Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, April 20th, 2021 - 19 comments
A damning report into National’s PPP contract for construction of Transmission Gully has concluded that the maximum price the government would pay was set too low, project bidders soon worked this out and that proposals were “value managed down” or made cheaper on designs and timelines that created risks that would eventually manifest themselves after procurement once construction commenced.
Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, April 16th, 2021 - 30 comments
National has released its housing policy and the proposals are predictable. Free up more land, loosen up the RMA, and require Councils in high growth areas to urgently review their district plans.
Written By: - Date published: 7:28 am, April 14th, 2021 - 10 comments
Simon Bridges had added to rumours of a leadership challenge by pledging support for Judith Collins as leader “at this time”.
Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, April 13th, 2021 - 14 comments
The Electoral laws about donations are pretty clear. Receive a donation over $30,000 and you should tell the Electoral Commission about the report within the next ten working days. But the Maori Party and the National Party have both managed to recently breach this simple requirement.
Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, April 12th, 2021 - 91 comments
Poor National. Faced with a Government response to Covid that has been superb it is reduced to criticising the Government for not rolling out the Covid vaccine quickly enough.
Written By: - Date published: 9:13 am, April 9th, 2021 - 29 comments
This is a desperately difficult issue. India is currently experiencing a surge in Covid cases. And faced with the prospect of quarantine beds being overrun if current trends continue the Government has taken the step of banning people entering the country if they have been in India during the two weeks prior to travel.
Written By: - Date published: 7:42 am, April 9th, 2021 - 16 comments
Judith Collins has more reasons to be worried. There is a rumour of a SImon Bridges-Chris Luxon leadership ticket potentially having a run for the leadership of the National Party.
Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, April 8th, 2021 - 69 comments
Media has been awash with discussion about Mike Hosking’s recent interaction with Jacinda Ardern. She was invited onto his show, agreed to appear, was grilled on isolation facility beds, and gave responses. End of story you would think.
Written By: - Date published: 8:43 am, April 6th, 2021 - 42 comments
An announcement on the Trans Tasman bubble is expected this afternoon.
Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, April 5th, 2021 - 17 comments
The New York Times is reporting that the Trump Campaign sucked in a whole lot of republican voters by asking for urgent donations but then treating them as regular rather than one off donations unless donors discovered and clicked on a well hidden check box.
Written By: - Date published: 9:09 am, April 5th, 2021 - 163 comments
Merchant Banker Troy Bowker has accused the Government of engaging in Socialist wealth redistribution ideology by not extending to landlords a state supported loan guarantee scheme and by implementing relatively modest wealth redistribution measures.
Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, April 2nd, 2021 - 59 comments
Greta Thunberg is now aged 18. And her activism is still strong.
Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, March 31st, 2021 - 5 comments
Auckland Council has released the Ports of Auckland Independent Health and Safety Report and the recommendations are damning.
Written By: - Date published: 7:48 am, March 30th, 2021 - 42 comments
Chris Luxon’s maiden speech last week and another example of multiple leaks of details of a caucus meeting highlight how precarious Judith Collins’ tenure as National Party leader is. But does someone have the numbers to replace her?
Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, March 28th, 2021 - 217 comments
Media has been abuzz with comment about how last election Grant Robertson has backtracked on a promise on not extending the bright line test. Should politicians stick to their pronouncements no matter what? Or should they change their minds if circumstances demand a change in course?
Written By: - Date published: 7:49 am, March 26th, 2021 - 12 comments
Private member’s bills are an important feature of Parliament. They give all MPs the chance to change the law to address real or perceived issues and problems. So what does National MP Matt Doocey think is the country’s most pressing problem?
Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, March 25th, 2021 - 163 comments
The Government’s housing policy announcements have been attacked by the right and landlords as being an attack on rights and business, and by elements of the left for being too timid. Which suggests that the announcements are quite well pitched.
Written By: - Date published: 7:45 am, March 23rd, 2021 - 41 comments
I am going out on a limb here but I think that Comrade Chris Trotter suggesting that Jacinda Ardern may resign as Prime Minister may be overhashed.
Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, March 19th, 2021 - 50 comments
Boris Johnson has announced that the United Kingdom will increase its stockpile of nuclear weapons and open up the possibility of using weapons against non nuclear nations, despite being a signatory to various treaties that prohibit both actions being taken.
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, March 18th, 2021 - 80 comments
It appears that the Government and Auckland Council have spent $250 million on an event the organisers of which are now making plans to go overseas in pursuit of the big corporate dollars.
Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, March 17th, 2021 - 71 comments
Over the past week National and the Greens have released housing policy designed to address the country’s current housing crisis. National’s are tired and either reflect what is already happening or reinforce their doctrinal view of the world. The Green’s proposals are more radical and reflect steps that Micky Savage and the First Labour Government took in 1935.
Written By: - Date published: 8:42 pm, March 16th, 2021 - 45 comments
Media claims that Ardern’s support have peaked and are tanking are way too premature.
Written By: - Date published: 2:16 pm, March 15th, 2021 - 5 comments
Today marks the second anniversary of the Christchurch Mosque shooting.
Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, March 13th, 2021 - 18 comments
Chris Bishop is claiming credit for Labour finishing a deal whereby the party rented premises to Parliamentary Services for the use of Gillian Anderson MP at a level well below market rates.
Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, March 11th, 2021 - 72 comments
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said New Zealanders have an unfettered ability to travel to Australia for a holiday. Reality would suggest that he is wrong.
Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, March 10th, 2021 - 27 comments
National’s review of its 2020 election performance has been completed. And as an indication of the level of faith existing in the party MPs may not be given their own copy.
Written By: - Date published: 7:45 am, March 9th, 2021 - 99 comments
Newstalk ZB, Mike Hosking and Barry Soper are shocked, I tell you, shocked that Jacinda Ardern will no longer regularly appear on the Mike Hosking show.
Written By: - Date published: 9:22 am, March 7th, 2021 - 39 comments
National MP Barbara Kuriger has seized on the decision of the owners of Dr Seuss’s copyright to discontinue the printing of six Dr Seuss books with questionable content as evidence of cancel culture and has misrepresented which books are being discontinued.
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, March 6th, 2021 - 20 comments
With the recent High Court trial brought by three academics highlighting the undeserved attacks on their reputations by entities associated with the food industry now having concluded it is time for the Government to think about banning sugary drinks from schools. And a sugar tax.
Written By: - Date published: 10:27 am, March 4th, 2021 - 29 comments
Another chapter of dirty politics has reached its conclusion with Carrick Graham offering an abject apology to Doug Sellman, Boyd Swinburn and Shane Bradbook for smearing their reputation via the Whaleoil website.
Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, February 28th, 2021 - 136 comments
Auckland is back into level three lockdown.
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