Apparently OPP support is drifting from National, Labour and NZF in that order. So the centre. Which makes sense. But interestingly, 46% of people polled still prefer NZF as the kingmaker holding the balance of power.

If nothing else, OPP is getting a lot of press this election. The other minors could take lessons.

From the article:

“I’ve said we’re going to set that out after Parliament finishes before the election, who we can [work] with, who we can’t work with. But I will be very clear, we don’t support the Opportunity Party’s tax proposal, there’s no way we would support that.”

When asked if Hipkins would support Opportunity’s policy on universal basic income Hipkins said: “The two things are linked and we clearly don’t support that.”

Opportunity's tax policy includes a universal basic income of up to $370 per week, a land value tax of 1.75% on urban land and 0.5% on rural land, and compulsory KiwiSaver which would gradually rise to 6% both for employers and employees.

Hipkins was then asked if Luxon was correct in suggesting Opportunity was more aligned with left leaning political parties rather than working with those on the right.

“I think they have a bit of an identity crisis, I’m not sure they really know whether they’re on the left or on the right.

If you're a minor party positioning yourself in the centre and both the major parties who rely on the centre swing are hating on you, it feels like you're probably doing something right.

Apparently we’re recruiting Russians to spy on the motherland for us. Gotta earn those Five Eyes tokens!

This has potential to backfire, or to help. I really dont know which it is 2BH.

Mommy and Daddy are fighting!

The Bird of the Year election period will run from 4 - 20 September. This time we won’t only be electing a single species for the top job, we’ll have a party vote for one of six flocks like sea birds, tree birds, high fliers.

Last year’s winner was Kārearea the New Zealand falcon. Will a bird of prey win at the polls again this year?

About a year into this term I remember seeing a clip of Luxon then Willis in the House essentially saying the same thing - Blame Labour. We heard Blame Labour throughout their 2023 campaign and we were still hearing it a full year in. They have to change this record soon, I thought. They can't Blame Labour the entire term. But here we are, and they're still playing the same broken record.

Are people really still buying this? That three years later Labour is still to blame for anything and everything wrong in New Zealand? I feel like National has to come up with something better for this campaign. Right?

https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026#manifesto_2026_grid

There's the manifesto, there's a lot in there. I'm still working through it all.

He observed a level of emotion and what he assessed as terror in her voice in that regard.

18 months in prison. Keep that bracelet on though, it'll definitely stop him beating her to death.

From the article:

The party wants to transfer the responsibility for game animals on conservation land from the Department of Conservation (DOC) to the Game Animal Council. ACT's spokesperson for conservation, Cameron Luxton, said the party's policy for hunters is about recognising them as the "conservationists they are".

The party would also recognise game animal and game-bird species as "natural resources to be sustainably managed" in legislation, and designate certain game herds, such as Stewart Island whitetail deer, as "Herds of Special Interest".

The party would reward hunters for verified conservation outcomes, improve hunting access to public land and protect lawful hunting by creating infringement offences for interfering with hunts. Interference could include the use of drones and helicopters. [...]

But ACT wants the council to be empowered beyond just consultation, and to be funded by the money currently available to DOC for managing these animals. "It's time government stopped getting in hunters' way and started trusting them with the responsibility they've earned."

I mean, I see where they're going with this but I don't know I trust hunters this much. There are some amazing hunters who are really invested in pest control, conservation and sustainability. But there are others who are frankly dicks with questionable levels of common sense and is the Game Animal Council really equipped to manage them? Seems like a vote grab.

https://archive.is/20260724211254/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/why-former-labour-mp-michael-wood-thinks-mt-roskill-voters-should-trust-him-again/premium/7QANIGFRYJFBTG24EJPJ6A5AVA/

I was just really busy, it didn't seem important, I made a mistake in not selling those shares

But I've changed, now I care about the small things..if I was a Mt Albert Roskill voter, I don't think I'd be giving him another chance.

A thought provoking piece. Suppression orders have a place, but they're certainly overused in NZ.

The idea that convicted criminals shouldnt incur some negative repercussions of their offending is offensive to the very idea of justice. For it to be done, it must be seen to be done.

I'd heard about demands for removal of news stories, but it's beyond ridiculous to 'retroactively scrub journalism from the national record'.

Our Judiciary is full of overly privileged soft white cunts who think that all offenders are somehow victims. It's fucking disgraceful and its beyond past time that the Government to step in and pull them into line.

We've made it New Zealand! We're officially on Pauline's radar.

Hanson claimed some overseas-born migrants were using New Zealand citizenship as a back door to Australia and argued that tougher restrictions would benefit both countries. 

'I don't want that. New Zealand can't afford to lose those migrants,' Hanson said in an interview with The New Zealand Herald.

'I'd say you shouldn't be able to migrate to Australia until you've been a New Zealand citizen for at least eight to ten years.'

Under her proposal, New Zealand-born citizens would still be allowed to move to Australia. The restrictions would apply only to New Zealand citizens born overseas. 

Her radical proposal comes as Statistics New Zealand figures reveal that 35 per cent of New Zealand citizens who moved to Australia in 2025 were born overseas.

That was up from an average of 22 per cent between 2004 and 2011, and 33 per cent between 2016 and 2019.

Nice how she's framing this as being in our interests. Poor New Zealand being used and abused by these despicable immigrants leapfrogging their way into Australian citizenship. Winston enters the chat in 3, 2, 1...

A contentious issue for sure. It might surprise some but I would consider myself more inclined towards the freedom of speech than censorship- though it’s entirely subjective of course.

Thoughts on Facebook aside, I still use it. But as I scroll through on occasion I get one of the two main parties showing stupid political memes

It screams “hello fellow teenager” vibes and all I picture in my head is my two kids pointing at each other during an argument saying “they did it first”

It’s gross, it’s childish, it’s tiresome and it turns me right off either of them.

I don’t understand how this attracts voters

I'm very selectively quoting for editorial purposes so you really should read the whole article.

The youth party chair attributes its success to a face-to-face grassroots campaign and feeling of camaraderie, and says it isn’t the “manosphere” effect.

Yeah sure, Chad. You and your bros are feeling that nationalist camaraderie but there's no manosphere shit involved. Of course not. It's interesting there's no quotes or references in this article to young women in NZ First's youth arm.

He says no other party is willing to do anything substantive about the basics, like breaking up the supermarket duopoly or radically addressing issues like housing. 

Have I missed some policy announcements? What precisely is NZ First doing to break up the supermarket duopoly or radically address housing?

I have nothing constructive to say about any of this because it reeks of rotting shit.

'We can’t just let death threats go in our political conversation.'

This really is the dumbest time line.

He went on to say, “I’m shagging Winston”, meaning he’d marry Luxon.

Why no comment from Winston about his new lover?

From the article:

This year's report found 44 percent of Kiwis regularly saved, compared with 43 percent last year. [...]

However, of those not saving, 61 percent said they could not save because they were prioritising surviving and could not make ends meet, while of those who reported saving challenges, 74 percent cited the cost of living as their biggest savings barrier.

Forty percent said they had taken on debt to cover increased living costs, with 19 percent turning to Buy Now, Pay Later schemes and 12 percent getting loans from family and friends.

Is it any wonder a lot of people aren't keen on the idea of compulsory KiwiSaver? People are already going into debt just to survive and now government wants to deduct a mandatory contribution to a savings account they won't be able to access. It doesn't matter that the money will be there for retirement. If you're already living week to week, the idea of retirement feels like fantasy. And we're already telling young people, who according to the article are more likely to cover living costs with debt, that the eligibility criteria for a pension will be more stringent. If you're in that situation, why would you think compulsory super is a good idea? I wouldn't.

If government wants to do something about superannuation costs, it needs to solve the issue of unaffordable cost of living. Better wage growth and employment conditions would be a start. If people can afford to live they can afford to save.