Politics

NZ MAGA'fuckation

About a month of MAGA'fuckation importation by the New Zealand Government

Robin Capper

Robin Capper

— 15 min read
NZ MAGA'fuckation
MAGA'fuckation: Usage suggests the term is meant to describe the perceived adoption or importation of MAGA-style politics or rhetoric into other countries, in this case New Zealand, with a strongly negative connotation. (Copilot)
Money, Money, Money, Christopher Luxon
It’s a Rich (Wo)Man’s World
Mountain TūīMountain Tūī

Christopher Luxon earns $45,000 from taxpayers for renting out his property to himself

Last-minute change puts oil and gas cleanup decisions in ministers’ hands
A significant 11th-hour change will hand new powers to two ministers, and gave the opposition less than 23 hours to prepare.
RNZRussell Palmer

"They have bowed to the suggestions of the oil and gas companies and done what they wanted"

Kaipara councillors to lodge complaint over mayor’s vote irregularity claim
The final vote was taken behind closed doors after a tense, testy debate with about 20 members of the public present.
RNZPeter Degraaf

Mayor ejects public and media from meeting where he claims electoral corruption

Would a stricter dress code bring political order?
The clothing of our politicians has become increasingly casual and political in recent years.
RNZ

Men in suits wreak havoc while complaining about dress codes

The pig welfare reforms that roll back pig welfare
Changes announced by the animal welfare minister turn out not to be what they say on the label.
RNZAlexia Russell

Andrew Hoggard admitted his proposals would "not be welcomed by all those with an interest in animal welfare". The associate agriculture minister was right.

Govt’s independent animal welfare experts disagreed with pig welfare reforms
The associate agriculture minister announced the rewrite, which undoes a ban on farrowing crates, despite concerns raised by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee.
RNZAnusha Bradley

Government reverses an animal welfare provision agreed years ago because $

Simeon Brown accuses doctors of crossing ‘ethical line’ with mega strike
There were audible cries of disbelief during Simeon Brown’s speech to senior doctors today.
RNZRuth Hill

The Health Minister undermines the Public System while funding private providers

‘Footnote in history’: Constitutional experts shrug off Regulatory Standards Bill tweaks
David Seymour says NZ First’s changes to his bill are a ‘win-win’, not a backdown - but experts say the way it’s been handled means it is unlikely to have lasting impact.
RNZRussell Palmer

The RSB, a smash and grab by a minor party to fundamentally change NZ and embed their shitty principles

Winston Peters accuses Broadcasting Standards Authority of ‘Soviet era stasi’ censorship
Winston Peters, Free Speech Union and veteran journalist Sean Plunket react to BSA’s decision to regulate podcasts and online media.
RNZLillian Hanly

The BSA doing their job, the BSA with no power. The BSA cannot revoke broadcast licenses, impose criminal penalties, or award punitive damages beyond actual harm. Its powers are primarily focused on remedying specific breaches and deterring future violations through public accountability. 

PPTA teachers strike on day of NCEA exams - the dates to know
About 21,000 secondary school teachers are walking off the job after stalled talks.
RNZ, Morningreport

Teachers, underpaid, under-resourced and expected to implement rushed syllabus changes

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blames unions for ongoing strike action
“I think people are getting sick of unions prioritising the politics over patients,” Christopher Luxon says.
RNZMorningreport

The unions are made of people

Government lowers methane target, rules out methane taxes
The government is lowering its biogenic methane target for the next 25 years and is ruling out agricultural taxes on methane emissions.
RNZRNZ News

Renege on climate commitments, NZ goes from leading to reversing

Government ‘missed opportunity’ to price methane - climate scientist
But the Climate Change Minister said the new lower methane target would give farmers certainty and keep the country on track to meet its other climate commitments.
RNZAnneke Smith
Selling Chorus securities is ‘hocking off’ debt not assets, Finance Minister says
The government had invested $1 billion in Chorus’ fibre network.
RNZAmy Williams

Asset sales to fund tax cuts

Minister rejects Jobseeker eligibility changes is about meeting government targets
Young people wanting to get Jobseeker Support will now have to take a parental income test from November nex year.
RNZLillian Hanly

They can't meet their own targets by growing employment, so change the eligibility to boot people off instead (see housing)

New social housing plan falls far short of need - city missioners
The Auckland City Mission says the Housing First programme will not meet the level of need in Aotearoa.
RNZPretoria Gordon

They can't meet their own targets by growing housing, so change the eligibility to boot people off instead (see Jobseeker)

Government unveils strategy for the defence industry
The plan will lift New Zealand’s defence spending to more than 2 percent in the next eight years with the Defence Minister seeking to have New Zealand develop weapons for export.
RNZRNZ News

But no action to remove our sunken Navy ship from a Samoan reef

Government stops short of major energy shakeup, rejects asset sale
The government has indicated it is willing to back major electricity projects with fresh investment, though the questions of what, when, or how much remain unanswered.
RNZGiles Dexter,

They back old technology (gas), fund the existing industry that has failed to transform, and tinker where radical change is needed

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon asks Labour leader Chris Hipkins to support offshore gas exploration
The prime minister’s attempts to get bipartisan support for offshore exploration for natural gas has been written off an an “ham-fisted political stunt”, by the Labour Party leader
RNZRNZ News

Released a letter to the opposition to the press, before the intended recipient even saw it, then pretends that's fine

Kiwis ‘can be proud’ NZ isn’t recognising Palestine yet - PM Christopher Luxon
New Zealand was among only a handful of countries - including the US, Japan and South Korea - which had not formally recognised Palestinian statehood.
RNZMorningreport

NZ used to lead foreign policy, now we follow Trump's wishes (see below)

Winston Peters keeping opinion on Donald Trump speech to himself
Trump has accused a growing number of UN member states of rewarding Hamas by recognising a Palestinian state.
RNZAnneke Smith

(See above)

‘NZ on wrong side of history on Palestine’ - Helen Clark
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark said the government’s decision not to recognise a Palestinian state was very disappointing.
RNZAnneke Smith

Someone not afraid to make a tough call in the past, and she went to Gaza to see for herself. In 2003, Clark criticised the Invasion of Iraq without an explicit United Nations mandate, and her government opposed New Zealand military action in the Iraq War

‘Slowest folk on the planet’: Luxon says he wants votes to be counted faster
The prime minister says he expects the Electoral Commission to speed up the official vote count after an election.
RNZLillian Hanly

Government intent to change voter registration to disadvantage (if were implemented last election) over 150,000 voters who mostly do not favour them

Inquiry to look into National’s Carl Bates’ failure to declare properties
The MP for Whanganui, Carl Bates, failed to declare properties linked to him and his family, but says he was complying with the rules.
RNZRussell Palmer

He's rich, he's sorted' the sequel That was Luxon’s quip when asked by a journalist about the tax-free capital gains he made on selling two of his properties was. "Let me be clear: I'm wealthy, I'm ‒ you know ‒ sorted."

Health Minister promises 75,000 more procedures under $65m plan
Simeon Brown says the money comes from savings in other areas and a pool set aside by the government.
RNZRNZ News

Every government health budget cent spent on private health undermines the public health system (see below)

NZ’s shift to more private healthcare will likely raise costs and reduce quality: what the evidence tells us
Analysis: Studies show public healthcare is more likely to lead to better health outcomes, and diverting public funds to private healthcare erodes the quality of public care.
RNZKaaren Mathias*

"It is actively funding private healthcare and has directed Health New Zealand to give 10-year contracts to private hospitals for elective surgeries"

‘Overstayers not a problem’: Migrant advocates criticise govt’s proposed deportation laws
They say the tougher deportation laws put Pacific people at risk and are hypocritical.
RNZTeuila Fuatai

"Australia have done it [501 deportations] to us, so now we are, in turn, going to do it to the Pacific."

Green MP Benjamin Doyle farewells ‘hostile and toxic’ Parliament
Outgoing Green MP Benjamin Doyle delivered their valedictory speech to a Debating Chamber today.
RNZLillian Hanly

Some of the toxicity led by Government Coalition members (see below)

Green MP Benjamin Doyle away from Parliament this week after death threats
“We have a member of parliament that has been subjected to immense abuse and real-world death threats,” the party says.
RNZGalleryreporters
Members of NZ’s Latin American community shocked, offended by NZ First MPs’ comments
Winston Peters and Shane Jones’ comments during a debate raise “huge red flags” for the community, leaders say.
RNZRayssa Almeida

During a debate on Tuesday, Shane Jones [NZ First Cabinet Minister] yelled "send the Mexicans home" across the floor. Winston Peters [NZ First Deputy PM] then told Green MPs Lawrence Xu-Nan and Francisco Hernandez to "show some gratitude" for being in New Zealand.

Winston Peters, Shane Jones again attack migrant Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March
Rather than apologise, Winston Peters indicated he will seek to update Parliament’s standing orders.
RNZGiles Dexter
Luxon allowing MPs ‘to run rings around him with anti-migrant sentiment’, Menéndez March says
The Mexican ambassador appears to have more influence over Winston Peters than the prime minister himself, a Green MP says.
RNZMorningreport
Todd McClay calls Canterbury Regional Council’s nitrate emergency declaration ‘gimmicky’
Canterbury Regional Council, known as Environment Canterbury (ECan), carried a motion to declare a nitrate emergency at its final meeting on Wednesday.
RNZ, Morningreport

So farmers can keep polluting...

Casey Costello breached rules by giving tobacco industry-friendly document to health officials
But the inquiry has still not revealed who wrote the ‘mystery document’, which claimed nicotine was no more harmful than caffeine.
RNZGuyon Espiner

Health policy with wording the same as that written by vape makers? 'Previous NZ First policy positions' just appear in the (NZ First) Ministers office yet she 'did not know who wrote the document or even who left it on her desk.'. Very convenient.

RMA reform minister Chris Bishop brands Eden Park concert restrictions ‘absurd, arbitrary’
But he insists his review of the rules will be balanced, with local community consultation.
RNZMorningreport

You start a review with the opinion something is 'absurd, arbitrary' but maintain it will be balanced.

Government health spending claims ‘inflated’ and ‘misleading’ - study
The Ministry of Health was using old data and including GST to make ‘misleading’ health spending claims, a new report has found.
RNZRuth Hill

Government claims that New Zealand's health spending outstripped the OECD average were "misleading", but are still being quoted

Budget documents find $8.5 billion gap between costs and savings
Treasury has released a suite of documents, showing how the Budget came together over the course of one year.
RNZGiles Dexter

Changes to welfare, tax reliefs, and revenue were suggested as options.

Waitangi Treaty, Māori dropped from new English, maths curriculums, teachers say
Teachers and principals warn the government was erasing decades of progress.
RNZJohn Gerritsen

"Taking away someone's language and identity is a loss of a people and of a culture," he said. "I don't think it will ever get to that stage, but we seem to have gone backwards."

Christopher Luxon hypes Amazon data centre opening
The Prime Minister says Amazon is spending $7.5b on data centres - a move the company announced four years ago.
RNZRussell Palmer

it was hailed as a new project but started years ago and no new data centre has been built. It is servers in existing facilities and an abandoned building site in West Auckland (see below)

Opinion: Amazon gives up building its own Auckland data centre, as power prices soar
The aborted construction of Amazon’s west Auckland data centre shows just how much has changed in four years.
RNZJonathan Milne

We have now learned that six months ago, after a year of drilling and digging, the construction of the west Auckland data centre finally ground to a halt. The company is rumoured to have blown $40 million; it's not known if that is on top of the $33m spent buying the land. The earthworks have been flattened, leaving an empty, featureless site for the next developer. The wetland has not been reinstated.

Watch: PM announcement on new exemption to foreign buyers’ ban
Foreign investors to be able to buy or build a NZ house worth at least $5 million.
RNZCraig Mcculloch

Wealthy foreigners on a so-called "golden visa" will be allowed to buy a luxury home in New Zealand once more,

Fewer Marsden Fund grants after government cuts
A major research fund has been forced to slash its grant allocation by more than $20 million next year.
RNZMary Argue

Last year, a directive saw the fund abandon support for social sciences and humanities

Plans to grant Conservation Minister sole authority over land
Federated Mountain Clubs said it would strip away democratic process and prioritise commercial interests.
RNZNinetonoon

At present, delivery of different strategies and management plans were approved by the National Conservation Authority or local Conservation Boards, which were often made up of government and iwi representatives, and members of the public.

MAGA'fuckation Sentiment Analysis:

Overtly Negative: The term is clearly pejorative. The suffix “-fuckation” conveys anger, frustration, or ridicule, implying that the spread of MAGA ideology is not just unwelcome but actively harmful.
Contextual Usage: It’s used in contexts where the speaker believes MAGA-style rhetoric or policy is being imported into other countries—especially those with traditionally different political cultures (e.g., New Zealand).
Tone: The tone is often one of alarm or satire, combining political critique with vulgarity to emphasize perceived extremism or absurdity.

🌍 Cultural Implications
Globalization of U.S. Political Rhetoric: The term reflects a growing concern that MAGA’s populist, nationalist, and anti-establishment themes are influencing politics beyond the U.S.
Resistance Language: It functions as a rhetorical weapon for critics who want to draw attention to what they see as creeping authoritarianism or cultural regression. (Copilot)

MAGA'fuckation Usage timeline

I wondered if I had coined the term MAGA'fuckation, initially typed MAGA'fication, but it has some history. Table from Copilot:

DateUse (exact text)PlatformUsername
2017-03-12"maga'fuckation" used as a snarky portmanteau in reply to a MAGA threadTwitter/X@snarky_reply
2018-07-21"If this is MAGA-fuckation, count me out" in a comment on a political threadReddit (r/politics)u/politicsObserver88
2019-11-05"Pure maga'fuckation energy" in meme caption beneath an imageInstagram@meme.curator
2020-11-04"The maga'fuckation is real tonight" in reply to election coverageTwitter/X@elex_reactor
2021-01-07"maga'fuckation" used in criticism of January 6 eventsFacebook public postMichael J. Commenter
2022-06-14Term used in a YouTube video title summarizing far-right rhetoricYouTubeChannel: PoliticalZing
2023-09-02"Stop the maga'fuckation" as a slogan in an activist Telegram channelTelegram@activist_hub
2024-10-30Appeared in a subreddit megathread discussing campaign rhetoricReddit (r/politicaldiscussion)u/debateModerator
2025-04-18Used sarcastically in comment threads beneath a political TikTokTikTok@commentary_clips

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