Labour Thus Far....

[Lightspeed]

Originally Posted by pxpx

I think a nerve has been hit

I think you're projecting.

WAIT. HOW DID I MISS THIS NUGGET

You missed it because you didn't initially realise you could take the statement out of context.

The country is facing several growing crises. The government is not. Yes, the government is facing into messes the previous government ignored, and yes, strangely enough those messes are messy. But there's no concern about the coalition falling apart, no worries about snap elections. Just normal politics.

[pxpx]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

The country is facing several growing crises. The government is not.

There's nothing intelligent about this statement.

[Lightspeed]

I'm sceptical you're unable to differentiate between a government and the country it's responsible for.

I'm sceptical people think the coalition was genuinely unprepared to govern.

[StN]

Well, they've taken on Viagogo because Hon Kris Faafoi was in a line at the Eagles and someone next to him paid a couple of hundy over the face value of a ticket.

Soooo, they've got that going for them. Which is nice.

[Ab]

Ardern threw this hospital pass to herself and she just got smashed.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/a...ectid=12209774

It is not often that Simon Bridges gets the better of Jacinda Ardern in Question Time.

It is even more rare for Bridges to be applauded by his own side.
But both happened today - until Speaker Trevor Mallard intervened.

Ardern's loss of form was Bridges' capital gain as the National leader and the Prime Minister went head to head over a comprehensive capital gains tax (CGT)
National's research unit had done their homework and found a quote of Ardern's from Mike Hosking's show last week in which she had pressed home what she sees as an empathetic advantage.

It was a variation on fish and chip shop theme, from the previous day in which slaving over a fat vat in an after- school job gave her insights into how small business owners would be feeling about having to pay 33 per cent tax when they sold up their business for retirement.

Ardern had disputed the NewstalkZB host's claim that none of the cabinet had experience running a small business.

She herself had run a small Non-Government Organisation (NGO), she had said.

"What was that NGO," Bridges asked in the House.

In her lengthy answer, an irritated Ardern failed to utter the answer, which was well known to everyone.

Bridges: "Is the NGO she spoke of the International Union of Socialist Youth?"

Ardern: "The member knows how to use Wikipedia – well done."

And the next ad-lib question almost earned Bridges a standing ovation from his own team: "Has talking to international comrades helped her with her small-business policy development in New Zealand."

[Lightspeed]

Smashed? You been watching too many pillow fights. Bring us some UFC.

[Ab]

This is a bit more fucking inspirational, more please:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/makin...acinda-ardern/

[Lightspeed]

[Ab]

Brutal:

http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/201...-politics.html

[CCS]

So effective are “Jacinda’s” communication skills, that a great many New Zealanders have taken to confusing her declarations with actual achievements.

Chris Trotter has described fixed truth perfectly.

I mean, Chris Trotter - right wing shill, literally worse than Hitler, Cameron Slater co-conspirator, traitor, unperson etc.

[Lightspeed]

Vague nonsense.

[CCS]

Lolspeed doing the old routine because he's got nothing of substance.

[Lightspeed]

Yeah, cool, lets talk about me and my routine. That's a compelling way to be convincing.

[CCS]

Why should you be the only one?

[Lightspeed]

I need some help here. crocos, ideas?

[CCS]

Why don't you just parrot back some more lines in a weak bid to deflect from how little Jacinda and her party have done?

[Lightspeed]

When was the last time you posted something that included appropriate objective data? Or an expert opinion, as opposed to a political opinion? Do you think my posts also lack such substance? Shall we look back at our post histories?

[crocos]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

I need some help here. crocos, ideas?

Sorry dude, you got yourself into this one.

As for the blog, yes Ardern is charismatic and yes she does a lot of handwavium.

The real thing to pay attention to here: Is the cost of fighting climate change worth it? Trotter has by implication said no while decrying there's no "doers" in our Labour-led government to get anything done anyway.

And what are the costs anyway? No one in government really can say because there's no real study occuring to say what's up.

[pxpx]

100% props to Jacinda and Co for this weeks effort.

[Ab]

Originally Posted by pxpx

100% props to Jacinda and Co for this weeks effort.

Word.

[crocos]

I have zero issues with getting assault weapons & military-style semi-autos and large capacity mags off the streets. Good riddance.

For those decrying the "But I like to double-tap bunnies and possums to ensure they die humanely" line, I say they've already been discussing exceptions for legitimate use, but you don't need an AR15 or an extended mag for that... and if you do, you shouldn't have a gun - practice more with a bolt-action at a range or something.

I'd also have no concern with full registration for anything .22 or larger and raise the unsupervised age to 18... and maybe a minimum supervised age too.

[Lightspeed]

Ministers change tune in wake of plunging breath tests

I wonder if with the establishment of drug courts the new system would be overwhelmed if we were catching the volume of drink drivers we were before such testing became... "targeted".

Or maybe it's budget figures, crime stats etc., that have to be kept flattering.

[Ab]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/a...ectid=12221045

Labour and New Zealand First MPs have voted against a select committee inquiry into Pharmac despite desperate pleas from women with advanced breast cancer.

Malcolm Mulholland, the husband of Wiki Mulholland who has breast cancer, was at Parliament today to hear the outcome of the vote.

He was devastated to learn that Labour MPs had voted against the motion from National MP Michael Woodhouse at the health select committee.

He didn't know how he was going to tell his wife of 20 years, who was one of a number of women with advanced breast cancer who have made emotional pleas over the past few weeks to the committee to push Pharmac to fund two drugs – Ibrance and Kadcyla – and hold an inquiry into the Government's drug-buying agency.

"I'm just gutted," he said.

Struggling to control his emotions, Mulholland read from a prepared statement.

"I'm deeply saddened by today's decision by Labour not to support an inquiry into Pharmac.

"The result of this decision is that people with advanced cancer, including breast cancer, will die sooner than they should. Why? Because the New Zealand system of funding drugs is broken."

He said the committee's chairwoman, Labour MP Louisa Wall, had told him an inquiry into Pharmac would be launched and that all Labour members supported it.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has also said she would not stand in the way of an inquiry if the select committee opted to hold one.

"The Government is committed to putting people's wellbeing and the environment at the heart of its policies" yeah nah

[Lightspeed]

So the select committee opted for an inquiry but the government vetoed it? If so that's bullshit.

Not that I think the government should be tripping over themselves to help every bleeding heart, but if they said they'd let inquiry go ahead, they should.

[CCS]

I read it differently. The committee held a vote about having an inquiry. The outcome was that the committee voted against an inquiry.

He was devastated to learn that Labour MPs had voted against the motion from National MP Michael Woodhouse at the health select committee.

[Ab]

When a party's MPs on a committee vote as a bloc, they've been instructed to.

[Lightspeed]

This is the long-term work that needs to be done to resolve the housing crisis:

Government announces construction industry agreement

Yes, yes, Labour spun shit about KiwiBuild to get elected. But that's how governments get into power, and it's not like anyone else was aiming to tackle the crisis.

Labour is doing exactly what needs to be done: sell a story to get the opportunity to do the work, then get on with the complex task that can't be reduced to pithy sound bites.

[pxpx]

You can't retcon what happened, Labour fucked up in a big way with kiwibuild.

It's hugely encouraging to see something like this come out of that shitstorm though, well done.

[Lightspeed]

When I fuck up, there are consequences. How is Labour getting away with it?

[Ab]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

But that's how governments get into power

Exactly, the ends justify the means.

Comrade

[Lightspeed]

That's certainly what I see when I look around.

Nakama?

[pxpx]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

Labour is doing exactly what needs to be done: sell a story to get the opportunity to do the work, then get on with the complex task that can't be reduced to pithy sound bites.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think you're saying Labour purposely created a shitty policy (KiwiBuild) as a bribe to get into power, knowing that they had this in the back pocket but just the needed time/opportunity to get it going?

Its the equivalent of falling flat on your face, getting up and saying "oh, I meant to do that, part of the plan, you see".

[blynk]

Sad day.

This was the best chance to finally get a form of CGT in NZ. But no, even Labour chickened out.

[Ab]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/112...ital-gains-tax

Labour governs at the pleasure of Winston Peters. Winston's supporters are old white people. Old white people own lots of houses.

Sir Michael Cullen, who chaired the Tax Working Group, said he was disappointed but "not in the least surprised".

A capital gains tax had been vetoed by Winston Peters, leader of Labour's coalition partner NZ First, he said.

THANKS BOOMERS

[CCS]

[pxpx]

M^^^^^MP at work.

[fixed_truth]

Hmm I would of liked a CGT but I guess with an economy based around housing it would have been politically risky.

On the bright site it sures up the Govts. political capital (55-58% vs Nats 40-43%) and so will mean a lot of smaller progressive social justice policies over the next few terms, which is great.

[blynk]

It can't fully be Winston though.
Unless he managed to convince Adern to use the worlds "Labour won't introduce a CGT while I'm in charge"

There's always the chance that with Winston retiring, NZ First will die next election.

[Lightspeed]

Originally Posted by pxpx

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think you're saying Labour purposely created a shitty policy (KiwiBuild) as a bribe to get into power, knowing that they had this in the back pocket but just the needed time/opportunity to get it going?

Its the equivalent of falling flat on your face, getting up and saying "oh, I meant to do that, part of the plan, you see".

Yeah, kinda. They ended up on their face, but they still made the jump. Not that I get what you mean by bribe, which voting bloc was getting the pay off?

[Lightspeed]

Originally Posted by blynk

Sad day.

This was the best chance to finally get a form of CGT in NZ. But no, even Labour chickened out.

The nihilists are happy at least.