Thomas Blair

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Govt's climate strategy: Let it burn Comment: The Government has relentlessly pursued policies that boost climate pollution – even if they cost more or jeopardise NZ's reputation, Marc Daalder writes

At every turn, the Government has opted for whatever would actually lead to more pollution and a warmer world – even if it costs more, jeopardises NZ’s reputation, overturns a campaign promise or clashes with the Government’s other priorities.

The long retreat:
newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/07/g...

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Dien Bien Phu. Last stand of the French in Indochina. Fascinating city, and of huge significance in the liberation of Vietnam.

Hell hath no fury like an attorney-general scorned Sir Geoffrey Palmer and Chris Finlayson offer praise for the Waitangi Tribunal – and damning criticism of the coalition Government. Sam Sachdeva reports.

The coalition government in a nutshell.

‘They fear the future, they dream of a world that never was and never could be, they’re exclusionary, they’re humourless – they’re this coalition.‘
- Chris Finlayson #nzpol

We’re spending all our money on roads that suck At this point, the New Zealand government is basically just a road-building authority with bits tacked on. And not even a very good one.

"The New Zealand government is now basically a road-building authority with bits tacked on."

thespinoff.co.nz/politics/28-...

Fast track things that will make a difference to kiwis (rather than political donors). Banks. Supermarkets. Power companies.

Zohran Mamdani polled +40% on men under 30. So we wasted all that time on all those think pieces about how we need a Joe Rogan for the left, when what we actually needed were *policies* for the left.

Quick, somebody tell David Seymour. A US state not that much bigger than New Zealand has voted to tax high earners to fully fund school meals for ALL students.

#nzpol

The contrast between someone who monetises his followers by calling himself a bishop, and someone who actually cares about his fellow human beings is stark.

Copy Australia - no private sales, but public community events. One night would be ok - but it’s always now random fireworks at any time of night through the whole summer. Boring.

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Every now and then Winston hits the nail on the head. Credit where it’s due!!

'Enough is enough' - New Zealand First wants to ban private fireworks

We Are Love

The new album by The Charlatans

Out now!

Get yours here linktr.ee/thecharlatans

Wayne Brown wants Auckland to be an efficient, green city - Greater Auckland Stopping sprawl and turning Auckland into an efficient, green city? Sign us up, Mayor Wayne Brown! On Friday 31 October, the Mayor and councillors were officially sworn in, and the Mayor made a speech...

Stopping sprawl and turning Auckland into an efficient, green city? Sign us up, Mayor Wayne Brown!

A standoff is shaping up between the Mayor & the Minister on the question of sprawl. Matt Lowrie looks at how this (along with the 2026 election + CRL opening) may play into the hoped-for "city deal".

One of the best British bands ever, and I know The Beatles existed.

I'm often very critical of Christopher Luxon as PM, so I try to make it a point to say when I think he's doing something well.

And while it seems like a low bar, his being this assertive and direct here is something he could easily have avoided.

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Foreshore and seabed: ‘Exhausted’ Sth Isl group sent back to court after customary rights win The Government says MACA changes were not a decision made lightly.

If this were a bunch of Pakeha farmers having to go back to court to relitigate an award of water rights because the government had changed allocation rules the media, business and legal establishments would be united in decrying it as the death of the rule of law.

Memo to Minister for Changing the Climate NZ.

Make this a minimum requirement for all charter schools before they get a penny of public money.

NZ Herald website headline: Opinion Deborah Chambers, KC: 'Bugger off' – why taxing property feels like punishing thrift

I don't have premium access and don't care enough to pay to read reckons like these, but if DC KC can explain why a CGT is "punishing thrift" while taxing the interest paid on a term deposit isn't then she's probably worth whatever hourly rate she charges.

I wish you could impose silence on people the way others impose obscene amounts of noise.

Ban fireworks.

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Think I'm working on my best story since Citizen Thiel. So good I don't even mind writing on the weekend. 3000 words in and it feels like I might be half-way? Just 200 more pages of OIAs, three hours of interview transcripts, and several dense pages of legalese to sythenise and I'm g2g.

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trickle down economics
trickle down economic
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#nzpol