Absolutely agree. I described in my Master’s thesis (in 2022) that these long term fiscal strategy reports are vacuous and unintellectual. While being those things too of course, this report is just absolutely maddening - reflecting only ideology. Back to the 1980s for sure.

So anyway, turns out plasma in menstrual blood can completely heal wounds in 24 hours. hudson.org.au/news/womb-to...

NZ Green Party isn't "looney left". Their fiscal policy is pragmatic. Their alternative budget is well-researched. Their income tax policy is a match for Australia's. Their proposed wealth tax is close to Norway's successful implementation. This is a principled stand unconcerned about labels. #nzpol

Ray Chung talking about a time when council officers escorted someone out of a public meeting after only three questions: "that was my most embarrassing moment on council". Alex Baker: "THAT was your most embarrassing moment in council?"

One day a journo is gonna ask why it’s acceptable to raise taxes on EVERYONE except the top 1-2%. Not today tho. Probably not tomorrow either. But one day. I have hope.

“Rark up” and “mōrena” added to Oxford English Dictionary www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

How the actual fuck is Business Desk publishing a piece framing the genocide of Palestinians as a 'challenge' for Israeli start ups AND trying to PR Israeli entry into the NZ market on that basis???? This is fucking atrocious businessdesk.co.nz/article/opin...

My article from the Sept issue of online children's books mag Books for Keeps: "Shirley Hughes once talked to me about depth in children’s illustration. She was a great admirer of Edward Ardizzone because you could ‘walk into’ his pictures in your imagination..." booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/pict...

I had the honour of joining my close friend Golriz Ghahraman to discuss how we navigated public shaming, how we supported each other and the way it has built resilience in both of us and a passion for online safety.

Love to live in a country where we're doing climate denial, vote suppression, visas for rich folk, science destruction, wrecking healthcare... But because we're special little New Zealand and not America we'll just keep pretending it's mostly normal aye

The Govt's stated reason for restricting voter enrolment in the last two weeks of the election has been speeding up the final count. But the Electoral Commission just told the Justice Select Committee that wouldn't happen - with or without the law change it would take 20 days. t.co/N0vRXHMbMt

CHOTINER: And you didn’t know this person - what did you call him again? CELEBRIMBOR GREATEST OF THE ELVEN SMITHS: Right, his name was Annatar but CHOTINER: And you taught him to create a ring harnessing all his malice and cruelty? CELEBRIMBOR: Well I mean I was deceived CHOTINER: So you’ve said

No matter how much high-minded noise they make about election integrity, timeliness, or cost, each and every claim to the contrary has always been just pure horseshit from people who regard democracy as an annoying impediment to their team just doing whatever the fuck they like

The most obvious explanation is once again proven true: barring enrolments during advance voting was purely a pretext to deny franchise to a group of people who vote mostly against govt parties, so as to avoid the govt losing seats between election-night & final counts www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

Marama Davidson described the data as "bleak" and said it showed deep wealth inequality that had left some people unable to afford the basics of a decent life, "and feeling less and less trust in the system to actually care for and represent them". #nzpol

She basically invented astrophysics. She proved the laws of chemistry, quantum mechanics, and statistical mechanics, not just gravity, applied universally. She determined the composition of the sun and primacy of hydrogen in the universe. She advised the PhDs of Frank Drake and Frank Kameny.

Someone is going to have to pay to keep the country's finances in order, says Treasury, and since it obviously can't be landlords or tobacco companies or the wealthy, we're afraid it's going to have to be you.

The Greens are pledging to revoke any permits this corrupt regime issues. Will Labour? www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

This is your regular reminder that according to IRD, the richest 350 families in the country pay an effective tax rate of 8%

INBOX: The Parliamentary Registrar into Pecuniary Interests is doing an inquiry into National MP Carl Bates. NZH reported recently that his family trust has 25 different properties that were not declared.

The problem with our current economy in two posts. #nzpol

Maybe lower GST and tax the fucking rich instead??? #nzpol

The things they'll suggest to avoid taxing capital and the rich #NZPol

They are saying 32% GST and 72 for retirement age so we will happily accept 20% GST and 68 for retirement age. Why don’t they say 5% wealth tax and 40% corporate tax on big conglomerates? No of course they won’t say that no siree.

There's surely no finer example of the fact that carparks have fuck all to do with keeping businesses alive than the Johnsonville Mall.

“Finance Minister Nicola Willis has singled out Sir John Key during a speech to business leaders, saying the former Prime Minister and National Party leader is partly responsible for the economic situation the country’s in today”. Far out www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/nicola-wi...

it’s hard to overstate how catastrophically bad it is to be a politician seen to be attacking sir john key

NZ’s history of contribution to the UN is unaligned & deeply supportive of small nations. Peter Fraser agitated against the permanent members of the Security Council, for example. Let’s reflect this history in how we critique the UN: hold a hopeful, rules-based order organisation to account.

It's weird - but now in Oslo, there's so many EVs that you notice the noise and the smell from individual ICE cars, and you realise how much we've been normalising it for ever. You can smell them half a street away. And inside parking lots are just *quiet*.

Geoffrey Palmer: ‘Democracy doesn’t get lost in a moment, it gets lost gradually’

Dunedin bar with famed musical pedigree to keep hosting live music after 6.50pm noise complaint www.stuff.co.nz/culture/3608...

Hi all - like many of you I’m really struggling with the state of it all. The 3 things that are top of mind for me is Palestine, Disability rights (+covid) and Trans rights. I’m privileged to be able shield myself from it all so instead of wallowing. I’m trying to channel my energy into mutual aid.

Okay, this I did not know. Angela Lansbury used to do this with Murder, She Wrote too.

💉 Nasal spray COVID-19 vaccine A new trial tested a nasal vaccine that combines two components to boost immunity against Omicron. It was safe, well tolerated, and triggered strong antibody protection in humans. 🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41... #SciComm #COVID19 🧪 #Vaccines

Great piece from André Chumko in today’s Post, pointing out how this awful government’s actions undermine its stated objectives www.thepost.co.nz/culture/3608...

BERT’S IN THE GARDEN!! Bouncing around like he owns the place (he does), and then a cursory look at Big Dave the pigeon, who then has a poo 🙄 Bert then bounces over to my open study window, & sings a few notes from a branch close by, & so quietly it can only have been for me

After Peters, Luxon comes out to attack the UN as well, piggybacking off of Trump's fiery speech This is a f**king disgraceful timeline, folks #nzpol #Kiwi

Sick leave should be uncapped Employers should hire more than a bare minimum of staf This would benefit both ~the economy~ (more jobs, more activity, less downtime and turnover) and the whole society (fewer preventable illnesses, less stress on parents and carers, better job security and income)

WE NEED TO STOP MEASURING "THE ECONOMY" BY HOW WELL RICH PEOPLE ARE DOING and tbh or by what they or theirs are saying when their main concern is their paycheque and/or profits and not NZ as a whole. #MoodOfTheBoardroom

“We are told by leaders that we are the future. But when it comes to the ongoing pandemic, our present is being stolen right in front of our eyes.” Incredible speech by Violet Affleck who warned about the ongoing dangers of COVID & Long Covid, & advocated for masks and clean air at the UN today!

God, she's good. I miss her. I miss having a thoughtful, articulate, values-driven PM, who's all that and witty too. #nzpol

I wish every country had a leader like Jacinda Ardern. Including New Zealand. Maybe ESPECIALLY New Zealand. The world would be a better place. Watch the interview if you haven’t. #Leadership @jacindaardern.bsky.social

I mean, these people rush to declare victimhood at the slightest chance, but this is still incredible. Also, excellent pun.

Downtown Dunedin.

See? SEE??? Some folk in Aotearoa NZ have been yelling this at us since 2020, some even earlier, but they were the ones denounced as conspiracy nuts by, guess who, the Right

This is a beautiful exploration of the art of picture books including further reading. Well worth a read from Slate. #kidlit #picturebooks slate.com/culture/2025...

Hi from the Traianeum at Pergamon 👋

Effortlessly done in under 20 minutes: Zoe & Morgan✅ Lord of the Rings✅ Jon Stewart NZ endorsement✅ Whittaker’s✅ Hope & leadership✅ Nuanced answers to complex issues✅ Watching this and reflecting how much of an utter disaster this would have been with anyone officially representing New Zealand now.