Theatre and Oprah

Written By: - Date published: 6:25 pm, January 9th, 2018 - 42 comments
Categories: International, liberalism, Media, Politics, us politics, useless - Tags:

Across the front pages of purportedly serious newspapers, column inches have been given over to some nonsense about Oprah Winfrey possibly putting her hand up for the Democratic nomination in 2020. I’ll settle for quoting Bill Galston from the Guardian.

If the idea that anyone with celebrity and 100% name recognition can be president is the legacy of our misbegotten times, that would be the most pernicious idea of all. The contempt for the art of politics has held sway on one side of the political aisle; if it takes hold on the other, God save us.

Actually. To the Washington Post, Guardian, Independent and any other outlet giving any traction to this tosh, no matter how much they’re intending it to be for entertainment value only, can I just ask “Will you please just fuck the fuck right off!”

I mean, I get it that the muddled middle of politics wants to find a way back from endlessly fielding off challenges to its primacy from both the left and the right. And I get that it really doesn’t have anything to offer beyond a new bit of glitzy wrapping on bullshit that no-one wants. But Oprah? Really?!

Is the idea that if she gets a whoosh! of a favourable response, then that will somehow make having Donald the fucking Trump as President better or bearable, because people will be deemed to prefer a different kind of celeb as Pres? (Importantly, a clueless one who will play the fucking game.) Is it meant to suggest that the US Political establishment and any of its minions haven’t completely lost their marbles, or their last connection to the voting public and reality?

“See? We really do know what you want! We understand.”

What a joke.

The sooner the dull clowns of ‘the establishment’ get shoved from their political bandwagons, the better for all of us. Let them trip, skip or tumble (I don’t care how they go) into the darkness of history with all their enabling celebs and their ceaseless downright nonsense. Oh, and maybe they’d like to take their screeds of wasted newsprint, packaged into small designer rolls, that they might put to some practical use when they find themselves lost and desperate on one of history’s forgotten highways.

 

42 comments on “Theatre and Oprah ”

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  1. Anne 1
    9 January 2018 at 6:44 pm

    Bill, that’s one of the best posts you have submitted – at least in my view. 100% support from me. If it ever came to pass then it means the USA has gone to hell in a handcart and will never return!! Trouble is, they’ll take the rest of us down with them.

    Its the ultimate in “politics of hysteria”.

    • Bill 1.1
      9 January 2018 at 6:55 pm

      Thankyou Anne. The stabby keyboard ones usually wind up having a certain je nais sais quoi about them 😉

      • Anne 1.1.1
        9 January 2018 at 7:04 pm

        Je comprends. My stabby comments usually end up pure gibberish because I have a bit of arthritis in my fingers. 🙁

        • tony 1.1.1.1
          10 January 2018 at 10:44 am

          Anne, I too have arthritis in my fingers and I take a teaspoon of hemp seed oil daily and while I can feel discomfort the pain has gone! cheers Tony

          • Anne 1.1.1.1.1
            10 January 2018 at 11:20 am

            Cheers tony. I don’t have any pain as yet. They just don’t work properly and a few of them are a bit crooked hence they don’t always land on the correct keyboard keys – especially if I’m riled. 😉

  2. mauī 2
    9 January 2018 at 7:26 pm

    Yes, this means we get Dr. Phil as Governor of mental health and Dr. Oz as Head of the Department of Health.

    Democrats answer to Trump is Oprah, lol gotta love it.

  3. red-blooded 3
    9 January 2018 at 7:48 pm

    I commented in a similar vein on Open Mike today. Yes, Oprah presents a kinder face than DT, and yes, she made an uplifting speech at the Golden Globes, but is that all it takes to become president of the USA? Surely we won’t see both major parties playing that game? (And to be fair, this has just been media speculation, not anything from the Dems.)

    If DT has proved nothing else, he’s proved that it’s actually quite complicated being President. Rich amateurs should stick to what they’re good at. In the US, that includes political donations and endorsements (wouldn’t it be great if it didn’t?), but they should leave running the actual country to the people who have devoted themselves to learning how it works.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1
      9 January 2018 at 8:23 pm

      Rich amateurs should stick to what they’re good at.

      Like the Koch’s for example? This ain’t no level playing field. I’ve no axe to grind for Ms. Winfrey, and I’m not a US citizen either. So I should probably stfu, but I can’t help noticing that Obama knew the ropes and look how that turned out.

      Assuming she ran, she’d have a pretty decent set of experienced (and crucially from my perspective, not white supremacist, not climate denier) advisers on hand in the Democratic Party. She’d also have fairly broad appeal, name recognition etc.

      At the moment she’s the worst possible candidate apart from all the other ones. Clutch at that straw, I nearly did.

  4. mickysavage 4
    9 January 2018 at 7:51 pm

    What do you expect from a nation where the TV is king …

    Good post BTW. I was thinking of a similar post myself!

  5. francesca 5
    9 January 2018 at 8:30 pm

    Thank you Bill
    Couldn’t agree more

  6. Muttonbird 6
    9 January 2018 at 9:10 pm

    Whoopi Goldberg would be a way better servant for socially responsible policy.

  7. Anne 7
    9 January 2018 at 9:16 pm

    Its as if they imagine that a Dem/celeb would be the perfect antidote to Trump. God Almighty… as my late father would have said. No, he wasn’t a religious man. 😈

  8. Macro 8
    9 January 2018 at 9:18 pm

    Whoever is elected President in 2020 should beware….
    With only 2 exceptions every POTUS elected to office since 1840 in a year divisible by 20 has died in office.
    https://www.snopes.com/history/american/curse.asp

    1840 
 William Henry Harrison
    1860 
 Abraham Lincoln
    1880 
 James A. Garfield
    1900 
 William McKinley
    1920 
 Warren G. Harding
    1940 
 Franklin D. Roosevelt
    1960 
 John F. Kennedy

    Just a little irrelevant observation. But I would think that people would be rather reluctant to chance their arm on becoming President in 2020.
    😈

  9. TB 9
    9 January 2018 at 9:30 pm

    I’d be all for the reincarnation of FDR…

  11. Ken 11
    9 January 2018 at 10:28 pm

    Why are Americans unable to speak without breaking into Martin Luther King-style rhetoric?

  12. SPC 12
    10 January 2018 at 6:57 am

    What the media needs is more celebrities providing click bait headlines to distract the American people from the end of the nations economic and political and diplomatic leadership.

    Trump soap opera meltdown, pussy grabber faces spectre of reality TV competition,, times up for white man incumbency, doubts over intel of little fingered social media addicts, on fathers taking daughters to work day POTUS declares Ivanka his running mate for 2020, Oprah chooses Chelsea Clinton as running mate, Trump appoints the UN Ambassador Secretary of State, Megyn Kelly appointed to key role in Oprah campaign team …

    • Graeme 12.1
      10 January 2018 at 7:10 am

      And really, what is all that different to “traditional” political progression and discourse. Especially in a USA context with their almost continual, and overlapping election cycles.

      US politics has been a reality show since inception, and I’m not sure we’re much better. It’s about influencing people (voters) to buy your product or ideas. So political entities do what is required.

  13. North 13
    10 January 2018 at 7:23 am

    Bill – can’t but agree with Anne @ 1. Your post is excellent……redolent of a first draft slammed out off the top of the head of an author having no cynical regard to ‘packaging’. The broad question I see posed is this……”America, are you addicted to shiny things ? Don’t you in reality just love ‘Swamp’ ?”. The question’s relevant here too as Graeme says @ 12.1. Faaarknhell !

      • Anne 13.1.1
        10 January 2018 at 9:29 am

        I have witnessed the Winfrey method first hand and seen the results. An American woman I know came to live in NZ 10 years ago with her husband. He left her two and a half years ago. She was understandably devastated and plenty of people rallied around trying to help her get through it. Then she got into the ‘self help courses’ that have proliferated since the Winfrey phenomenon went global. She wanted to grow her self esteem… learn how to be a leader… how to ‘think outside the box’ and all the rest of the hocus-pocus described in North’s link.

        Three years later she’s broke. Her self-esteem is what it was from the start – basically normal. She’s a nice person but she ain’t no leader and she has no idea how to think outside the box. In short, she is who she is… and 90% of the money she spent on these profit making courses was a complete waste.

  14. roy cartland 14
    10 January 2018 at 10:38 am

    Of colour: check
    Female: check
    Has political experience: [tumbleweed wind blows]

    What about Michelle Williams, who started the meeto movement that all those m/billionaires are now taking credit for? Or Ksharma Sawant, the elected socialist behind the 99%?

    God forbid we ever have someone who isn’t sitting on top of a massive stack of money telling us what to do from the highest office.

  15. red-blooded 15
    10 January 2018 at 3:03 pm

    Well, the Guardian are now reporting that she’s considering it, saying on Monday CNN reported that she is “actively thinking” about it, citing two close friends, whom it did not name. And the Los Angeles Times quoted Stedman Graham, Winfrey’s longtime partner, as saying: “It’s up to the people 
 She would absolutely do it.”.

    She’s got the whole “American Dream” backstory ✔
    She’s seen as empathetic and caring ✔
    She’s a woman (✔ from me, but from the US electorate..?)
    She’s supported the Dems openly in the past ✔
    Donald Trump has spoken about her glowingly and said at one stage that he’d like her as a running mate ✔
    She’s a bloody good orator ✔
    She’s got powerful friends and allies ✔
    She’s got lots of crossover appeal – a strong following in the working classes, esp women (good for spiking Donny Boy’s guns) ✔
    She’s a hell of a lot smarter than Trump ✔

    BUT I agree with the discussion North linked to at 13.1 – Winfrey’s message is essentially a neoliberal “You don’t need to change the world, just change yourself” line. Plus, I agree with the political scientist quoted at the end of The Guardian’s piece: Bill Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution thinktank in Washington and former policy adviser to President Bill Clinton, said: “If the idea that anyone with celebrity and 100% name recognition can be president is the legacy of our misbegotten times, that would be the most pernicious idea of all. The contempt for the art of politics has held sway on one side of the political aisle; if it takes hold on the other, God save us.”

    Here in NZ, some have argued that Jacindamania was based in part on this, but Ardern has given her life to politics and is an experienced operator. She may be new to leadership of the party and of government, but she’s been a policy wonk for years and has proven herself in opposition.

    Anyway, interesting times…

    • North 15.1
      10 January 2018 at 4:43 pm

      Wasn’t noting Jacinda when I commented @ 13 on the disturbing phenomenon of the “shiny things” and the measure by which it seduces here in New Zealand. It was the Crosby Textor/Michelle Boag construct John Key.

      • red-blooded 15.1.1
        10 January 2018 at 6:18 pm

        Fair enough, North. I wasn’t thinking of your comment when I mentioned Jacinda Ardern – just thinking about some of the early commentary in the wider media when she took on the leadership.

  16. Xanthe 16
    10 January 2018 at 3:50 pm

    I am not so quick to dismiss, one thing about Oprah is that her funds are not derived from political patronage or dirty dealing. nor is she beholden to the DNC . These are a very significant plus for me

    • Et Tu Brute 16.1
      12 January 2018 at 10:04 am

      One thing to remember; celebrities don’t face as much negative attention and probings as politicians. It is comparatively easy to look clean as a celebrity, there isn’t the same ‘public interest’ argument. Of course you can royally screw up, but it is also easier to hide behind a smile. You can bet right now there are funded research teams preparing background papers on her and investigating her various investments around the world. I know, for example, there were a few headlines on sexual abuse in her schools in Africa – not her fault and when you employee so many people across continents it happens – but you know how political operatives can exploit this.

  17. Stuart Munro 17
    10 January 2018 at 5:14 pm

    So – say Oprah gets in.

    What’s the next populist debasement the Republicans trot out to contest the election – remember it must be so seedy it almost makes people yearn for Trump, the way Trump almost made people feel about W.

    Or would the worm finally turn – because turning against a black woman president would be so much easier.

  18. North 18
    10 January 2018 at 7:54 pm

    Mad thought but let’s say the Dispositionally Bent Orange Gropen Fuhrer Genius get’s rolled (or simply loses in 2020)……chances of violent insurrection in the US ? Kooks of the NRA, KKK, Go[o]d Ole Boys, “Blood and Soil” Nazis, Rust Belt Trailer Trash, the “God Gave Us Trump” brigade ? Nothing ‘US’ would surprise frankly.

    • Anne 18.1
      10 January 2018 at 9:43 pm

      the Dispositionally Bent Orange Gropen Fuhrer Genius…

      What a magnificent description of you know who. 😀

  19. mosa 19
    11 January 2018 at 12:17 am

    You only have to look at the people in the audience who were supporting this insanity to realise that none of them live in the “real America ”

    It seems to me that Oprah is trying to do a Hillary and capture disillusioned female vote who by supporting her will be bitterly disappointed when they see through all the make up, face lifts and bullshit.

    She has no remedy or answers to the malaise that effects the majority of non wealthy Americans.

    If the Democratic party endorse her then they have failed again to nominate a candidate who can really reflect what they once stood for.

    Glitz , celebrity status and glamour over substance and the courage to act.

    Mr Sanders must be watching and becoming more horrified by the day with this ridiculous spectacle.

    • North 19.1
      11 January 2018 at 7:52 am

      @ 19 – “…….will be bitterly disappointed when they see through all the make up, face lifts and bullshit.” Mmmmm…….will wait until mid-terms to see whom you’re actually talking about there Mosa. Not discounting of course that in the round outcomes won’t say much in a union of “very fine people” (Nazis), women (news anchors) “bleeding from wherever”, and one (pathologically narcissistic) child “genius”.

  20. eco maori 20
    11 January 2018 at 11:08 am

    I say Oprah will make a good President of the United States.
    1 She made her own fortune 2 she a lady that’s +10 alone to me 3 one can see she is genuine 4 She’s intelligent one has to be to get to were she is.5 She humane 6 she backs equality for all people.
    7 She’s a excellent person FOR OUR young ladys to aspire to 8 she backs the Democrats who are pro sustainable energy 9 She’s brown this is good for all the Brown people on our Papatuanukue.
    10 The first African American lady as President of the United States of America. Kai pai

  21. Jum 21
    12 January 2018 at 5:54 pm

    You’ve had Reagan and Bush’s, backed by the ultra-greedy. She’d be an improvement, but didn’t a psychic say Trump would be their last president?

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    Lindsay Mitchell writes –  A lack of perspective can make something quite large or important seem small or irrelevant. Against a backdrop of high-profile, negative statistics it is easy to overlook the positive. For instance, the fact that 64 percent of Maori are employed is rarely reported. For ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Will NZ Herald’s ‘poor journalism’ cost lives?
    Earlier this year, the Herald ran a series of articles amounting to a sustained campaign against raised pedestrian crossings, by reporter Bernard Orsman. A key part of that campaign concerned the raised crossings being installed as part of the Pt Chevalier to Westmere project, with at least 10 articles over ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to May 19 and beyond
    TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 19 include:PM Christopher Luxon is expected to hold his weekly post-cabinet news conference at 4:00pm on Monday.Parliament is not sitting this week. It resumes next week for a two-week sitting session up to and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Webworm Popup Photos!
    Hi,Thanks to all the beautiful Worms who came to the LA Webworm popup on Saturday.It was a way to celebrate the online store we launched last week — and it was super special.As I talk about a lot, I really value our community here — and it was a BLAST ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #19
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, May 5, 2024 thru Sat, May 11, 2024. (Unfortunate) Story of the week "Grief that stops at despair is an ending that I and many others, most notably ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • The Gods Must Be Woke.
    Last night the largest solar storm in decades resulted in Aurorae being seen across Aotearoa, causing many to ask why?Why was the sky pink? What was all this stuff about the power grid? Have we, as so many have wondered since the election, reached the end of days?I had a ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • More road
    We have been on the road in England, squeezing down narrow lanes, flying up the M6, loving hedgerows and villages and cathedrals, liking the 21st century less.There have been moments when it’s felt like a movie trope. The pub in Exford, lovely seventeenth century bar, almost more dogs than people, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Seeing the Aurora Australis
    There’s a solar-storm on at the moment, and since the South Island is having a day and night with clear skies, that means Aurorae. I have just got back from a midnight visit to Tunnel Beach – southwards-looking over the Sea, and without the light pollution. Quite a few others ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    4 days ago

  • Welcome to the current welfare mess
    Michael Bassett writes – I’m not sure that it’s much comfort to anyone to know that the post-Covid surge in violent crimes, gang activity, ram raids, random shootings, thuggery and stabbings is occurring in other countries as well as New Zealand. These days, wagging school, out-of-control welfare and ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • A shovel-ready autopsy
    Oliver Hartwich writes –  Cast your mind back to mid-December. A new Prime Minister had just been sworn in, the new Government started its 100-day programme, and Christmas was only days away.Amid all the haste, a report landed that would have deserved our attention.I am talking about the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Why we almost blacked out and how to fix it
    TL;DR: An unseasonally early icy blast at the same time as some long-overdue maintenance almost caused Aotearoa-NZ’s electricity system to black out this week. That’s because a quadropoly of gentailers1 have prioritised paying dividends from their rising profits and adding debt over investing in 1.5 GigaWatts of new wind farms ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • What Is Instagram Trying To Sell Us?
    Hi,Before we crack into today’s Webworm, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that Israel is pushing into Rafah. Over 100,000 Palestinians are now attempting to flee the one place that was deemed “safe”.Trouble is, the place they’re fleeing to is already destroyed. Total annihilation is the end goal here.“Israel is ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago

  • Precious Little Excitement: Warner Brothers, Peter Jackson, and Gollum
    Back in February 2023, I made the cardinal mistake of getting my hopes up. Warner Brothers declared that fresh Middle-earth movies were in the works: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/02/24/it-never-rains-but-it-pours-warner-brothers-and-impending-tolkien-adaptations/ My assumption, based on which rights were available, and what had already been done, was that this was a stab at either the Angmar ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago

  • Do We Need a Population Census?
    ‘It has been said that figures rule the world. Maybe. I am quite sure that it is figures which show us whether it is being ruled well or badly.’ GoetheI was struck at a recent conference on equity for the elderly, how many presenters implicitly relied upon Statistics New Zealand. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago

  • No, the govt will not be cutting back on every budget – and the Defence vote is among those to be ...
    Buzz from the Beehive Reporting on defence spending late last year, RNZ said the coalition government will have to make some tough calls this term to help the force address staff shortages and ageing infrastructure. “These are huge, huge amounts of government spending. It’s a significant proportion of the government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • The Treasury and productivity
    Late last week The Treasury released a new 40 page report on “The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections” (productivity forecasts and projections that is, rather than any possible fiscal implications – the latter will, I guess, be articulated in the Budget documents). In short, if (as it has) ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • The Controller and Auditor-General’s role
    Peter Dunne writes –  I am always wary when I hear that the Controller and Auditor-General has commented on or made recommendations to the government about an issue of public policy that does not relate strictly to public expenditure. According to the legislation, the role of the Controller ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • More harm than good
    How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought NZ to the brink of economic and cultural chaos   Chris Trotter writes –  TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Real reason Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Chhour
    And why did the Crown not challenge the Tribunal’s jurisdiction?   Gary Judd writes –  Retired District Court Judge, David Harvey, has posted on his A Halflings View Substack an excellent summary of Justice Isacs’ judgment declining to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Losing confidence in the integrity of NZ elections
    Bryce Edwards writes – Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result?As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Macklemore's Pro-Palestinian Protest.
    Macklemore isn’t someone I’d usually think about. Sure I liked his big hit from a few years back, everybody did it was catchy and cool with some memorable lines. But if I was going to think of artists who might speak out on political matters or world events, he wouldn’t ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on miserly school lunches, and the banning of TikTok’s Gaza coverage
    Another week goes by in the Luxon government’s efforts to roll back the past 70 years of social progress. The school lunches programme is to be downgraded by $107 million, and women need bother their heads no longer about pay equity, let alone expect ACC to provide adequate sexual violence ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    6 days ago

  • Weekly Roundup 10-May-2024
    Brrr, the first cold snap of the year. Hope you’re rugged up nice and warm. Here are some stories that caught our eye this week… This Week on Greater Auckland On Monday, we had a post from a new contributor, Connor Sharp, who dug into the public feedback ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    6 days ago

  • The Hoon around the week to May 10
    Almost all of the Wellington City Council’s recommended zoning changes to allow many more apartments and townhouses in its inner-suburbs have been approved.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guest on geopolitics, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #19 2024
    Open access notables A Global Increase in Nearshore Tropical Cyclone Intensification, Balaguru et al., Earth's Future: Tropical Cyclones (TCs) inflict substantial coastal damages, making it pertinent to understand changing storm characteristics in the important nearshore region. Past work examined several aspects of TCs relevant for impacts in coastal regions. However, ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Losing confidence in the integrity of NZ elections
    Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    7 days ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume VIII
    Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago

  • Pretending to talk other people’s languages
    Fakes can come in many forms.A Rolex, for instance.A tan can be fake. Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • What’s new? A social agency with an emphasis on “investment” instead of “wellbeing” – b...
    Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Following the political money
    Bryce Edwards writes –    “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Hipkins would rather no one remember that he was Minister of Education
    Alwyn Poole writes –  After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Fashionable follies
    Eric Crampton writes –  A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Justice for Bainimarama!
    In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • March for Nature in June
    Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Thursday May 9
    Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • The non-woke $3 Lunch.
    I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • Labour’s chickens come home to roost
    The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago

  • Pre-Budget speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • New Zealand and Vanuatu to deepen collaboration
    New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says.    “This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Penk travels to Peru for trade meetings
    Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Minister attends global education conferences
    Minister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago

  • Education Minister thanks outgoing NZQA Chair
    Minister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago

  • Joint statement of Christopher Luxon and Emmanuel Macron: Launch of the Christchurch Call Foundation
    New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.   This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Panel announced for review into disability services
    Distinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Minister welcomes Police gang unit
    Today’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New Zealand expresses regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners.  “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New Chief of Defence Force appointed
    Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government puts children first by repealing 7AA
    Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Defence Minister to meet counterparts in UK, Italy
    Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Charter schools to lift educational outcomes
    The upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • COVID-19 Inquiry terms of reference consultation results received
    “The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • The Pacific family of nations – the changing security outlook
    Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests  Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues  Ladies and Gentlemen,  Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru    It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • NZ and Papua New Guinea to work more closely together
    Health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Driving ahead with Roads of Regional Significance
    The coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand congratulates new Solomon Islands government
    A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office.    “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand supports UN Palestine resolution
    New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Speech to the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium
    Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • $571 million for Defence pay and projects
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Climate change – mitigating the risks and costs
    New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Getting new job seekers on the pathway to work
    Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Accelerating Social Investment
    A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says.  “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Getting Back on Track
    Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with  your Board and team, for hosting me.   I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ – European Union ties more critical than ever
    Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith,   Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States,   Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us.   Ladies and gentlemen -    In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Therapeutic Products Act to be repealed
    The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Decisions on Wellington City Council’s District Plan
    The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Rape Awareness Week: Government committed to action on sexual violence
    Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston.  “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Smarter lunch programme feeds more, costs less
    Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Report provides insights into marine recovery
    New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ to send political delegation to the Pacific
    Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region.   The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu.    “New Zealand has deep and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Low gas production threatens energy security
    There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co.  Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Defence industry talent, commitment recognised
    Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Speech to the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry
    Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Speech to the Sixth Annual New Zealand Government Data Summit
    It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government.  I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Ceasefire agreement needed now: Peters
    New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Daily school attendance data now available
    A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour.  The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Ambassador to United States appointed
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America.    “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says.    “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New permit proposed for recreational gold mining
    The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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