Shane Jones’ Sky News Lies

In a cringe-worthy spectacle, Shane Jones, New Zealand First’s shameless spruiker for the oil and gas industry, slithered onto Sky News Australia on Friday, peddling lies so brazen that they would have collapsed under even a whiff of scrutiny.

By blaming renewable energy like solar and wind for New Zealand’s exorbitant electricity prices, Jones swapped truth for fiction, serving his mining cronies while continuing to shaft Kiwi consumers.

Without a shred of skepticism, the hosts, Andrew Bolt, Peta Credlin, and Rowan Dean, fawned over Shane Jones pathetic promotion of polluting industries, swallowing his lies about renewables inflating power bills without any hesitation. Their sycophantic nods peaked when Jones smeared Jacinda Ardern, falsely tying her policies to price hikes, with zero pushback, amplifying the deceit Jones served up on a silver platter.


Today, Sky News reported:

 

‘A 180-degree turn and buried Jacinda’s thinking’: NZ try to recover from high energy prices

New Zealand Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones says the increase in electricity bills is due to a “hatred of fossil fuels” and a “false belief” of thinking you can run an economy without “peaking power”.

“The real problem is we were a low-cost energy system … the reality is, the power prices have not come down as a consequence of wind and solar,” Mr Jones said.

“Last winter, I believe we had the highest spiking prices for electricity in the entire OECD.

“We went through a 180-degree turn and basically buried Jacinda’s thinking.”

 

Since the neoliberal reforms of the 1980s, New Zealand’s electricity prices have surged, mainly driven by partial privatization. Economist Geoff Bertram’s 2020 study, “Weak Regulation, Rising Margins, and Asset Revaluations,” shows residential prices soared from 4.84 cents per kilowatt-hour in 1985 to 26.85 cents by 2018, doubling in real terms against an inflation-adjusted 14.08 cents. By 2024, the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment reported prices at 33.06 cents per kWh, a 75% jump from 18.87 cents in 2006. This isn’t due to solar or wind; it’s a market rigged for profit over people.

The last National government (2008-2017) under John Key partially privatised Mighty River Power (now Mercury), Meridian, and Genesis, promising competition would cut costs. Utter nonsense. Bertram notes retail markups spiked, with the energy component up 70% from 2004 to 2018, while gentailers’ asset revaluations drained $10-12 billion from consumers after the reforms.

Contrast this with Jones’ baseless claim that renewables are the villain. New Zealand’s electricity mix is already over 80% renewable, with hydro dominating at over 50% of capacity. Solar and wind, while growing, remain small contributors, hardly enough to move the price needle.

The Electricity Authority’s 2024 reports highlight that price spikes, like those exceeding $800/MWh in August 2024, stem from low hydro storage and reliance on costly gas-fired thermal plants, not renewables. Rising gas prices, driven by depleting domestic fields, add further pressure. If anything, expanding solar and wind could reduce dependence on volatile fossil fuels, stabilising prices in the long run.

So why does Jones peddle this drivel? Follow the money. His cozy ties to mining interests, evident in his advocacy for numerous extractive projects, suggest a vested interest in fossil fuels. Renewables threaten the profits of his cronies in extractive industries, so he spins a narrative to discredit them. It’s a tired old tactic from a politician who seems more comfortable shilling for corporate mates than serving the people he's meant to represent.

The real scandal is the $10.8 billion in dividends gentailers paid out from 2010 to 2020, while generation capacity grew by a measly 1%, as reported by Newsroom in 2024, causing companies to fail. That’s money that could have bolstered infrastructure or eased consumer prices, especially for low-income households facing energy hardship. Instead, it lined shareholders’ pockets. Jones’ refusal to acknowledge this while scapegoating renewables isn't just ignorant...it’s insulting to every Kiwi currently struggling to pay the bills.

Shane Jones is a Fascist

The spectre of authoritarianism rarely announces itself with jackboots and torchlight parades. More often, it arrives draped in the rhetoric of economic necessity, promising prosperity whilst systematically dismantling the institutions that protect democratic accountability. 

Such is the case with Shane Jones, New Zealand First's Resources Minister, whose latest tirade against regional councils represents a chilling escalation in his campaign to eliminate environmental oversight that stands between his corporate benefactors and unfettered resource extraction.

Jones' inflammatory rhetoric comparing the Otago Regional Council to the "Kremlin of the South Island" and dismissing its qualified staff as "KGB green zealots" would be laughable were it not so dangerously revealing of his authoritarian instincts. His call to "disestablish regional councils" because they dare to apply existing environmental law represents nothing less than an assault on New Zealand's democratic institutions. This is the language of a man who views legitimate democratic processes as obstacles to be eliminated rather than safeguards to be respected.

On Friday, the ODT reported:

 

‘Kremlin’ councils need to go: Jones

Resource Minister Shane Jones has called the Otago Regional Council "the Kremlin of the South Island" after an application to expand the Macraes gold mine ran into trouble.

Mr Jones, who is also the regional development minister, said the council was full of "KGB green zealots" and the episode showed why regional councils needed to be scrapped.

The Otago council’s assessment of environmental effects — which recommended Oceana-Gold’s application to expand its mine be declined in full — was "ideological scribbling".

Any other investor or miner in New Zealand would now quickly conclude they had to join the fast-track application process, "which will enable these economic saboteurs to be marginalised", he said.

 

The parallels to historical fascism are unmistakable. Like the dictators of the 1930s who railed against "enemies of the people" and "saboteurs," Jones employs inflammatory language to delegitimise any institution that challenges his pro-drill agenda. His dismissal of evidence-based environmental assessments as "ideological scribbling" echoes the fascist contempt for expertise and scientific inquiry that characterised regimes which prioritised ideology over evidence. 

When Jones describes regional councillors as "Politburo apparatchiks," he reveals his own authoritarian mindset, anyone who disagrees with his vision for environmental destruction must be part of some sinister conspiracy rather than public servants just doing their legally mandated jobs.

What makes Jones' extremism particularly troubling is the financial corruption that underpins it. The Resources Minister's relationships with mining companies extend far beyond policy alignment into the murky waters of financial influence. Analysis of political donation records reveals a staggering pattern of corporate capture that would make even the most cynical observer blush.

NZ First received at least $121,680 from donors linked to fast-track projects in 2024 alone, with Jones personally benefiting from quarry company J Swap in August 2023, the same company that subsequently donated $11,000 to NZ First and applied for fast-track approval. AJR Finance, connected to quarrying interests, contributed a massive $55,000 to NZ First. These figures represent just the tip of the iceberg in a system where corporate donors are literally buying policy outcomes.


Last year, RNZ reported:

Quarry company J Swap's fast track plea after donations to Shane Jones and NZ First

A NZ First donor wants Fast Track legislation to free up permanently protected land for quarrying.

J Swap, a company involved in quarrying, wants land protected under QEII covenants to be available to quarry. It donated $11,000 to NZ First in December, after the coalition was formed.

It also gave $5000 to NZ First's Shane Jones in August 2023 and $3000 to National's David MacLeod in September 2023.

The proposed Fast Track legislation is touted as a "one-stop shop" for approving infrastructure projects. It would sit over a range of existing acts and regulations and would mean an application would only need to go through one process for approval instead of several consents under the existing system.

Jones' undeclared dinners with mining company representatives, arranged by his own staff, demonstrate a level of impropriety that would have seen ministers resign in shame during more principled eras. That he refuses to answer questions about these meetings whilst simultaneously pushing legislation that directly benefits his dinner companions represents corruption in its most brazen form.

The Minister's attacks on environmental groups further reveal his authoritarian tendencies. His vitriolic campaigns against Greenpeace and the Green Party are not merely political rhetoric but systematic attempts to delegitimise opposition voices. When Jones declares that environmental organisations are "economic saboteurs," he employs the classic fascist tactic of painting political opponents as traitors to the nation. This is the language of autocrats who cannot tolerate dissent.

His promise that fast-track legislation will "enable these economic saboteurs to be marginalised" is perhaps the most revealing statement of all. Here, Jones explicitly acknowledges that his legislative agenda is designed not to improve environmental processes but to eliminate environmental opposition entirely. This is not governance; it is the systematic dismantling of democratic accountability.

The implications extend far beyond mining policy. If Jones succeeds in eliminating regional councils, institutions that employ thousands of professionals and manage critical functions, he will have destroyed a fundamental layer of New Zealand's democratic architecture. These councils don't just assess mining applications; they manage flood protection, biosecurity, civil defence, and public transport. Their elimination would represent the largest centralisation of power in New Zealand's modern history.

Regional councillor Alexa Forbes correctly identified Jones' rhetoric as undermining confidence in both central and local government. When ministers attack the institutions they're supposed to work with, they erode the very foundations of democratic governance. This is precisely how democratic backsliding occurs, not through military coups but through the gradual erosion of institutional safeguards by those entrusted to protect them.

Jones' vision of New Zealand is one where corporate donors write policy, environmental laws are ignored, and democratic institutions are eliminated if they prove inconvenient. His $3 billion mining export target comes with a hidden cost: the transformation of New Zealand into a corporate playground where profit trumps the environment and democracy becomes an obstacle to be overcome.

The tragedy is that this assault on our democratic institutions is being conducted by a minister whose own party received just 6.08% of the vote in 2023. Through the accidents of coalition politics, a fringe politician bankrolled by mining interests now wields the power to reshape New Zealand's governance structures according to his authoritarian vision.

History teaches us that democracy's greatest threats often come not from external enemies but from those within who promise prosperity whilst dismantling the institutions that protect the Kiwi way of life. Shane Jones embodies this threat, and his agenda must be recognised for what it truly is: not economic development but undemocratic destruction, funded by corporate interests and executed through authoritarian rhetoric that would make history's dictators proud.

National's Fossil Fool Fiasco Betrays Climate Commitments

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

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

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

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

Today, Newsroom reported:

 

NZ abandons international fossil fuel pledge

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

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

...

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

"This is a declaration based on science."

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

— DW News (@dwnews) December 2, 2020

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

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

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

Fast-Track Corruption Will Ruin New Zealand

The Fast-track Approvals Bill, rammed through Parliament like a bulldozer through a native forest, has raised a number of questions about just how much the pockets of coalition politician's are being lined. This isn’t governance; it’s a garage sale of our environment, with corrupt politician's like Shane Jones, Chris Bishop and Simeon Brown holding the cash tin.

Let’s cut to the chase. Companies and shareholders associated with 12 fast-track projects in New Zealand donated more than $500,000 to the National, Act, and NZ First political parties and their candidates in 2022 and 2023. Coincidence? Hardly.

 

Here's a few of the "donations" from companies associated with the fast-track process:

 

Melrose Private Capital: Donated $84,680 to New Zealand First in 2024 (two donations: May and September 25). Part owner of Taharoa Ironsands, a sand mining project south of Kawhia, Waikato, included in the fast-track process.

Fletcher Building: Donated $7,200 to the National Party in 2023 for tickets to a dinner event. Holding company for Fletcher Concrete & Infrastructure, associated with quarry projects in the fast-track process.

Winton Land Limited: Director Christopher Meehan and related entities donated $206,154.23 to National and ACT in 2023, including $103,260 to the National Party and $50,000 to ACT from Meehan personally, and $52,894.23 to the National Party in 2022 from Speargrass Holdings, another company directed by Meehan. Winton’s Sunfield development project in Ardmore, Auckland, is part of the fast-track process.

Vipan Garg: Donated $5,135 to the National Party in 2023.

Winton Land Limited: Director Christopher Meehan donated $103,260 to the National Party and $50,000 to ACT in 2023. Speargrass Holdings, another company directed by Meehan, donated $52,894 to the National Party in 2022. Winton’s Sunfield development project in Ardmore, Auckland, is part of the fast-track process.

Russell Property Group: Donated to the National Party in 2022 and 2023 (specific amounts not detailed). Director Brett Russell also donated $35,000 to the National Party in 2024, 10 days after the fast-track project list was announced. Associated with a fast-track project, though specifics are not fully detailed.

Gibbston Valley Wines: Donated to the National Party (amount not specified). Directors are linked to the Gibbston Valley residential project in the fast-track process.

Sanford: Donated to New Zealand First (amount not specified) in 2024. Associated with aquaculture projects in the fast-track process.

McCallum Bros: Donated to New Zealand First (amount not specified) in 2024. Associated with mining/quarrying projects in the fast-track process.

Kings Quarry: A finance company associated with its director and half-owner donated $50,000 to New Zealand First and $5,000 to Shane Jones in 2023. Included in the fast-track project list.

Last year, RNZ reported:

$500,000 in political donations associated with fast track projects

Companies and shareholders associated with 12 fast-track projects gave more than $500,000 in political donations to National, Act and New Zealand First and their candidates, RNZ analysis shows.

The projects include a quarry extension into conservation land and a development whose owner was publicly supported by National MPs during a legal battle with Kāinga Ora.

This is the kind of money that buys more than a few campaign billboards, it buys influence, access, and, apparently, a free pass to gut environmental protections. The Fast-track Approvals Bill, sold to us as a way to “get things done,” seems to have a hidden clause: “things” include auctioning off our natural heritage to the highest bidder.

 

On Monday, The Press reported:

 

Mining company granted exploration permit in Marlborough Sounds

An Australian mining company has been granted an exploration permit for a remote and rugged area of the Marlborough Sounds, sparking concern from residents.

Sams Creek Gold Limited, owned by Siren Gold, sought the five-year permit for an operation named Queen Charlotte, to explore the potential for mining in an area from Endeavour Inlet and Resolution Bay north to Port Gore and Titirangi Farm Park, and includes a section of the renowned Te Araroa Trail.

The land also includes the historic Endeavour mine which was a major source of antimony, a heavy metal used in alloys and electronics, until it closed down in 1901. At the time it was New Zealand’s largest antimony mine.

 

Siren Gold Limited is connected to Kings Quarry through their shared involvement in the Sams Creek Gold Project in New Zealand. Siren Gold, an exploration company focused on gold and antimony projects, holds an 81.9% interest in Exploration Permit 40338 for the Sams Creek project, with OceanaGold owning the remaining 18.1%.

Kings Quarry, owned by the Semenoff Group and linked to Siren Gold via an unnamed director and half-owner, is associated with this project, as a finance company tied to this director donated $50,000 to New Zealand First and $5,000 to Shane Jones in 2023, coinciding with the project’s inclusion in New Zealand’s fast-track approvals process. Siren Gold’s recent five-year exploration permit (EP 61605) for antimony and gold at Endeavour Inlet in the Marlborough Sounds raises even more questions about political interference in the consenting process.

 

The coalition’s mantra of “streamlining” is starting to sound like a euphemism for “strip-mining.” This bill, which passed in December 2024, lets ministers green light projects with barely a nod to environmental safeguards or public input. Mining companies, developers, and other big players are lining up for a slice of New Zealand. The 149 projects handpicked for fast-tracking read like a wish list for the government’s corporate mates, not a plan for New Zealand’s future. They want to sell our environment, degrading it into a wasteland that nobody will want to see.

Here's @jacktame grilling Chris Bishop over the new fast-track process that will allow the government to override court decisions that have blocked large-scale projects for environmental reasons: pic.twitter.com/3RLNeCBTqc

— Nick (@StrayDogNZ) March 10, 2024

The fast-track legislation is poisoning New Zealand's corruption perception index scores and ruining our tourism industry, a $10 billion economic pillar already faltering under New Zealand's tarnished image. By fast-tracking projects like mining near Punakaiki’s Pancake Rocks, it threatens the “100% Pure” brand that entices global visitors to our shores. With international criticism from the UK and EU, perceptions of unsustainable development are keeping eco-conscious tourists away, hitting regional economies hardest.

So why isn’t this front-page news? Why aren’t our media outlets screaming about a government that is running a pay-to-play scheme? Nearly 27,000 public submissions, mostly opposed, and thousands marching in protest should’ve giving the government pause for thought. Instead, we get radio silence while ministers like Shane Jones, Chris Bishop, and Simeon Brown play fast and loose with the taxpayers wallet and our democratic process. The Ombudsman called out the Department of Conservation for unlawfully withholding advice on this bill, yet the coalition just shrugs and carries on. It’s governance by arrogance, with a side order of cronyism.

 

In May, RNZ reported:

 

Ministers continue to make decisions on fast-track projects after parties take donations linked to applicants

Ministers Shane Jones and Chris Bishop continued to make decisions about several fast-track projects despite their respective parties receiving donations linked to the applicants.

One political scientist says such donations could be perceived as a conflict of interest and erode public trust in government.

…

Political donation data released last week shows NZ First received donations from seafood company Sanford, mining company McCallum Bros and the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust.

National received donations from Russell Property Group and the company's director, Brett Russell. It also received a donation from Gibbston Valley Wines, which has directors linked to the Gibbston Valley residential project. Projects from these companies are included in the Fast-track legislation.

…

Shane Jones, a NZ First MP, assessed projects put forward by an advisory group which fell into mining, quarrying and aquaculture. He declared a conflict of interest for eight projects, and stood aside for these. He did not declare a conflict of interest for applications from Sanford, McCallum Bros, or the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust.

…

Chris Bishop, a National MP, assessed projects related to housing, land development and infrastructure. He stood aside for one project, the assessment of Winton's Sunfield development as he had advocated for it in the past. He did not stand aside for the assessment of Russell Property Group's Beachlands South, or Gibbston Village.

Let’s not mince words: this is corruption, plain and simple. When donations from companies set to benefit from a bill line up so neatly with its passage, it’s not just a red flag…it’s a flashing neon sign saying "CORRUPTION". The coalition’s claim of “no private benefit” is laughable when the evidence clearly shows otherwise.

New Zealanders deserve better than a corrupt government that treats policy like a commodity. We need transparency, accountability, and a full investigation into these donations. Who paid what, and what did they get in return? If National and NZ First want to “get things done,” they can start by coming clean. Until then, the only thing they’re fast-tracking is public distrust.

The Coalition's Disinformation Undermining Our Democracy

The New Zealand government, National, ACT, and NZ First, has been very busy recently earning its moniker: the Coalition of Chaos. This unholy trinity seems hell-bent on trying to rewrite reality, peddling lies that erode public trust in politics, and flouting the rules of decorum in an orchestrated attack on the public's sensibilities.

Take the corrupt Shane Jones for instance, NZ First’s loudmouth-in-chief, who’s been parroting the tired old lie that Labour shut down the Marsden Point refinery. The truth? The refinery’s closure in 2021 was a commercial decision by its private owners, not a Labour policy. Jones knows this. His own coalition’s $7.3 billion feasibility study confirmed the Crown can’t afford to reopen it. Yet, he keeps flogging this dead horse, hoping voters won’t notice that most of Marsden Point refinery is already demolished. It’s cynical and lazy politicking, which insults people's intelligence.

Then there’s the fiction that Labour directly funnelled $2.7 million to the Mongrel Mob for a meth rehab programme. This whopper, gleefully amplified by propagandist bloggers and coalition MPs, conveniently ignores the facts. The funding went to a community-based rehab initiative, not the gang’s coffers, and was part of a broader health strategy to tackle meth addiction. Misrepresenting it as a gang handout is a cheap shot designed to inflame prejudice and dodge scrutiny of the coalition’s own limp efforts on addiction. When meth use has more than doubled over the past year, you'd expect some level of honest debate from government politicians to find solutions. Instead all we get is finger pointing and more lies.

Judith Collins, meanwhile, has been spinning her own twisted yarn, claiming Te Pāti Māori’s protest haka in Parliament stopped ACT MPs from voting on the Waitangi Tribunal bill. Rubbish! The haka disrupted proceedings, sure, but no vote was blocked. ACT MPs were free to cast their ballots. Collins’ exaggeration is yet another racist dog-whistle, painting Māori activism as a threat to democracy while deflecting from the coalition’s divisive Treaty policies. The mainstream media, lapping up her soundbites, only fuels the government’s distortion of the truth.

Speaking of media, how many times have we heard coalition MPs whining about National “inheriting a financial mess” from Labour? It’s a catchy line, dutifully echoed by outlets too spineless to fact-check. Reality check: Labour navigated a global pandemic, kept unemployment low, and left a fiscal deficit that National’s own tax cuts have since ballooned into the stratosphere. The “mess” narrative is just another lazy trope to justify the government's austerity and broken promises, like the cancer treatment funding National tried to quietly shelve. The subsequent Pharmac boost may have mitigated some criticism, but the delay and lack of transparency by the government has fuelled distrust in their decision making process.

Then there’s the brazen lie from Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis, who insist their pay equity reforms won’t cut women’s pay packets. Absolute nonsense! By raising the threshold for claims and scrapping 33 existing ones affecting 150,000 mostly female workers, the coalition’s changes will save billions...money that would have otherwise gone to teachers, nurses, and carers.

Labour’s Chris Hipkins nailed it: taking away promised pay is a cut, plain and simple. Luxon’s claim that it’s just “fixing an unworkable system” is gaslighting, especially when Willis admitted the savings plug another budget hole. "Brooke van Velden has saved the budget" claimed ACT's David Seymour. Saved the budget by making low-waged women foot the bill for National's un-costed tax cuts and billion dollar handouts for landlords. This betrayal, rammed through under urgency, screams contempt for women workers...a contempt that is designed to keep everyone's wages low.

Other untruths abound. David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill was sold as “clarifying” the Treaty, but the Waitangi Tribunal correctly called it a breach of partnership principles, warning that it undermines Māori rights. ACT’s claim that it’s just “future-proofing” is a bald-faced lie! 18,000 petitioners and countless submissions saw through it. But still the ACT Party persists in trying to mislead the people.

This relentless dishonesty isn’t just politics as usual…it’s a wrecking ball for public faith in our political system. When government MPs blatantly lie with impunity, and media parrot their dishonest talking points, voters grow ever more cynical. Trust in Parliament, already at an all-time low, takes another hit. Politicians wonder why turnout at general elections is plummeting? But they only need look in the mirror. The Coalition of Chaos isn’t just governing poorly, it’s poisoning the well of democracy…a poison that will take many generations to remedy.

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.

Is Shane Jones The Most Corrupt Politician in New Zealand?

New Zealand First’s Shane Jones has long styled himself as the “Prince of the Provinces,” a champion of regional development and economic growth. But beneath the bluster lies a troubling pattern of behaviour that reeks of cronyism and corruption, undermining the very democracy he claims to serve. Recent revelations and historical missteps paint a damning picture of a politician who seems more interested in cozying up to corporate interests than upholding the integrity expected of a politician.

In 2024, an OIA request exposed Jones’ secret dinner with mining company executives, conveniently left off his official diary, something that notable left-wing politicians have had to resign for. His claim that it was a simple mistake and a “spur-of-the-moment” meeting was debunked when evidence showed his staff had pre-arranged the rendezvous with a lobbyist and other big players from the mining industry, including Stevenson Group deputy chair, Barry Bragg. At this dinner, Jones suggested Bragg's coal mining project, Te Kuha, apply for fast-track approval, leading Bragg to write to RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. Additionally, Kings Quarry, part-owned by Andrew Ritchie, who donated $50,000 to NZ First and $5,000 to Jones in 2023, was then approached for fast-track consideration.

This wasn’t a casual chat over a pint; it was a deliberate, under-the-table powwow with vested interests. Jones’ office brushed it off, declaring the matter “closed.” Closed for whom? Certainly not for New Zealanders who deserve transparency from their Resources Minister.

This isn’t Jones’ first brush with ethical ambiguity. Cast your mind back to 2008, when, as a Labour MP, he was embroiled in a citizenship scandal involving money launderer Bill Liu. Jones, then Immigration Minister, fast-tracked Liu’s citizenship despite warnings from officials about Liu’s dubious background. The Auditor-General’s report later slammed Jones for poor judgement, yet he skated by with barely a slap on the wrist. Liu claimed in a signed statement to have given $100,000 to Labour, although there’s no record of the party receiving these funds. Only a $5,000 donation is reported. So where did the rest of that money go, Shane Jones?

As Regional Development Minister in 2021, Jones approved $1.532 million from the Provincial Growth Fund for a Northland project linked to one of his former staffers. He later claimed he couldn’t recall declaring a conflict of interest, raising questions about his lack of transparency.

Shane Jones, as Fisheries Minister, received donations from the fishing industry during his 2023 election campaign. Specifically, he received $5,000 from Westfleet Seafoods and $2,000 from Aimex Hydraulics, both connected to fishing industry figure Craig Boote. Additionally, Sealord and Talley’s have donated large amounts to Jones’ campaigns. In February 2024, Boote lobbied Jones at an exclusive industry event to review policies on cameras, catch limits, bottom trawling, and immigration waivers. As a consequence, Shane Jones often exhibits a pattern of prioritizing donor interests over environmental and worker exploitation concerns.

Fast forward to 2024, and we see echoes of this in the coalitions tobacco policy flip-flops. Jones admitted to celebrating the new government’s formation with a tobacco lobbyist who influenced NZ First’s policy to scrap smoke free reforms. NZ First even fabricated evidence to try and trick the public into accepting and justify their destructive reforms. Public concern grew at the incomprehensibly stupid decision to kill more Kiwis when it emerged that NZ First had received $20,000 in donations from tobacco-affiliated entities during the 2023 election campaign. A “dirty deal” indeed, as Labour’s Ayesha Verrall rightly called it.


Today, Newsroom reported:

NZ First donor launches airline war on Chatham Islands

It flew in food and supplies for this week’s regional development summit on the island, 800km off the east coast off New Zealand, and minister Shane Jones invited Texel’s directors to take part alongside public sector chief executives and infrastructure bosses.

…

Texel is founded and majority-owned by Nelson-based John Chisholm. His family is a big donor to NZ First. According to Electoral Commission records, he contributed $70,000 to the NZ First election campaign in 2023. He says he also contributed to National.

Jones’ defenders might argue he’s just a pragmatic dealmaker. But pragmatism doesn’t excuse deception or the obvious favouritism NZ First exhibits. Jone’s cronyism smacks of picking winners over genuine public interest. Meanwhile, his rhetoric about “woke-riddled” banks and racist claims of “alien ideas” from migrant MPs distracts from these cozy corporate ties, whipping up division to mask his own corruption.

Shane Jones largely operates with impunity because the equally corrupt Winston Peters lets him. The other problem...Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to reprimand Jones for xenophobic outbursts or dodgy dealings signals a coalition government more interested in holding onto power than principled decision making. When MPs like Jones can lie about meetings, court lobbyists, accept bribes and dodge accountability, it erodes trust in our democracy, which is in itself a breach of the cabinet manual.

New Zealand deserves better than MPs who trade public good for private gain. Jones’ track record of undocumented mining dinners, secret tobacco deals, and citizenship scandals shows a politician who isn’t concerned about ethics at all. It’s time for voters to demand transparency and for the media to stop letting him off the hook. Until then, Shane Jones remains a glaring symptom of a political system that’s far too comfortable with corruption.

The extremists are over-represented

Politics in New Zealand is a strange beast sometimes. Often politicians promote their ideas to the public veiled in moralistic posturing that hides their true intentions. However sometimes the veil drops and we witness the true ugliness of what certain politicians believe.

Yesterday, 1 News reported:

Shane Jones doubles down on Indian students comments in fiery clash with John Campbell 

Mr Jones' initial comments specifically said that the students coming from India had "ruined many of those institutions".  

But today, he said that the students were victims of dodgy schools. 

"Short-term migration, in my view, has been worsened by dodgy language schools and it has led to criminality where the students themselves have been victims," he says. 

"But often they're victims as a consequence of the actions of their own people. You can't walk away from that, John."

Wow! That’s some really ugly racist bullshit going on there. But why would Jones say such patently untrue things?

Mr Jones says when election day rolls around it'll be clear how the general public really feels. 

"I'll tell you, when the alarm clock rings on election day, more Kiwis - and remember, they come out at night - they're going to agree with me than you believe is possible."

Shane Jones - Racist politician

So Jones is intentionally being controversial to get attention in the hope that it will push NZ First over the 5 per cent threshold.

This type of politicking is a serious problem in Aotearoa. On one side of the political spectrum we have people like Jones pandering to racists who want to blame all the countries woes solely on immigration. On the other side we have people like David Seymour who openly elicits support from gun totting white supremacists who want to terrorise and blow up New Zealand mosques.

Then there’s the National Party, which in the face of an increasing number of unprecedented climate change disasters are seeking to impede the move towards renewable forms of energy and transport. If supporting polluting industries that could ensure our global extinction isn’t extremism, I don’t know what is.

So if you’re a white supremacist, vote for Act. If you’re a racist, vote for NZ First. And if you’re a climate change denier, vote for National. Everyone else (which would be a clear majority of Kiwis) should vote for either Labour or the Greens.

The stench surrounding William Yan

Today, the NZ Herald reported:

Controversial citizen William Yan AKA Bill Liu admits money laundering of 'significant sums'

KEY POINTS

William Yan pleads guilty to money laundering, name suppression lifted.
Will serve sentence in penthouse apartment.
NZ to keep $15m of seized $43m. 

One of New Zealand's most controversial citizens has been convicted of money laundering.

William Yan - also known as Bill Liu, Yang Liu and Yong Ming Yan - pleaded guilty to the serious criminal charge in March. Name suppression was lifted at the sentencing hearing in the Auckland District Court this morning.

It beggars belief that William Yan is being allowed to remain in New Zealand. It was bad enough that Shane Jones granted him citizenship in the first place despite an Interpol warning. But why on earth hasn’t Yan’s money laundering guilty verdict automatically sent him packing?

Clearly Yan laundered money from China because he couldn’t bring it into New Zealand legitimately.  But what really pisses me off is that it appears some of that fraudulent money was also used to grease the palms of certain dishonest politicians to ensure his citizenship.

It’s simply unacceptable that Yan was laundering money and applying for New Zealand citizenship while making substantial donations to the Labour and National party.

Today the Herald also reported:

Accused of $129m fraud: Citizen William Yan, the man with many names

Millionaire businessman William Yan (aka Yang Liu, Yong Ming Yan and Bill Liu) was at the centre of a political citizenship storm and a police raid on his Auckland apartment. Now Chinese authorities claim he is responsible for a $129 million fraud.

Surely crimes concerning such a large amount of dirty money would negate any rights Yan has to remain in New Zealand?

The fact that Yan has used some of his laundered money to apparently bribe officials in order to remain in New Zealand and retain his possessions, possessions that were also purchased with dirty money from China is despicable!

You can understand Yan being able to bribe his way out of China the first time, because their system is well known to be corruptible. But I expected more from New Zealand’s so called political leaders and our justice system.

Jared Savage from the Herald continues:

The Criminal Proceeds Recovery law used to seize assets from Mr Yan and Ms Zeng essentially forces someone to prove how an asset was paid for - even if they were acquitted or criminal charges are not laid.

This investigation focused on a number of VIP members at SkyCity casino and the flow of money related to alleged drug transactions through the casino, according to the affidavit of Mr Good.

"From my experience and from numerous intelligence reports and organised crime investigations, Sky City casino and particularly the VIP facilities are a recognised money laundering risk and an environment within which numerous drug distribution groups work, both alone, and alongside one another," said Mr Good. 

SkyCity casino

One of the alleged "suspicious" transactions reported to police was the cash purchase of one apartment in the Metropolis for $500,000 - one of five titles bought on the 35th floor and combined into one giant penthouse - outlined in Mr Kay's affidavit.

Ms You received $2.3 million in a bank account from a foreign exchange dealer, which she withdrew in two bank cheques of $1.8 million and $500,000.

Those cheques were deposited in Sky City accounts, but 30 minutes later she withdrew $300,000 and Mr Yan then "cashed out" $200,000 worth of chips. The cash was given to the real estate agent inside the casino.

"Given the timing of these transactions it appears Mr Yan used Ms You's accounts to receive, then filter through Sky City, substantial cash funds for the purchase of Apartment 3505," alleged Mr Kay.

You’ve got to wonder why the National party is such champions of Sky City then? If the venue is being used to launder money and distribute drugs then it really shouldn’t have received a back-room deal to ensure more gamblers are addicted to 470 new gambling machines. In fact the Police should have shut down Auckland’s Sky City, just like they would do to any other drug dealing or money laundering premises.

It looks to me like the Police and the court system have been bribed so that Yan retained his possessions and received a sentence that isn’t really a sentence at all. I mean five months home detention in a luxury apartment purchased with dirty money. He can leave whenever he wants so it’s not really even home detention FFS!

It’s a clear indication that our political and justice systems can be purchased and there is one law for the rich and another for the rest of us.

Joyce loves low wages

Today, the NZ Herald reported:

The policies have gone down a treat among those at the meetings, which had a strong union presence. However, they have drawn flak from Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce who said the three were "spending like drunken sailors".

"If there is another fortnight of this, then what is left of their economic credibility will be shot to bits. It's like they went to sleep in 2008 and have woken up not realising the world has changed so they're back to the old borrow and bribe ways."

Steven Joyce is one to talk. Since National gained power in 2008, they've increased government debt by a whopping 380%. A lot of that $65.5 billion increase to $82.8 billion has gone on bribing their supporters for continued support.

Mr Cunliffe said yesterday he believed the cost of extending the living wage across the public sector would be about $20-$30 million in its first year.

Mr Joyce said Mr Cunliffe was pulling numbers out of thin air. "It would be a lot more than that. They're talking about every agency of Government."

Introducing a living wage of $18.40 per hour for government employees is affordable. In fact there is good empirical evidence (PDF) for a $18.40 living wage across the board.

In 2012, the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment estimated that increasing the minimum wage to $18.40 for all workers would increase annual wage costs by $2.6 billion and increase inflation by 1.27 per cent.

However increasing minimum wage for government sector employees to $18.40 per hour would be a lot more affordable. There's approximately 39,800 state sector employees being paid below $18.40 per hour and contrary to what the right wing have been saying, increasing their incomes will not mean state sector employees on better remuneration packages will need their incomes increased as well.

The MBIE also found that 12.2% of those 2.5 million workers are being paid below $15 an hour. Their number crunching shows that increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour across the board would increase annual wage costs by $315 million and cost the Government $67.87 million. However they do not factor in Working for Families subsidies, which would be reduced with people receiving higher wages.

There's around 2.5 million people in full time employment in New Zealand and around 298,000 of these are state sector employees. To increase the incomes of 13% of these state sector workers to $18.40 per hour would therefore cost the government (ie taxpayers) $31.2 million per year before you account for any savings in other areas. The increase to inflation from this policy is so ridiculously low as to not be worth mentioning.

$20 to $30 million is chump change when you consider the government has just given $30 million to a privately owned overseas company, Rio Tinto, when there's no evidence of any economic benefit or increased job security for New Zealand workers.

Likewise, increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour is also affordable and should be one of the first changes a Labour led government initiates to ensure New Zealand's economic recovery. $67.87 million per year is chump change to a government that is borrowing more than $300 + million each week. What exactly are they spending all that money on anyway?

Herald on Sunday vs Labour

Today, the Herald on Sunday reported:

The pork barrels have been rolled out in the Labour Party leadership battle, with Grant Robertson promising to introduce a "living wage" of more than $18 an hour for all government workers.

There is little doubt that Claire Trevett has used the term 'pork barrels' here as an insult. But instead of the policy announcement being an attempt to gain votes specifically from spending on the candidates constituents, which is what pork barrel means, increasing government worker wages to $18 per hour would benefit more than just those the policy targets. Besides, not all government workers are within the candidates electorates, or Labour voters for that matter.

He told 350 party members and unionists in Levin yesterday that he would set a timeframe to phase in the living wage, which is currently set at $18.40 an hour for a family to live without suffering poverty.

He also pledged to lift the minimum wage to at least $15 an hour and repeal all of National's industrial relations laws.

What a fantastic announcement that should have made the front page.

The policy will give National further ammunition for painting Labour as the big-spending party.

Is that meant to be a joke? First we had South Canterbury Finance receiving a $1.7 billion when they didn't need to and AMI a $500 million bailout. More recently there was the Rio Tinto $30 million payment with no increased job security or economic benefit known by the government.

Then on top of the approximately $115 million already spent on selling our assets the Meridian loyalty incentive scheme will gift at least another $40 million to retail investors.

Then we have all the spending on private consultants and the billions spent on roads of little significance plus a raft of other big-spending schemes that clearly show National has completely blown the budget. Have a look at our government debt increasing since they've been in power and it's clear that National has no ammunition, they only have empty words.

But if ignoring these facts wasn't bad enough, it's nothing compared to the editors diatribe against Labour's leadership contest. It seems ironic that the HoS has just won an award when you consider how bad their reporting is sometimes. Take for instance the fact that after Grant Robertson and David Cunliffe both announced there will be significant wage increases under a Labour led government, the HoS reports:

When a major political party decides to hold its leadership election in public, we should hear something of substance from the candidates. They are, after all, competing for the votes of party members, a more sympathetic electorate than they usually face and probably on average a better informed one.

So, increasing people's incomes, scrapping the GCSB legislation, potentially throwing the Sky City deal in the bin and rolling back the clock on asset sales isn't substantial? Get off the grass! The rest of the editors scribblings aren't even worth copy pasting.

Labour's next leader

In my opinion, David Shearer's shock resignation sends the wrong message to many voters, especially his supporters. Although the party obviously needs renewal, the current message is that Labour is unstable. I hope I'm wrong, but my prediction that we should expect another three years of National if Labour was to have further leadership troubles hasn’t changed.

Shearer’s resignation might be good for the Labour party in the long run, but it is not good for the left wing in general at a time when we should be pressing home the undemocratic passing of spy legislation. The GCSB amendment bill is a clear attack on our values and rights as New Zealanders and Key’s dictatorial rushing through of such unjust policy should be highlighted at every opportunity. The only benefit is that Labour is in the news again, but for all the wrong reasons.

However, Shearer resigning isn't what's really damaging Labour and the lefts chances to depose John Key's destructive regime. What is really damaging Labour at the moment is the medias response to his resignation and the fact that further leaks surrounding divisions within the party have come to light.

We now know that Shearer jumped before he was pushed. He jumped to try and save the party from a protracted and damaging leadership struggle, which is commendable. He did say that without the full support of his caucus he would step down and he is clearly a man of his word. Unfortunately his detractors within Labour don’t appear to be happy with his dignified resignation, with the NZ Herald's Claire Trevett reporting today:

A group of Labour MPs were planning a motion of no confidence against party leader David Shearer at the caucus meeting on Tuesday - a step pre-empted by his resignation from the leadership yesterday.

Mr Shearer said he was stepping down because he had not achieved the desired results.

After taking "soundings" from some of his colleagues, he believed he had lost the confidence of many Labour MPs, and it was time for a change before next year's election.

He said there was no challenge against him.

But the Herald has learned MP Maryan Street was preparing a motion of no confidence in Mr Shearer for Tuesday's meeting.

Plans were also being made to send a delegation to him before that to ask him to stand down rather than force the confidence vote.

The MPs involved were certain the motion would have succeeded if it had been required.

Although the media are manipulating the situation to make Labour look as bad as possible, it is clear that Shearer's opponents within Labour weren't happy with him preempting their attempted coup. You have to ask yourself why they would run off to the media with information that will only damage Labour’s chances for reelection to the government benches next year? In politics such unscrupulous tactics should sometimes be respected, but when it comes at the party's expense, no such respect should be forthcoming.

Clearly Shearer's honorable decision to step aside wasn't good enough. The knives are still out and not just from people like Judith Collins, Paula Bennett and John Banks. While they hissed and spat insults at David Shearer’s back, the right wings media lackey’s were also promoting their own choices for who should lead Labour. It’s ironic that the disloyal Shane Jones and fossil fuel advocate Andrew Little have gained their attention, but lets stick to the candidates who actually have a chance to become the Labour party’s next leader eh!

While many leftwing commentators support David Cunliffe, he is unfortunately largely alienated from the general public. Like it or not, there is some merit to the argument that Labour should remain a centrist party. Although fervently supported by many on the left, Cunliffe's direction will encroach further on the Greens. In my opinion, Labour will only increase its chances by securing more votes from middle New Zealand while retaining its core values. Having said that, the right wing propagandists clearly fear him, mainly because Cunliffe is an impressive speaker of the truth.

Grant Robertson is a bit more moderate in his beliefs. He is nonetheless just as charismatic and formidable a politician as Cunliffe. Although some have argued that his time in Helen Clark's office and sexuality will be a factor, I have to disagree. Experience is in my opinion a good thing and homophobes who would vote against Robertson just because he's gay aren't likely to vote Labour anyway. Bigots are National, Act and NZ First party supporters, so there is nothing to really lose there. I like to think that New Zealand has moved ahead enough so that an openly gay politician would gain support. While Cunliffe is likely to win more of the membership vote, Robertson is the clear winner within caucus. Healing division within Labour should perhaps be their top priority.

As for the future, serious consideration should be given to Jacinda Ardern. She is after all the people’s choice and has no association with Labour’s dead wood so to speak. In light of the ever-degrading social and economic situation in New Zealand, many people are pining for the days of Helen Clark’s steady leadership. Jacinda Ardern speaks for those who do not have a voice. She also has many of the same qualities as Clark and perhaps none of her flaws. Plus the prospect of seeing Key’s chauvinism exposed to the nation in a debate with Ardern is a chance worth taking. H3 or the Cheshire Cat up against the smiling assassin are similarly appealing things to think about.

Whoever is chosen, let’s hope the Labour party can put their quarrels behind them. Because without a strong and unified Labour party showing they can lead New Zealand to a brighter future, without a cohesive opposition that speaks for the majority of Kiwis, there is no telling what National will do with another term in power. That prospect alone is worth the left putting their differences aside and supporting Labour’s choice no matter who the next leader is.

Shane Jones shouldn't be rewarded

Yesterday, Bill English reported:

The Auditor-General’s report into the Yang Liu affair is extremely damning of the way Shane Jones handled the issue, and calls into question David Shearer’s judgment in reinstating him to Labour’s front bench, Acting Prime Minister Bill English says.

Perhaps it's the wording, but it appears that Bill English is saying the Auditor General, Lyn Provost, has been "extremely damning" of Jones being reinstated to Labour’s front bench.

However Jones' reappointment happened after the Auditor General released her Inquiry into the decision by Shane Jones to grant citizenship to Yang Liu (PDF), and she's made no further comment on the issue.

But not satisfied with that clunker and desperate to gain some political ground, the deluded Bill English goes on to cherry pick:

For example, on page 66 of the report, the Auditor-General says of Mr Jones: “In our view, given that he knew there were ongoing investigations by Immigration and the New Zealand Police, he should also have consulted them before making his decision, as the investigators note of the first meeting suggested he was intending to do.”

There is no doubt that Shane Jones failed to do his job properly, mainly because he didn't seek advice from other concerned parties before making his decision to grant Yang Liu citizenship.

He also ignored some of their formal recommendations and didn't properly document a reason for his decision to grant citizenship or give other concerned parties enough time to question that decision before informing Yang Liu and his representatives the application had been successful.

Clearly Yang Liu shouldn't have been granted citizenship, and that incorrect decision should have raised questions in David Shearers' mind about the ability of Shane Jones to follow proper process.

In my opinion, Shane Jones' incompetency has brought Labour into disrepute and should have ruled him out from reattaining the front benches, especially because Labour has other more competent MPs to choose from.

So what else does the equally incompetent Minister of Finance think is wrong here:

And on page 67, the report continues: “The decision to approve an urgent private ceremony, following so closely the decision to authorise the grant of citizenship against the recommendation of officials, caused a degree of consternation among the department’s staff. It added to the impression that Mr Liu was receiving special treatment.”

Actually, the report found that Jones, upon his granting Yang Liu citizenship was somewhat perturbed about the legal requirement for there to be a ceremony. He apparently inadvertently approved an urgent ceremony, a ceremony that was attended by a number of National MPs who had supported Yang Liu's application I might add.

“This is just a few weeks after he [David Shearer] demanded the Government stop the Sky City Convention Centre project because of an Auditor-General’s report. He should look in his own party’s backyard first.”

However the Auditor General found no evidence that there was any improper motive, collusion, or political interference in the Yang Liu decision, which is more than can be said about what the report into the SkyCity convention centre deal found.

So all in all another very messy affair and one clearly displaying that our political system is dysfunctional and full of idiots who don't bother to follow the rules.