Don’t understand what is going on or where things are at re fuel/the conflict? This will help. Nathan Surendran analyses the situation including global responses (energy chain and govts) and the repercussions for AoNZ. We need to be at Alert Level 2. And we need more communication of the issues.

To Jan 20th 2026 there have been 1779 paid ACC claims for vaccine injury from 14 million doses. We know this already. side effects are no surprise, but they are rare. e.g. there were 73 vax site infections. But knowing facts does not publicise "angry bloke in pub's reckons" for ACT & NZF

If you're doomscrolling, guess what? So far there are 51 kākāpō chicks hatched and thriving this season, the same number of birds as we had in TOTAL in the 90s! Only one chick has died and there are still fertile eggs waiting to hatch!

The rolling of PMs when parties are doing poorly is yeah, ok. The warning is that the media will salivate over the rolling, not dissect the policy that lead to the bad polling and pivot to any new leader with breathless ‘new energy’, ‘turning the tide’ without addressing the policy issues. #nzpol

IT IS NOT THE JOB OF A PUBLIC BROADCASTER IN A DEMOCRACY TO REPORT THE NEWS IN A WAY THE GOVERNMENT LIKES. IT IS ESPECIALLY NOT OKAY FOR MINISTERS AND POLITICALLY-APPOINTED BOARD MEMBERS TO DICATE INDIVIDUAL EDITORIAL DECISIONS. THIS SHOULD BE FUCKING OBVIOUS.

That Gen X urge to never be torn apart

Bit late to it but if you want to know the chain of events that led to us importing gas (and charging electricity users to pay for it!!), I did this deep dive for RNZ last year www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

“Journalism is not just another profession. Society’s right to be well informed rests on our work. Freedom, equality and democracy depend on our work..” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Took one look at Stuff’s reporting on Waitangi and closed the app. Bloody hell. Until we get a media that isn’t immature and partisan we are not going to see any adult conversations about politics or the massive challenges facing this country yes I was a dumbass for reading Stuff #nzpol

I’m seeing Aucklanders complain about the humidity and I stuck the heater on today wtf

I’ve been reflecting on GP care. Went the other day. $85 (10 mins) It’s always the same pattern. Kinda response to issue.. (small but not resolved), ask me if I want prescriptions renewed, then check when my mammogram/cervical smear is due. 1/3

Key dates for the general election. #NZPol #Vote26

'The idea of Māori privilege continues to be deployed in order to constrain Māori aspirations and maintain the power imbalance that colonisation achieved in the nineteenth century.' Peter Meihana's 'Privilege in Perpetuity' is reprinted and back in bookshops! www.bwb.co.nz/books/privileg...

There’s a lot of talk about political parties, policy and positioning - usual election year articles starting to ramp up. But there are two things that are pivotal that will drive any election result 1) Will the mainstream media hold the govt to account? 1/2 #nzpol

Going outside to clean out (again) the two large lasagne dishes I intended as bird watering stations which they use as swimming pools as apparently they quite like to swim and shit at the same time

In spite of everything, at flaxroots there are so many people going amazing work everyday to support others. Marae and [good] churches and mosques and temples and community groups and just good bloody people quietly holding the threads together best they can. You can’t break it. It perseveres.

It used to be like the media was ‘I don’t remember what the govt did ten years ago that relates to this very thing happening now’ and now it’s like ‘ I don’t remember what the govt did last year that is directly responsible for this thing I am horrified about’

Seeing articles on homelessness. In 2020 the NZ govt launched an evidence based, fully funded Homelessness Action Plan. It had support of iwi, local govt and communities. It recognised the complexity and trauma of intergenerational poverty. So please journalists, ask what happened to that … 1/2

I know most of NZ has crazy weather today, either extreme heat or extreme wind But here on the Kāpiti coast it’s windy and a pleasant 22ish… but weirdly MENACING

A good thing to do right now is turn off auto play on videos

they didn’t leak it to make the shooter look innocent, but to make the victim look guilty. not guilty of a crime. guilty of having a visibly queer wife. guilty of liberalism. guilty of opposing the regime. they don’t seek to exonerate themselves, only to demonstrate who deserves to die.

There’s a builder next door and I don’t know if he’s just an angry man, an Australian or he keeps hammering his thumb but he’s yelling fucking effing c every five minutes and its ruining my wfh serenity

I’m finding the Metlink timetable really unclear on if trains are running or if they are all bus replacements Anyone used trains on the Kāpiti line this week?

The Manage My Health breach has exposed how inept many are with comms/incident management. My GP practice has been silent. So I went to its website and saw that it has just put up a banner directing people to MMH app FAQs. Just says ‘You may have heard about a thing- go here’ Incredibly poor.

The New Zealand Labour Party condemns the US attack on Venezuela including kidnapping its president as a blatant violation of international law.

First day back and I’m gazing out the window into the sunshine and contemplating the existential angst of working. It’s not even 9am yet.

This is a good watch. Her view on why Trump did it? 1. Yes, a cornered president and administration desperately seeking distraction (from Epstein files, economic issues, poor polling) and 2. A resource grab/corruption grift but also… 1/2

Chavez in 2009, while being labelled as paranoid, outlines exactly what is happening today.

Oh FFS another dumbass bird just came in! Sort your shit out you feathered muppets I can’t stand the trauma

There are a whole lot of teenage birds around at the moment making dumb decisions A young thrush just walked into the lounge Or maybe it flew in, I dunno I was in the other room. And it checked out my Thai monstera (why??) and got stuck on the fungus gnat sticky trap 1/2

Jesus wept just pile on why don’t you

Right, sound track for 2026 What’s the song you want to go into battle with? www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9ea...

For those wondering about the Manage My Health data breach, the thread below is helpful. If you are wondering what to do - well, nothing really. As an individual using the app, I’m just waiting to see how quickly MMH management sort their comms out, which at the moment, are pretty shit.

A few requests for 2026 forecasts. So, quick 🧵 of reckons. First up, we are at the *bottom of the cycle*. Like we were in 1992, 2000, and 2009. What causes these ups and downs? Animal spirits? Brief flashes of entrepreneurial genius? Well, mostly we blow in the winds of the global economy... [1/n]

How I'm walking out of 2025

Toilet window just slammed shut which is our early klaxon warning for here comes the fucking wind

We feed birds on our deck and the number of teenage sparrows that take one look at our hulking human frames and beady eye stare us down while doing that double wing flutter while screaming for food is amazing. Like do they think I’m just gonna spit something into their teeny open beaks

An eight hour drive, two near misses with cockwombles in cars gave me the shits (and a dick on a motorbike over the centre line round a corner didn’t help). NZ drivers suck so bad.

Taihape driving south. It’s literally hundreds of cars bumper to bumper heading north

Roadie home. Otorohanga for breakfast, Ohakune for lunch. Too cloudy to see Ruapehu

For all those avoiding Christmasy things cos… have a relaxing day whatever you have decided to do. On your own or with someone. In Whāingaroa/Raglan it’s a beautiful day. Drove round the coast to Ngarunui beach. Grateful for the beauty of Aotearoa #aotearoa #xmas

Christmas supermarket trip. Please let the numbers of people with no spatial awareness be few and the ford rangers be limited.

For anyone in Aotearoa looking for a worthwhile cause to make a Christmas donation to, please consider the Aunties Christmas appeal. Any contribution is gratefully received. #kikorangi #nzpol givealittle.co.nz/cause/the-au...

This thread is brilliant (make sure you read the alt text in the pictures) And yes, Bridget came home

Dragging myself into Wednesday like it’s Friday but there’s still a whole three days to get through before the hell-week-before-Christmas is over and someone just booked me in for a late Friday afternoon meeting which isn’t the pretend it’s a meeting and go to the pub kind

Portfolios of the public sector are distinct for a reason. They are distinct to focus, lead and be specialists in their areas. They take a role advocating their portfolio and its nuances in the complexity of cross govt decision making. 1/2 #nzpol

Words matter, and that word always makes me wince

I am really struggling to drag myself to the finish line this year, and I’ve got things that need the effort due right up till Xmas I don’t know about other work places, but in my realm people seem really really tired

"Legislation is law-making...You don't bang it through because a minister has an idea." #nzpol www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

There's a massive feature in next week's Listener on the global rise of the right and its influence locally. Worth picking up a copy