I say time and time again. This idea that taxes pay for things and "we can't afford it" are simply to avoid the truth that cuts etc are *policy choices*, not fiscal realities.
Judy Martin
@southernrata.bsky.social
Accidental care-taker of a community resource recovery hub (OneCoast.org). Also accidental solo taichi teacher. Always indifferent house-keeper. Community is everything.
The problem is that NZ issues NZ dollars. That doesn’t abolish scarcity. Nurses, electricity, houses, labour and productive capacity are all genuinely finite. But “the money” is not scarce in the same way. Which makes the household metaphor rather important politically.
"Authoritarian, conservative, and reactionary networks have been among the principal drivers of the surge in distrust, conspiracism, and anti-scientific sentiment." Yes: contemporary polarization is driven by a deliberate campaign to destroy trust in core institutions & epistemic standards.
Historically, agriculture in Europe was done by farming it out to poor people. So "farming" became a synonym for agriculture. Kinda like how "contractor" has become a synonym for construction crew.
There is no such thing as taxpayers’ money youtu.be/4AyhV70BDwE?... Anyone who claims the government spends taxpayers' money is talking total nonsense. The problem is that almost all our politicians do.
There is no such thing as taxpayers’ money
YouTube video by Richard J Murphy
youtu.be
The right coloured setting, but quite a mission getting it there. Ditches were fallen into multople times, fences were climbed over and souwesterlies battled against.
“If our viral moment contributes anything to the ongoing cultural conversation about how we judge what we see online, I hope it reminds us to be more comfortable saying, ‘I don’t know the whole story.’”
ryan cooper@ryanlcooper.com · 6d agogreat piece. man social media is a cancer themomoftheyear.substack.com/p/im-the-mom...
Apropos of a final decision from this government that strangely did not make the news yesterday, yet impacts every community.
Removing the ‘four wellbeings’ from councils is a step in the wrong direction
The 'four wellbeings' aren't just a political football – they're a vital part of what councils do best.
thespinoff.co.nz
"The whole neoliberal era has been surrounded by the creation of rules intended to limit the role of government. That is the purpose of fiscal rules. It is the purpose of central bank independence, and associated artificial rules with regard to the control of inflation and inflation targeting."
Richard Murphy@richardjmurphy.bsky.social · 3w agoIf we want to beat fascism, the answer is easy: scrap neoliberalism www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2026/09...
A snapshot of a deeper problem in NZ's information ecology du jour: electoral opinion forms not from policy documents but from outrage-optimised social media posts, algorithmic amplification, & comment pile-ons. People vote on vibes shaped by platforms that reward reaction over reading. #nzpol
Honestly don’t think they understand how incandescently angry many people are going to be with them if he fucks this up and we’re saddled with another 3 years of the current lot.
It is not just understandable to feel hopeless, terrified, furious or some combination of the three, but rational to feel that way when presented with the frankly irrational and twisted world we are facing. And yet there are still choices available to us: newsroom.co.nz/2026/09/03/g...
Global warming will pass 1.5C. What are you going to do about it?
With 1.5C of global warming behind us, how bad climate change gets will be determined by how long we burn fossil fuels. Marc Daalder analyses a pivotal United Nations report.
newsroom.co.nz
ICYMI: For the better part of a decade, politicians have sold the public the fiction that we can build things without paying for them. In service of that fiction, we haven’t paid for anything. Now, it’s unlikely that we’ll actually get around to building anything. newsroom.co.nz/2026/09/01/n...
National and Labour's fuel tax squabble puts NZ on a road to nowhere fast
Comment: For the better part of a decade, politicians have sold the public the fiction that we can build things without paying for them.
newsroom.co.nz
if infrastructure is what connects people, holds them together, serves, supports, and endures, then Dolly Parton was infrastructure.
No cheating. Share the last picture of the sky from your camera roll
Philippa of Māwhera@misspedagogue.bsky.social · last mo.No cheating. Share the last picture of the sky from your camera roll
Finland tried to end homelessness. What can we learn from its runaway success – and recent failures? www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Finland tried to end homelessness. What can we learn from its runaway success – and recent failures?
The Housing First policy led to the number of homeless people in Finland dropping by half. Those with firsthand experience explain why it worked
theguardian.com
There are very rich New Zealanders paying to ensure the majority of us have no healthcare, insecure housing, unsafe workplaces, lower wages and more racism. This is the world they want for us. #nzpol
Newsroom NZ@newsroom.co.nz · last mo.National reported more than $600,000 in large donations on Friday, taking the party ahead of Act in receiving such contributions.
This is wonderful - if you need cheering up then this is a real tonic. ordinaryabundance.com
Ordinary Abundance
A walk through a modern apartment, through the eyes of the people for whom everything in it was new.
ordinaryabundance.com
The ghouls don't understand that the Govt deficit is a balancing figure not a choice. If Govt want to run a surplus then they need to slow the import of fossil fuels, bring ownership of bank equity onshore, tax luxury cars etc. We can't sell enough ecocidal products to 'balance the books'. [Ends]
Dunedin-adjacent cyclists, do you know anyone who needs a sturdy cycle travel bag, cheap. This one is being auctioned for OneCoast in Waikouaiti, closing Sunday evening. Current bid $20 at the time this was posted. www.facebook.com/share/p/1Crn...
facebook.com
“The Electoral Commission has told staff to turn away voters who aren’t on the printed roll and who say they’re unenrolled, but has no plans to count how many people will be affected.” So nice to see democracy in action, nothing to worry about here, love NZ’s accessible and clear election process.
Newsroom NZ@newsroom.co.nz · 2mo agoThe Opposition says people who think they're not enrolled should lodge special votes rather than being turned away from voting entirely.
Further to my last post I have just joined this. Fingers crossed it gets going quickly. www.ourfoodnetwork.org.nz/news/be-a-lo...
Be a Local Food Hero - Join the Otepoti Local Food Pilot — Our Food Network
Be part of something huge! Join the Otepoti Local Food Pilot and know that you are helping improve food resilience while getting the best quality, local, fresh food possible. Links to the boxes are h...
ourfoodnetwork.org.nz
Your worst fears about cultural collapse might be true – here’s what you can do about it www.theguardian.com/wellness/202...
Your worst fears about cultural collapse might be true – here’s what you can do about it
Writer Sarah Wilson argues we’re hurtling toward the same end as ancient Rome and the Mayan civilisation – but there’s plenty to fight for
theguardian.com
I just want to say thar care workers are the absolute best. The way they look after themselves, each other and their clients, they deserve to be in the top wage bracket and completely refunded travel costs.
#nzpol Importantly, was fun😁. And appreciate the opportunity🙏.
Trust Democracy@trustdemocracy.nz · 2mo agoWe were delighted to have @ganeshahirao.bsky.social give such an engaging talk to our AGM. Watch the recording of his talk, or read the transcript & slides. A convincing explanation of why economics is inseparable from politics, power and our values. #democracy trustdemocracy.nz/2026/07/trip...
All of National's policies for this election are: 1. Things that should have been done already 2. Things they're just saying to win votes 3. Things that would never fly with ACT/NZ First 4. Any combination of the above #nzpol
National promises to extend paid parental leave from 26 weeks to 30, if re-elected
National has pledged to extend paid parental leave from 26 weeks to 30, if re-elected.
rnz.co.nz