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.

…

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.

David Seymour’s Atlas Network Receiving Unwanted Attention

The Atlas Network, a sprawling web of libertarian think tanks funded by fossil fuel barons and corporate elites, has sunk its claws into New Zealand’s political landscape. At the forefront of this insidious influence is David Seymour, the ACT Party leader, whose ties to Atlas run deep.

With the National Party’s complicity, this coalition is steering Aotearoa toward a future of deregulation, privatisation, and cultural division for corporate profits. It’s time to expose this unholy alliance and its threat to our democracy.

Despite him dismissing questions and flat out lying, Seymour’s connection to the Atlas Network isn’t speculation, it’s documented fact. The 2008 Atlas Network annual report highlights his training with the organisation, and his early career stint at the Atlas-aligned Frontier Centre for Public Policy in Canada cemented his allegiance.

Back in New Zealand, Seymour has leaned on Atlas partner The New Zealand Initiative, a think tank pushing corporate-friendly policies like the Regulatory Standards Bill, which he has championed with a nod to senior NZI fellow Bryce Wilkinson. This isn’t about freedom or equality as they often claim, it’s about dismantling public services to line the pockets of the wealthy.

Seymour has been called out for lying about these ties, with numerous people pointing to hefty donations from the Gibbs family, with Debbi Gibbs chairing Atlas’s board. Yet he denies the connection, banking on public indifference.

Hear David ‘Pants on Fire’ Seymour blatantly lie about his links to the Atlas Network in an interview with Mihingarangi Forbes and then watch him tell the truth about it to his supporters. And he’s going to be Deputy PM. Share widely! pic.twitter.com/4QygMqqiUT

— Slippered Pantaloon 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸💜🇺🇦🏳️‍⚧️ (@RantersTantrum) February 8, 2024

The ACT Party, under Seymour’s helm, has become Atlas’s mouthpiece in New Zealands Parliament. The Treaty Principles Bill, a divisive attempt to reinterpret Te Tiriti o Waitangi, is straight from the Atlas playbook: sow discord, weaken indigenous rights, and clear the way for corporate exploitation.

 

Despite overwhelming opposition (112 MPs voted it down with only ACT’s 11 votes in favour) Seymour persists, hinting at a future referendum to keep the issue alive. This isn’t leadership; it’s a calculated attack on social cohesion, designed to distract from ACT’s real Atlas Network initiated agenda.

 

 

Yesterday, ABC News reported:

 

 

How Atlas Network amassed a global network of free market think tanks and reached into Australia and New Zealand

 

When RNZ asked Mr Seymour about Atlas Network and the now-defeated bill last year, he called the line of questioning a "conspiracy theory".

Atlas Network does have active partners in New Zealand and the organisation is part of Mr Seymour's own origin story.

…

"About 20 years ago David Seymour worked at a Canadian think tank and attended Atlas Network events and training," Ms Gibbs told the ABC.

…

There are at least two Atlas Network partner organisations in New Zealand — the Taxpayers' Union and the New Zealand Initiative.

 

You can understand why Seymour would blatantly lie about his ties with the Atlas Network. If the general public found out that he's operating in the best interest of foreign entities and not the few deluded Kiwis who vote for ACT, their support would tank. But what this really shows is that it’s well past time for a lobbyist register in New Zealand. Unfortunately we won't get one while the current coalition of chaos is in charge. I wonder why?

 

As the dominant coalition partner, National has enabled Seymour’s divisive policies to get a foot in the door, backing the Treaty Principles Bill to first reading in November 2023 as part of their deal with ACT. Christopher Luxon downplays tensions, calling Seymour’s provocations “mature MMP politics,” but this is cowardice dressed up as pragmatism.

 

National’s silence on Seymour’s plan to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, another Atlas Network type move, betrays their willingness to sacrifice environmental progress for coalition harmony. Their polling woes reflect public distrust, yet they cling to ACT’s disproportionate influence, with Seymour boasting that half the government’s quarterly plans stem from his Atlas-aligned political party, despite its small number of MPs.

This Atlas-driven agenda threatens everything Kiwis hold dear: our environment, our public services, and our commitment to fairness. Seymour’s ACT, propped up by National, isn’t just misguided…it’s a wrecking ball aimed at Aotearoa’s soul. We must demand transparency, reject corporate-funded division, and hold this coalition accountable before their toxic vision for New Zealand becomes a reality.

Nicola Willis To Blame For Family Boost Debacle

Nicola Willis, National’s supposed Finance Minister, has delivered another policy failure with the Family Boost scheme, a childcare rebate that was big on promises but has been very small on delivery. Only 56,000 families have signed up, a far cry from the 130,000 Willis personally championed in National’s campaign. This isn’t just a misstep, it’s a Willis-orchestrated disaster, and she knew it was doomed from the outset.

Family Boost, a 25% rebate on early childhood education costs for families earning up to $180,000, capped at a measly $75 a week, was Willis’ brainchild. She sold it as a cost-of-living lifeline, funded by axing Labour’s “wasteful” consultant spending. Yet, economists warned her directly: the numbers didn’t add up, and the policy’s design was a mess. Willis ignored them, betting her reputation on a flashy promise to mask National’s thin policy slate. The result? A predictable flop that’s left families high and dry.

 

Yesterday, RNZ reported:

Fewer than 50 families to get National's full tax package, says CTU

Fewer than 50 families are likely to receive National's full $252 fortnightly tax break, based on the FamilyBoost scheme's lower than expected uptake, The Council of Trade Unions says.

The revelation comes as a result of figures showing just 249 families have consistently been receiving the full $75-a-week FamilyBoost rebate for ECE costs, a key plank of National's tax cuts package.

Why did it crash? Willis’ policy is a bureaucratic quagmire. Families must wrestle with IRD’s convoluted system, uploading receipts and navigating red tape National had promised to cut...time and effort most families can’t spare while working numerous jobs for not enough pay in a cost-of-living crisis. Willis blames the IRD for misjudging uptake, assuming families would flock to her scheme despite its paltry payout. The income cap, her attempt at looking inclusive, missed the mark for low-income families and barely helped the middle class. It’s Willis’ signature move: over promise and under deliver, then dodge and blame someone else...just this time she can't blame Labour.

Economists’ warnings, dismissed by Willis as naysaying, have proven spot-on. She knew the policy was shaky but pushed it to score political points, prioritising optics over outcomes. The $400 million supposedly saved from consultants was her talking point, but Family Boost’s failure exposes her true focus: tax breaks for the rich, not relief for struggling families.

Willis’ arrogance is staggering. She’s tried to scapegoat IRD for the low uptake, but this is her mess. The 74,000 families she promised to help are now collateral damage in her quest for headlines. Meanwhile, National’s broader agenda of slashing public services, rolling back environmental protections, and cozying up to corporates, is full steam ahead. Family Boost is a microcosm of Willis’ tenure: big talk, shoddy execution, and a refusal to own the fallout.

Kiwi families deserved better than Willis’ half-baked scheme. Real childcare solutions, like affordable access and systemic investment, were never on her radar. Instead, she’s left parents scrambling while she spins excuses. Willis needs to take responsibility and step down. She cannot possibly pretend to be the Minister of Finance with this type of mess on her hands.

Lifting The Lid On Cult Corruption

John Campbell’s Under His Command, a five-part TVNZ+ investigation series starting today, rips the veil off Destiny Church, exposing the rot festering under Brian Tamaki’s self-proclaimed apostolic throne. This isn’t just a church; it’s a fiefdom, built on fear, manipulation, and a trail of scandals that make your stomach churn. Campbell, with his trademark tenacity, dives into the heart of this cultish empire, and what he uncovers should have every New Zealander questioning how Tamaki’s operation has dodged accountability for so long.

Let’s start with the pedophile scandals. Destiny Church has been rocked by allegations of sexual abuse, with a disciple charged in 2024 for sexually assaulting teenagers in a South Auckland Destiny Church youth group. Tamaki’s response? Minimise and deflect, claiming he didn’t even know the guy, despite numerous photos showing him anointing and being friends with the accused.

The "church" banned the pedophile only after police got involved, and Tamaki had the gall to slam the cops for not acting fast enough. Multiple victims, years of alleged abuse, and yet Tamaki plays an innocent shepherd who knew nothing. Yeah right! This isn’t just negligence; it’s a pattern. Back in 2010, Tamaki’s “spiritual father,” US preacher Eddie Long, faced lawsuits for coercing teenage boys into sexual relationships. Tamaki called it “shocking” but stayed cozy with Long. Smells like a cover-up culture to me.


Today, 1 News reported:

John Campbell on Destiny Church: ‘I’ve never encountered so much fear’

Today John Campbell launches Under His Command, a five-part TVNZ+ investigation into Destiny Church and the women who live in its shadows.

For more than 25 years Destiny Church and its controversial leader Brian Tamaki have occupied a small, if loud, fundamentalist corner of New Zealand’s religious culture.

But recently, the church has made fresh headlines due to its active stance against the LGBTQI community, with members of its Man Up division (and other Destiny offshoots) targeting rainbow events and most notably storming the Drag Story Hour at a West Auckland public library in February, resulting in injuries to the public and seven Destiny arrests.

…

She also talked about Destiny’s use of haka against the LGBTQI community – and how utterly inappropriate it is to weaponise the haka in such a harmful way.

One former insider, the only man I spoke to, said “rage is Tamaki’s marketing tool”. I’ve watched hours of Brian Tamaki sermons – the incendiary tone, the homophobia, the transphobia, the xenophobia, it’s staggering and it’s not healthy, it’s not good for your heart to be assailed with that.

 

Then there’s the question of legality. Tamaki’s empire thrives on tax-exempt status, raking in tithes while he lives it large in a Drury mansion he conveniently doesn’t own. His Freedoms New Zealand political party and anti-vaxx crusades, including threats to blow up mobile vaccination clinics in 2021, and numerous threats and covert actions against the LGBTQ+ community, skirt the edges of incitement. Yet, despite arrests and bail breaches, he's never been truly held to account.

From dodging Covid protest charges in 2024 to getting off Scott free for getting people beaten up at children's reading events, Brian Tamaki appears to be performing miracles in avoiding accountability. How does a man who leads a religious cult linked to violent Pride protests keep slipping past the law? Is it charisma, connections, or just a system too timid to take on a gangster in bishop’s robes? Tamaki’s no pastor; he’s a thug in a suit, running Destiny like a mafia don. His Man Up crew, decked out in patches and roaring on motorbikes, looks more like a criminal gang rather than an actual ministry.

Campbell’s excellent series captures the fear insiders feel...testimony to Tamaki’s iron grip. He’s not just fleecing followers; he’s bullying them into submission, all while preaching “family values.” His rhetoric, like blaming cyclones on gay rights, fuels hate, yet he cloaks it in scripture. Campbell’s investigation is a wake-up call. Destiny Church isn’t a quirky outlier; it’s a dangerous disinformation machine profiting off misery. The real scandal? That Tamaki’s still preaching, still dodging, still inciting. When will the justice system stop letting this conman hide behind a cross?

Winston Peters Has Lost The Plot

The political petrified piece of wood, aka Winston Peters, who refuses to retire gracefully, has had an eventful couple of weeks peddling transphobia, pushing bigoted policies, undertaking his unrelenting war on wokeness and slinging vile accusations like calling Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick a “groomer”.

At 80, the hypocritical NZ First leader’s latest antics don't just raise issues with the old dogs morality, they raise serious questions about his grip on reality. Is this the calculated cynicism of a populist relic, or has the man completely lost the plot? Either way, his behaviour is a toxic stain on our political landscape.

Let’s start with the unrepentant transphobia. Peters’ recent NZ First member’s bill, aiming to legally define “woman” and “man” as the only two sexes that should be recognised, isn’t just a dog whistle...it’s a god damn foghorn. He claims it’s about “focusing on the facts of biology,” but let’s be real: it’s a deliberate attack on trans rights, dressed up as some sort of common sense mantra that is wearing extremely thin.

#BHN Tonight at 9pm
- @NZGreens MP Huhana Lyndon joins us LIVE to talk about Winston Peters threatening RNZ funding
- TPM skips another Privileges Committee
- Tesla stock drops 71%
- Winston Peters calls Chloe Swarbrick a 'groomer'#nzpol https://t.co/NsgaGwnhrg

— Pat Brittenden (@patbrittenden) April 23, 2025

This isn’t about clarity; it’s about erasing identities to appease a shrinking, fear-mongering base of hateful bigots. His homophobic rhetoric echoes the worst of global culture wars just to get attention, fanning flames of division while ignoring the real issues, like the cost of living crisis, homelessness or unmitigated climate change disasters, serious problems that threaten people's very existence and deserve our full and undivided attention. Swarbrick often raises these topics Peters wishes to ignore, which is perhaps why he feels so threatened by her.

Then there’s NZ First's, and other right wing reprobates, attacks on Benjamin Doyle, implying predatory behavior by the embattled Green MP, which set the stage for vile online conspiracies. Swarbrick, defending Doyle, became collateral damage in this hateful narrative, with Peters’ actions amplifying tropes that paint rainbow communities as threats to children.

This isn’t just reckless, it’s a highly dangerous lie, as evidenced by the numerous death threats Doyle has faced. When Destiny Church's goons attacked Drag Story Time last month, it was fueled by the same rhetoric and hatred Peters is now stoking. Is this the legacy he wants to be remembered for? To get people who don't fit the mold beaten up, or perhaps even killed?

In a trainwreck interview today, Deputy PM Winston Peters struggled to explain how his proposed gender bill would work & ended by threatening to remove RNZ's funding.

Dann asked how it would work when we have a self-determination law shepherded in by NZ First's Tracey Martin
1/3 pic.twitter.com/0Vv8XtNQwj

— Nick (@StrayDogNZ) April 22, 2025

Peters’ sanity is further called into question by his obsession with media control. His recent RNZ interview was a showcase of unhinged bullying, where he attacked host Corin Dann and said he was going to slash RNZ’s funding. This isn’t a new thing for Peters, who has a history of threatening mainstream media when they don’t toe his line. In 2017, he openly mused about “reining in” journalists; now, he’s openly questioning RNZ’s public funding, a move Labour’s Chris Hipkins rightly called “censorship.” 

 

Arrogant wokester loser Corin Dan on RNZ asked me this morning how we would “force our members bill defining a woman in law”.

News flash Corin. We can’t force you to stop being so delusionally woke.

The sooner you and your mates wake up and stop being so out of touch the…

— Winston Peters (@winstonpeters) April 22, 2025

There's even legislation that explicitly bars ministers from meddling in funding of this sort, yet Peters threatens with apparent impunity, knowing his veiled threats have a chilling effect on free speech. And where is stand in Prime Minister David Seymour in all this? All he can say is that it's not really up to Peters, but the government will look at RNZ's funding allocation sometime in the future. Not exactly backing the mainstream medias right to report the truth there, Seymour.

Winston Peters is an outdated politician fighting off irrelevance through fear and division. His archaic policies reveal a staggering lack of self-awareness and awareness of what century he's living in, so much so that he now appears to be entirely senile. His attacks on Swarbrick, Doyle, and well-respected reporters within the MSM, because they don’t kowtow to his every whim, isn’t leadership; it’s a clear sign of a cornered dinosaur throwing tantrums. The only person who thinks it’s not a good time for Winston Peters to retire is Winston bloody Peters.

Is Mark Mitchell a racist?

The National Party’s Minister of Police, Corrections, and Ethnic Communities (irony alert) has stumbled into yet another racist quagmire, proving that when it comes to bigotry, the right wing’s playbook is as predictable as it is vile. This time, Mitchell’s office reposted an Instagram reel falsely claiming that Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke’s ancestors were Chinese and “yellow Vikings.” Yes, you read that right...a grotesque mash-up of anti-Māori and anti-Chinese racism that Mitchell’s team thought was a great share. His office issued a half-hearted apology after the backlash, but the damage was done.
 

On Tuesday, RNZ reported:

Police Minister's office apologises to Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke

Police Minister Mark Mitchell's office has apologised to Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke after reposting a reel on Instagram that falsely claimed the Te Pāti Māori MP’s ancestors came from China and "were yellow Vikings".

When contacted by 1News about the repost, a spokesperson for the Minister said it was "an honest mistake".

This isn’t just a one-off “whoopsie” from a bumbling minister. It’s a window into the National Party’s broader pattern of dog-whistle politics and systemic bias. Mitchell, a former cop turned private security contractor, has a history of policies and rhetoric that disproportionately target Māori. Take his 2023 clash with “They’re Our Whānau,” who protested National’s anti-gang laws. Their spokesperson, Matilda Kahotea, accused Mitchell of “arrogant” and “intimidating” conduct, claiming his anti-gang stance was a thinly veiled attack on Māori communities. Mitchell’s response? He doubled down, dismissing their concerns and labeling them a “gang hikoi.”

The National Party’s racism isn’t just Mitchell’s pet project...it’s a team effort. In 2023, during the election campaign. Māori leaders, including Naida Glavish, condemned the “unacceptable levels of racism” from right-wing candidates pushing to dismantle Māori-focused policies like the Māori Health Authority. National, while not fully endorsing ACT’s extremism, refused to rule out rolling back these initiatives. This is the same party that, under Mitchell’s watch, has championed “boot camps” for youth offenders, policies that disproportionately harm Māori youth.

And then there’s the right’s bizarre obsession with hating young, successful women...especially those who challenge their worldview. Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, a rising star at 22, embodies everything the National Party's old guard fears: a fierce, articulate Māori woman and left-wing MP to be reckoned with. Mitchell’s attack on her heritage wasn’t just racist; it was a calculated jab at a young woman daring to succeed. Look at how they’ve treated other young female MPs like Chlöe Swarbrick...constantly undermining their credibility while propping up their own stale, pale, male candidates.

Mitchell’s latest gaffe, combined with National’s track record, paints a clear picture: this is a party comfortable leaning into racism when it suits their base. From dismissing systemic bias in policing (despite Police Commissioner Andrew Coster’s acknowledging it) to amplifying divisive rhetoric, Mitchell and National are playing a dangerous game. New Zealand deserves better than a government that vilifies its indigenous people and sneers at young women leading the charge for change. Mitchell’s apology might close this chapter, but the book on National’s bigotry is far from finished.

J.K. Rowling - Arsehole of the Week

In a world crying out for empathy, J.K. Rowling has once again proven she’s more interested in stoking division than building bridges. The once-beloved author of Harry Potter has cemented her place as this week’s Arsehole of the Week, a title earned through her relentless, tone-deaf crusade against transgender rights. While her books taught us about courage and standing up to bigotry, Rowling’s real-world actions betray those lessons, leaving a trail of disillusionment for her once numerous fans.

Let’s rewind. Rowling’s descent into transphobia began years ago, but her recent antics on X—where she’s doubled down on misgendering trans people and dismissing their lived realities—have plumbed new depths. In April 2025, she’s still at it, firing off posts that mock trans identities and frame their existence as a threat to women’s safety. Her rhetoric isn’t just harmful; it’s dangerously reductive, painting trans women as predators while ignoring the overwhelming evidence that they’re far more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators. Stats from New Zealand’s own Transgender Health Survey (2023) show trans individuals face disproportionate rates of assault and discrimination—43% reported physical or sexual violence in the past year—yet Rowling’s selective outrage conveniently sidesteps this.

Adding fuel to this fire, recent anti-trans rulings, like the UK’s High Court decision in March 2025 to uphold a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, have emboldened Rowling’s stance. This ruling, which dismissed evidence from global health bodies like the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, has been weaponized by transphobes to justify exclusionary policies. Far from protecting anyone, it’s sparked a surge in hate, with X posts showing a 30% (per data from the Anti-Defamation League) spike in anti-trans slurs in the UK since the stupid verdict was handed down. Rowling’s refusal to condemn this hatred, while amplifying narratives that dehumanize trans people, makes her complicity clear. Equating trans inclusion with danger isn’t just wrong...it’s a deliberate choice to fan the flames of bigotry, ignoring the difficulties trans youth face, who now face even greater barriers to acceptance and care.

What’s galling is her platform. With millions of views, Rowling could champion inclusivity, yet she chooses to wield her money and influence like a bludgeon. Her defenders cry “free speech,” but this isn’t about her right to speak—it’s about her trying to feel superior by using a megaphone to vilify a marginalized group. The Harry Potter fandom, once a haven for misfits, now grapples with her legacy. Fans in Aotearoa, from Wellington’s cosplay meetups to Dunedin’s book clubs, have voiced their heartbreak on X, with hashtags like #TransRightsAreHumanRights trending in response to her divisive outbursts.

Rowling’s arguments lean on a tired brand of feminism that pits women’s rights against trans inclusion, as if the two can’t coexist. This zero-sum game ignores the work of Kiwi activists like Trans Liberation, who’ve shown that gender-affirming care and women’s safety aren’t mutually exclusive. Her refusal to engage with these nuances (or with the trans community directly) reveals a stubbornness that’s less about principle and more about ego. When challenged, she retreats into victimhood, claiming she’s “canceled,” while her books still rake in millions and her poisonous voice drowns out those she targets.

The irony? Rowling’s own stories celebrated outsiders—muggle-borns, werewolves, house-elves—yet she can’t extend that compassion to trans people. Her hypocrisy is a slap in the face to every kid who found solace in Hogwarts while grappling with their identity. Here in New Zealand, Rowling’s views feel like a relic of a less enlightened era, a throwback to a time before LGBTQ+ rights were recognized as human rights.

So, J.K. Rowling, take a bow as our Arsehole of the Week. Your words have consequences, and they’re not magical or even all that interesting. Instead, they’re cruel and bigoted. Maybe it’s time to reread your own books and remember what it means to fight for the marginalized, not against them.

Help Stop the Gaza Genocide Through Activism

As a living breathing human being, you’ve likely seen the heart-wrenching images from Gaza...homes reduced to rubble, children burnt to cinders, families displaced, and a death toll that’s beyond comprehension. What is going on in Gaza is most definitely a genocide, the suffering is real, and it’s easy to feel helpless. But here’s the truth: you, the average person, have more power than you think to help stop this crisis of humanity. From grassroots activism, economic pressure, and political advocacy, let’s break down how ordinary people can step up and make a difference.

First off, let’s talk grassroots activism. You don’t need a PhD to amplify Gaza’s plight. Start with your phone or PC…and the internet which is a goldmine for sharing verified info from groups like Amnesty International and other Palestinian voices on the ground. Post a video, share a thread, or create an infographic that cuts through the noise. But don’t stop at the screen. Get out there! Join a protest, organize a vigil, or host a community hui to talk about what’s happening. Movements like Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) show how collective action can shake things up.

Today, Aljazeera reported:

 

Before he died, Pope Francis called for peace in Gaza. Will anyone listen?

Amid international indifference to the continuing genocide in Palestine, the Pope used his last address to call for a ceasefire.

Pope Francis died today at the age of 88 following a prolonged illness. Just yesterday, in his Easter Sunday address in Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church chose to express his “closeness to the sufferings of Christians in Palestine and Israel, and to all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people”.

He went on to state that he was “think[ing] of the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation” – a toned-down reference, of course, to Israel’s ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, which has officially killed more than 51,200 Palestinians since October 2023.

 

We need to hit them where it hurts: their wallets. Economic pressure is your secret weapon. BDS has a hit list of companies tied to the conflict, like Hewlett-Packard, which supplies tech to Israeli forces. Boycott these brands. Check your KiwiSaver or pension fund. Does it invest in dodgy companies? Demand divestment or swap providers. Even small choices, like buying from businesses that back Palestinian rights or donating to Gaza charities, add up. It’s like refusing to buy from a dodgy fish-and-chip shop...enough of us say no, and they’ll feel the pinch.

Then there’s political advocacy. Governments aren’t untouchable; they’re swayed by people like you. Fire off an email to your MP demanding humanitarian aid for Gaza or an arms embargo. Ask them to put pressure on Israeli and United States diplomats to end the atrocities. Groups like Jewish Voice for Peace have templates to make it easy. Better yet, vote for candidates who give a damn about human rights and international law. Sign petitions on Change.org or join advocacy crews like CODEPINK to keep the pressure on. It’s not glamorous, but it’s like turning up to a council meeting...your voice matters when it’s heard.

Look, it’s not all smooth sailing. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a tangled mess, and misinformation can make your head spin. Plus, you might cop flak for speaking out. Stay sharp—read up on Palestinian perspectives, Israeli peace activists, and UN reports. Link arms with others, whether it’s a local activist group or an online crew, to keep the fire burning. History’s got our back here: ordinary people helped topple apartheid in South Africa showing that people power can work.

I know it might feel like it, but you’re not powerless. Share, protest, boycott, vote, and keep at it. Every action...big or small...builds a movement for peace that can’t be ignored. Let’s stand with Gaza and show the world what everyday people can do. Ka whawhai tonu mātou. Let’s keep fighting the good fight.

Below is a curated list of relevant links to help you stop the genocide in Gaza:

Economic Pressure

BDS - Boycott Targets List
Link: https://bdsmovement.net/get-involved/what-to-boycott
Description: BDS lists specific companies, like Hewlett-Packard (HP), targeted for boycotts due to their ties to Israeli forces. This resource helps readers follow your advice to boycott brands and check investments like KiwiSaver funds. 

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) - Investigate Database
Link: https://investigate.afsc.org/
Description: AFSC’s database identifies companies profiting from the occupation, useful for divestment campaigns. It supports your suggestion to check pension funds and demand divestment from complicit companies. 

Ethical Consumer - Boycott List
Link: https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalcampaigns/boycotts
Description: Ethical Consumer details boycott campaigns, including BDS calls against HP and others. It offers alternatives to complicit brands, aligning with your advice to make small, impactful economic choices. 

Care4Gaza - Donation Support
Link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/careforgaza 

Description: Care4Gaza is a grassroots initiative for donating to Gaza aid, as mentioned in X posts. It supports your call to fund charities helping Palestinians directly. 

Don’t Buy Into Occupation - European Financial Institutions
Link: https://dontbuyintooccupation.org/
Description: This coalition tracks European investments in companies tied to Israeli settlements, offering a model for New Zealand readers to investigate KiwiSaver or pension fund complicity, as you suggest.

Political Advocacy

Jewish Voice for Peace - Advocacy Templates
Link: https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/take-action/
Description: JVP provides email templates and advocacy tools to contact elected officials, aligning with your suggestion to email MPs for humanitarian aid or arms embargoes. 

CODEPINK - Advocacy Campaigns
Link: https://www.codepink.org/palestine
Description: CODEPINK offers petitions, advocacy guides, and campaigns to pressure governments on Gaza, supporting your call to join groups like them for political impact. 

Change.org - Petitions for Gaza
Link: https://www.change.org/petitions?selected_sorts=most_signatures&q=gaza
Description: Change.org hosts petitions demanding humanitarian aid and ceasefires in Gaza, making it easy for readers to sign and share, as you recommend. Ensure petitions are from reputable organizers. 

Amnesty International - Take Action for Palestine
Link: https://www.amnesty.org/en/petition/demand-a-ceasefire-by-all-parties-to-end-civilian-suffering/
Description: Amnesty offers advocacy actions like petitions and letters to pressure governments, supporting your advice to demand action on international law violations. 

UN Reports - Human Rights in Palestine
Link: https://www.ohchr.org/en/countries/palestine
Description: The UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights provides reports on Gaza, offering credible sources for readers to stay informed and advocate based on international law, as you suggest.

Additional Context and Staying Informed

Al Jazeera - Gaza Coverage
Link: https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/gaza/
Description: Al Jazeera offers up-to-date reporting on Gaza, including BDS and protests, helping readers verify information and counter misinformation, as you advise.

Electronic Intifada - Palestinian Perspectives
Link: https://electronicintifada.net/
Description: This platform amplifies Palestinian voices and covers grassroots activism, aligning with your call to read Palestinian perspectives for a fuller understanding.

Middle East Eye - Genocide Claims and Analysis
Link: https://www.middleeasteye.net/
Description: Middle East Eye covers claims of genocide in Gaza, as noted in X posts, providing context for your blog’s stance and helping readers stay sharp on the issue. 

The Intercept - Israeli Peace Activists
Link: https://theintercept.com/
Description: The Intercept often features Israeli peace activists and critical perspectives on the conflict, supporting your advice to explore diverse voices, including those within Israel. 

South Africa Anti-Apartheid Movement - Historical Context
Link: https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/anti-apartheid-movement-aam
Description: South African History Online details the anti-apartheid movement, providing historical context for your comparison to BDS and people power toppling oppressive systems.