PSA Cornwall Park is a lovely spot to visit if anyone is in Tāmaki Makaurau for their summer break. Come early to get the light and avoid the crowds as it’s still the place to be even though everyone has supposedly left town 😂

The cat sitting on the dog sitting on me sitting on the window seat trying to read the paper

Three mini power cuts today, the first two for just a minute or so, the latest ongoing and accompanied by several loud bangs down in the valley. Can’t beat Auckland on a bad day.

Another water outage out West, on a road that's been down to one lane for six months after the last pipe broke and triggered a landslide that also took out a power box. Councils need funding for instracture more than they need a rates cap.

Anyway, that’s enough thinking about business for the holidays! If you happen to think about it next week, please feel free to ask me how my 2026 business plan and wholesale project plans are coming along. 😊

This one I’ll treat more like a goal, because there are a number of things I need to set in place, so one of my first tasks next week will be writing up a project plan for this. But if you happen to know of a great local store that you think would be a great stockist for us, please slide me a DM!

Orders help, of course, and I’m always very appreciative of each and every one! But if you don’t have a reason to buy yourself, sharing posts so more people know about me and @birdandbeach.bsky.social is also incredibly helpful. And my heart 💓 when you tag me when someone asks for suggestions.

Everyone working in retail, hospitality, and front line health care watching yet another news story about "our long summer break"

In light of the rampant abuse of power NZ is facing with this Govt dismantling laws that stop us being looted and taken over by big money it's probably a good time for people to check out or revisit this excellent investigative piece by Mihingarangi Forbes ... #NZPol www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLOj...

Brooke Van Velden is pretty consistently anti worker #nzpol

Absolutely gold from @kennewell.bsky.social over on the other platform in reply to me.

#nzpol 😏⬇️

RW everywhere. NACT/NZF have regressed: Te Tiriti recognition/upholding/progress Te Reo Equity in health Pay Equity Trans rights Public Housing Affordable PT Affordable healthcare Public healthcare Secure rentals H&S in ECEs H&S at work Environmental protections Sex Ed Universal franchise #nzpol

The obvious solution to counter the rise of organised crime is to end criminal control of, & income from, importing & distributing prohibited psychoactive substances by legalisation & regulation.✊ Far too obvious for Ciggy Costello (and her toxic sponsors).😡💩 #EndProhibition #nzpol

🍃🌹🌿 Gordon Campbell- On GDP Growth, And Other Holiday Diversions | Scoop News #nzpol #economy #wellbeing vs #austerity www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL25...

We rated poorly for: AI regulation Employment Inflation Public housing Housing affordability Incomes Climate change Suicides Prisons Gangs Child poverty Mental health Homelessness Migration In short, many of the things that matter to everyday people. #nzpol

They'll react with some short sighted macho bollocks about being tough on crime and do nothing about the main driver of criminality. Which, as our own Dunedin study proved, is poverty.

Gore Hospital Covid-19 outbreak halts new patient admissions and visitors www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gore-hosp...

Crowds gathering and fights breaking out has long been part of Aotearoa's history, especially after sports matches or other times emotions run high. Not necessarily a riot. Same with rowdy parties spilling into streets. Not great but not an escalation. Handled ⤵️ wellington.scoop.co.nz?p=176743

I challenged my former Tory MP about supporting Welsh farmers when she had voted for a deal that would allow unlimited Aussie/NZ lamb &beef into the country. She claimed she hadn't done so but her voting record showed otherwise. Luckily she was kicked out at the GE

Most of the North Island and the top of the South are cloaked under weather alerts, impacting major holiday and festival hotspots.

I freestyle mine (everyone has their own version as it's to your own taste) but this Sam Low version looks good ( www.rnz.co.nz/collections/... ) @br3nda.bsky.social no peanuts or coriander in this one & the sesame is optional.

Fun fact: Drug ads are only a thing in 2 countries: the US and New Zealand. Late stage capitalism is doing its best to force drugs down our throats to enrich Big Pharma shareholders. 🛑💀 Enough!

This is a no brainer for all the deer and goats in the South Island too Don't just cull them, use the meat for food and reduce farmed beef. #kikorangi

The new blight on the NZ crime scene? Move over ramraids, here comes violent rioting on Auckland streets. Fund the police, Coalition Govt. #nzpol

Another non-announcement from the NZ Coalition Govt. This time Louise Upston fluffing on about her tourism aspirations. The Coalition is going to have to put serious money to reduce crime before tourists flock here in record numbers. Not even mentioned their climate neglect. #nzpol

Alan flew into the hills down south recently. Walkable, but he chose not to. Culled (shot) carcasses lying rotting. Food lying rotting. I understand it’s complicated but we have food poverty in this country & food rotting on blocks where you’re only allowed access by ballot.

It’s a shame NZ media don’t put this inconvenient truth directly to him during interviews, although I imagine it’s partly why he refused to do Q&A with Jack Tame this year… 🙄 #nzpol

Overseeing it with bringing New Zealand into wage parity with Australia within a decade. Poverty wages in NZ are a political choice. Wealthy business owners can and should pay better, but must be required to do so. #nzpol

Countries, they've gone up at a faster rate in Australia, thus slowly widening the Trans-Tasman wage gap over the course of the 35 years since so that it has become a yawning chasm. It's high time for a political party to adopt a policy of bringing back the awards system and tasking the body ...

NZ Labour had a similar policy to awards but getting it in place wasn't easy. They brought in Fair Pay Agreements to cover similar issues. Like Pay Equity, National (+ ACT + NZFirst) repealed it. Helen Kelly of @nzctu.bsky.social spent years on it. #NZpol thespinoff.co.nz/politics/22-...

‘In their first week on the streets, the team encountered 19 people newly on the streets, including an 87-year-old woman, a 70 year old, and a 17 year old’ Failed state #nzpol

Still the top #nzpol story on RNZ🙄. Saving the Antarctic starts with climate policies that radically reduce AoNZ’s agricultural emissions, not gabfests of politicians organised by an ex-minister who physically assaulted staff. Andrew Bayly and the fight for Antarctica www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

Some "outrage" is on ~$4B cost of roads + tunnel project. NZTA's Cost Benefit Analysis says it has no economic benefits to Wellington or NZ, and would cost more to construct than it would deliver. It wd also wipe out parking + businesses in Vivian St + delay Mt Vic to hospital travel #NZpol

The fall of Destiny and Brian and Hannah Tamaki continues. Two trusts owing 5M+ much of which is owned to the tax department and last minute name changes. Why don’t they just pay their tax like the rest of NZ? Ironic given their donors still get tax rebate on donations made to Destiny? #nzpol

It seems disingenuous for The Post to publish this without acknowledging that Luke Pierson is a founding member of Vision for Wellington, especially given that Stuff owner Sinead Boucher is also a member. www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3609...

#NZpol #Kikorangi ICYMI Just a heads up....

So true - ‘juking the stats’ medium.com/@roshanrevan...

Evidence showed esp. when trying to measure ED visit delays and times/treatment that other areas suffered greatly [Seymour and slimy Brown ignore the facts] Goodhart’s Law, named after economist Charles Goodhart, states: “When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.”

The much requested Urgency Comparisons for the last 7 New Zealand Parliaments is now available on nzpt.cjs.nz. Last major change for this #nzpol tool until the New Political Year (Jan 27th). Going to add other tools to the site at some point, so still open to any suggestions!

#nzpol Waste water alert for Wellington and the Hutt... www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Jacinda Ardern remains New Zealand’s most popular political figure in polls years after she stepped down as Prime Minister. Real leadership lasts.

So much truth in this with Luxon and his (very flexible) KPI’s. Aotearoa NZ is not a company. #nzpol

Attention NZME "journalists".

The Year in Review in glorious print in today’s NZ Herald. Thank you to my editors for continuing this tradition - to the journos and subs for keeping the lights on and importantly, thank you to the readers. It doesn’t happen without you. See you on Jan 1st 2026 😎❤️🎶🎄

"Growing Up in NZ: Longitudinal Study" says ~ 15% of 8YO participants are neurodivergent with differences like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, learning delays, FASD, epilepsy or Tourette's. 5YO Aidhan is just another kid, no worse than many MPs' kids. Let him stay! #NZpol www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

Paraphrasing Minister McClay: "India free trade agreement excludes dairy, but that could change - minister" Yes,and I could become a ballet dancer for the Bolshoi Ballet. But somehow,I don't like my odds...🙄 #MinisterialBullshit www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines...

Vision for Wellington members are OBSESSED with holding the city back and only investing when it suits their individual needs like saving minutes to the Koru lounge. Leaders must think about the needs of their community. More cycling, more waking and less congestion on the roads. #nzpol

Boxing Day shoppers clog Auckland motorways. Thinking of all the $ I have saved by staying away and gardening today. #kikorangi 🇳🇿

If we charge each car $1, it would take 274 YEARS to pay for the second tunnel (assuming no interest payments on $4.5B cost).