This is fundamentally undemocratic, just like central government rate-capping is. This government has done many things to harm democracy in Aotearoa, but this is one of the worst. Wasn’t in their manifesto. Will centralise power, not disburse it, and is hostile to public participation. #nzpol

Excellent work @haydendonnell.bsky.social Good News too, the problem of stinky diesel fumes in the Kaimai tunnel can be affordably dealt with via battery trains, like the new intercity trains we are getting for services from Wellington: thespinoff.co.nz/society/05-0...

Coming from Taranaki watching oil companies come & go…it annoys the !!!k out of me that this govt uses a fuel crisis to justify their fossil reliance and not invest at scale in solar on rooftops & electrify Aotearoa #nzpol

Duran Duran voice: “Film on Girls”

I am trying to get in touch with the whānau of Dave Terangi, a Ngāpuhi fella who lived in Margaret St, Papakura. We did some research with Dave, and we know he has since died, but we would like to return a taonga. If anyone knows his whānau, pls DM me. Also Pls retweet (so to speak).

It is SO depressing to look in supermarket fridges and know that EVERYTHING used to be HALF that price.

'Come up with a plan within 3 months or the govt will do it for you.' Extraordinary. There is no way communities can have a meaningful conversation about the future shape of local govt in 3 months. They're being set up to fail, at which time they'll have the decision taken out of their hands.

While the world’s eyes are on fashion’s biggest night, we’re turning ours to the garment, retail, and warehouse workers who keep the industry running. From true love found on the picket line to a free tailoring school out of a Brooklyn basement — meet the New Yorkers who make it all possible.

I’m not saying the requests should be refused, just that it is not a new thing. #NzPol

Another one: > O’Connor said the OIA regime was not supposed to be used by people for personal gain The law talks about "improper gain" but it doesn't say anything about personal gain. The Danks Committee report even comments on Page 68 that it's clearly designed to advantage individuals 😅

If they don't understand their obligations, the Office of the Ombudsman has a free service to help them. They just have to give them a call or email.

“It is very distressing, and the school has no means of pushing back on pointless or vexatious requests.” The law specifically lets them refuse vexatious requests! Macleans College principal Stephen Hargreaves sounds like a bit of an idiot.

Nevertheless, schools are public agencies, should expect to be transparent and subject to OIA, and by complaining about _one_ request (per school) makes them sound whiny and incompetent.

"I never believed we would have to save the Waitākere Ranges all over again." - Bob Harvey. #RMA

h/t @dreddieclark.bsky.social for that Poll Tax comparison

Right-wing agitators have been using official information processes against schools for years. The 'law student' in this story is a long-time associate of dirty Cam Slater. #NzPol archive.ph/5kYe0

The market will provide. #NzPol

*awaking from coma after last general election result* did we decentralise everything yet?

This is the sort of technology that dairy farmers are relying on to avoid their big climate impact. Oops.

I find your lack of bass disturbing…

trying to play peekaboo with my child but he's a European diplomat: me: where'd daddy go? baby: we must articulate a post-daddy vision of strategic autonomy me: peekaboo! baby: my historic relationship with my father is stable despite recent troubles

is it just me or does that not read like a correction and more like a "fuckin' whiny media council said we were wrong"

'By presenting infection as “basically our new booster,” the headline conveyed a message directly contrary to the article’s central point – that vaccination remains the best available tool to reduce the impact of Covid.'

What pisses me off is that there are plenty of farmers out there that have spent time and money protecting the wetlands on their farms but we constantly pander to the polluters and degraders.

In NZ only 10% of original wetlands remain. Two hours ago the Govt announced that it would change regulations to allow beef cattle and deer to graze in wetlands where populations of threatened species live. It is a #WarOnNature on behalf of agribusiness environment.govt.nz/assets/publi... p.135

No low is too low for a tech bro with a net worth of a quarter trillion dollars who is petrified of running low on billions.

The back to front fell off

View from the couch, too lazy to pop outside for the spectacular sunset. lol. (Note to self, straighten the blinds first). Ōtepoti #Dunedin NZ

I'm just back from six days in Melbourne. The state govt has made all public transport free for a second month, and halved fuel excise on petrol and diesel for three months. There's also a steady stream of public messaging about saving fuel for the common good. Feels like they're taking it seriously

NASA just dropped more than 12,000 photos from the Artemis II mission. It'll take me a few days to go through them all, but so far it's one stunner after another. Link: eol.jsc.nasa.gov/SearchPhotos... Credit: NASA/Artemis II Crew (h/t @jonostrower.com)

I can’t get over the fact that Alex Karp looks straight up like an evil Taika Waititi

"You hear theyre using chickens as camera gimbals now?" "What?" "Chickens. Strap a camera onto their head. No shake. Chicken camera gimbals"

But neoliberal economics is running out of room. It doesn't have the tools to manage the stuff we're facing - from climate change to resource shortages - and by creating a underclass it's destabilising itself. Which is why the right is becoming increasingly fascist. They're scared of the proles.

To be fair there hasn't been a gov response. #nzpol

David Seymour on 1News claiming we're bringing in migrants to be fast food workers. The 'migrants' you see in fast food outlets are international students whos visas allow them to work up to 25 hours a week International education is one of our biggest export services worth $4.52 billion a year

Excellent summary of modern monetary theory (MMT). The implications are far-reaching for an economy that's been progressively strangled over the last 40 years. Should be Labour policy: we can have at least some of the nice things, as we undo the garrotte of neoliberal monetarism. #nzpol

Epic pissing-around continues.

Same goes for Winston First and donations. #NzPol

Ahhhh, it’s Star Wars day today!

New Zealand Sign Language Week starts today. This year marks 20 years since NZSL became an official language of Aoteaora. Find NZSL resources and info on our website. my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/new-zealand-... ^MT

Mutemogged!

"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." –Justice Louis Brandeis Words spoken many years ago that are just as relevant today. We must continue the fight to get big money out of politics.

So do geohazard analysts!

Geomorphologists always sit in the window seat ✅💯🪨💧

No wonder the govt wants to avoid any comparisons between the fuel crisis and Covid pandemic. If the then govt had taken as long to develop their plan as the current govt is taking to develop this plan, many of us would be dead already.

Pretty much all my @thedailytism.com pieces are just straight-up anecdotes at this stage.

'City-regions certainly need physical and infrastructure systems to function, yet skills pipelines, innovation ecosystems and partnerships with higher education institutions warrant attention too.' That's why Northland needs a university, not another highway.

Compare our battle for dollars with the battle for Krona. Denmark implemented a long-term economic plan. They apparently have some people that understand how the economy works. Second image is the UK - they went for the ghoulish 'cut Govt spending to grow' plan (the one we have reheated). [10/n]

This chart shows annual results of the battle for dollars. As you can see, households go into debt to create bank credit $ and Govt go into debt to create Govt debt $ and bonds. These are gathered up by offshore investors because we buy more from the world than they do from us. [9/n]