That takes balls, doesn’t it?
For those of you tuning in from outside NZ, check these out:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/586975/winds-gust-to-240km-h-on-lower-north-island-s-east-coast
BTW it’s summer here.
God damn that’s brazen…
Man this coalition has been incredible - what a wild ride this govt has been!
But for a beautiful time, we created so much shareholder value.
Fuck this government
In the last few days we have been right in the middle of this last weather bomb.
- Some 250mm of rain fell between 8- 12 hours
- The guy that died had a grandbane at our kids school, and died only a few KM from where we live
- The two bridges that have been all over social media, one is just along the road from us, and the other is probably less that 10 KM from here
- We have lost our water plant to flood damage - I’ve just plumbed the house to the rainwater that had been only used for the gardens until now
- Our neighbor has lost almost all his market gardens, they were right below the first bridge mentioned above
- There are photos of paddocks covered in minced up eels - there was that much stone and wood moving down the rivers
Agreed, I know it sucks. But it is election year; encourage everyone you know to vote these idiots out.
I’m voting Opportunity!
But honestly keeping Act and NZF to a minimum should be everyone’s goal who can think beyond the end of their own nose. Ideally no seats, but they have too much support for that.
Am I wrong that the Opportunity platform just sounds like neoliberalism?
Quite wrong.
Take a look at the FAQ; specifically the tax section:
- Citizens Income - close to a UBI but with a few caveats
- Land Value Tax - biggest change to the tax system in generations; shifting the burden closer to capital and away from labor.
Not my platform I guess:
- It positions nature as subservient to commerce
- It mentions monopolies as a problem, but then offers no solutions to it
It mentions monopolies as a problem, but then offers no solutions to it
The site has specific solutions…
It’s time to rein in the monopoly sectors that aren’t competing to bring prices down - like our supermarkets, banks, building materials and power companies. It’s not right that these businesses make record profits while ordinary Kiwis cut household budgets and our economy stalls. To save the average Kiwi household more than $40 a week (projected) and boost competition and growth in the wider economy, Opportunity will:
- Bring power prices down by reforming the electricity sector.
- Bring other prices down by breaking up or regulating the cozy mock-competition among the big banks, building material suppliers and supermarkets.
- Strengthen the Commerce Act and boost funding to the Commerce Commission.
Detailed policy is coming, they are looking at this issue. Both major parties have taken a pass on this; what more are you looking for?
I mean, the party is fine I guess. I just want something further left than center.
How far?
Major tax reform; monopoly breaking and strengthening regulation.
What are they missing?
It positions nature as subservient to commerce
The FAQ specifically calls out old exploitative business models; the leader comes from a background in sustainable business leadership.
One reason I like Opportunity is because they focus on a sustainable economic model, working within the natural boundaries and moving NZ forward into a stable future where we don’t have to destroy the awesome natural environment, I and most kiwis enjoy and want to see protected.
From the site:
We depend on nature, but we’re stuck in old economic models that ignore the health of the land and ocean we call home. In the next economy, nature and business aren’t separate, but one and the same. We believe that people can wear suits AND fight hard for the natural world at the same time. To build the next economy where purpose-led, low-emissions businesses grow wealth by restoring nature, Opportunity will:
- Invest in new, nature-positive sectors like continuous cover native forestry and a nature market, where actions to improve biodiversity are rewarded.
- Support landowners to transition to high-value, low impact land uses through spatial planning and innovative technology.
- Listen to business and community leaders pathfinding nature-positive business frameworks, like Rewiring Aotearoa.
- Design a circular plastics economy aligned to the objectives of the New Plastics Economy Roadmap developed by the New Zealand plastics industry.
Given past evidence, voting Opportunity is like voting Greens, but without getting anyone into Parliament. Also, in 2023 their leader Raf Manji tried to get an Epsom style deal from CLuxon on the condition Opportunity would join the current coalition. Is this really your best bet for voting out the CoC?
Yep, the strategy last time didn’t work.
This time they are going for 5% and moving in the correct direction. Evidence based policy as a core principal is my personal goal.
Every other party gets by on what the feel their voters want.
Voting for the Greens in 96 was the same as TOP in 23; 26 is the year that they get in and start making a difference.
Also the ability to work with both sides is a key driver; we had a very FPTP style election in 23, you just chose your flavour of left/right. We need to have a real cross bench party that can move us forward no matter who is in power.
You’d think that’d be cause for pause on ecocidal policies?
They can choose to change how they do things (impossible) or accelerate and increase surveillance, oppression and control. USA is providing an example for other right wingers to follow and I don’t see why NZ would be immune.
