But he has the charisma of a wet tea towel, so there’s that. #nzpol

As ever, thank you for your service, Musical Chairs. Any chance you’d be interested in the esteemed role of Leader of the Opposition? Or shadow Finance Minister? Hell, even Press Sec would be a win for us.

Shear-ing - very punny. 😂 Yeah, that brotherly connection was a reason it was such a favourite of CH's to sing live. Australasian musical talent abounds!

Crowded House with Jules Shear Throw Your Arms Around Me YouTube video by Philip Roberts

Beautiful. Such an amazing song. But this Crowded House performance from MTV Unplugged is still my favourite version ever: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tY9...

Keep wondering how many more of us would be dead now, had they been in charge through Covid.

$3.70 Easter petrol price warning; Don’t think it’s Covid 2.0 and sourdough over again, Luxon says Follow live developments on the crisis in the Middle East.

"At this point, it's business as usual," he told RNZ on Monday morning. "Please don't think, 'It's Covid 2.0, I'm making sourdough at home again'.” Thanks Mr. CE... uhhh, Prime Minister... that's a very reassuring message for Kiwis and not at all patronising. #nzpol

www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/3...

They backed themselves into a corner by hammering away at the narrative that the Covid response was a disaster for being too interventionist and expensive, despite it saving lives and incomes. Now they have to toe the Tory line by being miserly and "hands-off", otherwise they look like hypocrites.

Also applies to #nzpol

Quelle surprise

Jayzussss... it hurt my brain and soul watching that. I look forward to understanding the scenarios and levels and how National's package of targeted measures will balance short term gain without the long term pain caused by the cash bazooka used in COVID. Labour Labour Labour blah blah blah. FARK.

Thanks for the reminder - just listened. He’s always so thoughtful and lucid. I was raised on the Finn musical canon so I love that he seems like a good dude.

Exactly. The rewriting of history and collective amnesia - even from those who supported the pandemic response at the time - is absolutely doing my head in. Please someone in Labour quote the data and make a fucking counter-argument in public. GAH.

I'm honestly just a ball of rage and frustration because of these fuckers

We need to be honest about Iran – and how our rampant greed for oil is causing mayhem | George Monbiot Oil has empowered capitalism, and some of the world’s most exploitative regimes. Move away from it and we can solve some of the key issues we face, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

Fossil fuels push the world towards autocracy. Were we less dependent on them, there might have been no President Trump, no President Putin, no ayatollahs, no Netanyahu, no perpetual Middle East wars. Democracy depends on unhooking ourselves.
This week's column.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

May as well put RFK Jr in charge

Ok, that’s quite confronting.

Sickening indeed. What a shitshow.

It all feels very grubby. No one is going to win from this.

It’ll be your last chance and they’ve aged like fine wine 🍷

Me tooooooo!!! Going to both Welly concerts and the Sunday in Auckland. Reckon I was the world’s youngest Enz fanatic in the 80s and have been to all manner of Finn-related gigs over the years. Cannot wait.

Fuck sake, this election cannot come soon enough

If Chippy and Labour aren't all over this tomorrow, I'll just despair. Time to get some fire in those bellies! #nzpol

He’s preaching to the converted there though, isn’t he? I always think Chippy gives considered and articulate interviews. I just wish he and his senior MPs would be more forecful in their opposition, backed up by data that is readily available to them.

Same goes for the sham reporting on the COVID response. Carmel Sepuloni was almost apologetic on the RNZ political panel this morning, then said nothing to Goldsmith’s rants about how much Labour borrowed. National has borrowed more this term and doesn’t have a pandemic response to manage. #nzpol

Great thread. If only our main opposition party was making these points publicly and in media rounds etc. I’m so frustrated by the lack of coherent counter arguments to the constant govt (and media) narrative that the cost of living crisis is Labour’s fault.

JFC

Depressing AF. The biggest surprise to me is TOP (or Opportunity) being down - their new leader's excellent from what I've seen and she's had quite a bit of publicity.

Yeah, that was incredibly frustrating. You're a minister in govt so a) don't drink and drive; b) don't have undeclared conflicts of interest. It really shouldn't have been difficult. They fucked it up for everyone.

Yet their undoing at the last election was the narrative they failed to deliver, having "over-promised" in areas such as child poverty & housing before being side-railed by Covid. Campaigning on transformative policies is great until every media outlet and RW shock-jock pounces when it's difficult.

True. But unfortunately any hope of winning the election depends on capturing that annoying centrist vote, and Hipkins knows TPM is currently anathema to that lot... meanwhile, NZF is likely to once again be kingmaker. It's shit but what's he to do?