Advertising, getting it right and getting it wrong

Written By: - Date published: 10:56 am, November 3rd, 2008 - 62 comments
Categories: election 2008, labour, Media - Tags:

Labour’s new ad is one of the best political ads I’ve seen.

It’s just a really well written script: acknowledging the success of the Right’s ‘time for a change’ meme and undercutting it, getting in some positive points on Labour that are forward-looking, and getting in the sting on Key. ‘Mary’ is what National calls a ‘Labour plus’ voter(as was revealed in the secret agenda tapes). She says she had thought that ‘the new guy’ deserves a chance, a view that many Kiwis will have held or heard, but she has changed her mind because she can’t trust him to deliver for her family, whereas she knows Labour delivers. That will resonate with many voters.

In contrast, take a look at ACT’s latest ad (which, inexplicably, they were playing at quarter to nine in the morning).

Amateur hour. ACT used to be the most well-funded party for its size, now they can’t even afford a decent ad. Maybe the money-man has got them to give to National instead.

62 comments on “Advertising, getting it right and getting it wrong ”

  1. yl 1

    is the act party ad a spoof?

    surely they cant run that on t.v.

    The labour party one is alright, it didnt blow me away, but i would imagine it would appeal to the middle class NZ. It is good that it targets those ideas of ‘time for a change’, and ‘john key cant be trusted’.

    But act party one looks like it is been recorded on a cellphone.

  2. Janet 2

    And the Act one encourages drivers to take their eyes off the road to talk to the passenger – behaviour that really scares me.

  3. Im a little underwhelmed.

    It’s a nice ad, it’s solid, but not really one of the ‘best political ads’ i’ve seen.

    Putting the obvious ‘cheese’ top side, the ‘you may know a few things about trading currency mr key’ isnt really going to change any preconceptions. The argument that Helen knows how to lead the country better because she’s spent her entire working life in politics is already wearing thin.

    If that’s the final assualt im a little worried.

  4. yl. I know, that ACT ad is so bad, as I was watching it, I was also checking my watch and thinking ‘what the hell?’ who is watching TV1 at 8.45 on a Monday? a few tens of thousands of people max and not exactly the target audience for ACT.

    I think the Labour ad hits the spot, it’s uncomplicated and direct. it feels honest, and that’s why it works. Sure it’s not naturally catchy or iconic ad, like the Two Johns one is but it gets the message through. That’s what counts

  5. Chuck 5

    Labour got $1m of taxpayer money to fund their TV and radio advertising.

    Act is getting $100,000.

    Parties cannot spend their own money on radio and tv advertising.

  6. Valid point SP, but im not that convinced that it does get the point across.

    Point: You cant trust John Key
    Backed up with : John Key was a currency trader

    Point: You can trust Helen Clark
    Backed up with: you can’t trust John key

    I just don’t think theyve given anything new here.

  7. I’m the only strongly political person in my flat (with one moderately, 2 miniorly and 2 not all political) and when we first saw that add yesterday we were all sitting around having dinner, at the end of it every one was kind of shell shocked. “Dude, that was brutal”

  8. Chuck. That’s for the cost of placing the ads, not the cost of making them.

    Killing, you reckon it’s too far? It’s interesting because people say they don’t like negative ads but they do work. Look at the dancing cossacks ad, thats way over the top but it worked. Very few people will change their vote away from Labour because they think this ad is too hard (and if they do they’ll as likely go to the Greens as National). On the other hand, the meme of the ad will flow through to the voting intentions of many Labour Plus voters.

    This is the kind of hardedged politics that a lot of left liberals are afraid of.

    Wellingtonian. I don’t think ads are really for communicating a new idea, they’re for crystallising an existing idea into something very simple. Hence the success of the Green ads.

  9. Chris G 9

    killinginthenameof,

    The labour one or act one?

  10. Jeeves 10

    I watched the Labour ad last night, and everyone in the room (2 x hardcore Nats, 2 x moderate social democrats wavering between Labour and the Greens) thought the ad was patronising, insincere and mostly ineffective. The line it was trying to spin is probably the right line for Labour. It’s just that the ad was so blatant it didn’t really conjure up the right emotions.

    The quality of election ads this time around is low. Whilst driving in the weekend I listened to an ACT radio ad with Heather Roy talking about something (not quite sure what) about families. It was drivel. The National ads are mediocre. Frankly the only decent ad was the union ad mocking John and Bill wanting to sell everything off (and while it was hilarious, it was almost so outrageous that it was ineffective).

    What has happened?!

  11. Bill 11

    Nah. Over directed and cheesy are my first impressions.

    “Give the other guy a chance.” (handing bottle to baby…JK?)
    “…my family’s future” ( redirect eyes to baby)

    and those sincerely insincere eyes trying to express fear of ‘the hard times ahead and the scipted sighs during the ‘talk up Nat good points to cut them down’ segment?

    last thing. Any lip readers out there who can fill in the deleted dialogue when she hands the bottle over?

  12. “Chris G
    killinginthenameof,
    The labour one or act one?”

    The Labour one.

    “Steve Pierson
    Killing, you reckon it’s too far?”

    I don’t think so, it certainly caught their attention, but I don’t think it makes a particularly outlandish claim, it kind of made me feel like yikes the gloves are really off now, but I don’t think the content of the ad is such that it reflects badly on Labour. I think part of the “shell shocked”-ness comes from the strength of the delivery of the speaking from the actor.

    I think its strength is that, while being a strong opinion, it is still one that is quite reasonable to hold, and having it delivered by an actor sitting there speaking, gains a lot more traction than a faceless voice over making an outlandish claim, dancing coassks style.

    The only other thing I would have liked to see Labour using in advertising would have been a series of Red\Blue graphs, of things like crime rate, average wage and stuff. While a lot of bill board campaigning is about branding rather than policy, some of the graphs that you guys have posted here are pretty darn compelling in the message they send. This does run the risk of course that its not too hard to mislead journalists with statistics, and it would only take 1 National party press release on the topic to be picked up and printed to potentially damage the whole series of ads.

  13. Mike 13

    “Mary the Mother” = “Joe the Plumber”

  14. Chris 14

    Unforunately Labours ad was patronising.

    Playing on the fact Key was a currency trader is ineffective as it then opens up the comparison about the raising a family comment.

    Only Key has done that. Not Clark.

    [lprent: Don’t be a offensive narrow-minded idiot. I haven’t had kids either. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been involved in the lives of the other kids in the family. I know that Helen and Peter are both involved in the lives of their extended families.

    You’re defining ‘family’ as some kind of micro unit. That tells me that you’re probably not kiwi (in my terms – 4 generations plus), maori, or polynesian. Family for us is extremely wide, and we’d find your comments offensive in the extreme.]

  15. Ebolacola 15

    You know in the long run negative campaigning is gonna depress voter turnout which is bad for the left, lets win the argument on policy instead of mounting personal attacks on Key.

  16. DeeDub 16

    The production costs of these two commercials would not have been wildy different IMHO. But man, there is paucity of talent in front of and behind the camera (actually all the way to the concept and the script) in the ACT advert!! How embarrasing for them…..

  17. Daveski 17

    The only thing they could have added to the add was the woman doing a Cossack dance on the kitchen table.

    And Helen knows all about families because … ?

    Now, if I tried that line, I would expect LP and others to boot me from here to KB. But this is Labour’s line of attack???

  18. outofbed 18

    and what about the ACT illegal Green party rip off ?

  19. Felix 19

    Mike.

    Is anyone pretending “Mary” is a real person?

    Is anyone unaware that she is being played by an actor?

    Do you realise that this is an advertisement in an election campaign?

  20. tsmithfield 20

    Unimpressed with Labour’s advertising efforts so far.

    Firstly, it is a well known maxim in marketing that any publicity is good publicity. Most of Labour’s ads have focussed on John Key but have not given any positive reason to vote for Labour. The result? People have their livingrooms continually filled with images of John Key. I think that most people tend to mentally switch off when the ads come on or mute the sound as we do, so they often may not pick up on the logic of the message. However, they will be constantly reminded of JK. So Labour may have actually been helping National.

    Secondly, Labour’s advertising strategy needs to be seen in the context of current events. Labour sending out messages that you can trust us but not the opposition is likely to be taken with a “yeah, right” attitude due to the rather public stuff-ups recently, Labour’s insistance of courting NZ First despite the strong wiff of corruption in that direction, and the fact that the “two johns” ads were judged to be misleading by the BSA. You can trust Labour? Yeah right.

  21. Daveski. The question is which party has the best policies for Mary’s family, not who has the most children.

  22. insider 22

    But steve by personalising it about Key and his former job Labour makes it as much about who can be trusted to know what is best for a family, and the aging childless Helen Clark may not withstand that comparison too well. If they’d said “I thought which party was good for me, and just don’t trust National…” then they may not be open to the counter.

    And of course by saying things are going to get really bad my response is, well you’ve had 9 years to make us more resiliant and we are still going to crash, so your recipe hasn’t worked.

    It’s far from being one of the best ever political ads even in this campaign – I think it is sounding a bit desperate and very risky becasue Helen and Labour are not appearing that trustworthy at present. PS I thought it was Helen Kelly for a sec

  23. renamed as Idiot troll 23

    [deleted]
    [lprent: If you don’t know how to write a comment, then don’t write here.]

  24. Rod 24

    No, the Labour ad is too clever by half. An amateur effort.

    It openly portrays a very threatening future under Labour compared to the brighter future message out there from National. A silly thing to do in advertising.

    It leaves Mr Key’s name as the last name/brand you hear and think about afterwards, notwithstanding the Labour splash screen at the end. Bad advertising tactics.

    And it is so obviously trying to play up the Labour strategy of building fear of losing the DPB among single mothers that is is not funny – a factually wrong strategy – trading in fear, even.

    The ACT ad may have been made on the cheap, but it is on message and very clear. The listeners they are after couldn’t give a hoot about the cameraman’s competence.

    I think you are looking at the ads through the eyes of a committed Labour voter, not as either a swinging voter or an advertising professional.

    [but I’m not a Labour voter. SP]

  25. tsmithfeild. It was the ASA, very different from BSA. And their decision is crap – Labour says National would cut Kiwisaver in half, in fact it would cut it by 44-49%.

    insider et al. watch any attack ad, it always mentions the other party predominantly. And, insider, as an insider you might be able to tell us how any government can totally fortify a country against the worst economic conditions since the great depression. Labour has done as well as it could have by getting unemployment down, government debt down, and having money ready for infrastructure investment.

  26. r0b 26

    And of course by saying things are going to get really bad my response is, well you’ve had 9 years to make us more resiliant and we are still going to crash, so your recipe hasn’t worked.

    If the global economy crashes NZ will be affected, there’s no escaping that. But Labour’s careful management over 9 years means that things won’t be as bad here as they could have been. The recipe has worked just fine.

    You don’t need to just take my word for it. See for example this Treasury summary:

    Economy well placed to meet challenges in 2008
    The New Zealand economy is well placed to meet challenges in 2008 but uncertainty and market volatility is likely to persist in the short term. In addition, the current high inflation environment further complicates the outlook for 2008. However, the sound fiscal position; the prospect of tax cuts; and the ability of the Reserve Bank to move quickly on interest rates, if growth and inflation drop more quickly than expected, mean that the New Zealand economy is well placed to meet potential challenges over the next year.

    Or how about Reserve Bank Governor Allan Bollard in January this year:

    New Zealand had responded positively to significant global shocks in the past few years, and there was no sign of those shocks abating, Dr Bollard said.

    “We have enjoyed a decade of growth, the longest period of economic growth since the post-World War 2 era. Inflation has been low, averaging 2.2 per cent since 1998. …

    “We have been able to absorb recent shocks reasonably well because of the improvements in our economic institutions and policymaking frameworks, avoiding the boom-bust cycles of the 1970s.”

    Though it is very early days even new policies like KiwiSaver are starting to show their potential in this respect:

    According to funds industry performance analyst FundSource, net outflows for the quarter of $48.6 million would have been much uglier without KiwiSaver inflows of $353 million. … Mr Atkins said the high voluntary uptake suggested a big proportion of the funds would be invested in growth assets. “This will provide a boost to the financial services industry, with greater funds under management also potentially boosting local equity markets.”

    In short, this ad is right to highlight concerns about possible difficult times to come, and right to portray Labour as well prepared and the most capable of getting us through them.

  27. Rod 27

    [but I’m not a Labour voter. SP]

    Oh, sorry SP, no offense intended.

  28. Phil 28

    OOB,

    Heather Roy explained that at the ‘meet the candidates’ event in Kelburn last night. They put two add’s together, and the wrong one got sent for broadcast. She agreed that it was a illegal and they were at fault – presumably it gets dealt with (or already has been?) between the two parties.

  29. ok after watching the ad a number of times, and showing it round the office, the feedback was very similar:

    * The ad is extremely dark and depressing – it leaves you with a bad impression, which flows onto the labour party
    * Are economic times so bad that swing voters can’t afford lightbulbs? Paiting kiwi families as struggling – with more struggles to come – hardly flatters labour
    * It comes across as patronising – this may come from the sub-standard acting, or in the case poor direction of the talent
    *The way the actress pronounces “money.. trading” with a pause and the look of confusion on her face, makes it seem that labour supporters are confused by economics, and are unsure of what a ‘money trader’ is. It also paints a rich v poor mentality.
    * The line ‘you may be good a trading money’ scores points to key. It associates ‘key’ with the word ‘good’.
    * Clark will ‘be there for our kids and jobs” – we exactly does that mean?
    * ‘I can’t trust you’ is backed up only by painting Key’s past job in a bad light. Which fails.

    It’s a very amatuer contribution. While the 2 Johns ad was passable and in theory a good idea, this has just failed.

    And the negative, dark, depressing nature of the ad will not help the cause.

    I’m EXTREMELY disappointed by this. Labour needed a knock out blow, not a limp wristed tap on the cheek.

  30. coge 30

    The Labour ad looks awfully close to the anti-smoking advertising. I was half expecting her to light up. Overall I think it preaches to the converted. Or at best the apathetic voter, which is probably the intention.

  31. outofbed 31

    phil The one that they replaced it with is also illegal

    Party of law and order eh ?

  32. insider 32

    Steve/r0b

    Not debating the rights and wrongs re the economy, just pointing out there are really strong counter arguments that easily and quickly come to mind that go against Labour – so it is a risky ad from that pov and not that compelling. I’m not sure the community likes the politics of fear this tries to portray

  33. Ianmac 33

    Wellingtonian: It says more about the company you keep that a meaningful critique. Am I surprised?? NA!

    [play nice, wellingtonian is alright. they’re not trolling and they’re actually a leftie I think. SP]

  34. the company i keep?

    of the people i showed it to this morning, 2 are national voters, 4 are labour voters, 1 act and im not sure about the others.

    Of which all 7 work for an ad agency.

  35. vinsin 35

    Wellingtonian while i agree this isn’t a knock out blow i think it’s still a very effective ad.

    – It appeals to its base support very well.

    – It manages to walk the very thin line between fear-mongering and negative criticism of Key.

    – It’s easy to empathize with the mother – this can’t be said for Key’s current adverts.

    – It moves the issues into the home without actually expressing anything new and it manages to have all the right images and clues that work on people without them knowing it.

    I think the best thing this ad does is it manages to contrast Mr Key’s ads. If you were to play the ads side by side you would have Mr Key walking around shaking hands and smiling, looking incredibly well off surrounded by other rich looking people. Then you have the labour ad, you have a mother feeding her child, talking realistically and genuinely about the current situation of the world, and why she can’t trust John Key. When she says, ‘you may be good at trading money,’ it works as an insult wrapped in a false compliment, then at the end when she says, ‘when it comes to my our family, i just can’t trust you,’ that compliment becomes a slap in the face.

    Wellingtonian
    *The way the actress pronounces “money.. trading’ with a pause and the look of confusion on her face…

    Don’t you think this is meant to infer that perhaps John Key is shady, i think people will get it instinctually without even knowing it.

    Rod
    It leaves Mr Key’s name as the last name/brand you hear and think about afterwards, notwithstanding the Labour splash screen at the end. Bad advertising tactics.

    Bad advertising? Possibly. But what is the overall message you get at the end of the ad? “You can’t trust John Key,” sure it mentions him but only after saying, “You can’t trust him,” so it leaves the viewer with a negative impression of him. This is better than not mentioning him at all.

    It’s a very good ad, it attacks without being nasty or dirty. It unleashes fear without being too pessimistic. These fear based attack ads work, they did for Hillary Clinton in Ohio, and with only a week to go before people vote the backlash will be minimal.

  36. I would have had the setting slightly lighter and had her delivery of the contraversial line a bit softer but it does the job damn well.

    Wellingtonian, imagine its 1975 and you’re showing around the dancing cossacks ad to a bunch of ad gurus, everyone would have been critical of it – simplistic, childish, negaitve, extreme, but that’s because you’re used to marketing products not undertaking attack ads, it’s quite a different thing.

  37. insider 37

    SHe’s probably in the dark because she has been forced by Lab/greens to change her lightbulbs…

  38. I struggled how you can say this ad isnt too pessimistic.

    It paints a very bleak picture, both in tone and mood – but also the message.

    It stops just short at taking lyrics directly from ‘The man comes around’ by Johnny Cash:

    “And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts
    And I looked and behold, a pale horse
    And his name that sat on him was Death
    And Hell followed with him.”

  39. and, yet, she doesn’t seem to think lightbulbs are the defining issue of the election. guess those Labour plus voters don’t care about the same issues as you Kiwiblog Right types, eh?

  40. vinsin 40

    Wellingtonian it’s not pessimistic it’s realistic. Economies all over the world are struggling, fact. Saying, ‘tough times are ahead’ is being realistic.

  41. SP – The lack of lighting in the house is probably preventing her from reading those ‘Right wing leaning MSM publications – controlled by their capitalist fat cat masters’, which, if she got a chance to read, she might be a little better informed – she might figure out who ‘that other bloke’ is and might learn what a ‘money…trader’ is. She might also figure out that ‘trust’ is a funny word to be using when talking about the labour party.

    Probably why she looks so depressed and hysterical. I would be too living in that cave. Is that even her baby? In that light how does she know? Oh well, as long as those eco bulbs are compliant.

    And just to qualify your ‘Kiwiblog right types’ comment – I vote UF.

  42. vinsin – you could argue either way. There’s a difference between fear mongering – which i DO think this ad does – and being realistic.

    This doesnt inspire me with confidence.

  43. tracey 43

    remember JK thinks blind kids, if they work hard enough, can go to Kings and St Cuthberts. Yup, he’sin touch alright.

  44. tracey – they can’t ? What’s next from you? Children from poor families won’t ever be able to earn over $50k later in life?

  45. “coge

    The Labour ad looks awfully close to the anti-smoking advertising. I was half expecting her to light up. Overall I think it preaches to the converted. Or at best the apathetic voter, which is probably the intention”

    Funny, I was going to say it reminds me of a drink driving ad a the start but now you mention it, an anti smoking ad even more so!

    What about Nationals “Labours legacy” ads? Apparently Labours legacy is a dozen moral panic head lines. Pity they didn’t use actual statistics, but then again, that paints labour in a fairly good light, so of course they wouldn’t.

  46. insider 46

    Tracey

    Your implication is worse – that they can’t.

  47. Evidence-Based Practice 47

    St Cuthberts and Kings and all the other private schools and most high decile schools do not welcome and never have welcomed disabled kids. And even those who reluctantly let them attend certainly do not practice full social and educational inclusion. Their whole school cultures are based on being exclusionary and elitist.

  48. John Stevens 48

    Yep, it should read ‘Party vote Hydra’.
    You are getting the Greens/Labour govt, not Labour led.

  49. SP – Re: dancing cosacks.

    I can’t with 100% certanty say that the feedback would of been different, but i feel the cosacks was funnier, smarter and more effectively targeted than this offering.

    I just feel it’s poor. The idea was right in it’s infancy, but the execution and ‘meat on the bones’ of that concept just doesn’t sit right.

    *People who didn’t trust key before still won’t trust him
    *People who want a ‘change’ a probably still going to want a change
    *People who were undecided about key are unlikely to be swayed by this – unless they are reasonably gulliable and are moved by statements that aren’t Immediatly backed up by fact.

    But more dangerous is:
    *People who are of the opinion that Labour have been too negative previously, will think they are even more so now
    *People who were sitting on the fence, and have been starting to get a little fed up with the muck raking on both sides, might find this as ‘enough is enough’ and swing away from the red.

    It’s just to gloomy for my liking. You may find that this ad does more harm than good.

    The controversial line just doesnt do ENOUGH. ‘I can’t trust you’ – but why? You havent ACTUALLY told me why i cant trust him? Is it because he was a currency trader? Is that relevant?

    And why can I trust helen? Because ‘she’ll be there for our kids and our jobs’ ? What’s does that actually mean? Apart from sounding completely ‘hokey’.

    I see that the ad is now in a banner ad on stuff with text next to it “there for our kids and our jobs” – that is just incredibly poor english – setting aside the fact that they’ve crushed the video so small now its distorted.

    The labour08 choice of online media is another sticking point for me. Why bother pumping your money into stuff.co.nz and nzherald.co.nz which draw their audience from National supporters (just look at their online polls) – pooooooor media buying there.

    I’ve really enjoyed reading your responses here, and youve all made some valuable points, but i just think this is amatuer hour. I had high hopes for this ad.

  50. QoT 50

    A slightly irrelevant point, but: I first caught the Labour ad when making dinner with the TV on mute, and momentarily thought the actress was Antonia Prebble/Loretta from Outrageous Fortune. Which made the whole thing slightly surreal.

  51. My wife has no interest whatsoever in politics. We saw the “Mary” advert last night, after which she said to me “They’re really scraping the barrel now” – kind of sums it up. Best political advert ever? I don’t think so!

  52. Rex Widerstrom 52

    Interesting that Wellingtonian’s “focus group” work for an ad agency and aren’t impressed. I’ve shown it to a few Aussies who’re either advertising or media people this morning and they aren’t impressed either – with either effort.

    The consensus on Labour’s is best summed up by the reaction of Jeeve’s group:

    …patronising, insincere and mostly ineffective

    To which I’d add that the actress seems to have taken “talking to the public like a kindergarten teacher” lessons from Jenny Shipley.

    Act’s left most dumbfounded. The general consensus was that one was left with the impression Heather Roy couldn’t learn, retain and then speak more than one sentence because that was all she got out before a ghastly jump cut, usually to an unrelated setting.

    From a professional perspective, politics aside, they’re utter crap. Whoever dreamed them up and conned the respective parties to pay for them is either an amateur or a charlatan.

  53. Rex said : “From a professional perspective, politics aside, they’re utter crap. Whoever dreamed them up and conned the respective parties to pay for them is either an amateur or a charlatan.”

    You’ve hit the nail on the head with that one.

    Same goes with the ACT one. Incredible that it’s seen the light of day.

  54. DeeDub 54

    @ Wellingtonian:

    I expect an advertising expert of your stature, who throws away phrases like “that is just incredibly poor english” when commenting on other peoples work, to at least walk the talk, buddy!?!!

    ” …feedback would of been different” – ‘would’ve’ perhaps would’ve been more appropriate to use there?

    “It’s just to gloomy for my liking..” – really? And WHERE is ‘gloomy’ and how do I get ‘to’ it?

  55. I’m typing on a blog. Not creating an ad campaign here – so excuse me if I only glance over my posts to proof read.

    I also didn’t say I’m an ‘advertising expert’. But I do work with them.

    Did you have fun working on the ad by the way?

  56. Wellingtonian,

    does it not occur to you that fear(howsoever slight) is an appropriate human response in the face of a harder reality..?

    As to lightbulbs, I have attempted to discover from their makers why the intensity of light from them is somewhat low.. are they not aware of likely complaints.. and how this might deter folks from buying them in their better interests(not least energy saving and $s).. as I’m waiting for answers it occurs to me that in fact incandescent bulbs put out too much light.. and how this could be bad for our eyes.. yes, tis possible to buy a lower wattage, screen bulbs with shades and so on, but the energy saving and $s is unlikely to be affected by this.. so aren’t we back to having our eyes ‘tune-in’ to lower intensities.. and what might be harmful in that..?

    Two sides at least to every story.. so let’s have more give and take..

  57. Lampie 57

    As to lightbulbs, I have attempted to discover from their makers why the intensity of light from them is somewhat low.. are they not aware of likely complaints.. and how this might deter folks from buying them in their better interests(not least energy saving and $s).. as I’m waiting for answers it occurs to me that in fact incandescent bulbs put out too much light.. and how this could be bad for our eyes.. yes, tis possible to buy a lower wattage, screen bulbs with shades and so on, but the energy saving and $s is unlikely to be affected by this.. so aren’t we back to having our eyes ‘tune-in’ to lower intensities.. and what might be harmful in that..?

    My God, for starters two different light sources. Comparing them is like comparing an apple to a pear. How effective i the light? That is something to the individual as we precive light differently. Energy savers can be used in situations such as areas requiring ‘a light’ and over long periods, ideal for hallways and such. For reading, suggest incandescent or halogen as colour matching good. incandescent produce more heat than light which makes them inenifficent as to energy savers. Excuse spelling.

  58. Lampie 58

    Labour ad a good one and good from a point of marketing. Never get your CEO to tell the message. Also good use of association.

  59. DeeDub 59

    Wellington said: “Did you have fun working on the ad by the way?”

    LOL. Not me, mate. I work in the music industry.

  60. tsmithfield 60

    I know some of you are having orgasms over this Labour ad.

    However, I think it comes across as forced and over-acted. This is a major problem for the credibility of the ad as viewers would likely realise that the person in the ad is acting rather than speaking from the heart. Therefore, viewers would likely wonder if she really believes what she is saying or is just being paid for stating these views.

  61. very off topic but :

    “Dear Supporter

    We have a concept for a full-page NZ Herald advert that makes use of the fantastic images from the ‘VoteForUs’ website, as a beautiful montage of selected images.

    It’s a great advert as its fresh and not a usual political ad. It utilises the incredibly high profile we have of our ‘Votefor me’ campaign. However to run this advert on Thursday would cost $21,000 or $27,000 for a guaranteed placement in Section One.

    Unfortunately we have now committed all our budget, so if you like this advert and know anyone who might like to donate some money to the Greens to enable us to run it, please get them to pledge an amount via email to me. This would have to come through today though to enable us to run this ad!

    Our campaign is going really well and we just need to keep the momentum going in this last week. This advert would be one way we could keep this momentum up.

    Re. Apology for previous email

    Our sincere apologies for including email addresses in the previous bulk message. It was an honest mistake and we were horrified to see that the email included all those names, as it was never our intention.

    Thank you for your continued support of our campaign,

    regards

    Gary Reese
    National Campaign Manager
    Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand”

  62. People are going to sympathize and listen to a woman with a baby over a deputy leader driving dangerously down the road (how did she manage to turn the car without hitting anyone?). Actually, the ACT spot is also talking about children and family, but I didn?t even realize that the first time I watched it. Until I listened closely the second time, I didn?t even really think about what she was saying. That?s just a poor delivery of a message. ?Amateur hour? is right!

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Recent Posts

  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus and pick ‘n’ mix for Thursday, May 16
    Half of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd’s directors and its chair resigned en masse last night in protest at Christchurch City Council’s demand to front-load dividends File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The chair of Christchurch City Council’s investment company and four of its independent directors resigned in protest last ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 hours ago
  • Controversial proposal could threaten coalition
    The University of Waikato has reworded an advertisement that begins the tender process for its new $300 million-plus medical school even though the Government still needs to approve it. However, even the reworded ad contains an architect’s visualisations of what the school might look like. ACT leader David Seymour told ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 hours ago
  • Of Rings of Power Annatar, Dramatic Irony, and Disguises
    As a follow-up to the Rings of Power trailer discussion, I thought I needed to add something. There has been some online mockery about the use of the same actor for both the Halbrand and Annatar incarnations of Sauron. The reasoning is that Halbrand with a shave and a new ...
    12 hours ago
  • The future of Nick's Kōrero.
    This isn’t quite as dramatic as the title might suggest. I’m not going anywhere, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about.Let’s start with a typical day.Most days I send out a newsletter in the morning. If I’ve written a lot the previous evening it might be ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    16 hours ago
  • The PM promises tax relief in the Budget – but will it be enough to satisfy the Taxpayers’ Union...
    Buzz from the Beehive The promise of tax relief loomed large in his considerations when  the PM delivered a pre-Budget speech to the Auckland Business Chamber. The job back in Wellington is getting government spending back under control, he said, bandying figures which show that in per capita terms, the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    19 hours ago
  • Fucking useless
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    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    20 hours ago
  • Setting things straight.
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    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    20 hours ago
  • Far too light a sentence
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    22 hours ago
  • Unwinding Labour’s Agenda
    Muriel Newman writes –  Former US President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation.” The fight for ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    22 hours ago
  • Sequel to “Real reason Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Chhour”
    Why Courts should have said Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Karen Chhour Gary Judd writes – In the High Court, Justice Isacs declined to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal to compel Minister for Children, Karen Chhour, to appear before it to be ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    23 hours ago
  • The Govt’s Fast-Track is being demolished by submissions to Parliament
    Bryce Edwards writes –  The number of voices raising concerns about the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill is rapidly growing. This is especially apparent now that Parliament’s select committee is listening to submissions from the public to evaluate the proposed legislation. Twenty-seven thousand submissions have been made to Parliament ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    23 hours ago
  • A generation is leaving at a rate of one A320-load per day
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • NZUP RORS back to life
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    1 day ago
  • School Is Out.
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    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • How Are You Doing?
    Hi,I wanted to check in and ask how you’re doing.This is perhaps a selfish act, of attempting to find others feeling a similar way to me — that is to say, a little hopeless at the moment.Misery loves company, that sort of deal.Some context.I wish I could say I got ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago
  • The Rings of Power: Season Two Teaser Trailer
    I have hitherto been fairly quiet on the new season of Rings of Power, on the basis that the underwhelming first season did not exactly build excitement – and the rumours were fairly daft. The only real thing of substance to come out has been that they have re-cast Adar ...
    1 day ago
  • At a glance – What ended the Little ice Age?
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    2 days ago
  • Talking Reo with the PM
    “The thing is,” Chris Luxon says, leaning forward to make his point, “this has always been my thing.”“This goes all the way back to the first multinational I worked for. I was saying exactly the same thing back then. The name of our business needs to be more clear; people ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Waitangi Tribunal’s authority in Chhour case is upheld – but bill’s introduction to Parliament...
    Buzz from the Beehive It’s been a momentous few days for Children’s Minister Karen Chhour.  The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision which blocked a summons order from the Waitangi Tribunal for her. And today she has announced the Government is putting children first by introducing to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Australia jails another whistleblower
    In 2014 former Australian army lawyer David McBride leaked classified military documents about Australian war crimes to the ABC. Dubbed "The Afghan Files", the documents led to an explosive report on Australian war crimes, the disbanding of an entire SAS unit, and multiple ongoing prosecutions. The journalist who wrote the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Some “scrutiny”!
    Back in February I blogged about another secret OIA "consultation" by the Ministry of Justice. This one was on Aotearoa's commitment in its Open Government Partnership Action Plan to "strengthen scrutiny of Official Information Act exemption clauses in legislation" (AKA secrecy clauses). Their consultation paper on the issue focused on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • TVNZ is loss-making, serves no public service due to bias, and should be liquidated
    Rob MacCulloch writes –  According to the respected Pew Research Centre, “In seven of eight [European] countries surveyed, the most trusted news outlet asked about is the public news organization in each country”. For example, “in Sweden, an overwhelming majority (90%) say they trust the public broadcaster SVT”. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • The conflicted Covid Chair
    David Farrar writes –  Kata MacNamara reports:    Details of Tony Blakely’s involvement in the New Zealand Government’s response to the pandemic raise serious questions about the work of the Covid-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry over which he presides. It has long been clear that Blakely, a ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Attacking the smartest and most resilient people in the room is never a good idea
    Chris Trotter writes – Are you a Brahmin or a Merchant? Or, are you merely one of those whose lives are profoundly influenced by the decisions of Brahmins and Merchants? Those are the questions that are currently shaping the politics of New Zealand and the entire West. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • A fortune-telling failure, surely, if the tarot cards can’t see a bulldozer coming
    RNZ reports –  It’s supposed to be a haven of healing and spiritual awakening but residents of the Kawai Purapura community say they’ve been hurt and deceived. It’s the successor to the former Centrepoint commune, and has been on the bush block opposite Albany shopping centre since 2008. It ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • The climate battleground heats up
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Tuesday, May 14
    The Transport Minister has set a hard 'fiscal envelope' of $6.54 billion for transport capital spending. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy is settling into a state of suspended animation as the Government’s funding freezes and job cuts chill confidence and combine with stubbornly high interest rates to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on why anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitic
    To be precise, the term “anti- Zionism” refers to (a) criticism of the political movement that created a modern Jewish state on the historical land of Israel, and to (b)the subjugation of Palestinians by the Israeli state. By contrast, the term “anti-Semitism” means bigotry and racism directed at Jewish people, ...
    2 days ago
  • Climate change is making hurricanes more destructive
    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Because hurricanes are one of the big-ticket weather disasters that humanity has to face, climate misinformers spend a lot of effort muddying the waters on whether climate change is making hurricanes more damaging. With the official start to the hurricane ...
    2 days ago
  • Wayne Brown’s PT Plan
    Yesterday the Mayor released what he calls his “plan to save public transport” which is part of his final proposal for the Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP). This comes following consultation on the draft version that occurred in March which showed, once again, that people want more done on transport, especially ...
    2 days ago
  • Potaka's Private Universe.
    And it's a pleasure that I have knownAnd it's a treasure that I have gainedAotearoa’s coalition government is fragile. It’s held together by the obsequious sycophancy of Christopher Luxon, who willingly contorts his party into the fringe positions of his junior coalition partners and is unwilling to contradict them. The ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Our slow regional councils
    The Select Committee hearing submissions on the fast-track consenting legislation is starting to become a beat-up of regional councils. The inflexibility and slow workings of the Councils were prominent in two submissions yesterday. One, from the Coromandel Marine Farmers Association, simply said that the Waikato Regional Council’s planning decisions were ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law after all
    Back in April, the High Court surprised everyone by ruling that Ministers are above the law, at least as far as the Waitangi Tribunal is concerned. The reason for this ruling was "comity" - the idea that the different branches of government shouldn't interfere with each other's functions. Which makes ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • NZTA takes the wheel after govt gives it the road map for regional roads (and puts a speed governor ...
    Buzz from the Beehive  Tolling was mentioned when Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the government was re-introducing the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme, with 15 “crucial” projects to support economic growth and regional development across New Zealand. All RoNS would be four-laned, grade-separated highways, and all funding, financing, and ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Change in Catalonia?
    or the past 14 years, ever since the Spanish government cheated on an autonomy deal, Catalonia has reliably given pro-independence parties a majority of seats in their regional parliament. But now that seems to be over. Catalans went to the polls yesterday, and stripped the Catalan parties of their majority. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Having an enrolment date is not depriving anyone of a vote
    David Farrar writes –  Radio NZ report: Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said the Electoral Commission should make sure the system ran smoothly and “taking away the right of thousands of people to vote” was not the answer. “Thousands of people enroled and voted on the day. If ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Perhaps house prices don’t always go up
    Don Brash writes –  There was a rather revealing headline in the Herald on Sunday today (12 May). It read “One in 8 Auckland homes on market were bought during boom, may now sell for loss”. The first line of text noted that “New data shows one in ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Can’t read, can’t write, can’t comprehend – and won’t think…?
    Mike Grimshaw writes –  At a time when universities are understandably nervous regarding the establishment of the University Advisory Group (UAG) and the Science System Advisory Group (SSAG) it may seem strange – or even fool-hardy – to state that there are long-standing issues in the tertiary sector ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Time for some perspective
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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 KōreroBy 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 ...
    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 ...
    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
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    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 KōreroBy 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 ...
    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, ...
    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 ...
    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 KōreroBy 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
    21 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
    21 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
    23 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
    1 day 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
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  • Joint statement of Christopher Luxon and Emmanuel Macron: Launch of the Christchurch Call Foundation
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