The Guardian reports:

Two Palestine Action-affiliated prisoners have paused their hunger strikes due to deteriorating health but have vowed to resume the protest next year.

Qesser Zuhrah and Amu Gib have temporarily resumed eating, according to a statement released by Prisoners for Palestine group on Tuesday evening.

The pair were among eight prisoners on hunger strike facing charges related to alleged break-ins or criminal damage on behalf of Palestine Action before the group was banned under terrorism legislation in July, charges they deny and have called to be dropped.

So they are “pausing” their hunger strikes until next year. I wonder how many Big Macs they can eat in the next 10 days?

In theory I have been on a 10 year hunger strike. I just pause it three times a day.

The Government announced:

The Government has today confirmed the establishment of a new Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT), to support the Government’s ambitious reform agenda in housing, transport, urban development and the environment.

The new Ministry will bring together the Ministry for the Environment, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the Ministry of Transport, and local government functions from the Department of Internal Affairs into one coherent new agency.

“The new agency will be at the heart of tackling some of New Zealand’s greatest economic and environmental challenges – from housing affordability, our infrastructure deficit, and adaptation to climate change,” Housing, Transport, RMA Reform and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says.

NZ generally has far too many agencies. A reduction in the number of agencies is desirable.

Any mergers have to make sense though. Merging Treasury and MFAT would be silly (but hilarious ). This merger looks very sensible as it brings together the key elements of cities into one place – housing, transport and planning. The link between transport and housing is especially critical. You need good transport links into areas where people live, but also want to have more intense housing developments near public transport stations etc.

Alaa Abdel Fattah has been a prisoner in Egypt on dubious charges, and may have been tortured there. It is right and proper for the UK Government to advocate (as he gained British citizenship) for his human rights to be respected.

But Starmer did a huge own goal by going beyond that and declaring that he is delighted Alaa Abdel Fattah is in the UK and that his case has been a top priority for the Government.

Because to welcome Fattah in the same week as a huge conspiracy to kill Jews in the UK was detected was very tone deaf to put it mildly. Here is a collection of quotes from Alaa Abdel Fattah:

• “Will no one form an armed organization and randomly assassinate (Egyptian) Interior Ministry officers and be rid of them?”
• the 1981 assassination of then-Egyptian president Anwar Sadat was “a service to the nation,”
• “there is a critical number of Israelis that we need to kill and then the problem is solved.”
• yes, I consider killing any colonialists and specially zionists heroic, we need to kill more of them
• Police are not human they don’t have rights, we should just kill them all
• fuck that, sounds like u need more fear. random shooting of white males should convince them racism costs lives
• I’ll switch to something else, advocting killing police, hating white people
• I’m a racist, I don’t like white people so piss off
• I must confess i want a drone of me own, promise to only use it to shoot zionist weddings
• Because no medicine can reverse god’s will. he should subject his anger at good for creating those dirty homosexual.
• described British people as “dogs and monkeys”.
• dear zionists please don’t ever talk to me, I’m a violent person who advocated the killing of all zionists including civilians, so fuck off
• Unfortunately, the Iranian nuclear project isn’t dedicated to wiping out the white man
• I shoul never ever ever allow myself to read Thomas Friedman again, now all I can think of is joining Bin Laden and killing a few Americas
• Go burn the city or downing street or hunt police u fools
• There was no genocide against Jews by the Nazis – after all, many Jews are left
• Is it possible for someone to assassinate Diaa Rashwan? Or if it has to be peaceful, peacefully, let’s slit his throat—the important thing is he stops talking.
• The extermination of whites is a desirable thing
• humanity will not be redeemed until we commit genocide against all white people
• The Islamic Group was right; we must kill all police officers without any discrimination

Reading his history of advocating for violence and death makes you firstly think that maybe the Egyptian authorities were not being all that unreasonable in jailing him.

But the most astonishing thing is how the 100 UK celebrities all campaigned for his release treating him as a hero, and the UK PM did the same – and none of them ever thought that maybe someone should check out his tweets.

Radio NZ reports:

Auckland Councillors have voted not to proceed with a six-month trial of fortnightly kerbside rubbish collections in parts of the city, after considering public feedback.

The proposed trial would’ve halved the number of kerbside collections in Te Atatū, Panmure, Tāmaki, Clendon Park and Weymouth, with the intention of reducing waste to landfill.

About 5000 Aucklanders had made submissions during consultation, and 78 percent had opposed the trial.

Feedback included concerns about managing fuller bins, smells, hygiene and whether they would have enough bin space, particularly in big households.

I am not surprised that they scrapped the trial due to the backlash. Most people don’t want two weeks of rubbish hanging around their house.

But one size doesn’t fit all. I think the best solution is for the Council not to operate kerbside rubbish pickups at all. Leave it to the private sector who will offer different options and flexibility.

For example in Kapiti there is no council kerbside rubbish collection. Instead residents have a choice of six waste collectors to choose from. Operators allow you to choose from 80l to 240l wheelie bins. You can choose weekly or fortnightly pick up. You can pay monthly or annually for reduced prices. You can swap operators if unhappy with their service.

This is what Councils should do – allow choice and flexibility.

The full list is here. The titular honours are:

DNZM

To be Dames Companion of the said Order:

Professor Helen Victoria Danesh-Meyer, CNZM, of Auckland. For services to ophthalmology.

Ms Coral May Shaw, of Te Awamutu. For services to public service, the judiciary and the community.

Ms Dorothy Myrtle Spotswood, of Wellington. For services to philanthropy.

KNZM

To be Knights Companion of the said Order:

Mr Scott Ronald Glyndwr Dixon, CNZM, of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America. For services to motorsport.

Mr Rodney Kenneth Drury, of Queenstown. For services to business, the technology industry and philanthropy.

Professor Graham Stephen Le Gros, CNZM, of Wellington. For services to medical science.

Mr Christopher Wilton Parkin, CNZM, of Wellington. For services to philanthropy and the arts.

Very pleased to see Dorothy Spotswood and Chris Parkin recognised for their incredible generosity. Likewise Rod Drury is so well deserved. He had a vision to set up an online accountancy company and it now now valued at over $22 billion, is used by 4.6 million companies and employs 4,600 staff.

Also pleased to see Richard Harman get an ONZM for services to journalism. I first met Richard when he was TVNZ Political Editor in the 1980s and 1990s. He produced TV current affairs shows for many years and still writes an invaluable daily newsletter – Politik.

Also nice to see Jack Hodder KC, Tenby Powell and Jens Mueller get ONZMs. Likewise the MNZMs to Peter Cullen and Rosemary Dixon. All good people.

The Herald reports:

A leading developer and land aggregator behind some of New Zealand’s biggest housing projects has launched a $2.5 million lawsuit over claims a senior council official “intentionally and maliciously” defamed him in official communications.

Defamation proceedings have been started by businessman Garry Robertsonagainst the Kaikōura District Council and senior manager of operations David Clibbery. …

In the emails, Clibbery variously calls Robertson a racist, selfish, arrogant, “complete prick”, and “consummate taker who gives nothing back”.

I’m shocked that a (local) government official would write things like this. Putting aside any defamation, it is incredibly unprofessional.

In the next email the following day, Clibbery goes further, which the statement of claim says are “defamatory and untrue statements”.

“In my view, he is prime example of what extreme wealth can turn a person into; arrogant, entitled, self-righteous, selfish, racist, hypocritical, over-confident in their abilities and to a significant degree detached from normal society, but either unable or unwilling to recognise this.”

Clibbery’s claims that Robertson is a “consummate taker” whose objective is to “drive Kaikōura property prices higher without any regard for the broader social consequences”, are defamatory, the court action alleges.

“I truly believe that Mr Robertson is a blight to this community, who we would be best without,” Clibbery ends his email with.

Is this how council officials talk about us behind our backs? Did his CEO reprimand him (or worse) for such unprofessional behaviour?

Radio NZ reports:

The government is proposing to amend alcohol legislation so restaurants with on-site retail spaces can sell take-home booze.

The amendment to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act would mean restaurants can apply for an off-licence, if they also sell takeaway food or non-alcoholic beverages prepared by the business.

The bill was originally a National Party member’s bill lodged by Hutt South MP Chris Bishop in 2018, and then transferred to Wairarapa MP Mike Butterick in 2023 once Bishop became a minister.

The bill was pulled from the ballot in April, but has now been picked up by Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee as government legislation.

McKee said restaurants were already trusted to supply alcohol through an on-licence, and the law change would mean they can apply for permission to sell it for off-site consumption as well.

I can’t imagine anyone except the University of Otago academics will be against this law change.

Dane Giraud writes:

Most forms of racism depict their victims as inferior: backward, uncivilised, animalistic. Anti-semitism works differently. Jews are accused of excessive power – of secretly controlling finance, media, governments, of engineering wars, mass migration and social decay. It is a worldview obsessed with hidden influence. We are small, but highly organised and pull the strings of society.

Now consider how this belief system interprets censorship? When the state limits speech, the very act intended to protect Jews becomes evidence (in the mind of the conspiracy theorist) that we really do wield undue influence. Censorship does not defuse anti-semitism. If anything, it animates its internal logic.

I think this is very insightful.

Religious fanaticism was behind Bondi. That is not a speech problem. It is an intelligence, security and cultural problem. It requires surveillance, confronting extremist networks and cutting off funding, and actively empowering moderate voices within Muslim communities. 

I agree. Islamist terrorist attacks globally are well down from the ISIS peak in 2014, but 2025 has seen a significant increase from 2024.

Data from here.

Radio NZ reports on a poll of 328 Maori, which asked about Te Pati Maori. They asked who should lead TPM, and the current leaders did not come out well. They got:

• Leader John Tamihere: 5%
• Co-deputy leader Rawiri Waititi 12%
• Co-deputy leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer 7%

So that just 24% for the three leaders. The other MPs were:

• Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke: 19%
• Takuta Ferris: 11%
• Mariameno Kapa-Kingi: 6%
• Oriini Kaipara: 3%

That’s 39% for one of the four MPs who are estranged from the leadership.

Here’s my 20 predictions for next year, which I’ll score at the end of the year. I got 13.5/20 right for 2025.

1. NZ First will get at least 10% at the election, unless Winston does a u-turn on ruling out a Hipkins-led Labour.
2. ACT will retain both Tamaki and Epsom.
3. The Greens will retain two out of their three electorate seats.
4. Te Pāti Maori will retain between one and four electorate seats
5. National, ACT and NZ First will receive more party votes than Labour, Greens and Te Pati Maori, resulting in a National-led Government.
6. The Republicans will retain the Senate but lose the House in the 2026 mid-terms
7. Unemployment will be between 5% and 5.5% during the year
8. Inflation will be at or below 2.5% by year end
9. The 2026 Budget will forecast a return to (OBEGALx) surplus by 2028/29 instead of 2029/30
10. National will win Wigram off Labour
11. National will lose five or fewer electorates to Labour
12. There will be a new Speaker of the House
13. The general election will be in November 2026
14. PM Luxon will do a Cabinet reshuffle with Chris Penk promoted to Cabinet
15. The Russian invasion of Ukraine will continue all year
16. Keir Starmer will go as UK Labour Leader and PM after the May 2026 local elections
17. If elected, Michael Wood will announce he is a candidate for NZ Labour Leader, after the election
18. The Macrons will win their defamation suit against Candace Owens
19. All eight parliamentary leaders (incl co-leaders) will remain until the election
20. Labor will retain power in South Australia but lose power in Victoria

Radio NZ reports:

Business confidence has hit its highest level in 30 years on improving activity and on expectations of an economic rebound.

ANZ’s Business Outlook survey showed headline confidence rose 7 points to a net 74 percent expecting better conditions.

The more closely followed own activity outlook measure also rose 7 points to 61 percent positive, also its highest level in 30 years.

This is more good news to end 2025 on, pointing to a stronger economy in 2026.

Radio NZ reports:

John Campbell is returning to RNZ, as the new co-host of Morning Report alongside Ingrid Hipkiss.

RNZ’s Chief Audio Officer Pip Keane said the field of applicants for role on the flagship news programme was impressive but Campbell stood out .

“John’s experience as a journalist and host is exceptional, but equally important is his passion for pursuing the stories that matter and our audience values this strong journalism. He’s also a highly skilled interviewer, and that’s crucial for Morning Report.”

Keane says he will be a key part of RNZ’s dedicated audio plan, which aims to grow RNZ National’s audience.

John is a very skilled broadcaster and interviewer. He is extremely well known, and could well help turn around the declining numbers for Morning Report.

But in his last job at TVNZ he wrote opinion pieces which made clear (and was no surprise to anyone) that he holds string left of centre views and has a degree of contempt for the leaders of the centre-right parties, where he referred to their “heart of darkness”. Now you can have strong views on politics, and not let it affect you as a professional broadcaster. But will this happen here? Will Campbell interview Chloe Swarbrick the same way as he would Christoper Luxon? Time will tell.

The Herald reports:

A Pukekohe man found in possession of extremist Islamic State content, including beheadings and terror attacks in Europe, has failed in his bid to secure a discharge without conviction.

However, his application for permanent anonymity was granted.

Why? He has been convicted of serious crimes, and is obviously potentially dangerous. This deprives the public of the ability to know if he is their neighbour etc.

Disturbing content accrued by the 24-year-old featured footage of Islamic State (Isis) murdering civilians and encouraging viewers to attack governments, as well as endorsing certain terror attack methods that could be used in Australia.

There is a well known pathway where people go from viewing such material, to carrying out attacks.

A different video featured multiple beheadings and extolled Muslims in the West to join Isis and conduct terror attacks.

Sounds just like the sort of person who should get name supression!

The Auckland University Freedom of Expression Statement looks very good. It is clear with few weasel words. Key extracts:

The University actively fosters and supports lawful and constructive debate by its staff and students on any topic, including with the participation of external speakers invited by a staff member, or a recognised student association or student club. 

It explicitly says no topics are verboten and that invited external speakers are welcome.

The University, as an institution, will not take public positions on matters that do not directly concern university roles, functions or duties.

Excellent.

Institutional neutrality is not a retreat from important conversations, but a commitment to creating an environment where such conversations can freely take place.

This is key. Institutional neutrality allows academic freedom.

David Fisher reports:

A drawn-out internal fight at the union for Corrections’ officers has seen the organisation lose repeatedly in the Employment Court after trying and failing to push two members off its executive.

One of those members is the union’s vice-president Glen Jenner who was elected to the role in June on a platform for change.

But his electioneering call for “overdue and positive change” was among reasons given during an attempt to drop him as vice-president of the Corrections Association of New Zealand (CANZ).

How dare he suggest the union change for the better. No wonder he had to be thwarted.

Voted in by union members at their prisons, Jenner (26 years working in prisons) and Al-Bustanji (seven years working in prisons) were members of a national executive made up of delegates from other prisons across the country.

Four of those people are then selected for office-holder slots – president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer.

Back in early 2024, Jenner and Al-Bustanji had been raising their concerns about the direction of CANZ, its spending and governance.

It led to complaints about the pair, resulting in the scheduling of a two-day disciplinary process to hear claims against them.

So they raised concerns over spending and governance, and the response was to discipline them for doing so. And this is from a union that would have a fit if an employer acted as they do.

Beck’s judgment stopped CANZ from dropping Jenner from his role, saying its argument that it could do so because he was involved in suing the union was “unsustainable”. She also warned the approach risked allowing union leadership to oust “legitimate opponents, despite fair and free elections”.

So CANZ thinks people should be able to be sacked if they take legal action to defend their rights. Where is the CTU decrying this?

Simon Moutter is the Chair of Kāinga Ora, formerly known as Housing NZ. He sent the e-mail below to a few acquaintances of his, and one forwarded it onto me. With permission, I am blogging it below because I think it is such a good and interesting read.

As you may know, I took on the role of Chairing the Board of Kāinga Ora in June 2024, with the intent of doing some service-oriented work for our country. Like many New Zealanders, I’d heard a lot about them through the media. Back then, Kāinga Ora had no friends. The media savaged it on a daily basis. Practically every stakeholder viewed it as a poorly run organisation and the public perceptions of its performance were in many respects, far worse than the reality. As I got to understand the organisation, I came to appreciate the critical role Kāinga Ora plays in housing 200,000 mostly very good, albeit sometimes very vulnerable, people. I also came to respect the passionate team from all walks of life who work at 

Kāinga Ora and the many other organisations that play important roles in the social housing system.

Right from the get-go, it struck me as an opportunity to figure out if the application of the business transformation methodologies I’ve learned over my career could be successfully applied to a Government agency. Just 18 months on, it turns out they can!  The first step was to align with Ministers Willis and Bishop on a future which narrowed Kāinga Ora’s focus to its core mission – improve tenant outcomes, be a firm but fair landlord and provide and manage social housing in a financially sustainable way. Then, with the help of some seriously capable business leaders; Adrian Littlewood (who helped build the Reset Plan), Matt Crockett (who took on the CEO role for 15 months), a strong line-up of new Board Members and a handful of other experienced business transformation people, the outcomes have been extraordinary. It is the fastest and most dramatic turnaround in performance of a large business that I have been involved with. I’ve been amazed at what Kāinga Ora’s people have been able to do with clarity of focus, good leadership, faster operating rhythm and some top-shelf transformation methodologies learnt many years ago from McKinsey and taught to them by Matt and a few others we brought in from the old Spark team and a couple of other companies Matt has worked with.

Before the Reset, our tenant and community outcomes were inconsistent at best. Today our tenants are more satisfied with their homes, more satisfied with our maintenance, they feel safer in their homes and 5000 of them have moved out of rent debt, a massive stress in their lives.

Before the Reset, the organisation was on an unsustainable pathway toward annual operating deficits approaching $800m and running up debt at a rapid rate, rising from around $14bn and expected to hit $28bn within a few years, which would have put the Government’s books under enormous pressure. Post execution of the Reset Plan, we have already halved the deficit (forecast FY26) and the organisation is on track to get close to an accounting surplus by FY29. Driving this is a big improvement in operating earnings (EBITDA) which was at only $200m and falling pre-Reset, where we are now on track to deliver $1000m of EBITDA in FY27. This big improvement in operating cashflow, combined with reduced unit costs for construction, a sensible moderation of construction activity volumes and greater recycling of capital from the sale of old properties unsuitable for social housing, means debt will now peak at around $20bn, a huge relief to the Government’s books.

Before the Reset, Kāinga Ora had around 3,400 staff. Today we are down to 2,285, yet every KPI is still heading in the right direction, a reminder that with the application of strong commercial disciplines, even Government organisations can be efficient.

Matt finishes his contract period with us this month (the most I could get out of him was 15 months unfortunately) and he is handing over to Tracey Taylor, who has been Matt’s key partner in executing the Reset Plan. I am confident she will carry on with the True Transformation phase ahead of us and deliver the next wave of improvements over coming years. We all owe Matt our gratitude for his outstanding leadership and the tremendous work he has done to the benefit of New Zealand’s vulnerable people and taxpayers.

If you have 10 minutes, please click on the link below and take a look at the Stakeholder Update presentation and notes we published on our website last week. If you like what you see, please feel free to share the link with your associates. My agenda is simple – I’d like all Kiwi’s to reconsider their perceptions of Kāinga Ora, and give the organisation and its people the benefit of the doubt a bit more in future and some positive feedback when it’s due.

Regards

Simon Moutter

https://kaingaora.govt.nz/assets/About-us/Change-is-happening-at-Kainga-Ora-big-visible-change.pdf