New Zealand political discussion thread

[AustralianSwingVoter]

https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/11/08/pm-asks-banks-to-reassess-record-profit-making/

Kiwi politics keeping it real. Banks making record profits? Politely ask them to stop then say you don't have a solution. Bravo.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/11/08/pm-asks-banks-to-reassess-record-profit-making/

Kiwi politics keeping it real. Banks making record profits? Politely ask them to stop then say you don't have a solution. Bravo.

It would be pretty pathetic if she doesn't do anything about it, so they need to follow it up. Some kind of windfall tax could be a smart move, we don't have anything like that yet.

Given the backflip on capital gains tax I wouldn’t be crossing my fingers for any kind of windfall tax!

[AustralianSwingVoter]

There’s (limited) parallels to the Lange government. Labour swept into office with a charismatic leader who seems destined to endure, then poor economic conditions kill it mid second term.
It would be pretty stunning that Ardern of all PMs can’t meet the NZ standard 3 election wins before being turfed out.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

(context: Auckland is under fcking water right now)
His sheer intellect is incomprehensibly astounding. What a remarkable specimen Auckland found and promptly elected.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

(context: Auckland is under fcking water right now)
His sheer intellect is incomprehensibly astounding. What a remarkable specimen Auckland found and promptly elected.

He SPEAKS FOR THE NON-WOKE MAJORITY, though!

Suburban Lorax. He speaks for the cars.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

https://twitter.com/ellapetastewart/status/1619054587339767808

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Wayne Brown, come on down.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

'Don't f****** come and talk to me' - Wayne Brown snaps at journo

Lmao.

He reiterated his support for the arts and culture community and gave the example that he’d been told recently that the reason the sculptures at Auckland’s Gibbs Farm don’t fall down “is because of my engineering”.

Lmfao

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Really astoundingly dumb conduct from an otherwise competent minister. Advised six times to sell, doesn’t do it, acts shocked when it’s public then guarantees his demise by not dealing with other shares.

Such poor political judgment kills any leadership ambitions, and getting back into cabinet could be a struggle.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

The coalition is really the first in NZ's MMP history with a (relatively) united policy agenda, so once the cabinet seats were meted out they've clearly calculated to move fast and break things now, get every unpopular decision out of the way so they can settle down and be ready for the 2026 election cycle. It helps that unlike Rogernomics and Ruthanasia "NACTZF" can truthfully say the people voted for this, they haven't been deceived or swindled by false promises.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Can’t really understand how switching department names back to English in an overwhelmingly English speaking country could be controversial amongst ordinary Pākehā people could be controversial, but that’s just me.

Not dissimilar to how the overwhelmingly English speaking Ireland and Wales still support language revival efforts. Many people like the idea of having some unique culture to differentiate from the Anglo roots.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Auckland light rail has been officially cancelled

A gutting decision that locks in future congestion and car dependency for our largest city. It also is embarassing for Labour that they were working on this for 6 years and failed to even get contracts signed and construction underway. The lack of easy public transport from the airport to the CBD, through densely populated and growing suburbs, is a disgrace. New Zealand continues to lag behind actually strong public transport networks in Europe and Asia, with dumb American-style urban planning.

Let's be clear here -  this is 100% Phil Twyford's fault. It was all ready to begin construction in Q4 2018 (and would be up and running by now!) if he hadn't been hoodwinked by the scam the Quebecois pension fund cooked up with NZ Super.
Then to top it off Michael Wood got obsessed with tunnelled because as the local member for Mt Roskill he was far too influenced and biased by complaints of local nimbys and business owners. Which blew out the budget from 6 billion to 14 billion.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Auckland light rail has been officially cancelled

A gutting decision that locks in future congestion and car dependency for our largest city. It also is embarassing for Labour that they were working on this for 6 years and failed to even get contracts signed and construction underway. The lack of easy public transport from the airport to the CBD, through densely populated and growing suburbs, is a disgrace. New Zealand continues to lag behind actually strong public transport networks in Europe and Asia, with dumb American-style urban planning.

Let's be clear here -  this is 100% Phil Twyford's fault. It was all ready to begin construction in Q4 2018 (and would be up and running by now!) if he hadn't been hoodwinked by the scam the Quebecois pension fund cooked up with NZ Super.
Then to top it off Michael Wood got obsessed with tunnelled because as the local member for Mt Roskill he was far too influenced and biased by complaints of local nimbys and business owners. Which blew out the budget from 6 billion to 14 billion.

As I said, both parties are at fault. Simeon is the one who has cancelled this and other public transport projects, someone who clearly thinks Transport Minister is just Minister for Roads. While National is reflexively anti-public transport, Labour wasted time and money rather than taking the opportunity to actually improve the network.

This is a prime example of Labour's failed 'delivery' of promises that hurt their credibility.

I imagine the Nationals will parrot the $228 million (!!!) spent on the project without a single contract signed for years to come. A shining example of Labor’s expensive failed delivery.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Chloe Swarbrick set to replace resigning James Shaw as Green Party co-leader

Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick has announced she will run for the Green Party’s leadership.

Swarbrick confirmed she would contest the co-leadership position from Parliament today, saying that in the three days since James Shaw announced he was stepping down from the role, people had asked her to put her name forward for it.

“I’m stepping up,” Swarbrick said, after acknowledging she’s had conversations with all of her caucus alongside family and friends.

Swarbrick is the only declared candidate so far. Green MP Julie Anne Genter, who ran for the co-leadership in 2018 confirmed to the Herald, she would not be running. Other members of caucus had not put their hands up.

The co-leadership is decided by Green Party members. By convention, MPs do not say who they are supporting or endorse particular candidates.

She promised to grow the Green Party and revealed her ultimate goal: “the nation’s first Green-led government.”

“I am a proud member of the Green Party. More than any other party we understand that there is far greater leadership out there in the community than there is in the so-called halls of power. I am here to serve my communities. Over the past three days, they have asked me to stand up and put myself forward for this role,” Swarbrick said.

Swarbrick noted her wins in Auckland Central and other electorate wins in the latest election as examples of the party’s achievements, and that “bad things happen when good people stand idly by.”

She's a talented politician, who has long been hyped as a future party leader. She is more of an activist than Shaw, but that there are pros and cons to it. As a 29 year old she fits the party's target demographic, but her two electorate wins in Auckland Central (which National held from 2008-2020) show she isn't toxic to the general public. I'd already expect Green support to surge with them having done well in the election and Labour sinking into opposition, but this probably pushes ahead a poll-based panic within Labour.

This one could be seen coming from light-years away, yes. I am, curious, though -  I thought the Green's co-leadership was split by gender as a matter of rule, yet she's replacing Shaw?

Before the last election they changed it to enhance progessivity, now requiring requiring one woman and one person of any gender, and a requirement that one must be Māori. This is how Marama Davidson is somehow still relevant in spite of her foot in mouth syndrome and hilariously ineffectual term as minister.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

The Nats strategy seems to be to frontload every single unpopular policy within the first year of government, and given just how much bad press they've had the polling has held up fairly well. This poll only has a Labour majority bc NZF has been rounded down to 4% instead of up to 5%.
If the coalition successfully pivots to governing more normally and the tax cuts start funnelling back to voters I doubt they'll struggle for re-election. Particularly given the stench hanging around Labour.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Indeed, but such "clever" plans have come unstuck plenty of times in the past.

The sticking point is clearly the lightweight businessman whose only experience of government is begging for subsidies for his airline. And this is the man entrusted with herding cats led by a libertarian ideologue and the most experienced man in Kiwi politics. The tail is very much wagging the dog which is already causing problems as ACT and NZF are remarkably out of touch with the swing voters who actually elected this government.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

“Woke sushi” lmao.