Aotearoa finds its Trumpy Brexiteer; Brown pulls Auckland out of LGNZ with his casting vote; Child poverty stagnates; Rent stress worsens more than mortgage stress; RBNZ's profit-inflation warning
Consider the effort, police manpower & the driver & passenger mandates to reduce the NZ road toll.
NZ is heading into another winter, given the relative death rates shouldn't the government put in place a similar effort, actively promoting and in some cases mandating COVID reduction measures?
Re: Wayne Brown, if you read any of the NZHerald comment section (yes, I know, it’s like talkback radio), you could assume this was the decision the public wanted. It seems just like National’s announcement regarding schooling, many people still love to hear a quick sound bite of “we’ll get back to basics” without any consideration of the complexity of life (whether it be local government representation or the education curriculum).
I’d just like to hear more from the local boards who supported staying while the councilors from their area voted to leave.
From personal experience, the kinds of people I know who voted for the mayor would have voted for Brexit and Trump if they had the opportunity. For those sorts, “the council” is a phrase to be spat with loathing and through gritted teeth.
They will be celebrating another symbolic victory against government. They don’t actually care the cost of leaving lgnz is greater than the membership, since they already believe government of any shape is by definition wasteful and inept.
There would be opportunity cost in mere inaction, but I think it’s fairly obvious there will be many more short sighted decisions made to throw the middle finger to the government. That will drive out the kind of talent needed to actually address real problems when the mayor leaves.
Bernard. I enjoy your commentaries, but in this case I feel you are veering into identity politics and name calling by comparing Brown with Trump, and even more dodgy by suggesting that National will run the same playbook. Perhaps a more politically neutral commentary would have noted that LGNZ seemed to have been captured by Government to the extent that it was doing secret deals on 3 waters and local govt reform without members knowledge or support. Stepping out for 12 months then reevaluating would seem a perfectly valid way of sending a strong signal to an organisation that has lost sight of its purpose.
Also your wild claim that Auckland will lose $1M of procurement benefits is off the mark, simply because Auckland is already half of the procurement total and perfectly likely to get the same or better deals in its own right.
Remember the council was evenly divided. All the mayor did was make a casting vote. That means he was doing what half the councillors wanted, it doesnt make him the antichrist or reincarnation of trump. We all need to take a deep breath and be more supportive of our council who are working through a massive financial crisis on our behalf.
Im getting off topic here, but I am alarmed by the Jo Moir article today (NR Pro). I question how we can we have a free and fair election if only white heterosexual males can campaign without threats of violence to them or their families. This also supporters who attend meetings st risk, and puts an added burden of cost of security on smaller parties. This level of political interference is a frightening development in Aotearoa and needs to be addressed on a national scale.
It’s just lumped on women really. Nothing legal about it in terms of continuing on this prejudiced path. To allow it to continue is negligent by Government. I can’t believe how utterly useless they all are. It IS class warfare particularly hurting women and children and our “leaders” have wandered off over the rainbow and far away from their primary duties. Epic fail all round with water running through the streets from every conceivable source. Mother natures joke on us? Frankly with that level of incompetence we deserve it for electing such morons. Trouble is we’re out of time, they’re destroying peoples lives and doing nothing productive and certainly not quick enough. Auckland has plenty of assets and fiscal headroom as does NZ so just get on with it and do it in a way that doesn’t remove people human and legal rights and who those twerps actually work for and are paid by. To DO a job while we are busy doing ours. Jesus wept.
David Hood @Thoughtfulnz
Covid deaths vs Road toll
https://twitter.com/Thoughtfulnz/status/1638724023944368128
Consider the effort, police manpower & the driver & passenger mandates to reduce the NZ road toll.
NZ is heading into another winter, given the relative death rates shouldn't the government put in place a similar effort, actively promoting and in some cases mandating COVID reduction measures?
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/planning-and-investment/national-land-transport-programme/2021-24-nltp/activity-classes/road-to-zero/
Re: Wayne Brown, if you read any of the NZHerald comment section (yes, I know, it’s like talkback radio), you could assume this was the decision the public wanted. It seems just like National’s announcement regarding schooling, many people still love to hear a quick sound bite of “we’ll get back to basics” without any consideration of the complexity of life (whether it be local government representation or the education curriculum).
I’d just like to hear more from the local boards who supported staying while the councilors from their area voted to leave.
From personal experience, the kinds of people I know who voted for the mayor would have voted for Brexit and Trump if they had the opportunity. For those sorts, “the council” is a phrase to be spat with loathing and through gritted teeth.
They will be celebrating another symbolic victory against government. They don’t actually care the cost of leaving lgnz is greater than the membership, since they already believe government of any shape is by definition wasteful and inept.
There would be opportunity cost in mere inaction, but I think it’s fairly obvious there will be many more short sighted decisions made to throw the middle finger to the government. That will drive out the kind of talent needed to actually address real problems when the mayor leaves.
What a shambles.
Bernard. I enjoy your commentaries, but in this case I feel you are veering into identity politics and name calling by comparing Brown with Trump, and even more dodgy by suggesting that National will run the same playbook. Perhaps a more politically neutral commentary would have noted that LGNZ seemed to have been captured by Government to the extent that it was doing secret deals on 3 waters and local govt reform without members knowledge or support. Stepping out for 12 months then reevaluating would seem a perfectly valid way of sending a strong signal to an organisation that has lost sight of its purpose.
Also your wild claim that Auckland will lose $1M of procurement benefits is off the mark, simply because Auckland is already half of the procurement total and perfectly likely to get the same or better deals in its own right.
Remember the council was evenly divided. All the mayor did was make a casting vote. That means he was doing what half the councillors wanted, it doesnt make him the antichrist or reincarnation of trump. We all need to take a deep breath and be more supportive of our council who are working through a massive financial crisis on our behalf.
Im getting off topic here, but I am alarmed by the Jo Moir article today (NR Pro). I question how we can we have a free and fair election if only white heterosexual males can campaign without threats of violence to them or their families. This also supporters who attend meetings st risk, and puts an added burden of cost of security on smaller parties. This level of political interference is a frightening development in Aotearoa and needs to be addressed on a national scale.
Open it 🆙
If it does not fit an Excel format, it does not exist. https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/131547186/verity-johnson-wayne-brown-played-us-for-mugs-on-budget?fbclid=IwAR2L_h5dhj4Q4rYxFLaBZbEMLB1rNYObgxH0YNVrzQhejREIM7UbrMxd894
Nick McKim's home state of Tasmania voted in Clare Chandler as a senator - who has campaigned to not allow transwomen to compete in women's sport:
https://www.senatorchandler.com.au/womens-sport
It’s just lumped on women really. Nothing legal about it in terms of continuing on this prejudiced path. To allow it to continue is negligent by Government. I can’t believe how utterly useless they all are. It IS class warfare particularly hurting women and children and our “leaders” have wandered off over the rainbow and far away from their primary duties. Epic fail all round with water running through the streets from every conceivable source. Mother natures joke on us? Frankly with that level of incompetence we deserve it for electing such morons. Trouble is we’re out of time, they’re destroying peoples lives and doing nothing productive and certainly not quick enough. Auckland has plenty of assets and fiscal headroom as does NZ so just get on with it and do it in a way that doesn’t remove people human and legal rights and who those twerps actually work for and are paid by. To DO a job while we are busy doing ours. Jesus wept.
Pendantic detail Bernard, but wasn't Michael Laws the mayor of Whanganui rather than Whangarei?