Written By: - Date published: 8:53 am, November 8th, 2020 - 19 comments
It is customary for outgoing Presidents to leave for the incoming President a short letter of introduction. The Standard has managed to obtain a early draft copy of Donald Trump’s letter to Joe Biden drafted while he was playing golf.
Written By: - Date published: 11:29 am, November 7th, 2020 - 39 comments
I hope that I am not tempting fate by saying this but a Biden presidency seems almost inevitable. But presuming he prevails the transition is going to be one of the most difficult and most important in America’s history.
Written By: - Date published: 2:26 pm, November 6th, 2020 - 56 comments
The Electoral Commission has released the final results of the 2020 election and if election night was a shocker for National the final result is even worse.
Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, November 6th, 2020 - 70 comments
Some elements of the right as well as Comrade Chris Trotter have decided to attack Nanaia Mahuta’s appointment as Foreign Affairs minister. In my view they could not be more wrong and I believe she will be an outstanding Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, November 3rd, 2020 - 118 comments
The Property Investor Federation’s executive officer has expressed the opinion that every time a first home buyer buys a house it makes the housing crisis worse.
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, November 3rd, 2020 - 23 comments
Jacinda Ardern’s decision to rename the Fisheries Ministery to “Oceans and Fisheries” and install David Parker instead of Stuart Nash shows a welcome desire to protect this most precious of resources.
Written By: - Date published: 1:48 pm, November 2nd, 2020 - 78 comments
Some details of the new Cabinet announced today by Jacinda Ardern.
Written By: - Date published: 11:43 am, November 1st, 2020 - 51 comments
A surge in Covid infections in Europe and in the United States is raising the specter that the most pessimistic predictions about the disease and its effect on the health system may occur. And right wing governments appear to be spectacularly unable to deal with the crisis.
Written By: - Date published: 2:46 pm, October 30th, 2020 - 207 comments
The referendum seeking to decriminalise cannabis appears to have failed narrowly although special votes are still to be counted.
Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, October 29th, 2020 - 55 comments
Fox News has seized upon a four month old video of Jacinda Ardern to suggest that New Zealand has a terrifying new response to the disease and are throwing people into quarantine camps.
Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, October 28th, 2020 - 43 comments
Trump deputy chief of staff Chris Liddell, who is also a Kiwi, has announced his candidacy to be head of the OECD. The Greens have announced their opposition because he has been part of inhumane decisions and also decisions that undermine international institutions. The right back him because he is a kiwi. What should Labour do?
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 28th, 2020 - 10 comments
Newly appointed Republican and Trump supported Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is not convinced that humans are changing the world’s climate. Meanwhile China and Japan are convinced and have announced dates by which time they intend to be carbon neutral.
Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, October 27th, 2020 - 15 comments
Yesterday the city of Melbourne recorded its first day of no new reported covid infections in nearly five months. At the same time in America the White House has effectively said that control is too difficult and that it is giving up.
Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, October 26th, 2020 - 41 comments
Enjoying your weekend? Thank a unionist!
Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, October 25th, 2020 - 74 comments
With the hand brake gone and the Government’s policy platform already complete what should the Labour Government set out to achieve this term?
Written By: - Date published: 9:13 am, October 25th, 2020 - 16 comments
Some thoughts on who the country’s Deputy Prime Minister should be.
Written By: - Date published: 7:42 am, October 21st, 2020 - 99 comments
Tova O’Brien has suggested that a Labour Green joined at the hip coalition is not going to happen. So what will the next Government look like?
Written By: - Date published: 11:21 am, October 19th, 2020 - 43 comments
It appears that this election will be the swan song of Jami-Lee Ross’s political career with his final political act being eviscerated publicly by Tova O’Brien in an interview.
Written By: - Date published: 11:51 am, October 18th, 2020 - 27 comments
Shane Reti is in major strife in Whangarei and special votes may overturn his slim election night majority. And National may have further problems with its list entitlement and Maureen Pugh and Nick Smith are not safe.
Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, October 18th, 2020 - 79 comments
Labour’s crushing victory in yesterday’s election and the Green’s strong result means that the Government has a unique opportunity to emulate the fundamental change to New Zealand that the first Labour government achieved.
Written By: - Date published: 7:47 am, October 16th, 2020 - 65 comments
With election day tomorrow those who have not voted already need to decide, do they want Jacinda Ardern or Judith Collins to be the next Prime Minister.
Written By: - Date published: 6:23 pm, October 14th, 2020 - 29 comments
* but I am not sure that all of his caucus colleagues would be happy with the proposal.
Written By: - Date published: 7:40 am, October 14th, 2020 - 180 comments
Leaked results of the latest UMR poll suggests that National is under 30% and that Judith Collins campaign techniques are not working. She responded by calling the Prime Minister a liar and fat shaming the population.
Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, October 13th, 2020 - 30 comments
A recent series of advertisements placed by National MPs in Auckland seeking electorate votes and not seeking party votes show that central control of National’s campaign and discipline are completely lacking.
Written By: - Date published: 9:23 am, October 12th, 2020 - 52 comments
With six days to go to election day the campaigns have reached interesting stages although the underlying trends and events appear to be good for the left.
Written By: - Date published: 4:51 pm, October 11th, 2020 - 24 comments
A review of National’s billboards used this year shows what an utter disaster the campaign has been for them.
Written By: - Date published: 8:18 am, October 10th, 2020 - 43 comments
National list MP Alfred Ngaro has shown that National’s message discipline has broken down completely by going negative and making some outlandish claims against Labour’s Phil Twyford.
Written By: - Date published: 7:43 am, October 9th, 2020 - 56 comments
Another day and another story about National MPs leaking against Judith Collins
Written By: - Date published: 7:43 am, October 8th, 2020 - 50 comments
Every day there is a new catastrophe for Judith Collins. Yesterday she had a walkabout from hell when it was revealed on national news that national activists including Hamish Price had been strategically placed to pretend to be ordinary members of the public and say nice things about her for the camera.
Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, October 7th, 2020 - 83 comments
If a party wants to become Government there are a few characteristics that is has to have. Fiscal competence is one, unity is another. National currently has neither.
Written By: - Date published: 2:17 pm, October 6th, 2020 - 10 comments
Let’s imagine a scenario where you are the President of the United States and it is in the middle of a pandemic. You then contract the virus yourself. How would you rate compared to Donald Trump?
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