𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝘆𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 “Labour’s announcement today confirms ACT’s diagnosis that a disease has set into New Zealand politics, with every other party now competing to scare off investment by threatening interventions much worse than the oil and gas ban,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “The Greens want to expropriate supermarkets and run it themselves. National have joined New Zealand First in wanting to forcibly break up legitimate businesses, and now Labour want to add a whole new layer of bureaucracy to their own version of expropriation. “The oil and gas ban was devastating, but the Government has a right to stop issuing permits, however disruptive that may have been. It is quite another matter to actively break up and take over existing companies. “Labour’s policy is an echo of their actions in Government, only more pernicious. Last time they put in place a grocery supplier code, required supermarkets to wholesale to their competitors, and created a Grocery Commissioner. If any of their past interventions worked, they wouldn’t need to release these policies today. “This time they want to expropriate the co-op that is owned by local Foodstuffs stores, and separate an Australian-owned business without considering the repercussions for our ANZAC relationship. “On their best day these other policies might save a few dollars a week, and that day is far into the future. Ordinary food price inflation will cancel out the gains many times over before any shopper even sees them. On their worst day they will backfire and make groceries more expensive, according to their own reports. “One factor that other politicians never consider is the effect of weakening New Zealand supermarket buying power against the large multi-nationals that provide around a quarter of their goods. Think Unilever, Proctor and Gamble, Nestlé, these companies are whales to New Zealand supermarkets’ tadpoles, and if the logic is to weaken New Zealand supermarkets’ power, the whales will win. “The most likely outcome is simply costly restructures, more hesitancy to invest, and less chance of a third competitor entering New Zealand from overseas. Why would you take the risk when the political environment is so volatile. Why would anyone else think this behaviour will be confined to the grocery sector? “ACT now stands alone for the simple idea this country was built on. The idea that people should be able to own property and profit from it if they do well, accepting the losses if they don’t. Business is difficult enough without worrying if your own Government will attack you any time politicians get a bad focus group. “The disease of New Zealand politics today is cynical, focus-group driven, knee-jerk reactions to large problems. Politicians hear a complaint and try to play the hero by attacking a group of New Zealanders as the scapegoat of the hour. “This politics erodes the trust and certainty needed for investment and innovation. It’s careless about the long-term effect on our country so long as those behind it think they’ll get a short-term political gain. “We’ve seen it over and again these last six years as prices have risen as fast as, or faster than, wages. When petrol felt expensive, Jacinda said we were being ‘fleeced’ by the petrol stations. When rents went up, new taxes and regulations were put on landlords. When butter was in the news, it was Fonterra, then electricity companies, then banks, now supermarkets. “None of this pile on mentality has made life more affordable. It’s usually ended with another layer of regulation and bureaucracy, such as the Grocery Commissioner and supplier code. New Zealand has simply been left divided and blame-happy by this pattern of political behaviour. “New Zealanders are looking for hope, and security to build on that hope. That means tackling our long-term productivity slump, weak monetary policy, and loose Government spending that has seen prices inflate away ahead of wages. None of this is easy, but it is possible with sensible, thoughtful leadership. “If we are serious about making life more affordable, there is no benefit in picking on a different group each year as if that will solve our problems.” ACT will: •⁠ ⁠Shrink the size of Government by making it smaller and more efficient at delivering the services New Zealanders really need for a price this economy can afford •⁠ ⁠Cut red tape and stupid rules that prevent New Zealanders from investing and innovating •⁠ ⁠Unite New Zealanders where each of us are seen as fundamentally good and equal people instead of obsessing over identity politics.

North Korea sent between 30,000 and 50,000 soldiers to Russia. Russia let them learn about real warfare and train. Not in a digital simulator, but in real life. It wasn’t expensive for North Korea. They could have done it only here: deploy, learn, and go back. Without major losses, other than when they decided to fight us directly during the Kursk operation. So they then decided not to move into Ukrainian territory to avoid major losses. But they learn, they work with drones and drone operators, train with them. This is a big problem, even more so for security in the Pacific. From an interview with NHK. (2/3)

𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗗: 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵 “Victoria University has been caught taking compulsory fees from students and handing $1,700 to the university branch of the Labour Party. This is exactly why ACT will make Student Services Fees voluntary,” says ACT Tertiary Education spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar. The funding was uncovered by student campaign group Save Our Clubs through Official Information Act requests. University records show Labour at Vic received a $1,700 club grant in March this year, funded through the compulsory Student Services Levy. In its application, Labour at Vic described itself as the local youth branch of the New Zealand Labour Party and said 2026 would be an especially important year for its activities because of the General Election. Its material referred to campaigning, events at Parliament and attendance at Labour Party Congress, while its proposed budget included merchandise, travel and “Labour Party Events”. “This is an extraordinary use of compulsory student money,” says Dr Parmar. “The people responsible for approving this at Victoria University need to explain how they thought it was acceptable to take money from every student – regardless of their political beliefs – and make it available to a branch of the Labour Party. “TEC’s response makes matters worse. Save Our Clubs took the issue to the regulator, and TEC concluded the funding did not breach the existing Student Services Fee requirements. “If TEC is right, then the rules are even more indefensible than this decision. Apparently a university can compel students to hand over money and then use part of that compulsory levy to fund a parliamentary political party’s campus branch. “This story also reflects badly on Labour. The entitlement of their youth wing, to even ask for this money, is incredible. Chris Hipkins should do the right thing, step in, and instruct his youth wing to return the money.” Young ACT President Quill Thomas says students should not be forced to subsidise political organisations they may strongly disagree with. “As students, we already have to find the money for fees, rent, food and everything else that comes with studying. The idea that some of our compulsory fees can then be handed to the campus branch of a political party is outrageous,” says Mr Thomas. “Young ACT has never asked Victoria University for direct funding, and we never would. If we want to run an event, print material or promote our ideas, it is our responsibility to find willing supporters to fund it. “A student who votes ACT, National, Green – or wants nothing to do with politics at all – should not be compelled to fund Labour’s campus branch. It is undemocratic and wrong.” ACT's position: “ACT announced last month that we will make Student Services Fees voluntary. Universities would be required to offer student services as a menu, allowing students to choose which services they want and pay only for those,” says Dr Parmar. “This episode shows exactly why that reform is needed. “Students should be free to support political organisations, unions, advocacy groups or student media if they want to. They should be equally free to say no. “ACT ended compulsory student union membership in 2011. Universities then shifted substantial costs into compulsory Student Services Fees, meaning genuine freedom of association remains unfinished business. “ACT will make these fees voluntary, give students control over their own money, and ensure organisations have to persuade people to support them instead of relying on compulsory levies. “Every domestic university student currently pays a compulsory Student Services Fee of up to $1,253 a year. ACT’s policy could keep up to around $4,000 off a student’s loan over the course of a degree. “Political organisations are entitled to organise on campus. They are not entitled to expect unwilling students to subsidise them.” Save Our Clubs’ research and its Victoria University club funding database can be viewed here: saveourclubs.nz/vuw-club-fun…

I thought I’d explain why I hate the Greens’ KiwiMart government-owned supermarket election policy

When James Shaw set up the Climate Change Commission in 2019, only ACT voted against it. Now we're campaigning to scrap the bureaucracy, saving taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.

ANNOUNCED: ACT's policy for equal rights. ACT will strengthen equal rights, protect property rights, put Parliament back in charge of making the law, and end vague Treaty clauses that leave too much power in the hands of courts and officials.

Stuart Nash: We didn't leave Labour, Labour left us.

Iran has just been nominated to preside over the UN Committee for the protection of women's rights, human rights, and the prevention of terrorism. YES, IRAN. And it was supported by the United Kingdom, Spain, and France. This is not a joke. It's real. - @isaacrrr7