Key refuses to answer your questions
You’ll remember our ‘interview the leaders‘ series. John Key has been the only leader missing, we’ve given his office plenty of extensions on […]
Steve Pierson
Irony
Granny Herald’s Editorial yesterday “Private market can help ACC” – dancing on the head of a pin to justify privatising ACC to make […]
Lots of ideology, not argument
I was going to write a piece on the much anticipated paper from ANZ’s chief economist on government spending. But now I’ve tracked […]
Nasty
On Tuesday, Helen Clark was asked what she thought of the fact that both John Key and Bill English have been unavailable for […]
Mind the gap
It’s worth remembering that polling gaps really do narrow when election campaigns start. We all remember the 2002 campaign. Labour reached 53% support in […]
Nats vs journos
Shane Ardern is now saying he was misquoted by the Te Awamutu Courier when he said ‘[Kiwisaver] needs adjusting from the employers’ contribution […]
Drop the Immigration Bill
The September 11 attacks were used as cover to pass draconian laws around the world, particularly concerning immigration. The Government is, once again, […]
Positive moves on housing
Housing has always been an important issue for Labour. The First Labour Government instituted a massive State house building project, freeing working class […]
More anti-worker policy from the Nats
On Sunday, Bill English let slip that National still intends to take away the work rights of employees of small businesses for the […]
Hit and miss
Let’s look at some of the issues National has hit and run on. They were all you heard from the Nats for a […]
Blueprint for a Crosby/Textor campaign
While trying desperately to paint Crosby/Textor as ‘just ordinary consultants’ and argue that C/T does nothing that polling and research companies do, National […]
Broadcasting policy broadly outlined
National’s Jonathan Coleman has announced a bullet-point excuse for a broadcasting policy. Essentially, it adopts the status quo but moves TVNZ charter funding […]
Nats’ NGO policy, give the money to Aussies
Charities are voicing fears that under a National Government public funding for NGOs would be administered by an Australian NGO called Mission Australia with dire […]
The right incentives?
National tells us that, if we put the right incentives in place, people will work harder and their incomes will go up. National […]
Beyond the political showboating
Ok. Now that the political theatre is done maybe National and its allies would like to engage in proper debate on the freight […]
Who are National’s moles?
The information being leaked to Nicky Hager is obviously coming from well-placed sources inside National The idea of hacking is farcical (Lyndon Hood […]
The Standard Week: June 27-July 4
A big week in politics. The rail system is back in public ownership as KiwiRail, Nicky Hager exposed Brand Key as a Crosby […]
On Freedom
It is time for the Left to take back the language of freedom. At its heart freedom, power for the ordinary person, is what […]
Report shows incomes up, inequality down
The MSD’s Incomes Report provides a wealth of information. For instance, here’s how the mean and median household incomes have moved since 1982. […]
Reviewing the ‘truck strike’
As a piece of political theatre it’s good and people who walk to work, including myself, enjoyed the unusual sight and gave them […]
Poverty falls, more to be done
13% of people are living in poverty in New Zealand (defined as less than 60% of the median income, less than $40K a […]
Government slashes ‘waste’
The Government’s new core benefit will see all beneficiaries given the same treatment and the same assistance to get into work if they […]
Mr Key, where is your ‘positive, ambitious campaign’?
In four separate interviews this week, John Key used more or less exactly the same line to divert from questions on his use of Crosby/Textor: […]
Road spike
The truck companies are going to blockade our motorways tomorrow morning to protest being forced to pay a levy to cover the damage their […]
Did Clark endorse push-polling?
Some of the more excitable righties on the blogosphere and John Key have taken a throw-away comment in Audrey Young’s blog to mean […]
Who’s driving the ‘truck strike’?
So, let’s get this straight the Government has increased road user charges for diesel vehicles by half the amount recommended by the Ministry […]
Drinking Liberally reminder
Don’t forget Drinking Liberally tonight. The weather’s crap but the good people at Southern Cross have provided their function room, so you won’t […]
Time to front up on ACC
Some excellent journalism by Vernon Small has revealed that Australian insurers expect National to privatise the ACC scheme and they see $200 million […]
Taumarunui no longer on Main-trunk line, had Key had his way
A day into the renewed public ownership of our railway system and it has emerged that not only did John Key help sell […]
Real John vs Brand Key
Let’s go back to the heart of this story: it is not about push-polling or whatever, this is about how Brand Key has […]
Greens discover Nats full of hot air
A classic ‘cake and eat it’ from Crosby/Textor National has been their approach to climate change – stating they support tackling this issue […]
What’s the future for Brand Key?
Crosby/Textor, an outfit renowned for its anti-democratic, secretive practices, has built the public image of John Key (Brand Key) from the ground up. […]
Crosby/Textor Spin Bingo
John Key has his round of five interviews tomorrow morning (Breakfast, Sunrise, ZB, KiwiFM, bFM) and will undoubtedly face questions on his use […]
All aboard KiwiRail
Today marks the launch of KiwiRail. It’s great to have rail back in Kiwi hands, after a decade of asset-stripping. Now comes the […]
Hager to speak at Drinking Liberally – Wellington
This is one not to be missed. Nicky Hager will be speaking at Drinking Liberally – Wellington this coming Thursday. Hager, author of The […]
Brand Key shows a contempt for ordinary Kiwis
It comes as no surprise that Brand Key has been a Crosby/Textor project from Day 1. The hit and run, the bait and […]