The Coalition's Pay Equity Betrayal

The Coalition of Chaos' latest incredibly short-sighted move sees them throwing pay equity claims into the bin to fund a few new helicopters and in so doing has set employment law back decades. We all agree that modern search and rescue equipment is necessary, but at what cost? Pay equity laws, painstakingly initiated to address systemic wage gaps for teachers, nurses, and other underpaid mainly female-dominated sectors, have been shelved, even though these claims are about righting decades of injustice. It’s a typical move from a government that loves photo-ops but baulks at properly funding the people who keep society running.

Contrast this with Labour’s tenure. When they invested in new helicopters, like the eight NH90s for the Defence Force, they didn’t gut social progress to do it. Labour balanced defence upgrades with commitments to public services, including advancing pay equity. For example, they settled major claims for social workers and education support staff, lifting thousands of low-paid employees closer to a living wage. Budgets were tight, but Labour didn’t pit helicopters against fairness. They found a way to modernise without screwing over the workforce. Why can’t National?


Today, RNZ reported:

 

Overhaul of equal pay legislation is halting progress, Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner says

The Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner says she has serious concerns about the proposed overhaul of equal pay law.

The government is planning to limit the scope of pay equity claims and raise the threshold of proof, making it harder to prove a job has been historically undervalued.

It said settlements had cost the Crown $1.78 billion dollars a year.

 

The Coalition’s excuse? “Fiscal responsibility.” Spare me. This is the same bunch of idiots who are happy to pay more for less ferries to be delivered at a later date...the same morons who splash cash on tax cuts for the wealthy while crying poor when it comes to minimum wage rises. Scrapping pay equity to fund helicopters isn’t about balancing books; it’s about priorities. National’s vision is one where elite interests soar, while the rest of us are grounded. And let’s not ignore the optics: helicopters are great for getting in the news with favourable press releases. Pay equity? That’s just “woke” noise to them, despite the fact it directly impacts thousands of struggling Kiwi families.

What’s worse, this move is set to bypass normal due process and therefore undermines trust in the government. Workers who’ve campaigned for equity now see their efforts trashed for political expediency. Christopher Luxon gloating about how much the government will save is a slap in the face to unions, advocates, and every Kiwi who believes in a fair go. Labour’s approach, while not perfect, at least showed respect for the people who keep New Zealand ticking. They didn’t sacrifice one public good for another; they governed with a broader lens.

It’s not just about helicopters...it’s about a government that cannot balance the books. If they can’t fund both defence and fairness through equal pay, maybe the problem isn’t the budget. Maybe it’s their moral compass. Wake up, New Zealand. We deserve better than the coalition of chaos’ short-sighted vision for New Zealand.

Cameron Slater's Selective Outrage Over Benjamin Doyle

Cameron Slater, the once-feared Whale Oil blogger now pathetic bedroom hack, is back at it again, flogging a dead horse while the rest of the right-wing propaganda circus has packed up and left town. His latest fixation? Green MP Benjamin Doyle, whose private social media account sparked a brief, baseless frenzy among the right wing conspiracy crowd. But while even the most rabid propagandists have moved on, Slater’s still out there, ranting like a man unhinged, desperate to keep the Doyle story alive. It’s not just pathetic…it’s peak hypocrisy from a man who’s made a career out of selective outrage.

Doyle’s private account raised a few eyebrows until the MP delivered a clear, forthright explanation that shut down the speculation. No scandal, no conspiracy—just a personal account blown out of proportion by the tinfoil-hat brigade. The evidence was flimsier than a paper tissue, and most of Slater’s allies, sensing a dud, quietly dropped it. Even the frothiest commentators, such as Sean Plunket (who had previously defamed Doyle), realised there was no story here. But not Cam. He’s still spinning wild yarns about Doyle’s supposed depravity and claiming there’s a conspiracy within mainstream media not to report, with zero substance to back it up, as if the world didn’t get the memo that this homophobic tale’s deader than dial-up internet.

Now, let’s highlight Slater’s incoherent hypocrisy. One minute he’s slamming the media for ignoring his Doyle hit job, whining that they’re shirking their duty. Yet when it comes to actual scandals involving actual predators, Slater’s as silent as the once vociferous but now discredited right wing propagandist, Michelle Boag. Does anybody even remember her?

Take the Tim Jago convictions and cover up for instance, the former ACT Party president and convicted pedophile, who abused teenage boys in the 1990s through his role at a sports club, was a major scandal that should have sunk David Seymours' career. The ACT Party helped the pedophile to hide and downplay his crimes. Did Slater dedicate a single blog post to exposing Jago’s pedophilia? Not a peep. And what about the Two By Twos cult, a secretive sect with a chilling number of pedophilia cases, including allegations of systemic abuse swept under the rug? National politician Hamish Campbel was caught blatantly lying about his links to the cult. But did Slater make any mention of this? No! Once again it was absolute crickets from Cam. For a self-styled crusader, his blind spots are glaringly politically biased.

This is Slater’s playbook: scream about imagined conspiracies on the left while dodging real horrors on the right that don’t fit his pathetic and childish narrative. He’ll smear a Green MP with baseless gossip but won’t touch stories that might upset his right-wing mates. It’s not just lazy…it’s spineless disinformation from a has-been blogger. The man who is cozying up to other reprobates like Winston Peters is now a complete caricature, a hypocritical fool chasing phantoms while real predators like Jago and cults like the Two By Twos completely escape his radar.

Slater’s Doyle obsession isn’t just a waste of pixels; it’s a sign of his irrelevance…irrelevance Slater amusingly accuses other bloggers of. The mainstream media and right-wing noise machine has moved on, and even his old cronies aren’t buying Slater’s homophobic rubbish! Yet here he is, alone in his echo chamber, recycling tired old tropes about a non-issue. Cam, just take the hint. New Zealand has moved on. Maybe it’s time you did too.

Erica Stanford Put New Zealand’s Security At Risk

Education and Immigration Minister Erica Stanford must resign for using her personal Gmail account to handle sensitive government business...think pre-Budget announcements, visa changes, and chats with conservative think-tank mates. This isn’t just a whoopsie; it’s a screaming neon sign flashing “hack me” to every cyber-criminal from Beijing to Moscow. And National’s excuse? Brace yourselves: printer issues and email error messages. Are we in 2025 or 1995?

Stanford’s private Gmail account, hosted on servers in the United States, is about as secure as a paper bag in a rainstorm. Unlike government systems, personal email accounts are prime targets for hackers....remember the DNC hack in 2016, where sensitive emails were splashed across the internet? Stanford’s been emailing herself Budget details and visa policy drafts, potentially exposing taxpayer-funded plans to foreign actors or corporate spies. The Cabinet Manual, updated in 2023, explicitly warns ministers against this, stating personal emails should be avoided for ministerial work. Yet, Stanford’s been at it for over a year, flouting rules meant to protect New Zealand’s security.


Today, 1 News reported:

 

Erica Stanford sent pre-Budget documents to her personal email

Parliament's server repeatedly identifies her as a "suspect sender" in the subject line of emails as a result of security filtering.

Her use of personal email appears to be a potential breach of the Cabinet manual that all ministers are obliged to follow, and opens the door to a risk of confidential government information getting into the wrong hands.

…

Emails show that the day before, at just after 10am, Stanford forwarded to her personal email all the documents for the announcement, including the draft press release, the draft fact sheet, speaking notes - some of which have been redacted - and a note from her private secretary team.

…

Dr Michael Johnston was named the chair and is a senior fellow at the New Zealand iInitiative, a conservative think tank.

Emails between Stanford and Johnston, revealed in a separate OIA request in released in May 2024, show repeated communication with him - directly emailing Stanford's personal email on three occasions discussing Ministry of Education business.

National’s defence is laughably thin. They claim Stanford needed to forward sensitive documents to her Gmail to print them because her electorate office printer wasn’t hooked up to the Parliamentary server until last month. Printer issues? Really? In an era where Parliament’s tech lets you print from anywhere, this smells like a flimsy cover story. And email error messages? If Stanford’s team couldn’t sort basic IT glitches, how are they handling multi-million-dollar portfolios? This isn’t just incompetence; it’s a national security risk that must ensure Erica Standford’s resignation.

Now, cast your mind back to 2018. National hounded Labour’s Clare Curran, demanding her resignation for using a Gmail account for minor government business. No classified info, no Budget leaks...just a meeting arranged via personal email. National and their attack bloggers screamed about transparency and record-keeping, painting Curran as a reckless loose cannon. Their unwarranted attacks went on for months. Fast forward to 2025, and our weak Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is apparently “super relaxed” about Stanford’s far graver breach. Hundreds of emails, sensitive documents, potential OIA dodging and crony deals…yet National shrugs. The hypocrisy here is astounding!

And then there’s Stanford’s cosy chats with Dr Michael Johnston of the New Zealand Initiative, a conservative think tank. Emails show her discussing replacing tertiary academics and hand-picking reviewers to steer curriculum changes…without due process. Why? To get the results National wants, of course. This isn’t governance; it’s a stitch-up, bypassing expertise for ideology. Stanford’s not just risking our security; she’s undermining our education system’s integrity.

New Zealand deserves far better. Stanford’s Gmail security breach and National’s pathetic excuses expose a government that’s cavalier with our safety and selective with its outrage. If printer problems and email errors are enough to justify this mess, what’s next? Faxing Budget secrets because the Wi-Fi’s down? Time for Stanford to face the music…no excuses, no double standards. Erica Stanford must resign.

Nobody Should Be Praising Bob Jones

The recent passing of "Sir" Bob Jones, the property tycoon and political meddler, has sparked an unsettling wave of accolades from across the political spectrum, including from some on the left. And although I don’t like to speak ill of the dead, ignoring what this evil man did to this great country would be a betrayal of my principles. Jones didn’t just profit from New Zealand’s economic upheaval; he orchestrated it, leaving a legacy of inequality and cultural insensitivity that we’re still grappling with today.


On Friday, RNZ reported:

 

Businessman and politician Sir Bob Jones dead at 85

Jones imposed himself on the New Zealand consciousness like few other businesspeople of his time.

He amassed a multi-billion portfolio of commercial buildings in Auckland, Wellington, and Glasgow, Scotland, as well as forming a political party to challenge Robert Muldoon's National Party.

Born in Lower Hutt into a poor but talented family, he won a boxing blue at Victoria University but dropped out to work in advertising and publishing.

What most of the MSM articles aren't telling you is that Jones' political interference has substantially degraded New Zealand. In 1983 he founded the New Zealand Party, not out of some noble vision for the public good as the right wing propagandists wish you to believe, but to dismantle the National Party’s grip on power under Robert Muldoon, who Jone's viewed as being too liberal.

Bob's political party was a calculated manipulation, siphoning votes off National to deliver the 1984 election to Labour, who then unleashed the terribly damaging Rogernomics, which sold off state assets, undermined unions and decimated numerous essential industries. Similar to Thatcherism and Reaganomics, Finance Minister Roger Douglas’s neoliberal blitz in the short term lowered wages and increased unemployment...but in the long term it killed off industries and pushed investment into non-productive sectors, putting the dream of owning a house forever out of reach for many Kiwi families.

Jones himself admitted his party was redundant once Labour adopted his free-market dogma, disbanding it post-election. This wasn’t democracy; it was a rich man buying an election. His wealth and media clout turned the New Zealand Party into a battering ram for Labour's deregulation, privatisation, and tax cuts that favoured the elite, including Bob Jones, and disenfranchised everyone else.

And boy, did Jones profit. His property empire, Robt. Jones Holdings, ballooned as Rogernomics slashed regulations and opened up markets. Commercial real estate, his bread and butter, thrived in the new laissez-faire landscape, making him one of New Zealand’s richest men. The government he helped install didn’t just align with his ideology; it padded his wallet, while ordinary Kiwis faced job losses, wage stagnation, increased taxes, and soaring inequality. Markets crashed and the social fabric of New Zealand frayed, and Jones, perched in his skyscrapers, couldn’t have cared less.

Then there’s Jones' racism, which cannot simply be brushed off as “satire” or “wit.” His 2018 National Business Review column suggesting Waitangi Day be replaced with a “Māori Gratitude Day” was a grotesque insult to Māori culture, sparking a petition with over 90,000 signatures to strip his knighthood. He doubled down in court, suing filmmaker Renae Maihi for defamation, only to slink away after five days, later paying her legal fees. His dismissal of Māori language as “bullshit” and the haka as “infantile” revealed an unrepentant racist steeped in colonial arrogance, not intellectual rigour or someone who should have held a knighthood.

Jones’s other antics (punching a journalist, deriding women and Jews, and flouting Air New Zealand’s rules until he bought his own jet) paint a picture of entitlement, not heroism. Yet some people are fawning, perhaps seduced by his anti-establishment rhetoric or nostalgic for his Muldoon-baiting days. This is a mistake. Jones didn’t fight for workers or the marginalised; he fought for his own wealth and ugly worldview. Rogernomics gutted communities, and his bigotry alienated Māori and encouraged politicians to implement institutionally racist policies. The left should be clear: Bob Jones largely wrecked New Zealand for profit, not progress. Let’s stop the eulogies and start trying to fix the damage Bob Jones has caused.

The Great Aussie Reckoning

The 2025 federal election wasn’t just a contest of political ideas; it was a bloody massacre, with Peter Dutton’s Liberal-National Coalition copping a hiding so severe it’s left them scrambling for the smelling salts. The opposition leader’s loss of his own seat of Dickson (held for 24 years) to Labor’s Ali France, is the kind of political gut-punch that’ll echo for decades. This wasn’t just a defeat; it was a repudiation of everything the right wing and Dutton stood for.

Today, RNZ reported:

 

Australian election: Voters reject Peter Dutton's vision, giving Labor a remarkable victory and Liberals a difficult future

Australia has fired Peter Dutton into the sun, taking much of the Liberal Party and its future with him.

Standing in the vapour wake stood a euphoric and unimpeded Anthony Albanese, whose campaign was as devastating, driven and determined as Dutton's was dreadful, deluded and doomed.

Albanese stands atop a dominant and remarkable victory that will surely change the country as profoundly as Bob Hawke and John Howard did in their time.

The main driver of this electoral apocalypse for Dutton and his Liberal-National Coalition was the cost-of-living crisis, which hung over voters like a dark cloud. Dutton’s mob tried to exploit it, but their campaign was an incoherent mess. They didn’t have a plan. Just a grab-bag of half-baked ideas and Trumpian bluster. His nuclear energy push, for one, landed like a lead balloon. Aussies, it turns out, aren’t keen on glowing promises when the science and economics don’t stack up. Meanwhile, Labor hammered home a steady-hand message, promising tax cuts and healthcare boosts that resonated with voters, who backed Labor for better schools and hospitals.

Then there’s the “Trump effect.” Dutton’s flirtation with right-wing populism…cosying up to Pauline Hanson's racist One Nation party and parroting “Make Australia Great Again” vibes…was a fatal misstep. Dutton’s gaffes didn’t help: underestimating egg prices in a cost-of-living debate and accidentally clobbering a cameraman with a footy made him look more clown than contender. His embrace of One Nation alienated moderates, and the shadow of Trump’s tariffs and global chaos sent voters scurrying to the devil they knew: Anthony Albanese’s Labor.

The result? A Labor landslide, with projections of 85 seats and a thumping majority, making Albo the first PM since John Howard to win consecutive terms. Ali France, a para-athlete and disability advocate, unseating Dutton was the cherry on top. History has been made, as she became the first to topple a federal opposition leader at the polls. The Greens, despite losing two Queensland seats, still celebrated their highest-ever vote share.

So, hats off to Labor, Ali France, and the teals for reading the room and delivering. This election wasn’t just a win; it was a statement. Aussies rejected fearmongering and division, choosing optimism and pragmatism. Dutton’s out, the Coalition’s in tatters, and Labor’s got a mandate to tackle the big issues. Good on ya, Australia. Now, let’s see Albo make it count.

Simeon Brown's Dunedin Hospital Dishonesty

Simeon Brown’s latest sleight of hand over Dunedin Hospital’s ICU beds isn’t fooling anyone who values the truth. The government’s plan to slash the number of ICU beds from 30 to 20 has been exposed, yet Brown insists there’s no real reduction. His reasoning? Both plans allow for a potential expansion to 40 beds in some vague, distant future. This isn't just disingenuous...it’s a calculated distortion of the truth that insults the intelligence of all logical thinking New Zealanders.

Brown’s claim hinges on a semantic trick, pretending that a theoretical future capacity erases a real-world cut. I mean just how stupid does Brown think Kiwi voters are?

The Otago Daily Times revealed that Health New Zealand’s updated modelling, conveniently undisclosed, deems the 10-bed reduction “unnecessary” for now. Without transparency, this smells like a cost-cutting dodge dressed up as pragmatism. Former health chief Dr John Chambers warns that fewer ICU beds risk surgery delays and strain on emergency departments, yet Brown has the gall to accuse his critics of misunderstanding his "grand" vision.

On Wednesday, The Otago Daily Times reported:

ICU beds: Minister ‘disingenuous’

Health Minister Simeon Brown has been accused of being "disingenuous" and "doubling down" after claiming the new Dunedin hospital was not losing intensive care unit (ICU) beds.

It comes after the Otago Daily Times revealed the government was pushing ahead with a plan to cut the number of ICU and high-dependency unit beds on opening of the new Dunedin hospital from 30 to 20.

Before the election, the National Party promised a “full-scale” rebuild, but post-victory, Brown unveiled a scaled-back version with 59 fewer beds than initially planned. Labour leader Chris Hipkins called it a broken promise, and Brown’s response was to deflect, blaming Labour’s delays while sidestepping his own cost-cutting and backtracking.

Brown’s approach to striking doctors further underscores his slippery record. When senior hospital doctors walked out over stalled pay talks, he lambasted their union for not putting Health NZ’s offer to a vote, framing it as unreasonable. He then again lied about how a vote went, claiming that only a minority number of doctors wanted to strike, which was completely untrue. Yet he continues to gloss over the inadequacy of National's 1% offer, which failed to address chronic understaffing and pay disparities driving doctors abroad. His call for them to “return to negotiations” ignored the government’s role in stonewalling fair terms.

My question to Simeon Brown after his press conference just now about the Senior Doctors strike claiming a minority of Drs voted for the strike ; how does he know how many voted for strike action ? Is he spying on internal union democracy? Nothing would surprise me.

— Darien Fenton - Elizabeth is my middle name (@DarienFenton) May 1, 2025

The Dunedin ICU bed fiasco is more than a local issue...it’s a symptom of a minister who prioritises narrative over reality. Brown’s rhetoric may soothe his base, but it erodes trust in a health system already under strain. New Zealanders deserve a Health Minister who speaks plainly, not one who hides behind fuzzy projections and blames others for his shortcomings. If Brown wants to rebuild confidence, he’d start by owning his missteps instead of spinning them into fiction. Until then, his legacy will be one of artful dodges and broken promises.

Stephen Rainbow - Arsehole of the Week

It’s not every day you see a so-called “human rights” figure spew racist rhetoric so toxic it could curdle milk, but Stephen Rainbow, New Zealand’s Chief Human Rights Commissioner, has outdone himself. This week, he’s earned the coveted Arsehole of the Week Award for his rancid claim that Muslim immigration poses a greater threat to Jewish communities than white supremacists. Yes, you read that right. In a country still recovering from the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings, where 51 innocent Muslim worshippers were gunned down by a white supremacist, Rainbow’s got the gall to point the finger at Muslims.


Yesterday, 1 News reported:

 

Chief Human Rights Commissioner: Muslim immigration a threat to Jewish communities

Documents obtained by 1News show the Chief Human Rights Commissioner Dr Stephen Rainbow raised concerns that rising Muslim immigration to New Zealand poses a threat to our Jewish communities.

…

But Rainbow also rejected several claims made by Yasbek — denying that he described Muslims as the biggest threat to the Jewish community and that he had called the Afghan community in West Auckland anti-Semitic.

But since then, 1News has obtained notes that officials took during the meeting.

They show that "Stephen [Rainbow] raised increase in Muslim immigration as threat to Jewish community".

…

Rainbow refused to be interviewed by 1News about his views on Muslim immigration but, in a statement, the Human Rights Commission said "he has apologised for statements made during the meeting in question. He stands by the apology and regrets the harm caused."

Rainbow’s untruthful and bigoted comments aren’t just ignorant…they’re dangerous. Painting an entire religious group in New Zealand as a threat isn’t just lazy stereotyping; it’s a dog whistle for inciting hatred. History shows us where this leads: division, fear, and violence. The Christchurch massacre wasn’t a random act...it was fuelled by the kind of dangerous rhetoric Rainbow, who was unduly appointed by non-other than National MP Paul Goldsmith, has sunk his career with. His words give tacit permission to those itching to demonise Muslims, emboldening them with hatred to do unspeakable acts of violence. When a figure of his stature normalises Islamophobia and incorrectly uses NZSIS data, it’s not just a slip of the tongue; it’s a spark in a tinderbox.

And let’s not forget the context. New Zealand’s Muslim community is still trying to heal itself from the trauma of 2019, where families were torn apart in a place of worship. To have a Human Rights Commissioner…someone meant to protect the vulnerable…throw salt in those wounds is beyond disgraceful. It’s a betrayal of everything his role stands for. Clearly we need better decision makers in public office to ensure racists like Rainbow don’t attain positions of power.

And where is the condemnation from our so-called leaders. Of course you’d expect people like David Seymour to agree with Rainbows Islamophobia. The ACT Party leader is no stranger to reckless rhetoric himself. Back in 2023, he “joked” about blowing up the Ministry of Pacific Peoples, doubling down even after it incited real-world harassment. Seymour’s cavalier attitude toward inflammatory speech mirrors Rainbow’s. Both treat words like they’re harmless, ignoring how they can ignite hatred and cause people to die.

Rainbow’s racism isn’t just a personal failing; it’s a symptom of a broader malaise. His comments risk normalising hate at a time when we can least afford it. The mosque shootings taught us that words have consequences. Lives were lost because of unchecked bigotry that was allowed to run rampant. The type of poison Rainbow expresses and believes in threatens to undo years of work to rebuild trust and unity within our communities. He must go, and we must demand better from our public officials.

Nicola Willis’ Austerity Threatens New Zealand’s Future

I hate to sound the alarm, but New Zealand’s economy is teetering on the edge, and Finance Minister Nicola Willis is wielding her austerity axe with a reckless abandon that could plunge us into a prolonged recession. The 2025 Budget, with its brutal $1.1 billion reduction in baseline spending, is a short-sighted measure that ignores the needs of everyday Kiwis. Health, education, and vulnerable communities are set to bear the brunt, while mainstream media’s coverage remains woefully inadequate, leaving the public largely in the dark about the true scale of National’s mismanagement. Worse, these cuts are driving skilled workers overseas, and shrinking the tax base.

The coalition government’s obsession with cost-cutting has already slashed $7.47 billion in public sector spending since the 2023 mini-Budget, with 6.5-7.5% savings demanded across all agencies. Now, Willis is doubling down, citing the “weaker economy” she has caused and Trump’s tariffs as an excuse for deeper cuts. But this is no external shock…it’s a self-inflicted wound. Health NZ, already stretched, faces a $1.4 billion savings target that analysts warn cannot be met without gutting frontline services. Budget 2024’s $16.68 billion health funding over three years sounds impressive, but it’s a drop in the bucket against inflation, wage pressures, and an ageing population. The result? Longer wait times, understaffed hospitals, and a mental health sector on its knees…evident in the Mental Health Foundation’s looming and brutal cuts to staff numbers.

Education is no better off. Despite Willis’ claims of prioritising “frontline services,” the coalition of chaos axed $2 billion in school building projects, contributing to an estimated 8,000 job losses in the construction sector alone. Educational achievement and attendance are already plummeting and Willis’ further cuts will only worsen these problems. Schools are crumbling, teachers are overworked, and kids from vulnerable communities, particularly Māori and Pasifika, face shrinking opportunities. The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services warned that 400 Oranga Tamariki providers face funding uncertainty, threatening services for thousands of at-risk kids. But does all of that give Nicola Willis pause to think about her financial decisions? 

 

Yesterday, RNZ reported:

 

$1b cut to operating allowance coming in Budget, Nicola Willis says

The government has freed up "billions" of dollars through additional public service cuts to be redeployed into "New Zealand's most pressing priorities".

Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced at a speech to the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday morning the government is halving its operating allowance - the new money it has available to spend at the May Budget - from $2.4 billion to $1.3b.

That will result in only a small number of government departments receiving additional funding this year with Willis characterising next month's Budget as "no lolly scramble".

Vulnerable communities are being hit hardest. Budget 2024’s tax cuts, costing $3.7 billion, overwhelmingly benefit higher-income households, while cuts to housing, conservation, and Māori-specific programs exacerbate inequality. Pasifika and ethnic communities face disproportionate impacts from reduced Ministry funding, with NGOs sounding alarms about service gaps. Willis’ “social investment” rhetoric feels like a cruel joke when frontline providers are being starved of cash and cannot do their jobs properly.

The economic fallout is dire. New Zealand climbed out of a technical recession in Q4 2024 with modest 0.7% GDP growth, but Willis’ austerity threatens to reverse this. Unemployment is forecast to hit 5.2% by June 2025, up from 3.6% in mid-2023, and net core Crown debt is projected to peak at 43.5% of GDP in 2024/25, well above what National promised pre-election. Public sector layoffs aren’t just numbers; they’re skilled Kiwis packing their bags for Australia. This brain drain shrinks the tax take, with Treasury forecasting an $18.5 billion revenue shortfall over the forecast period. Less revenue means more borrowing, with debt servicing already gobbling up more than defence, law, and housing combined - $1 in every $16 of government spending. Willis’ promise of a surplus by 2027/28 is a fantasy; Treasury now predicts deficits until 2029, largely due to National’s economic mismanagement.

Mainstream media’s silence about all this is deafening. While outlets like NZ Herald and Stuff occasionally report on GDP figures or Willis’ lacklustre speeches, they gloss over the human cost…failing to connect the dots between cuts, job losses, and social decay. Prioritising landlords and roads over people isn’t governance; it’s economic vandalism. Willis’ refusal to adjust her $2.4 billion operating allowance upwards, despite Treasury’s warnings it won’t currently cover cost pressures, shows that the finance minister is terribly out of her depth.

Labour’s Chris Hipkins rightly argues for investment spending to stimulate growth, but Willis clings to a failed 1980s ideology of “smaller government.” New Zealand deserves better…a government that invests in health, education, and its people, not one that slashes and burns while skilled Kiwis flee and vulnerable communities crumble. Willis must reverse course, or her legacy will be a deeper recession and weaker economy unable to contend with the numerous external shocks analysts are predicting.

The Left Must Rally Behind Andrew Little

First, hats off to Tory Whanau. Her decision to bow out and run for the Māori ward instead, putting the city’s future above her personal ambition, is commendable. Facing a torrent of personal abuse and a council mired in chaos, she still delivered on water investment, cycleways, and housing reforms. Her exit clears the path for Little, ensuring the left vote isn't split down the middle.

Some left wingers won’t like it, but Andrew Little’s bid to be Mayor is the best shot progressives have to keep Wellington from sliding into the clutches of right-wing opportunists who are only proposing to increase austerity.

 

Yesterday, 1 News reported:

Tory Whanau drops out of Wellington mayoral race

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau has announced she is no longer running for a second term.

In a statement, Whanau said Andrew Little entering the race had "changed the game", and she did not want a "Green vs. Labour narrative to distract from what’s important for our city".

"I have a lot of respect for Andrew and his leadership skills. He has support from many corners and the skills and experience to unite our Council. The progressive goals I have fought for are at risk this election and I do not want a Green vs. Labour narrative to distract from what’s important for our city. That is not what this election should be about."

Now, Andrew Little. He’s not perfect. His tenure as Labour leader was rocky, and some on the left still grumble about his pragmatic streak. But let’s be real: the man’s infinitely qualified for the job. His experience includes 11 years as a Union leader and he's held twelve ministerial portfolios, from Health to Treaty Negotiations, which proves he can handle complex, sometimes messy issues. He also did the right thing by stepping aside to let Jacinda Ardern take over the leadership of the Labour Party, which resulted in a landslide victory.

Wellington’s a city choking on unaffordable rates, crumbling pipes, and a council that’s often dysfunctional. There’s no doubt that Little will have his work cut out for him, especially with the coalition of chaos continuing to demoralise Wellington with budget cuts and increased unemployment. But to begin with Little’s promising cheaper transport, housing development, and saving community assets like the Khandallah Pool and the Begonia House. He’s got the experience to deliver, the foresight to compromise, and his Labour endorsement means he has the backing to bring the capital city back to life, particularly if there’s a change of government.

The contenders? A motley crew of small-thinkers and populists in it for themselves who’d run Wellington into the ground. Ray Chung, a councillor obsessed with “financial responsibility,” peddles simplistic cost-cutting that ignores the city’s long-term needs. His track record shows little vision beyond saying no. Rob Goulden, a former councillor, wants to “rethink” cycleways and pause major projects...code for stalling progress to appease NIMBYs. Kelvin Hastie, a conservationist, sounds noble but his call for council mergers and project freezes reeks of cost cutting and indecision. Karl Tiefenbacher, the “ice cream guy,” might charm at the gelato counter, but his "back on track" catchphrase and business-first mantra risks prioritising profit over people, which has already been disastrous for Wellington. And Graham Bloxham? A media personality with no clear platform beyond a small amount of name recognition. He’s also promised to fire around 800 council staff to save a few dollars. These folks lack the depth to tackle Wellington’s entrenched housing, infrastructure, and climate resilience problems, which demand more than just soundbites.

The left’s choice is clear. Little’s not the flashy visionary some crave, but he’s a steady hand with a progressive core. Wellington can’t afford a right-wing mayor who’ll slash services or cling to the status quo. That’s why the left must unify and support Andrew Little to become Wellington’s Mayor.

Waitākere Ranges Ruckus: Unpacking the Anti-Māori Hysteria

The Waitākere Ranges, a stunning natural taonga west of Auckland, are at the heart of a brewing controversy that’s exposing the ugly underbelly of New Zealand’s political discourse. A proposed deed of acknowledgement, grounded in the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008, aims to establish a joint decision-making committee with representation from Te Kawerau ā Maki, alongside Auckland Council and the Crown. Sounds like a step toward honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi, right? Not if you ask NZ First’s Shane Jones or ACT’s David Seymour, who’ve whipped up a storm of misinformation, framing this as a divisive “co-governance” grab that threatens “all Aucklanders.”


Yesterday, RNZ reported:

 

Auckland iwi boss accuses NZ First, ACT MPs of 'scaremongering' with Waitākere Ranges claims

...

NZ First MP Shane Jones has condemned the idea, saying his party will never agree to an iwi having "50 percent sovereignty over the Waitakere forest".

"We campaigned, we negotiated, and we agreed, in our coalition agreement, there would be no more co-sovereignty, no more co-governance of these public service orientated outcomes."

He said the moment you have a "50/50 committee set up as part of the SuperCity" it will "morph in no time whatsover into shared sovereignty over the Waitākere".

"What about the trampers? What about the runners? What about the walkers? That is an asset that primarily must serve all the interests and all the needs of Auckland."

Coalition partner and Epsom electorate MP David Seymour agreed, saying the Waitākere Ranges is a "very special area to many Aucklanders".

"The idea it should be governed half by people whose ancestors arrived 800 years ago, and half by people whose ancestors arrived more recently, is an anathema to the Kiwi spirit."

He was also concerned about decisions being made to close tracks, saying those needed to be made "according to the best science".

"And the people with the best science are the people who have the skills, experience and qualifications to make the decision.

"Being born Māori, while a wonderful thing to be proud of, is not actually a scientific qualification."

What a load of rubbish! The problem with Shane Jones and David Seymour's racist rhetoric is it's simply wrong! The proposal isn’t about handing over ownership or creating “Kawerau police” to patrol the ranges, as some fearmongers suggest. It’s about formalising a partnership where Te Kawerau ā Maki, who’ve cared for this whenua for centuries, have a structured role in its stewardship. 

The 2008 Act explicitly calls for such a deed, acknowledging the deep cultural and spiritual ties of tangata whenua. This isn’t co-governance in the radical sense Jones and Seymour decry...no land titles are changing, no budgets are being diverted. It’s a committee to coordinate pest control, track management, and strategic planning, building on existing collaboration with local boards and volunteers. As councillor Richard Hills noted, it’s about “doing what we’re already doing, but better.”

Yet, the likes of Jones and Seymour are peddling a narrative that paints this as an assault on democracy. This isn’t just dog-whistling; it’s a calculated erasure of indigenous knowledge, which has sustained these ecosystems long before colonial surveyors arrived. Their rhetoric taps into a broader anti-Māori sentiment, amplified by groups like Hobson’s Pledge, who’ve flooded similar debates with opposition to Māori representation.

In fact, overall, there's very limited opposition to the proposal. Walk, Tramp, Run, a group The Spinoff mischaracterised as representing Waitākere Ranges recreational users, emerged in December 2024 to oppose the deed of acknowledgement. With a limited membership, it lacks any broad community backing and appears to simply be another branch of the Stop Co-governance brigade. Their letter, circulated to Auckland tramping clubs, misrepresents the deed as undermining the 2008 Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act, fueling misinformation and reflecting a narrow, anti-Māori stance, which ignores the deed’s aim to integrate kaitiakitanga into sustainable management for all users.

The real scandal here isn’t the proposal...it’s the misinformation choking rational debate, with right-wing trolls flooding social media with racist posts falsely claiming the committee will “create apartheid-style governance” or let iwi “dictate land use.” These distortions drown out the voices of Te Kawerau ā Maki, who’ve waited 17 years for the Act’s promises to be fulfilled. Meanwhile, local media like RNZ have reported the iwi’s frustration, with CEO Edward Ashby urging critics to “learn to read” the actual proposal.

This controversy matters beyond Waitākere. It’s a microcosm of the fight for Māori representation in a country where only 5.7% of local government representatives identify as Māori, despite Māori being 17% of the population. Jones and Seymour’s scaremongering risks derailing progress and emboldening those who see any Māori voice as a threat. The ranges belong to all Aucklanders, sure...but that includes tangata whenua, whose kaitiakitanga benefits us all. It’s time to call out the lies and demand a debate rooted in facts, not fear.

Chris Penk's Leaky Homes 2.0

The Coalition of Chaos is at it again with another half-baked underwhelming scheme that smells suspiciously like a rerun of New Zealand’s infamous leaky homes disaster. Their latest brainwave? Letting tradies self-certify their own work on so-called low-risk residential builds. Sounds like a great way to cut red tape to try and speed up new builds, right? Wrong. It’s a reckless move that risks plunging homeowners into another multi-billion-dollar nightmare.

The plan, championed by Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk, is to let plumbers, drainlayers, and builders sign off their own work without council inspections, provided they’ve got indemnity insurance. Streamlining, they call it.

Let’s not kid ourselves...this is deregulation dressed up as efficiency. The leaky homes crisis, which cost New Zealanders a staggering $11 billion, was born from similar starry-eyed deregulation under the 1991 Building Act. Back then, light-handed regulation, untested building products, and a lack of oversight let shoddy construction flourish. Homes rotted, families were bankrupted, and councils were left holding the bag. Sound familiar?

Penk, a self-confessed idiot, reckons professional indemnity insurance and “competent” tradies will save the day. But here’s the rub: the construction sector already grapples with a high rate of failed inspections. Clifton Van Der Linden, a sector commentator, rightly points out that self-certification without beefed-up training and education is a recipe for disaster. And indemnity insurance? That’s just a bandage on a broken system…it won’t prevent defects, only shift some of the cost when things go pear-shaped.

Yesterday, The Post reported:

 

Builders and plumbers get the power to sign off their own work

…

To be eligible for the scheme, a plumber or drainlayer would need to demonstrate specific technical competencies, have clocked up a minimum number of years of practical experience, have a proven track record of complying with the building code and have adequate insurance.

 

The details of how tradies will attain accreditation are as always with National, limited.

But what really makes National's policy stupid are the stats. Auckland Council reported in 2015 that 29% of building inspections failed on average, with a peak week where just under 40% of inspections failed. Given Auckland Council conducted 132,000 inspections annually, this translates to approximately 38,280 failed inspections per year (based on the 29% average). The reasons provided for failures included poor workmanship, unskilled labour, and a lack of proper supervision, exacerbated by the high demand for new housing. A rough extrapolation suggests a whopping 80,000-100,000 failed inspections per year nationwide.

Making it easier for tradies to provide substandard work is only going to make things worse.

The coalition’s obsession with slashing red tape ignores why we have consenting processes in the first place, which makes the Labour party's tentative support of Penk's policy questionable. The leaky homes fiasco showed us what happens when you trust an under-regulated industry to police itself. Untreated timber, dodgy cladding, and corner-cutting builders created a catastrophe that took decades to untangle. Today’s proposal, along with allowing inferior products into the country, feels like a step back to that era, gambling with homeowners’ futures to appease industry mates crying about paperwork.

This government’s track record doesn’t inspire confidence either. From scrapping environmental protections to fast-tracking projects with minimal oversight, the coalition’s “get it done” mantra prioritises speed over safety. Self-certification might save a few bucks upfront, but when homes start failing, it’s ordinary Kiwis who’ll pay the price.

The leaky homes disaster taught us that cutting corners can cost people their livelihoods. If the Coalition of Chaos wants to avoid repeating history, they’d better listen to the sector’s warnings, invest in training, and keep robust oversight. Anything less is playing Russian roulette.

National Has Mismanaged The Economy

Back in the dark days of the pandemic, when the world was locked down and businesses were gasping for air, Labour’s quick thinking and economic management kept New Zealand afloat. Under Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson, the Wage Subsidy Scheme saved 1.7 million jobs, pumping billions into businesses to stop them from going under. The COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund threw a $14 billion lifeline, while shovel-ready infrastructure projects kept tradies working and the economy ticking. It wasn’t perfect, with many abusing the scheme, but at least New Zealand recovered faster than most.

The result? GDP roared back 4.8% above pre-COVID levels by 2023, unemployment hit a historic low of 3.4%, and exports surfed a wave of new free trade deals. Labour’s 39% top tax rate for the ultra-rich ensured the recovery didn’t bankrupt the future, making $550 million a year without squeezing the middle class. House prices may have ballooned, and the lack of a wealth tax left inequality festering, but Labour at least kept businesses booming.

Fast forward to 2025, and the National-ACT-NZ First coalition of chaos is steering New Zealand’s economic ship with all the finesse of a toddler at a pottery wheel. Their big idea? Tax cuts for landlords and high earners, costing at least $2.9 billion, while slashing 14,000 public sector jobs and $7.5 billion from services to “balance the books.”

 

Last Saturday, The Post reported:

Wellington’s consumer confidence lowest in NZ

...

Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young said the loss of government jobs was the strongest driver behind lagging consumer confidence in the capital.

“It’s definitely influenced by the perception of what's happening and the fact that more or less everyone in Wellington knows someone or that has experienced a restructure.”

Because of this perception, Wellingtonians were shying away from discretionary spending, which was putting the city in a challenging position.

Because of National's mismanagement, unemployment has crept up to 5.1%, real incomes are shrinking, the cost of living crisis has only gotten worse and GDP growth’s limping along at 0.5%. National’s betting on deregulation and foreign investment to spark a miracle, but the IMF’s 1.4% growth forecast for 2025 now feels like a bad joke.

Meanwhile, health and education services are on life support because of a lack of proper funding. It’s austerity dressed up as ambition, and Kiwis are feeling the pinch. But don't expect the National Party to accept that their policies have failed to deliver anything but economic misery for most New Zealanders.

We’ve reduced wasteful government spending and now we’re going for growth to create more jobs, lift wages and help Kiwis with the cost of living.

— NZ National Party (@NZNationalParty) April 27, 2025

Despite their misleading narrative, it's pretty obvious to everybody that National aren't very good at managing the books or the economy. Those landlord tax breaks? They’re less “economic stimulus” and more top ups for already wealthy property barons. Death by a thousand cuts is a good way to describe National’s fiscal approach for New Zealand’s economy...an economy that's crying out for a change of government.

National’s Stalling New Zealand’s Electric Future

You might not know this, but New Zealand’s at the bottom of the global league table for electric vehicle (EV) chargers, and the National government’s policies are ensuring we stay there, choking the life out of our clean energy transition.

According to the International Energy Agency’s 2024 Global EV Outlook, we’ve got the fewest public chargers per EV among 31 nations...one measly charger for every 95 EVs, compared to the UK’s one per 20. It’s a shameful statistic for a country that loves to promote itself as being clean and green. So, what’s the National-led government doing about it?

National’s big promise was 10,000 public chargers by 2030, backed by a $257 million investment. Sounds grand, but the reality’s a shambles. Last year, we were installing just 21 chargers a month when we need 130 to hit that target. At this pace, we’ll be lucky to scrape 3,000 in by the decade’s end. Energy Minister Simeon Brown’s recent announcement of 25 new high-speed charging hubs is a drop in the bucket...four to ten chargers per hub won’t cut it when we’re starting from a paltry 1,200 nationwide. Meanwhile, the government’s axing of the Clean Car Discount has tanked EV sales, plummeting from 27% of the market share in 2023 to a pathetic 8% this year. No rebates, no incentives...just a road user charge slapped on EVs from April 2024, making them costlier to run.


Yesterday, RNZ reported:

 

Government replaces EV charger grants with new loan scheme

The chair of EV lobby group Drive Electric, Kirsten Corson said it was positive the government acknowleged the country needed more public chargers - but she doubted the loan scheme would make a significant difference.

The biggest barrier for companies building charging infrastructure is dealing with dozens of lines companies, she said.

 

"With 29 different parties we've got a lack of consistent pricing, we've got a lack of consistent processes, and we've got a lack of visibility of network capacity."

That had to change for the network to expand quickly, she said.

"Otherwise ... this is going to become National's KiwiBuild, where we don't come anywhere close to 10,000 chargers by 2030."

Bishop acknowledged it was an "ambitious" target, but said the government was looking at a range of changes to boost numbers.

 

This isn’t just incompetence; it’s sabotage. National’s rhetoric about “supercharging” EV infrastructure rings hollow when their policies scare off private investment. Kirsten Corson from Drive Electric nailed it: scrapping subsidies has made it harder to attract capital for chargers, as companies see a shrinking EV market. The government’s co-investment model, inspired by the Ultra-Fast Broadband rollout, might sound clever, but it’s mired in red tape and lacks the urgency needed to scale up fast. Compare this to the Labour government’s Clean Car Discount, which saw one in two cars sold in June 2023 being electric. National’s decision to ditch that policy, alongside the “ute tax” that funded it, prioritizes fossil fuel-guzzling vehicles over climate action.

The kicker? New Zealand’s transport sector accounts for 17% of our emissions, with light vehicles responsible for nearly two-thirds of that. We’re nowhere near the 30% zero-emission vehicle target by 2035, let alone net-zero by 2050. National’s half-baked charger rollout and anti-EV policies are locking us into a high-carbon future, all while they crow about economic rebuilding. Their $257 million pledge is peanuts when billions are needed to improve infrastructure to ensure better EV uptake.

New Zealand deserves better. We need a government that backs electrification with bold subsidies, fast-tracks charger installations, and stops kowtowing to the fossil fuel lobby. Until then, National’s ensuring we’re stuck in the slow lane, choking on our own emissions.

The Suspicious Death of Virginia Giuffre

The news of Virginia Giuffre’s untimely death has been a shock, especially for those still seeking justice for Jeffrey Epstein’s victims. Giuffre, a key figure in exposing Epstein’s depraved network and its ties to powerful figures like Prince Andrew, was reportedly struck by a bus in Australia. She then apparently took her own life.

 

The timing and circumstances of her death raise chilling questions, especially given her 2019 tweet declaring, “I am not suicidal. If something happens to me, don’t believe it was self-inflicted.” That statement, now looms large as yet another Epstein victim meets an untimely and suspicious end.

Giuffre’s courage in speaking out against the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Prince Andrew made her a target. Her allegations of being trafficked to the British royal as a teenager were explosive, shaking the foundations of Buckingham Palace. Despite a settlement with Andrew, she never stopped advocating for justice. But her death (at the same time investigations into Epstein’s network continue to unravel) smells of foul play. Numerous people have echoed this sentiment, with many pointing to the “mysterious circumstances” surrounding her accident. A bus traveling at 110 km/h? Kidney failure and a four-day prognosis? The narrative feels scripted, and the public’s skepticism is warranted.

 

This isn’t the first time an Epstein associate or victim has met an untimely demise either. Epstein himself was found dead in his cell in 2019, officially ruled a suicide, though the circumstances (disabled cameras, absent guards) screamed cover-up. Jean-Luc Brunel, a modeling agent linked to Epstein’s trafficking ring, also died in a French prison in 2022, another “suicide” that raised eyebrows. Now Giuffre joins this grim list, her voice silenced without closure on the Epstein files which remain partially sealed.

But if that wasn't bad enough, Virginia Giuffre's death has been met with cruel mockery from an Epstein associate, "Lady" Victoria Hervey, sparking widespread outrage. Hervey, a British socialite, friend of Ghislaine Maxwell and ex partner of Prince Andrew, celebrated Giuffre getting into a terrible car crash, saying it was "Karma" and then posted a meme on Instagram after her death depicting Giuffre as a Domino’s Pizza box with the caption “When You’re Supposed to Be Delivered in 30 Minutes But You End Up Killing Yourself.” These insensitive acts, ridiculing Giuffre’s death at 41, have drawn sharp criticism for their callousness.

 

The establishment has a vested interest in burying the Epstein scandal. Prince Andrew’s settlement with Giuffre, reportedly funded by the Queen, was a desperate attempt to keep him out of court. Yet the questions linger: Who else was complicit? What did the FBI know, and why have key documents been withheld? Giuffre’s death only amplifies these concerns. Her tweet wasn’t just a precaution; it was a very real warning about what happens to people who speak out against pedophiles.

The mainstream media’s reluctance to dig deeper is telling. Few outlets have reported on her tweet or connected the dots between Giuffre’s death and the broader pattern of suspicious fatalities. This isn’t conspiracy-mongering; it’s a demand for accountability. The powerful have long shielded themselves behind their wealth and influence, but the public’s patience is wearing thin. Giuffre deserved justice, not a tragic end. Until the Epstein files are fully released and those implicated are held to account, her death will remain a stain on the conscience of those who failed her...and a rallying cry for those who still seek the truth.

Governments Are Letting Big Tech Trash Our Planet

Let’s rip the shiny plastic wrapping off a festering truth: planned obsolescence is a deliberate scam, and governments worldwide, including New Zealand’s, are complicit in letting tech giants churn out disposable junk. From flimsy smartphones that croak after two years to laptops with glued-in batteries, the tech industry’s business model thrives on waste. Meanwhile, our leaders twiddle their thumbs, failing to ensure companies produce products based on repairable designs or have robust recycling systems. Here in Aotearoa, we’re left drowning in e-waste, and the National government’s inaction is a disgrace.

Planned obsolescence isn’t an accident...it’s a strategy. Tech companies like Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, and their ilk design products to fail. Batteries degrade by design, software updates throttle older devices, and proprietary screws make repairs a nightmare. Why? To keep us on the upgrade treadmill, shelling out for the latest overpriced gadget. The environmental cost is catastrophic, global e-waste hit 62 million tonnes in 2022, with projections of 82 million by 2030. Yet governments, including New Zealand’s, barely lift a finger to hold these corporations accountable. The only legislation moving things in the right direction in New Zealand, The Consumer Guarantees Act (Right to Repair) Amendment Bill, introduced by Hon Marama Davidson, is likely to be voted down at its second reading by the right block. Instead, we get toothless “sustainability” promises and corporate greenwashing.

The National Party loves to pat itself on the back for its “clean, green” image, but when it comes to e-waste, it’s a sham. New Zealand produces a disproportionate amount of e-waste per person, and because there’s no proper regulation or legislation, most of that e-waste isn’t recycled. In fact our recycling system is a fragmented mess, with local councils left to fend for themselves. The Ministry for the Environment admits only 20% of e-waste is collected for recycling, most ends up in landfills or shipped overseas to be someone else’s problem. Why? Because successive governments have failed to properly fund a national e-waste strategy or enforce producer responsibility schemes. Countries like France have laws forcing manufacturers to cover recycling costs and provide repair manuals. Here, we’re stuck with voluntary “take-back” programs that barely dent the problem. It’s pathetic!

The kicker? Repairing devices could slash waste and save consumers money, but Big Tech lobbies hard to keep repairs inaccessible. Right-to-repair laws, like those in the EU, force companies to make parts and tools available. New Zealand? So far its been crickets. Our government’s too busy cozying up to multinationals to demand accountability. Meanwhile, Kiwis are forced to bin perfectly fixable devices because replacement parts are either unavailable or cost as much as a new gadget. It’s a rigged system, and the government's letting it slide.

Then there’s the recycling farce. Even when Kiwis try to do the right thing, our infrastructure fails to properly recylce. Collection points are scarce, and many “recycled” electronics are downcycled into low-value materials rather than reused. Without government investment in advanced recycling tech or mandatory targets for manufacturers, we’re just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Compare that to South Korea, where over 30% of e-waste is properly recycled thanks to strict regulations. New Zealand’s government could learn a thing or two but seems allergic to bold action.

This isn’t just about waste...it’s about justice. Planned obsolescence hits hardest on low-income households who can’t afford constant upgrades. It’s an environmental crime that disproportionately burdens the Global South, where much of our e-waste is dumped. And it’s a betrayal of New Zealand’s supposed commitment to sustainability. The government must step up: mandate repairable designs, enforce producer responsibility, and build a real recycling system. Anything less is a cop-out.

Kiwis deserve better than a government that lets Big Tech trash our planet for profit. It’s time to demand accountability, repair what’s broken, and build a system that values people over corporate greed. Until then, every dead smartphone in a landfill is a monument to the coalition of chaos' failure.

National’s Betrayal of Renters and First-Time Buyers

It's definitely not a renters market in New Zealand, as reported by 1 News last night. In fact the housing crisis has metastasised into a full-blown catastrophe in 2025, and the National Party Government’s policies are pouring petrol on the flames. Renters are being crushed under skyrocketing costs, first-time buyers are locked out of the market, and the dream of homeownership is a cruel mirage for an entire generation of Kiwis.

National’s approach, slashing state house construction and implementing policies that inflate property prices, isn't just failing; it’s a deliberate middle finger to anyone who isn’t already a property owner.

In 2024, the government proudly announced a “streamlined” housing strategy, which translated to gutting funding for public housing and slowing new builds to a trickle. According to recent data, state house construction has plummeted by 40% since 2022, with only 1,200 new units completed last year, all of which were funded by the previous government. 

Meanwhile, private sector builds are stagnating, hampered by National’s deregulatory zeal, which has enriched developers but done zilch to increase supply. The result? A housing shortage so acute that Auckland’s median house price has surged to $1.4 million, and rents have spiked 12% in 18 months. For the average renter, that’s $150 more per week...money most don’t have.

National’s excuse? “Market efficiency.” They’ve doubled down on tax breaks for property investors and loosened rules for speculative developments, claiming it’ll “unlock supply.” Bollocks. These policies have turbocharged demand from cashed-up landlords and overseas buyers, while Kiwi first-time buyers (already crippled by stagnant wages and 7% mortgage rates) are left out n the cold. The government’s refusal to rein in investor tax loopholes or introduce a capital gains tax is a choice, not an oversight. It’s a choice to prioritise the wealthy over the desperate.

Then there’s the gutting of tenant protections. National’s rollback of Labour’s rental reforms, namely no-cause evictions, has left renters at the mercy of landlords who can jack up prices or kick them out on a whim. Stories abound of families forced onto the streets or into cars as rental stock dwindles. The government’s response? A shrug and a vague promise of “more consultation.” Meanwhile, their cuts to social services mean homelessness is spiking.

On Thursday, RNZ reported:

The billions spent on NZ’s accommodation supplement is failing to make rent affordable – so what will?

 

...

This study also picked up potential signs of landlords inflating the rents for tenants receiving subsidies. This is known as "subsidy capturing". On average, middle-income tenants receiving the accommodation supplement paid NZ$539.40 per week in rent in 2023. Non-recipients paid $502.90. That's a 7.3 percent difference.

Further research is needed to determine whether this discrepancy is due to rent inflation or differences in housing quality. But the finding aligns with international studies showing that subsidies can unintentionally drive up market rents.

If landlords are capturing part of the subsidy by increasing rents, then the benefit meant for vulnerable tenants is being diluted.

First-time buyers aren’t faring any better. National’s scrapping of shared equity schemes and their half-arsed “infrastructure funding” has left councils unable to support new developments. The much-hyped Fast-Track Approvals Act has delivered luxury apartments for the elite, not affordable homes for the masses. Kāinga Ora, once a beacon of hope, is now a shadow of its former self, starved of funds and ambition.

This isn’t incompetence; it’s class warfare. National’s policies are engineered to keep property prices sky-high, protecting their donor base of developers and landlords while screwing over everyone else. Renters and first-time buyers deserve better than this rigged game. It’s time for a government that builds homes, not excuses...one that puts people over profits. Until then, the housing crisis will keep burning, and National will keep fiddling like nothing's wrong.

Debt Is A Form Of Government Control

Unless you've been living under a rock, you would have noticed that New Zealand’s government, under the guise of economic stewardship, is tightening the screws on its citizens, and using debt as a tool of control. This isn’t just a conspiracy theory whispered in pub corners...it’s backed by hard data and a pattern of policy that keeps Kiwis tethered to financial servitude. The state’s complicity in ballooning debt levels isn’t just mismanagement; it’s a deliberate strategy to keep people docile, dependent, and distracted.

Let’s start with the numbers. New Zealand’s public debt has skyrocketed, hitting NZ$155.3 billion in 2023, a jump from NZ$128.9 billion the previous year. Net core Crown debt now sits at 42.5% of GDP, up from 39.3% in 2022. Households aren’t faring better. Debt levels are among the highest in the OECD, equivalent to 164% of disposable income. These figures aren’t just abstract; they’re a noose around the necks of everyday Kiwis, chaining families to mortgages, student loans, and credit cards while the government, and United States tariffs, only makes things worse.


On Thursday, Reuters reported:

IMF says tariff pressures to push global public debt past pandemic levels

Economic pressures from steep new U.S. tariffs will push global public debt above pandemic-era levels to nearly 100% of global GDP by the end of the decade as slower growth and trade strain government budgets, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday.

The IMF's latest Fiscal Monitor projected that global public debt will grow 2.8 percentage points to 95.1% of global GDP in 2025. It said the upward trend was likely to continue, reaching 99.6% of global GDP by 2030.

 

The coalition of chaos government isn't doing anything about Trump's unfair tariffs, because they plan on just turning it into more household debt, which also has its own adverse effects.

Studies, like those from Princeton and Chicago economists Atif Mian, Emil Verner, and Amir Sufi, show high household debt predicts economic instability and stunted growth. New Zealand’s household debt-to-GDP ratio, at 94% in 2019, is a ticking time bomb, making families vulnerable to any economic shock. Yet, instead of easing this burden, the government’s policies, such as lax lending rules and a housing market left to run wild, have fueled a debt spiral. The Reserve Bank’s Large Scale Asset Purchase programme, while dressed up as economic stimulus, effectively shifts public debt to households, keeping the Crown’s books cleaner while citizens drown.

This month, The Post reported:

Shame and blame experienced by ‘Generation Debt’

Nearly half of people aged 25 to 40 are anxious about the debts they owe, with a quarter saying they have more debt than they feel is manageable, a new report says.

And student loans are part of the debt burden that is weighing them down, which some told researchers had led them to delay marriage and having children, or to decide to have fewer children.

The Generation Debt Report, paid for by life insurer OneChoice, found that 77% of people in the Gen Y (25 and 40 years old) group, sometimes referred to as Millennials, had debts, with most having three or more types of debts like mortgages, credit cards, buy now, pay later loans, and personal loans.

Work and Income client debt has also skyrocketed, with recent figures revealing a staggering $2.07 billion owed as of late 2024, up from $1.8 billion just two years prior, a 15% jump that screams mismanagement. The National-led government’s punitive welfare policies, like benefit sanctions and increasing debt because benefit levels don't meet people's living costs, are squeezing already cash-strapped and vulnerable Kiwis, trapping them in a cycle of poverty while inflation bites. Instead of support, clients face bureaucratic bullying, with over-payment claw-backs piling on misery. This isn’t fiscal responsibility; it’s social cruelty dressed up as policy.

There's no question that an indebted population is a compliant one. When you’re working overtime to pay off a mortgage or scrambling to cover your loan interest, you’re too exhausted to question the government’s priorities or protest its failures. The state’s fiscal strategy, as outlined in Budget 2024, claims to aim for “prudent” debt levels, yet it’s content to sit back and let net core Crown debt hover at 44% of GDP, a level not seen since the 1990s. Meanwhile, Kiwis are gaslit into believing this is just the cost of living in a modern economy.

The truth is uglier. By keeping people in debt, the government ensures a workforce too scared to strike, too busy to organise, and too broke to dream beyond the next paycheck. It’s time we called this what it is: a deliberate tactic to erode our freedoms. We need policies that prioritise debt relief, rein in predatory lending, and tackle the housing crisis head-on. And for that we need a change in government.

Cameron Slater's New Website: Same Old Defamation

You’ve likely noticed that the disgraced blogger of Whale Oil Beef Hooked infamy, Cameron Slater, is still slithering around the internet, peddling his bile on a shiny new blogsite calling itself The Good Oil. If you thought bankruptcy, defamation rulings, and a near-fatal health scare would teach this idiot a lesson, think again. Slater’s lurking in the digital shadows, undermining New Zealand by running another attack blog which is less about journalism and more about settling political scores.

Slater’s rap sheet reads like a cautionary tale for wannabe keyboard warriors. Back in the bad old Whale Oil days, he was slapped with three hefty defamation rulings that would make any sane person think twice. The courts weren’t buying Slater's “I’m just a blogger” shtick when he smeared innocent folks for cash. His underhanded tactics, exposed in Nicky Hagar’s excellent book Dirty Politics, tanked his reputation, and by 2019, he was bankrupt, owing creditors a small fortune. We all hoped that’d be the end of it. Nope. Enter The Good Oil, where Slater’s back to his old game: defaming people under the guise of “free speech” for money.

Despite those significant defamation rulings, Slater’s still thumbing his nose at the law, using The Good Oil to sling mud at his numerous enemies. Sources whisper he’s targeting old foes with the same reckless abandon, even though court orders have already explicitly penalised him for this type of nonsense. It’s like watching a bloke drive a car after his license got revoked for drunk driving, then act shocked when the cuffs come out. The question isn’t if he’ll get sued again…it’s when. And with his track record, the next payout could make the $700,000 previously awarded against him look like pocket change.

This month, the NZ Herald reported:

 

Winston Peters to deliver ‘roast’ as Whale Oil’s Cameron Slater celebrates 20 years of blogging

Defamation losses, awards and bankruptcy - 20 years of 'Whale Oil' blogging celebrated.
Former Whale Oil blogger Cameron Slater will celebrate 20 years of blogging with a party in July - and New Zealand’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has agreed to deliver the “roast”. “When I asked Winston if he would do it, he asked me if it was an all-day event,” Slater told the Herald. The party is being held at Leo Molloy’s Headquarters bar in Auckland’s Viaduct, with tickets to attend costing $50. The fact he has given Peters a starring role appears a dramatic volte-face for Slater, who in years past was known for taunting the politician, including referring to him as “Winston Raymond Peters, 65, pensioner of St Mary’s Bay” as if he were a criminal.

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Later - amid revelations he had taken cash to target people - the Whale Oil blog collapsed and Slater lost three defamation actions, went into personal bankruptcy and suffered a serious health event. Having recovered his health, he is now on to his third blog “Good Oil” which he bills as “News and Commentary from a Conservative Point of View”. The promotional material for the 20th anniversary party says: “Join us for a night to remember as we celebrate 20 years of blogging, breaking news and holding the powerful to account. “For two decades, Cam Slater has been at the forefront of fearless journalism: challenging narratives, exposing hypocrisy and keeping the establishment on its toes. Now, it’s time to raise a glass and mark this milestone with friends, supporters and fellow truth-seekers.” · NZ First leader Winston Peters being interviewed by Cameron Slater before the 2023 election.

Then there’s the dodgy money trail. The Good Oil runs on a subscription model, receiving cash from readers who lap up Slater’s venom. But as a bankrupt, Slater’s legally required to declare all income to the Official Assignee. Is Slater forthcoming about those subscriber dollars? Probably not, which would be a breach of the Insolvency Act. Hiding income while crying poor to creditors? That’s peak Cameron Slater. If the Assignee catches wind, he could be receiving more than just a stern letter.

What’s galling is the sheer hypocrisy of this right-wing operative. Slater’s out there preaching about the “truth” while dodging accountability for his numerous lies. The Good Oil might look like a fresh start, but it’s the same old tired playbook: defame, deflect, and dodge. New Zealand deserves better than his brand of recycled muckraking. So, here’s a tip, Cam: the courts already told you to pack it in. Keep defaming under your numerous pseudonyms and proxies, and you’ll be back in the dock before you can check your secret bank accounts.