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.
I understand the climate emergency also.
But I am a pragmatist at heart; I know we have a set amount of resources to throw at a problem. I would rather we focus on where the biggest gains would be had.
If I had $16B to throw at the energy system:
$16B is a big sum; we could do a lot more with it than one project that will have no gains for over a decade.
A well planned solar project can bring on ~150MW in 9 months; then with rolling crews another 150MW every 6 months after that.
Yes I can see how those would be better value for money.
The amount of resources there are to throw at a problem depends on political will. In 2009 when bankers needed money suddenly there was unlimited resources to throw at that. When Bush wanted to start his multi-decade wars -> unlimited. When Trump wanted to start his forever war -> unlimited. And so on.
Resources at some point just becomes people to do the work.
There is no shortage of people. Basically everyone living in a hot country either wants to GTFO now or will in coming decades. We can have as many people as we want (chances are we'll get waaay more than we want).
Politically, that idea is impossible, yes, I know :)
We can bring in the best and brightest from all over the world in a controlled way now and build build build or we can sit on our hands and deal with millions of desperate refugees all at once, later. We both know which it'll be.
Political vision is an expensive investment. Most parties cannot afford to be too visionary; it means that they have to admit they have been wrong for 40 years.
Lets say that Labour; came out tomorrow and said that neo-lib economics is a bit shit really; what they are saying is that "actually we have been wrong since the early 80's; but believe us now, we are totally trustworthy".
New ideas require new voices; I'm an opportunity supporter, because they are bringing new voices into the mix. They are saying "hey, lets listen to the experts, and actually implement their ideas"
Look at the infrastructure policy; it is not much different than the infrastructure commission recommendations. The work had already been done, they are the ones with the confidence (and naivety) to say, lets just do that!
Oh yes, absolutely. I worked at parliament for 5 years so I understand the political dynamics. Basically if you stick your head out too high it gets blown off. That's arguably a feature, not a bug.
I know I'm just dreaming.
TOP is the most interesting part of this election, for sure.