Dave Graham

@TaxpayersUnion Disagree. The rates rises in Auckland are the result of Brown's failure to deliver what he campaigned on. He continues to deflect but this is his responsibility and yet again he has failed ratepayers.

𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐎𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐏 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐬 The Taxpayers’ Union is blaming Local Government Minister Simon Watts for the biggest rates hike in Super City. Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said: "Simon Watts promised to cap rates, but bizarrely delayed the implementation until the next term of Parliament. That means Auckland Council is able to blow up rates bills now, and will fully admit it's to beat the new law." “Rather than be forced to deliver the savings promised when the Super City was established, yet again Auckland Council has chosen to dig deeper into the pockets of struggling ratepayers." “Local Government Minister Simon Watts has let Aucklanders down. Unfortunately, this just a harbinger of what is to come in town halls across the country as councils clamber to lock in higher rates before a cap takes effect in 2029.” "It's also a major warning to ratepayers elsewhere who are staring down the barrel of forced amalgamations. Far from saving money, the Auckland example shows Watts seems to empower high rates and more wasteful council spending."

@MyGolfSpy The only thing I disagree with is the time line, I suspect it will be a lot quicker than 10 years.

Prediction: The launch monitor as a product is dead in 10 years. You won’t buy one. You’ll already have one. • Phone • Watch • Range • Club • Ball (eventually) Cameras + AI replace the box. $5K–$25K units become the DSLR of golf. AI will replace raw data with answers. Right now: “Ball speed: 152. Spin: 2800. Launch: 13°” Future: “You’re losing 11 yards because your face is 2° open relative to the path. Here is how you fix it.” Agree or not?

@nickofnz @bob210570413421 This is currently the largest battery ($500 million to build) and look, a whole 2 hours supply. What happens for the other 6 - 8 hours the sun isn't shining?

@bob210570413421 Intermittent? Google “battery”, you’ll be amazed. Generating our own homegrown wind and solar means we have to import less, it’s cheaper and MORE reliable than oil and gas that’s subject to wild price fluctuations and restrictions through war.

BREAKING The NZ government has finally admitted that there is no future in fossil fuels. In the #Budget2026 they’ve announced a scheme to assist businesses to transition away from fossil gas. Assume they will now cancel the costly and doomed LNG import terminal idea?

@MarkGraham_Akl @jo_moir @NZMorningReport Sure, hasn't increased at all.

When @jo_moir on @NZMorningReport says public servant numbers have "blown out" and "bloated", she plays directly into a narrative put out by National and ACT that we have people living off the back of workers and only serving themselves.

@SandeChin So does this mean there is a slim chance we will see some actual reporting by TVNZ? Or just more of the same click bait rubbish we have been getting.

What a slap in the face for Maiki

@RickShielsPGA Does walking from the car park to the first tee count as a warm up?

How long do you warm up for before a round of golf?

@chrislynchmedia The problem with his slant on this is that, like it or not, Hosking already has all the relevance he needs, just check his ratings which is why senior National MPs fall over each other to get on his show.

"Radio jocks seeking relevance" MP denies leak, lodges complaint over radio hosts claims. Read more below. chrislynchmedia.com/news-items/rad…

@aniobrien Are the National Party electorate candidates for the next election locked in yet? If not there are a few that should be on the phone to their electorate committee's.

The way this is dragging on isn't ideal. Whatever the outcome, it suggests it was not unanimous.

@vcdxnz001 @Suitandtie9999 Maybe thats because

@Suitandtie9999 NZ roads are so rubbish it’s a joke. Have such massive tax rates and such crap roads it’s ridiculous. UAE has zero income tax and some of the best roads in the world.

Tova O’Brien’s attempted “gotcha” moment in her interview with Transport Minister Chris Bishop didn’t go as planned. Bishop easily dismissed the accusation that he had ignored correspondence from Labour List MP Jo Luxton regarding road resilience on the East Coast. Predictably, despite O’Brien stating that the issue would be followed up with Chris Hipkins in his interview later that morning, it was never raised.

@azlancat @Suitandtie9999 It has, maybe pay better attention.

@Suitandtie9999 As Nationals attack dog can you tell me when my cost of living is going down please. I see attacks on everyone else but surprisingly my groceries are getting dearer. More action, less pointing the finger maybe?

Ouch! Former All Black captain and recently announced New Zealand First candidate Taine Randall gets asked “What’s wrong with Labour?” Randall replies “I know you guys have got kind of a time limit…”

@roonsopo Yep. Drove across Harbour Bridge both ways, at 11 this morning, signs saying high winds etc, was basically dead calm all they way. What's with that NZTA?

This is a view of Ohope and the Ōhiwa Harbour bar ten minutes east of Whakatane taken 5 minutes ago. There maybe some more wind this afternoon but the panic generating media are not being reliable in what they are reporting

The Tight Three. Why is the media still refusing to put any questions to Ashley Bloomfield and Dr Ian Town? Two weeks after the NZ Herald discovered the Cabinet paper, in Hipkins' name, media have yet to ask a single question of Ashley Bloomfield or Dr Ian Town. Bloomfield was the key conduit between the COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group (CV-TAG, via Dr Town) and ministers. Dr Town, as CV-TAG chair, authored or oversaw memos on myocarditis — including one in July 2021 on risks and dosing intervals and was the senior technical expert fronting public briefings alongside ministers. He had a clear responsibility to ensure that technical advice informed policy, rather than simply sitting within the ministry. So the key questions that need to be asked: Did Bloomfield or Town discuss the CV-TAG’s myocarditis concerns regarding teenagers with Hipkins before the cabinet paper? Did the advice actually reach any government ministers? If not, why not given it was their clear responsibility? After breaking the story, the NZ Herald now has a responsibility to stress-test Chris Hipkins’ denials and not leave them unchallenged. The most effective way to do that is by putting these questions directly to the two people who had a clear duty to ensure the information reached him. Continued silence from the NZ Herald and media on this issue isn’t neutrality. It’s complicity.

@RusselNorman NZ is already at 88% renewable for electricity in case you missed it.

So great to see renewables plus batteries are collapsing power prices where they are rolled out at scale. The NZ Govt may be trying to reinvent the 1950s, with its love of expensive climate killing fossil fuels, but elsewhere history is moving on. newscientist.com/article/251498…

@CitizenBomber I assume this is in the comedy category? Or is it in the best fiction?

Congratulations Clarke – you deserve 2 Emmy nominations Congratulations to my dear Comrade Clarke for getting two Emmy nominations for his brilliant documentary. It is so important that Jacinda’s legacy is given the respect it is due overseas because at home the Hard Right Hate Trolls have to denigrate her memory because she had the temerity of putting public health above profit margins. #nzpol LINK BELOW ⬇️⬇️⬇️

@Random_Walk_PDX @OnDisasters They don't and haven't since about 2015, that's a very old film clip.

@OnDisasters ...can anyone explain why the NZ AF is using 50 y/o helo frames?

New Zealand Air Force Bell UH-1 engine start. (Can any chopper expert explain why he is holding one of the rotors before he "cranks" it?) 📹helicopters_action

@LouStagner Augusta unofficially has a 137 slope and a 78.1 CR. (Its not officially rated). On those numbers a course 18 is a 9.5 index, so I do believe sub 150 is achievable.

It’s basically a 100% chance an 18 breaks 150 at Augusta.

@nickofnz Yeah because they spent more than twice as much as they needed to for Covid and have left the country in serious debt. Well done idiots👏

Luxon is SO desperate to avoid anything like Jacinda Ardern's world-leading global Covid crisis response because it cost money to support the welfare of New Zealanders and small businesses – he's going to let them go to the wall in the global fuel crisis. #nzpol #iran

@KiwiCraig74 The election was 2023 and it was a bit more than 4%

Once again repeating the lie that National were handed high inflation. It was 4% in March 2024 by the time they could possibly have affected it.

@Coltheman1 TACO...again.

@RusselNorman I'm not terribly interested in what a useless Aussie has to say. You definitely do not speak for all New Zealander's

A journalist asks US Secretary of State if the US operation constitutes war crimes, threatening to wipe out a civilisation. The NZ Foreign Minister smiles in response. He does not represent the NZ people. We oppose Trump’s war crimes and stand for peace and international law. rnz.co.nz/news/political…