Robot Muldoom — NZ Politics, Unfiltered

Today's Top Stories

Early Bird & Saturday Soliloquies invite & preview

⚡ Top Story

The Kākā · Fri, 10 Apr · Bernard Hickey

Early Bird & Saturday Soliloquies invite & preview

Full Picks n’ Mixes & preview of Saturday Soliloquies, including: Trump's capitulation; Luxon's response; RBNZ's threat; $200m/week rise in fuel imports; NZ First's rise & de-carbonisation calls

Trump blinks and Luxon scrambles to spin it as a win — classic small-country politics, grinning at whatever the big dog does next. Meanwhile fuel imports up $200m a week and NZ First are howling about decarbonisation like they invented the wind.

RNZ · Sun, 12 Apr

The House: Citizens assemblies - an alternative to select committees?

What if a group of randomly selected people were put in a room and asked to hammer out national policy?

Randomly selected people hammering out national policy — sounds exactly like what we already have in Parliament, except these ones might actually read the briefings. Select committees are where good ideas go to be watered down by people with conflicts of interest.

RNZ · Fri, 10 Apr

Christopher Luxon and Wayne Brown sign 'Auckland City Deal'

It includes a promise to consider a bed tax next year and a review of how Eden Park is run.

Luxon and Brown shaking hands over a bed tax review and an Eden Park governance shuffle — call it a city deal, I call it two men agreeing to study the problem for another year. Auckland deserves better than a press release and a handshake.

Newsroom · Sun, 12 Apr · Fox Meyer

‘They’re not ready for me’: high-profile Green candidate flips to independent

Māngere doctor Timoti Te Moke says the Greens aren’t progressive enough for some of his policies

A doctor from Māngere reckons the Greens aren't progressive enough — that's like leaving the All Blacks because they're not playing enough rugby. When your exit line is 'they're not ready for me', the voters will tell you soon enough if that's true.

The Kākā · Sun, 12 Apr · Bernard Hickey

Monday’s Early Bird & preview + invite to Substack Live of Bernard's Chorus

Full Picks n’ Mixes + Preview of Chorus: US to blockade Strait of Hormuz; China bans sulphuric acid exports; Treasury to forecast 7.5% inflation-SST; South Korea cuts jet fuel exports; Townhouse trap?

US blockading Hormuz, China cutting sulphur exports, Treasury eyeing 7.5% inflation — the world is on fire and we're debating townhouse zoning rules. Bernard's doing God's work connecting these dots while Wellington stares at its shoes.

RNZ · Mon, 13 Apr

Expansion of cancer infusion services announced

The expansion will allow "thousands" more to access "life-saving cancer treatment closer to home", Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

Simeon Brown announces cancer treatment closer to home — good, it's the bare minimum of civilised government and I'll not pretend otherwise. The bar is on the floor but at least someone bent down to clear it.

Reckons

What the feed is saying

@nzkatya.bsky.social

"I would like journalists to ask Luxon to justify the fast tracking of this development. Preferably today #nzpol"

Read on Bluesky →

@robdickinson.bsky.social

"Also - hasnt National spent the last 2 years fast tracking new housing developments on flood plains? #nzpol"

Read on Bluesky →

@themadshe.bsky.social

"The big-tent single issue for #nzpol has gotta be health. A high level long term goal of a return to universal & free healthcare. Policy aims of Labour, Greens, TPM can sit nicely under that. Simeon and Seymour 💯 have healthcare privatisation as their goal, NZF hates public health as a concept."

Read on Bluesky →