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shakingstick.bsky.social
Alex
@shakingstick.bsky.social
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shakingstick.bsky.social
Has a journo asked the PM if his local government minister here is describing the strict 'one person, one vote' model of democracy that the PM was so passionate about when discussing Māori wards etc when on the campaign trail just 2 short years ago?
Watts said a "fair and balanced voting system" would ensure both regional and urban interests were represented in decisions about land and water.
November 25, 2025 at 9:20 AM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Beers
Recirculating an imperial stout, pouring wort back over the mash
November 14, 2025 at 11:47 PM
shakingstick.bsky.social
It's not that there was any collusion, you understand, it's just that at the most senior levels of the force everyone independently did what they understood needed to be done
The report did not find that the senior officers colluded in the way in which they responded to the complaints, but it did conclude that there was serious misconduct by a "significant number of very senior officers" and other senior police employees that had "undermined the integrity of the organisation as a whole". "Those findings were made in respect of, among others, the then Commissioner, a Deputy Commissioner, two Assistant Commissioners, and a Detective Superintendent." The IPCA said police failed to act on the allegations the woman made, and instead focused only on her actions. There should have been parallel, but connected investigations. This did not occur until well after she had been charged. "In essence, police officers and employees dealing with the matters displayed an inability to balance a proper concern for Mr McSkimming and his family in relation to the harassing emails, with the need to consider that the emails contained complaints of potential misconduct by Mr McSkimming that needed to be investigated."
November 11, 2025 at 5:01 AM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Sounds like several heads need to roll, is what I'm saying
It wasn't until October 2024, that the police notified the IPCA. It was then, the authority said that senior officers made attempts to influence its investigation. "Those attempts were perceived by some others within police as an attempt to bring the investigation to a rapid and premature conclusion so as not to intersect with the Commissioner appointment process and jeopardise McSkimming's prospects of being appointed as the next Commissioner of Police." McSkimming was placed on "special leave" as the IPCA began its investigation in November. The following month, police began a criminal investigation into that allegation. McSkimming was formally suspended on 23 December. It was during that investigation that police found the objectionable material on his work devices and a second criminal investigation
November 11, 2025 at 4:53 AM
shakingstick.bsky.social
I do enjoy Cricinfo commentary banter
November 9, 2025 at 2:54 AM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Per spinoff
Marcroft’s latest cause Given that MPs can have only one bill on the ballot at any time, Marcroft’s fireworks bill seems set to replace her existing members bill, the Definitions of Woman and Man Bill – which itself replaced her earlier bill requiring binding referendums on local fluoride decisions. When put forward in April, Marcroft’s gender-definition bill also replaced the short-lived Fair Access to Bathrooms bill, with Peters explaining Marcroft’s bill was a more “comprehensive” approach. At the time, Labour leader Chris Hipkins accused Peters of pursuing “any populist cause” to keep his party in the news and above the 5% threshold at the next election.
November 4, 2025 at 7:26 PM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Gave up on being on my bullshit about how maintaining a wall between editorial and newsdesk is important if major mastheads want their news desks to be trusted, but I'll take it for one last ride by leaving this here:
It’s a National leader’s job to kill CGTs, is Christopher Luxon up to it? – Thomas Coughlan Thomas Coughlan Opinion by Thomas Coughlan Political Editor·NZ Herald· 1 Nov, 2025 05:00 AM 10 mins to read Thomas Coughlan, Political Editor at the New Zealand Herald, loves applying a political lens to people's stories and explaining the way things like transport and finance touch our lives.
October 31, 2025 at 8:26 PM
shakingstick.bsky.social
He DID
Playing in his favour was the relatively fleeting and informal nature of the conversation, which took place ahead of a wider dinner with Apec leaders. The pair spoke for 10 to 12 minutes, at least a quarter of which focused on the best golf courses in New Zealand and Lydia Ko’s success (the Prime Minister’s office provided footage of the start and end of the meeting, to which the US did not allow media access). But Luxon’s efforts earlier in the week to downplay the significance of any meeting (or lack thereof) made its occurrence seem even more valuable, although that may have been a strategic move; certainly, he seemed suspiciously well briefed on the merits of Tara Iti given the state of his swing, telling Trump “my former Prime Minister and good mate” Sir John Key could take him out for a round.
October 29, 2025 at 8:28 PM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Another example from, err, right now.

Chris you did do that, and it won you the election.
Speaking at his post-Cabinet press conference, Luxon claimed Labour’s policy document was primarily “pictures, buzz words and jargon” and was critical of a lack of detail. “If we had done that, we would have been crucified.”
October 20, 2025 at 3:31 AM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Huge effort on debut from protester Peter Linnell. No notes.
The Kaipara District Council will make a second attempt at convening an emergency meeting on Friday morning after Thursday's bid to lodge an election complaint was interrupted by a member of the public. Mayor Craig Jepson adjourned the meeting after just 25 minutes when an man in a World War II aviator cap approached the council table and refused to sit down. The 76-year-old said it was the first time he had been involved in a protest.
October 16, 2025 at 6:41 PM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Now playing. Another absolute banger
Handsome Boy Modeling School album 'So... how's your girl?'
October 10, 2025 at 7:19 AM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Sure she's gone down rabbit holes but this album still slaps
Photo of CD cover of M.I.A album KALA
October 10, 2025 at 6:38 AM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Heh.
Willis told Morning Report the phrase often cropped up in politics and dated back to the time of William Shakespeare, who referred to calling off the hounds in his play Julius Caesar. The actual quote from Julius Caesar is: "Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war."
October 7, 2025 at 11:04 PM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Saved by the paywall...
The lede paragraph of an Audrey Young bit in the Herald which slams into the paywall as a moment of sweet relief from what appears to be coming... Leaders aren’t necessarily the best people to talk about their own leadership styles, but in Christopher Luxon’s case, he is an expert. He is not only the leader of the country, but he has studied leadership his whole life - particularly of politicians and sports teams.... Unlock this article by subscribing to Herald Premium
September 30, 2025 at 8:13 PM
shakingstick.bsky.social
I encourage you to read the article. There be gems.
Garretson wrote that a relative, whom she later identified as her mother-in-law, ordered the Mint Majesty tea with two honeys — an order known to be Kirk’s favorite drink — from the Starbucks. When the order was completed, the cup had “Loser” written on it, Garretson said.
September 19, 2025 at 10:49 PM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Ok 3 things.

1. Lol
2. Of course.
3. The corollary of the battle being fierce when the stakes are low appears to be that when the stakes are higher the battle becomes more fucking pathetic

blockclubchicago.org/2025/09/19/v...
NORWOOD PARK — A viral social media video this week claimed that employees at a Norwood Park Starbucks wrote “Loser” on a drink ordered in honor of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. An online furor followed, and the coffee shop even closed temporarily. But Starbucks now says that time-stamped footage from the store at 6332 N. Northwest Highway does not show any of its workers writing that message. Instead, the note appears “to have been added after the beverage was handed off, likely by someone else,” a spokesperson told Block Club. The controversy started with a post Tuesday from Jacqueline Garretson, who, according to her X bio, is the Illinois state director for The Conservative Caucus and previously worked as a staffer for failed Republican attorney
September 19, 2025 at 10:44 PM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Never not seeing Guilhem appreciation posts and not posting some pics of when I saw him play at wellyfest a few years back. Incredible shit
Guilham playing a hurdy gurdy in a jimmy page rock god pose because he is a rock god Guilham playing his hurdy gurdy looking contemplative and focussed because hurdy gurdy makes God music Guilham playing his hurdy gurdy and looking like it is escaping from his control because hurdy gurdy is not some tame beast
September 11, 2025 at 9:13 PM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Col Trotter has found his spiritual home at last, in NZFirst thespinoff.co.nz/politics/08-...
Chris Trotter was off his rocker A wistful Chris Trotter, union-man-turned-free-speech-man, gave a rousing but outré mid-morning speech, which managed to hit all the populist talking points within 30 minutes. He warned of threats to free speech – as seen in the recent arrest of Graham Linehan, punished “for the crime of upsetting people online” (the court was told Linehan had “relentlessly” posted abusive comments about a teenage transgender campaigner) – as well as a “conspiracy of magicians who can transform into men and women with a puff of a pronouns”, and the benefits of Trumpism and New Zealand First, which maybe aren’t so different: they both value nostalgic times, and they’re both “daggers in the heart” of neoliberalism.
September 7, 2025 at 10:56 PM
shakingstick.bsky.social
'ere we go, 'ere we go, 'ere we go.

Lessgo sources, lessgo

Etc

www.thepress.co.nz/politics/360...
Williams rejects suggestions the Taxpayers’ Union is trying to influence National’s leadership balance. He argues the group is simply holding Willis to her own 2023 campaign promises to restore fiscal discipline. “She is the Minister of Finance. She is in charge now,” he said. “There has been no discussion internally to make it personal.” But sources have told The Post otherwise. They say the sustained targeting is an effort to shore up Luxon’s troubled leadership by weakening what the group regards as the Government’s softest link: Willis and her grip on the economy.
September 5, 2025 at 3:19 AM
shakingstick.bsky.social
That's an opposite way of looking at it I suppose. The $8.5B highlights the savings you absolutely haven't found.
What it highlights is ongoing work around continued savings that we will generate to redeploy back into the spending.
September 5, 2025 at 12:13 AM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Screams like that guy in that damn french painting called 'scream'
Screen shot of radio NZ news item which links to an interview with our lackwit PM. Blurb reads "PM Luxon on falling house prices Morning Report Economy / Housing 7:49am today House prices remain stuck despite lower interest rates giving first-home buyers a win, while leaving property owners gnashing their teeth. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon spoke to Corin Dann.
August 24, 2025 at 8:57 PM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Ok. First things first. That's not how shields work
Photo of the cover page of the latest security threat environment report from the NZ Security Intelligence Service which has a picture of a kiwi (bird) stepping through the outline of a shield
August 20, 2025 at 10:39 PM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Enter stage left: A large goose
In a statement read to the court by the soldier's lawyer Steve Winter, the soldier admitted he was involved in nationalist groups Action Zelandia and the Dominion Movement. "Both of these groups are no more than groups of friends with similar points of view to my own" the soldier said.
August 18, 2025 at 9:49 PM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Remember when he went on the radio to talk shit about he doesn't really sleep like normal people because jet lag is for the weak and he's just built different?
Lmfao
don't often stay asleep for long. I can get two hours, then I might get up and do some reading for an hour, and then I might go back to sleep for another hour or so. "In my past life, I did a lot of global travel, and I always had a view, which was when I was back at home, the jet lag was my problem, not the family's problem, and so I've sort of just learned to survive as I need to with as little sleep as I get."
August 18, 2025 at 7:15 AM
shakingstick.bsky.social
Well.
Three and a half years later, he is inside the Beehive, employed as a ministerial press secretary and adviser in the office of NZ First leader and foreign affairs minister Winston Peters. Telegram posts and videos reviewed by the Sunday Star-Times reveal a long record of Knegtmans promoting conspiracy theories, vaccine misinformation, and far-right talking points – and he has continued to post similar material while working in government. It includes far-right conspiracy content, including a video of Dutch activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek promoting the “Great Replacement” theory – a conspiracy claiming Western populations are being deliberately replaced by non-white immigrants.
August 16, 2025 at 10:35 PM