The National Party’s Prison Pipeline Ruining New Zealand

The National Party government is doubling down on a grim, regressive vision for the future: more prisons, more prisoners, and a society fractured by policies that punish rather than heal. This isn’t just a misstep; it’s a deliberate lurch toward a dystopian future where incarceration is the answer to every social ill. The evidence is stark, the intent clear, and the consequences for New Zealand dire.

Under National’s watch, prisoner numbers are climbing (up 20% since they took power), with projections from the Department of Corrections showing no slowdown in sight. Their answer? A $1.9 billion splurge on new prison beds, including the controversial Waikeria mega-prison expansion. This isn’t about public safety; it’s about entrenching a system that thrives on failure. National’s “tough on crime” rhetoric ignores the root causes of crime: poverty, mental health, and systemic inequity. Instead of investing in communities and people’s futures, they’re throwing their hands in the air and simply building more cages.


On Thursday, Stuff reported:

Corrections setting up women's unit at Waikeria as female prisoner numbers surge

It was not uncommon for women to be housed on a men’s prison site - the Nikau Unit at Waikeria had previously housed women prior to 2006, and more recently women were housed in units at Rimutaka Prison between 2017 and 2020.

Waikeria Prison, in Waikato south of Te Awamutu, has room for about 460 male prisoners. A development nearing completion will add 500 inmate beds and a 96-bed dedicated mental health ward.

Work has also started on another 810-bed expansion, expected to open in 2029.

National’s policies, like the reintroduction of mandatory minimum sentences and cuts to rehabilitation programs, are a return to yesterdays thinking, an outdated ideological failure by politicians unconcerned with the social destruction their austerity creates. The Sentencing (Reform) Act 2024, rammed through with minimal consultation, ties judges’ hands, ensuring longer sentences for minor offences, crimes of survival often caused because people are becoming increasingly desperate.

Māori, who make up 52% of prisoners despite being 17% of the population, bear the brunt. This isn’t justice; it’s institutional racism dressed up as law and order. The government’s own data shows reoffending rates are unchanged, yet they slash funding for iwi-led rehabilitation initiatives that actually work. Why? Because prevention doesn’t fuel their tough-on-crime narrative or placate their mates who want to privatise our entire prison system. 

The coalition of chaos’ policies might sound good on talk-back radio, but they crumble under any real scrutiny. Building prisons while gutting mental health services (down $200 million since 2023) isn’t a plan; it’s a betrayal of the egalitarian principles New Zealand was founded on.

Right wing politicians, like Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell, with his expensive suits and polished lies, know the stats. National knows that 70% of prisoners have untreated mental health issues. They know that kids, many of them traumatised by abuse within state care institutions, are funneled into jail cells. Yet they choose to demonize rather than uplift. Mitchell exemplifies that uncaring disconnect we see throughout a government only interested in drumming up people’s fears for votes, not any real solutions to help save people’s lives.

The ripple effects are toxic. Families are torn apart, communities broken and stigmatized, and the cycle of poverty and crime deepens. Every dollar spent on a prison cell is a dollar stolen from schools, hospitals, and housing. Money the government is investing to steal people's futures. National’s vision is a New Zealand where the poor are locked up for being poor, the rich sleep easy, and the prison-industrial complex thrives. It’s a moral and fiscal disaster, a failing of the hierarchical system that will take many generations to fix.

New Zealand deserves better. A government that invests in people, not just punishment. One that tackles the causes of crime, not just its symptoms. National’s prison obsession is a policy failure wrapped in human tragedy. It’s time to call it out, tear it down, and build a society that doesn’t continue to lock up its future.

Don Brash’s NZME Power Grab Must Be Rejected

The audacity of Don Brash never ceases to amaze. The former National Party and Hobson’s Pledge mouthpiece has now sunk his claws into NZME, the media giant behind the New Zealand Herald and half of our commercial radio stations. Don Brash has snapped up shares in NZME, aligning himself with alt-right billionaire Jim Grenon in a brazen attempt to seize editorial control of our largest newspaper. This isn’t just a business move…it’s a calculated assault on the integrity of our Fourth Estate, and Brash’s track record of divisive disinformation and racist rhetoric makes it clear why this is a disaster in the making.

Let’s not mince words: Brash’s history is steeped in dog-whistle politics and anti-Māori sentiment. His Hobson’s Pledge lobby group peddles a revisionist fantasy that erases Māori rights under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, framing them as “special privileges” to stoke resentment among Pākehā voters. This is the man who, in 2004, infamously declared Māori were a “privileged” group, ignoring centuries of colonization, land theft, and systemic inequity. Sound familiar? It's no wonder he then became ACT Party leader in 2011. His latest stunt...buying into NZME after they rejected a Hobson’s Pledge ad...showing he’s not content with just shouting from the sidelines. He wants to hijack the megaphone of mainstream media to amplify his toxic narrative.

Here’s a small reminder of Brash’s racism.

Don Brash 'utterly sick' of use of Te Reo Maori by reporters

Don Brash has lashed out against RNZ reporters for their use of Te Reo Maori on air.

In a statement posted to Facebook on Friday, Mr Brash said he is "utterly sick" of people speaking one of New Zealand's official languages in "what are primarily English-language broadcasts."

Partnering with Grenon, a Canadian billionaire linked to anti-Māori, anti-trans, and anti-vaccine hate blogs, Brash is betting on turning the Herald into a mouthpiece for the far right and their unending culture wars. Brash’s involvement fits like a glove…his rhetoric dovetails with Grenon’s apparent desire to push a divisive agenda that vilifies marginalized groups and rewrites history to suit a settler-colonial fantasy. The prospect of Brash, or his ilk, further influencing editorial decisions at NZME is chilling. Imagine a Herald editorial board stacked with the likes of Sean Plunket or Cameron Slater, churning out columns that normalise bigotry under the guise of “free speech.” The Herald would turn into another sewer similar to the now defunct NZ Truth.

Our media landscape is already under strain, with job cuts and declining trust eroding the Fourth Estate’s ability to hold power to account. Allowing Don bloody Brash, a figure whose career thrives on racial division, who undertook secret deals with the Exclusive Brethren to distribute dishonest attack pamphlets against the NZ Greens, to wield influence over NZME, risks further fracturing our political landscape and already delicate social cohesion. Māori, who face disproportionate vilification in public discourse, would bear the brunt of a Brash-driven editorial shift. His vision of “one law for all” is code for erasing indigenous rights, and giving him a platform to push his racist nonsense in mainstream media would be a betrayal of journalistic integrity that is already waning at the NZ Herald.

The E tū Journalists Union has sounded the alarm, demanding Grenon commit to editorial independence. NZME’s board must heed this call and block this takeover. Brash’s racism should have no place within our mainstream media. We need a press that challenges power, not one that panders to the prejudices of a bitter old man who has had his day. Let’s send Brash the bigot back to the fringes where he belongs.

The Case Against Chris Luxon Remaining PM

Chris Luxon’s tenure as New Zealand’s Prime Minister has been a masterclass in incompetence, marked by coalition chaos, economic lethargy, verbal gaffes, and a moral compass that seems to point wherever political expediency lies. The former Air New Zealand CEO (how could we forget?) was sold as a steady hand, but his leadership is a shaky mess, and it’s time to call it: Luxon shouldn’t be anywhere near the Beehive.

Let’s start with his dysfunctional coalition of neoliberal and fundamentalist misfits. Luxon’s National Party is clearly in an unhealthy relationship with ACT and NZ First, a marriage of convenience that’s fracturing under the weight of toxic masculinity, uncontrolled egos and conflicting agendas.

Winston Peters, his deputy and Foreign Affairs Minister, has publicly slapped him down over his trade rhetoric, fuming that Luxon’s “trade war” talk and uncounseled calls to world leaders were "short-sighted" and somehow reckless. Peters’ scathing “call me next time” jab exposed Luxon’s diplomatic naivety and obvious inability to manage his own team.

 

On Monday, RNZ reported:

Christopher Luxon doubles down on trade war comments after Winston Peters' criticism

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has repeated his view that there is a trade war playing out between the US and China, despite the foreign minister calling that language "hysterical".

Meanwhile, ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill saw Luxon making excuses and intentionally being absent from Parliament, dodging the fallout while iwi Crown relations soured even further. This isn’t leadership; it’s cowardice dressed in a suit. Luxon should have had the balls to dismiss David Seymour's plan for a badly written and racist policy document before it even entered the ballot. Instead, he tested the waters, at a great waste of taxpayers money, to see if Kiwis would accept a more divided and unequal nation.

Luxon’s mouth is another major liability. His doublespeak isn’t just embarrassing; it’s highly insulting to most right-thinking voters. Calling Wellington council “pretty lame-o” was juvenile, alienating local leaders and showing a staggering lack of gravitas. His claim that the Resource Management Act provisions were “insanely stupid” dismissed decades of policy nuance with the finesse of a sledgehammer. And then there’s his tone-deaf “economic growth must trump everything else” mantra while hobnobbing it in India, returning home once again empty handed. These aren’t mere slip-ups; they reveal a man who thinks complex issues can be solved with some childish insults and a few corporate buzzwords.

Each of these verbal blunders reveals a man out of touch with everyday hardworking Kiwis. He infamously called New Zealand “too wet and whiney,” sneering at a nation grappling with economic hardship and post-Covid fatigue. This wasn’t a one-off; Luxon’s disdain for New Zealander’s surfaced again when he dismissed the numerous Kiwis struggling with the cost-of-living crisis as being “bottom feeders” and labeled small business owners as “C-Listers.”

Contrast that with his claim of being “entitled” to backdated pay increases, rising to $520,000 by 2026, while also receiving a $13,000 accommodation allowance (while owning seven mortgage-free properties that earn him 15 times his current salary). If you're not pissed off at National's war on minimum wage growth, you haven't been paying attention. Let's not forget Luxon's claim for, and lies surrounding, $52,000 of taxpayers’ money to live in his own apartment, while a perfectly habitable Premier House was available. This type of freeloading on the taxpayer dime, while the country goes backwards, oozes privilege and hypocrisy and is one of the main reasons politicians are held in such contempt by the public.

Then there's Luxon's assessing student achievement on a curriculum that hadn't even been taught yet, plus his bizarre mix-up of reading and math for year 8 students. Clearly the PM isn’t across the numbers at all, particularly any statistics within his governments portfolios (because he’s excused himself from reading any Ministerial briefings). Unlike his predecessors on the other side of the house, Luxon can’t even get the basics about the country right. These aren’t just slip-ups; they’re windows into a smug, "just wing it" elitist mindset that should have no place within our Parliament.

Chris Hipkins has criticised Luxon for using inaccurate data on student achievement:

"Assessing kids against a curriculum that they have not been taught is not a fair reflection of what kids are capable of"

Luxon continues to falsely claim 4 out of 5 students are years behind. pic.twitter.com/BeGRxCH1Sh

— Nick (@StrayDogNZ) August 6, 2024

Morally, Luxon’s compass is suspect as well. His recent refusal to denounce Peters’ homophobic attacks on Green MP Benjamin Doyle suggests he’s more loyal to coalition partners than to decency and a belief in doing the right thing. His pandering to NZ First’s discriminatory and divisive bill, targeting public sector diversity, reeks of opportunism, not principled policy making. Likewise, Luxon’s claim that Labour’s focus on wellbeing budgets was “pretty woke” betrays a cynicism for the people and politics that he often cannot hide. His statements feel performative and scripted, more about optics than genuine beliefs. This is a man who bends with the wind, not one guided by any moral fortitude.

Along with the National Party’s environmental and social policy failures, the polls reflect Luxon's numerous PR disasters. National’s support wobbles, with Luxon’s personal popularity languishing at the lowest rate of any new incumbent Prime Minister ever. That's because most New Zealanders see through Luxon’s slick salesman veneer to the incompetent conman beneath. The mainstream media have obviously promoted their man, who's a relatively inexperienced politician, well above his station.

From untrue health and education statements to tough on crime rhetoric while police numbers dwindle and gang numbers explode, Luxon exhibits a penchant for bending the truth that would make even John Key blush. Then there’s the re-announcing of numerous Labour government funding decisions as their own and Luxon's defence spending hypocrisy (slashing NZDF jobs while preaching global security) plus cuts to numerous infrastructure projects while claiming to be building back the economy better, clearly showing that Luxon’s leadership is marked with a plethora of contradictions even National's weel-paid propagandists cannot hide. There are now so many inconsistencies between Luxon's pre-election promises and his government's non-delivery that it's impossible for their PR firms to cope. How sad, never mind.

Luxon’s defenders might argue that he’s navigating a tough global landscape, but that’s no excuse for his lack of vision, remorseless bluster, coalition mismanagement, and moral flip-flopping. He’s not just failing to steer the ship; he’s drilling holes in the hull and heading for the rocks while pretending that he's doing a fine job. Luxon is a walking case study in why corporate hierarchy doesn’t translate well to principled political leadership. His tenure is a parade of gaffes and moral missteps that prove he’s unfit to lead Aotearoa through its challenges. This great country deserves a leader with substance, not a CEO cosplaying as a statesman. It’s time for Luxon to exit stage right…before he does any more damage.

Cameron Slater’s Creepy Fixation On Jacinda Ardern

Has anybody else noticed Cameron Slater still obsessing over Jacinda Ardern? The disgraced Whale Oil blogger seems to have made it his life’s mission to shadow the former Prime Minister of New Zealand like some unhinged stalker lurking in the digital bushes.

The man’s obsession with Ardern isn't just unhealthy...it’s downright disturbing, and it’s time we call it out for what it is: a ideologically driven vendetta that’s crossed into creepy online abuse territory. If you’ve followed Slater’s track record, you’ll know this isn’t just his political critique of current affairs; instead it’s personal, vindictive, and reeks of someone who can’t let go.

Slater’s history with Ardern reads like a bad spy novel. Back in 2021, The Standard blog exposed how he was the likely source behind a bizarre Herald attack campaign against Ardern over her wedding plans. I know right! The articles, dripping with petty resentment and innuendo, were classic Slater: digging into personal details, spinning them into a story, fabricating untruths and serving it all up with a side order of misogyny. The man couldn’t resist meddling in something as private as a wedding, allegedly feeding the story to paint Ardern as some sort of elitist. This wasn’t journalism...it was Slater skulking around Ardern's personal life, and trying to score cheap political points in a pathetic and pointless online crusade he's already lost.

But that’s just one chapter in Slater’s unhealthy Ardern fixation. His Whale Oil blog, before it imploded under the weight of his own noxious scribbling and a self-inflicted legal failure, was a cesspool of vitriol aimed at a Prime Minister who is celebrated throughout the world. Jealous much? From snide comments about her appearance to baseless insinuations about her relationships and leadership, Slater’s campaign oozed with a personal grudge that went far beyond just political disagreement.

It’s the kind of behavior you’d expect from a jilted lover, not someone who the mainstream media approach for comment. Despite their unwarranted promotion, Slater is a broken man pathetically obsessing over Ardern’s Instagram account like one of those villains in a horror movie, which would be sad if it wasn't so damn creepy! And let’s not forget his cozy ties with National MP Judith Collins, who he called a “good friend” in 2021, hinting at a shared disdain for Ardern that fueled his relentless attacks during the twilight of dirty politics.

What’s chilling is how Slater’s obsession fits his broader pattern of harassment. This is the guy who’s been involved with character assassinations, gang stand-overs, theft of private property, hacking government servers and defamation rulings. He's been fined for contempt of court, and even bankrupted, yet he still can’t stop himself. Slater’s like a digital peeping Tom, unable to resist prying into the lives of those he fixates on...Ardern, who hasn't been the PM for nearly two years now, being his main target.

Was it Slater who drove Ardern away by encouraging numerous death threats against her family? Possibly! His posts weren’t just critical; they were invasive and abusive, gleefully inciting hatred and tearing into her character with a relish that screams unhinged stalker. It’s not just about policy for Slater...it’s about Ardern herself, as if her very existence offends him.

Slater’s not just a blogger...he’s a cautionary tale of what happens when failure and resentment festers into something measurably worse. His obsession with Ardern isn’t just because he's a gun for hire or a blogger gone rogue; it’s a warning about how far unchecked malice can go. The man needs to step back, get a grip, find some help, and maybe a hobby or two that doesn’t involve stalking a successful female politician. Clearly, Jacinda Ardern and New Zealand deserves better than the toxic sideshow of Whale Oil 2.0.

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.

Trump’s Tariff Tantrum Is Causing Economic Chaos

Donald Trump, the orange-hued oligarch, is back at it again, wielding tariffs like a mob boss swinging a lead pipe. His latest economic edict; slapping hefty tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada, has the stench of a protectionist shakedown, cooked up in the fevered minds of his sycophantic advisors, a rogues’ gallery of grifters and ideologues. These aren’t policies; they’re the deranged manipulations of a man who thinks his ill-gotten gains will lead him to the promised land. The fallout? A politically poisonous United States, suffering from numerous self-inflicted wounds, making them the anathema of the world.

Let’s start with the economics. Trump’s tariffs are a tax on American consumers, plain and simple. The Cato Institute estimates his 10-20% tariffs could cost U.S. households an additional $2,600 annually as prices for everything—cars, groceries, electronics—skyrocket. Small businesses, already battered by high inflation, face supply chain chaos; manufacturers reliant on imported items are facing the prospect of widespread layoffs. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, hardly a bastion of lefty radicals, warns of a GDP hit of up to 1.2%. Meanwhile, retaliatory tariffs from trading partners are hitting American farmers and exporters where it hurts. Soybean growers? Screwed. Whiskey distillers? Toasted. This isn’t “America First”; it’s America fleeced by a conman in a red tie.

Politically, Trump’s playing with dynamite. His MAGA diehard base might lap up the “tough on China” shtick, but the rust-belt workers he claims to champion will feel the pinch when increased costs put their factories out of business. Midterm backlash is brewing; GOP strategists are sweating as swing-state voters face sticker shock at Walmart.

Even his own party’s senators, spineless as they are, are muttering dissent, terrified of the electoral bloodbath. And let’s not forget the global stage: allies like Canada and the EU are strategizing while China’s reasonable countermeasures are starting to bite. Trump’s turned the U.S. into a diplomatic pariah, a nation viewed as being led by a petulant toddler throwing trade tantrums like the trillions of dollars he’s incinerating don’t matter.

Who’s egging him on? A circle jerk of criminal enablers like Peter Navarro, a disgraced economist with the charisma of a damp sock, and Steve Bannon, the Rasputin of right-wing populism. These are men who’d sell their own children for a Fox News slot. Their vision? A dystopian fortress America, walled off from reality. The tragedy is the collateral damage: workers, consumers, and global stability, all sacrificed on the altar of Trump’s fragile ego. This isn’t leadership...it’s lunacy, and we’re all going to pay the price.