Proud of how the Silver Ferns are standing tall tonight—focused, united and delivering against South Africa despite all the off-court noise. Brilliant. 🖤🌿 #SilverFerns #NZLvRSA

Great meeting tonight hearing @chrishipkins.bsky.social & @drayeshaverrall.bsky.social speak on health services in NZ & the way we are going backwards & their plan for a healthy & prosperous NZ. Thanks for organising @shananhalbert.bsky.social #universalhealthcare

Independent apart then

If you think that Ginny Anderson and I look pissed off, that’s because we are seriously pissed off. The government is ripping our pay equity legislation apart, kicking low paid women down in order to balance their books. The Labour caucus turned out in force at the snap protest at Parliament today.

@drayeshaverrall.bsky.social is now subjecting Brown to her steely intellect and total command of the facts. “Who does he expect to DO the work with 310 fewer nurses and 47 fewer drs” Brown shouting to compensate for his lack of competence. And LYING. #nzpol

Today Health Minister Simeon Brown wouldn’t say whether he thinks abortion is healthcare.

Public health doctors say Simeon Brown is meddling in the submissions they can make and it's having a "chilling effect". Doctors and health experts should be free to do their job without being micro-managed by Simeon Brown.

It’s past time Te Whatu Ora Health NZ returned to transparent governance and replaced the destructive Lester Levy with a board. Here’s what I wrote to Minister Simeon Brown on how we could approach this constructively together for the good of our health system.

National finally funding its medical school places a year later than promised, and half the 100 places they describe were funded by Labour.

National needs to take responsibility for the job cuts and hiring freeze they’ve imposed and admit it’s putting people in danger. If a hospital needs a cancer specialist, they shouldn’t have to wait around for National’s sign-off while patients suffer.

The sheer number of resignations in health leadership point to one thing: that they’ve been directed from the top. Christopher Luxon seems to have a low tolerance for diversity of thought and is pushing out people whose advice he disagrees with. This decision takes New Zealand backwards.

Sharing with permission. A letter to the President and Board of RANZCOG from one of Aotearoa's gynaecologists who knows first hand how important abortion healthcare is for all folks who can get pregnant. #abortionrightsaotearoa #alranz #abortion #abortionishealthcare #nzpol #luxon

Christopher Luxon's Coalition Government is putting a less qualified anti-choice, anti-abortion MP to lead the health portfolio. An MP who *CELEBRATES* the fall of abortion rights and abortion access in the United States. This is wildly irresponsible. We deserve better. #abortion #nzpol #Luxon

Select committee has met and extended the time for submissions on dreadful Treaty Principles Bill after the system crashed 👇

So far 2025 a lot like 2024 www.facebook.com/share/p/ZwLB...

Te Anau BBQ tradition - throwing the icebreaker on when the weather changes at 7pm.

The government has a new accounting measure called OBEGALx. It's the measure you use when you can't get the books to add up the way you would like. I guess it goes with FERRIESx and CHILDPOVERTYTARGETSx and HOUSESINAUCKLANDx. I'm giving this government a giant ❌ for its performance this year.

Frickin’ targets. #NZPol. www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-dept...

An excellent meeting this morning with Drs Kroon, Watene, Dare and Grix, talking about the cut to Marsden funding for research in humanities and social sciences, and working out a possible strategy. I’d love to come and talk to researchers about this. Just email me and we can set something up.

The opposition were given the 200+ page report ONE DAY before the hearing rather than the legally required two weeks. You wanna try getting across a detailed 200 page document in one day? Unfortunately for Reti, Hon Ayesha Verrall did just that and highlighted some dramatic accounting, um, issues.

Nice to turn up here for the first time and see an old friend has set out the welcome mat.