A must read from @bernardchickey.bsky.social

It's interesting to note how much this is being repeated here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

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I played squaredle.com 05/12: 34/34 words ( 19 bonus words) 📖 In the top 2% by bonus words 🔥 Solve streak: 513

"We saw it in the cuts to public services, we've seen it in the cancelling of pay equity claims, now they're coming after holidays and leave in their changes with the Employment Leave Bill. It's not surprising that people are looking to go overseas." www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/heath... #nzpol

Labor are spinning this as a ‘restrained and sensible’ budget. There’s nothing ‘restrained’ about $53 billion more for war and AUKUS. Nothing ‘sensible’ about homelessness and poverty. Unless you are the 1%

"they borrow more, spend more, and don't deliver anything" - Luxon COULD SOMEONE IN THE PRESS CORE DO THEIR FUCKING JOBS FOR ONCE!?!?!? National has borrowed more and spent more than Labour did, just not on social good, but on their corporate donors. #nzpol www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3609...

Wow - NZ Govt is so committed to climate pollution they plan to legislate over common law to block court cases that hold corporations responsible for their climate pollution. At the same time the NZ Govt is pulling every lever to increase climate pollution. www.beehive.govt.nz/release/gove...

The NZ Govt charges the same Road User Charge to a small electric car as it charges a giant 3.5 tonne diesel SUV. Giant cars cause more road damage, more injuries and deaths to pedestrians, cyclists and children, more climate and air pollution. It is a bizarre subsidy and it needs to change.

That Nicola Willis thinks she knows better than the OECD shows how captured by special interests she is #nzpol

Government changes climate law to prevent lawsuits

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That time when the most anti-environment Government in Aotearoa NZ's history decided it would be a good idea to disestablish 40 years of the Ministry for the Environment despite overwhelming rejection from submitters& no clear justification or assurance of ongoing transparency ☠️

“ I think we really have to break away from that mindset that this is social support, this is a handout for poor families, and actually look at how much this would benefit all of our kids.” #nzpol

In a fire, you don’t have minutes. You have seconds. ⏳ A structure fire doubles in size every 30 seconds. PART 1 of 5: Our evidence to the New Plymouth District Council on the Bell Block crisis. Every extra km from town is another 30s for a fire to grow twice as large.

I played squaredle.com 05/11: 25/25 words ( 4 bonus words) 📖 In the top 13% by bonus words 🔥 Solve streak: 512

This is excellent reporting by @manidunlop.bsky.social outlining the Mana Wahine Inquiry and the experiences of both political and business leaders. www.teaonews.co.nz/2026/05/11/t... #nzpol

Now we all know that Net Debt isn't a reflection on the borrowing capacity or ability of Govts to do things, as pointed out by people who know way more than me, out debt to GDP % is internationally quite low. But the myth that National are prudent with debt is a fucking lie - deal with it.

#nzpol @misswhanau.bsky.social doing incredible mahi here for wāhine Māori leaders and future leaders. ttps://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/tory-whanau-testifies-at-waitangi-tribunal-racism-sexism-and-women-hating-abuse-drove-me-out-of-the-country/premium/TDL5EFPNQBH47IZL7ULB6BYCCM/

if Hipkins keeps ruling out reversal of National policies, including ones that HE previously championed and instigated, then voters should be forgiven for thinking that Labour are National Party with bonus feigned "regret"

Listening to the PM et al re-write history is troubling. It's triggering for me cos of the times I was told my recollections of things were 'off', 'wrong', 'misguided' when, as it turns out, the opposite was true. The 'last lot' did HUGE amount of good for people & saved lives/livelihoods.

It's almost impressive how much the current govt have munted the economy in under 3 years. Wellington especially has been decimated fiscally. I can't comprehend how most of the city's restaurants can possibly survive another year, or less, of folk not being able to afford them?

The scrapping of fees free for university students is nothing but a kick in the teeth for young people. Rather than recognising that their economic decisions aren’t working, this Government is once again forcing young people to pay for their mistakes. #nzpol

#NZPol Who are the people voting for ’more of this’?

‼️ The Green Party writes to Minister for Energy and Minister of Finance urging action on unaffordable power bills ahead of winter ‼️ The Greens are ready, willing and able to work constructively on making these common-sense actions a reality, for the good of all New Zealanders.

I am incensed about this. What is it about having an educated population that ‘does not achieve any goals’? What were they? Scrapping Labour’s first year fees free policy was bad enough, but promising this only to rip it out from kids currently at uni who were 💯 relying on it is VERY BAD. #nzpol

This country had a smaller tax base in the past, so how did we build hospitals, rail, roads and bridges and at the same time have world class education and healthcare? We taxed the wealthy hard. They were still wealthy, and society was better off.

The cancelling of the free fees scheme is 100% explained by the complete mess National has made of the economy and their NeoLib beliefs. They’re bleeding money on benefits and the tax take is falling. Their answer is not build capability, it’s MORE AUSTERITY (except for Roads 🙄) Morons

Stop looking at what Discount Mr Potato Head is saying and start looking at the pattern of actions. What goal is actually being signalled by "I'm going to be focusing on outcomes"? To my view, it seems the intent is to gear society toward a highly individualised, stack-ranked system of privilege.

THIS. unseen 'quiet policy choices' "To organise effectively, we have to name accurately. The far right is not a fringe to be contained; it is a governing project that has restructured the policy fields of the contemporary state." @mohanjdutt.bsky.social culture-centered.blogspot.com/2026/05/what...

Hipkins ditched PM Arderns policies and lost an election Now he proposes continuity with the shitfuckery NACT have been putting in? Nah bro fuck off

We have changed from a country where most everyone got served a reasonable helping to one where now the favoured get extra large plates groaning with more than anyone could eat and the majority get slops on smaller cardboard ones

thing with TOP is that an electorate is right there for the taking - lib value National voters who want nothing to do with ACT/NZF accepting 'blue green' framing is such a massive mistake. If they want to succeed, AND be in govt, they need to take the place of the far right parties, not Greens/TPM

Worth repeating this government is offering our school leavers nothing "No jobs, no welfare, no training or education support ..."

This government is now offering less than nothing for our young people. No jobs, no welfare, no training or education support ... this does not augur well for NZ's future and creates conditions civil unrest: open.substack.com/pub/drbex/p/...

she's failed. She's the worst failure as Finance Minister in History

“ Electricity prices have increased 12% in the last 12 months - Consumer NZ estimated at least another 5% increase in power prices this year,” “Power companies are raking in huge profits - ordinary households - struggle - between paying the rent & paying the power bill,” #nzpol

If we’re just going to have continuity of NACT policy under a Labour govt, why the fuck would anyone vote Labour?

It does make sense when you realise Labour are simply a more moderate version of Nats rather than an actual opposition party. People need to STOP VOTING for Labour and start voting for Greens. Destroy the two-party monopoly!

@greens.org.nz calling for power bill price cap in line with inflation #nzpol

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I hope food banks are also giving people the means to check they’re enrolled to vote, and helping them enrol if they’re not.

I played squaredle.com 05/10: 72/72 words ( 31 bonus words) 📖 In the top 1% by bonus words 🔥 Solve streak: 511

NZ Labour, please take note #nzpol

#TOP #OPP is also a RW party aimed at stealing #Greens votes. Don’t be fooled! US Tech Billionaire, Brian Cartmell, donating $100,000+ to #Nat #Act #NZF & #Opportunity party. He moved to NZ in 2010. His Internet Entertainment Group=an online pornography company www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-dept...

🍃🌹🌿 I’m voting #NZGreens next election =For Free #GP, #Dentist, & #Childcare; #people #planet #biodiversity #climate #payequity #evidence #health #GreenBudget #jobs #wellbeing #Democracy #Sovereignty #Gaza, #WealthTax on billionaires, & a safer future! www.greens.org.nz/green_budget...

#NZ Greens “Green Budget” is fully costed & fantastic. Free GPs, Dentists & childcare. Less tax for 91%+ NZers, #climatechange action, conservation; $395/wk income guarantee; & the wealth tax is v similar to Australia’s! 💚❤️🖤#nzpol #PartyvoteGreen #TaxTheRichest www.greens.org.nz/green_budget...

eVidEncEd bAseD poLicY These fucking arseholes are making a mockery of the select committee process If the submissions don't make any difference, nobody will bother. And that's what they want #nzpol