Leon Salter

Drag him.

@nznationalparty.bsky.social @actpartynz.bsky.social @nzfirst.bsky.social
NO to asset sales
NO to privatisation
NO to PPPs
NO to road tolls
NO to RSA
NO to Fast Track
NO to Charter Schools & new curriculum
NO to AUKUS

YES to Te Tiriti, pay equity, full funding of public health education & services

Nearly two thirds of 13 to 17-year-olds in the UK have a Snapchat profile according to Ofcom

We’ve gone through documents showing that some users have deeply unhealthy relationships with the platform – specifically concerning issues of addiction, anxiety and body image

$56bn on roads, locking us into car use for decades. I hope labor repeals this

so it begins

So we’re at the stage now where AI capabilities are being falsely advertised by the use of AI generated video to scam people

They’re marketing it as an AI dog that learns just like a real puppy. But it’s a scam whereby they use AI generated video of a puppy spliced with real puppy video. Apparently what you actually get is a $2 temu toy

I’m fascinated by the Wuffy robot dog I’ve seen advertised on YouTube as a “realistic AI robot puppy”

The Algorithmic big Other: on the Left and AI Strategy What is to be done by the Left regarding AI? Leon Salter considers how the algorithmic logic of AI plays to the dominant logics and fantasies of capitalism.

I wrote a thing on AI and left strategy
acmesmokescreen.substack.com/p/the-algori...

What the hell is going on with the new New Zealand school curriculum, and what does it have to do with the Atlas Network? (No, really!)

A thread:

#nzpol #kikorangi

Let us be real. The "problem" in local government that National/ACT/NZ First want to fix, is there are too many 'green' politicians in regional councils who care about the environment and are taking (moderate) actions to reduce the damage caused by big polluters. In particular, dairy, our sacred cow

✍️ Why Digital Sovereignty Matters

In the wake of recent cloud blackouts, IIPP Professor @ceciliarikap.bsky.social and @paologerbaudo.bsky.social highlight the importance of #DigitalSovereignty and dangers of technological subordination.

🔗 Read their @tribunemagazine article here: buff.ly/euZgJ8z

Why our car consumer culture is the problem, not the internal combustion engine “The tyres contributing most to the problem were found on both EVs and utes”.

Chris Luxon Relaunches Kiwisaver Plus: Chirs Hipkins fear of putting out fires.

From Daniel Vernon...

On hiw the Nats screwed Kiwisaver (more than once)... and now expect us to pay more,as the cost of living skyrockets...

open.substack.com/pub/yeehawth...

Deloitte report suggests Wellington City Council has 330 more staff than it should PSA says analysis from Deloitte, which cost $435k, lacks a basic understanding of what the Council's role is.

what % of Deloitte’s work could be handled by one person using search and replace to update their standard presentation with the name of their current client www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

Govt plans to:
1. Fuck this
2. Fuck that
3. Fuck you
4. Fuck them
5. Fuck local govt
6. Fuck some things
7. Fuck some more things
8. Fuck what's left
9. Fuck Wellington
10. Fuck the rest
11. Sell fucking everything

Repeat twice

Says something about the way New Zealand politics has worked during my lifetime that there are *two* ready comparisons to this government's reckless hatchet job on the basic institutions of our society: the first terms of both the Lange and Bolger governments.

The culture wars and Palestine Sean Phelan reflects on how Palestine is articulated to cultural flashpoints (woke; leadership ...) by Aotearoa politicians.

The first post from our new ACMe (Association for Communication and Media Studies) substack. My friend and former supervisor Sean Phelan on Winston Peters' invocation of the culture wars and NZ government's inaction on Palestine: acmesmokescreen.substack.com/p/the-cultur...

You might have seen National propaganda on how much kiwis are saving on mortgage payments. So, quick reality check, and a little explainer...
The actual average interest rate on *all* NZ mortgages moves slowly - in large part because most of us plucky mortgagors are on fixed rate deals [🧵1/n]

Supreme Court dismisses Uber appeal – says drivers are employees The Supreme Court delivered its ruling on Uber's contract practices today, leaving the door open for contract workers to claim they are employees.

Fantastic win for Uber drivers and Workers First Union. This has been a long time coming (way too long - in the courts since 2022), but common sense has prevailed. Let's hope Van Velden doesn't pull the rug out underneath them with new contractor legislation... www.1news.co.nz/2025/11/17/s....

Police renew footage appeals as search for Upper Hutt woman continues

📢 Anita Hart was last seen on CCTV along Gillespies Road heading towards Akatarawa Road, and her vehicle was found on Gillespies Road.

KICK PETER THIEL AND HIS DODGY MATES OUT OF NEW ZEALAND
#nzpol

just opening up the new Epstein docs at random:

appropos of going outside daily, I have to note that drivers have just absolutely and completely lost their minds. I'm amazed that it has, somehow, gotten continually worse

why do drivers do this to themselves. just in full psychopathic rage all the time, everywhere

we’re about to start seeing a lot of “here’s a cost effective meal your grandparents made during the great depression”

Labour will probably still manage to lose through failure to offer an alternative vision

“But I am a hater, and I will not be polite. The machine is disgusting and we should break it. The people who build it are vapid shit-eating cannibals glorifying ignorance.”
anthonymoser.github.io/writing/ai/h...

the only "solution" in education is refuse and reject www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...

Siouxsie took on an institution that failed to protect her and other academics from death threats, whilst doing fantastic #scicomm for the common good. She won against UOA. And is left with a house-size debt even after being awarded costs. Give a little back if you can 💚 🚨

Stand With Pike Join us in building a better world

Having seen the very moving film last night with a Q&A from Anna and Sonya, I'm very aware of the impact of lax H&S rules on families and communities. #StandWithPike
www.together.org.nz/stand_with_p...