Folks, this will be my last article here. A reminder that you do not need to action anything - your subscription or payments as it will be migrated - I’m working on it and ask for your patience during this time. Thank you, all.

Luxon refuses to front on Q&A once again but it’s deeper than that

• Jack Tame announced Luxon once again declined to front up on Q&A this weekend: “It’s now more than 15 months since the PM last sat here for an interview” - replicating last year’s refusal from the Prime Minister

• Jacinda Ardern appeared multiple times on Q&A including above in 2022, and as extraordinary events occurred, she shared details of what Labour were doing to address it (25c reduction in fuel excise, halving public transport fees etc)

• Yet now, as fuel prices rise exponentially at the pump, and we face an imminent risk of future fuel increases & shortages the contrast couldn’t be clearer: both silence and burden

  • Chris Bishop’s plans to increase fuel tax rise by 22c over the next 3 years unchanged, pending the RUC implementation (12c in 2027, 6c in 2028 and 4c subsequent years)

  • Simeon Brown implemented car registration cost increases, averaging $50 increase for a car

  • The government continues to double down on the economically punitive LNG Gas tax, even as LNG supplies are threatened, countries limit exports, and prices accelerate. The initial estimate of $2bn from National is expected to increase as Kiwis are asked to stump up for the build and operations. And as confirmed in Parliament, not one person outside of the fossil fuel industry has supported the plan.

We are facing an extraordinary inflation, security and economic risk

New Zealand’s security is at risk with the war on Iran which has seen hundreds of civilians killed so far - it extends not only to our economy, but nuclear risk, energy availability & supply chains. Everything this Government Coalition have done from Day 1 is to increase our reliance on fossil fuels too in what has been described as “Let it burn” approach - that burning is happening sooner and more visibly than ever.

• As New Zealand faces an extraordinary geo-political, security and economic crisis, the government has been almost entirely silent on its implications to us

  • Prime Minister Luxon refuses to front to media with any information on what our strategic response is. Even notwithstanding the Luxon beat up, and desire of many on the right that he resigns, the Prime Minister should be focused on business, which is the tagline he frequently links himself to. Yet there is nothing but hiding at play.

  • The Foreign Minister, NZ First’s Winston Peters, focus for days has been defending the legality of the Iran war, even as international experts confirm it’s in breach, and some acts, such as attacks on Iranian schools and hospitals, also in breach of international law. Despite this our Foreign Minister seems wholly uninterested in any of that, and has been attacking former PM Helen Clark for her expertise instead.

  • NZ First’s Shane Jones also continues to post out of touch, fairly rabid videos of himself attacking environmental protestors and “Make extraction great again”, reflecting a tone deaf response to international events

  • NZ First proving to be the party of dinosaurs at this point, let alone its unforgettable tobacco corruption links

• The inflation effects will be indeterminable and extensive across NZ and the world at this point. We are seeing fuel price hikes now at the pump, but if the fuel supply issue can’t be stemmed and reliably managed in the short term, all products will be impacted as delivery and production costs surge - and food supplies can be affected

• National, ACT and NZ First have all been consistent in their pro-fossil fuel and anti-renewables, anti-environment stance. And we are seeing a doubling down by this government on fossil fuels, including it’s taxpayer funded multi-billion dollar LNG plant, even as we face this outsized crisis.
• The lack of strategic context and foresight by this government is concerning, and media outside of places like Newsroom are largely focused on the hype of Luxon’s potential political demise. (On the latter point: Andrea Vance reports that 51% of voters want Luxon out.)

TVNZ Board intervention in 1News media story is “dangerous”

Mediawatch today reports on the Goldsmith / Andrew Barclay intervention on the gang story by Benedict Collins.

A former Broadcasting Minister labeled the “off-the-record in an 'under the desk'-style” “dangerous” - which it is.

Very dangerous.

This didn’t stop right wing pundits such as former ACT Party PR advisor Ben Thomas and NZME journalist Audrey Young trying to downplay it.

Thomas claimed that without firm evidence, it’s nothing but a conspiracy, continuing to sidestep the obvious - that the chain of events showed that after Barclay’s conversation with Goldsmith, Maiki Sherman called Mitchell to apologise and an updated story was filed.

And despite the conversation being within a week, Goldsmith claimed he “didn’t recall” the contents of the conversation. Nothing to see here folks, according to right wing PR firms.

Young similarly took a tone it down approach claiming the scandal would be “unlikely to stick” after chatting to the Broadcasting Minister.

This is extraordinary - both for how much Kiwis accept this dangerous development, and second, for much other media organisations have supported it too.

The corporatisation of media is not only entrenched in governance, money, networks, and editorial direction, but in many so-called journalists themselves at this point.

And the attack of independent, fact and ethics based journalism shouldn’t be allowed to fester, unless we want to become like the United States in future. Even those benefiting from, and within, corporate journalism circles may want to think about that.

Marsden Point continues to be peddled with lies

Nelson Mayor Nick Smith Bats for Luxon

In a popular post amplified by the likes of NZ’s rich lister Nick Mowbray, ex National MP Nick Smith writes in support of Luxon, ostensibly claiming that Luxon had inherited a “Covid hole” and mess, and while the PM is not slick, he is doing well under the circumstances.

This is the big lie upon which National rely almost entirely on among its voter base. ie. that Labour ruined the economy etc.

Yet their context is always amiss:

• John Key borrowed $50 billion after inheriting 9 surpluses under Helen Clark’s Government. Labour ran surpluses until Covid hit upon which their entire 6 year term incurred ~$80 billion of debt - debt that according to the first Royal Commission on Covid-19 report revealed, left NZ in the best economic and social circumstances among the OECD.
• This government as of last year, was on track to borrow $120 billion - $100 billion when you take away the pay equity they stole from hard working nurses, carers, teachers etc. And all without one global pandemic in sight. This debt has been largely whittled away for things like landlord tax cuts and funding Facebook and Philip Morris (Tobacco) even as National throwing away over $1 billion investment and work on 3 Waters has seen ratepayers face monumental rate increases down the line.
• NZ inflation has fallen in line with post-Covid forecasts, the government inherited a AA+/AAA credit rating economy with one of the lowest debt to GDP ratios in the world at the time. Growth forecasts were positive until National took over.

• This post is a good indication that some in the National Party still don’t want to see a leadership change, especially for fear of what it will do for the party’s perception and electoral chances.

• It also shows how strong the support is in its traditional base, which believes the “big lie”.

• And while Luxon’s departure would mean my predictions from 2024 that Luxon’s chances weren’t great and he would be gone if his marketing didn’t match up to reality, and his role taken over by the scheming Bishop or NZME favoured Erica Stanford, today I stand by this line:

  • “I think Luxon will be gone burger by the next election, but if not, I’d like to see them try to win with him.”

  • Why not, it’s Sunday.

Have a great one, folks, take care and see you on the other side!

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