Politics NZ Politics

Who will get your vote in this years election?

  • National

    Votes: 17 26.2%
  • Labour

    Votes: 13 20.0%
  • Act

    Votes: 7 10.8%
  • Greens

    Votes: 9 13.8%
  • NZ First

    Votes: 5 7.7%
  • Māori Party

    Votes: 3 4.6%
  • Other

    Votes: 11 16.9%

  • Total voters
    65
  • Poll closed .

wait, is this what you’re talking about?
No marv, I'm talking about the dismantling of our democracy in front of our very eyes and the concentration at an extreme rate of wealth and power. I'm talking about the fast track to cigarettes, guns, fossil fuels, mining, removal of civil rights, privatisation of assets that belong to us not the fuckwits who claim they own them.

It's great that you care enough to do that research - do you care enough to be concerned about this dictatorship?
 
No marv, I'm talking about the dismantling of our democracy in front of our very eyes and the concentration at an extreme rate of wealth and power. I'm talking about the fast track to cigarettes, guns, fossil fuels, mining, removal of civil rights, privatisation of assets that belong to us not the fuckwits who claim they own them.

It's great that you care enough to do that research - do you care enough to be concerned about this dictatorship?
just ribbing you mate.
lighten up, it’s gameday!

and don’t worry, labour will get their turn again in 3 or 6 years probably.
 
just ribbing you mate.
lighten up, it’s gameday!

and don’t worry, labour will get their turn again in 3 or 6 years probably.
fair enough, quite right too! I thought I'd post one and ended up getting far too serious :) it must be the nerves about this game. Up the Wahs!
 
True.
I watched Nicola on Breakfast this morning.
Wouldn't trust her ever
i have no doubt most of us think things will be great everytime whoever we vote for takes power.
i mean, why wouldn’t we?
we seem to convince ourselves that
‘this is our year’ every year.
 
i have no doubt most of us think things will be great everytime whoever we vote for takes power.
i mean, why wouldn’t we?
we seem to convince ourselves that
‘this is our year’ every year.
I will never utter that phrase until I see the trophy in the mt smart cabinet
 
100%
i’ve said it before, they’re all just liars with different coloured ties.
I can see the next election now,

On the Right team, we have a coalition of evil robber barons with backing from sinister dark forces in the shadow kingdom, and Winston.

On the Left team, a pack of incompetent idiots, and Winston.

Call me a conspiracy cooker but I'm starting to think one cheeky fella has been solely responsible for our demise for the last 50 years... its all adding up.
 
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I can see the next election now,

On the Right team, we have a coalition of evil robber barons with backing from sinister dark forces in the shadow kingdom, and Winston.

On the Left team, a pack of incompetent idiots, and Winston.

Call me a conspiracy cooker but I'm starting to think one cheeky fella has been solely responsible for our demise for the last 50 years... its all adding up.
speaking of conspiracies. who wins in a punch up between atlas and blackrock?
 
No marv, I'm talking about the dismantling of our democracy in front of our very eyes and the concentration at an extreme rate of wealth and power. I'm talking about the fast track to cigarettes, guns, fossil fuels, mining, removal of civil rights, privatisation of assets that belong to us not the fuckwits who claim they own them.

It's great that you care enough to do that research - do you care enough to be concerned about this dictatorship?
So you are talking about the covid response then.
First, the dismantling of democracy followed by the economic response which undeniably increased the balance sheets of the haves over the have nots.
 
So you are talking about the covid response then.
First, the dismantling of democracy followed by the economic response which undeniably increased the balance sheets of the haves over the have nots.
Dean. Take a look around the world at all the government's responses. Over 20000 lives were saved in New Zealand.

Our response was and is world leading.

Tell me what part of democracy wasn't restored?

This corrupt mob aren't fighting a pandemic, they're stealing New Zealand from under our noses

I can tell you and have done above of plenty that is being dismantled now - https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-list...still-on-the-line/HNAFMFX3BNEPTF6N7S2MK654VA/

Here's the text, great journalism by Guyon Espiner

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2024 is democracy’s biggest year ever. Four billion people, half the world’s population, will vote in 40 countries.

New Zealanders might feel a little smug at how “democracy” plays out in other countries.

In Russia, Vladimir Putin’s opponents were in jail or in their graves.

In the US, it’s a sequel of a movie that bombed last time: Donald Trump, who faces 91 felony charges, against Joe Biden, an octogenarian even his supporters believe is too frail for four more years as President.

But what of our own democracy? I’m reluctant to predict what will happen in politics this year. It was Winston Churchill who said, “Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year and to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen.”

But, as Paddy Gower might say, we have issues.

In its first 100 days, the coalition government has demonstrated a casual disregard for democracy and evidenced-based policy.

Major reforms, including scrapping the Māori Health Authority and rolling back smoke-free laws, have been done under Parliamentary urgency, where the select committee process and public submissions are set aside.

ADVERTISEMENT

Advertise with NZME.

Why the rush?​

Urgency is necessary at times and all governments use it. But the average number of bills passed under urgency across an entire Parliamentary term is 10. This coalition passed 14 bills under urgency in just seven weeks.

The explanation for such haste, it seems, is that the policies were promised within 100 days - but this is a milestone with little relevance for New Zealand.

18 Mar 05:00 AM
The 100-day mark was coined by US President Franklin D Roosevelt in 1933. He faced a genuine sense of urgency as the Great Depression led to banks closing, savings vanishing, and unemployment reaching 25%.

New Zealand, with one chamber of Parliament, no written constitution and no Supreme Court to strike down unconstitutional laws, has few checks and balances. The government seems set on reducing them further.

Three ministers will soon be able to fast-track major projects - such as new coal mines, dams or roads - to speed up resource consent times.

Ministers Shane Jones, Chris Bishop and Simeon Brown will decide which projects go to an expert panel and, while the panel can recommend conditions, these ministers have the final say. The Environment Minister is not one of them. What could possibly go wrong?

Lobbyists will be licking their lips at the prospect of being paid big bucks to bend ears around the Beehive. It’s another weak spot in our democracy that lobbying is unregulated in New Zealand.

We have one of the weakest regimes in the developed world, with no obligation to disclose clients and no stand down periods for those exiting senior government jobs to hang out the lobbying shingle.

ADVERTISEMENT

Advertise with NZME.
Paul Goldsmith: “Officials didn’t really like the policy, but of course, they weren’t elected, we were elected.” Photo / Getty Images
Paul Goldsmith: "“Officials didn’t really like the policy, but of course, they weren’t elected, we were elected.” Photo / Getty Images

Ignore the good advice​

The government has also slipped into the populist mode of ignoring expert advice. British politician Michael Gove, in the lead up to the Brexit vote in 2016, said the public had “had enough of experts”.

There are plenty of “bugger the experts” examples from the government already. Policies on gangs and tobacco are standouts.

Associate health minister Casey Costello was urged by expert health officials to keep at least elements of the smoke-free laws because they would save lives and money. She refused to compromise.

Justice officials told their minister Paul Goldsmith that his gang crackdown might actually drive up rates of gang membership, make it harder to exit gangs, and drive up rates of domestic violence.

Analysing the gang patch ban, and other measures to suppress gangs, justice officials advised, “there is no strong evidence it works to reduce long-term offending behaviours, or eliminate gangs altogether”.

Goldsmith’s response was that public opinion was on his side, even if expert advice was not. “Officials didn’t really like the policy, but of course, they weren’t elected, we were elected,” Goldsmith said. “We campaigned on it. We were elected and we’re going to do it.”

Ignoring experts will mean relying more on political instinct.

But the Prime Minister’s political radar is clearly on the blink, given he put his hand out for $52,000 of public money to live in his own freehold apartment in Wellington.

Having vigorously defended it for half a day - “I’m entitled to the entitlements that everyone else has” - he changed course after tuning in to callers on a talkback show.

This all comes at a time when the watchdogs are losing their bite and bark.

The Opposition is a mess, with Labour braying in a wilderness of its own making, and Green MPs going down like ninepins.

And the fourth estate? It’s withering before our eyes - or at least the eyes of those who haven’t turned away already - presenting a profound threat to our democracy.

New Zealand isn’t voting in 2024 but our democracy is still on the line.

Guyon Espiner is an investigative journalist and presenter at RNZ. His new TV and radio interview show 30 With Guyon Espiner launches in April. He fills in for Duncan Garner, who is taking a couple of weeks off.
 
Last edited:
Dean. Take a look around the world at all the government's responses. Over 20000 lives were saved in New Zealand.

Our response was and is world leading.

Tell me what part of democracy wasn't restored?

This corrupt mob aren't fighting a pandemic, they're stealing New Zealand from under our noses

I can tell you and have done above of plenty that is being dismantled now - https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-list...still-on-the-line/HNAFMFX3BNEPTF6N7S2MK654VA/

Here's the text, great journalism by Guyon Espiner

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2024 is democracy’s biggest year ever. Four billion people, half the world’s population, will vote in 40 countries.

New Zealanders might feel a little smug at how “democracy” plays out in other countries.

In Russia, Vladimir Putin’s opponents were in jail or in their graves.

In the US, it’s a sequel of a movie that bombed last time: Donald Trump, who faces 91 felony charges, against Joe Biden, an octogenarian even his supporters believe is too frail for four more years as President.

But what of our own democracy? I’m reluctant to predict what will happen in politics this year. It was Winston Churchill who said, “Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year and to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen.”

But, as Paddy Gower might say, we have issues.

In its first 100 days, the coalition government has demonstrated a casual disregard for democracy and evidenced-based policy.

Major reforms, including scrapping the Māori Health Authority and rolling back smoke-free laws, have been done under Parliamentary urgency, where the select committee process and public submissions are set aside.

ADVERTISEMENT

Advertise with NZME.

Why the rush?​

Urgency is necessary at times and all governments use it. But the average number of bills passed under urgency across an entire Parliamentary term is 10. This coalition passed 14 bills under urgency in just seven weeks.

The explanation for such haste, it seems, is that the policies were promised within 100 days - but this is a milestone with little relevance for New Zealand.

18 Mar 05:00 AM
The 100-day mark was coined by US President Franklin D Roosevelt in 1933. He faced a genuine sense of urgency as the Great Depression led to banks closing, savings vanishing, and unemployment reaching 25%.

New Zealand, with one chamber of Parliament, no written constitution and no Supreme Court to strike down unconstitutional laws, has few checks and balances. The government seems set on reducing them further.

Three ministers will soon be able to fast-track major projects - such as new coal mines, dams or roads - to speed up resource consent times.

Ministers Shane Jones, Chris Bishop and Simeon Brown will decide which projects go to an expert panel and, while the panel can recommend conditions, these ministers have the final say. The Environment Minister is not one of them. What could possibly go wrong?

Lobbyists will be licking their lips at the prospect of being paid big bucks to bend ears around the Beehive. It’s another weak spot in our democracy that lobbying is unregulated in New Zealand.

We have one of the weakest regimes in the developed world, with no obligation to disclose clients and no stand down periods for those exiting senior government jobs to hang out the lobbying shingle.

ADVERTISEMENT

Advertise with NZME.
Paul Goldsmith: “Officials didn’t really like the policy, but of course, they weren’t elected, we were elected.” Photo / Getty Images
Paul Goldsmith: "“Officials didn’t really like the policy, but of course, they weren’t elected, we were elected.” Photo / Getty Images

Ignore the good advice​

The government has also slipped into the populist mode of ignoring expert advice. British politician Michael Gove, in the lead up to the Brexit vote in 2016, said the public had “had enough of experts”.

There are plenty of “bugger the experts” examples from the government already. Policies on gangs and tobacco are standouts.

Associate health minister Casey Costello was urged by expert health officials to keep at least elements of the smoke-free laws because they would save lives and money. She refused to compromise.

Justice officials told their minister Paul Goldsmith that his gang crackdown might actually drive up rates of gang membership, make it harder to exit gangs, and drive up rates of domestic violence.

Analysing the gang patch ban, and other measures to suppress gangs, justice officials advised, “there is no strong evidence it works to reduce long-term offending behaviours, or eliminate gangs altogether”.

Goldsmith’s response was that public opinion was on his side, even if expert advice was not. “Officials didn’t really like the policy, but of course, they weren’t elected, we were elected,” Goldsmith said. “We campaigned on it. We were elected and we’re going to do it.”

Ignoring experts will mean relying more on political instinct.

But the Prime Minister’s political radar is clearly on the blink, given he put his hand out for $52,000 of public money to live in his own freehold apartment in Wellington.

Having vigorously defended it for half a day - “I’m entitled to the entitlements that everyone else has” - he changed course after tuning in to callers on a talkback show.

This all comes at a time when the watchdogs are losing their bite and bark.

The Opposition is a mess, with Labour braying in a wilderness of its own making, and Green MPs going down like ninepins.

And the fourth estate? It’s withering before our eyes - or at least the eyes of those who haven’t turned away already - presenting a profound threat to our democracy.

New Zealand isn’t voting in 2024 but our democracy is still on the line.

Guyon Espiner is an investigative journalist and presenter at RNZ. His new TV and radio interview show 30 With Guyon Espiner launches in April. He fills in for Duncan Garner, who is taking a couple of weeks off.
Espiner has a beef with this govt, most media people do now they are faced with producing insightful decent content.
In Europe there has been a swing away from left wing govts because, like here, they have been given the opportunity to make positive change but been stuck in the headlights, people have gone backwards, things have worsened and people have said enough. Let see what happens in the UK. Not much choice there.
20000 lives saved is a myth. Impossible to guess but probably closer to none, at best prolonged the lives of some people with serious underlying health problems at the expense of others. Proof of that is the response over the last few years, nothing.
I don't have much faith in the current lot but will give them a term to see what they can do.
Unlike marv, I vote every election but with little enthusiasm.
 
he makes some interesting points.

Pity he was nowhere to be seen over the last 6 years, when plenty of legislation was passed under urgency and we had ministers openly criticising democracy

In the interests of marketing himself as an “investigative” journalist, he could provide balance with some comment around how this compares / contrasts with the previous govt?
 
Climate denier movie (edited sorry in case of misinterpretation)
Im interested in your particular criticism of Roy Spencer and how your atmospheric meteorological research differs from his?

Spencer received a BS in atmospheric sciences from the University of Michigan in 1978 and his MS and PhD in meteorology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1980 and 1982.[3] His doctoral thesis was titled, A case study of African wave structure and energetics during Atlantic transit.[5]

After receiving his PhD in 1982, Spencer worked for two years as a research scientist in the Space Science and Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[3] He then joined NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center as a visiting scientist in 1984,[4] where he later became senior scientist for climate studies. After leaving NASA in 2001, Spencer has been a principal research scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). As well as his position at UAH, Spencer is currently the U.S. Science Team leader for the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) on NASA's Aqua satellite, a position he has held since 1994.[3]

In 2001, he designed an algorithm to detect tropical cyclones and estimate their maximum sustained wind speed using the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU).[6][7]

Spencer has been a member of several science teams: the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Space Station Accommodations Analysis Study Team, Science Steering Group for TRMM, TOVS Pathfinder Working Group, NASA Headquarters Earth Science and Applications Advisory Subcommittee, and two National Research Council (NRC) study panels.[3] He is on the board of directors of the George C. Marshall Institute,[8] and on the board of advisors of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation.[9]

Spencer's research work is funded by NASA, NOAA, DOE, and the DOT.[4] He also received money from Peabody Energy.
[10]
 
Dean. Take a look around the world at all the government's responses. Over 20000 lives were saved in New Zealand.

Our response was and is world leading.
lool. MaybeTop8 has never met left wing propaganda he doesn't love.

I still believe all measures were necessary, simply if to determine what measures would be required should a existence threatening pandemic emerge. But to believe all the govts glowing responses to how well they did is naive asf.
 
he makes some interesting points.

Pity he was nowhere to be seen over the last 6 years, when plenty of legislation was passed under urgency and we had ministers openly criticising democracy

In the interests of marketing himself as an “investigative” journalist, he could provide balance with some comment around how this compares / contrasts with the previous govt?
You should ask him. Pretty certain Guyon has produced many journalistic investigations over the last 6 years if you care to take a look.

Ah yes. Balance. You mean present the other side, no matter how biased and inaccurate or even pure fantasy it is?

Or are you referring to fair and objective? Pretty certain Guyon meets that criteria.
 
Espiner has a beef with this govt, most media people do now they are faced with producing insightful decent content.
In Europe there has been a swing away from left wing govts because, like here, they have been given the opportunity to make positive change but been stuck in the headlights, people have gone backwards, things have worsened and people have said enough. Let see what happens in the UK. Not much choice there.
20000 lives saved is a myth. Impossible to guess but probably closer to none, at best prolonged the lives of some people with serious underlying health problems at the expense of others. Proof of that is the response over the last few years, nothing.
I don't have much faith in the current lot but will give them a term to see what they can do.
Unlike marv, I vote every election but with little enthusiasm.
Take a look at what Espiner has been working on for the last 6 years. Good investigative journalism

Also pretty certain there's been concerted campaigns to take advantage of fear and chaos from the right and far right, and we see it manifest not least with the ACT party, NZ First and conspiracy theorists and grifters.

The UK has been right for a long time now.
 
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