Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Kurt M @kiwikurt.bsky.social · 1d

This really grinds my gears. For years I've been confused as to why he gets so readily platformed as a serious commentator. Bernard Hickey recently featured him on The Kākā with a link to Edwards article. I've asked for some follow-up on this because this stuff shouldn't be allowed to lie.

1 1 11

Reposted by Kurt M

Grumpy @grumpyyetamusin.bsky.social · 1d

Bryce Edwards, another example of an inadequate White man getting a paid public platform to present biased nonsense in New Zealand.

This country is colonial to its core.

Tory Whanau @misswhanau.bsky.social · 1d

Just got sent this from an article by Bryce Edwards. This is completely false, and he never once fact-checked it with me. My campaign was run by me and my small volunteer team. Comments like this reflect a tired mindset that assumes women can’t succeed in politics without a man pulling the strings.

7:50
:.!=
73)
concerns about transparency and public trust.
The Anatomy of influence - A Wellington case study
Many of the powerful vested interests behind local politicians are barely acknowledged. For example, how many Wellington voters knew that the current Mayor of Wellington, Tory Whanau, had her successful 2022 campaign essentially run by corporate lobbyist Neale Jones?
Jones co-owns and operates the Capital Government Relations firm with fellow political commentator Ben Thomas. The firm is the epitome of the "revolving door"

4 13 39

Kurt M @kiwikurt.bsky.social · 2d

Whom amongst us has not 😂

10

Kurt M @kiwikurt.bsky.social · 2d

OMG isn't this supposed to be the Finance Ministers actual area of expertise?

1 7

Reposted by Kurt M

Foxy @foxylustygrover.bsky.social · 2d

Winston Peters strolled around and anti-vax picnic and spoke with people who had chanted and written threats of hanging on gallows of Jacinda Ardern, Dr Ashley Bloomfield and so on, but this was all OK as it was just harmless opportunistic politicking #NZPol

13 71 260

Kurt M @kiwikurt.bsky.social · 2d

a hammer with the word nailed on it

Alt: a hammer with the word nailed on it

media.tenor.com

1

Reposted by Kurt M

Paul Le Comte 🇳🇿🇨🇦📷 @paullecomtephoto.nz · 2d

Here's Winston Peters with the head of Sensible Sentencing Trust mingling with the violent & illegal occupiers of NZ's Parliament grounds, refusing to comment to 3News. His 'minders' pushing reporters strongly away.

Always the fucking victim, never the problem.

GO AWAY OLD MAN

A dangerous old populist politician meeting protestors of an illegal occupation of the NZ Parliament grounds.

2 18 79

Reposted by Kurt M

David Mohring @nzheretic.bsky.social · 4d

Belated "Disclosure"
[ web.archive.org/web/20251005... ]
[ theconversation.com/nicola-willi... ]

Dennis Wesselbaum article seems to have fiscal holes even larger than the National Party's 2023 election tax plan.

Stagnation is caused by a lack of confidence in the economy by austerity.

#nzpol

Original disclosure statement:
Author

"Dennis Wesselbaum
Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Otago

Disclosure statement
Dennis Wesselbaum does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment."

Disclosure statement as of October 6th
"Author
Dennis Wesselbaum
Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Otago

Disclosure statement
Dennis Wesselbaum is an Adjunct Fellow of the New Zealand Initiative and an Affiliate at Motu Research."

1 9 23

Kurt M @kiwikurt.bsky.social · 4d

I see @aunz.theconversation.com also failed in making clear the agenda of this opinion...

Watershitdown @watershitdown.bsky.social · 4d

Written by Dennis Wesselbaum ajunct member of the neoliberal think-tank..... NZ Initiative.. #nzpol

www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines...

Opinion: Nicola Willis is right: the economy isn't as bad as the 'merchants of misery' claim

Blaming the current state of the economy on Willis' leadership ignores aspects of the bigger picture, writes Dennis Wesselbaum.

www.rnz.co.nz

1

Kurt M @kiwikurt.bsky.social · 4d

Very odd that the authors link to the NZ Initiative was not declared and this lack of transparency was copied to RNZ as it washed it across it's own network.

1

Kurt M @kiwikurt.bsky.social · 4d

How curious that this link was not mentioned in the disclosure note at the bottom 🤔

4

Kurt M @kiwikurt.bsky.social · 4d

#nzpol While I get the cruelty is the point of Luxon and Upston's welfare policy announcement I still struggle to fathom it. Is this limit of $65k before or after tax? That level of household income isn't even enough to cover basic living costs.
I always knew this government would be bad but...

3

Kurt M @kiwikurt.bsky.social · 4d

You make a very good point

1

Kurt M @kiwikurt.bsky.social · 4d

Can't imagine they'd every draft because *gasp* the budget to pay people would have to increase! Shiny toys sure but paying the plebs, not on National's watch!

2 3

Kurt M @kiwikurt.bsky.social · 5d

It's most definitely spring with wildly changeable weather even for Auckland but nice to get out and about in the Botanic Gardens

The Auckland Botanic Gardens looking lush after a spring downpour

Kurt M @kiwikurt.bsky.social · 5d

This cause is close to my heart - please sign: our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/nz...

NZ Government Sanction Israel Now

Since October 2023 the world has witnessed the state of Israel perpetrate innumerable war crimes and human rights violations against the people of Gaza [1], while the violence, repression, and forced ...

our.actionstation.org.nz

2

Kurt M @kiwikurt.bsky.social · 5d

I am by no means qualified to predict but I feel like the bubble has metastasised across more than just AI stocks. But even when the bubble bursts there are still fundamentals in even the frothy stocks that make them viable long-term, unless of course, you know the apocalypse...

2

Kurt M @kiwikurt.bsky.social · 6d

Can't believe Luxon sold it for this shitty coin

Ridiculous skull and gun shaped coin memorialising the 2025 Director of the FBI Kash Patel

3

Kurt M @kiwikurt.bsky.social · 8d

1 2

Reposted by Kurt M

Zeboyd Digital Entertainment @zeboydgames.bsky.social · Jul 10

If "AI" was as valuable as they say it is, they wouldn't be selling it to you. They'd be using it themselves in secret to make the next Minecraft, the next Avatar, the next Hello Kitty and then they'd sell that to you.

They're trying to sell you a sick goose, while pretending it lays golden eggs.

52 2.6K 6.5K

Kurt M @kiwikurt.bsky.social · 9d

It's so sad how utterly cooked RNZ seem to be becoming

5

Reposted by Kurt M

David Farrier @davidfarrier.com · 9d

as reported in webworm today, the nz media council has ruled against RNZ, saying it lacked balance and fairness in its reporting over the death of trans teen alex. hopefully this encourages RNZ to look at all their reporting on trans issues - they need to (www.webworm.co/trainhopping/)

In their ruling, released today, the NZMC also took issue with that, writing:

The parents are entitled to express their views about the tragic events and their views on the teen’s gender identity and RNZ is entitled to report them. But their perspective came from a particular point of view and drove the narrative. The fact that the story was brought to RNZ by a group that is regarded as having an anti-trans perspective should have alerted RNZ to the fact that there was a wider agenda at play.

The NZMC concluded:

The Council believes RNZ should have been aware that there was a wider agenda at play and another side of the story that needed to be told, particularly when further information emerged after the publication of the first story. They could have provided a balancing alternative perspective in a number of ways, in the original story or subsequently.

The complaint is upheld for lack of balance and fairness.

8 64 190

Reposted by Kurt M

Steve Marmel @marmel.bsky.social · 11d

ICE attempted
and failed to disappear a food delivery guy.
It needed to be scored.

2.4K 7K 27K

Reposted by Kurt M

ApocalypseElf @apocalypseelf.bsky.social · 11d

Via Bruce Mahalski

Poster. Know your introduced Pest.
Spiny headed fish worm or politician

1 13 35