political parties

Mountain Tui: ‘Corruption First’ Strikes Again – Is the National, ACT, and New Zealand Government in tobacco’s pocket?

Written By: Mountain Tui - Date published: 3:53 pm, July 18th, 2024 - 10 comments

A track record of deception and pro tobacco industry policies is becoming evident in the Coalition. Casey Costello is at it again, this time quietly halving excise tax for some tobacco products. This is the first time in NZ’s history to have reduced excise on tobacco. We should all ask ‘Why now?’

Minister Bishop’s Misguided Legislation

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:20 am, July 18th, 2024 - 32 comments

Chris Bishop’s plan to “flood the market” with housing development described as being “unaffordable, unworkable and unfair” is also “unsustainable” and even “unhinged”.

Government wins pay dispute with police: National Party 1, Police 0, Public -1

Written By: Mountain Tui - Date published: 3:53 pm, July 15th, 2024 - 25 comments

The National Government has won in its long standing pay dispute with New Zealand police. With Australia offering $20,000 cash bonuses and attractive packages to poach our cops, what’s going to happen to an already demoralised and stretched police force?

Government is paying lip service to climate change

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:29 am, July 14th, 2024 - 6 comments

This week Change Minister Simon Watts showed the depth of the Government’s thinking by releasing a three page brochure outlining its collective thoughts. If the Government is at that level of thinking the country is well and truly stuffed. And meanwhile ACT’s Mark Cameron wants to prevent local government from considering climate change when formulating regional plans.

Conflict what conflict?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:22 pm, July 12th, 2024 - 16 comments

National activist Sunny Kaushall is to head a committee with a budget of $3.6 million over two years to advise the Government on complex legal and privacy issues for which Kaushal’s qualifications are not clear.

Mountain Tui: When is an independent expert or advisory group “independent?”

Written By: Mountain Tui - Date published: 11:06 am, July 12th, 2024 - 5 comments

As reports confirm that the Government intends to sell off Kiwirail ferries, the question has to be asked: “Why is the Government paying thousands of dollars to former National Party members for advice” and when is independent advice not reliable?

The best carbon capture device is a tree

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:06 am, July 10th, 2024 - 18 comments

The Government is hoping that Carbon Capture and Sequestration will reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emission levels. But it is refusing to protect forests and trees, which are the best Carbon Capture and Sequestration devices going.

Sham consultation – sham contracting

Written By: darien fenton - Date published: 10:59 am, July 7th, 2024 - 11 comments

Minister for Workplace Relations and Health & Safety Brooke van Velden hasn’t met with the CTU Te Kauae Kaimahi since November last year. And has announced major proposed changes to workers rights and job conditions.

The implications of UK Labour’s success for NZ Labour

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:48 am, July 7th, 2024 - 79 comments

What should New Zealand Labour learn from UK Labour’s success in the recent election?

Bishop wants to accelerate urban sprawl

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:39 pm, July 4th, 2024 - 36 comments

Chris Bishop has announced proposed changes to planning laws that will increase urban sprawl and damage to the environment.

The rise of the bastard son of the three strikes law

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:58 pm, July 1st, 2024 - 1 comment

The bastard son of the three strikes law alka the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill was introduced into Parliament. And other measures announced will mean added cost, misery and injustice to the operation of our justice system.

Government is cutting funding for food banks

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:29 pm, June 29th, 2024 - 14 comments

Are things back on track? How about for those who can least afford to feed themselves? It appears not with reports that funding for food banks is being slashed. And the consequence could be dire.

Ferry sweary

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:08 am, June 27th, 2024 - 45 comments

The Government is in a rather precarious position relating to the contract to replace the ageing Cook Straight ferries, which clearly need replacing.

I am going to miss Keith Locke

Written By: lprent - Date published: 12:14 pm, June 25th, 2024 - 5 comments

Keith Locke, ex Green MP, died last week aged 80 after a long illness. I am going to miss him because he was a hell of a nice person, extremely bright, very well informed, and fast at figuring out where there was common ground and room to work together. I think that NZ will miss him and those like him over the decades ahead.

The great Pharmac backflip

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:55 am, June 25th, 2024 - 17 comments

The focus groups have spoken and the Government has completed its 360 degree backflip and decided to fund Pharmac so that National can meet its pledge to introduce 13 new cancer drugs.

What the Aratere Grounding Means

Written By: advantage - Date published: 4:24 pm, June 22nd, 2024 - 67 comments

The grounding of the ferry Aratere is potentially a political gift to National.

Gotta pay for those tax cuts for landlords somehow

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:36 am, June 20th, 2024 - 16 comments

What is the lowest most disgraceful thing this Government has done? How about cutting funding for top ups of the wages of disabled workers aimed to get them to the living wage?

C Listers and tag alongs

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:01 am, June 19th, 2024 - 28 comments

Christopher Luxon has accused senior business leaders who travelled with a trade delegation with Chris Hipkins of being “C listers and tag alongs”.

Who would have thought that he used to run an airline?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 2:06 pm, June 18th, 2024 - 26 comments

Last year Christopher Luxon said that he would not use Defence Force planes to travel internationally if elected as prime minister. Turns out that this is not actually true.

Safer streets or unsafer streets?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:56 am, June 16th, 2024 - 18 comments

The Government is planning to reverse Labour’s previous policy relating to permanent safe speeds around schools. The change will decrease safety and walking and cycling and increase car use. And the upside is?

Health & safety of workers is apparently about Cones

Written By: darien fenton - Date published: 11:19 am, June 15th, 2024 - 37 comments

The Government’s latest announcement about worker safety is about business, not people.

National announced more subsidies in farming for capital gains

Written By: lprent - Date published: 2:29 pm, June 13th, 2024 - 19 comments

National and their minion parties just announced another massive $400 million R&D subsidy for agricultural greenhouse gases by taxpayers for the low profit industry of pastoral farming. This joins the other large and hidden subsidies levied on tax and rate payers to support rural and state roads capable of sustained heavy agricultural and forestry trucks.

Haere ra He Wake Eke Noa

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:42 pm, June 13th, 2024 - 21 comments

It was always going to happen but it still rankles that an attempt to get farming to at least confront the damage it causes to the climate is being put on hold.

Respect existence or expect resistance

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:08 am, June 9th, 2024 - 16 comments

Yesterday’s Greenpeace’s War on Nature protest in Tamaki Makaurau suggests growing unity on the left and an increasing determination to stop the Fast Track Projects Bill from being passed.

March for Nature

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:46 am, June 7th, 2024 - 21 comments

Be there, bring your whanau, bring friends. Make it noisy and passionate and make it count.

Lies Damn Lies and Police Statistics

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:43 am, June 6th, 2024 - 15 comments

Police Minister has been caught out claiming an increase in patrols in Central Auckland when a proper analysis of the data shows that the number of patrols have decreased.

National’s irksome incompetence is inexcusable

Written By: Incognito - Date published: 6:05 am, June 5th, 2024 - 11 comments

When the fabric of lies unravels the gaslighting increases.

National/Act – good at breaking public services

Written By: lprent - Date published: 12:14 pm, June 4th, 2024 - 41 comments

Today is my 65th birthday. So I’m trying to check out a PDF letter on MyMSD which probably has some details about superannuation. But I get ERR_CONNECTION_RESET consistently. Looks like the idiots in this government have managed to screw up the efficient systems already. The MyMSD site is currently partially dead.