NZ Politics

I've been taking notes since 2023. Here they are, grouped by depravity level (subjective, yes, I know) and sorted by date within each group. Please share this widely as the election draws near. The last 3 weeks of the campaign are crucial and when this information will make the most difference.

Where possible the minister responsible is noted although really they are all collectively responsible.

It's a lot. As you get into it your eyes will glaze over a bit and you'll start skimming. Try to sit with each item and really feel it.

High Depravity

• Resume oil exploration - An environmental item from 4 November 2023 attributed to Everyone; Labour & Greens banned offshore oil exploration in 2018, and this repeals that ban.
• Treaty referendum - From 8 November 2023, driven by David Seymour.
• Increase smoking addiction and death - health action from 1 December 2023; Chris Bishop used to be a lobbyist for the tobacco industry which explains a lot.
• Landlord tax cuts - action from 12 March 2024 delivering a $2.9b tax cut for landlords.
• Bad insulation - from 18 July 2024.
• Reduced pay for women - employment action from 8 May 2025, driven by Brooke van Velden.
• 100,000 homeless - A housing action, in progress since 1 June 2025, attributed to Everyone.
• More fossil fuels - action from 1 June 2025, attributed to Simon Watts.
• End emissions reporting - environmental action from 15 August 2025 by Simon Watts; three major emitters no longer have to report emissions, making the whole exercise useless.
• Gut Zero Carbon Act - action from 6 November 2025, attributed to Simon Watts.
• Abolish regional councilors - An environmental action from 25 November 2025 by Chris Bishop, sharply reducing environmental protections.
• 2026 and still building fossil fuel infra - An environmental item from 9 February 2026 by Simon Watts, concerning an LNG import terminal.
• Abolish the ministry for the environment - An environmental action, in progress since 16 February 2026, attributed to Penny Simmonds.
• Change law to prevent climate lawsuits - An environmental action begun 12 May 2026, attributed to Paul Goldsmith.
• Fast track corruption - action from 26 May 2026, attributed to Everyone.
• Highest homelessness in history - housing action from 28 May 2026, attributed to Everyone.
• MMP referendum - A society action, in progress since 6 August 2026, driven by Chris Luxon.

Medium Depravity

• Houses unaffordable - A to-do housing item; more sprawl means higher rates and more driving (no start date recorded).
• Pollute rivers and groundwater - An environment/health action currently in progress starting from 2023.
• Encourage sales of gas guzzlers - An environmental item from 31 December 2023 attributed to Everyone; repealing the Clean Car Discount that taxed large utes and subsidised EVs and hybrids.
• More roads, more cars - An environmental item from 31 December 2023; the more roads you build, the more people drive, the more emissions there are.
• Remove first home buyer subsidy - action begun 5 June 2024; during the election they had promised to keep this subsidy.
• Block Otago water rules - environmental action from 18 October 2024; Otago wanted to limit water takes from rivers but the government stopped them.
• Seabed mining instead of windmills - action from 18 October 2024.
• Fucked up ferries - action from 12 December 2024.
• Regulatory standards bill - An action in progress since 1 February 2025, driven by David Seymour.
• Boot Camp - action from 7 November 2025.
• Reject Climate Change Commission recommendations - action begun 4 December 2025, attributed to Simon Watts.
• Constitutional vandalism - human rights action from 12 April 2026, attributed to Everyone.

Low Depravity

• Cancelled Lake Onslow battery - environment/energy action from 4 December 2023 by Simeon Brown, made before the feasibility study could be completed.
• Remove the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax - environment/transport item from 31 December 2023.
• Increase road deaths - A to-do transport item from 31 December 2023; raising speed limits means more people will die on the roads.
• Richard Prebble appointed to Waitangi Tribunal - action from 18 October 2024.
• Importing Russian oil - An action in progress that started 11 November 2025.
• Criminalise Rough Sleeping - housing action from 23 February 2026, driven by Paul Goldsmith.
• Rejection of WHO pandemic rules - action from 7 April 2026, attributed to Simeon Brown.

So there you have it. The last 3 years have been a trainwreck that was especially hard to watch - taking notes during it was my way of coping. I hope it makes a difference.

Once again, please share this with anyone capable of changing their minds. And/or bookmark this, you'll need it later.

There will be SO much that I missed out. Education and health is a true mess at the moment but that's not where my attention goes a lot of the time. Please add what you have in the comments, with a news link if possible.