lobby for this terror-supporting authoritarian regime.
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February 24, 2025 10:03am
cmm

After 300-odd days of playing musical chairs with their power generation, South Africa are back to their load shedding again. Currently they are on stage 6 which means no power for around 10 hours a day.

What is somewhat disturbing is seeing the way the generators tripped. Normally you get individual trips, but this time they seem to have had a “trip swarm”. That likely means that everything is being operated right on the edge of collapsing.

It is still summer. Winter is coming.

https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/south-africa/stage-6-load-shedding-hits-south-africa/
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February 24, 2025 10:12am
- Steve Otto N Shore
  
  Coming to a place near us soon. Nothing is being done except talk.
  
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  February 24, 2025 10:17am
- Benedict Yu
  
  Last week I was at a work related event. I met a woman who had recently moved here from South Africa. She mentioned that her husband had got a job here working for a power company and that he had worked at Eskom in South Africa.
  
  I casually remarked on the South Africa power mess. She became defensive telling me that “everything is fixed”.
  
  I thought that it was odd.
  
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  February 24, 2025 10:39am
  - cmm
    
    BY: I too worked at Eskom in its heyday: 1980s.
    
    The reason she was very defensive is that Eskom get a lot of blame for what is going on and the shit falls downwards onto their staff.
    
    Yes, Eskom has become very bloated under the ANC. They have been forced to take on about 3x the staff that they need and most of those are useless people doing nothing but draw an inflated salary.
    
    Still, there are a core of very good technically sound people that manage to generally keep the lights on without the support they need. It is very likely the husband was one of those.
    
    So why all the problems then? Eskom only runs the power stations. Eskom has no say over building new power stations. That is a function of central government.
    
    Eskom has been telling the government to build more power stations since back in the Mandela years. The government has not done so.
    
    Yet whenever there are electricity supply problems the finger is pointed at Eskom and the people on the ground get blamed personally. It can’t be pleasant being an Eskom employee at a social function when the lights fail.
    
    It is close to miraculous that Eskom has not had a full failure during this time. That it has not is down to the excellent technical staff they have at their core (though many have left/retired).
    
    The problems will not go away until the central government builds more generators.
    
    At the time you spoke with her, they had 300 days with no load shedding – a remarkable achievement after almost 2 years of perpetual load shedding.
    
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    February 24, 2025 11:08am
    - wsk12345
      
      So basically like Transpower in NZ then? Technically good but blamed for things that are not in its remit.
      
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      February 24, 2025 11:37am
      - cmm
        
        Basically, yes.
        
        Eskom built absolute world class power systems in the 1970s and 1980s. Despite sanctions on South Africa, they were still invited to international power conferences to impart their knowledge on others.
        
        Eskom started to fall apart in around 1996 when:
        1) They were forced to take on more useless staff and give them cushy jobs.
        2) The government refused to listen to them about building more power stations.
        
        It takes over a decade to build a full size power station even with the skills and resources. Once you get behind it is hard to catch up – especially when you’ve chased all the skilled people away.
        
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        February 24, 2025 3:11pm
- Eastlander
  
  Eishkom is its usual self only more so, it seems.
  
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  February 24, 2025 11:01am
  - cmm
    
    Please read what I wrote above. Blame the government (and the people that vote for them). Not the Eskom staff.
    
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    February 24, 2025 11:57am
    - Eastlander
      
      So does the South African government just not care whether the country produces enough electricity or not? Do they take the power supply for granted and resent having to spend money on it as opposed to other things they want now? What is the official thinking here?
      
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      February 24, 2025 12:30pm
      - cmm
        
        I can’t speak for any “official thinking”.
        
        Somewhere around 1996, Eskom generated a plan on how to build out power infrastructure for the next 50 years. A lot of that was geared towards building out more power for the expected boom in urban population as well as power for increased manufacturing etc.
        
        Mandela was not interested. Nor was Mbeki who came after him. Instead of maintaining infrastructure and building more, they wanted to put all the money they could into short-term social spending for popularity etc.
        
        This brought about the “golden” Mbeki years. Mbeki is spoken of highly because the economy boomed. Unfortunately those who look at it that way fail to recognise that that is when the rot set in and infrastructure build and maintenance fell behind. The impact of poor maintenance and build out only show up after a decade or so – by which time it was too late to do anything.
        
        The government don’t care. They have a bogey man – Eskom. They even put a white puppet in charge of Eskom for a while – presumably hoping that they could pin it all on him.
        
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        February 24, 2025 3:41pm
- kowtow
  
  Is it any wonder that rape scarf fellow John Minto changed the subject from SA to ME .
  
  Funny how these ‘radicals” who claim credit for fixing the world’s problems are actual anarchists creating havoc for the Ordinary Joe in the places they claim to have liberated.
  
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  February 24, 2025 1:44pm
  - cmm
    
    I will give Minto some credit in that after the ANC took over and failed to improve the lot of the citizens he did call them out about that – not terribly vocally though.
    
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    February 24, 2025 3:42pm
- kiwimike
  
  they deserve all they get.
  so much corruption at Eskom since Mandela
  yes mandela didn’t do enough
  those after him just corrupt.
  the wholesale theft at Eskom is staggering.
  
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  February 24, 2025 6:07pm
colina

A friend attended the Nats Blue, Green gathering in Methven in the weekend.
A depressing affair, all of the presenters and most of the attendants have drunk the carbon (C02) cool aid. Attendants were lectured that our trading partners require 100% compliance with net zero, in spite of agriculture and food supplies being exempt from the ridiculous Paris Agreement.
Any suggestion that the so-called science may be flawed or any attempt to provide alternative written publications refuting the science was meet with dismissal and “perhaps you should be voting for a different party”
The overall lack of in-depth knowledge on the topic, any understading of the true costs involved, the realities around attempting to achieve net zero was boarding on naïve.
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February 24, 2025 10:12am
- alloytoo
  
  Perhaps they should be voting for a different party.
  
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  February 24, 2025 10:36am
  - I remember when
    
    Change comes from within.
    
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    February 24, 2025 11:52am
- Benedict Yu
  
  Yes that comes as no surprise. I would have left. Sleep walking down the Argentinian road.
  
  BTW the folk attending were attendees, not “Attendants”. That would be someone who provides you with a service, typically at a theatre or on an airplane hence flight attendant.
  
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  February 24, 2025 10:49am
- Grunter
  
  The argument that “our trading partners require 100% compliance” is just pure BS. Yes, some woke international customers demand it as part of their own Scope 3 Carbon reporting (which is even more bollocks loaded on top of a turd….!). But clearly The USA don’t require it. Nor China. Neither does India, the rest of Asia, Sth America,….. Who does that leave?
  
  Oh – Europe. The failing state where our exports are collapsing along with everything else in Europe.
  
  The woke Nats are just a joke on this Global Boiling scam. And their response to your friend confirms that they are part of the left, that is exactly how Labour and Greens response to genuine questions!
  
  15 2
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  February 24, 2025 11:41am
- BananaLlama
  
  Attendants were lectured that our trading partners require 100% compliance with net zero
  
  If this is true they are either just straight up fibbing or i am misinformed.
  
  10 0
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  February 24, 2025 1:05pm
  - Dougal10
    
    Attendees were probably lectured that government officials had been putting compliance into trade agreements for years. And now aren’t willing to revisit them. I know a number of attendees and they have all drunk the coolaid.
    
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    February 24, 2025 3:03pm
- kowtow
  
  Blue Greens are idiots , on the wrong side of history and on the wrong side of the political spectrum .
  
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  February 24, 2025 1:46pm
Raphael

DPF’s post from yesterday about “Why do the media ignore far worse behaviour from the left?”
Barely a squeak from the media that 4 churches in Masterton were victims of arson.
If it was any other religious building we would be facing weeks of articles about hate crimes.
And hardly anything on the 70 Christians beheaded in the DRC last week.
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February 24, 2025 10:53am
- kowtow
  
  Yep , the hint is in “seven stars” .
  
  That’s pleiades.imho.
  
  Plenty of info out there , but as we all know the meedia paahti are into “active protection” , they even signed contracts to that effect .
  
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  February 24, 2025 1:49pm
Grumpy Silver Top

NZ Herald today published an article by Cecilia Robinson suggesting that it it time for Wayne Brown to step away from the Auckland mayoralty!!

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/wayne-brown-has-served-his-time-now-its-time-for-change-cecilia-robinson/PO24HZWEUFFFPHQ7U6S7EUSRXA/

My comment on their site was measured but I was wondering what kind of kool aid the writer, and her editor, are drinking. Not to mention a clear case of ageism, “he’s 78” so has to step aside to let younger, less experienced people yet again buy into wasting my rates on nice-to-haves, that don’t address the state of so much of our city. He’s not done yet, by a long chalk. We ratepayers are still paying for wasteful projects and contracts that were signed before he took office.
I want to record that our Auckland parks and sportsgrounds are wonderful, beautifully maintained by council contractors and used by many Aucklanders.

[Mod – your link is fine, Herald links cannot be shortened]
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February 24, 2025 10:58am
- Grumpy Silver Top
  
  Please note, the wrong link is included in this post.
  
  [Mod – fixed]
  
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  February 24, 2025 11:07am
Grumpy Silver Top

And then there is this one, too.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/five-reasons-boomer-men-had-it-easier-than-the-rest-of-us/BGYMX2TJZBBJJM2BWTUNKDTDOM/

Boomers, of both sexes, have lived through a time of world peace and prosperity. What the writer forgets is that women also prospered during this time. Perhaps not with the ease of men. In the early 80’s women couldn’t enter into a time payment contract for anything, eg whiteware without a man’s signature. Banks were loath to lend money to women, men had the right (yes the right) to make sexist comments and assessments in the workplace. Many early boomer women grew up in a time when the only “career” choices were teaching or nursing, “until you get married, Dear”. You get the picture. A woman’s prospects for a fulfilling life, untramelled by societal mores imposed by men have been expanded beyond anyone’s dreams.
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February 24, 2025 11:06am
- cmm
  
  Were those 80s the early 1880s maybe?
  
  In 1980 I started university. About a third of my computer science class was female. In 1983 most of those hit the workforce. It was hardly seen as revolutionary.
  
  Around half my university were female studying everything from arts to sciences, engineering and medicine.
  
  My girlfriend at the time was a medical student. Around 40% of her class were female. None of them stopped work when they got married.
  
  In 1983 my now wife (a junior nurse at the time) bought a new car on a loan. Nobody countersigned it or anything.
  
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  February 24, 2025 12:09pm
  - graham
    
    Sounds like there were different experiences at a period when the times were changing, but maybe not consistently.
    
    My wife applied for a Farmers card (as in Farmers Department store) in the early 1980s, and was told she would need her then-husband’s signature. She replied that her husband at the time wasn’t really interested in shopping at Farmers, and pointed out that as it happened she was earning more than he was at the time! Nope, still couldn’t get one.
    
    She refused to get a card until they changed their policy.
    
    9 0
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    February 24, 2025 12:36pm
  - Grumpy Silver Top
    
    I graduated University in 1975. I experienced both my examples regarding finance in the very early 1980s. It may have been that I was single….. Yes, it is unbelievable. My graduating class, in a science/engineering course, was 40 males, 8 females. ( I astounded my 6th form careers advisor when I said I was going to University, and my recollection is that she was female.) Things began to improve very quickly in the 80s, thanks to the likes of Germaine Greer.
    
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    February 24, 2025 12:48pm
    - cmm
      
      OK, I was in South Africa. Maybe things took a bit longer in quaint NZ.
      
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      February 24, 2025 6:35pm
- Eastlander
  
  Believing that ‘boomers’ lived in a paradise of ease and abundance and then snatched it away from younger generations so they could go on more cruises, is the kind of thing you tend to believe in your late teens or early twenties if you are feeling glum about things and looking for an excuse to hate the world and give up on life before you’ve even really started living. Believing it when you are as old the author of this article appears to be is wretched beyond words.
  
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  February 24, 2025 12:48pm
  - Ian Boag
    
    ‘boomers’ lived in a paradise of ease and abundance
    
    They got to buy houses for about 3x annual income and could capitalise the family benefit for most of a deposit. Unemployment was pretty much unheard-of. Then later – along came a generous unfunded pension that their kids pay for.
    
    Dunno if that amounts to ease and abundance …
    
    Go figure
    
    4 11
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    February 24, 2025 1:08pm
    - Taieri
      
      Wasn’t it wonderful then Ian…
      
      Bought my first house in 1987. The interest on loan was 23%.
      Made redundant in 1990. 12 months of unpaid holidays in 1991. Casual work only in 1992.
      
      Do I need to carry on with memories…?
      
      12 0
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      February 24, 2025 1:44pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        The interest on loan was 23%
        
        Inflation was running in the late teens and Brash hiked the OCR to knock it. It worked – rates were only at this level for a few months.
        
        0 4
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        February 24, 2025 5:58pm
Ghost

This will cause a lot of pain to people who are already struggling

Home owners could be asked to fork out up to about $400 more a year to prop up the country’s state disaster insurer.Treasury is consulting with a small group of stakeholders on whether to increase the Natural Hazards Insurance Levy,

Article

One of the options Treasury is consulting on to make the scheme more resilient is lifting the amount home owners pay in levies on every $100 of building cover from 16 cents (plus GST) to either 22c, 24c, or 25c.

At 24c, the likelihood of the NHC being able to cover its costs within the next five years would rise from 37% to 66%.

However, the maximum cost to homeowners would rise from $552 to $828 per year (including GST).

Another option is lifting the cap on cover for buildings to $460,000 (including GST) and hiking the levy rate to 20.6c per $100 of cover (plus GST).

The most this would see home owners pay is $948 per year (including GST).
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February 24, 2025 11:32am
- Paulus
  
  EQC as was remains bust I believe as it has grown exponentially with staff and salaries.
  So they have you find the money from the peasants (ONLY those with a valid Fire Insurance Policy) to keep them as now accustomed.
  As Fire etc premiums rise dramatically to keep the Insurance Companies solvent, so less people will insure, as we have seen those uninsured will expect the taxpayer to bail them out.
  
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  February 24, 2025 3:40pm
Steve Otto N Shore

Trump v Maine Governor.
This is how it’s done.

https://rumble.com/v6nnwy6-trump-goes-savage-on-maine-governor-right-to-her-face-you-better-do-it.html?
9 5
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February 24, 2025 11:54am
- slightlyrighty
  
  So much for States Rights then, I guess. Or was he bullshitting about that as well?
  
  7 12
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  February 24, 2025 12:05pm
  - Steve Otto N Shore
    
    The new rule is there are only two genders. If Maine want to have transistors in female sports they will lose federal funding.
    Trump is the “Commander in Chief”
    
    13 6
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    February 24, 2025 12:36pm
  - Allan
    
    Federal Law Trumps State Law.
    
    1 0
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    February 24, 2025 9:16pm
goNZ1

Hon Andrew Bayly has bailed – a loose cannon so good idea..
8 0
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February 24, 2025 11:59am
- kowtow
  
  Good thing he didn’t do it at Auckland airport , he’d be up on charges .
  
  7 0
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  February 24, 2025 1:59pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Oh dear..

old white man assaults worker…

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/542806/commerce-minister-andrew-bayly-resigns-after-putting-hand-on-staff-member
12 0
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February 24, 2025 12:05pm
Swifty

Andrew Bayly taking a pay cut.

Good to see him doing so rather than bullshit, dissemble and evade like Whaitiri did.
13 0
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February 24, 2025 12:07pm
AitchW

Andrew Bayly gone after laying his hand on a staffer’s upper arm during a heated discussion.
Did We EVER see ANY LAbour minister accept responsibility for their actions? Looks like he’s jumped less than 24 hours after the event.
Well done him.
13 1
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February 24, 2025 12:14pm
- Ghost
  
  24 hours? Happened Tuesday. The PM’s office and Ministerial Services were advised Wednesday. They investigated, he resigned Friday evening. I would guess it was more he was advised to resign.
  
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  February 24, 2025 12:25pm
  - AitchW
    
    I do beg your pardon. Mis read the report!
    
    6 0
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    February 24, 2025 12:31pm
- surfing
  
  Laying his hand? What exactly does it mean?
  
  Unless it was violent, I don’t see the need to resign.
  
  7 2
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  February 24, 2025 12:39pm
  - Paulus
    
    In today’s world to look at a staff woman when she is being told off for her work, is enough to lay a complaint.
    Ain’t we gone mad ?
    
    4 1
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    February 24, 2025 3:43pm
- David Garrett
  
  Aitch: John Key never fucked around with naughty ministers – they were literally “gone by lunchtime”.
  
  I remember the Richard Worth affair during my time. Key discovered Worth had misled him on the evening of the day before he was fired; the next morning it was announced that Worth was out.
  
  As it happened, I had a meeting with Simon Power that night. Power and Worth had shared a floor in the Beehive. When I got to the meeting – sometime after 9pm IIRC – all trace of Worth was gone; it was as if he had never been a minister.
  
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  February 24, 2025 1:01pm
goNZ1

if he resigned on Friday night,why is the Parliament website say he is still a Minister?
8 0
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February 24, 2025 12:18pm
- Blog-aholic
  
  Well a public servant serf will have been emailed the required form and they will then clear it with their manager have a karakia or two about it before they FTP into the server site to write him off the website. This will take up to 10 working days and some contemplation of Te Ao Maori but hopefully with their big heartedness and recognition of the ongoing impacts of colonisation and the trust they have in Maori intelligence it will be finalised….amen.
  
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  February 24, 2025 12:54pm
imalwaysright

According to this there are 63,000 public servants administering a population of about 6 million people.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350164796/heres-what-our-63000-public-servants-actually-do-and-why-we-have-so-many-them-now

That’s 504,000 man hours per day.
That’s 2,520,000 hours per week!

Apart from having to pay for these hours, the real question is what do we get in return?
13 1
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February 24, 2025 12:27pm
- PurplePen
  
  6 bullet points from each on what they achieved last week please.
  
  5 0
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  February 24, 2025 3:50pm
David Garrett

…And in breaking news, Nat Minister Andrew Bayley has resigned over “an incident” with a staff member. Reading between the lines the said incident involved a use of (mild) physical force rather than anything sexual.

It would appear this guy has “form” for getting physical – never any excuse for that.

And further afield, a Catholic Cardinal in the US has said the Pope is “a dying father”, which sadly appears to probably be the case. Pope Francis appears to have been a considerable improvement over his immediate predecessor, a former member of the Hitler Youth IIRC.
6 6
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February 24, 2025 12:38pm
- kowtow
  
  The Ratzingers were conscripts .
  Membership of HJ was also mandatory .
  
  The family were not Nazi .
  
  BTW Ratzinger was genuinely conservative .The current , dying Pope could be described as “progressive” . I’d take the German conservative over a progressive Argie any day.
  
  On a lighter note ; the whole thing is a publicity stunt to boost the movie “Conclave” , coming to a cinema near you.
  
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  February 24, 2025 1:53pm
  - Pope Punctilious II
    
    Agreed, I’d prefer Ratzinger over the outgoing woke Argie.
    
    1 2
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    February 24, 2025 3:31pm
    - Jethrod
      
      Is Ratzinger still alive?
      
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      February 24, 2025 5:19pm
- Don Beckett
  
  I think there is difference between volunteering in the Hitler Youth, and being forced to join – as many German youth were in the 1930’s.
  
  4 2
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  February 24, 2025 2:57pm
  - Don Beckett
    
    Apparently, someone doesn’t believe that German Youth were forced into the Nazi Hitler Youth movement.
    Remove your blinkers & get to know history.
    
    2 3
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    February 24, 2025 3:30pm
AitchW

Why do the left NEVER accept responsibilty for anything?
Ministers assaulting staffers…no action.
Ministers bullying staffers…no action.
And let’s not forget Hipkins desperately trying to blame the current government for the mess his government made of New Zealand economically, socially and politically.
12 0
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February 24, 2025 12:39pm
- David Garrett
  
  Aitch: To be fair, blaming the previous government is part of the theatre of politics – during my time, the Nat’s would chant “nine long years” after one of their Ministers had set up the criticism with a particular charge.
  
  The next Labour government did just the same, except in their case it was “six years of neglect”. It is simply “not done” to praise anything a previous government had done.
  
  I am old enough to remember when the Lange-Douglas government took office in 1984 – and promptly starting doing things which the previous National government could only fantasise about. It was somewhat akin to what Trump is doing now.
  
  I remember sitting in the gallery watching the Nat opposition try vainly to come up with some valid criticism of what Douglas and Prebble were doing – as I say, things the Nats could only dream about having the guts to do.
  
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  February 24, 2025 1:19pm
  - MCōs
    
    The Nats were only nominally in power for the nine years preceding the Lange/Douglas government.
    Muldoon called called all the shots
    
    4 1
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    February 24, 2025 2:35pm
  - AitchW
    
    Douglas and Prebble were light years ahead of Ardern, Hipkins et al.
    There really is no comparison, however I do take your point David.
    
    2 0
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    February 24, 2025 6:42pm
kevn

iPhone folk take note…
https://vigilantfox.news/p/uk-government-busted-in-secret-plot
4 1
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February 24, 2025 1:29pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360589877/former-auckland-council-building-inspector-received-35k-home-renovations-bribes
I will bet anything , at any odds, that this sort of thing is absolutely rife across all of NZ’s councils.
This guy must have been extremely unlucky to have been caught.
12 2
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February 24, 2025 3:14pm
- hookerphil
  
  Home detention – the former Town Clerk of Lyttelton Borough was sent to jail in the late 80’s for having work done on his place.
  Times have changed.
  
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  February 24, 2025 5:57pm
- MCōs
  
  I doubt it.
  We don’t have a culture of widespread corruption otherwise we’d all know about it because too many people would have to be paid off to keep a lid on the situation
  
  0 0
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  February 24, 2025 10:11pm
cmm

I see that exit polls are giving AfD around 19 to 20% of the vote.

It will be interesting to see if there is significant movement from there. AfD have been marginalised and labelled “far right” etc.

I would think that all this negative labelling could potentially have a “silent Tory” effect on the AfD vote.

It is interesting to see that the vote is pretty much split along old East/West lines: West going for CDU/CSU and East going for AfD.
6 2
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February 24, 2025 4:13pm
- Tauhei Notts
  
  I find the AfD vote very disappointing. The Krauts will get what they deserve.
  Far Right? The former communist area voted heavily for them.
  
  6 1
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  February 24, 2025 7:10pm
  - Jack5
    
    DW wrap in English on the German election:
    
    https://www.dw.com/en/election-analysis-germany-votes-for-change/a-71726769
    
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    February 24, 2025 9:21pm
kiwimike

Trumps idea to relocate Palestinans has merit
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2025/02/make_jordan_palestinian_again.html
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February 24, 2025 6:26pm
Jack5

One of the early get-rich schemes of the Cook Islands (and also of Niue) has a new enemy — Trump.

America looks likely to tax ships that ply under flags of convenience (like those offered by the Cook Islands and Niue).

Trump’s US Secretary of Commerce has pledged that exemption of tax on foreign ship owners will change. This announcement initially wiped $US15.4 billion off the stock-market value of the four leading US cruise liner stocks.

Lloyd’s List reports Trump gave his view of the foreign-flag shipping industry in December, when he came out in support of the International Longshoremen’s Association, the union of dockworkers at US east and Gulf coast ports. Trump dubbed container liners “foreign companies” with “record profits” that are “looking for every last penny”.

If America puts the squeeze on flags of convenience, other countries will likely follow, and Russia will likely no longer need them for its ghost tanker fleet.

There’s been talk to hype levels for years about under-sea resources. At one stage, Don Brash suggested sea floor resources in NZ”s economic ocean zone made this country potentially richer in minerals than Australia. He was talking mainly about methane hydrate, a potentially rich energy resource – but only if a way can be found to refine it economically. That’s not yet been achieved.

There’s many a slip twixt cup and lip the old proverb says, and it still applies no matter what the cup’s made of and what’s in it.
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February 24, 2025 8:52pm
Ghost

Duncan Garner talking about a “deluded shit stirrer”. “A threat to democracy”

How times have changed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGbkC_tFgv4
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February 24, 2025 10:00pm

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