"We are under new management in this country, and we are here to grow this country, and we want to have more ambition and aspiration, and what was happening before was not working... we're going to turn this country around, and that means we are going to have tough choices from time to time... NZ is open for business..."
Just when I think I've plumbed the depths of David Seymour's cluelessness, he responds to the NewsHub announcement by saying he'll save them by making TVNZ pay a dividend to Treasury again. This is the publicly-owned TV broadcaster that lost NZ$17 million in the first half of last year. Even Winston, who railed against the "mainstream" media through the election campaign, thinks that's dopey. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/focusonpolitics/audio/2018928273/when-no-news-is-bad-news
"The people I spoke to expect the Government to do more and move faster. And I know that there are some in this House who believe Government is not the answer to these challenges and that less Government is better. But here’s the thing: the Government cannot be a bystander to people suffering confusion and disenfranchisement."
Fa'anānā #EfesoCollins, Maiden Speech to NZ Parliament, 2024
Vape juice with nicotine is addictive, but as far as we know from current research, less harmful than eating sugar. Vape juice without nicotine is both less addictive and less harmful than sugar. So the only aspect of vaping I can see a solid argument for banning is the disposable equipment.
Who gave Luxon his media training? You can't just recite your talking points over and over in the same interview, like a demented chat bot. Listen to him deflecting Guyon Espiner's questions:
Maybe I already posted this, but just a reminder of how cynical the NatACTs are ...
"National... knew its policy was unlikely to get the backing of teachers, and wasn't hoping to get it. Mr Luxon is going after parents concerned about the state of the education system, and how their child will fair in it."
Transport Minister Michael Wood's ownership of Auckland Airport shares put the spotlight on politicians owning business assets, which might create conflicts of interest. David Seymour of ACT was initially hesitant to have this judged too harshly, which is out of character. I wonder what journalists might find if they looked closely at business assets owned by current and prospective ACT MPs? https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/focusonpolitics/audio/2018893813/focus-minister
The NatACTs have an ulterior motive when it comes to water reform. If councils could afford to maintain water infrastructure properly, at least some of them would have. Even the big cities are struggling, with massive budgets relative to the smaller District Councils. So as Gordon Campbell pointed out months ago the most likely consequence of doing nothing and expecting more (NatACT plan in a nutshell) is crisis and privatization.