How many National MPs does it take to change a lightbulb? FIVE! Wait, no sorry, I didn't mean that. The lightbulb has the full support of caucus. The lights are on if we say they are. #nzpol

The government is quietly repealing Treaty of Waitangi references from 23 pieces of legislation. No public announcement. No press conference. Cabinet signed off in February and said nothing until journalists found out. This is what "quiet" governance looks like. #nzpol

A PM from the corporate sphere
Said "I have my caucus right here"
But the polls said sixteen
The worst ever seen
And his whip couldn't get him to hear
#nzpol

In 2022, police were caught photographing young Māori kids for no lawful purpose. The government's response: a bill that would make it legal. The Privacy Commissioner is pushing back. Submissions close Wednesday. #nzpol

And given it's not just the stormwater system that's in disrepair, Wellingtonians should be careful of entering stormwater-infused wastewater. Seems Wellington is truly up the creek with a corporatised paddle. #nzpol

In February, the Moa Point wastewater plant failed. 70 million litres of raw sewage per day into Cook Strait. The plant hadn't been fully compliant for a single month since August 2023.

How bad is it? 7,034 sewage overflows in five years. Average response time: 91 hours. The target was 1 hour. Parts of the pipe network are 120 years old.

Wellington Water says it needed far more than the $140m a year it was getting. But as Danyl McLauchlan documented, the city collected the rates for infrastructure — then spent the money on other things. The pipes didn't run out of funding. The funding ran out of pipes.

77mm of rain in one hour. Wellington's stormwater infrastructure has been in dire straits for some time. A thread. #nzpol

Last week, its UK rival Shell said it anticipated “significantly higher” oil trading profits for the quarter. Analysts have been upgrading their profit forecasts, with the US bank Citi raising its estimate for BP by 20% to $2.6bn adjusted net income in the January to March quarter - despite flat oil and gas production.

We shovel $10bn per year into the pockets of offshore companies to buy fuel - and that was before prices went nuts. You could easily employ every unemployed young person in NZ for $10bn - and buy thousands of solar panels.

"I have the full support of my caucus," says the man with 16% support of the public. #nzpol

Chris Bishop says the clean car discount just subsidised wealthy Tesla buyers. Nissan Leaf buyers received more rebates than Tesla buyers. Teslas got twice the total money — new vehicles attracted more than used imports. If that's the problem, the answer is means testing. Not scrapping. #nzpol

On Q+A this morning Chris Bishop went from being definitive that he was unaware of discontent within the National caucus, to saying it was unhelpful that people in the caucus were talking to media about rolling Luxon. The reality of his position is he doesn't want the coup to be televised. #nzpol

Allbirds — NZ-founded, sustainable wool shoes — sold its footwear business for $39 million, bought GPUs, and removed "environmental conservation" from its corporate charter. Stock up 600%. They've pulled the wool from their shoes over the eyes of their investors. Carbon neutral exit liquidity. #tech

Chris Bishop was stripped as National's campaign chair last month. Tomorrow he fronts Q+A while his leader faces the most dangerous 100 hours of his tenure. If Jack Tame asks whether Luxon is safe, Bishop has to answer it on live television. Appointment viewing. #nzpol

We could be headed in this direction were National not so minded to slash and burn what was coming along nicely.

The way in which the coalition tore up the clean car discount is analogous to Trump trashing stuff simply because it had Obama's name on it.

3 waters, ferries, hydro.. torn up.

#nzpol

The latest Roy Morgan poll has the governing coalition at 47.5% — behind the Labour-Greens-TPM opposition bloc at 48%. National is at 26.5%, its lowest since taking office. Seven months out, the government that promised to fix everything is polling worse than the government it replaced. #nzpol

Sean Plunket called tikanga Māori "mumbo jumbo." A broadcasting complaint will be heard. Winston Peters called that "bordering on fascist." Then Plunket revealed Luxon had privately told him: "Don't worry mate, we've got your back." The Deputy PM attacking the regulator his PM backed. #nzpol

The mortgage squeeze that tanked the economy cost $120m a week in demand. The fuel spike is costing $200m — all flowing offshore. That's 130,000 jobs worth of spending just gone. (The government's plan is to focus on defining "man" and "woman".) #nzpol

National ran ads claiming 150,000 more children attend school regularly than in 2022. The real number attributable to policy change: about 70,000. When challenged, they blamed David Seymour's press release. The government corrected the figure. The ads ran anyway. #nzpol

Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke was invited to Washington DC for an IMF initiative. She turned it down. Her constituents can't afford to drive to work. She said that's where her priorities are. The youngest MP in Parliament just made the most pointed statement about the fuel crisis. #nzpol

Luxon has dumped Chris Bishop as National's campaign chair. Official reason: "workload." Real reason: Bishop was suspected of counting numbers for a leadership challenge. The new campaign chair is Simeon Brown — Health, Energy, and apparently also the job of not being a threat to Luxon. #nzpol

Christchurch Cathedral has been a ruin for 15 years. $90 million spent. The rebuild costs $220 million. Paused in 2024 with no funding pathway. NZ First’s campaign pledge is $15 million — a third of what’s still needed. Christchurch deserves better than a perennial election prop. #nzpol

New Zealand's National Crisis Management Centre is in the Beehive basement. In a major Wellington earthquake, staff may not be able to reach it — roads cut, bridges gone. What's the plan, Stan? The draft Wellington Region CDEM Group Plan 2026–2031 is out for consultation. Have your say. #nzpol

New Zealand has signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Despite the UN Human Rights Committee saying blanket prisoner voting bans are incompatible with it, the government passed one anyway in December. Loss of liberty is the punishment, not disenfranchisement. #nzpol

The government is cutting the Total Mobility subsidy — transport for disabled people with no other options. Down from 75% to 65%. From July 1, card holders pay 35% out of pocket. One councillor voted no: “This is not efficiency. It is isolation, a missed appointment, and lost independence.” #nzpol

Yet again, the vested interests insert inflation Retailers set to force Govt to reverse ban on card surcharges after lobbying campaign with ACT & NZ First; Another example of vested interests blocking pro-consumer reform that would lower inflation

ACT blocked the removal of card surcharges. Not because it's good policy. Because retailers lobbied them. The free market party picked a side. It wasn't yours. #nzpol thekaka.substack.com/p/yet-again-...

Gov’t is cutting a transport subsidy for disabled people who will pay 35% of every trip out of pocket. The only councillor who voted against it: "This is not efficiency. It is isolation, a missed doctor's appointment, and lost independence." #nzpol www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

New Zealand has signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Despite the UN Human Rights Committee saying b
lanket prisoner voting bans are incompatible with it, the government passed one anyway in December. Loss of liberty is the punishment, not d
isenfranchisement. #nzpol

Parliament passed the second reading of a bill to ban greyhound racing. MPs gave speeches about how much they hated doing it. ACT’s Cameron Luxton: “You deserve better than this, I hope you can forgive our sins.” Shame they weren’t this anguished stripping pay equity from 33,000 women. #nzpol