"People can not afford the basics. They do not want to have to rely on food banks. They do not want to have to come to social services. They want to be able to provide for themselves, from their incomes ..."
#BonnieRibinson, Salvation Army, 2026
Why? Either way we're not talking about growing all our own food. That's possible, on a strict vegan diet, if most of your waking hours involve gardening. But not practical.
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#FoodBanks #UnquestionedAssumptions #FocusOnPolitics #RNZ #podcasts
The Nats are stuck between a rock and a hard place with their vacuous leader;
https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/focusonpolitics?share=9b2d99b4-c151-457e-8dea-47701f053f44
They have a deeply unpopular leader who the electorate have got to know very well. A smug, entitled reciter of empty talking points, fairly unlikable and mostly disliked.
But if Nats replace CLuxon with someone whose personality isn't pasted on, it might lift their party's polling, but either Rimmer or Peters could trigger an early election
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This week's Focus On Politics looked at NZ politicians' comments on Orange Stalin's threats to destroy civilian infrastructure like bridges and power plants, if the Iranian government doesn't give the MAGA cabal what they want;
https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/focusonpolitics?share=9971aef4-ac4d-4585-8a11-cb17f03fd460
Orange Stalin's post on lies.social wasn't just "disgraceful". Threatening civilian populations with violence to achieve political aims is the definition of *terrorism*.
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"As for the government, the plan is now clearer, and they're spending less than ... might have been expected under Labour."
#RussellPalmer, 2026
https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/focusonpolitics?share=a06dda4a-e2dd-410a-8afc-bf71d5cfa749
I'm sorry, what?
Hasn't your colleague at TVNZ, Jack Tame, reported figures that show NatACT First spending and borrowing *more* than Labour, while *not* governing through a disease pandemic?! Instead giving away huge wads of public money to landlords, corporations, and white elephant projects
"NZers are fair-minded people, we're always focused on helping those in need. But we also need to reclaim our main streets and town centres for the enjoyment of people who live here, people who visit, people who work here, and want to be able to work and operate in a safe and welcoming environment."
#PaulGoldsmith, NZ Minister of inJustice, 2026
https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/focusonpolitics?share=e5d39797-5bff-4381-96d5-9fbe3f883b83
This made me swear loudly at my longsuffering podcast app
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Intriguing how when it comes to a fossil fuel project, NatACTs can grasp the logic that increasing public spending on infrastructure in the short term can result in future savings for the public;
https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/focusonpolitics?share=9fff2be2-c439-4427-93bc-2c43daf79584
A shame they didn't apply that logic to;
* canning prescription charges
* EV subsidies
* iRex
* hospital rebuilds
* public housing builds
* National Resilience Fund
* etc
... and particularly in this case climate change mitigation.
Speaking of economic astrology ...
"... Without doubt, the number 1 thing is to make sure the economy is growing, and that people are feeling it."
#CLuxon, 2025
https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/focusonpolitics?share=8ea2a808-b255-4337-88d0-1ab609252fde
As a statement, "the economy is growing" is about as meaningful as 'Jupiter is in retrograde'. After decades of financialisation and the FIRE economy, number-go-up in neoclassical economic measures has no relationship to citizens' standard of living.
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"Councils will meet [the state-imposed rates cap], because they would be required to meet it under legislation. It will mean that we are saying no to our communities more often, and it will mean that we are deferring projects that they wanted to see go ahead.
But that might be ok, if it means they've got more money in their back pocket, because their rates bills aren't rising at such a significant rate.
#Tamah Alley, 2025
https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/focusonpolitics?share=3ca9302f-cf98-42e3-b73c-a13df8cd06a5
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Now it seems like we're looking at another round of forced amalgamation of local bodies, with Auckland's "supercity" council as the model. The first step being arbitrarily firing all regional councillors and adding their responsibilities to the jobs of city and district mayors.
Two RNZ shows have reported on this over the last week or so, Focus on Politics;
https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/focusonpolitics?share=ad5c05a5-7472-48fe-b6c8-f13f997ef2aa
... and The Detail;
https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/the-detail?share=58b425f8-6bc9-4e38-adf8-d9f921904eb9
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"I tried, I'm disappointed too, but I wasn't prepared to hold up the entire Arms Act [rewrite] to fight over it, when there's a good win for everybody in it."
#NicoleMcKee, 2025
https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/focusonpolitics?share=cf65a0e8-c8c6-43a1-82a3-0d61c93372a4
I've made some very strong criticisms of this firearms industry lobbyist turned ACT MP. But credit where credit is due; this is a really generous and pragmatic way for a politician to describe not getting exactly what they wanted from a bill.
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Strypey