Is there a gay MP in the coalition government? We need to find our Tama Potaka.
I gave Tory a lot of leeway, and ultimately I'd rather finish my book. That's why I'm pissed off: I'm attempting to write that, and all they're talking about is how great my script could have been.
Fun factoid from Gerry today: the explicit ban on reading speeches was lifted in 1995. It's still an unofficial rule.
Chlöe wrote a letter to the speaker proposing an urgent debate on Lebanon. Brownlee wasn't interested, saying it didn't fall under anyone's ministerial responsibility.
1. Cameron to Hoggard MC 5, AH 5
Biosecurity question. Hoggard looking at it from a farm-first POV. He did some scaremongering, saying that an outbreak of foot and mouth disease might cause GDP to fall by 11%.
'The Government system will continue to invest in a robust biosecurity system.' - Hoggard.
2. Julie-Anne to Doocey JAG 6, MD 4
Speed limits. 'on behalf of' Slimeon.
Reversing speed limit reductions: why are they ignoring advice? Another long question. Brownlee wasn't impressed.
'We are only reverting the speed limit rules back to 2019' - Doocey.
International evidence says increasing speed limits increases risk. Doocey agreed, but said that Waka Kotahi hadn't been able to truly quantify that risk.
3. Sepuloni to Peters CS 6, WP 3
'On behalf of' the PM.
'We inherited a horrible [or was it terrible] economy ... tossing around money like an eight-armed octopus' - Winston.
An old favourite: anti-migrant rhetoric from Winston.
'He alternates between condescending and patronising' - Gary. The security guards told him to be quiet four times today .. maybe the Nats are able to hear him.
'The economy will be turned around' - Winston.
4. Takutai Tarsh Kemp to Goldsmith ('Goldie?') TK 7, PG 4
'We want to return the victims of crime to the heart of the justice process' - Goldie.
Good question about why the police aren't allowed to search houses for Swastikas, but are allowed to search houses for gang insignia. 'Why are hate symbols not included?' - Takutai.
1 in 400 NZ adults is a gang member.
Another good question: Why are there no white supremacist gangs listed on the gangs list? Goldie didn't have an answer for that.
Is banning patches from marae and tangihanga a breach of the Treaty? Another good question.
What role does the Treaty play in the justice system? More of that 'all New Zealanders' crap. Māori rights erasure is definitely a focus of this government, no matter what the Omelette says.
5. Bates to Willis CB 5, NW 5
Patsy question. GDP for the June quarter: fell by 0.2%.
'Rising interest rates began to bite on economic growth' - Nicola, referencing the situation in late 2022.
Blamed the previous government.
'We are on the right track ... interest rates are still relatively high' - Nicola.
6. Edmonds to Willis BE 5, NW 4
Economic growth. 'The economy has been suffering through a prolonged cost of living crisis' - Nicola
'bring fiscal discipline back' - That's a cartoon!
'she cannot have it both ways ... will the real finance spokesperson for the opposition please stand up?'
'This is a government on the side of growth' - Nicola
7. Hamish Campbell to Goldie HC 5, PG 6
Pushing gangs and sentencing bill through a third reading today.
Goldie did well with his patsy question.
8. Ricardo to Upston RM 8, LU 4
Winston made a stupid point of order about the use of both Te Reo and English in a question. Nobody cared.
More about the decision not to give disabled employees minimum wage. As an unemployable type, this one riles me up.
'We have to discriminate to be kind' - Gary, mocking Upston.
She said they might be worse off on minimum wage because then they'd have their benefits cut... wtf is that?
'table the advice' - Willow Jean.
Exploitation is still exploitation. That's my view.
9. Ginny to Costello GA 6, CC 3
Ginny's reo is very good. I've seen that at speeches before. A proposal to lift police oversight on gun ranges, and shift to self-monitoring in order to remove a 'duplication of reporting' - Costello
Gary reckoned there's growing friction between Act and National.
10. Kirkpatrick to Upston DK 5, LU 5
Soft patsy question on women's rights to celebrate the 131st anniversary of women's suffrage.
Ministry of Women is working with Netsafe to protect females in all areas of life, including women leaders. This, of course, is coming from the increased vitriol that their dog whistles are producing.
Cushla from Labour had a supplementary in Te Reo Māori. 'What is she doing for Māori women?' 'for all women...'
'We are a party that is backing New Zealand women to succeed.' - Upston.
11. Parker to Peters DP 6, WP 4
Why won't New Zealand recognise Palestine's statehood? Winston didn't really answer that.
Hand cramp! I seldom get a cramp when writing, but today I did.
I think Act is pro-Israel: listen to Simon Court's supplementary.
12. Nimon to Doocey KN 5, MD 5
School-based mental health support in Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti. Now, this sounds good, but what he was really talking about was a 'range' of professionals being empowered in the mental health space, such as mental health nurses or other non-psychiatric personnel.
I'll say this about Gumboot Friday: at least Mike King is taking the shortage of counselors and psychiatrists seriously. He's advancing their kaupapa that they prefer to practice privately because MoH sucks balls, and that Gumboot Friday would allow them to maintain that independence. It's a vehicle for funding delivery, just like any program that the MoH funds. I mean, he fought Jacinda on this issue, so it's a big deal that he found support, as it discredits the DHB's (which are called something new now ... forget what that is).
My uncle, John Crawshaw, is literally the director of Mental Health - a Key appointee that's hung on for ages - this is a passion of mine politically.
'The government is committed to sustainable funding for this programme' - Doocey. That's good news.
Hiring freezes in the sector are being reported, but Doocey dismissed these as fabrications by 'Ingrid Leary's comms [team]'
She asked him to apologise. Brownlee is considering the matter, but initially ruled that it wasn't a direct attack. -
Then we left, as they began bashing gangs with an urgent third reading....
Ok, so, for the guards: Gary's philosophy is essentially that he's there as an activist and therefore he's often attempting to very slightly disrupt proceedings. Like back in the day when we'd switch sides. The real reason they brought it up is that Gary's flaunting several rules now. He's wearing a Toitū Te Tiriti shirt under his suit, and I think they've noticed. There aren't supposed to be any activist logos in the Public Galleries. Gary's in a confrontational mood at the moment. He's definitely pissed off after his holiday, and with the financial problems that he's having atm ... the bookstore that his brothers own is closing.