State of the Nation impressions: Tone and affect both miles away from encouraging, let alone inspiring; very flat delivery, including in the Q&A. If there was a glimmer of a smile at all, it passed me by. Also, the clink and clank of cutlery in the background is its own particular subtext. #nzpol

"Just in the nick of time, New Zealand’s trans youth—and the people who love them and care for them—can breathe a sigh of relief" 🥰 This is the heart of it. Everyone who knows and loves a trans kid knows how vital—as in literally life-saving—this injunction feels (and will hopefully continue to be)

womp womp. Performative culture war policy doesn’t last long. www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...

Over a quarter of a trillion dollars being poured into expensive & complex infrastructure (roads) with almost zero transparency. What is the public interest in hiding basic information about these billion-dollar projects from the public? Good question @connorsharp.bsky.social #releasetheRONSfiles

It's only going to get better.

Honestly, with a lot of things happening right now, it's easy to feel down. But then you go see (and celebrate) the great things that are happening, and cheer right back up :) Need to talk up the good way more tbh!

Boards Chair here - before our BOT passed a motion affirming our commitment to Te Tiriti, I received emails from parents and teachers urging the board on. The union never said a word. Amazing that reaffirming a commitment to Te Tiriti is viewed as "anti-govt" (his words)

'.. it seems that local and regional government are being set up as a target to distract New Zealanders from their dissatisfaction with the current regime.' - Anne Salmond

The abuse Julie Fairey copped after being HIT BY A CAR is exactly what happens when we treat online harm as background noise. Women in politics bear the brunt, especially women of colour. Until NZ actually regulates platforms properly, this will keep happening #nzpol www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

This is a great op-ed on the immense value of complete and connected bike networks but author @connorsharp.bsky.social is too modest. He wasn't just there at the celebration he helped open the Westmere to Pt Chev cycleway

"Power confers this hypocrisy, as does increased aggression, less empathy and a sense of entitlement, all of which characterise this Government. It’s the ultimate judge of character and, at its worst, strips politicians of any authenticity" - Janet Wilson (no paywall on The Post articles today)

Matt @greaterauckland.bsky.social drills down on Chris Bishop's speech about how expensive all the mega-roads his government keeps promising will be. If they ever get built. www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/11/20/m...

Sweet vindication after the nasty culture war #bikelash election 3 yrs ago. Turns out communities do want safe streets & cyclelanes. Not the complete result we wanted but very happy to have been part of a campaign built on positive progressive policies with a great group of candidates #nzpol

Happy Halloween! The scariest thing about tonight isn't the costumes, it's the road safety stats. Halloween sees a 30% spike in crashes involving people walking or cycling w/ 1/3 of these crashes between 4-8pm, peak trick-or-treating hours. Drivers: slow down tonight so everyone gets home safe.

A day to unfurl the United Tribes Ensign selected a year earlier by W[h]akaputanga o Nu Tireni at Waitangi in 1834 — the first flag of Aotearoa New Zealand.

At the #nzstrike with the fam. Good vibes, massive turnout, righteous signs, perfect birthday outing! 🥳 #nzpol

It’s going as well as you might expect

Comment of the day (so far): "I would rather have a smaller road on my way to a high-class hospital." 🎯

What was actually in the fine print of yesterday's roading announcement: a $40-to-$50 billion bill that we could not pay without bankrupting ourselves. This has been implicit for a long time and should be in the damn headlines. greaterauckland.substack.com/p/reality-bi...

Doctors cross ethical line says man who raised speed limits for no reason despite extensive evidence it would lead to more injuries and death. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

That feeling when the special votes tip your local board back towards favouring kid-friendly and bike-friendly streets…

This is really great news. City Vision (Labour, Greens & independents) has flipped two local boards. This is a win for progressive policies. Communities want climate action, street improvements, safe speeds and bike lanes

The select committee report on the Regulatory Standards Bill is in. 📝166,000 submissions. ❌98.7% opposed. Yet National are going to continue supporting it. 🗣New Zealand could not have been louder, but Luxon still isn’t listening.

#Auckland there's a heap of places to drop off voting papers right up until midday TODAY Your vote matters to secure progressive local boards & a council that supports #climateaction #safestreets #affordablehousing #TeTiriti No papers? Make a special vote voteauckland.co.nz/en/informati...

Candidates in local govt elections face very little scrutiny. I'm grateful to @misswhanau.bsky.social for calling out the abuse and raising awareness. This 🧵 on why it matters (incl extra red flags for Nat party aligned candidates courting cookers)

Goldsmith “exploring ideas for cutting down (special) votes” We see you and your imported anti-democratic strategies. www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...

Feel like our priorities on what's urgent may be a bit skewed

A viable cycling network is a vital safety-net for people and the economy. Is the cheapest transport network to install and maintain. A measure of a city’s competence and civility. www.rnz.co.nz/news/pinchpo...

My friend @pippacoom.bsky.social has written a great piece about the Council race in Waitematā and Gulf, and why @patrickreynolds.bsky.social is a much better choice than Mike Lee. pippacoom.co.nz/news/mike-le...

The government has gutted pay equity claims. Over 180,000 workers, mainly women, impacted. Day of action for #payequity Stand up. Fight back!

Richard is far too polite to say but you can also add George Wood, Wayne Walker and John Watson. All have been around for too long on Auckland Council without having made any positive contribution #nzpol

Thank to this submission guide I've been able to make a quick one against the latest attempts by the govt to undermine our democracy. Super easy to submit before the 1pm TODAY deadline.

The govt's lack of leadership and ambition on #climateaction was on full display at the conference. In contrast the business and sustainability leaders understand the opportunities to lead the world and seize the advantage.

Voting papers are in the mailbox from today. This election provides a clear choice. A vision for Tāmaki Makaurau or back to failed 20th century policies #nzpol cityvision.org.nz/news/media-r...

A candidate who has consistently voted against street improvements and cycleways thinks she has found the solution. She promises to "Advocate for cyclists obeying the road rules, keeping them safe" (and more parking) voteauckland.co.nz/en/informati... #nzpol

Councillor Mike Lee has long been a bully and shouter at council (to staff as well as his colleagues). He brushes it off as "normal" in a political setting. This 🧵 on how patriarchal culture has enabled his behaviour #nzpol #localgovtelection25

A good reminder why it matters to elect positive, action focused people into local government. This is what Connor and the @cityvision.bsky.social team are all about #nzpol

Love this. The government took away freedom. The community responded by choosing safe streets.

Here's what the government campaign looks like on the ground (literally) in Auckland. Putting aside the crime against design, C&R (National party in local govt) haven't quite got the memo. Vote for rates! #election25 #nzpol

NZers are paying with their lives, and everyone pays the cost of lost productivity as a result of Simeon Brown's car brain culture war against safety and evidence. Tragically, this is the inevitable outcome of blanket increases to dangerous speeds

It’s not just the sheer vileness—it’s the compound long-term harm. Dehumanising your colleagues, thereby discouraging future participants, *while also* squatting in powerful roles, robs us all of a pipeline of greater potential. Kudos to Mayor Whanau for going through ‘em like a dose of the salts.

It's so important that this stuff sees the light of day, otherwise the weight of it sits on the targets of the abuse and the abusers get to go on without consequences or shame or remorse. #nzpol

A moving ceremony this morning on the 40th anniversary with many people who have been working for peace and a nuclear free Pacific over many decades incl these legends. You can't sink a Rainbow!

Auckland Transport wasting time and money making streets MORE dangerous and the transport system LESS efficient.

Turns out objections to Te Reo signage was never about legibility or safety .... Distracting, unreadable and dangerous signage on the right coming to over 150 school communities across Auckland to replace the sign on the left.

Welcome to GLOW Aotearoa! A new local govt election initiative designed to empower those passionate about making a difference in their communities. For the curious there is a free online intro tonight at 8pm events.humanitix.com/glow-online-...

This is perhaps a good place to start my Bluesky journey -sharing my mother's wisdom.