The Coalition of Chaos' Assault on Electoral Fairness

The National-led government, propped up by its coalition partners ACT and New Zealand First, has embarked on a brazen assault on New Zealand’s democratic fabric. Their latest electoral law overhaul, set to decline hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders the right to vote by scrapping same-day enrolments, is a calculated move to tilt the electoral playing field in their favour. This is'nt just a bureaucratic tweak; it’s a deliberate act of voter suppression that threatens the very principles of fair representation.
 

Today, RNZ reported:

Enrolment changes could have 'significant' impact on democratic participation - Ministry of Justice

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says comments made by the deputy prime minister - calling voters who enrol late "dropkicks" - are "unhelpful", as changes to voter enrolment are rolled out.

Justice officials say closing enrolments ahead of advance voting could result in lower turnout and reduce confidence in the electoral system. And electoral law experts are also questioning why the changes need to stretch for the whole advanced voting period.

...

On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour backed the changes, insulting the hundreds of thousands of people who enrolled or updated their address, and voted, during the advance voting period and on election day itself.

"Frankly, I'm a bit sick of dropkicks that can't get themselves organised to follow the law," he said. "It's actually made so easy to do, they even have a little orange cartoon running around telling people to do it. And if you're too disorganised to do that over a thousand days between two elections, then maybe you don't care that much."

The coalition of chaos, as this shaky alliance has been correctly titled, is engineering a system where fewer voices, particularly those who've not enrolled in their local electorate, are heard at the ballot box. The decision to end same-day enrolment, a measure that allowed 110,000 New Zealanders to enrol or update details on election day in 2023, is nothing short of undemocratic. These voters, often young, Māori, Pasifika, or in unstable housing, are disproportionately likely to support progressive parties like Labour, the Greens, or Te Pāti Māori.

Constitutional law expert Andrew Geddis has noted that special votes, which include late enrolments, have historically favoured left-leaning parties. The government is effectively silencing people who don't agree with their neoliberal dogma, prioritising administrative convenience over democratic participation. Even the Ministry of Justice warned that these changes could lower turnout and erode confidence in the electoral system, a damning indictment of the coalition’s priorities.

ACT leader David Seymour’s contempt for our democracy is palpable. His dismissal of late enrolees as “dropkicks” who “can’t get themselves organised” reveals a deeper disdain for the very people democracy exists to serve. This isn't an isolated incident, but a window into the right-wing’s broader attitude: a belief that only the “deserving” should have a say. Seymour’s rhetoric, dripping with elitism, belies a worldview that sees voting as a privilege for the wealthy and sorted few, not a universal right. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith’s feeble rebuke of Seymour’s comments as “unhelpful” does little to mask the coalition’s complicity in this socially ignorant narrative.

Adding to this litany of anti-democratic measures is the government’s failure to address the unfairness that allows property owners with multiple homes to vote in each district where they own property. This archaic rule grants wealthier New Zealanders disproportionate influence in local elections, as their multiple votes amplify their voice over those who rent or own a single home. It’s a stark injustice that undermines the principle of equal representation. Compounding this, the coalition’s discussions about abolishing regional councils threaten to further erode local democracy. These councils, vital for environmental and community governance, ensure regional voices are heard. Dismantling them would centralise power and silence communities, reflecting the government’s broader pattern of prioritising control over democratic fairness.

The government’s anti-democratic streak doesn’t stop there. Their plan to reinstate a blanket ban on prisoner voting, reversing Labour’s 2020 reform that restored rights to those serving less than three years, is a shameful regression. This move will strip voting rights from an estimated 2,000–3,000 inmates, including those on remand who may later be acquitted, a clear violation of fundamental rights.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s response to concerns about this breaching the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, as ruled by the High Court in 2015, was a chilling “I do not care.” This flippant disregard for judicial rulings and human rights underscores a government more interested in populist posturing than upholding democratic principles.
 

Last year, RNZ reported:

 

Government rejects four voting changes as review lands

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has ruled out several recommendations from the Independent Electoral Review set up by the previous government.

The minister on Tuesday released the final report, which makes more than 117 recommendations, after it was delivered to him at the end of November 2023.

• Goldsmith ruled out action on some recommendations, including:
• Lowering the voting age to 16
• Allowing all prisoners to vote and stand for Parliament
• Freezing the ratio of electorate to list seats, which would lead to an increase in the number of MPs over time
• Repealing the offence of 'treating' voters with refreshments and entertainment.

Equally troubling is the coalition’s refusal to lower the voting age to 16. Despite a Supreme Court ruling affirming that 16 and 17-year-olds have the cognitive capacity for “cold decisions” like voting, and a 2024 Independent Electoral Review supporting the change, the government has stonewalled progress. They clearly don't want young people to get into the habit of voting throughout their lives. Their 2023 withdrawal of a bill that would have allowed 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in local body elections, with Local Government Minister Simeon Brown halting Justice Committee deliberations, snuffed out public consultation and silenced a generation eager to engage on issues that effect them directly.

This move, coupled with the coalition’s broader agenda, paints a picture of a government allergic to inclusive democracy. From voter suppression to disenfranchising prisoners and stifling youth voices, the National-led government’s actions betray a cynical and destructive agenda and won't do anything for our declining participation rates. By rigging the electoral system to mute progressive voters, they’re not just undermining democracy...they’re gambling with the trust that holds it together. Voters deserve better than a coalition of chaos that prioritises power over principle.

Health NZ Caught Faking Wait Times

In a nation that prides itself on fairness and transparency, the National-led coalition’s handling of New Zealand’s health system is nothing short of a scandalous betrayal. Reports emerging from Nelson Hospital suggest Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora) may have instructed hospitals to concoct “ghost appointments”, non-existent bookings designed to artificially deflate wait time statistics.

This grubby tactic is a desperate attempt to prop up the coalition’s pre-election promise of slashing hospital wait times, a pledge now crumbling under the weight of their own incompetence, uncovered manipulations and chronic under-funding.

Yesterday, 1 News reported:

 

Nelson Hospital accused of making 'ghost' appointments for patients

Documents released to 1News by the senior doctors union and Nurses Union show an email exchange between a clinician at Nelson Hospital and a manager.

In late June the clinician wrote that they had noticed some "unusual activity" with patient bookings. "It looks like there are 23 long wait patients listed as booked for a clinic scheduled for tomorrow under (redacted). However, the clinic doesn't exist as she is on leave."

A copy of the booking system for June 24, with the patient's details redacted, shows the patients were booked in for five minute slots with the note "DO NOT CONTACT PATIENT".

After the clinician again raised concerns, the manager emailed back: "We have received clear messaging from the commissioner that no patients are to be waiting longer than two years for an FSA by [June 30] and need to have a plan to be seen".

"So by creating the virtual clinic I was able to create a space for those patients to be held until booked." The email ends with: "please be assured as clumsy as this may seem, I am trying to do the right thing by everyone".

The public deserves better than such patronising deceit. The allegations are as insidious as they are unsurprising. Senior doctors and the Nurses Union have sounded the alarm, reporting “unusual activity” in Nelson Hospital’s booking system, where patients were “parked” in fictitious clinics only to be shuffled to real appointments later.

Health NZ’s Dr Derek Sherwood had the gall to call this a mere “administrative workaround,” as if fudging data to make wait times appear shorter is just another day at the office. Unfortunately for him, this is clearly a manipulation and cynical ploy to mask the coalition’s failure to deliver on their grandiose health promises. The Health and Disability Commissioner is now watching, but one wonders if Simeon Brown and his cronies will wriggle free with their usual bluster, particularly as there's very little mainstream media attention being given to this issue.

However, it's not hard to see the government’s fingerprints all over this scandal. While overseeing a health system in crisis, their obsession with optics over outcomes is painfully clear. The coalition’s outsourcing of 10,579 elective procedures to private hospitals by June 2025, at a cost of $50 million, is another sleight of hand. As RNZ reported, senior doctors slammed this move for creating a “false impression” of reduced wait times. Private providers cherry-pick straightforward cases, leaving complex patients languishing in under-resourced public hospitals.

On March 25, RNZ reported:

 

Outsourcing being used to pretend hospital wait times are being fixed - doctor

According to Health NZ Te Whatu Ora, there were 222 patients waiting for gynaecology surgery in Northland, of whom nearly half (101) had waited longer than the target of 120 days, 64 more than six months and eight more than a year.

Bailey said the backlog had been building for several years, partly driven by population increases - Northland is one of the fastest growing regions in the country - workforce shortages, industrial action by nurses, junior doctors and anaesthetic technicians, and then finally the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We've never caught up since."

He and his team had offered to do extra surgery sessions to help clear the backlog - but Health NZ would not pay for it.

"We can't actually run weekend lists because they are nitpicking about pay for theatre nurses."

When surgery was outsourced, those most in need of treatment tended to miss out, he said.

The last time Northland referred patients to a private hospital in Auckland - about a year ago - many were declined because they were "too complex".

It’s a numbers game, not a solution, and it reeks of the same dishonesty as the “ghost appointments” fiasco. Meanwhile, over 74,000 patients wait beyond four months for specialist assessments, and 37,000 for treatment. These figures expose the coalition’s hollow rhetoric for what it is: a cruel mirage that is impacting New Zealanders lives.

The government's refusal to properly fund Health, while funnelling millions to private providers, ensures overall wait times will only worsen, no matter how many “ghost appointments” they conjure up.

At the heart of this mess is the coalition’s belief in austerity and deliberate underfunding of public health. Hospitals are stretched to breaking point, with staffing shortages so dire that nurses, driven by desperation, are once again striking. The Nurses Union has been unequivocal: underfunding has created unsafe working conditions, compromising patient care. But instead of addressing this crisis, Brown and Reti prattle on about “steady progress” and “health targets,” as if words alone can bandage a haemorrhaging system.

This isn’t the first time the National-led government has played fast and loose with the truth when it comes to wait times. Historical data, like the 2012 study on elective surgery booking systems, points to “gaming” practices under previous National governments, such as raising clinical thresholds to exclude eligible patients from wait lists. Sound familiar? The coalition’s current tactics are just a rehash of this playbook, dressed up in new jargon but no less dishonest.

Kiwis deserve a health system that prioritises patients, not political point-scoring. The coalition’s reliance on data manipulation and privatisation by stealth is an insult to every New Zealander waiting in pain. Minister Brown, it’s time to stop hiding behind “workarounds” and face the music: your underfunded, mismanaged health system is failing us yet again.

Piggy Muldoon Would Be Turning in His Grave

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

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

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

 

Yesterday, the Herald reported:

PM Christopher Luxon open to scrapping regional councils amid RMA reform

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Helen Clark (@HelenClarkNZ) June 22, 2025

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

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

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

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

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.

UPDATED: Health Crisis Looms as Budget 2025 Cuts Billions

The National-led government’s 2025 Budget has been underwhelming to say the least. But it’s an especially grim read for anyone who values a functioning public health system. Despite the glossy spin from Health Minister Simeon Brown, the numbers don’t lie: New Zealand’s health sector is being short-changed. The much-touted $1.783 billion in new health spending sounds impressive until you scratch the surface and realise it’s barely enough to keep the lights on, let alone deliver the world-class care New Zealanders deserve. Once again, National’s obsession with fiscal restraint is strangling our hospitals, General Practitioners, and other frontline health workers.


Last week, the NZCTU reported:

Billions missing from health budget

“We have examined the spending decisions and announcements of the Minister of Health over the past few months. These demonstrate a pattern of making a new service promise but not providing any new funding for that new service,” said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney.

“That means the commitments have to be paid out of the existing budget, which is already under huge pressure. These sneaky cuts add up to $1.2bn across 4 years.

“At Budget 2024 the government provided $1.370bn for cost pressures. This has been calculated by the Treasury as simply covering the cost of existing services. The $1.2bn of new spending are all new services on top. If they come from the ‘cost pressure’ payment above, that acts as a direct cut to existing health services.

“Assuming the Treasury cost pressure costs are right, health needs $1.713bn just to stand still at Budget 2025 in direct new funding – and likely a figure closer to $2bn once the unknown costs are added.

Let’s break down the funding shortfalls even further. Budget 2025 boasts a 4.8% increase in Vote Health, bringing the total to $31.052 billion. Sounds decent, right? Wrong! When you factor in inflation and population growth (driven by immigration and an ageing demographic), the real per capita health funding is declining by around 1% each year over the forecast period.

 

Health NZ’s cost pressure uplift of 6.2% might outpace CPI inflation, but it’s nowhere near enough to cover the actual costs of delivering services in a country where demand is skyrocketing. The NZCTU estimates a shortfall of $1.2 to $2 billion just to maintain existing services, let alone address the backlog from COVID-19 or workforce shortages.

Despite these obvious funding shortfalls, Simeon Brown has gone on the attack:

Ginny Andersen tried rewriting history on ZB this morning, claiming there was no new health funding in the Budget. We already know Labour is economically illiterate, but for Ginny to think Kiwis are too is an insult. 🧵

— Simeon Brown (@SimeonBrownMP) May 27, 2025

 

National’s track record on health funding is a masterclass in deceptive cost-cutting. During their 2008–2017 tenure, per capita health funding eroded as they consistently failed to match inflation and immigration-driven demand, resulting in a real per capita spending drop of around 3%. The fallout was brutal: overworked nurses, understaffed hospitals, and patients languishing on wait lists for months. Fast forward to 2025, and National’s back at it, dressing up a bare-bones budget as “record investment” while frontline services buckle under the pressure.

The kicker? National’s priorities are wildly out of touch. While they’ve funnelled $164 million into after-hours care, a move Labour’s Ayesha Verrall rightly calls a drop in the bucket, they’ve slashed $381 million from digital health infrastructure and $35 million from Primary Care teams. Along with the Te Aka Whai Ora (Māori Health Authority) cuts in Budget 2024 of over NZ$100 million, these represent significant cuts to frontline services that are not being replaced. Instead of investing in training doctors and Nurses or modernising systems, they’re pouring billions into tax cuts for the wealthy and subsidies for tech giants and landlords. It’s a slap in the face to health workers and patients alike.

National’s failure to invest in the sevices that are required while claiming there's “no lolly scramble” in Budget 2025 is laughable when you see where the money’s actually going. Health NZ is still $1.1 billion in the red, and this budget does nothing to plug that gap.

Today, RNZ reported:

 

 

Government's health boost less than claimed, expert says

However, Auckland University health policy Professor Tim Tenbensel said, according to his calculations, the $31 billion allocated for health in the Budget was only 3.6 percent more than what was actually spent last year.

"So, we're pretty much treading water at best, or rather sinking a little, in this budget," Prof Tenbensel said.

Furthermore, operational funding last year only increased about 1.2 percent in real terms.

…

The trick was to keep adding on the previous year's increase as "new money", ignoring the fact that it would have been eaten up by inflation.

"It's a very creative ploy that one, so I think we need to see it for what it is," he said.

"All governments do this sort of thing, but in the scheme of things, this one is pretty brazen."

 

Kiwis deserve better than this neoliberal penny-pinching. National’s refusal to properly fund health isn’t just a budget failure...it’s a betrayal of every New Zealander waiting for a hospital bed or a specialist appointment. If they keep robbing Peter to pay Paul, our health system won’t just stagnate; it’ll collapse. Time to call it what it is: a deliberate choice to prioritise profits over people.

Simeon Brown's Dunedin Hospital Dishonesty

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

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

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

On Wednesday, The Otago Daily Times reported:

ICU beds: Minister ‘disingenuous’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

National's Water Done Well Will Cost Ratepayers More

When the National Party hastily announced its “Local Water Done Well” policy, they touted it as the great saviour of New Zealand’s crumbling water infrastructure. But as time goes by it's looking more and more like a planning and fiscal lame duck...and one that’s going to cost ratepayers far more than Labour’s much-maligned Three Waters plan ever would have.

National’s policy, unveiled with much fanfare by Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, promised to keep water assets in local hands while enforcing strict quality standards and financial sustainability. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? But the devil’s in the details...or rather, the lack thereof.

By repealing the Three Waters legislation in February 2024, National scrapped a framework that, while imperfect, was designed to consolidate water services into ten publicly-owned entities. The cost? An estimated $120-$185 billion over 30 years to fix our ageing pipes, with households facing rates of $800-$1,640 by 2051, according to government sources.

Now, National’s alternative hands the problem back to councils, forcing them to create Water Services Delivery Plans by September 2025, at their own cost. These plans must ensure financial sustainability. However, there's a major problem: many councils are already at their debt ceilings and cannot borrow more. Without the borrowing capacity of Labour’s regional entities, they’re left with two grim options...hike rates or defer maintenance on already broken water infrastructure.

Labour’s Kieran McAnulty warned that National’s approach could see rate increases of up to 90% in some councils over 30 years, with ratepayers now footing the bill instead of taxpayers sharing the load through Three Waters’ government funding.

On Tuesday, the NZ Herald reported:

Kaipara council’s demise feared amid water reforms

Government plans for drinking water and wastewater services delivery could spell the end of Kaipara District Council, Mayor Craig Jepson says.

“That’s one of the fears.”

His comments come as Kaipara District Council (KDC) consults on the future of its water services.

Councils have until September 3 to confirm their regionally generated plans for managing drinking water and wastewater with the Government.

 

National’s claim that their plan avoids Labour’s “$3 billion blowout” is pure sleight of hand. The $1 billion increase in Three Waters’ establishment costs were a one-off, dwarfed by the long-term savings from economies of scale, streamlined procurement and long-term investment.

National’s policy, by contrast, fragments responsibility across 67 already cash-strapped councils, losing those economies of scale and ensuring Council's (through third parties) incur more debt, likely causing their credit ratings to be downgraded. That means interest on Council debt goes up, and so do rates.

Smaller districts like Kaipara, already struggling with $2,360 annual water costs, could see rates skyrocket to $8,690 by 2051 without reform. How is an elderly person receiving around $27,000 pension each year meant to afford that?

And don’t forget the $280,000 a day National accused Labour of spending on consultants...yet their own technical advisory group, chaired by Castalia’s Andreas Heuser, looks like another gravy train for National's troughing mates.

The real sting? National’s insistence on “local control” ignores the reality that councils have under-invested in water infrastructure for decades, leading to 35,000 Kiwis sickened each year by substandard water and even some people's deaths.

Labour’s plan, for all its co-governance controversies, aimed to centralise expertise and funding to tackle this crisis head-on. National’s patchwork approach risks leaving ratepayers drowning in costs while pipes keep on leaking.

In short, “Local Water Done Well” is a triumph of ideology over pragmatism. It's a stunt to make National look good while communities, mainly in the regions, continue to suffer from substandard water. National’s ditched a workable solution for a fragmented, expensive mess..a leaking mess that doesn't look like it's going to be fixed anytime soon.

Simeon Brown Has Caused The Doctor's Strike

Simeon Brown, the National Party’s poster child for hubris, consistently over-promises and under-delivers. His track record...marked by policy flip-flops and a dismissive attitude toward expert advice, reveals a politician driven by personal ambition rather than evidence. From transport to health, Brown’s focus seems fixed on protecting National's image, not addressing the real needs of hardworking New Zealanders.

As Transport Minister, Brown’s obsession with scrapping Labour’s evidence based and sensible policies led to a string of easily avoidable failures. His decision to raise speed limits for instance, including around schools, which ignored a mountain of global evidence that lower speeds save lives, was correctly branded as a “political suicide note” by critics. National even tried to dismiss basic physics while promoting their increased speed limits insanity, physics that show increased speeds will result in worse accidents and more injuries, a reality that Brown dismissed as somehow being “woke.” I guess that makes Galileo Galilei, the “Father of Physics" woke then.

The result? A policy that endangers kids and communities, driven by a need to save impatient motorists a few seconds travel time rather than prioritize people's safety. His claim that drugs and alcohol, not speed, cause crashes is a half-truth at best, conveniently sidestepping how speed significantly amplifies harm. Meanwhile, Brown and his elitist party are quietly pushing a mass surveillance roading network, to increase revenue, dressing it up as a required safety measure.

Then there’s the Three Waters debacle. Brown and his cohorts gleefully scrapped Labour’s plan to fix our crumbling water infrastructure, dishonestly demonizing it as “Māori stealing water” to whip up fear among the racists and easily misled. What’s his alternative? A passive-aggressive email to Wellington councils, berating them for leaks he’s done nothing to address. No real plan, no extra funding, just misrepresenting the facts and an unending blame Labour game. Wellington’s pipes lose nearly 50% of their water, but Brown’s more interested in scoring cheap political points or getting photo ops about dobbing in potholes or road cones than finding any real-world solutions.

As Energy Minister, Brown’s slowdown of numerous renewable energy projects that could have stabilized electricity supply was a masterstroke of shortsightedness. Just so incomprehensibly stupid it's hard to fathom how Simeon reached his retarded decisions. Where the hell does National find these idiots? When power prices spiked, Brown blamed Labour’s oil and gas ban, despite briefings categorically showing it had little to no effect and warning him that the ban’s repeal wouldn’t fix supply issues anyway.

Simeon again ignored his officials by personally appointing his mate, John Carnegie, a prominent pro oil and gas lobbyist to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. Talk about nepotism. If Labour had ever been so blatant about jobs for the boys, the mainstream media would've had conniptions. But because it's National, that type of corruption is somehow acceptable.

Obviously selling our gas reserves to private interests, a lack of infrastructure investment and disproportionate demands for higher and higher dividends for investors after partial privatization is to blame (thanks John Key) for our ever increasing power prices and dilapidated electricity grid. But once again National had no plan. Scrapping renewable solutions without any alternative is peak Simeon Brown: ideologically driven, factually shonky, and dangerously out of touch with his own official's advice and the climate realities that are set to cost New Zealand dearly.

Now, as Health Minister, Brown’s inherited another crisis of National’s own making. The miserly 2.9% health budget increase...below inflation and population growth cost pressures...is starving the health system for much needed resources, forcing 5,000 senior doctors to now strike.

 

Yesterday, RNZ reported: 

'Made-up number': Doctors dispute Simeon Brown's pay claim

Dalton also challenged claims by Health Minister Simeon Brown that senior doctors were paid an average salary of $343,500.

"I've had a deluge of e-mails from our members saying if they earned that much money there would be no strike action," she said.

"I'm not sure where he's found the numbers that he's citing."

Brown made his numbers up, which is so often the case with arrogant National Party MPs.

How many times do health professionals have to point out the numerous problems caused by an under-funded health system, austerity that is endangering people's lives, just to have Brown dismiss their concerns with his obfuscations and outright lies? Brown’s response to the justified doctors strike? Smear the unions and quietly push for even more privatization, all the while National erodes public capacity through funding cuts and funneling extreme amounts of taxpayer money to their mates in private health. How else do you expect National to cut public hospital wait times while freezing budgets and staff numbers? However, shifting patients sideways into private hospitals at huge additional cost to massage their numbers isn't going to work long-term.

Brown’s failures stem from a toxic mix of inexperience, ideological rigidity, and a Messiah complex fueled by his fundamentalist beliefs. He’s not just a liability for National; he’s a danger to New Zealanders who deserve better than an ideologically driven evidence free minister who prioritizes his mates, dogma and penny-pinching over people's lives. The good people of Aotearoa will hopefully wake up before Brown’s next blunder costs us more than we can afford.

National's failed firearms bill cost over $390,000

We all know that New Zealand has a very large conservative voter base. That’s why the tough on crime campaigning of the past has worked well to get right wing political parties elected. 

However there’s a limit to how far right wing politicians can push the envelope when it comes to their us versus them rhetoric.

A perfect example of this was on display when NZ First leader Winston Peters made false accusations about Mongrel Mob advisor Harry Tam, who he claimed had illegally travelled across boarders with an associate who was Covid-19 positive.

Yesterday, Stuff reported:

Winston Peters apologises for alleging Harry Tam link with Northland Covid-19 case

Former deputy prime minister Winston Peters has apologised for comments he made on national television alleging former Mongrel Mob member Harry Tam helped a Covid-positive case breach the Auckland border.

On Friday, Tam, a former senior civil servant who now works with gangs, sent the former deputy prime minister and NZ First leader a legal letter, calling for a public retraction and apology by 5pm on Tuesday.

The letter called on Peters to “account for your false comments and the harm those comments have caused him and the community...to avoid any further action being required”.

Five minutes before Tam’s deadline, Peters issued a statement apologising for naming Tam as the Mongrel Mob affiliate who entered Northland.

Whether Peters simply had a senior moment, was straight out lying or had received incorrect intel from his police mates is anyone’s guess? But whatever the reason for the former deputy PM making false accusations concerning Harry Tam, he has assuredly made a huge fool of himself.

But he’s not the only right wing politician to get egg on their face recently. National Party MP Simeon Brown also had a monumental cognitive and legislative failure yesterday when Parliament decided that his Firearms Amendment Bill was a really stupid idea.

Here’s the National Party’s press release:

Government Shoots Down Bill To Take Guns Off Gangs

The Government’s decision to vote down National’s Firearms Prohibition Orders Bill shows how out of touch the Government is when it comes to gangs, says National’s Police spokesperson Simeon Brown.

“This is the second time the Government has shot down legislation which will make it harder for gangs to get access to firearms and make it easier for Police to take firearms off gang members.

Here’s the guts of Simeon Browns’ Bill:

Clause 5(1) and (2) of the bill provides that a firearms licence must not be issued to a person who in the opinion of a commissioned officer of Police is a gang member or a person who is subject to a FPO.

However the Police can already decline a gang member a Firearms Licence. In fact the Police will always decline a gang member the legal right to own a firearm because they view them as not being fit and proper to do so.

Here’s the Police directive:

Some of the criteria that Police may take into account when determining if someone is fit and proper to possess firearms or airguns include whether (s24A):

The person is a member of, or has close affiliations with a gang or organised criminal group.

So Simeon’s Bill is a complete waste of Parliaments time, which is also therefore a complete waste of taxpayer’s money.

It costs well over $300 to run Parliament on a per minute basis, which means that every time a fool like Simeon Brown opens his mouth in the House of Representatives to grandstand about gangs the taxpayer gets penalised.

Brown and his idiotic colleagues have taken roughly three days of Parliaments time (21 hours) to waffle on about gun crime…propaganda to enact a law that already exists.

That’s a cost of well over $390,000 to the taxpayer just so the National Party can pontificate about being tough on crime, and in my book that’s a complete waste of taxpayers money.

Collins is crushing her own credibility

Even before Judith Collins became overlord of the National Party, you could tell there was a huge ideological divide between her questionable values and those of the party’s former leaders. And just over a year after becoming the opposition's de facto leader, that chasm between Crusher and what her party once stood for couldn’t be more apparent.

Under her misguided leadership, the National Party have not only been campaigning against policy that they themselves enacted while in power, they're also criticising law and order initiatives that Judith Collins had implemented when she was a Cabinet Minister of John Key's neoliberal Government.

It’s an unprecedented political situation that senior political reporter David Fisher delves into with some much-needed insight and detail.

On Friday, the (pay-walled) NZ Herald reported:

National's new tough on crime campaign uses bad data, cherry-picked stats and attacks a justice scheme Judith Collins helped set up

A new social media campaign by the National Party on law and order has criticised a strategy aimed at curbing crime that was set up when Judith Collins was a Cabinet minister overseeing it.

The criticism is based on linking Labour Party policies to a quote from police stating "arrest is now the exception" that fails to explain the comment was made in relation to some low-level offending that goes before iwi community panels. 

…

Collins, the National Party leader whose image fronts the social media campaign, was Minister of Police in 2010, then Minister of Justice in 2014, when her officials began an evaluation of the programme.

The evaluation was reported back in 2016, when Collins was again Minister of Police, and has since been rolled out across the country.

This is a shocking indictment of just how ideologically blind the blue "team" has become.

Not only is National ignoring irrefutable evidence with their unrelenting tough on crime dogma, they're also attacking law and order policies that Crusher Collins had previously authorised in her capacity as a Minister of the Crown.

But that’s not the only thing the National Party are getting entirely wrong in their fervour to remain politically relevant. They’re also completely disregarding what the New Zealand Police are saying concerning changes to reported crime statistics. 

Analysis of other areas targeted in National's social media post - increased victimisation and claims of gang numbers increase - appeared to show selective use of data or a reliance on discredited data.

On gang numbers, this and other social media posts had seen National push the claim gang numbers had increased despite police saying the data could not be used to show actual numbers of gang members.

An interview request to Collins on the claims in the social media campaign resulted in a statement - from her office - attributed to the party's police spokesman Simeon Brown.

You know your party has lost a lot of talent when your tight five consists of Simeon Brown. pic.twitter.com/bnGDrVDEEw

— Damian Christie (@damianchristie) July 16, 2020

The list was started in 2016 as an intelligence tool to monitor those in or associated with gangs and had been added to as police awareness grew. The number of people on the list had gone from 5343 in 2016 to 8061 last month.

Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says the National Gang List does not provide statistical insight into gang numbers.

The growth in numbers largely reflected increasing awareness by police of those with gang links. It also showed - as Commissioner Andrew Coster had acknowledged - how difficult it was to be removed from the list when an association with a gang ended, including through death.

However instead of believing the Police Commissioner like normal grownups, the National Party is busy intentionally burying their heads in the sand and trying to make mountains out of molehills. They are in effect increasing the anxiety already felt about crime within our communities, which isn’t just a socially foolish thing for elected officials to do; it’s morally reprehensible as well.

On victimisations, Brown provided data showing serious assault resulting in injury had doubled under the current government from 10,679 in 2017 to 21,344 in 2020.

It was an increase police had previously linked to new family violence offences introduced in December 2018 that "resulted in police recognising and recording these more serious offences".

"It has also resulted in the realignment of some domestic common assaults into these new offences."

The new offences came in under the Family Violence Act which was originally introduced to Parliament under the National government as the Family and Whānau Violence Legislation Bill.

Data shows the number of incidents in which people have been affected by crime to be stable around 265,000 victimisation.

It would be good to see the National Party actually holding the Government to account with some valid arguments for a change instead of crying wolf all the time. Because without a properly functioning opposition that isn’t hell bent on fomenting fear just to get attention, we cannot hope to tackle the more pressing issues that need to be addressed in New Zealand.

When tough on crime goes wrong

If there’s one thing that you can safely rely on, it’s right-wing politicians grandstanding with tough on crime rhetoric. It's understandable being that such propaganda is usually a sure bet, obviously because a very large proportion of the public wants to see less crime and fewer criminals in their communities.

However every once in a while the tough on crime message goes terribly awry, which is exactly what has happened for the National Party lately. Their law and order messaging has largely been lost because of Judith Collins over-egging the situation, not to mention the various missteps by National's current police spokesperson, Simeon Brown.

Crusher Collins, who is clearly fighting tooth and nail at the moment to keep her job as leader of the opposition, was again crying wolf this week when she point blank demanded that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern sack her Police Minister, Poto Williams.

On Wednesday, Newshub reported:

National leader Judith Collins calls for Police Minister Poto Williams' sacking

Collins made the call after Williams was interviewed by Newstalk ZB about National MP Simeon Brown wanting to bring back Armed Response Teams (ARTs), which were trialled last year and discontinued. 

Williams was asked if she agreed with a statement issued by the group People Against Prisons Aotearoa after Police Commissioner Andrew Coster confirmed ARTs would not go ahead.

…

Williams said she was "not giving them the time of day", referring to People Against Prisons Aotearoa's statement, but she did not condemn Rākete's words either, which Collins says is unacceptable.

"The interview was a train wreck from beginning to end and quite frankly it is time the Prime Minister steps in to replace her with someone who is capable of advocating for and caring about police officers."

Trying to bully the Minister of Police by calling for her to be sacked over what is essentially a none-issue isn’t going to sit well with anybody but the most deluded right-wing supporter. In fact what this type of false accusation does is dilute National’s overall law and order campaigning, particularly when an opportunity to make political capital out of a topical issue does actually present itself.

However that’s not the only thing that’s been diluting what should be brand messaging for the National Party. The Government has been very proactive about developing policies concerning crime prevention, which means there just isn’t much leeway for the floundering opposition to get very tough on crime in the first place. That unfortunately hasn’t stopped them from trying though.

Last Sunday, Stuff reported:

National Party leader Judith Collins asks auditor general to investigate $2.75m for Mongrel Mob-led rehab programme

“The money should never have gone to the gang, but what makes it more concerning is that the recipient of the funds is senior Mongrel Mob member Harry Tam and his company H2R,” she said.

“This is serious. At best this is a very bad decision from a Government who would rather cosy up to gangs than keep New Zealanders safe.”

National Party police spokesman Simeon Brown also wrote to the Auditor General over the Chief Human Rights Commissioner’s $200 koha to the Waikato Mongrel Mob. Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt spoke at an event in May and a koha was laid at the pōwhiri in line with tikanga or Māori custom.

The problem for the National Party in this instance is that they’re arguing against good evidence showing that the gang-run rehabilitation program actually works. It therefore doesn’t matter how many times National MPs say that the money is going to support criminals, because the facts speak for themselves.

Most voters will realise that if a rehabilitation program results in fewer gang members using meth, then the Government should be funding it. Better yet, if that funding comes from the proceeds of crime, which essentially means that P money is being used to help people get off meth, then why would anybody oppose it?

A very high percentage of Kiwis will also have a pretty good understanding of what koha is and find it entirely acceptable for the Chief Human Rights Commissioner to provide a $200 payment at the appropriate time and place. In fact it would be more newsworthy if the Commissioner had somehow failed to make such a contribution.

In my opinion, Simeon Brown really does need to find a better bogyman than a Government official who is simply doing the right thing by following many decades of Maori protocol.

Likewise, Collins would be well advised to keep a lid on her unbridled hatred towards the Labour Party, who according to the world's third largest market research company Ipsos is now crushing National on all 20 top issues of public importance, including law and order.

The National Party should also have learnt an important lesson about too much tough on crime rhetoric. When the MSM started reporting on Michael Laws for instance, who was making similar anti-gang noises, it pretty much signalled an end to his political career.

That result could well be why most of the MSM has chosen not to report very much on National’s latest bout of unhinged bravado, not just because it isn’t very newsworthy, but also because it makes the blue “team” look unelectable and incredibly short sighted! So myopic in fact that most voters will simply look right past Crusher and her cabal of closed minded fools when deciding who should govern this great country of ours.

National fact-checked as mostly false

As politics in New Zealand becomes more of a blood sport and less about policy initiatives, it’s easy for the public to lose sight of what really matters. Elections are now often run around a cult of personality where scoring cheap political points with catchy soundbites is the name of the game.

However the 2020 election in New Zealand seems to be slightly different. The mainstream media appears to finally be concerned that our political system is becoming too much like the train wreck we’re currently witnessing in the US, and they’ve begun to push back slightly against politicians who make unsubstantiated and/or entirely false claims.

Here are just a few recent examples of the mainstream media fact-checking the National Party’s misleading statements:

On Sept 21, AAP reported:

Has NSW weathered the impacts of COVID-19 better than NZ?

AAP FactCheck Investigation: Does NSW have fewer COVID-19 deaths than New Zealand, as well as a booming economy and fans attending rugby matches?  

…

THE VERDICT

AAP FactCheck found the statement that every Australian state bar Victoria has had fewer COVID-19 deaths than New Zealand to be false.

NZ Ministry of Health figures at the time of publication showed the NZ death toll from COVID-19 to be 25, while 53 people had died in NSW over the same period.

Ms Collins also misrepresented the state’s economic situation, with NSW in a technical recession along with the rest of Australia.

Mostly False – The claim is mostly false with a minor element of truth.

Last week, Newshub reported:

 

Judith Collins' claim 100 percent renewable electricity would increase power prices fact-checked as 'mostly false'

Will transitioning to 100 percent renewable electricity generation increase power prices in New Zealand?  

...

The verdict

AAP FactCheck found the statement that the Government's plan to make New Zealand's electricity generation 100 percent renewable by 2030 would significantly increase prices to be mostly false.

While a report did find electricity prices could increase significantly under certain scenarios, the Government is investigating using a pumped hydro storage scheme which experts predict will reduce electricity prices.

However, there is a level of uncertainty about how the pumped hydro storage will affect prices and how it will be paid for as investigations into the scheme are still in the early stages.

Mostly false - the claim is mostly false with one minor element of truth.

Also last week, Newshub reported:

National MP's claim ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration increased power prices fact-checked as 'mostly false'

Has the New Zealand government’s ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration resulted in an increase in energy prices and a rise in the consumption of imported coal? 

...

The Verdict

AAP FactCheck found the statement that the government’s ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration resulted in an increase in energy prices and a rise in the consumption of imported coal to be mostly false.

Some electricity prices have risen while others have fallen, and fuel and gas prices have also experienced a mixture of increases and decreases. Coal imports have increased significantly but coal consumption has dropped slightly.

Energy industry experts and government reports indicate the oil and gas exploration ban was unlikely to have had a short-term impact on prices or coal consumption in the past two years. Other factors such as drought, gas field outages and global markets are likely to have been the main influences on price.

Mostly False – The claim is mostly false with one minor element of truth.

Last Wednesday, 1 News reported:

AAP election fact check: National overstates benefit of NZ tax cut plan

AAP FactCheck Investigation: Would New Zealanders earning between $50,000 and $70,000 be $3000 better off under National’s proposed tax cuts? 

…

THE VERDICT

AAP FactCheck found the statement that people earning between $50,000 and $70,000 would be $3000 better off under National’s tax policy to be mostly false.

Those earning $50,000 and $60,000 a year would get less than $3000 in tax savings under the policy. A person would need to earn more than $62,640 to get a $3000 benefit.

Mostly False – The claim is mostly false with one minor element of truth.

Yesterday, Newshub reported:

National Party's claim it increased renewable energy 'misleading', AAP factcheck finds

Did the proportion of renewable electricity generation increase faster under the previous National government than the current Labour leadership - and was National responsible for this? 

…

The verdict

AAP FactCheck found that Mr Brown's statement was misleading. While he quoted correct figures showing renewable electricity generation increased from 65.4 percent to 81.9 percent under the previous National government, and by only 0.5 percent under the Labour-led administration, experts say these changes have largely been independent of government policy.

An MBIE report said renewable generation was down recently due to drought, while historic figures show New Zealand has at times received more than 90 percent of its electricity from renewable sources before either the most recent National or Labour governments took power.

Misleading - The claim is accurate in parts but information has also been presented incorrectly, out of context or omitted.

Today, RNZ reported:

Fact check: Are tourists and international students still contributing to the NZ economy?

Has the New Zealand economy lost a combined $21 billion in exports from tourism and international students? AAP fact checks National leader Judith Collins' statement. 

…

The verdict

Based on the latest available data, AAP FactCheck found the New Zealand economy has not lost $21 billion from tourism and international students.

The border closure has severely impacted the two industries, but figures for the June quarter show spending by international students and tourists was only down 50 percent and had not evaporated in its entirety.

False - The checkable claim is false.

If these articles are anything to go by, the National Party is again trying to rely on disinformation to attract ill-informed voters to their banner. Whether this is through intentional dishonesty or sheer ignorance, whatever the blue "team" says obviously should NOT be taken at face value.

In fact everything the National Party claims these days should be taken with a very small grain of salt. This is especially the case when considering their current leader, Judith Collins, who seems intent on misleading voters whenever possible.  But I guess when you’ve got a track record as bad as hers, lying to the public is really your only option.