STOCKHOLM (ANP) – Energy supplier Vattenfall has nearly doubled its profit in the first three quarters of this year. The Swedish company, one of the largest energy suppliers in the Netherlands, benefited from higher electricity prices. Wind energy also made a larger contribution to its profit. However, total revenue was lower.

Electricity prices rose, particularly in Scandinavia, where they more than doubled in the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year. In the Netherlands and Germany, electricity prices increased by more than 20 percent. According to Vattenfall, this was driven by higher gas prices resulting from the war in the Middle East and concerns regarding gas reserves ahead of the winter. Wholesale electricity prices tend to track gas prices.

Vattenfall’s net profit rose by 90 percent to 24.8 billion Swedish kronor—approximately 2.2 billion Euros. Conversely, revenue fell to 148.3 billion kronor, a decrease of 19.5 billion kronor compared to the first nine months of last year.

You may wonder what is behind the constant increase in NZ’s power prices, which like KCDC Rates are well up on inflation.

The major NZ generators+retailers (‘gentailers’) are:

• Genesis Energy, Meridian Energy, and Mercury Energy: The New Zealand Government holds a 51% majority stake in each of these three major “gentailer” companies under a mixed ownership model (MOM). [1, 2]
• Contact Energy: The fourth major gentailer is 100% publicly traded and privately owned. [1, 2]
• Independent Generators: Roughly 80 smaller or independent generation companies make up the rest of the market. But together, the Big Four gentailers produce about 90% of the country’s electricity.
• The record of the gentailers’ power price increases over the last 5 years:

• 2022: Increased by 0.29% to 2.4%
• 2023: Increased by 3.2% to 4.9%
• 2024: Increased by 3.1% to 5.9%
• 2025: Increased by 6.5% to 12.2%
• 2026 (Q1–Q2): Increased by approximately 12% to 12.5% year-on-year, with average household and small business power bills rising around 6.8% to 8% in early-year updates

Why the recent increase well above inflation?

Opportunities for who and for doing what?

It’s a created party whose leader (chosen via a job advertisement for the role!) expresses meaningless platitudes and tries to be all things to all people — but is entirely unconvincing. Nigel Wilson says he has yet to see the TOP’s Kapiti candidate at any meeting. Why be a candidate if you’re not going to campaign? If they do manage to get into parliament on the back of the Legacy Media pushing them, they’ll just be a waste of space.

Old French railway telephones

I don’t blame you if you didn’t watch this week’s TV One Māori issues debate. It was pretty much what you’d expect, with the notable exception of ACT’s Nicole McKee, who stood out as a shining beacon of common sense and unity amid a sea of racism, with the other parties pushing separate systems for different New Zealanders.

If you think every New Zealander should be equal before the law, without separatist policies dividing us, then please Party Vote ACT.

Nicole stood firm in her defence of healthcare being based on need, not race. She pointed to practical ways ACT has improved lives for all New Zealanders, including Māori, and opposed people being forced to speak Māori while supporting the freedom of people to do so if they choose.

Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori want separate race-based institutions, billions more of taxpayer money spent on programmes for only one group, and unelected bodies like the Waitangi Tribunal given the power to override our democratic Parliament. It would be laughable if it weren’t for the prospect that, unless we lock them out, that’s exactly what’s on the agenda.

Here’s what that looks like:

Labour wants to bring back co-governance under a different name, and go back to awarding government contracts on the basis of race.

The Greens want Waitangi Tribunal recommendations made binding on the Government.

Te Pāti Māori wants an unelected Treaty Commissioner with the power to veto decisions of our elected Parliament.

Nicole made the point that ACT’s policies are for all New Zealanders. If you need healthcare, you should get it based on clinical need, not who your ancestors were. Picture two families on the same street, with the same bills and the same struggles. One ticks the right box and gets the help. The other gets nothing. Go and explain to that second family how that’s fair.

That’s why, in Government, ACT:

ended race-based bowel cancer screening and lowered the age

⁠ended the 8 per cent target that handed out government contracts by ethnicity

scrapped co-governed three waters and the Māori Health Authorityrepealed the law that put a child in state care’s race ahead of their safety

Charter schools are another example. They may be the programme making the biggest difference for Māori children, and those from other backgrounds too, yet Labour wants to shut them down because their union mates don’t like them. That’s despite these schools lifting attendance and engaging children who had been let down by the state system.

Children need to be going to school. Education is the pathway from poverty to prosperity. When Labour left government, only a third of Māori children were regularly attending school. With David Seymour in charge of attendance, that’s improved to half, but we still need to go much further.

None of this is safe. The Coalition hasn’t gone as far as ACT would like, but it has gone further than it ever would have without us. Imagine what more ACT MPs could do. We’ll put equality before the law into the Constitution Act, add property rights to the Bill of Rights, end race-based hiring in the public service, keep tikanga from becoming a separate source of law, and make the Waitangi Tribunal’s job finishing the remaining settlements, then wind it up. And we’ll make sure that you aren’t forced to say karakia or other spiritual prayers as part of public sector employment or resource consents.

But we need more ACT MPs to have the strength to get this across the line.

A Party Vote for ACT is just as effective at stopping Labour as a Party Vote for National, but it means more MPs who staunchly oppose racist policies and will never back down on equal rights.

Here are two things you can do today:Vote now if you haven’t already. You can vote at any voting place until 7pm on Saturday 7 November. Find yours at map.vote.nz/voting-places, and Party Vote ACT.⁠

Ask three people to Party Vote ACT. Friends, family, workmates, neighbours. Forward them this email. A message from someone they trust counts for far more than any ad.I think about my grandchildren, and I want them to grow up in a country where what they do matters more than who they are. With your Party Vote for ACT, we can ensure the Coalition is re-elected, and make it go further and faster on uniting New Zealanders under One Law for All and One Future Together.

Thank you,

Paul Henry ACT Candidate

P.S. Right now, Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori MPs are mobilising their supporters to drive as many people as they can to get out and vote. It’s going to be tight. Party Vote ACT before 7pm on Saturday 7 November.

roil: to stir up, churn, or make a liquid cloudy by disturbing its sediment, or to throw a situation, market, or crowd into a state of turbulent agitation.

Often used to refer to halfwit politicans and warmongers throwing a system, economy, or organization into disorder or uncertainty

This wants tens of Billions more.

You know what they say about giving cash to an addict. pic.twitter.com/5WAzLFlTrV

— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) October 29, 2026

By Roger Childs

Linus firmly believes that on Halloween night the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch and flies all over the world delivering toys to all good children everywhere. –Charles Schultz

Kiwis get into the spirit

Last Saturday at Parkrun in Otaihanga there were people decked out in black with funny hats, and this evening, weird-looking kids are set to prowl the streets tonight with expectant faces and large bags! it’s that time again; have your candy/sweets ready.

We didn’t celebrate this favourite American day when I was a kid, however, with the influence of American culture many Kiwi youngsters dress up on October 31 and head out trick or treating.

The Peanuts fans among you will recall the patient Linus camping out every year on Halloween night, waiting for the Great Pumpkin to rise from the patch.

Very amusing, but all rather strange! Linus’s friends use to tease him because the big vegetable never put in an appearance. However that didn’t stop the lad living in hope and nestling down in the garden.

Stepped in history

There are plenty of interesting historical links for Halloween. The Celts in Ireland celebrated the Samhain festival as autumn melded into winter. It is possible that this dates back more than 5 000 years!

The traditional colours today have historic links:

• orange for harvest
• black for the death of summer.

There was a superstitious element, as it was thought that at this time the souls of the dead  would emerge. The Mexicans have a major festival to remember the Day of the Dead. So marauding ghosts were a worry and costumes were worn and fires lit to keep them at bay.

Christian leaders have used many so-called ‘pagan’ celebrations for their own festivals as in the cases of Christmas and Easter.

In the eighth century Pope Gregory III decided that Samhain could be morphed into a time for remembering the saints, so November 1 became All Saints Day.

The day before was known as All Hallows Eve and so the modern name of Halloween developed. The Catholic Church also decided that this would also be a good time to remember the dead, so November 2 became All Souls Day.

Mexico’s Day of the Dead

The Christian remembrances also tie in neatly with the traditions of indigenous people in Mexico.

They believe that the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31, and the spirits of all deceased children (angelitos) are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours. On November 2, the spirits of the adults come down to enjoy the festivities that are prepared for them. Mexican Sugar Skull website

So The Day of the Dead is a major Mexican holiday and in Wellington on November 2 the Mexican Embassy will have their traditional cocktail party.

Remembering Halloween in style

The festival is remembered around the world and dates back deep into western civilization. Certainly the Americans go to town and 31 October is a holiday over there. Apparently one quarter of all candy sold in the USA in a year, is at Halloween!

New Zealand has now embraced Halloween and it’s been discussed on National Radio. Most folk have some treats in the cupboard for the children who will call round tonight in their ghoulish costumes and fancy dress.

Some religious communities and schools take a very dim view of the festival, but in fact it was the Christian Church that incorporated the ancient Samhain festival into the main stream.

So enjoy Halloween, the kids love dressing up and it’s a fun time.

This may even be the year when Linus’s perseverance is rewarded and the Great Pumpkin might rise from the patch.

Dressing up as friendly goblins, witches and warlocks for Trick or Treat neighbourhood visits is a popular pastime for juveniles and teenagers on Halloween.

The combined cost of Labour, the Greens and Opportunity promises are a staggering $249,773 per household, even before adding in Te Pāti Māori’s uncostable ‘policy’ package.

Compare that with $18,880 per household for the combined promises of National, ACT and New Zealand First.