Paul Hellyer on nostr

Recent Notes

I think this is one of the most damning things about him as Prime Minister. He clearly is not getting any better, he is not growing into the job and isn't showing any sign of improvement. I can only put that down to his complete lack of curiosity about himself and his role mixed with an overdose of arrogance.

leighelse{} · 2w

nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqfcvj6w04tp83z4wx5dr3znmp0v6kdevcf4m5wra6342tv0jn2y5qz9ycjt ... and his complete misunderstanding of what a Prime Minister's responsibilities are.

note1kk3y7...

Paul Hellyer @Paul Hellyer 1785356798

@nprofile1q... When you are a follower of Trumpism, this is how you do politics - brazen, naked corruption right out in the open for all to see because there are zero consequences. The social fabric tears a little more and people's faith in our democracy diminishes again.

🇳🇿 Shayne Parkinson · 3w

View from Rangikapiti Pa, Doubtless Bay. https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/000/509/924/387/478/original/e7b2c8d695dbb366.jpg

Paul Hellyer @Paul Hellyer 1785288272

@nprofile1q... So picturesque!

🇳🇿 Shayne Parkinson · 3w

nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqfcvj6w04tp83z4wx5dr3znmp0v6kdevcf4m5wra6342tv0jn2y5qz9ycjt it really is a lovely part of the country, and makes for a very nice winter break.

JustSaying · 4w

Another week another climate change disaster, that National is on track to solve, on track but in reverse. #NZpol https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/weather/792564/wellington-under-severe-thunderstorm-warn...

Paul Hellyer @Paul Hellyer 1784941758

@nprofile1q... It still staggers me that in the reporting of all these weather events, there is never any mention of climate change. It's especially galling when farmers tell their undoubtedly distressing stories of the impact of floods, etc. without any sense of their impact on it. To be fair, all of us who use fossil fuels in one way or another are complicit, but farmers, especially under this government, appear to have a pretty much a free hand not to face up to their role in the climate crisis.

JustSaying · 4w

nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqfcvj6w04tp83z4wx5dr3znmp0v6kdevcf4m5wra6342tv0jn2y5qz9ycjt Farmers (not all just ones who MSM covers): I want some one to solve climate change as it's really impacting my profits, I don't want to in any way have to change what I do though.

Paul Hellyer

@Paul Hellyer 1784928575

There is a story in today's Otago Daily Times* that the University Bookshop is downsizing to basically just textbooks as well as moving location. We always visited the bookshop whenever we were in Dunedin. Mum and Dad were also regularly visitors and many of the children's books were bought there. It is/was the most wonderful bookshop. It will be very much missed and I feel quite sad about it to be honest.

* [Paywalled but accessible via Pressreader with Library card]

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/jobs-to-go-as-beloved-dunedin-book-shop-shrinks-p65ydxbu

leighelse{} · 4w

In three announcements last Thursday, the Trump admministration signalled the end of democracy in the USA. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/22/stephen-miller-marco-rubio-trump-speec...

Paul Hellyer @Paul Hellyer 1784753055

@nprofile1q... This is a very good, but chilling, article. I couldn't help thinking that the attack on "leftwing political terrorism" especially by Miller, reminded me of Peter's recent "snivelling wokesters" comment. It is part of the same pattern of denigrating, labelling, and belittling someone who thinks differently to you. His comment is part of the some broad trend of the right to demonise perceived enemies. And we all know where that leads, don't we? Chilling indeed.

Bob LeFridge :tinoflag: · 4w

"Democracies do not die to soundtracks. They die on ordinary weekdays, between the earnings reports, while the country is at work." This feels like a significant historical point for New Zealand. At a time when EU countries are severing their reliance on the US, the warm embrace of US nationalism b...

Paul Hellyer

@Paul Hellyer 1784599005

It is so weird to me that the response from National to its declining poll results is the need to "work harder".

"Senior National MPs are not happy with another bleak poll result, saying the party must work harder."

The Protestant work ethic is so ingrained into the capitalist/neo-liberal paradigm that working "harder" must inevitably bring its own rewards. Working harder usually means working longer of course. Ask a South Auckland mum about her two cleaning jobs while bringing up children and you will know what real hard work looks like.

Everything takes longer, is more expensive and more emotionally crippling when poor. Few, if any, National MPs would understand that.

I would suggest to National try being kinder if you want to improve your poll results. But we all know how well that suggestion would go down.

#NZPol

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics/758827/senior-national-mps-unhappy-with-bleak-rnz-reid-research-poll-result

Bill Bennett · 4w

nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqfcvj6w04tp83z4wx5dr3znmp0v6kdevcf4m5wra6342tv0jn2y5qz9ycjt There's definitely a whiff of "The floggings will continue until morale improves" about that story. There's no point working harder if the work you're doing is the wrong work.

JeremyJupiterJones :tinoflag: · 4w

nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqfcvj6w04tp83z4wx5dr3znmp0v6kdevcf4m5wra6342tv0jn2y5qz9ycjt Speaking of the Protestant work ethic, cruelty to those perceived as less deserving is also ingrained into the privileged mindset.

Paul Hellyer

@Paul Hellyer 1784591624

Landlords eh? Some of the worst people.

Mega landlord has eight firms in court-ordered receivership

"Eight companies controlled by so-called Wellington mega-landlord Matthew Ryan are in court-ordered receivership."

But wait, there's more.

"Previous charges Ryan appeared in court last year facing multiple serious criminal charges, including firearm possession, strangulation, and making and distributing intimate visual recordings. "

As someone on Reddit noted, this is the type of person the government gave tax breaks to so they could turn school lunches into inedible mush.

BusinessDesk via archive.is

https://archive.is/2026.07.20-060811/https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/law-regulation/mega-landlord-has-eight-firms-in-court-ordered-receivership

Bob LeFridge :tinoflag: · 4w

Unfortunately the archive site is down at the moment. I'm sure it's only temporary and I'll retry later. nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqfcvj6w04tp83z4wx5dr3znmp0v6kdevcf4m5wra6342tv0jn2y5qz9ycjt

Paul Hellyer

@Paul Hellyer 1784347403

We watched Under Salt Marsh (TVNZ+) this week. It's a moody crime/thriller drama about two child murders in coastal a fictional Welsh town facing fooding and extinction due to rising ocean levels. Lots of finely drawn, imperfect characters, especially the two leads, Detective Eric Bull, played by Rafe Spall, who leads the investigation and ends up having to work with a former police partner, Jackie Ellis played by Kelly Reilly. There is bad blood between them and their relationship is a key theme. But there are others, not least is the question of whether the town can survive. Some viewers said it was slow, and while there are lots of moody drone shots of the salt marshes and coastline, we were engrossed in it and enjoyed the not-frenetic pacing. Anything that involves crime and children can be pretty dark but this was handled with sensitivity and nuance.

#TVReview

https://theconversation.com/under-salt-marsh-detective-drama-uses-the-welsh-coast-to-explore-climate-anxiety-274156

🇳🇿 Shayne Parkinson · 5w

nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqfcvj6w04tp83z4wx5dr3znmp0v6kdevcf4m5wra6342tv0jn2y5qz9ycjt we enjoyed that one, too, and your description is excellent. We're currently caught up in "Missed Call", which is proving engrossing, and has some lovely French scenery as a bonus.

leighelse{} · 5w

nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqfcvj6w04tp83z4wx5dr3znmp0v6kdevcf4m5wra6342tv0jn2y5qz9ycjt I watched the first three episodes while flying to Australia in June, expecting to watch the remainder on the flight home but ... damn! the returning plane didn't have the series on boar...

Strypey · 5w

But this time Labour only got 2 terms. Most of which they had to spend dealing with a global pandemic, rather than building up a thick layer of budgetary fat for the Nats to misappropriate. With very ...

Paul Hellyer @Paul Hellyer 1784343044

@nprofile1q... The thing about the scenario you paint - which I don't disagree with - is that it is very much how the world was in the 1990s/2000s. But we are beyond those times now. We need radical change if we are to survive the oncoming return of feudalism and the effects of climate catastrophe. Business as usual won’t cut it anymore. Maybe I am part of the problem by supporting Labour - which is very much a "business-as-usual" party. Dunno. Feels pretty grim sometimes.

Paul Hellyer

@Paul Hellyer 1784321824

A fascinating blog post (Substack - you have been warned) about the decline in the share price of Netflix which is down some 50% over the past few months. The author, Ted Gioia, argues that the 'audience capture' strategy - get people hooked, spend less of programming, then raise prices - pursued by Netflix is no longer working. This mirrors my own experience as we no longer subscribe to Netflix because there is little worth watching - for the price they now charge.

Other companies, such as Spotify, are also facing similar challenges. Even Meta (spits on the ground) suffered its first decline in users in the first quarter of 2026. Turns out people don't like being exploited. Who knew?

https://www.honest-broker.com/p/the-collapse-at-netflix-signals-the

Matt Willis · 5w

nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqu30qt9zmc0zt2ug3xajphserc0fedxnh62u4v9wphhje4yntujkqh5fh5u nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kyqpqfcvj6w04tp83z4wx5dr3znmp0v6kdev...

Paul Hellyer @Paul Hellyer 1784180674

@nprofile1q... @nprofile1q... From a policy perspective yes, National is aligned with ACT. But MPs are ambitious creatures and National MPs, especially any 2 term ones, won't take too kindly to having to make way for ACT and NZF getting too much of the spoils of office.