@bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 2mo ago

NZ government gifts $60m of public money to a private corporate which has $7b annual revenue. The details of this welfare are being hidden from the public, but equate to gifting $400,000 per job at the plant in question. I don't necessarily have a problem with supporting NZ cement manufacture - but if the public is paying for it, the public should own it. Or spend the $400k per employee on retraining and support - not a donation to a profit-making private business. This coalition keeps pushing our hard-earned public money into the greedy paws of layabouts and bottom-feeders - i.e. people who think they shouldn't have to work, but instead be handed cash for just owning things. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/749001/government-moves-to-keep-cement-production-in-nz-with-up-to-60m-in-financial-support #nzpol

rnz.co.nz

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 5mo ago

New Zealand help open the Strait of Hormuz?? This government can't even open the Strait of Cook!! #nzpol

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 5mo ago

Paraphrasing Nicola Willis:

"The economy is doing well, so now is the time to cut public services and give tax cuts to rich people.

Now the economy is doing badly, so now is the time to cut public services and give tax cuts to rich people."

#nzpol

mastodon.nz

Mastodon NZ

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 4mo ago

Replying to

@BobLefridge@mastodon.nz Act and national are trying to import rightwing culture war and immigrant blaming to Aotearoa, evil bastards.

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 2mo ago

New Zealand's richest man makes the largest single donation this cycle, to National. This is the death of democracy, outright corruption and is one way our political system gives outsized influence to the super-rich, to the detriment of everyone else. Donations to political parties should be outright BANNED . Only small membership fees should be allowed (e.g. maximum $100 per person per annum). Such fees are fundamentally democratic, because significant money can only be raised with significant population support. Then - tax the rich and fund political parties from the state budget. The rich still get to contribute to the political process, just can't do the choosing for all the rest of us. Unfortunately the response of Labour and other parties is "No Fair - rich people - donate to us too!!!!". https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics/647946/rnz-political-donations-tracker-national-s-war-chest-climbs-by-dollar440-000 #nzpol #tax #inequality

rnz.co.nz

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 5mo ago

Another story from New Zealand on "how not to do healthcare"

Increase the occurrence of a devastating disease, which has massive treatment and rehabilitation costs (if you survive), by failing to fund an effective vaccine.

Leave disabled victims with minimal support and huge costs. Force them back to work ASAP.

Say "we don't have the resources".

We DO HAVE THE RESOURCES, we are instead choosing to have tax cuts for the rich, massive corporate profits and billionaires.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/health/594129/mum-and-double-amputee-left-to-fend-for-herself-after-frying-from-the-inside

#nzpol #health #inequality

rnz.co.nz

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 2mo ago

Replying to

@faab64@todon.eu Iranian weapons have been blowing up Ukrainian apartment buildings and shopping malls for years now. Attacks on Iran-russia logistics are entirely justified.

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 6mo ago

Replying to

@leighelse @fesshole ...imagine how much worse this could get with AI coding! New levels of unmaintainable.

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 5mo ago

I'll be going to the National Kiwi Hui in Nelson. Unfortunately both DOC and the Save the Kiwi charity have only publicised via Facebook, which I block.

Below is the post (in two parts), for everyone who doesn't do Facebook and other nasty stuff:

Save the Kiwi and the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai are pleased to announce that registrations are now open for the National Kiwi Hui, to be held at the Rutherford Hotel in Nelson from Tuesday 9 to Wednesday 11 June 2026. To register, please click on the button below. A reminder that we need a registration form completed for every person attending. With the larger conference venue this year, there is NO restriction on the number of attendees from each organisation attending.
Register here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/2026-national-kiwi-hui-tickets-1979677693272

#conservation #DOC #kiwi #KiwiHui

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eventbrite.co.nz

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 4mo ago

Replying to

@aligorith@mastodon.nz @BobLefridge@mastodon.nz ACT and National (and Labour and NZ1) all want to encourage rich people to come to NZ - people who research shows are specifically more selfish and antisocial than average, and who by definition increase inequality, and thus endanger democracy and community. Give me refugees any day. The other genuine concern about our current non-refugee immigration is that a lot of its purpose is to suppress wages. A possible solution would be a rule that no employment-based immigrant can be paid less than $40 / hour or 20% more than the relevant industry average, whichever is higher. #nzpol #immigration #inequality

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 3mo ago

Replying to

@skykiss@sfba.social That's a nice bridge they've got there! Damn shame if something were to happen to it... 💥

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@Nonilex What's the bet that the US supreme court finds that corporate price gouging is protected by the constitution somehow..

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 4mo ago

Replying to

@va2lam@mastodon.nz @aligorith@mastodon.nz @BobLefridge@mastodon.nz Yes, when I look at those rates, most are below the living wage (i.e. the bare minimum to have a very basic life in NZ), and for many people (e.g. all the ones in the vineyards etc) - it is just the minimum wage, which is not what anyone should be paid in NZ. And every time immigrants are brought in at these very low rates of pay, we drive wages down for many other workers elsewhere in NZ. Which I expect is in fact the goal for many employers and their politicians.

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@TJ1001@mastodonapp.uk Yeah, not their fault they are unimaginably wealthy in a world of desperate need! FUCK that guy.

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 6mo ago

Replying to

@randahl@mastodon.social Narcissists get angry when things don't go the way they want.

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@SeanHawley @vik Nyet, comrade. Nyet.

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@Bellingen@mastodon.au All a worthwhile sacrifice if Gina Rinehart can have $35 billion - she really needs it.

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 6mo ago

Replying to

@_elena@mastodon.social "Can you imagine Mastodon raising 100 MILLION dollars from a crypto VC fund..." Well *I* can imagine it!

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 6mo ago

Replying to

@randahl@mastodon.social I don't think Trump planned to do nothing. He planned (and still plans) to make uppity Ukraine surrender to the brutal dictator he so admires and respects.

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social

100% agree, and with your reasons.

The US does need huge reforms to prevent another MAGA takeover, but that ain't it.

Initial thoughts on some better options:

scrap the pardon power
overturn citizens united
reform the supreme court
amend constitution, getting rid of supposed 'presidential immunity'

For starters.

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 2mo ago

Replying to

@BrianJopek@mastodon.world I have a relative who was in a branch of military special forces that is very difficult to get into, and highly regarded. Two of his interests are dancing in ballet and playing piano. Hegseth's brain would not compute!

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Mastodon's Billionaire Owner @bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz

· 5mo ago

Replying to

@HamonWry@mastodon.world Yes, our techno billionaire overlords think that business can and should be completely divorced from society, people and community. Good luck with that.

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