So, the Herald, in the weekend, came out and called the anti-cycle lane movement a culture war in its editorial.

They pointed out the bleeding obvious - that cycleways aren't the reason there is not enough money to improve our roads.

They pointed out that cycleways make up 1 percent of our transport spending. It's far less than footpaths - but you never get talkback calls moaning about footpaths, do you now?

This comes after the owners of the Westmere Butchery complained about a proposed cycleway outside their door affecting business.

There's no parking outside their door. Look at Google Maps. There's 25 cars parked down Garnet Road and there's room for more. They're talking bull. They've turned out to be useful soldiers in a culture war.

So was the Wellington owner of Pandoro Bakery, whose main shop on Allens Street is 100 metres from a free supermarket carpark and there's not a cycleway nearby or even proposed.

I have no idea what their motivation is. Other than a desire to prevent us from having good things. Other than a desire to have a mediocre country.

It's the common line from politicians these days - we can only have the 'need to haves' but not the 'nice to haves'. But it's a nonsensical slogan when you can't figure out the difference between the two.

It's the 'need to have' thinking that gave us the flawed Harbour Bridge. Someone somehow figured out that 8 lanes and a railway line were a 'nice to have' and 'not a need' to have for a future growing city.

The Prime Minister claimed that the Wellington Convention Centre was a 'nice to have' and that's we don't have money to fix the burst pipes. The pipes are broken because they weren't replaced 50 years ago and now they're 100 years old. That's because someone 50 years ago decided that water pipe maintenance was a 'nice to have' and that someone in the future can pay for it when it becomes a 'need to have'.

On an overseas trip before the election, the Prime Minister gave New Zealand a serve for being wet and having no mojo.

Well, look in the mirror, Christopher and Simeon.

Businesses will look at you and all your false economy and see a so-called CEO who doesn't believe in capex or investment in plants and machinery.

And we'll look at other countries and wonder why our 'nice to haves' are their 'need to haves'.

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So the latest twist in the Treaty Principles debate is that the churches have come out against it.

More than 400 church leaders are urging MPs to vote against David Seymour's bill.

It's the latest chapter in a debate that has been described as 'divisive'.

If you don't think it's been divisive you weren't listening to Māori at the King's funeral. They're not hearing the One People argument, because they don't believe the bill promotes that. In fact, they believe the opposite. They believe the Treaty is how we achieve One People Together in agreement.

Personally, I don't care. I don't care if you support Māori and I don't care if you support Mr Seymour.

The fact of the matter is this is a virtue-signalling sideshow and it is divisive. Just like vaccinations and mandates and the Middle East.

The Treaty Principles Bill is divisive. And the reason why it's a virtue-signalling sideshow is because both National and New Zealand First have already said it won't get past the first reading. So it's a dead policy walking.

Why not kill it now and stop wasting our time, money and emotion?

Or the other parties could change their minds and help their coalition partner. But then you'll be branded as flippy-floppy.

Either way, I can't see how this helps National. You have a divided angry nation at each other's throat or you look weak.

Who's in charge of this coalition?

And speaking of which:

Former gun lobbyist Nicole McKee has used her power as a Government minister to reduce regulation for gun clubs - without any public consultation. It's not a major thing, but it is an abandonment of the true democratic process.

Perhaps National needs a reminder that when the legislation was first introduced after the mosque atrocity that every single member of National voted for it. So were you wrong then or are you wrong now?

Both these stories feel like the tail wagging the dog and makes National look weak. And I don't like that.

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I was going to start my programme today with some thoughts about the energy crisis, but something else has popped up.

But I will share with you some fun facts:

Did you know that New Zealand uses the same amount of electricity in 2024 as we did in 2004?

Even though our economic activity and population have grown immensely in the past 20 years. What happened is that we, as consumers, became more efficient with our electricity use. We started using LEDs, we started saving, we started being more careful with our use.

So the energy crunch is because we're not making as much electricity as we used to - even though we've been saving electricity ourselves

Meanwhile, did you also know that there are currently 22 renewable electricity projects fully consented but not started by the gentailers?

So sure, blame the oil and gas exploration ban and that will result in an energy crunch in 10 years.

But today's energy crisis is because the generators, who are also the retailers, have not ensured supply despite having it all available to them for years now.

I've got more on that - but right now, I have to mention outgoing Treasury head Caralee McLiesh who's leaving for a job as Australia's auditor-general.

In her exit interview she said the New Zealand Government needs to make more revenue. And the only way a Government makes more money is more taxes. She'd like to see a capital gains tax

She's like to see a capital gains tax - and she says the Government needs to save more in the big expensive items. She mentions super. She'd like to see the age limit raised.

Now, Caralee is not some crazy ideological lefty who wants to see the old and rich punished.

She's pointing out the bleeding obvious. We are structurally bad. Economists have been saying this for generations. We don't tax enough. When we tax, we tax the wrong people. We don't spend enough and when we do, we do it cheap and too late and then complain when it all starts to fall apart.

Faced with all this economic reality, the current Government decided to reduce its revenue to help some taxpayers and landlords. That's the exact opposite of what the problem needs.

And then to make things worse, they've stopped spending. And we end up with a country where pregnant Mums can't have toast, Nelson can't get a new hospital building, we run ferries that should be in museums, we run out of power and water, and then we moan we're becoming a third world country and it's all Labour's fault.

Someone has to point out the bleeding obvious now and then. I'm pretty sure nothing will happen on Caralee McLeish's advice because to change our structure would be too expensive politically. No turkey votes for Christmas.

So before you moan again about how useless this country is, remember it's the country you voted for.

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Do I need to remind you that politics is show business?

It's all about seeming to be the best instead of necessarily being the best.

This is why politicians often say the most ridiculous things and make the most outlandish promises. It’s also why they boil complex issues down to simple catchy slogans which are repeated ad nauseum until they gain their own reality.

But eventually, reality catches up.

Yesterday’s backdown over the Fast-Track legislation is proof of that. Under the coalition’s original proposal Simeon Brown, Shane Jones and Chris Bishop had the power to green-light anything, even if all advice was against it.

This was all in service of the thesis that New Zealand is bogged down in red tape. A slogan hammered time and time again in the election until a significant number of electors believed that giving 3 ministers such power was without risk - and possibly good for the country.

The coalition’s answer was totalitarian. I was flabbergasted when I first read the policy and astounded that there was not more outrage. It was immense power in the hands of 3 men.

Imagine if Michael Wood, Megan Woods, and Willie Jackson had been granted such power in the last Government. You’d be up in arms saying it was undemocratic and dictatorial. It was much more undemocratic than any co-governance plan. But we all heard silence. We’d been well trained and well indoctrinated and no one complained.

Now the National-led coalition has seen sense and now the new Fast-Track legislation means a panel of experts in the field will have more say. Which looks almost the same as Labour introduced before the last election - because it is. So in other words, this Government is no more committed to fast tracking as the last lot. So then you ask yourself - what was all that about?

It's all about politics, it's all about getting your vote.

Meanwhile, the credit agency Fitch came out with their assessment of our credit rating and with it our economy. And despite the widely distributed idea that we’re stuffed for generations - the credit agency called us an advanced and wealthy economy. Excuse me?

They paid credit to macroeconomic corrections that started during Labour’s reign. I beg your pardon?

They said New Zealand has a long-standing commitment of fiscal prudence. This is all running against the popular mantra that the last Government left an economy in tatters. It’s not in good shape but it’s also not in tatters.

Fitch pointed out that the real problem with New Zealand’s economy is our high level of household debt and a high current account deficit. In other words, we save less than we spend and make up the difference by borrowing foreign capital.

That’s on you and me and the long-running housing crisis rather than any crisis in Government spending.

But you know, politics.

Good politics says it’s all the fault of the last lot and the best Government policy is to do less. We’ve become wet, scared, and lacking mojo and confidence.

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The corner has been turned. The 5-year pandemic pandemonium has been tamed.

Inflation is down and we've had the first interest rate cut since the Reserve Bank realised they’d overstimulated everything 5 years ago.

Proof that tax cuts were not inflationary, says the Finance Minister. And that is the case, but it’s not a sign that the cost of living crisis is over. Inflation and cost of living increases are two heads of the same monster.

Tax cuts are not being sucked up by discretionary spending. But they are by increases in charges brought about by a cut in Government spending, a continued housing shortage and its costs, and local Government trying to bridge the infrastructure deficit that’s been growing for decades.

For example, my family's tax cuts are going straight onto increased rates and increased public transport costs now that the subsidies have ended.

But put on your dancing shoes - said Thomas Couglan at the Herald in the weekend. The rock star economy is back. And we can thank Luxon and Willis. This is a nightmare scenario for the opposition.

Well sure. Even though economists have been saying that would happen for a year now.

In fact, Shamubeel Eeaqub has been saying all year that a lot of money has been dormant waiting for a turn in the interest rates as a signal that it’s all back on again. So here we go.

But was the rock star economy really ever a rock star in the first place? And do we want it back?

It was an economy of growth spurred on by high immigration, low interest rates, and big capital gains from a strangled housing market. It was a rock star as long as you had property that you could raise capital on.

Throughout the glory days, many warned that there were no productivity gains, that there was too much reliance on dairy and tourism, that there was too much spending on fripperies, there was too little investment on infrastructure that made us competitive

Can we really say the rock star economy is back when we wait a month for a doctor's appointment? Or 3 months for surgery in a rotting, past its use by hospital? Can we be a rockstar economy if we can't make enough electricity? Can we say we're a rock star economy when half our water is lost in leaks?

The return of a Key Government-style rock star economy will benefit me and I'm grateful. But I want something better than that.

It's time this country put its big boy pants on and fixed the stuff that's been plaguing us for decades and makes us seem like a third-world country.

Then we will be a true rock star. And the people who manage that will be hailed as true masters of an economy.

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The winter solstice was on June 20 and 21. The longest night and the shortest day, but wisdom tells us that the depths of winter does not fall until 6 weeks after the solstice.

It takes a while for actions to provoke a reaction.

So right now is the depths of winter and much is at the worst it has ever been and ever will be.

The All Blacks lost. In front of a disappointing crowd. Many are saying the poor crowd was down to economic hardship in the capital as the Government wages war on the size of the public service.

The public service in Wellington is being slashed to cut the government spending to help the economy. However, this is all happening just as the Reserve Bank tries to fix their Covid mistake. We’re in a double squeeze.

In Covid, the Reserve Bank underestimated how well we’d operate under Covid lockdowns. With the benefit of hindsight, we know they splashed too much virtually free money. So now they have to strangle our economy after setting it on fire.

It’s debatable whether we needed a double squeeze. But here we are. Whipping ourselves big time for future good.

Meanwhile, the country is low on power. A dry winter and our gas reserves running out means that energy-dependent industries are finding it hard to make a buck and some are now on hiatus.

Reality check. We need gas. A fossil fuel and we have no alternative. Labour had a policy but no alternative.

But another reality check. From the discovery of gas to coming online takes at least 10 years, so today’s shortage is on previous governments and gas companies. No matter what Simeon Brown says.

We’re still low on health workers and the cuts on government spending suggest we’re not really going to splash cash on them.

We’re still importing 100,000 people every year and not increasing contingencies to cope with their demands, like housing and health. But we’re more than happy to count whatever money they contribute to the economy. In John Key's years, they were called our rock star economy.

To add to all of that we have one of the most negative governments I can remember who seem to enjoy telling us how bad we are and to blame it all on the past 6 years when the rot set in 30 years ago. They’ve followed a government that told us we had 9 years of neglect.

No wonder we have a generation wanting to leave. Government after government promising the world and making no difference and telling us how rubbish we are.

But then we watch our Olympians and their work ethic and we feel good.

Then we discover that all regions are having an economic recovery. Except for Wellington for obvious reasons.

And we have an OCR statement later this week.

Could it be the long winter of discontent is finally over and we have green shoots and a good spring to come?

New Zealand is where I want to be. We’re not the cot case the Government portrays. We do need to rediscover our mojo. We need to stop saying no to good ideas. We need better public transport, we need more houses, we need more gas. We need to look after ourselves.

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I have always avoided getting into the Treaty principles debate.

It’s just too much of a swamp to get trapped in.

Either you’re for David Seymour's debate on a reset, in which case some will call you a racist.

Or you’re against a select committee debate means the racists will call you a wokester.

Both of which are gross exaggerations of what’s really going down, so it’s best to just avoid it.

However, with the resignation of Dr Anthony Jordan from the Pharmac board, I find myself truly confused.

Dr Jordan quit over the Government's treaty directive. David Seymour told Pharmac it was inappropriate for the agency to keep considering the Treaty of Waitangi in the health sector.

Dr Jordan said he "could not with good conscience" continue to work for the agency following that direction.

But as an outsider, I can’t understand how the treaty was factored into Pharmac’s decisions.

If ever there was an agency that’s work was based on need, it’s Pharmac. Everybody gets sick, everybody needs medicine. Pharmac’s job is to decide what medicines work for New Zealand.

While it’s true that Māori get some illnesses more than others it’s still a need. If that need is great enough it may get funded.

It’s a bit like the belief that the Māori Health Authority and Te Whatu Ora’s setup meant that Māori received priority in healthcare. It’s a factor to be looked out for in identifying need but at the end of the day nobody jumped the queue. Once your need is identified you join a raceless list based on priority.

But Dr Anthony Jordan has now resigned, and I wonder if he’s ever considered that this will have more effect on Māori seeking equitable healthcare results from Māori than David Seymour's war on Treaty principles.

Dr Jordan is, by the way, the partner of a Labour MP and his resignation smacks to me more of political virtue signalling than standing up for Māori in the healthcare system.

The question for Dr Jordan is: Was it better to be fighting for Māori inside the tent or sitting around outside the tent moaning and achieving nothing at all?

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There is only one story in town.

I realised this when I entered the newsroom and everyone was still itching to talk about it.

Firstly, I am so glad the assassin was unsuccessful.

The repercussions from this attempt are already dramatic enough. If Trump had been slaughtered, then the reaction could have been disastrous for the United States.

Imagine January 6 and the insurrection and then multiply that horror by a thousand. Every Trumpist and their dog would be reaching for their guns right now and the chances of an uprising or a civil war would have increased dramatically.

Obviously, there was a failure in the security detail, the assassination was only averted by a chance movement of the president's head, even though he was already in the sights of a Secret Service sniper.

This is disturbing - but also unfortunate in that the rumour mill online now suggests that the Biden camp had deliberately scaled down security for Trump despite obvious signs the whole election race was getting tetchy.

I don't believe this because the sniper had the shooter in his sights. The attempt was preventable, but the Secret Service has lost its edge. This is also understandable, considering this was the first attempt on a President in 40 years.

Meanwhile, the escalating tension has been covered by the MSM for some time now, complete with warnings that it could all get too real. This means that many supporters at the rally believed it was the media's fault. "You wanted political violence well you got it". Or- "the liberal media is responsible", one person said. Warning it's rising is not wishing it would happen.

This shows that many have fallen for the 'look over there' trick played by many politicians and media commentators. Shooting the messenger and not listening to the message is a weakness. When a truth is not liked by a politician they attack the media. They've been doing this for decades.

And then tension in the States is spreading. In my whole life, I have never heard more commentary on the left and the right. There is no left and right in America. Their left is right of our National Party.

But there is a real battle between liberals and conservatives. And it centres on touch paper issues like immigration and abortion and governmental overreach in civic life. And the language used is extreme and exaggerated to drive home the points, and that creates anger and dispute. And we end up with the disunited states of America.

And the real question is whether there can be a return to civil public discourse.

Biden has already expressed this and a desire to bring unity back to the United States in an address from the Oval Office.

And I will ask the question - can the US discover unity, or have we gone too far down a track of division?

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