Dave

Also, I could be wrong but my sense is that huge numbers of parents and patients ('people') completely support striking teachers and health professionals because they see and experience the effects of under-resourced health and education sectors staffed by underpaid, overworked professionals.

Same. Lived through it all in Auckland, work for a business that is in central Auckland. I know one guy who's business failed due in part to the lockdowns who still has an irrational rage toward Jacinda, but other than that I don't know anyone personally who is or was 'enraged' by the last lockdown.

Christopher Luxon, like a modern day Marie Antoinette Opinion: In his head, I think the prime minister is doing the whole tough guy bit.

Losing her own small business has sharpened Verity's political analysis. #NzPol

GenAI truly was the worst technology to come along at this moment.

An energy and water guzzler when we most urgently need to take climate action.

A disinformation machine as our journalism fails.

A bias machine as fascism takes root.

A job killer in a cost of living crisis.

MĀORI WARDS
40% of areas chose to keep Māori wards. Some by a wide margin.

A better result than I expected, given the demographics and embedded racism in our country.

In areas that lost, I'd love to know whether the numbers have improved since any previous referendum.

Aotearoa on the move.

Sad thing is, they won't even get zero rate rises.

Cartoon. Title: “A Traditional Local Body Election Blessing” Image shows a fairy with a wand, dressed in orange, beside a levitating voting box. She’s saying, “May all your municipal dreams come true!” And then, “And if you can’t have that, may your reticulated water be potable”

Well, that didn’t go how I hoped it would. To say I’m a little disappointed in the NZ voting public’s decision on Māori wards is an understatement. Here’s a thought about aspiring to the bare minimum (& given our #nitrate problem even that might be too much)
My Stuff #cartoon today #nzpol

This is why the ceasefire won't last. It's been negotiated in bad faith by morally bankrupt men on the Israeli side like Kushner. All the Israeli hostages have been returned (but not all Palestinian hostages) Israel will recommence the genocide - in small ways to start, but with the same goal.

The interest that the government receives from Chorus for the loan could also help fund schools and hospitals, but not it they sell the debt (asset) to some merchant bank.

Headline from an article in Nature this week that states "Prizes must recognize machine contributions to discovery. The future of science will be written by humans and machines together. Awards should reflect that reality."

Lol the Nobels can't even acknowledge women's contribution to discovery. But sure let's acknowledge The Machines.

Not sure how many shares, if any the government holds - it’s NZX listed and was hocked off by the government as part of the 80s Telecom sell off. The valuable thing here is the loan the govt made to fund UFB, which Chorus will pay interest to the govt on. Sell the debt, no more interest income.

Exclusive: Peter Thiel in talk on 'Antichrist' says he told Elon Musk not to give wealth to charity Peter Thiel, the billionaire venture capitalist and early supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, has urged long-time associate Elon Musk to quit the Giving Pledge under which signatories leave the majority of their wealth to charity.

A prominent New Zealander has some opinions. www.reuters.com/world/us/pet...

Certainly makes plenty off me via my fibre connection!

God she's a fool. As the debt-holder, and with the debt being something she is talking about selling off, the Chorus debt *is* a bloody government asset. If someone owes you, it's an asset on your balance sheet! This is ACCY101 stuff. Most inept Minister of Finance ever! #nzpol

I've voted, but I get why people aren't. Central govt criticising and overriding council's like Wellington, and weak candidate lists such as some areas of Auckland, help generate apathy toward local body politics that I think is being reflected in the voting levels.

Of fucking course they fucking dropped Marwan Barghouti from the prisoner release list.

Who is Marwan Barghouti? Marwan Barghouti is the most beloved politician in Palestine. He has been in Israeli prison for over 20 years and has continued to advocate for a two-state solution even behind bars.

Only one in five Aucklanders have voted in local elections With two days remaining until polls close, only 21.9 percent of eligible voters had returned their papers.

I'm surprised it's 22%. In my area (Rodney) we had no election for a councillor as Sayers stood unopposed again, the Auckland mayoral list is tepid, and the local board is a joke in terms of influencing anything important. I voted, but only as an anti-Brown vote #nzpol

www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Fuck 'em. While they can be hurtful, bigots just expose their own miserable existences through their inability to stfu and just live and let live.

Looking forward to Winston Peters taking full responsibility for this. That's how this works now, right? #nzpol

Sigh.

selectcommittees.parliament.nz/v/6/02d9e31a...

The Spinoff: In other words, we did it, folks. Joblessness is up. Inflation is down. Mince is admittedly four trillion dollars. But overall, success! Surely our government should be pulling a George W Bush and unfurling a mission accomplished banner above the rusted deck of the HMNZS Canterbury. Instead, it called a press conference to say, in essence, wtf. Luxon and social development minister Louise Upston gathered reporters on Sunday to announce too many 18- and 19-year-olds were claiming the benefit, and they’ll be cutting them off if their parents earn more than the princely sum of $65,529 combined. Asked where young people should get a job in a recession, which, again, we deliberately engineered, Luxon pointed to kūmara harvesting in Dargaville or seasonal work in orchards. Orchardists promptly responded that they didn’t need more staff right now.

Step one: engineer a recession and cancel infrastructure projects. Step two: get mad at people for not having a job

thespinoff.co.nz/politics/10-...

Cartoon. Title: “Job Seeee-e-e-e” Image shows PM Christopher Luxon at the open hatch of a small plane, high above farmland. He’s leaning out, and holding up a parachute pack, labelled “Job Seeker” He’s calling out to someone falling from the plane, “And I’ve kept your parachute because you kids from low-income homes need some motivation” Then he adds, “Don’t let that disability slow you down!”

Govt to cut #JobSeeker benefit for 18 & 19 year olds who’s parents earn over $65,000, even if the teens have a disability or health condition. With #CostOfLiving & the job shortage they’re cranking up stress levels to 11, all to meet a target.
My #cartoon today about hard-nosed #NZpol

peter griffin stands in front of a block button Alt: peter griffin stands in front of a block button and pushes it

Anyone who posts or reposts AI slop into my feed, that's an instant block. There seems to be an increasing amount of it in the last few days and I don't care what the message is or who it's about, I'm not interested in seeing it.

AI wellbeing platform launched by Sir John Kirwan, Health NZ The rugby legend is helping to launch the first AI-powered wellbeing guide for adults, endorsed by Health New Zealand.

www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Single frame. Scale. On one side of scale, weighing heavily, a small gold weight marked “OCT 7 2023”. On the other side, much lighter, a huge bag (of sand?) marked “EVERY DAY SINCE.”

Scale.
My @smh @theage cartoon.

Why the fuck is Radio New Zealand promoting an untested, unproven AI app for mental health by uncritically interviewing the CEO of the company who developed the app? This seems highly unethical, so of course Matt Doocey and the Coalition of Chaos is pushing this. #nzpol

Do it! You won’t regret it.

isportlandburning.com

He’ll probably have to, though fuck knows what he’ll do. The corporate sector has realised he’s an empty suit so there won’t be many plum board seat/chair offers for him, and no one’s going to be interested on anything he has to say, so no speaking circuit. A book deal also seems unlikely

Along with haka of protest!