About
Contact
Advertise

Facebook
Twitter

April 21, 2026 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 21 April 2026

Like this:

Like Loading…

Email
Facebook
Twitter
Comment249

Uncategorized
General Debate

Comments (249)

Login to comment or vote

Cassandra

The Greens have a plan. Because of Hormuz NZ now must do away with fossil fuel entirely. The country must be totally electrified. Generation will come from solar, wind, hydro and geothermal. All done by the government; businesses are not to be involved.

This time socialism will work. It never has before, anywhere, but Marama Davidson and Chloe Swarbrick apparently have the management skills to do it.

The money will come from somewhere – borrowed presumably – and the debt will be serviced by taxing the rich. The technology required (the enormous batteries, for example) will be invented and manufactured by a NZ State-owned enterprise. The new electric ships and aeroplanes will take our produce to their markets. Flying pigs will drag huge barges?

In the meantime, in the real world…………………….
77 6
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 8:02am
- Dougal10
  
  And its all breathlessly reported as reality by the herald and news talk news.
  
  36 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 8:06am
  - Boy Geoff
    
    Well, my middle-aged female, car driving, university and private school-educated work colleague did genuinely believe that Ardern had solved climate change when she made her captain’s call on oil & gas…
    
    20 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 10:00am
    - R
      
      Academic educated ignorance is bliss isn’t it. All that education, and unable to think rationally; or perhaps even have any original thoughts.
      
      9 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 2:06pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Yes Jethro Tull wrote a song about these people. The title ends in the word “brick”.
      
      1 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 7:12pm
- Albie
  
  We won’t need ships and aeroplanes in their utopia as we will be self sufficient living in our communes.
  
  31 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 8:13am
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    There will still be some amount of fuel. That will be reserved for our Glorious Leaders to fly to climate change conferences in Cancun.
    
    43 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 9:15am
  - AitchW
    
    Caves….
    
    0 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 5:32pm
- David Garrett
  
  Cass: I left politics 16 years ago – can’t quite belive it’s been that long – and even back then the relatively sane Greens didn’t live in the real world…this bunch of crazies are not even in the solar system, Let alone the real world.
  
  66 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 8:16am
  - In Vino Veritas
    
    Quite so David. Another group of people that are in that other solar system, are the media. They actually believe what the likes of Swarbrick are saying and give it relevance. There was a day when the likes of Swarbrick would be excoriated by the media for quite mad views.
    
    8 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 9:46am
  - R
    
    I read today, that there is a possibility in the near future, of a comet passing by after rounding the sun. Perhaps it will stop at planet Earth, and collect all theses airheads and take them to Utopia.
    
    6 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 11:01am
  - pdm
    
    So true cmm.
    
    How many `lackeys/hangers on’ did James Shaw take to glasgow after the main part of the Conference was over?
    
    24 was it?
    
    5 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 4:19pm
- KH
  
  As a stopped clock is right twice a day so the Greens are right about electrifying. But clueless as usual about how to do it.
  
  15 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 8:21am
  - Cassandra
    
    Right about electrifying? Not in your lifetime. Unless the generation is nuclear or something not yet devised.
    
    21 4
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 9:35am
    - Hard Cheese
      
      Electrification doesn’t mean absolutely everything has to be electric
      
      3 3
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 10:48am
      - Local Miller
        
        If you are a Green it does.
        
        8 1
        Report
        April 21, 2026 2:39pm
    - david in Aus
      
      Sometimes ideology gets in the way of common sense.
      
      The source New Zealand’s electricity is more than 90% renewable, with the capacity for more. Most countries, such those in Asia or Europe are not in that position. So for most countries nuclear is definitely a strong option.
      
      For New Zealand, renewables are a comparative advantage. It won’t be 100% until we sort energy storage issues but technology is improving.
      
      Reducing imports and increasing domestic energy should be a no brainer. Electric cars are now comparable to internal combustion.
      
      Potentially rich in electricity but poor in petroleum, the logic of where to go should be easy. Less money spent on imported petroleum is more money for pharmaceuticals etc.
      
      3 3
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 10:54am
      - Local Miller
        
        dia. “It won’t be 100% until we sort energy storage issues but technology is improving.”
        
        “Electric cars are now comparable to internal combustion.”
        You are wrong on both counts. The next battery technology was going to be solid state, but as I’ve mentioned earlier, there’s a new paper out showing that the crystal growth in solid state batteries is brittle (not soft as was believed) and can penetrate the layers separating the electrolytes. This causes an internal short circuit with the resultant thermal runaway and fires.
        
        With respect to cars, long distance and charging times for small to medium cars is still an issue, as is charging heavy vehicles. Drive past the Auckland bus charging station in Wairau Valley and see all the busses parked up for hours, useless while they charge. A process that took minutes previously. To charge faster you need higher current, and our grid doesn’t have the capacity.
        
        Our 90% renewable with 10% fossil is barely enough to keep the lights on. We’d need significantly more capacity to support the equivalent electric fleet, and we’re not going to get it from renewables.
        And at this point we haven’t even started talking about the copper and other metels that needs to be mined to build all these electric vehicles.
        
        9 2
        Report
        April 21, 2026 2:53pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        “Electric cars are now comparable to internal combustion.”
        
        I think that is zealot-pushed wishful thinking. No they are too inconvenient and costly for most people.
        Also there are not enough of the required mineral reserves for net-zero, let alone billions of robots, AI data centres, and electrifying everything.
        
        2 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 7:22pm
      - david in Aus
        
        I have an electric car. It has replaced my petrol driven car well. I don’t think I will go back. It saves me money. With solar panels, I pay $10 per week for fuel travelling $15000 km per year. Which is the average for most people.
        
        It won’t suit everybody, but I would 90% of people can transition without any problems.
        
        1 1
        Report
        April 21, 2026 7:57pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        DIA I would like to know the full cost of your home renewables setup. Also how much did the electric car cost you? If the main EV battery goes faulty, what will it cost you to replace it? What make/model is the car? Electric cars are crap for long trips. Over Easter in Aus, EV people in small towns were queuing for 5 hours just to START to charge their flagging EVs. Imagine that pain in the arse! Getting fast charging to remote locations doesn’t make economic sense.
        
        Oh and you have a backup ICE car as well?
        
        3 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 8:38pm
  - Ra Henare
    
    Will be interesting to see what their eye glass(Specticle) frames will be made of? Wood? As no fossil fuels used to make Plastic.
    No Tar seal Roads?
    An interesting future ahead
    
    15 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 9:46am
    - Bevan
      
      Significant amount of medical supplies are plastic as well. Sorry, you need a pacemaker – sux to be you.
      
      And all the insulated electricity lines, bugger.
      
      Then there is all that mining for Copper, Lithium, etc etc to make this utopia happen.
      
      A world without plastic is currently not achievable.
      
      16 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 1:23pm
    - Paulus
      
      What, no plastic bags again ?
      
      7 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 1:48pm
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      Helium for medical scanners is a by product of the gas extraction industry. So is CO2 for beer.
      
      Can’t get either out of solar.
      
      3 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 6:58pm
  - Local Miller
    
    Not right about electrifying. Energy Density for battery storage is too low to be commercially viable on scale and charging rates are too slow. To double the charging rates you need to double the current. This is physics and you can’t get around it, and we don’t have the infrastructure to support such high current. At a petrol station you can typically have up to 12 cars filling at the same time without impacting each other. Hove 12 cars charging and you need to either have 12 x the current or everyone charges at 1/12th the rate.
    And flying and ships! Batteries are simply too heavy for long distance flights with loads, and while they can drive a propeller, they can’t power a jet. If they were even possible, flight times would go back to the pre jet era. And ships wouldn’t have the range a modern cargo vessel has.
    And don’t talk about the wonders of solid state batteries. A recent research paper shows that these are at least as likely to be subject failure as traditional Li-Ion batteries, if not more so.
    
    18 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 10:56am
    - Taieri
      
      To double the charging rates you need to double the current.
      ————
      
      And if you double the current you’ll need cooling.
      
      10 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 11:14am
    - david in Aus
      
      That is a straw man argument. Electricity cannot do everything. But electric cars over time can improve our current account by reducing imports. We will still need petroleum products, it is way to valuable to ever ban. Banning petroleum was such an ignorant stupid position.
      
      For national security reasons, having a greater proportion of transport using domestic energy sources should be a no brainer. Electricity from renewables and or coal is the way.
      
      7 5
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 11:28am
      - Local Miller
        
        Calling something a strawman argument isn’t a counter argument, it’s a way of dismissing the argument without proper comment.
        Until you can show that we can resolve all the major issues around electricity production, distribution, charging rates/time, energy density, etc. you can’t claim electric cars over time will achieve anything.
        The first “modern” electric car (actually a hybrid) was the Toyota Prius, mass produced and sold in Japan in 1997. Now, almost 30 years later the battery technology hasn’t improved significantly. Anyone who believes this is going to suddenly change in the next 30 years isn’t following the science.
        
        11 2
        Report
        April 21, 2026 3:09pm
      - AitchW
        
        I’m beginning to think that perhaps “strawman” has replaced “Hitler” in Godwin’s law.
        
        3 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 5:34pm
      - david in Aus
        
        If Norway, China … can do it, there is no reason why NZ can’t do it. Yes, the grid will need to be upgraded.
        
        0 1
        Report
        April 21, 2026 7:59pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      EVs with battery slots for exchangeable batteries would seem to be the go, as a concept. You go to a battery station and a trolly pulls out your discharged battery and plugs in a fully charged exchange one (or two, or three). The car tests the new battery to make sure it’s all good. There was a company developing such technology but it recently went bust. Having “battery stations” with piles of big high energy batteries stored might be problematic safety-wise in densely populated areas. Those stations presumably would have to be supplied with a lot of electricity. I suppose truck loads of charged batteries could be delivered to more remote locations and the “empties” could be transported to more central charging facilities.
      
      0 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 8:51pm
- Yvette
  
  Someone calculated replacing New Zealand’s entire fossil-feed vehicle fleet would require 3.5 more Benmore dams to generate enough dependable power for the equivalent electric fleet.
  But a problem is immediately: How much will the Greens relax their ideas of conservation to allow several more Benmore schemes to be built, mining of battery minerals, disposal of buggered wind turbine blades and establishing solar generation in the Land of the Long White Cloud?
  
  44 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 8:31am
  - David Garrett
    
    Yvette: The journos should be asking the Greens those very questions
    
    30 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 9:27am
    - NZer In Exile
      
      The zealots usually reply “I trust the science” then run away when you drill down on what the hell that actually means.
      
      2 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 8:54pm
  - nigel2010
    
    Yvette, it won’t cost a cent and they will not have to build any more dams because in the socialist utopia they will ban private cars, implement 15min cities, there will be no planes except those that ferry the political elite around, just remember cars are freedom and these batshit crazy control freaks want to control every aspect of your life
    
    16 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 10:20am
- kowtow
  
  Yep , in the adult world the front page of the WSJ is about how the oil major cos are investing bigly in exploration and exploitation away from the ME , esp in Africa and South America.
  
  And the windfall profits from this stoush is allowing them to do it.
  
  Furthermore the reports of the death of fossil fuels is greatly exagerated as they see increased demand out to 2050 , which they plan to meet.
  
  24 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 8:34am
- pdm
  
  Hydro?
  
  The Greens have opposed any proposed dam on any river in the country for the last 30 years and probably even longer than that.
  
  Hydro won’t happen with Greens as part of any Government and Labour would not have a clue how to organise it anyway.
  
  50 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 8:40am
  - RoboRob
    
    The Greens have a history of pushing for whatever ‘green’ energy generation is just around the corner but not yet viable. They pushed for Wind and now wind is viable they complain about environmental damage to birdlife. They would love wave generation but I guarantee if it ever becomes viable they will being to oppose it.
    
    For true environmentalist greens (not the watermelons we mostly have) the end goal is really world depopulation. They want to take energy and farming back to medieval systems, which of course cant sustain the world population we have. Thays good because the plants and animals can thrive.
    
    25 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 8:50am
    - NothingLeft
      
      Greens don’t want solutions, because that is not the itch they are trying to scratch. It’s all about psychological need of low-agency and low-status people wanting to dominate others – most of their voters are status-obsessed young women.
      
      Environmentalism and social consciousness are just fig leaves for fundamentally misanthropic domineering motivations.
      
      Every revolutionary is a closeted aristocrat.
      
      9 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 9:35am
  - Phronesis
    
    The Clyde dam was only built due to an Act of Parliament being passed to exempt it from the planning regulations of the time.
    
    Clutha Development (Clyde Dam) Empowering Act 1982
    
    11 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 9:47am
  - Albie
    
    Pdm, I saw Chloe and Marama on TV3 news last night. Did anyone else see it but I swear Chloe has an unbalanced manic look about her.
    
    19 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 10:49am
    - Paulus
      
      No, Chloe looked normal !
      
      9 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 1:50pm
      - pdm
        
        Normal being Chloe looking unbalanced and manic I assume.
        
        7 2
        Report
        April 21, 2026 4:30pm
    - OlderChas
      
      Albie yes I saw it. And yes she does lol. I also saw their wondrous new “save the nation (world?)” idea. Free loans to install solar on domestic buildings. Westpac have been offering interest-free loans of up to $50,000 to install solar on your house for quite some time. Most other NZ banks are offering 1% loans too.
      Thank heavens the greens have thought of this – and trumpeted it to the nation last night!
      
      6 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 5:48pm
- Ross Bayer
  
  Cass
  I rarely agree with you but here is something that shows how the green nonsense is destroying Germany.
  To quote the minister of energy
  ” openly admitting that two decades of Green-inspired fantasy have saddled the continent’s industrial powerhouse with hidden costs now running, according to estimates she cites, at €36 billion a year and climbing towards €90 billion.”
  and here is a link
  
  https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/cracks-appear-climate-consensus-germanys-energy-minister-admits-renewables-are-ruining
  
  25 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 8:54am
- Simon
  
  Climate nutjobs. Reminds of Luxon & National
  
  4 8
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 9:25am
- zulumonster
  
  It winds me up that Chloe constantly refers to their policies as “evidence based” and yet no hard evidence is ever offered. And of course they are never challenged by the media to front up with this so called evidence for real review and discussion.
  
  20 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 10:48am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Because many scientists of varying disciplines “agree” to the “consensus” (even though most have zero understanding about the history of this mass hysteria phenomena or indeed about the climate of the earth itself) lefties and green commies broadcast that this means there is no debate and the half-baked hypothesis that human produced Co2 drives the climate to a significant degree is “the truth”. This has all been fueled by political manipulation. Mainly by firing/slandering key scientists who early on called BS on the whole thing. Institutional capture (IE employing slander and censorship to doyens of science who point out the deficiencies in the hypothesis) is the main driver of this very dangerous mass hysteria event.
    
    3 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 7:51pm
- R
  
  real world……..the motivated, provident and ambitious are studying flight schedules and overseas employment opportunities.
  A move such people will undertake, accompanied by their wealth.
  
  7 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 10:57am
- Jigsaw
  
  …and teams of cyclists towing logs out of the pine forests for milling…….
  
  13 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 11:21am
  - pdm
    
    Jigsaw why would they not use teams of the Greyhounds Winston has banned from racing?
    
    3 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 4:32pm
- Drone
  
  Before the advent of modern neoliberalism the development of the countries electricity infrastructure was handled by the government/department. The current arrangement of pseudo private electricity companies only have an interest in profit not the nation’s wellbeing. So you are correct the poor taxpayer will pay again.
  
  3 4
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 1:48pm
The Boss

The Maorification of New Zealand is in overdrive. God help us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uoGA3pvCyY

[Mod – Please include a brief description with each link to provide context for the readers]
12 1
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 8:07am
- Simon
  
  Third world NZ. But the tax rates have to increase to pay for it.
  
  3 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 9:26am
- David Garrett
  
  Boss: Jesus H you know who…”listening to the sun and the sky”…The New Zealand women’s rugby team have made the biggest scientific breakthrough since Newton
  
  22 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 9:35am
  - Boy Geoff
    
    Well they’ve currently got a winning formula, haven’t they?
    
    Heh
    
    6 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 10:12am
    - Charlotte Wells
      
      No they haven’t.
      
      Third in the 2025 World Cup.
      
      7 3
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 1:08pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Now now that doesn’t matter. They are incredibly brave.
        
        0 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 7:54pm
- Ra Henare
  
  its
  Michael Laws Exposes Religious Takeover Of The Black Ferns Rugby Team
  
  8 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 9:49am
- Scooter
  
  Yes, embed it in things like sport, councils, workplace. Do it slowly, people won’t notice and then you have governments like National who said they would do something but then don’t. Once it’s in it won’t be removed because it will be seen as being racist. Luxon admitted today he came into politics to fix the economy and raise education standards. Well let’s see how the economy and education is after the take over is complete.
  
  5 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 5:35pm
Gravelroad

Who else is over this stupid sh.t going on in the National Party ranks?
Sort it out National.
If you are going to change the leader, do it.
If not, just get on with your jobs that the taxpayers are funding.
49 2
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 8:16am
- David Garrett
  
  Gravel: I agree…it’s pretty clear Luxon is going to be rolled; and that in turn will lead to the Nats losing big time…as such a change in election year has done forever…excluding Ardern taking over from Little, which was the sole exception in the last 50 years
  
  25 23
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 8:21am
  - Gravelroad
    
    When Ms Ardern unexpectedly took over from Mr Little, she had novelty value and the msm instantly made her into a political celebrity worth voting for.
    If National changes their leadership now, that person is most unlikely to be supported in the same fashion, no matter who it is.
    The msm will continue as judge and jury on the coalition govt.
    
    49 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 8:29am
    - H. Upmann
      
      Ardern was installed by the treacherous Peters. Never forget, never forgive.
      
      40 3
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 8:35am
      - NZer In Exile
        
        To be fair, I don’t think Peters was fully aware of the radical coup plans Labour and their sidekicks had in store.
        
        2 1
        Report
        April 21, 2026 8:00pm
    - David Garrett
      
      Gravel: Again I agree…to be blunt Chris Bishop is no Jacinda Ardern, either for the media or in the public domain
      
      28 3
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 8:38am
      - RoboRob
        
        The more I hear about Bishop the less interested I am in having him as a National party leader.
        
        18 6
        Report
        April 21, 2026 8:52am
      - cmm (semi-retired edition)
        
        That’s Chris “Get Boosted” Bishop.
        
        Bishop has history with the tobacco industry and that is easy to hang around his neck. eg. saying he profited from people dying of lung cancer. It is extremely easy to paint him as an evil bastard – whether he is or isn’t.
        
        Fair or not does not matter. These people don’t play fair.
        
        20 2
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:19am
    - MCōs
      
      Jacinda Ardern replaced Andrew Little as Leader of the Opposition not PM.
      Bill English had replaced John Key as PM ten months out from the election, which he would have won against Little, but winning wasn’t really in the stars for the Dipton Kid.
      
      20 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 8:54am
      - David Garrett
        
        MCos: I’m not so sure English would have won…when he was first leader of the Nats they were polling in the low 20’s…was it Brash who rolled him?
        
        7 5
        Report
        April 21, 2026 8:59am
      - Swifty
        
        English did win against Ardern in 2017 – National got more party votes than Labour and the Greens combined.
        
        Ardern was selected as PM in 2017, not elected.
        
        An important distinction.
        
        14 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:01am
      - pdm
        
        English did win the Party Vote.
        
        Peters broke convention and took the Baubles on offer from Ardern.
        
        God did not save New Zealand.
        
        49 2
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:05am
      - Notsofast
        
        Peters will break that so called convention again if he goes with National, if in winning this election, so it shows the convention was never a democratic principle.
        The convention would suggest it is undemocratic for three serious parties with policies and principles, to govern, because labour soaked votes from two unserious parties, and polled highest accordingly.
        Therefore 2017 was also arguably quite legitimate, though the damage, maorification and stop oil, is permanent.
        
        5 1
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:28am
      - pdm
        
        Notsofast
        
        Although he waffles on a lot about Government Protocols and respecting Parliamentary History Peters does not give a continental about them.
        
        It is all about THE BAUBLES – he has proved it time and again.
        
        3 1
        Report
        April 21, 2026 4:36pm
  - mandk
    
    Don’t forget, Ardern didn’t actually win after she took over from Little.
    
    Labour was a fair bit behind National, but Winston Peters decided she should be PM.
    
    41 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 8:32am
    - Ghost
      
      When you are able to form a government you win the election. Welcome to mmp
      
      15 8
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 9:05am
      - Colville
        
        There is a major difference between winning the election and winning the post election negotiations.
        
        One involves nearly three million voters, the other involves a crusty old liar.
        
        17 3
        Report
        April 21, 2026 10:22am
      - mandk
        
        Yes, she came in second, but she was awarded the gold medal by one of the other competitors.
        
        14 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 11:02am
      - pdm
        
        Colville – well said.
        
        3 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 4:37pm
  - Philview
    
    We might complain about Luxon being a bit woke but he hasn’t done anything to cause the public to throw the Government out. I think the constant attacks from the media have damaged him and it doesn’t bode well for the future of this country. The thought of John Campbell’s euphoria on election night if Labour win is hard to stomach. I will have to turn off all media for days on end.
    
    37 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 8:35am
    - cmm (semi-retired edition)
      
      You’re getting this wrong.
      
      “but he hasn’t done anything to cause the public to throw the Government out.”
      
      Nor has he done enough to cause the public to keep him around.
      
      NZ has cyclic politics with the two main parties expected to do different things:
      * Labour gives hand outs and makes a mess.
      * National comes in and acts like adults and cleans up the spilled milk.
      
      By doing nothing, National are failing. You can blame all the broken stuff on Ardern and Hipkins, but Luxon was voted in to fix stuff – not just sit on the fence.
      
      26 5
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 9:24am
      - RoboRob
        
        Yup, NZ votes parties out. This is why national are looking at the possibility of being a very uncommon one term government. It’s not that Labour and Hipkins are eny good, it’s that people are unhappy with National.
        
        16 3
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:53am
  - Flossie
    
    If Labour were to change leaders at this stage the msm would be applauding their brilliant decision, and whoever was then in charge would be hugely supported. Whether National changes or not they are on a hiding to nothing from that same group.
    
    44 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 8:42am
    - RoboRob
      
      Yup, if they stick with Luxon they are in trouble, if they replace him they are in trouble. The moral of the story is, if the writing is on the wall two years out from an election don’t sit on your hands and pray the economy will turn around and save you. Ironically the same issue I have with National around much of their policy, they have just sat on their hands.
      
      In Jan 2025 it was obvious Luxon wasn’t the man for the job, they should have sorted a replacement then. By leaving it this late they have condemned themselves to sticking with him or looking desperate and disorganised.
      
      25 6
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 8:57am
      - David Garrett
        
        Robo: Spot on Sir
        
        14 10
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:00am
      - Nūhaka Native
        
        Bring back Bridges. He was a decent leader, was a decent bloke, pretty smart, pretty relatable. Also being Māori, because the left loves to bring race into everything, he was a counter to claims of the ‘centre right’ being anti Māori. Labour have never had a Māori leader, by the way. Not like NZ First or Act as it happens. National doesn’t seem to get it. Perception matters to voters as much as substance. Luxon is a pretty good manager, but he’s not a front person. He can’t sell.
        
        26 3
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:12am
      - Ghost
        
        Why bring him back? The polls collapsed under him. That’s the problem, some people put their faith behind a leader when the country doesn’t respond them and wait to keep holding on to them, bridges wasn’t bringing in the numbers, neither is Luxon, problem is that national held on to long this time hoping for a change
        
        4 14
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:18am
      - cmm (semi-retired edition)
        
        Ghost: More precisely, the polls were collapsed by him being white-anted by the media.
        
        Being Maori won’t help a jot because, like Seymour, he’s the wrong kind of Maori.
        
        30 1
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:26am
      - RoboRob
        
        @Ghost
        
        ‘Why bring him back? The polls collapsed under him’.
        
        Um Bridges worst result was 29% and he was vs Ardern in the hight of Covid mania. Luxon has National atb the same level or lower vs an incompetant Chris Hipkins.
        
        18 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:42am
      - Ra Henare
        
        National are between a rock and a hard place.
        Keep Luxon or replace him probably means loss of governmnet benches
        UNLESS Keeping Luxon and having Winnie support Luxon
        
        Dont know what Winnies opinion is of Bishop. Ie would he support him?
        Remember Winnie does deals with people not parties.
        Hence him going AGAINST English(By default for the Labour Lady)
        
        4 3
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:55am
      - MCōs
        
        Bridges isn’t an MP anymore. Nor is Paula Bennett in case you were going to cast a hopeful eye in her direction
        
        9 2
        Report
        April 21, 2026 10:14am
      - Don Beckett
        
        @Nuhaka Native.
        There is no way Simon is interested in coming back. He has a good job with much better money and has some influence. I know Simon pretty well, & he is a good mate of one of my sons. I’m pretty sure he has washed his hands of getting involved in politics again.
        
        20 1
        Report
        April 21, 2026 10:28am
  - redeye
    
    Ardern didn’t win government. As everyone is aware, despite the media fawning they still didn’t get enough votes to form a government.
    But Winston…
    Also I disagree Luxon will be rolled. Who is the replacement? One of the other left wing cabinet ministers?
    
    28 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 8:55am
    - Ghost
      
      Ah, welcome to MMP, Jacinda won the election because she was able to form a coalition.
      
      9 16
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 9:03am
      - Swifty
        
        Yes, she was selected, not elected.
        
        24 1
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:05am
      - Ghost
        
        You could make the same statement about every government that has been formed under mmp, the small parties have selected who they wanted to go with, which then means that major party has formed a government and won the election.
        
        7 3
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:20am
      - Dougal10
        
        Our version of mmp
        
        8 2
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:08am
      - David Garrett
        
        Ghost: She could never have done it without Peters…I worked with Ardern…she was an absolute airhead
        
        42 2
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:09am
      - Ghost
        
        Doesn’t matter, she formed the government, she won, just as national won the last election because they had the numbers after forming a coalition. You win the election by forming the government. Who wins the next one, I doubt we will know for a while because it will be too close. FPP is long gone, you no longer are the winner because you have the most votes, Except in Ardern’s last term, you win by forming the government, just some people refuse to be grown up about that and admit she won
        
        6 21
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:12am
      - redeye
        
        Fair enough Ghost but I was referring to the exception raised about Labour changing leaders and still winning. Polls have shown the majority of NZ First voters in that election thought they were voting for a conservative party. So without Winstons treachory it wouldn’t have happened. And you can’t make that claim about any other MMP election.
        
        7 2
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:25am
      - RoboRob
        
        I don’t understand all the downvotes to Ghost here. We all understand how MMP works right? There has only been one government where the outcomes was not ‘selected’ and that is JAs Covid government.
        
        I guess the issue everyone has is that Winston is pretty much the only party (see what I did there) that actually has flexibility around coalitions. Act will only work with NAT and NZ, the Greens will only work with Labour etc.
        
        I have argued forever that the Greens (the environmental bit) would do far better if they were willing to work with National too. However like Act there ‘hardcore’ left / right stance prevents them working across the isle. With National moving left I would argue that Act could consider working with labour. I would rather have a Labour, ACT, NZF government then a Labour, Green, TPM government.
        
        10 3
        Report
        April 21, 2026 9:49am
      - Nūhaka Native
        
        Beware TOP. A re-creation of a political party to give Labour another MMP coalition partner. Advised by former Labour cabinet minister Iian Lees-Galloway. Michael Laws had some good insights this morning, talking on The Platform. A left wing ‘progressive’ party masquerading as a centrist teal party. If they (with our mainstream media’s obvious backing) get into parliament, they won’t be joining National in any centre-right coalition, will they?
        
        12 3
        Report
        April 21, 2026 10:09am
      - Colville
        
        DG.
        “was an airhead”?
        You think she has changed? 🙂
        
        11 2
        Report
        April 21, 2026 11:01am
      - Swifty
        
        She didn’t win the election, she lost that.
        
        What she won was the post-election negotiations with the party in a position to go either way, a completely separate exercise.
        
        It’s a pity people just can’t be grown up about it and accept it.
        
        9 1
        Report
        April 21, 2026 1:33pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        “you no longer are the winner because you have the most votes”
        
        Sounds rather stupid then hey. Let’s keep doing stupid while expecting things to get better. 😛
        
        0 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 8:08pm
    - septic skeptic
      
      Ardern didn’t win the largest party vote but she did boost Labour by more than 10%. At least Little had the awareness to realize he was heading for a drubbing and stepped aside.
      
      12 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 10:31am
  - Dougal10
    
    It was the case of anything was better than Little , I dont know if Luxon is at that stage yet but it looks to be getting close .
    
    5 4
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 9:05am
  - Simon
    
    Peters will go with National. It will be a Nat led govt. Although National will well underperform in the election due to economy.
    
    6 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 9:28am
    - Paulus
      
      Peters will only go with National and ACT if he can become Prime Minister as that is what he wants.
      
      2 7
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 1:56pm
      - Quail
        
        The problem is MMP.
        Peters was able to game the system— and he did.
        That opportunity remains so Swarbrick or Waititi or Tamahere could pull a similar trick given appropriate voting returns !
        MMP is simply anti democratic and without reform will continue to give politicians of the future the ability to ignore voters and their wishes.
        For the good of New Zealand , and it’s voters MMP needs urgent reform!
        MMP is an absolute disaster !
        
        I
        
        4 1
        Report
        April 21, 2026 3:43pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        Yep it’s all the faullt of MMP. We should have a(nother) referendum and if that doesn’t work another one after that. Have a look at the Pom result where diddly poo of the vote got 65% of the seats. Do we want that here? Actually we had a version of it in 1981 …..
        
        2 4
        Report
        April 21, 2026 4:44pm
      - pdm
        
        Peters sharing PM will not happen.
        
        ACT will veto that – in fact if they are smart they will make it a bottom line now while Peters/NZFirst is polling in the upper stratosphere.
        
        His only chance of sharing PM is if he can get Labour to shaft Hipkins and replace him with someone Peters can manipulate.
        
        2 3
        Report
        April 21, 2026 4:46pm
  - septic skeptic
    
    National have a choice. Run on their record over the last 3 years and promise more of the same with Luxon. Or change leaders in a couple of months and try to convince the voters that a second term will go better, with a new fresh face in charge. Luxon is going to get slaughtered in the campaign. If he stays they will be lucky to get 25%. He should fall on his sword in a couple of months and leave it clear for a new leader (who won’t have time to be tarred with a sluggish lacklustre legacy). The best option would be Stanford. Note I don’t think she would be any better for the country, just more electable.
    
    1 11
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 10:02am
  - RRM
    
    I don’t hate the idea of Bishop as National Leader and PM. He’s not the man Luxon is but he’s a better politician, he has much more of the common touch. He could take more centre votes off labour than anyone else National has.
    
    It’s hard to see him as the senior partner to Winston though.
    
    And I would rather see him replace a retiree than roll Luxon. Rolling luxon wouldn’t do his common touch, nice guy brand any favours.
    
    It absolutely blows my mind that Andrew Bayley and Sam Uffindel are involved in undermining Luxon. If ever a political party stuck by two unlikeable characters whose names are mud, it’s those two. They ought to stay squeaky clean.
    
    10 5
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 12:01pm
    - septic skeptic
      
      The core issue is Luxon’s dire polling and performance. It’s not Uffindell and Bayley that cause him to be lower in preferred PM than the odious Hipkins.
      
      8 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 1:35pm
      - Jack5
        
        The core issue is the instability of coalition politics, which is what MMP promotes.
        
        3 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 3:25pm
      - RRM
        
        No, I’m not saying that it’s Uffindell’s fault or Bayley’s fault that Luxon isn’t polling better than he is.
        
        I’m saying Uffindell and Bayley need to know their place, because they are both VERY lucky to still be there, because they have both brought seriously ugly personal baggage to the table that will never go away, that will always taint them, and will always taint National by association.
        
        Nobody’s ever going to forget that Uffindell was a nasty high school bully, and nobody’s ever going to forget Bayley is an obnoxious prick who called the waiter a “loser” and then blamed the drink for his obvious poor character. Aaron Gilmore was asked to leave for less.
        
        Politics is a popularity contest. Those two have permanently self-limited their potential by their own poor actions, which indicate their own poor character. They are both lucky not to have been encouraged to leave. So they need to remember their place.
        
        1 1
        Report
        April 21, 2026 3:57pm
- KKNZ2025
  
  National appear to have the institutional memory of a sandfly. After several years of rank leadership incompetence and infighting (Bridges, Muller, Collins…) enabled by the party’s blinkered & dysfunctional selection processes under Goodfellow, Luxon was brought in to rebuild organisational discipline and leadership capabilities – which he has delivered.
  
  20 4
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 8:24am
  - Simon
    
    “several years of rank leadership “
    
    Wrong. Decades of stupidity. Difference is NZ can’t carry National like before.
    
    3 8
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 9:29am
    - KKNZ2025
      
      ? NZ has been carrying Labour since 1990
      
      3 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 2:10pm
  - septic skeptic
    
    Yet he comes across as a bland woke suit and the voters have stopped listening to him. He would be a disaster in the campaign.
    
    6 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 10:05am
  - MCōs
    
    So he should have been president?
    
    3 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 10:17am
    - KKNZ2025
      
      That might have been a better fit initially, a 1st term there would have built his political antennae & debating skillset up before transitioning into the public Parliament.
      
      2 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 12:33pm
- lastmanstanding
  
  If Luxon survives he will be a Dead Man Walking. He will have lost the moral authority to lead the Nats. They will continue to bleed votes hopefully to NZF and ACT and have enough in total to hold on in November. The Nats should have rolled him before the end of last year to give a new Leader some space before the election. Now its too late. Forget Little and Ardern. The Nats dont have an Ardern or the economic conditions. God help those of us on centre right if we have a toxic Labour/Green/Maori Party Government. They will stuff the country to the point its irrecoverable in 3 years.
  
  15 12
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 9:08am
  - R
    
    The National Party don’t want a new leader. Unlike many commenting here on KB, the National MP’s understand the magnitude of the morass that Ardern, Hipkins and Robertson drag this country into. The National MP’s also understand that there is about two decades of competent government effort required, to put the country on a even keel again.
    The main thrust of this call for leadership change is coming from the MARXIST MSM, who have no understanding of economics, management nor leadership. They want the PIJF back as they have no idea how to be profitable, nor the required skills to attain such a state.
    
    15 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 11:20am
    - Nūhaka Native
      
      I think commenters understand the trouble we are in. I don’t want Labour/Greens/TPM running New Zealand again for a very long time. Hence the desire for the National Party to not be languishing on sub 30% in the polls and some frustration with the current leader’s lack of appeal to the voters. Having said that, the Talbot Mills poll a few days ago had NZ First saving the day on 15% and the Greens down on 7.
      
      6 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 1:05pm
      - septic skeptic
        
        I would not count on NZF saving the day. Winston will sell to the highest bidder after the election. On current polling very likely to be able to govern with Labour alone.
        
        6 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 1:32pm
    - septic skeptic
      
      In order to get even a second term they will need to win the election. They just don’t have 20 years to fix the country – so stop dreaming. And as for complaining about the Marxist MSM – whose fault is it that it hasn’t been broken up and sold off or closed down already?
      
      7 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 1:30pm
- peterwn
  
  Note to 5 National MP’s – before mounting a putsch, make sure you have the numbers. It is fair enough for the National caucus to discuss poor polling etc but then the discussion should have stayed in the room. And Security should have been asked to keep the media right away from the Caucus Room.
  
  13 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 1:37pm
KH

Mad Mullahs and religious fanatics are often referred to here on Kiwiblog.
The USA has plenty, including Pete Hegseth.
“………The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men,” Hegseth prayed. “Blessed is he who, in the name of camaraderie and duty, shepherd the lost through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy my brother. And you will know my call sign is Sandy One when I lay my vengeance upon thee, and amen.”
9 21
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 8:17am
- Simon
  
  Hegseth heading for jail. He will be the scapegoat.
  
  5 9
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 9:30am
- Charlotte Wells
  
  Hegseth said that reminded him of a prayer given to him by the head of the recent combat search and rescue (CSAR) mission to find and save Air Force crew members shot down in Iran.
  
  So yeah, let him quote someone else but you go ahead and distort it.
  
  Par for the course for the TDS afflicted.
  
  Here’s a question, if you were a soldier who would you rather have as a leader, a man that knows his stuff and talks like a fighter, or a man who thinks he’s a woman, a cock in a frock if you will?
  
  11 4
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 9:39am
- septic skeptic
  
  He doesn’t deliver those lines anywhere near as well as Samuel L Jackson.
  https://youtu.be/xH7wgQQW1i0?si=1ni_MgjW2Ii2Z4ch
  
  4 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 10:21am
- Charlotte Wells
  
  So let me get this clear, what you’re saying is that the leaders of a cult that glorifies death and wishes to ensure the return of their prophet by destroying the world in a nuclear fireball are the same as a bloke that repeats a prayer wishing for the safe return of one of his soldiers?
  
  I’ve got your claim right, yes?
  
  14 6
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 12:13pm
  - Hard Cheese
    
    And Hegseth isn’t a member of a cult that glorifies death? “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again”. What flavour Kool-Aid did you get?
    
    3 8
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 2:24pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Trump’s very, very, poor choice of words. He later clarified the USA were NOT considering the use of nuclear weapons. I’d say most people who think Trump generally is heading in the right direction (in terms of policy) were actually embarrassed (if not greatly concerned) by that choice of words. Ditto the silly AI “Trump the healer” picture, or whatever it was supposed to be. Not a good look at all for someone with that much responsibility.
      
      1 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 8:17pm
artemisia

Here’s a surprise. That AI thing is in the news again.

AI tells tenant she should ask for $40,000 – tribunal hands her $80

Microsoft dangles $102 billion AI boost to New Zealand’s economy by 2038 as its CEO hits Auckland (Herald today, paywalled)

Meanwhile and more importantly – automated fraud.

According to Haywood Talcove of LexisNexis Risk Solutions, AI-generated scams are siphoning millions weekly from the US government … entire fraud operations can now be spun up in minutes, not days.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/592911/ai-tells-tenant-she-should-ask-for-40-000-tribunal-hands-her-80
12 2
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 8:43am
- imalwaysright
  
  ” Microsoft dangles $102 billion AI boost to New Zealand’s economy by 2038 as its CEO hits Auckland .”
  
  In reality what they want is to use our energy grid to run $100 billion of computer gear they bought from Taiwan or somewhere.
  
  Who would be dumb enough to agree to that?
  
  16 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 8:52am
  - RoboRob
    
    Me. I would take the investment money and the bonus that comes to NZ businesses from having a local data centre. The closer your data centre is to you the better (generally). Remeber long distance phone calls and delays? The same is true in the IT world.
    
    As I have pointed out before, we should be growing our businesses not blocking investment and shutting them down. The issue isn’t that data centres are bad, its that we dont have the energy for them becuase this and successive governments have failed to address the issues in the electricity system.
    
    10 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 9:18am
    - cmm (semi-retired edition)
      
      “The closer your data centre is to you the better (generally).”
      
      Not really. The difference is how fast network traffic can travel from A to B and back again. I justt pinged google.com which resolved in Australia. ping time 30 milliseconds. A ping to UK took 240msec.
      100 milliseconds here or there is not going to change your life.
      
      Most of what they run in these remote data centres is AI training. That pretty much just eats power. The programmers and such (ie. all the high paying jobs) are in USA or India or wherever and send all the data via the internet.
      
      11 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 9:33am
    - imalwaysright
      
      “I would take the investment money…”
      
      95% of the investment is spent on computer components.
      We don’t make computers.
      
      And look at the depreciation rates for the equipment, I doubt these centres will ever pay a cent in tax, assuming their earnings can be measured.
      
      5 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 9:55am
      - Colville
        
        Exactly.
        They will pay a huge management fee to a company housed in a tax haven and we will see a tiny fraction of the profits.
        
        1 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 5:17pm
  - R
    
    Chippie of LABOUR desperation. It is Other People’s Money after all, like a honeypot for Labour who have an enormous welfare budget waiting in the wings following Maorification
    
    8 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 11:24am
- Southern Raider
  
  Hire a global research company to justify a pre determined marketing outcome. Assume everyone is too dumb to question how unachievable that outcome is. Wait for every CEO and Board tell their companies they need to double down on AI and with Microsoft.
  
  Lots of opex gets spent. No actual productivity gains achieved and by 2038 no one remembers the $102B press release.
  
  6 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 10:38am
Im Right

Seems to me the (5?) back benchers who are leaking and bad mouthing their leader to the MSM will be ones who will not get back in as a list MP….I could be wrong if course, but nothing causes disloyalty more than realising you could lose the easiest 140k+ a year salary they could ever wish for!
There is no loyalty when money involved….just look at how a happy family is split when a rich deceased persons Will is divided.
19 2
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 8:45am
- RoboRob
  
  Yup, which is why I have always said, of course there are leaderhip challenges in the works, to those who claimed this was a MSM invention. I am sure there are more then those 5 too, however the rest are likely smart enough to keep their traps shut.
  
  9 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 9:15am
- MCōs
  
  How do you know those people at the bottom of the national party pecking order haven’t worked their arses off?
  
  8 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 10:23am
- septic skeptic
  
  If they stick with Luxon imagine the squeaky bums when they dip below 25% early in the campaign 😄😄
  
  5 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 10:24am
- Countrygirl
  
  This is what irritated me about Sam Uffindell. He has a strong National seat and goes round trying to upset the applecart. I thought he was better than that.
  
  9 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 1:24pm
  - Jack5
    
    One good turn …
    
    Luxon decided that Uffindell could stay after the media kerfuffle about Uffindell’s extreme-bully behaviour when a schoolboy.
    
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300656643/national-mp-sam-uffindell-asked-to-leave-prestigious-kings-college-after-violent-nighttime-attack-on-younger-boy
    
    2 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 3:43pm
  - Colville
    
    And after that huge skeleton fell out of the closet early on and the party rallyed around him.
    
    1 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 5:18pm
nathie

Do those journalists that were advocating for PM Luxon to be rolled now have egg on their faces now that those 5 disruptive Nat MP’s have been named?

Even the likes of HDPA who is constantly banging on about this subject is getting rather tedious to listen to. Bring back the days when we had competition and could listen to Ryan Bridge in the Drive Show slot!

As for those 5 disloyal MP’s hopefully they are deselected by their Electorate committees and won’t be standing in the election.
18 1
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 8:58am
- RoboRob
  
  I dont think that would matter. Apart from perhaps Sam U, the rest will be unlikely to be returned anyway, thats the reason they were upset.
  
  11 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 9:12am
  - Paulus
    
    Sam U will be returned as MP for Tauranga – he is popular in the constituancy.
    
    11 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 9:27am
  - pdm
    
    Mooney would be safe in Southland I think.
    
    2 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 5:21pm
- David Garrett
  
  Nathie: where can I find the names of those “disruptive” MP’s??
  
  11 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 9:16am
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    Mike Hosking named them this morning on his show. Bunch of nobodies with the exception of Andrew Bayley, who I was disappointed in.
    
    4 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 9:23am
  - Gravelroad
    
    Reported in the media as: (allegedly)
    Joseph Moody (never heard of him)
    Tim van de Molen
    Barbara Kuriger
    Andrew Bayley
    Sam Uddindell
    Not The Famous Five as published by Enid Blyton.
    More the Noddy series perhaps……….
    
    13 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 10:07am
    - Clyde
      
      Its Joseph Mooney not Moody. National electorate for Southland. Either way, has anyone ever heard of anything he has done for the biggest, bluest seat in the country?
      
      6 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 10:26am
    - Steve Todd
      
      Corrections—
      
      Joseph Mooney (Southland) – majority 17,211
      Andrew Bayly (Port Waikato) – by-election majority 11,432
      Sam Uffindell (Tauranga) – majority 9,370
      
      The other two, Tim van de Molen and Barbara Kuriger, are also electorate MPs – Waikato (majority 18,548) and Taranaki-King Country (majority 14,355), respectively.
      
      9 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 10:28am
      - Southern Raider
        
        If electorate MPs in what looks like mostly safe seats what’s pissed them off? Are they annoyed they believe they should be in Cabinet?
        
        8 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 10:44am
      - Quail
        
        Steve Todd,
        These politicians apparent disquiet should be of real concern to Mr Luxon and his team given the very strong links to Rural NZ this five has!
        Even the whip has similar links.
        This demonstrates the concern in Rural NZ which supposedly is the heartland of the National Party.
        These Rural politicians should be commended for having the courage to stand up for their constituents and for bringing those concerns to the Prime minister.
        The five deserve congratulations , this is not party disloyalty.
        They were doing their job properly!
        But the National Party must now be concerned about losing their support in Rural New Zealand.
        
        15 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 11:04am
      - R
        
        Hardly slender majorities that could be overturned by a socialist child candidate
        
        7 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 11:45am
      - KKNZ2025
        
        Quail: clearly these “Rural politicians” & their acolytes are so obviously stupid & entitled as to wilfully kneecap Nationals election chances & they believe any other party cares a stuff about them. They deserve to suffer the consequences.
        
        3 7
        Report
        April 21, 2026 1:34pm
      - Steve Todd
        
        @Quail @ 11:04AM
        
        I quite agree with you, but shouldn’t such concerns be raised in, and restricted to, the caucus room, where, hopefully, there would be no suggestion of disloyalty to the party leader?
        
        5 2
        Report
        April 21, 2026 1:54pm
    - Gravelroad
      
      Apologies for name errors.
      Got interrupted and in too much of a hurry to complete.
      
      7 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 11:11am
      - Steve Todd
        
        All good, Gravelroad.
        
        Here is Bryce Edwards on the National leadership question, yesterday: https://www.democracyproject.org.nz/p/democracy-briefing-luxon-vs-the-rebel.
        
        He doesn’t mention Joseph Mooney, but does mention James Meager (Rangitata – majority 10,846).
        
        Stuart Smith’s (Kaikōura – majority 11,412) days as Chief Government Whip might be numbered.
        
        3 3
        Report
        April 21, 2026 11:25am
  - nathie
    
    Ta Gravelroad, for DG in the beautiful and sunny south seas, from around 1.04.00 onwards.
    https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/full-show-podcast-21-april-2026/
    
    3 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 10:14am
- Interested Party
  
  I like to hear HDPAs take on things, but agree the whole roll Luxon thing is getting tedious- I turn of the radio now
  
  6 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 10:15am
RoboRob

I hear there is a big shit storm over Shane Jones using the phrase ‘a butter chicken tsunami’. Now apart from him being wrong about a flood of Indians coming into the country, I personally think that’s quite a funny turn of phrase. I don’t think its racist at all and the lovies out there getting their panties in a twist over it need to get a sense of humour.

However I suspect this is part of the reason that men are drifting right and woman are drifting left.
27 4
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 9:02am
- Phronesis
  
  Butter chicken isn’t actually Indian though, it’s english. He should have gone with Vindaloo Tsunami, that works on multiple levels…
  
  12 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 9:31am
- Simon
  
  ‘a butter chicken tsunami”
  
  Ha ha ha.
  
  6 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 9:32am
- Cassandra
  
  Indians don’t eat butter chicken. But it’s a witty description all the same.
  
  12 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 9:42am
- MCōs
  
  I was talking to an Indian chap at the IRD yesterday
  I had to wait on the line for maybe fifteen minutes to talk to the next available person.
  If Jones had his way I doubt if anyone would ever have been available.
  I didn’t ask him if he came over in a curry tsunami and he didn’t call me a sheep shagger
  
  8 8
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 10:45am
  - MCōs
    
    Furthermore
    I was talking to the Indian chap on behalf of my Thai wife because her English isn’t too flash. That doesn’t stop her from complaining that there’s too many Indians in NZ because she doesn’t understand what they’re talking about.
    
    6 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 1:29pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Just out of interest, do you speak fluent Thai?
      
      2 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 8:21pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Not trying to wind you up by the way. I know of several guys partnered with Thai women so it interests me.
        
        0 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 8:57pm
sungsamning

The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) – you know, the organisation tasked to protect broadcasting “standards”, but which has allowed them to slip to the point where we don’t actually even think that broadcasters let alone the BSA have any standards at all – yeah, them – they’re hopefully about to be scrapped. [It’ll be nice to see it abolished. Best not to hold ones breath though. It’d require National to have a backbone. ACY, or NZ First will have to put their foot down.]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS1AK9zeYko
McBlog: Bye Bye Mumbo-Jumbo BSA.
5 1
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 9:02am
sungsamning

Bulgaria votes this Sunday, and one candidate is already being compared to “Orbán 2.0.” Former president Rumen Radev has resigned early to run for prime minister with his new anti-corruption movement, Progressive Bulgaria, which is currently leading the Orbán 2.0? [There have been quite a few governments that didn’t last long in recent years. Fighting corruption is a major issue.]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZkPs77Q3nw
Bulgaria’s Big Election Explained.
2 1
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 9:02am
RoboRob

Chris Hipkins on Breakfast this morning talking about removal / toning down of treaty references. He was claiming that they couldn’t be removed because they have been used in legal decisions. Kind of highlights the importance of getting rid of them doesn’t it?

The real kicker was he claims it is impossible for the government to actually pass the amendments prior to the election. Now I am of two minds on this, one that Hipkins has been around the blocks and knows the times of these things and two that he is a chronic liar. So I am not sure if he is right or not. Any comments Ghost? You usually have an excellent knowledge of the going ons around parliament.

If Hipkins is right I will point to history. When Bill English promised tax cuts after an election if we only voted National (and I was one of the few that did!), how did that work out? National lost and Labour rolled back the planned cuts.

The coalition agreement was to remove unnecessary clauses from law this term, not to draft the law changes this term.
24 0
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 9:11am
- Simon
  
  lol – National making Maorification an election issue. National quite disgraceful pushing this during election year when they introduced and promote Maorification non stop.
  
  5 9
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 9:35am
- Cassandra
  
  Where there’s a will there’s a way.
  
  7 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 9:43am
  - RoboRob
    
    Is there a will though?
    
    12 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 9:58am
    - pdm
      
      Excellent question.
      
      Perhaps this will be Luxons `come to his senses’ moment when he realises that being in awe of Maori will be his downfall.
      
      2 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 5:27pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Focusing on national unity based on the modern world we now all find ourselves in would be the go methinks. Trying to force one culture practiced by hunter/gatherer people living 200 or so years ago in a radically different world onto modern NZ is simply nuts. NZ has become a nut-house in this regard.
        
        2 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 8:26pm
- Charlotte Wells
  
  “He was claiming that they couldn’t be removed because they have been used in legal decisions.”
  
  Total BS. Parliament can overturn court decisions any time it wants. Existing cases can be recognised in legislation. Decisions that go against Parliament can, and should, be overturned by legislation.
  
  It’s just a matter of a government having the will to do so.
  
  Something sadly lacking in the Luxon administration.
  
  14 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 12:19pm
  - RoboRob
    
    100% the NZ government is all powerful. Which is the source of much irritation as right leaning parties quibble about what they can and cant do.
    
    6 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 1:56pm
Quail

It all depends on what any new leader does.
If a new leader seized the genuine opportunities that are still there. and made the changes this country has been gagging for ,for years, he/she would have every chance to lead for many years.
Items like balancing the books., sorting co governance (one country, one people and one law) reducing regulation and regulators , reducing bureaucracy,supporting private property rights ,,and positively encouraging infrastructure and energy growth .
And reforming MMP.
In short, trusting each and every New Zealander to get on with their lives and growing NZ .
There is still huge opportunity for NZ and New Zealanders now to make this country really work , if only the politicians had the courage to drive it.
As President Gerald Ford told America “ any government that can do everything for you can also take everything off you “
NZ has gone far too far down that track.
Change must happen.
NZ needs NOW a courageous leader that trusts individual New Zealanders .
9 1
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 9:24am
- Steve Todd
  
  And reforming MMP.
  
  By doing what, exactly, Quail? Can you give us an idea as to your thinking?
  
  2 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 2:30pm
  - Quail
    
    Steve Todd,
    MMP has failed!,
    In the past FPP made for smaller , better ( more accountable ) and more focused Governance.
    Democratically it did not represent all NZ so some change was appropriate.
    Personally STV seems to tick more boxes for me.
    All political systems have their weaknesses, but the two options above are both much more preferable Enforceable manifestos are something both these systems allow!
    As far as MMP goes, getting rid of the unelected list politicians so individual accountability at the ballot is returned would be a good start. Reducing the size of Government can only help.
    There are many improvements that can be made that would only happen by getting rid of MMP,
    
    1 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 4:40pm
    - Steve Todd
      
      Personally STV seems to tick more boxes for me.
      
      Thank you for taking the time to reply to me, Quail.
      
      Yep, as I suspected, you don’t want MMP reform, you want MMP to be discarded. Me, too. That’s what getting rid of “the unelected list politicians” means. Unfortunately, it’s almost certainly never going to happen.
      
      I take it, therefore, that you would rather we switch to STV, than return to FPP. However, you have called for “MMP reform” several times previously. When you make similar comments in future, perhaps you could say something like, “In my opinion, MMP has failed. We should switch to the greatly superior STV system as soon as possible.” Just a thought.
      
      I shall leave it at that (for now).
      
      2 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 6:30pm
Paulus

Maori won all the wars some years ago and cannot be turned despite the fact that they represent some 16% of total population as part Maori, but have great control of many Ministries and have and will continue to screw the rest as much and as often as they want.
Has been very sucessful and will continue whatever.
No wonder they are still laughing at the rest of us as we continue to pay.
14 3
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 10:31am
- Quail
  
  The reality is that it is not Maori as an ethnic group creating unrest, it is Corporates using ethnic NZ cultures to enrich themselves.
  The Racial composition of these corporates has an ethnicity that is mostly other than NZ indigenous.
  European influence and ethnicity is strong and the majority throughout these corporates, and they all benefit from every settlement made by the Crown.
  Individual Maori not always included.
  
  6 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 11:40am
imalwaysright

A mother and her two infant daughters, aged 3 months and 17 months, were killed in Hastings on Sunday morning.
The man is in Wellington hospital with stab wounds.

Not much on tv1 last night, they gave it about 15 seconds with barely any interest.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/crime-and-justice/592806/two-children-under-3-and-woman-killed-at-hastings-home

I bet if three labrador puppies had been stabbed to death the story would have led the news and the public outcry would be deafening.

RIP to the victims.
11 0
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 10:52am
nathie

Regarding the 5 disgruntled National MP’s, it would be fair to say that the likes of the Press Gallery and other political reporters knew who these 5 MP’s were, and that they were not serious contenders to change the leadership of National, yet these journalists continued to use them to shape public discourse about the state of Luxon’s leadership, therefore National’s “lack of stability” and further the viability of the Coalition Govt as a whole.

All in order to imply the Right is “fractured” … so “join the dots”, the Left (with Hipkins to be the new PM) as being more “stable”!*

* Ignoring the radical pressure that the Greens and TPM will then exert on Labour of course!

The MSM … forever wondering why they are not trusted!
16 0
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 11:10am
- Paulus
  
  What make you think that the media would ever wonder or care if they were trusted or not.
  Look at them and see why !
  
  4 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 2:06pm
BananaLlama

About rolling Luxon because he has a bad poll. I think it is an incredibly stupid idea and also a false one.

Out of the last three polls one has show Labours left bloc winning 66 seats while the other two polls show National and the right bloc winning by 65 seats!!!! Someone is wrong and i am going to say it is the outlier.
He can even point to the latest poll by Talbot Mills and say your own poll has me winning!!!!

The guy just has a problem confronting our biased media because he is a wokey. If a journalist asks him how many Maori he has in his cabinet he should call that journalist/reporter/propogandist a racist *** head. No one will get mad and he would probably take votes away from Peters.

My 2 cents anyway.
23 1
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 11:19am
- MCōs
  
  The problem is it’s not the Nats that are making up the big majority of the 65 seats as it always was with previous administrations.
  So if the the current coalition scratches out a win at the end of the year the principal party will be in a weakened position leaving them caving in at the coalition negotiations to Peters and Seymour
  In other words National voters won’t know what they’re voting for because Luxon can’t tell them
  
  6 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 1:51pm
  - RoboRob
    
    Not sure Luxon could tell them even if the had a 55% majority. Is it a balanced budget and reducing the size of government. That was what was promised last time.
    
    7 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 1:58pm
Northshoredoc

Sensible option by Luxon calling for a caucus vote.

Kneecaps both the feral media and the leakers in caucus and if asked by the press in future just repeats we had a vote and I’m no longer pandering to media speculation.
14 2
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 1:10pm
- MCōs
  
  On the other hand unless it was unanimous he can ignore his problems any time he likes
  But they will never leave
  
  4 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 1:36pm
  - Hugh Jarse
    
    They may not but sunshine has now been let in and they have been identified and their power to disrupt is now pretty limited identified. I doubt their electorate voters will be happy with them playing games well outside their lanes or ability. It might be timely for the Fatuous Five to start considering other career choices.
    
    7 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 1:55pm
    - David Garrett
      
      Hugh: Who are “the fatuous five”?? Genuine question. The only MSM I look at in NZ is Stuff, and there is no mention of them in there.
      
      5 7
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 2:42pm
      - Steve Todd
        
        David, look upthread at the responses to your 9:16AM query.
        
        6 2
        Report
        April 21, 2026 3:02pm
      - Jack5
        
        1,2,3,4,5 … 6?
        
        Of the “five” MP’s, Bryce Edwards, in his Democracy Briefing, says names “circulating around National and Parliament” are: Barbara Kuriger, Sam Uffindell, Andrew Bayly, Tim van de Molen, and National’s chief whip, Stuart Smith.
        
        Edwards adds: “James Meager’s name keeps drifting in and out of the same sentence.”
        
        5 1
        Report
        April 21, 2026 3:07pm
- RoboRob
  
  Yes. I would imagine thats the end of leadership talks for a while, possibly to the election. A good move. Now they need to focus on fulfilling their coalition agreement promises and getting back into power. Good luck.
  
  8 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 2:00pm
  - David Garrett
    
    “the end of leadership talks”? LOL
    
    Margaret Thatcher and Harold MacMillan both won confidence votes that were less than unanimous. Both were gone not long thereafter.
    
    Luxon is gone burger.
    
    1 7
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 2:44pm
    - David Garrett
      
      Should have checked first…MacMillan was not forced out by not winning a confidence vote unanimously. I was correct about Thatcher
      
      3 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 2:49pm
- 70andstilllearning
  
  Watching the braying (howling) bunch of banshee chasing after him following his statement was hilarious … They can’t say they weren’t warned that he wouldn’t be answering further questions on the matter earlier in his statement.
  
  7 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 2:08pm
- septic skeptic
  
  I think many people have got the cart before the horse. It’s not media speculation and caucus leaks that have caused the voters to think Luxon is a bland woke suit. After all this time nobody knows what he stands for besides “growth” and special rights for Maori. My hope is that a deal has been done and he has agreed to step aside in a month or two if the polls continue to slide.
  
  4 4
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 2:50pm
David Garrett

It is absurd that National MP’s such as Bidois saying that that they “don’t know” whether it was a unanimous vote in Luxon’s favour, “because it was a secret ballot”

Whether the ballot is secret or by a show of hands, someone has to count the votes, for and against!

I’m picking that the vote was far from unanimous, and the actual vote will be leaked to the media within 24 hours – if it hasn’t been already. Why would the “disgruntled five” – whoever they are – keep a split vote to themselves?
7 7
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 1:51pm
- Northshoredoc
  
  I suspect you are correct DG.
  
  If the vote is leaked I would expect the leakers and those who voted against Luxon to be very swiftly moved down the party list.
  
  4 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 2:01pm
- RoboRob
  
  Yeah the Bidois statement was just pure BS. Not only does someone count the votes, the result is announced. Should have just said what the others said, what happens in caucus stays in caucus.
  
  Not sure the vote will leak. If it does, that means serious problems as the attempts to discredit the PM are not over and the tough talk about unity has failed.
  
  4 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 2:02pm
Paulus

Can’t wait for Maiki to tell us how it all went in Caucus, because she has second and third sight, and of course knows what is best for Maori by denigrating National and if course Luxon, who is not even part Maori.
13 4
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 2:11pm
- MCōs
  
  According to the PM in parliament he has unanimous support of his caucus so that’s the end of that
  
  4 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 3:01pm
  - David Garrett
    
    MCos: Again, LOL…
    
    3 5
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 3:44pm
- Northshoredoc
  
  She is a particularly poor journalist one of those that believe they need to make the news about them and endlessly editorialise.
  
  1 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 4:03pm
Mobile Michael

Luxon will wipe the floor with Hipkins in debates. Hipkins policy is just reheated ‘sounds good but crap’ that was the signature of Ardern.

As much as Hipkins goes on about inflation, I’d much rather have 3-4% than his 8-10%. And having to deal with TPM will be a trump card to use against him.
12 2
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 2:49pm
- Swifty
  
  Good points.
  
  4 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 4:23pm
graham

Sounds like tonight’s One News is going to be a very quick watch for me, as I’ll just skip through all the rubbish from Maiki Sherman 🙂
10 2
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 2:54pm
- Steve Todd
  
  Oh, no you won’t, graham. You will hang on her every word: you just can’t bring yourself to admit it.
  
  3 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 4:58pm
  - graham
    
    Ah … no, I won’t. 🙂
    
    I’ve mentioned before that we record One News and don’t start watching until around 6:30 or so. That way we can skip through anything that is obvious muck-raking, some sob-story about someone who “was a good boy really”, or classic media trying to make a story out of nothing. We’re really not interested in such garbage, we just want to watch proper adult news.
    
    Needless to say, we get through the news very quickly most nights.
    
    4 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 6:20pm
    - Steve Todd
      
      Heh, heh, heh. Okay, graham, I believe you (not); thousands wouldn’t.
      
      1 3
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      April 21, 2026 6:47pm
      - graham
        
        Entirely up to you, Steve. I have no reason to lie just to make myself – an anonymous person on a blog site – look better to another anonymous person on a blog site.
        
        I honestly don’t care whether you believe it or not – this is the Internet and I’m really not interested in trying to make myself look like something I’m not in front of anonymous people on the Internet. Funnily enough, I’m actually rather more interested in what *real* people that know me think about me.
        
        4 0
        Report
        April 21, 2026 7:11pm
      - Steve Todd
        
        Yep, good on you, graham.
        
        Just so you know, I am not an anonymous commenter. I have been commenting here, under my real name, for nearly 13 years.
        
        4 1
        Report
        April 21, 2026 8:23pm
- Steve Todd
  
  Oh, no, graham, Maiki says it was unanimous. Bummer!
  
  1 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 6:10pm
- Lara
  
  She’s absolutely dreadful! The MSM have had their knives out for Luxon from Day 1. He did the right thing to shut them down. I hope people realise it’s Luxon or the looney left – take your pick!
  
  2 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 22, 2026 6:53am
Swifty

Perhaps some good news on the hornet front:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aHmyeMMkavU
4 2
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 2:57pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360967533/no-idea-if-national-party-will-vote-caucus-leadership-junior-whip-says

For Peters to accuse Luxon of being “egotistical” is surely the very definition of irony. Peters’ ego is even bigger than Hosking’s.
12 1
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 3:27pm
- Northshoredoc
  
  The great charlatan never misses an opportuntity to put the boot into friend and foe alike.
  
  The sooner he’s six foot under the better.
  
  1 5
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 4:04pm
- R
  
  At least Hosking knows what he is talking about, and has done the research, (or someone did it for him,) to support his comments.
  Hosking isn’t a one man band, he has a research team I believe
  
  0 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 9:08pm
Swifty

This US Professor has all the answers to the challenges facing us, in fact she can encapsulate all her solutions into one single word which will lead us into peace, happiness and broad sunlit uplands:

https://x.com/brandonlukemc/status/2046158553787097381?s=46

We should implement her vision here in NZ!

//
1 0
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 3:34pm
Gravelroad

So now that the National Party has had it staff meeting and presumably sorted the pecking order, listened to grievances and established leadership, are these pr..ks going to get on with achieving something worthwhile for the populace – especially the taxpaying populace?
Make some decisions people.
You have wasted over two years by dithering and prevarication.
Time is running out.
8 3
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 3:35pm
- Lara
  
  No, they haven’t. They have achieved a lot.
  
  2 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 22, 2026 6:56am
Swifty

Getting ready for tonight’s Kiwiblog Supporters Club – Avondale Branch monthly get together:

https://x.com/toxiccowboy1/status/2046325251479363941?s=46

How do I look? I think the yellow top is quite fetching myself.
2 0
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 3:51pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Very anarcho-capitalist.
  
  3 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 7:01pm
- nathie
  
  Nice legs Swifty!
  
  Who remembers Radio Windy?
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMMi9HN-kDI 😉
  
  1 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 7:18pm
MCōs

Moses opens the Strait of Hormuz
https://x.com/cliffw08950229/status/2045937076655231177?s=61
3 5
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 4:49pm
- Don Beckett
  
  Problem is, it will be dry land, so he will actually be closing the strait.
  
  3 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 5:06pm
Northshoredoc

Lol, very pithy Don.
1 1
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 5:34pm
greybeard

At 6:43pm Tuesday 21st April 2026 the homepage of “Stuff” has no mention of the National Party’s vote for leadership and confidence.
It is if the whole Luxon thing never existed !
5 2
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 6:45pm
- Ghost
  
  its the third story on the main page “Detractors failed to put up, Luxon’s vote tells them to shut up”. posted 9 minutes ago.
  
  2 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 6:51pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360968116/watch-torrent-water-flowed-through-his-house-now-everything-gone
Very upsetting.
Just as well they has insurance !
Or do they ?
1 2
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 6:50pm
Gravelroad

$tuff headline:
“Live: Bishop says National need to ‘stop talking about ourselves and focus on the country’ after PM survives vote”
And it has taken them only two and a half years to come to this conclusion.
Obviously they don’t read kiwiblog after all!
4 3
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 7:10pm
Steve Todd

Oh, dear, it’s getting really bad, Kiwibloggers.

Joanna Coles at The Daily Beast talks to the brilliant David Rothkopf (a foreign policy, national security and political affairs analyst and commentator), who, the splurge says—

“joins [her] as the White House hits messy overdrive, trying to contain war abroad and chaos at home. From an Iran conflict Trump reportedly can’t manage to illegal tariffs sparking corporate backlash to a cabinet mired in scandal, including Kash Patel under fire, and Pete Hegseth losing the room, Rothkopf, The Daily Beast’s unmissable columnist, paints a picture of an administration held together by optics, not strategy, and his now showing signs that he’s scared about it. With insiders panicking ahead of the midterms and questions mounting about Trump’s fitness and control, they ask: How long can the illusion hold before it all collapses?”

Great stuff. (See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBjdNSL9bLc [53:56].)

Enjoy.
1 2
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 8:10pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  Haven’t looked at it but there is plenty of very dark commentary going around if you want to get very depressed. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
  
  2 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  April 21, 2026 8:31pm
  - Charlotte Wells
    
    It opens with a description of the capable and knowledgeable appointee to the CDC.
    
    Then says this appointment shows they are in panic mode.
    
    I’m not putting too much faith in the opinion of Mr Rothkopf. He describes himself as an Elizabeth Warren Democrat. So he’s not really a neutral voice is he?
    
    4 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    April 21, 2026 10:00pm
MCōs

https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/21-04-2026/sweet-jesus-nba-star-steven-adams-has-joined-the-iran-us-propaganda-war

[Mod – link cleaned up]
0 0
Log in to Reply
Report
April 21, 2026 9:10pm

Add a Comment Cancel reply

Login to comment or vote

« Carney gets a majority

Do it Goldie! »

Donations

You can now donate to Kiwiblog

Exclusive content from DPF on Patreon

Become a Patron!

Never miss a post

Email Address

Join 13K other subscribers

Highlights

Target achieved II
Good progress on attendance
Health Target 5 – elective treatments
Health Target 4 – Specialist appointments

Links

"For 40 years, NZers have been told that fewer councils mean better government. For 40 years, the evidence has refused to oblige."
Not PC
The Daily Blog
The beat up about so called NZ freeloading
Point of Order
Word of the day
Hompaddock
Saturday’s Quick Hits
No Minister
Should Kiwis dream of Electric Sheep?
The Standard
Fourth Shale Revolution = Hydrocarbon Abundance
Utopia
Parliament fails to defend transparency
No Right Turn
Playing with numbers.
Kiwipolitico
Another non-tariff barrier
Offsetting Behaviour
Rugby Premiership Predictions for Round 18
Stats Chat
Budget 2026
NZCPR
UK Conversion Therapy Ban, Digital ID, Rallies, Elections
Bob McCoskrie's McBlog
A central banker’s fiction
Croaking Cassandra
THE WORKING FROM HOME RACKET BY PUBLIC SERVANTS
No Punches Pulled (Bob Jones)
Tory Whanau may have to sell Wellington mayoralty to make ends meet
The Civilian
The Accidental Engagement
Imperator Fish
Legal Beagle: Election '23: The Special Votes
Public Address
Get Vaccinated Tomorrow Or Shut Your Pie Hole
Cactus Kate
Making this movie might have been a mistake
Liam Hehir
Why I am retiring from political blogging
Kiwi FireWalker

[email protected]

PO Box 12270, Thorndon, Wellington 6144

Facebook
Twitter
FourSquare
Instagram
LinkedIn
Google+

Archives
Disclosure Statement
Editorial Policy
Privacy Policy
Complaints Policy
Comments Policy

Design by cre8d

%d

Share this:

Like this: