Peter Ashford

Watch: Rocket Lab blasts off on hypersonic mission for US Department of War Rocket Lab has launched its latest HASTE rocket from Virginia, deploying a scramjet-powered aircraft in a US hypersonic test mission.

This news is either unfortunately timed, or it’s a perfectly timed & sobering truth that has AotearoaNZ firmly planted on the wrong side of history. #nzpol

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

Who cares if “business confidence” is up or down. Given there is zero trickle down business confidence is irrelevant - and in election year, unreliable. Their confidence means nothing in real
terms #nzpol #business

I would argue that's a problem with Labour rather than the Greens

Sorry I’m dumb but is “retaliatory strikes” not just um self defense lol? What is this random phrase being trotted out?

Very pleased to see Helen Clark calling the current NZ govt’s response the disgrace that it is.

Hey instead of making NZ more dependent on fossil fuels extracted from a war zone where the US and Israel routinely start bombing people, let’s embrace renewable energy. #SayNoToLNG

A country surrounded by the ocean, with active geothermal zones, buffeted by winds and basking in sunshine should not be relying on tanker loads of oil, gas and coal shipped half way across the world to run its energy network.

When do we ask US and Israel to follow international law or are we just ignoring that elephant in the room!?!?!?!

And we have followed Starmer's lead, by condemning Iran for being bombed🤦🏻‍♂️
#nzpol

"The Islamists oppose women getting an education," I mutter, as I aim my missile at the girls school

NZ government statement failing to condemn Israeli and US attacks on Iran. Reads: “New Zealand Government Statement on Iran Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs New Zealand has consistently condemned Iran's nuclear programme, its destabilising activities in the region and elsewhere, and its repression of its own people. Iran has, for decades, defied the will and expectations of the international community. The legitimacy of a government rests on the support of its people. The Iranian regime has long since lost that support. In this context, we acknowledge that the actions taken overnight by the US and Israel were designed to prevent Iran from continuing to threaten international peace and security. We condemn in the strongest terms Iran's indiscriminate retaliatory attacks on Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. We cannot risk further regional escalation, and civilian life must be protected. We join the international community in hoping this crisis ends as quickly as possible. We call for a resumption of negotiations and adherence to international law - and we urge the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution that returns Iran to the community of nations. Our thoughts go out to all those affected by the conflict, and to the New Zealand families who are understandably worried about their loved ones in the region. We recognise too the courage of the Iranian people who have taken to the streets in recent weeks to demand change, only to be met by violence and murder. The Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future.”

Never again want to hear the current NZ government try and pretend it’s in favour of the rule of law.

Boast about gang patches, criminalise the homeless, but fail to condemn (yet another) illegal war of aggression. Immoral shits.

Jack Tame downplaying nz child hardship rates not changing since 2022 should maybe check his sources more thoroughly than say Gary Stevenson's work history #nzpol

Watch: Rocket Lab blasts off on hypersonic mission for US Department of War Rocket Lab has launched its latest HASTE rocket from Virginia, deploying a scramjet-powered aircraft in a US hypersonic test mission.

Hey, maybe this is bad. A local company profiting off, and materially contributing to, the national military of a fascist administration should have consequences.

Hey Chris Luxon, remind me again how much solar energy passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

As a New Zealand citizen, I am utterly disgusted, but not surprised, by the comments from Luxon and Peters this morning.

Absolute lapdog shit, licking at the boots of empire and fascism.

NZ used to be respected for our strong and principled leadership.

#nzpol

That's what the CoCs and Oz should have said

We are deeply concerned by the situation in Iran. Our first thoughts are with the people caught up in this conflict - in Iran, in the countries in the wider region, and the New Zealand families worried about loved ones. We recognise the courage of Iranians who have taken to the streets demanding change, at enormous personal risk and we condemn the serious human rights violations that have been perpetrated against them. Military escalation does not produce the stability the region needs. The attacks on Iran and the retaliatory strikes undermine international peace and security and put civilian lives at risk. New Zealand must urge all parties - including close allies - to show restraint, pursue diplomatic solutions and first and foremost, protect the rights and safety of Iranian civilians. New Zealand must use its voice on the world stage to call for de-escalation, for a return to negotiations, and for the right of the Iranian people to determine their own future.

That’s a proper Labour/Labor party statement from Chris Hipkins, leader of New Zealand Labour.

Speaks to values, values of peace, international law, and the values of the people of Aotearoa.

Aotearoa New Zealand is a country with a big heart, this is how I’m used to that place responding.

Sure. But petrol prices and international interest rates are largely nothing to do with the government.
There's lots of things to hammer this government over which our media are just ignoring while they will wring their hands over things we can't change. I'd just like a little honesty

Tax Work Less
Tax Wealth More
✊
#OneTermGovernment
#nzpol

Did the rightwing National-led NZ govt just condemn Iran for retaliating after illegal military aggression but not israel or the us for their actions?

So much for the international rules-based system.

You might be right. Which is really depressing. Governments shouldn't be judged on the basis of international currents which they don't control. And yet, here we are.

Love this for Oxford Street ❤️ Meanwhile Queen Street in Auckland Tamaki Makaurau is bringing cars back in a vision-free attempt to pacify a small group of stuck-in-last-century retailers 🤦 People = business not motor vehicles #retrovision #carbrain @ccrg.bsky.social

As a professional military strategist, I just wanted to make sure everyone has a full understanding of the American strategy in Iran, thank you for your attention to this matter

Remove the football world cup from the warmonger USA

Fifa world peace prize my arse.

But it's ok: the Ostrich Theory of Homlessness is going to be GREAT!

I see there are now more gang members than police officers. But we banned gang patches right?

Did the Ostrich Theory of Crime not work? I'm shocked #nzpol

Had a church leader here in NZ say this to me back in 2012; he genuinely believed that allowing the destruction of the earth would hasten the second coming (the return of Jesus in Glory). Evangelical Christianity is a destructive malignant curse upon the earth.

BBC this morning: Trump said last year that Iran's nuclear program was obliterated. Now he's going to obliterate it again

Cartoon. title: “Behind Every Number” Eight frames. In each frame, except the last one, is a child holding up a number. Numbers 1-6 have smiling, laughing children. Number seven has a sad child with the number 7 forming part of a banned symbol over their face. The last frame says, “One in seven NZ kids live in hardship. Up 47,500 since ‘22”

Behind every number. Since 2022 the number of New Zealand children living in hardship has increased by 47,500. Seems like that’s by design.
My #cartoon #Children #Hardship #poverty #NZpol #families #whānau

Man. Even dream Keanu is a cool dude