National's Housing Hypocrisy: New Zealand Pays the Price

While Christopher Luxon's National-led government has been busy patting themselves on the back for delivering a whopping 25 state houses in Rotorua that apparently employed 300 people, they've quietly gone and axed another 76 desperately needed state house builds in Porirua East. Because nothing says "caring about ordinary Kiwis" like cancelling homes in one of the country's most housing-stressed areas.

The decision to cancel these developments in Porirua East represents a fundamental failure to understand the housing crisis facing New Zealand. Porirua has consistently recorded some of the highest rates of housing stress in the Wellington region, with families forced into overcrowded conditions or makeshift arrangements. The cancelled developments would have provided essential relief for dozens of families currently on Kāinga Ora's extensive waiting list, families who now face an indefinite wait for secure housing.

Today, The Post reported:

Porirua East social housing developments axed in Kāinga Ora review

More than 70 new planned social houses in Porirua’s eastern suburbs have been cancelled by a Kāinga Ora review, with the local MP calling it the wrong decision.

The 76 homes across three developments are located in Cannons Creek, on Castor Cres, Matahourua Cres, Hazard Gr and Bellona Place. Out of the affected houses, 22 are single-bedroom, 36 are two-bedroom, 13 have three bedrooms, two are four-bedroom houses and three houses have five bedrooms.

What makes this decision particularly galling is the government's simultaneous celebration of a 25-home development in Rotorua. The NZ Herald dutifully reported that these 25 homes employed 300 people during construction – a figure that works out to 12 workers per house. This is either the most labour-intensive construction project in human history, or it's statistical manipulation designed to generate positive headlines for a government desperately trying to appear competent on housing.

Today, the NZ Herald reported:

On The Up: 25 new Kāinga Ora homes ready for Rotorua families

The first stage of a Kāinga Ora housing development in Ōwhata is about to see 25 new homes become available for Rotorua people in emergency and transitional housing.

The development is being praised as a success after employing about 300 tradespeople since October 2023 - a majority of them from Rotorua.

...

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said there was no doubt there was a significant housing need in Rotorua.

“There’s also a need to prioritise local contractors as much as possible, and it’s great this has been recognised through this housing project.”

She said Penny Homes had an excellent reputation and was local to the region, so it was appreciated that Rotorua trades and suppliers were used.

“We’re seeing a record amount of housing options being consented and built in Rotorua, including retirement villages, iwi housing developments, and rural lifestyle blocks.”

The number of building consents have steadily declined since National came to power, making Tania Tapsell either deluded or an outright liar! Tapsell was in fact a strong supporter of closing down Rotorua's emergency housing, and has now gone into damage control as the numbers of homeless people in her region increases.

NZ building consents for new dwellings have declined by 16.3% annually since the October 2023 general election.

Jobs in the construction sector are also down 5.3% annually since the @NZNationalParty came to power. #nzpol pic.twitter.com/X4kDx6KtB9

— Jackal (@Jackalblog) May 18, 2025

Using the NZ Herald's own inflated employment calculations, the 76 cancelled Porirua homes could have created approximately 840 construction jobs. That's 840 jobs eliminated in the name of fiscal responsibility, alongside the 76 families who will remain homeless. But this government has proven remarkably adept at finding money for corporate tax cuts while claiming poverty when it comes to housing the most vulnerable.

The Porirua cancellation forms part of a much larger pattern of deliberate housing reduction. Kāinga Ora has scrapped 212 projects nationwide, eliminating 3,479 homes that were planned to address New Zealand's housing shortage. Each cancelled home represents a family that will remain in housing stress, a family that this government has chosen to abandon in pursuit of their neoliberal agenda.

Well, we did it. Despite driving tens of thousands of surplus kiwi workers abroad, we've still increased unemployment by more than any other country in the OECD.
If you think unemployment was 'too low' in the 2020 - 2023 period (ghoul), the next graph might work better for you. pic.twitter.com/1LhdQHmDfo

— Musical Chairs (@MusicalChairs14) December 22, 2024

Simultaneously, the government has moved aggressively to reduce emergency housing provisions, effectively creating a pincer movement that traps families between cancelled permanent housing and eliminated temporary accommodation. The result is predictable: families are being pushed directly into homelessness because they cannot afford the high costs associated with private rentals. Housing providers have warned that the governments approach will create a significant increase in rough sleeping and family homelessness, but the government appears unconcerned about these terrible consequences of their uncaring policy decisions.

The economic logic of this approach is fundamentally flawed. Those 76 Porirua homes would have provided permanent housing solutions for decades, eliminating the ongoing costs of temporary accommodation and the social services required to support homeless families. Instead, the government has chosen a path that will generate higher long-term costs while inflicting maximum harm on vulnerable families.

Research from the University of Otago estimated in 2016 that keeping someone homeless costs the government $65,000 annually through mental health services, police costs, and emergency interventions. Adjusting for inflation and current service costs, this figure likely exceeds $85,000 per person today. With over 112,000 people experiencing severe housing deprivation, the government is choosing to perpetuate a system that costs billions annually rather than invest in permanent housing solutions that would cost a fraction of that amount over time.

 

In 2016, The ODT reported:

Homeless 'costing $65,000 each'

Each person living on the street in New Zealand cost the Government around $65,000 a year, an inquiry into homelessness has heard.

Getting them off the streets and into secure housing could cost as little as $15,000, a University of Otago housing research organisation said.

Many mainstream media outlets have failed to cover this housing mismanagement properly. The NZ Herald's breathless reporting on the Rotorua development, complete with uncritical repetition of employment figures and government talking points, demonstrates a failure of basic journalistic scrutiny. Where is the analysis of these employment claims? Where is the context about the thousands of cancelled homes? This isn't journalism; it's stenography for a government that needs to be challenged and held to account.

The cancellation of essential housing while celebrating token developments perfectly captures this government's approach to social policy. They manufacture small victories for media consumption while inflicting massive damage on at risk communities that need support. The 76 families who won't receive homes in Porirua East are not just statistics; they are New Zealanders who deserve better than a government that treats housing as a luxury rather than a fundamental necessity.

 

Last week, RNZ reported:

Kāinga Ora halts hundreds of housing developments, sells vacant land

State housing provider Kāinga Ora is halting hundreds of housing developments which would have delivered nearly 3500 homes, and selling a fifth of its vacant land.

The agency's chief executive Matt Crockett said on Thursday the "critical step" in its reset plan would see it write down up to $220 million.

Housing Minister Chris Bishop ordered Kāinga Ora to deliver a turnaround plan that would ensure financial sustainability.

Christopher Luxon and his incompetent ministers should be required to explain to every family on the social housing waiting list why their housing needs aren't as important as tax breaks for landlords and tax cuts for the wealthy. They should explain why thousands of construction jobs are less valuable than their commitment to austerity for the poor. Most importantly, they should explain why increasing homelessness is an acceptable price for their destructive political agenda that appears to only be concerned with propping up an overheated housing market and making the wealthy even richer.

New Zealand's housing crisis demands serious solutions, not public relations exercises disguised as policy. We deserve better than this calculated abandonment, and New Zealand deserves a government that prioritises housing families over maintaining a system that is continuously increasing inequality.

National's Fossil Fool Fiasco Betrays Climate Commitments

New Zealand’s National-led government has once again proven its reckless disregard for our planet and our international reputation by abandoning the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA), a commitment made in 2021 to phase out fossil fuel production.

This incredibly dumb decision, coupled with a $200 million fund to subsidise oil and gas exploration in Budget 2025, is a slap in the face to our climate obligations and a dangerous gamble with our trade relationships.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) explicitly warned the coalition of chaos about the legal and reputational risks, yet Ministers like the corrupted Shane Jones have ploughed ahead anyway, cozying up to fossil fuel barons while thumbing their noses at science and our global partners.

This isn't just incompetence...it’s a betrayal of New Zealand’s future just so a few politicians can line their and their oil baron mates' pockets.

Today, Newsroom reported:

 

NZ abandons international fossil fuel pledge

New Zealand’s departure from the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance came quietly, but not as a surprise to anyone closely following the Government’s fossil fuel policies.

Resources Minister Shane Jones says the coalition’s fossil fuel plans meant the exit was inevitable. But he also says more formal agreements, like free trade deals with the EU, include wriggle room for matters of sovereign risk, such as national energy supply.

...

Legal advice later provided to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said repealing the 2018 ban on offshore oil and gas “would likely be inconsistent with the obligations in several of New Zealand’s free trade agreements”.

The Green Party warned on Tuesday that, based on the assessment of an independent KC, the move breached another international commitment: the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability. This agreement was celebrated by Trade Minister Todd McClay last year as a “pioneering” endeavour.

On Tuesday afternoon, McClay responded to questions from Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick by doubling down on the nation’s commitment to its climate targets: “What it says about this Government is we will meet our international obligations. When we enter into them, we take them seriously.”

The following morning, New Zealand was found to have withdrawn from the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance.

 

MFAT’s legal advice, as revealed in a Regulatory Impact Statement, was crystal clear: repealing the 2018 ban on offshore oil and gas exploration risks breaching trade agreements with the EU, UK, and the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS) with Costa Rica, Iceland, and Switzerland. The $200 million fund, described by Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick as a “clear breach” of ACCTS, directly violates commitments to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies.

The government's own MFAT, hardly known for their green idealism, cautioned that this could also be seen as backsliding on our Paris Agreement obligations, potentially increasing New Zealand's emissions. Yet, the National-led government has ignored these warnings, prioritising short-term profits over long-term stability. Trade Minister Todd McClay’s feeble claim that New Zealand remains “compliant” with ACCTS is laughable when legal experts like Nura Taefi KC confirm the fund’s illegality under international law.

Shane Jones, the Resources Minister, is at the heart of this debacle, and his track record reeks of corruption and fossil fuel favoritism. Known for his “Make NZ Great Again” theatrics, Jones has a history of bending over backwards for industry mates. In 2019, as Forestry Minister, he was caught pushing for a $15 million bailout for West Coast logging firms, sidestepping due process.

"This is a declaration based on science."

New Zealand has declared a climate change emergency and committed to being carbon-neutral by 2050. pic.twitter.com/6rSEnD7e15

— DW News (@dwnews) December 2, 2020

The coalition of chaos is funnelling $200 million of taxpayer money to oil and gas companies, with $8 million alone for “administering” the fund, which smells distinctly like another slush fund for cronies. Shane Jones' dismissive quip that BOGA is a “women’s knitting group” reveals not just his contempt for climate action but his cozy relationship with Energy Resources Aotearoa, the oil and gas lobby that’s been begging for taxpayer-backed exploration since July 2024. Jones’s refusal to disclose conditions for the $200 million fund during parliamentary scrutiny further fuels suspicions of backroom deals.

The National and Act parties, meanwhile, are doubling down on climate denialism. National’s Simon Watts, Climate Change Minister, claimed in November 2024 that New Zealand could stay in BOGA while lifting the ban, an assertion contradicted by BOGA’s co-chair, Lars Aagaard, who warned of re-evaluation. Act’s David Seymour, ever the contrarian, has long scoffed at climate science, once calling emissions targets “symbolic nonsense.” Their policies reflect this: Budget 2025 slashed funding for renewable energy initiatives by 20%, while natural gas production is being propped up as a “transitional” fuel until 2070. This flies in the face of the International Energy Agency’s 2021 warning that no new fossil fuel projects are compatible with 1.5°C goals.

New Zealand’s climate resilience is crumbling under this government. Extreme weather events cost the economy $4.3 billion in 2023 alone, yet National and Act have cut climate adaptation funding by 15%, leaving communities vulnerable. Pacific Island nations, like Tuvalu, have slammed New Zealand’s fossil fuel pivot as a betrayal, risking our regional leadership. With 68% of Kiwis in a 2024 poll demanding stronger climate action, this government’s fossil fuel obsession is not just reckless...it’s undemocratic. The coalition of chaos is burning our future for a quick buck, and we're all going to pay the price.

Donald Trump’s Arms Push Betrays Global Needs

Donald Trump’s recent insistence that NATO countries increase military spending to 5% of their GDP is a reckless and self-serving manoeuvre that prioritises warmongering over humanity’s pressing needs. This demand, rooted in Trump’s cosy ties with American weapons manufacturers, threatens to divert trillions from critical global challenges like starvation and climate change.

In true Trump fashion, it’s a policy steeped in corruption and short-sightedness, with little regard for the broader consequences that increased militarisation causes.

In 2024, NATO’s 32 member states collectively spent $1.47 trillion on defence, representing 2.71% of their combined GDP. Trump’s proposed 5% target would push this to $2.71 trillion annually, nearly doubling current expenditure. For context, the war obsessed United States, NATO’s largest contributor, already accounts for $877 billion, or 3.38% of its GDP. Smaller nations within the NATO alliance would face crippling pressure to divert funds from social services to meet this arbitrary threshold.


Earlier this month, AP reported:

NATO is on the cusp of accepting Trump’s 5% defense investment demand, Rutte says

Most U.S. allies at NATO endorse President Donald Trump’s demand that they invest 5% of gross domestic product on their defense needs and are ready to ramp up security spending even more, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Thursday.

“There’s broad support,” Rutte told reporters after chairing a meeting of NATO defense ministers at the alliance’s Brussels headquarters. “We are really close,” he said, and added that he has “total confidence that we will get there” by the next NATO summit in three weeks.

European allies and Canada have already been investing heavily in their armed forces, as well as on weapons and ammunition, since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

At the same time, some have balked at U.S. demands to invest 5% of GDP on defense — 3.5% on core military spending and 1.5% on the roads, bridges, airfields and sea ports needed to deploy armies more quickly.

What could $2.71 trillion achieve if redirected? The UN estimates that ending world hunger by 2030 requires $330 billion annually. That’s just 12% of Trump’s proposed NATO budget. Imagine the impact: 821 million people being fed, malnutrition eradicated, and communities stabilised and less likely to conduct resource based conflicts.

Instead, Trump’s plan would funnel billions into weapons systems, many produced by U.S. giants like Lockheed Martin and Boeing, companies with which he has troubling financial ties. During his first term, Trump’s administration approved $115 billion in arms sales, with Lockheed alone securing $83 billion in contracts. His stock holdings and campaign donations from defence contractors raise serious questions about whose interests he serves.

Climate change mitigation offers another stark contrast. The IPCC estimates that $1.6–3.8 trillion annually is needed to limit warming to 1.5°C IPCC, 2018. Trump’s $2.71 trillion could cover the upper end of this, funding renewable energy, reforestation, and adaptation for vulnerable nations. Instead, his policy would lock NATO into a cycle of militarisation, exacerbating global instability as climate-driven disasters rise. In 2023, 377 million people faced climate-related displacement. Diverting even half of Trump’s proposed spend could transform global resilience and save countless lives.

Education and diplomacy, cornerstones of peace, are similarly underfunded. UNESCO reports a $39 billion annual shortfall for universal education. Investing $2.71 trillion could not only close this gap but also fund diplomatic initiatives to de-escalate conflicts. NATO’s own data shows that 23 of its 32 members now meet the 2% GDP defence target, up from 10 in 2020. Forcing a jump to 5% risks alienating and destabilising smaller economies like Latvia or Estonia, where social services are already stretched.

Trump’s corruption taints this push for more military expenditure. His administration’s revolving door with defence contractors, evidenced by former Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan as Acting Defence Secretary, suggests a profiteering motive instead of concern over military capabilities. His properties reportedly earned millions from foreign governments during his presidency, raising conflict-of-interest concerns. This isn’t leadership; it’s a shakedown dressed as geopolitics.

New Zealand, a partner country through NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme, feels the ripple effects through its security partnerships. Increasing our $4.7 billion defence budget (2.2% of GDP) to 5% could instead fund the required 10,000 new teachers or 50,000 hospital beds Aotearoa desperatly needs. Globally, Trump’s plan undermines the cooperative spirit needed for peace. Diplomacy, not arms races, resolves conflicts. His NATO demand is a corrupt, dangerous distraction from humanity’s real priorities...ending starvation, climate change mitigation, and education deserve taxpayers' money, not Donald Trump's warmonger mates.

Is Trump Laying the Groundwork for U.S. Invasion of Iran?

The effectiveness of the United States’ recent military actions against Iran’s nuclear facilities have been cast into doubt by a leaked Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment, revealing that Iran may have relocated much of its enriched uranium stockpile, including approximately 400 kilograms of near-weapons-grade uranium, to undisclosed locations before U.S. bunker-busting bombs struck.

President Donald Trump’s assertions that these strikes completely "obliterated" Iran’s nuclear programme now appear very overstated, again exposing a troubling gap between his often childish rhetoric and reality.

This development may appear to undermine the Trump administration's credibility but it also gives the orange buffoon a reason to undertake another ground offensive in the Middle East. US propaganda about Iran not being allowed to develop a nuclear weapon evoked unsettling parallels with the prelude to the 2003 Iraq invasion and claims of weapons of mass destruction, which were never found, raising concerns that the United States is once again undertaking another war for control of the world's resources.

The similarities won't be lost on many US voters, who will hopefully realise that Donald Trump's propaganda is airily similar to that used by George W. Bush in the lead-up to the Iraq war, when the U.S. government justified invasion based on false claims of WMD's. Today, the narrative of an imminent Iranian nuclear threat, either through Trump propaganda or leaked intelligence reports, mirrors previous disinformation campaigns by the dishonest United States government.


Yesterday, 1 News reported:

 

US regime change record isn't great, would Trump do any better with Iran?

As President Donald Trump floats the idea of “regime change” in Tehran, previous US attempts to remake the Middle East by force over the decades offer stark warnings about the possibility of a deepening involvement in the Iran-Israeli conflict.

“If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???” Trump posted on his social media site over the weekend. The came after the US bombed Iran's nuclear sites but before that country retaliated by firing its own missiles at a US base in Qatar.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt yesterday insisted that Trump, who spent years railing against “forever wars” and pushing an “America first” world view, had not committed a political about-face.

“The president’s posture and our military posture has not changed,” she said, suggesting that a more aggressive approach might be necessary if Iran ”refuses to give up their nuclear program or engage in talks".

Leavitt also suggested that a new government in Iran could come about after its people stage a revolt — not necessarily requiring direct US intervention.

The Trump administration has repeatedly heralded the strikes on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan facilities as a decisive blow to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. However, the DIA assessment, as reported by sources familiar with the matter, indicates that the strikes failed to destroy core components of Iran’s nuclear programme, such as centrifuges and highly enriched uranium stocks, with damage largely confined to underground entranceways and above ground structures. The impact is estimated to set Iran’s programme back by mere months, not years.

Along with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Director General Rafael Grossi stating that there was no evidence Iran was actively pursuing weaponisation, and U.S. intelligence assessments concluding Tehran halted such efforts in 2003, the Trump administration’s rhetoric continues to frame Iran as a terrorist nation who is aggressively pushing towards developing an A bomb.

The Trump administration’s dismissal of the DIA leaks as “fake news” propagated by mainstream media outlets appears increasingly disingenuous, a calculated effort to deflect scrutiny from intelligence that contradicts its hawkish narrative, including a report from Trump’s own Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, stating Iran was not enriching uranium beyond 60% before the U.S. strikes. This saber-rattling clashes with Trump’s public anti-war posturing, designed to placate his MAGA base. Polls currently show 68% of Americans oppose further military engagement in the Middle East. Such contradictions expose Trump’s efforts to balance domestic support with aggressive foreign policy, risking escalation despite widespread public aversion to another Middle Eastern war.

Notwithstanding a United States ground invasion of Iran being a logistical nightmare and a geopolitical disaster, it remains a plausible scenario if public opinion can be sufficiently swayed by the administration’s unsubstantiated fear-mongering about Iran’s nuclear weapons program. The administration’s marginalisation of experts and dissenters within its own ranks, reminiscent of the Bush administration’s pre-Iraq purges, suggests a dangerous willingness to ignore inconvenient truths in pursuit of political ends.

However, these leaks may even be strategically timed by US neoconservatives, designed to justify further escalation by highlighting the potential “failure” of surgical strikes. What we all need to keep in mind is that Iran’s preemptive relocation of uranium stockpiles indicates a safeguarding to avoid potential fallout as well as a defensive posture, not an aggressive push toward a bomb, yet this nuance is conspicuously absent from many world leaders' war propaganda rhetoric about Iran not being allowed to have a nuclear weapon.

 

Ground forces are key — but don't guarantee success

Airstrikes have never been enough on their own.

Take, for example, Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi. His forces withstood a seven-month NATO air campaign in 2011 before rebels fighting city by city eventually cornered and killed him.

There are currently no insurgent groups in Iran capable of taking on the Revolutionary Guard, and it's hard to imagine Israeli or US forces launching a ground invasion of a mountainous country of some 80 million people that is about four times as big as Iraq.

A split in Iran's own security forces would furnish a ready-made insurgency, but it would also likely tip the country into civil war.

There's also the question of how ordinary Iranians would respond.

The problem for Trump is that his administration’s high-profile strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities have only strengthened the Iranian people's resolve against the United States. They've also (conveniently for Israel and the United States) shifted global attention away from two pressing crises: the ongoing genocide in Gaza and their domestic unrest sparked by illegal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) abductions.

As Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza continues, killing over 55,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, drawing international condemnation, the U.S.-led Iran operation has dominated headlines, effectively sidelining scrutiny of Washington’s complicity in the Gaza atrocities.

The ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ firing squad shoots heavily at starving Palestinians going to fetch aid at their fake distribution site pic.twitter.com/7px3KYsZxP

— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) June 9, 2025

Trump’s push for allied nations to ramp up defence spending, framed as a necessity for global security, takes on a sinister hue in light of the Gaza devastation and his Iran gambit. With Gaza reduced to rubble and over 56,000 Palestinians killed directly by violence, alongside estimates of up to 186,000 total deaths including indirect losses from disease, malnutrition, and healthcare collapse. 800 more Palestinians have been murdered in recent days while trying to access food aid.

The U.S. appears to be laying the groundwork for further conflicts, potentially in Iran and beyond, to fatten the coffers of their military-industrial complex. By pressuring allies to bolster their arsenals, Trump ensures a steady flow of contracts for American defence giants, conveniently aligning with his administration’s hawkish posturing and the distraction from domestic failures.

Trump was facing a mounting backlash over ICE’s aggressive deportation raids, which have detained over 9,000 individuals in 2025 alone, triggering widespread protests and uprisings in cities like Los Angeles and Chicago, with communities decrying the humanitarian toll of family separations and detentions. The timing of the Iran strikes raises questions about whether this foreign policy spectacle is a deliberate distraction from both the moral stain of Gaza and the domestic turmoil threatening Trump’s political standing.

ICE agents caught on camera—brutally beating local gardener during arrest in Santa Ana.

Multiple reports of ICE raids "swarming" landscaping crews.

Even leaving lawnmowers running after grabbing men right off front lawns in the greater Los Angeles area.

Mayor Valerie Amezcua… pic.twitter.com/Yilx6F0PB5

— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨‍💻 (@LongTimeHistory) June 21, 2025

The administration’s criticism of the media further erodes its credibility. By branding critical reporting as the work of “low-level losers,” it seeks to undermine legitimate scrutiny, a tactic that feels rehearsed and hollow. This posturing distracts from the real issue: the risk of entangling the U.S. in another Middle East quagmire. For New Zealand the implications are significant. Our government’s alignment with Washington could draw us into supporting a conflict with very dubious justification.

The right-wing New zealand government must not be allowed to provide support for the United States' unending wars in the Middle East. This is especially noteworthy being that Trump’s recent admission that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu will have operatives “involved in the whole situation” regarding Iran’s nuclear sites lends credence to Tehran’s claims that the IAEA has been co-opted as an intelligence-gathering apparatus for Israel and the United States.

Iran’s decision to suspend IAEA inspections and withdraw from the NPT, widely condemned by Western powers, appears increasingly justified in light of this revelation. Such interference undermines the IAEA’s neutrality, fuelling Iran’s distrust and providing a pretext for its defensive posture, while exposing the U.S. and Israel’s coordinated efforts to provoke escalation under the guise of non-proliferation.

In conclusion, the DIA leaks expose the fragility of Trump’s claims about neutralising Iran’s nuclear programme, while the administration’s rhetoric and media attacks echo the dangerous prelude to invading Iraq. The U.S. appears poised to escalate a conflict that could destabilise the region and beyond. The pursuit of a ground invasion, predicated on unverified threats, demands rigorous scrutiny to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Piggy Muldoon Would Be Turning in His Grave

Back in the late 1970s, Robert Muldoon’s government made a big show of championing local control. The Local Government Amendment Act 1978, alongside other tweaks to existing legislature, handed councils a bit more wiggle room to make their own decisions. Think refined rating powers, streamlined boundaries, additional planning roles, increased resource management, and uniting councils for regional coordination.

Muldoon, ever the populist, promoted local autonomy as the key to communities sorting out their own patch. It was a politically smart move, being that the amendments ensured many white farmers, who already dominated councils, attained even more control over their local areas, which bolstered Muldoon's popularity.

However, Piggy's changes weren’t all that revolutionary; being more tinkering than transformative, but they gave councils enough rope to manage local roads, water, and planning without Wellington breathing down their necks. Fast-forward to 2025, and the current National-led coalition government under Christopher Luxon is trampling over that legacy with a bulldozer, while proving without a doubt that their campaign promises on decentralisation were completely false!

 

Yesterday, the Herald reported:

PM Christopher Luxon open to scrapping regional councils amid RMA reform

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he wants to explore the possibility of scrapping New Zealand’s regional councils as the Government reforms the Resource Management Act.

NZ First minister Shane Jones told a local government forum last week his party does not see a compelling case for maintaining regional government.

Speaking to Newstalk ZB today from Belgium before the Nato leaders’ summit in The Hague, Luxon was asked whether he supported disestablishing regional councils.

“I have a personal view that I think that’s something that we can explore as part of that Resource Management Act legislation that Chris Bishop is driving through,” he responded.

Muldoon’s era, for all its faults, saw councils as partners in governance. Piggy's amendment's let councils tweak rates to fund local priorities and clarified united councils’ roles, giving locals a say in regional transport and civil defence matters. Contrast that with today’s coalition of chaos, which is itching to override council decisions and even muttering about scrapping regional councils altogether.

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown’s 2024 edict forcing councils to hold referendums on Māori wards or ditch them entirely shows Wellington’s contempt for local democracy. Talk of axing regional councils, which handle critical environmental and transport planning, isn't just another pig-headed decision, it’s anti-democratic and amounts to economic sabotage.

New Zealand Councils are already drowning in debt, and the coalition’s bullying makes things even worse. If regional councils face closure, who’s going to lend to a sinking ship? Banks and the Local Government Funding Agency will tighten the purse strings, leaving councils unable to fund infrastructure or services. They might not even be able to service the debt they already have.

Another light bulb flashing: doubtful that most territorial councils have the capacity to do what regional councils d0 in managing natural resources, supporting biodiversity, public transport, building climate resilience. Guess those aren’t govt priorities https://t.co/oubo3G9Kfu

— Helen Clark (@HelenClarkNZ) June 22, 2025

With spiralling infrastructure costs such as ageing water pipes bursting faster than budget forecasts can be revised upwards, councils are already on their financial knees. They can’t afford the chaos of more financial uncertainty...uncertainty that Chris Luxon's government is currently providing. 

National’s 2023 campaign was all about promising to empower communities to chart their own course. Yet here they are, bullying councils into submission with a centralist iron fist. From stripping councils of water management control through the Local Water Done Well framework, putting additional costs onto ratepayers, to overriding local housing intensification plans, National’s meddling in local matters is relentless.

They’ve also gutted council input on resource management by fast-tracking consents under the Fast-track Approvals Bill, sidelining local environmental protections. Transport’s another casualty, councils face slashed funding unless they ditch cycle-ways and bow to Wellington’s car-centric priorities. And let’s not forget the Māori wards fiasco, where Minister Simeon Brown’s 2024 decree demanded referendums or outright abolition, trampling councils’ rights to decide their own governance. This isn’t decentralisation; it’s dictatorship masquerading as reform, and local democracy’s paying the price.

Muldoon must be turning in his grave at what Luxon's authoritarian government is doing. The 1970's National government, for all its right-wing tendencies, at least made some improvements to local control. Luxon’s crew, meanwhile, breaks election promises with gusto, risking council insolvency while threatening the livelihoods of democratically elected council members, many of whom were likely National Party supporters. If regional councils vanish, expect rates to skyrocket, services to crumble, and communities to lose their voice.

Is Chris Luxon the Dumbest Prime Minister Ever?

New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, has once again proven his knack for spouting utter drivel, this time with his brain-dead claim that the United States’ unprovoked and illegal bombing of Iran, cheered on by genocidal Israel, somehow opens a golden window for diplomatic “dialogue.” 

It’s the kind of statement that makes you wonder if Luxon’s been sniffing glue or just reading from a script penned by warmongers. Let’s unpack this steaming pile of nonsense and remind ourselves why this bloke’s leadership is a national and international embarrassment.

 

Today, The Post reported:

 

The US strike on Iran creates “opportunity” for dialogue, says Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

Luxon, speaking from a war memorial for New Zealand soldiers in Messines, Belgium days out from a Nato meeting, which US President Donald Trump is expected to attend, offered no direct criticism of the strikes.

“We do not want to see a nuclear armed Iran. But now there is an opportunity, as we look forward from these strikes to actually, get around and use diplomacy and dialogue and negotiation to actually get a political solution in place,” he said.

“Really it's about the future. It's really about what actions are going to be taken in the days and the weeks ahead to actually make sure that stability and security is returned.”

Luxon’s latest gem, reported in the wake of the US’s 22 June 2025 airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, suggests that blowing up a sovereign nation’s infrastructure is a cracking way to kickstart a chat. Never mind that Iran wasn’t actually building a nuclear weapon, something confirmed by the IAEA, US intelligence community, and even Trump’s own Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard's 20 June 2025 report, before Trump predictably dismissed her assessment. Iran was already at the negotiating table, engaging in talks hosted by Oman in May 2025, ready to discuss its nuclear programme for peaceful energy purposes. But apparently, nothing says “let’s talk” like eight bunker-buster bombs dropped by B-2 stealth bombers.

The reality is as clear as Luxon’s bald head under studio lights: Iran was complying with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and open to dialogue until the United States decided to escalate a shadow war into a full-blown aerial assault. Now, Iran’s parliament is drafting a bill to withdraw from the NPT, and, having moved their 60% enriched uranium before the strikes, are now more likely to pursue nuclear weapons development, a direct consequence of the US and Israel’s unprovoked warmongering.

Chris Luxon cannot say why he condemns Iran's attack on Israel but not Israel's initial attack on the Iranian embassy in Syria:

"Again I'm not getting into that, again I've been really clear."

He also said he is open to allowing Singapore to test UAVs or drones in NZ air space. pic.twitter.com/7oIOq78S8y

— Nick (@StrayDogNZ) April 15, 2024

Far from fostering dialogue, these attacks have obliterated any chance of it, with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating on 23 June 2025 that they won’t enter into negotiations while Israel and the United states were continuing to bomb Iran. Luxon’s claim that this chaos creates “opportunity” is so detached from reality it’s practically orbiting Jupiter.

Let’s not forget that Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Tehran, hitting oil depots, civilian sites, and even state broadcasters, shows their goal isn’t just about stopping nuclear development. It’s now another war of attrition, not a surgical strike to prevent a non-existent nuclear bomb-making programme. And the US? Trump’s been itching for this since he tore up the 2015 nuclear deal, with plans for these strikes simmering for months, as leaked Pentagon documents revealed in April 2025. His administration’s sudden pivot to bombs over talks reeks of dishonesty, using Israel as a proxy to flex military muscle while pretending it’s about peace.

Luxon’s idiocy isn’t new. This is the same genius who claimed that Kiwis were “better off” under his government while real wages stagnated and public services crumbled. Or when he babbled about “streamlining” the Resource Management Act on 10 August 2023, only to admit he hadn’t even read the bloody thing. Then there was his 5 December 2024 clanger, insisting NZ’s housing crisis was “solvable overnight” by cutting red tape. But all the National led government has done is cancel state house builds and thrown thousands of people out of emergency housing onto the streets. And who can forget his pledge to “turbocharge” the economy by slashing public sector jobs, only for unemployment to balloon to 5.2%? The man’s a walking soundbite with the intellectual depth of a kiddie pool.

Iran’s nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security. Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat.

The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority. We call…

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 22, 2025

Unfortunately Luxon's not alone in the dunce corner. Australia’s Anthony Albanese called the US strikes on Iran “a necessary step for regional stability,” conveniently ignoring the illegality of the attack, Iran’s non-existent nuclear weapons program and a prior willingness to negotiate. UK’s Keir Starmer also mumbled about “supporting de-escalation” while refusing to condemn Israel’s follow-up bombings, a spineless dodge that rivals Luxon’s waffle. But Luxon’s special, he’s got a knack for saying nothing while sounding like he’s solving everything.

Worse, the NZ government’s silence on the US’s illegal attack is deafening. Foreign Minister Winston Peters has been careful not to criticise Israel and the United States, and Luxon’s refusal to condemn the unprovoked strikes or call for a ceasefire shows a spineless failure to uphold NZ’s legacy as a peacemaker. By not pressuring the US and Israel, they’re letting warmongers run riot, undermining any hope of de-escalation. New Zealand could be rallying the world to demand accountability, but instead, Luxon’s government is twiddling its thumbs, complicit by inaction and appearing to support a clear breach of the United Nations charter.

Here's what the doddering coalition of chaos fools did instead:

➡️ NZ continues to advocate for diplomacy and dialogue. Ongoing military action in the Middle East is extremely worrying & it is critical further escalation is avoided.

➡️ Airspace remains closed. That is why we continue to recommend NZers in Iran & Israel do everything they can… pic.twitter.com/rTF2jS1pVr

— Winston Peters (@NewZealandMFA) June 22, 2025

Lux-O-Flakes cannot even bring himself to call for a ceasefire, even though the US and Israel’s illegal airstrikes on Iran, absent an imminent threat or Security Council approval, constitute a breach of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter and amount to the crime of aggression. Israel’s ongoing attacks and the US’s direct and enabling roles, through military aid and diplomatic cover, exacerbate these violations. New Zealand’s silence, alongside the equivocations of other western politicians like Albanese and Starmer, highlights a failure to uphold the Charter’s principles. While the US and Israel may argue strategic necessity, the lack of evidence and disregard for Iran’s sovereignty and prior negotiations render their actions legally indefensible.

The tragedy is that Luxon’s ignorance, similar to other idiotic right-wing leaders, abets a dangerous US-Israel agenda that thrives on chaos, not solutions. Iran’s nuclear programme was never the threat they claimed, and bombing it has only hardened Tehran’s resolve. Luxon’s cheerleading for “dialogue” in this context isn’t just stupid; it’s a betrayal of New Zealand’s commitment to peace and international law. Is he the dumbest PM we’ve ever had? When you stack his record against Muldoon’s pig-headedness or Key’s smarmy amnesia, Luxon’s vacuous optimism and chronic foot-in-mouth disease make a strong case. Wake up, Chris. The world’s burning, and your vacuous soundbites are fanning the flames.

Stable Housing a Key to Suicide Reduction

New Zealand’s Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2025–2029, part of the Every Life Matters strategy, hasn't been implemented properly, promising much but risking little real change. While the plan boasts 21 health-led and 13 cross-agency actions, it’s riddled with faults that could doom it to repeat the failures of past strategies. 

With suicide rates in New Zealand remaining high, 617 suspected suicides in 2024, at 11.2 per 100,000, the National-led government’s austerity-driven approach, coupled with a watered-down suicide prevention plan, threatens to exacerbate the crisis rather than curb it.

First, the plan’s funding is a sticking plaster on a gaping wound. The $20 million annual baseline, plus an extra $16 million from 2025/26, sounds substantial, but it’s a drop in the bucket for a mental health system already buckling under cuts to frontline staff and gutted community services. The dissolution of the standalone Suicide Prevention Office, now a mere function within the Ministry of Health, signals a lack of seriousness about suicide prevention. How can we expect coordinated, impactful action when the government’s gutting the very structures tasked with reducing suicides?

Last year, RNZ reported:

Ministry of Health apologises for confusion over Suicide Prevention Office's future

The Ministry of Health said it did not sufficiently brief the Minister of Mental Health on their restructuring plans and is committed to working on suicide prevention.

RNZ understands the ministry is proposing to cut 134 jobs to meet the government's demands to reduce costs.

The Public Servants Association (PSA) released a press release on Thursday that claimed this also included shutting the Suicide Prevention Office.

Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey has since stepped in and told the Director-General of Health he expected the office to stay open.

 

But what is perhaps worse than this undermining, the government's replacement plan’s health-centric focus sidesteps the social determinants fuelling suicide, like poverty, unemployment, and housing instability. A 2022 University of Auckland study, backed up by a recently released Otago University study, has found stable housing significantly reduces youth offending, showing how secure homes foster resilience in young people. It’s no leap to see how stable housing could also lower youth suicide rates by providing safety and reducing stress.

Yesterday, RNZ reported:

Youth offending drops with safe, stable housing - study

An Otago University study has found a link between safe, stable housing and a reduction in youth offending rates.

The study looked at the relationship between different types of housing assistance, including emergency housing, public housing, and the accommodation supplement.

Lead author Chang Yu said researchers found clear links between housing deprivation and alleged youth offending.

"We found offending decreased significantly among young people living in public housing or receiving the accommodation supplement, compared with the general population.

The National-led government's austerity measures, destroying emergency housing, cancelling state home builds, slashing public services and tightening welfare, have deepened housing insecurity and economic hardship, particularly for young people and Māori, who face suicide rates 1.8 times higher than non-Māori. These policies aren’t just indifferent; they’re actively worsening the social conditions that drive despair.

Yesterday, Stuff reported:

 

‘Heartbreaking’: Pensioners, children sleeping rough in Christchurch’s red zone

Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka said the large scale use of emergency housing was one of “the biggest public policy failures in New Zealand history”.

“Since National came into office, households in emergency housing have dropped from 3,342 to 516– that’s a drop of 84.5%.

“The vast majority are now into better, safer, proper homes.”

He said the Government was focused on making it easier to build proper housing and ensuring Government investment was “creating the right houses in the right places for those in genuine need“.

But Fire didn’t see it that way.

“You empty all the motels and there’s a lot of children still sleeping in cars,” she said. “That really gets to me."

The National-led government’s failure to track where former emergency housing residents end up is a glaring oversight that compounds the Suicide Prevention Action Plan’s weaknesses. The Ministry of Social Development lacks data on these households by design, because this type of data would make the government's emergency housing reduction plan look bad.

Many of the people affected by the coalitions austerity, including young children and the elderly, are slipping into rough sleeping, overcrowding, or other precarious situations. Clearly secure homes could also reduce suicide by alleviating stress and fostering resilience. Yet, National’s austerity-driven cuts to frontline services and community support, alongside the gutting of emergency housing, risk driving more vulnerable Kiwis, especially youth and Māori, into despair, undermining any hope of meaningful progress.

The Suicide Prevention Action Plan’s nod to Māori-led actions and community funds is welcome, but it feels tokenistic when broader government moves, like gutting the Suicide Prevention Office, cuts to emergency housing and reviewing Treaty-based provisions, undermine cultural and overall responsiveness. High-risk groups like the Rainbow community and rural New Zealanders also risk being short-changed when resources are spread too thin. And let’s not ignore the measly focus on postvention, support for those bereaved by suicide, who are at heightened risk themselves.

Adding insult to injury is the government's funding of unproven initiatives like Gumboot Friday, and changes to suicide reporting protocols, which have tightened what qualifies as a “confirmed” suicide, potentially masking the true scale of the current crisis in New Zealand. This sleight of hand lets the government downplay the numbers while avoiding accountability for the consequences of their policy decisions. Without robust short-term indicators or a reinstated Suicide Prevention Office, evaluating the plan’s impact will be like navigating around icebergs in the dark.

In short, this plan is a half-measure, dressed up with milestones but starved of ambition and resources. National’s austerity is exacerbating the social conditions, unstable housing, economic strain, cultural disconnection, that drive people to suicide, particularly among youth and Māori. If we want to save lives, we need bold investment, a dedicated and properly staffed prevention office, and policies that tackle the root causes of despair, not just its symptoms. Anything less clearly shows that the government simply does not care.

Places to get help:

• Lifeline (open 24/7) - 0800 543 354
• Depression Helpline (open 24/7) - 0800 111 757
• Healthline (open 24/7) - 0800 611 116
• Samaritans (open 24/7) - 0800 726 666
• Suicide Crisis Helpline (open 24/7) - 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
• Youthline (open 24/7) - 0800 376 633. You can also text 234 for free between 8am and midnight, or email talk@youthline.co.nz
• 0800 WHATSUP children's helpline - phone 0800 9428 787 between 1pm and 10pm on weekdays and from 3pm to 10pm on weekends. Online chat is available from 7pm to 10pm every day at www.whatsup.co.nz.
• Kidsline (open 24/7) - 0800 543 754. This service is for children aged 5 to 18. Those who ring between 4pm and 9pm on weekdays will speak to a Kidsline buddy. These are specially trained teenage telephone counsellors.
• Your local Rural Support Trust - 0800 787 254 (0800 RURAL HELP)
• Alcohol Drug Helpline (open 24/7) - 0800 787 797. You can also text 8691 for free.

David Seymour Wants More People to Die From Cancer

It’s a grim day for Aotearoa when a politician like David Seymour, leader of the ACT Party, can stand up and effectively cheer for New Zealanders smoking themselves into an early grave. As I'm sure you're aware, the National-led coalition government gutted our world-leading smokefree laws when they first came to power in October 2023, and the consequences are already piling up. This isn’t just a policy misstep, it’s a betrayal of public health, driven by dodgy deals and corporate cash, with Seymour and other corrupt politicians pulling the governments strings for their tobacco industry mates.

In 2022, New Zealand passed pioneering legislation under Labour to create a smokefree generation, slashing tobacco retailers from 6,000 to 600, reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes, and banning sales to anyone born after 2008. The evidence was clear: these measures were projected to save 5,000 lives annually and $1.3 billion in health costs over 20 years, while slashing smoking rates, particularly for Māori from 19.9% to under 5% by 2025.

But the National-led government, with Seymour and NZ First’s Winston Peters pulling the strings, repealed these laws in February 2024 to fund tax cuts for the wealthy. Finance Minister Nicola Willis admitted the repeal would rake in $1 billion in tobacco tax revenue, blood money paid for with the lives of more New Zealanders dying from tobacco related diseases like cancer.

And now we have the prized fool himself, David Seymour, openly stating that it would be good if more New Zealanders died from smoking related diseases.

Today, Newsroom reported:

 

Seymour’s ‘light up’ message alarms tobacco researchers

‘Lots of excise tax, no pension – I mean, you’re a hero,’ Act leader says of smokers – a line health experts say is no laughing matter

Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour’s comments to a London audience calling smokers “fiscal heroes” – and declaring people should “light up” to save their government’s balance sheet – are reprehensible and make light of addiction, tobacco researchers say.

Seymour largely stands by his remarks, arguing smokers are a net economic positive through tobacco tax and reduced superannuation from early deaths – but has conceded he was wrong to describe as “quite evil” the Labour government’s plan to create a smokefree generation.

...

Seymour spoke about the decision following a speech to the Adam Smith Institute, a neoliberal think tank based in London, during a visit to the UK this month.

Asked about the smokefree generation concept, which has been taken up by the British government, Seymour said the New Zealand policy had been “quite evil, in a way” and described smokers as “fiscal heroes”.

“If you want to save your country’s balance sheet, light up, because … lots of excise tax, no pension – I mean, you’re a hero,” he said to laughter from the audience.

...

“As far as I can tell, that condition is well and truly satisfied: I mean, the Government gets $2 billion of tax revenue from about, what is it now, 8 percent of the population?” (The Customs Service collected $1.5b in tobacco excise and equivalent duties in 2023/24, while that year’s NZ Health Survey reported a daily smoking rate of 6.9 percent.)

Seymour said it was “just a sad fact” that smokers were also likely to die younger, reducing the amount of superannuation they collected, while he was unconvinced their healthcare costs would be markedly higher than those who died of other illnesses.

“If anything, smokers are probably saving other citizens money.”

When the coalition of chaos made their stupid decision to increase the number of New Zealanders who die from tobacco related diseases like cancer, many Health experts sounded the alarm. Modelling from the University of Otago estimates the repeal could lead to thousands of additional smoking-related deaths, with Māori and Pasifika communities hit hardest, exacerbating existing health inequities. 

Māori life expectancy is already 7.5 years shorter than Pākehā, and smoking is a leading cause of this gap. The coalition’s decision to scrap the smokefree laws was a “major win for the tobacco industry,” as Health Coalition Aotearoa’s Boyd Swinburn put it, boosting Big Tobacco’s profits at the expense of Kiwi lives.

And who’s cashing in? Tobacco giants like Philip Morris, the sole supplier of heated tobacco products (HTPs) in New Zealand, are laughing all the way to the bank. Documents reveal Philip Morris lobbied hard for tax cuts on HTPs, a move Associate Health Minister Casey Costello delivered in July 2024, slashing excise tax by 50% despite research showing that HTPs are just as harmful as cigarettes.


Last year, Newsroom reported:

Minister left $46b benefit of smokefree reforms out of Cabinet paper

In a section outlining the “financial implications” of repealing the reforms, Costello’s Cabinet paper only discussed the costs of reimbursing retailers who had applied for special permits under the old regime and the potential for $1.5 billion in additional revenue from tobacco excise over four years. However, the December 6 briefing contained more information about the economic benefits of the scheme in its own “financial implications” section.

Early estimates had suggested New Zealand might save $5.25b in health costs and $5.88b in increased productivity over the lifetime of the population alive in 2020, officials told Costello.

More recent independent analysis, published in November 2023, found a $17b loss to government out to 2050 from reduced excise revenue and increased superannuation costs from people living longer would be more than offset by a $46b economic benefit over the same period, the briefing said. “The new estimates find the smoked tobacco measures are likely to result in large economic benefits for the total population.”

Verrall said it was up to ministers on what they wanted to include in Cabinet papers. However, she said, Costello appeared to have withheld information from Cabinet that was unfavourable to her position.

The stench of tobacco money lingers over this corrupt coalition. RNZ uncovered that Philip Morris’s external relations team includes former NZ First staffers, raising questions about cosy relationships and dirty deals. Public health researchers have demanded ministers like Costello and Seymour disclose any tobacco industry links, noting their rhetoric mirrors Big Tobacco’s talking points.

Costello’s claim of “independent” advice to justify her policies was debunked when she couldn’t explain the source of a document pushing tobacco tax cuts, suspiciously aligned with tobacco industry goals. Imagine what would happen if a left wing politician fabricated research to prop up a predetermined anti-health agenda. The mainstream media would be apoplectic until they were forced to resign.

ACT and NZ First, the tail wagging the National dog, have shown their true colours. Seymour’s libertarian posturing and NZ First’s populist rhetoric mask a willingness to sacrifice public health for corporate interests. National, desperate to attain power, caved to their demands despite earlier supporting some smokefree measures. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s weak excuse, that the laws would fuel black markets, has been contradicted by evidence showing the illicit tobacco trade was already declining.

David Seymour’s claim that smoking is a “freedom of choice” is a grotesque insult when 5,000 Kiwis die each year from tobacco related diseases, trapped by addiction, not choice. This National-led coalition, with ACT and NZ First yanking the leash, has sold out New Zealand's health for tobacco profits and tax cuts that fatten the wallets of the wealthy while robbing tamariki of a smokefree future. The blood of future victims will stain this government’s dubious legacy forever. New Zealanders must demand transparency, and hold these corrupt politicians accountable before Big Tobacco’s shadow claims even more lives.

Israel’s Pretext for War With Iran Isn't Achievable

Benjamin Netanyahu’s pretax for war with Iran, their supposed nuclear program, is an exercise in hubris wrapped up in flimsy excuses. The Israeli PM claims his military’s recent strikes, launched 13 June 2025, were a pre-emptive blow to stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb. But this pretext for war isn't achievable by Israel.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and US intelligence, including a March 2025 statement from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, have consistently reported Iran isn’t pushing uranium enrichment beyond 60%, well short of the 90% needed for weapons-grade material. 

So why’s Netanyahu rattling sabres over a threat that doesn’t exist? It’s a distraction, a geopolitical tantrum, and a bloody stupid way to start a war Israel and its allies are unlikely to win.

 

Yesterday, Aljazeera reported:

Iran war gives Netanyahu political breathing room in Israel

Israeli PM faced uncertain future last week amid no-confidence vote, but confrontation with Iran unites Israel’s politicians.

Two confidence votes, each fewer than seven days apart, tell much of the story of Israel’s political transformation since it launched attacks on longstanding regional nemesis Iran on Friday.

Early on Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government narrowly survived a vote that ensured its continuation after an 11th-hour deal was reached with ultra-Orthodox parties who are a key force within it. Had a deal not been found, then parliament would have been dissolved and new elections called, leaving Netanyahu vulnerable as opposition against him grew.

But then on Monday, a similar attempt to dissolve parliament failed miserably after no confidence motions brought forward by parties led by Palestinian citizens of Israel failed to attract any support from the centre and the right.

Of course, in between, Israel had launched its attacks on Iran, upending domestic Israeli politics as well as regional geopolitics.

We've heard it all before from the consummate liar, Netanyahu. For over four decades, Israel has peddled the same tired narrative: Iran is on the cusp of a nuclear bomb, and only pre-emptive strikes can save the world. From Yitzhak Rabin’s warnings in 1984 to Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest claim on 13 June 2025, where he tried to justify his unprovoked attacks, the script hasn’t changed.

Despite IAEA and U.S. intelligence reports, most recently in March 2025, confirming Iran isn’t enriching uranium beyond 60% or pursuing weaponisation, Israel persists with its fearmongering. Netanyahu’s timeline, from “3–5 years” in 1992 to “days away” in February 2025, is a broken record. This reckless war, sold on a lie, risks catastrophic escalation for a goal Israel cannot achieve.

• 1984: Israeli Defence Minister Yitzhak Rabin warns Iran’s nuclear programme could threaten Israel, urging U.S. action (no specific timeline given).
• 1992: Netanyahu, as a Knesset member, claims Iran is 3–5 years from a nuclear bomb.
• 1995: In Fighting Terrorism, Netanyahu repeats Iran is 3–5 years away from nuclear capability.
• 1996: Netanyahu tells U.S. Congress Iran’s nuclear bomb is “extremely close.”
• 2002: Before a U.S. committee, Netanyahu links Iran and Iraq, saying Iran is advancing toward nuclear weapons.
• 2009: In The Atlantic, Netanyahu calls Iran a “messianic cult” nearing nuclear bomb capability.
• 2012: At the UN, Netanyahu uses a bomb diagram, claiming Iran is months from completing medium enrichment, nearing a bomb by 2013. Leaked Israeli intelligence later shows Iran wasn’t weaponizing.
• 2015: Netanyahu tells U.S. Congress the JCPOA will let Iran build a bomb in under a year.
• 2018: At the UN, Netanyahu alleges Iran has a “secret atomic warehouse” in Tehran, proving bomb intent.
• 2019: Netanyahu claims Iran is close to nuclear weapons, urging IAEA action.
• 2023: In interviews, Netanyahu warns of “horrible nuclear war” if Iran gets a bomb, claiming it’s imminent.
• February 2025: On Newsmax, Netanyahu says Iran is “days away” from bomb-grade uranium.
• June 2025: Post-strikes, Netanyahu claims Iran has uranium for nine bombs and could weaponize in “weeks or months.”

The crown jewel of Iran’s nuclear programme, the Fordow enrichment facility, is buried 80–90 metres into the side of a mountain near Qom. It’s a fortress, purpose-built to shrug off airstrikes. Israel’s arsenal, even with its shiny F-35s and bunker-busting munitions, lacks the firepower to penetrate Fordow’s depths.

The IAEA’s Rafael Grossi confirmed on 17 June 2025 that Fordow sustained “little or no visible damage” from Israel’s attacks. Without taking out Fordow, where Iran houses advanced centrifuges and a chunk of its 60% enriched uranium, Israel’s goal of crippling Iran’s nuclear capability is a pipe dream.

Jerusalem Post editorial board is calling for Iran to be partitioned and broken apart. Then talks about “Khamenei’s genocidal rhetoric” while Israel is actually committing genocide.

You still think this was ever about nuclear weapons? pic.twitter.com/bP5Btn6R0D

— Assal Rad (@AssalRad) June 18, 2025

And here’s the kicker: Israel can’t do it alone. The only weapon with a shot at Fordow is the US’s GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 30,000-pound beast carried exclusively by B-2 stealth bombers. But even this isn’t a sure bet, Fordow’s depth and reinforced structure pose technical challenges, and a strike risks releasing toxic chemicals like hydrofluoric acid or radiological contamination. 

Coordinating such an attack with Israel would be a logistical nightmare, fraught with classified hurdles and international blowback. A US strike could be seen as an illegal attack on Iran’s sovereignty, potentially dragging America into a wider regional war, something even Trump, with his non-interventionist base, should be wary of.

Tump leaving G7 after warning civilians to leave Teheran … why?

The major nuclear sites are in Fordow and Natanz nuclear development facilities.

He is mimicking Israeli Defence Minister Katz warning but not for any rational reason.

— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) June 16, 2025

Israel’s goal of destroying Fordow is a technical pipe dream. Buried 80–90 metres into the granite or basalt Qom mountainside, Fordow’s rocky overburden and reinforced concrete would likely defy even the U.S.’s GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which penetrates up to 60–100 metres of earth but only 8–10 metres of reinforced concrete. The bomb’s vertical trajectory would struggle against Fordow’s fortified depth. Multiple strikes may also fail, and a ground offensive is unthinkable. Iran’s 600,000-strong army and 200,000 reservists, entrenched in rugged terrain, dwarf Israel’s 170,000 troops, making invasion a non-starter.

Israel’s strikes, however, have done more than miss military targets, they’ve hardened Iran’s resolve. By bombing non-military sites, including Iran’s state-run Press TV headquarters in Tehran on 13 June 2025, Israel has turned a strategic blunder into a propaganda gift for the Islamic Republic. The attack, which killed three journalists and disrupted broadcasts, was condemned by Iran’s Foreign Ministry as a “war crime” aimed at silencing reporting of Israel's unjustified attacks. 

Far from weakening Iran, these strikes have rallied its people against a foreign aggressor, framing Israel as a bully flouting international law. Social media posts from Iranians show surging national unity, and with Israel's defences like the Iron Dome failing, that unity could translate into a defeat for Israel that most of the world wouldn't lament. Recent developments in Gaza, whereby Israel forces are luring starving Palestinians with promises of food aid and then murdering them has ensured that Israel has entirely lost the propaganda war.

Starting a war on a false pretext, knowing you lack the tools to finish the job, is peak idiocy. Netanyahu’s strikes have killed Iranian scientists and damaged Natanz and Isfahan, but Fordow stands untouched, and Iran’s nuclear know-how is irreversible. This isn’t strategy; it’s posturing, gambling with lives to prop up Benjamin Netanyahu’s strongman image. Without US help, Israel’s campaign is a loud but impotent gesture. And even with Uncle Sam’s bombers, success is a long shot. The real cost? Escalation, civilian deaths, a region teetering on chaos and an Iran without a reason to negotiate or reign in their nuclear developments, all for a goal that was never achievable.

Treasury’s Austerity Advice Should Be Ignored

The National-led government, under Christopher Luxon’s watch, is steering New Zealand toward a grim horizon, guided by Treasury’s cold, austerity-obsessed hand. It’s a betrayal of ordinary Kiwis, workers, families, small businesses, who are being financially crushed to pad the pockets of the ultra-wealthy.

The 2025 NBR Rich List exposes the stark divide: 119 individuals, including 18 billionaires, hoard $102.1 billion, over 40% of our GDP, while Treasury’s advice slashes vital infrastructure, health, education, climate initiatives, and public services.

This isn’t fiscal discipline; it’s a rigged game funnelling taxpayer money to the elite, leaving Aotearoa’s future in tatters. Worse, these brutal cuts, totalling roughly $6.1 billion, coexist with rising government debt, raising the question: how can Luxon’s government gut services while borrowing even more?


On Monday, the NZ Herald reported:

 

Simeon Brown challenges Treasury over plans to cut health spending

Health Minister Simeon Brown has attacked Treasury officials over their analysis of his Health Delivery Plan, which said Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora will need to double its spending-cut target in the coming year and limit health workforce pay increases to an “unprecedented” degree.

Health cuts, another Treasury-driven disaster, spell misery for the vulnerable. Treasury’s insistence that Health NZ scrape by within its 2025/26 baselines, with Budget 2025’s $1.3 billion operating allowance the leanest in a decade, will mean longer waitlists, burnt-out staff, and worse outcomes, hitting Māori, Pacific, and rural communities hardest.

The NZ Herald reports $5.3 billion in total savings, including $2.7 billion from pay equity cuts, reflecting Treasury’s fixation on a 2028/29 surplus. These cuts aren’t savings—they’re a death sentence for equity, forcing the poorest to suffer without access to private care while future costs pile up from untreated illnesses and emergency care. It’s cruel and economically shortsighted, betraying those who need the system most.

The cancellation of the iRex project, meant to replace ageing Interislander ferries with modern, rail-enabled vessels, a short-sighted decision driven by Treasury’s idiotic advice. Citing cost blowouts to $3 billion, Treasury pushed for its scrapping, leaving KiwiRail with a $500 million write-off and 60 jobs lost. Smaller likely non-rail enabled ferries will clog supply chains, spike freight costs, and hammer exporters, farmers, and consumers with higher prices. Treasury’s own documents admit this avoids immediate costs but risks billions in future fixes for the Cook Strait link, strangling regions like the South Island. It’s a gut-punch to the working Kiwis who keep our economy humming, sacrificing long-term stability for budget optics.

 

In May, RNZ reported:

Kiwirail reveals $500 million spent on axed Cook Strait ferry project

Labour Party transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere told RNZ additional costs associated with the cancellation of iReX would cost $1.16b when including the cancellation of the deal and ongoing maintenance of the current ferries.

Education has also been bled dry under the secretive Treasury’s fiscal knife. Budget 2025 saw $614 million reprioritised from “underperforming” initiatives, with total education spending set to drop from $19.85 billion in 2025/26 to $19 billion by 2026/27. The Kāhui Ako scheme, costing $118 million annually, faces disestablishment, a move Treasury championed to trim fat. These cuts, totalling $732 million, threaten teacher support, student outcomes, and equity in schools, particularly for disadvantaged communities. Starving education to meet fiscal targets undermines the next generation’s potential, leaving schools scrambling and kids short-changed.

Climate and conservation initiatives haven’t escaped the chopping block. Treasury’s push for baseline savings led to $3 million annually cut from the Department of Conservation, gutting funds like the Mātauranga Kura Taiao and Nature Heritage Fund. Budget 2024’s $35.5 million cut over four years from climate schemes, like the Climate Change Development Fund, persists into 2025, equating to roughly $8.9 million annually. Total climate and conservation cuts for 2025 hit $11.9 million, weakening our response to the climate crisis and biodiversity loss. Treasury’s penny-pinching here risks our environment and global commitments, leaving future generations to clean up the mess.

Public sector budgets have also been gutted, with Treasury’s 2024 advice to slash $1.5 billion carrying into Budget 2025’s broader $5.3 billion savings push. Beyond health’s $2.7 billion, I estimate $2 billion in additional public sector cuts, covering areas like social services and infrastructure, are tied to Treasury’s fiscal restraint. The Auckland Light Rail project, axed with $131 million cut (including $98 million in capital funding), exemplifies this approach. These cuts, totalling roughly $6.1 billion across sectors, reflect Treasury’s obsession with short-term savings, even as they erode the public services Kiwis rely on.

However, while Treasury’s advice drives these $6.1 billion in cuts, government debt is climbing. Treasury’s May 2025 Economic and Fiscal Update projects net core Crown debt at $180.8 billion (40.7% of GDP) for 2024/25, rising to $196.9 billion by 2028/29. Operating balance deficits, excluding gains and losses (OBEGAL), hit $8.7 billion in 2024/25, with surpluses not expected until 2028/29. 

Always worth posting this for me rnthe history too. Ruth and her fellow ghouls reduced the debt side of the Govt balance sheet by underinvesting in the country and liberating private credit so that we could furiously bid up the price of land and houses. pic.twitter.com/bEUtfpR0OO

— Musical Chairs (@MusicalChairs14) June 15, 2025

How can Luxon’s government justify slashing services while borrowing more? The answer lies in National’s $3.7 billion annual tax cuts that mainly benefited the wealthy and $2.9 billion landlord interest deductibility restoration, costing $13.3 billion over the forecast period. These handouts, backed by Treasury’s models, drain revenue, forcing borrowing to plug the gap. The Council of Trade Unions notes “mega-landlords” could pocket $1.3 million each, while workers face suppressed wages and higher costs. It’s a grotesque transfer of wealth to the elite, funded by debt that future Kiwis will repay.

The real scandal is the wealth hoarding. The top 10% hold over 51% of the nation’s wealth. Graeme Hart ($12.1 billion) and the Mowbray family ($20 billion) exemplify a system rigged for the few. This inequality tanks consumer spending, starves businesses, and fuels resentment, risking social unrest. Treasury’s failure to address the long-term costs, delayed infrastructure, sicker populations, underfunded schools, and a degraded environment, is negligence. Their forecasts admit tax cuts restrain revenue, delaying the surplus and strangling services. A fairer Aotearoa demands investment in public goods, not even more handouts to the Rich. Luxon must reject this elitist scam. The government must ignore Treasury's advice for even more austerity.

Chris Luxon's Numerous Comms Disasters

Christopher Luxon’s neoliberal government is lurching from one communications disaster to another, making a complete mockery of their promise to govern with transparency and competence. The PM’s incessant bleating about “turbocharging the economy” is laughably detached from reality, while Ministers such as Brooke van Velden and Tama Potaka trip over their own rhetoric, trying to ignore the damage done by their regressive policies. From Auckland to Invercargill, this government’s ineptitude is on full display.

Let’s start with Luxon, the self-anointed economic guru, banging on about his coalition’s supposed turbocharge of New Zealand’s economy. Whether he’s in Wellington or Waikato, the man’s spruiking growth like a used-car salesman flogging a lemon. Yet Business NZ’s latest stats, covering regions from Canterbury to Northland, paint a grim picture: business confidence is in the gutter, activity’s stagnating, and employers are again bracing for tougher times.

Last Friday, Business NZ reported: 

 

Back in the red

New Zealand’s manufacturing sector fell back into contraction during May, according to the latest BNZ – BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI).

The seasonally adjusted PMI for May was 47.5 (a PMI reading above 50.0 indicates that manufacturing is generally expanding; below 50.0 that it is declining). This was down from 53.3 in April and a return to contraction after four consecutive months of expansion. The survey was also well below the average of 52.5 since it began.

On Monday, Business NZ also reported:

Service with a slump

New Zealand’s services sector continued to show further decline in activity during May, according to the BNZ – BusinessNZ Performance of Services Index (PSI).

The PSI for May was 44.0 (A PSI reading above 50.0 indicates that the service sector is generally expanding; below 50.0 that it is declining). This was down 4.1 points from April and well below the average of 53.0 over the history of the survey.

…

BNZ’s Senior Economist Doug Steel said that “the fall in the PSI follows the sharp decline in the Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) from 53.3 to 47.5. Together, they are consistent with the economy returning to recession. We’re a long way from forecasting this, but the data are a reminder of just how vulnerable the economy currently is”.

Even babbling fools like right-wing propagandists Duncan Garner, Ryan Bridge and Mike Hosking have noticed and are starting to grumble. Luxon’s rhetoric isn’t anywhere near the reality of what people are seeing on the ground.

Luxon’s either willfully blind or genuinely out of his depth, and neither bodes well for a bloke who sold himself as New Zealand's corporate saviour. This isn’t just spin; it’s a delusion that insults every Kiwi who is currently struggling to pay the bills.

literally four days ago, he was saying the economy is booming https://t.co/xvPZIrciD2 pic.twitter.com/ZVPwSdJRuH

— Clint Smith (@ClintVSmith) June 16, 2025

Then there’s the sick leave debacle. Luxon, shooting himself in the foot, claimed that the government was looking at halving sick leave from 10 days to five, an optically terrible move given they'd just gutted Pay Equity Claims, which will disproportionately effect women's pay packets.

After some fallout, enter Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden, stage left, frantically insisting there’s “no intention” to do any such thing. So, Brooke, is your boss making it up, or are you papering over a policy that’d impact low income women workers again?

Brooke van Velden's attempt to pivot to “pro-rated sick leave” for part-timers only muddies the waters further, leaving businesses equally baffled at the government’s mixed messages. This isn’t leadership; it’s a comedy sketch, and the punchline’s on us.

On Monday, 1 News reported:

No plan to halve sick leave, minister says after Luxon's comments

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was asked during an interview with Morning Report whether his Government was looking at reducing the number of leave days from 10 to five.

"That's something that I know [Workplace Relations and Safety Minister] Brooke van Velden is looking into. She looks at a whole raft of workplace relations," Luxon replied.

"It's a bit premature for now."

But van Velden told RNZ it was not something she was looking into.

Over in housing, it's another comms mess, as Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka peddles denialism so brazen it’d make an oil executive blush. Homelessness is surging, RNZ reporting a 58% spike in Auckland, with similar trends in Rotorua and Nelson. But the deluded Potaka claims his government’s policies aren’t to blame. Really? Slashing emergency housing access and tightening eligibility criteria for state houses have left frontline providers in Christchurch and Gisborne struggling to cope, with even domestic violence survivors being turned away from safe and secure emergency housing.

The increased number of homeless people in New Zealand isn’t easy for the public to ignore, and the government is desperate to blame anything other than their socially destructive policies.

Taking over from Chris Bishop, whose credibility is currently in the gutter after his drunken and racist outburst at the AMA, Tama Potaka is dodging responsibility by pointing to “market pressures” and lying about “rental shortages” as if National’s austerity obsession hasn’t caused the housing crises to considerably worsen. Potaka’s refusal to own this crisis is a gut-punch to the vulnerable, and will not be easily ignored by voters come election time.

 

Yesterday, RNZ reported:

Homelessness increase not necessarily due to government policy changes - minister

The minister in charge of emergency housing has been unable to say whether homelessness has increased under this government, saying frontline providers have made "a variety" of comments to him.

Providers and advocates have told RNZ they have been seeing a spike in homelessness, with some blaming changes the government has made to emergency housing access.

But Tama Potaka told a committee of MPs there were "a lot of other contributing factors," such as the state of the economy and the supply of rentals.

How is a Minister of the Crown even able to be completely ignorant of the fact that the number of rental listings is up 25% nationwide, largely due to overpricing and everybody moving to Australia?

The government has dismissed concerns that stricter emergency housing criteria has led to an increase in homelessness.

However, Auckland Council's Community Committee recorded a 53 percent rise in people sleeping rough, from 426 people last September to 653 people in January, while data from Wellington's Downtown Community Ministry showed an increase in the number of people rough sleeping from October to December 2024, by about a third in comparison to the year before.

…

As part of the gateway changes, MSD staff have been assessing whether an applicant has "unreasonably contributed" to their situation, or whether they had taken "reasonable efforts" to find other options.

Some advocates have told RNZ it has led to survivors of sexual or domestic violence being turned away from emergency housing because their decision to leave their situation was seen as "contributing" to their homelessness.

National’s emergency and state housing charade is a disgrace! Potaka crowing about new builds in Rotorua, Hamilton, and Porirua, conveniently forgetting these were funded by Labour’s budget, isn't just stupid, it's so opaque it's practically glass.

Potaka’s press releases might dupe the odd brainless punter, but anyone with a pulse knows this is Labour’s legacy, not National’s largesse, especially as homelessness climbs under their watch.

On Sunday, 1 News reported:

Nearly 200 new homes for Rotorua in affordable housing push

Nearly 200 new affordable homes will be developed in Rotorua by mid-2027 under a community-led housing initiative backed by the Government, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka announced.

Of the 189 homes, up to 150 would be social housing to be delivered by June 2027 by the Rotorua Lakes Council, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, and community housing providers.

…

The 150 social homes would be funded through $140 million allocated in Budget 2024 for 1500 new homes across the country.

Please correct your propaganda, @1NewsNZ. It’s 1,500 new social housing PLACES (paid for by @nzlabour) nationwide over four years, not 1500 new state houses. National has cancelled 1019, demolished 700 and sold 800. Another 672 are under review. #nzpolhttps://t.co/PKZXJQzpy5

— Jackal (@Jackalblog) June 15, 2025

This government’s communications strategy, if you can call a trainwreck a strategy, is a complete disaster. Luxon, van Velden, and Potaka aren’t just failing to communicate; they’re failing to govern by any stretch of the imagination. Contradictions, lies, and denial are eroding trust. Kiwis, from Kaitaia to Bluff, deserve better than this shambolic circus. Chris Luxon’s government needs to shape up, or ship out.