More on benefit levels
It was disappointing to hear National Radio this morning summarise the recent debate over benefit levels as ‘benefits are not keeping up with […]
Steve Pierson
Mythbusting: ‘Book value’ & ‘over the odds’
In an attempt to find a non-ideological ground to justify opposing the Government’s buyback of the rail system, John Key and others have […]
Peter Dunne answers your questions
We’re very pleased to have UnitedFuture Leader Peter Dunne respond to your questions as part of our Interview the Leaders series. Question to […]
Mythbusting: Winning a fourth term is impossible
It has become a media mantra that winning a fourth term of government is nigh on impossible, but is that claim actually based […]
Daily show interview: Blog Wars
A great interview by Jon Stewart on political blogging. Well worth watching. The part about evolution of blogging in the US is particularly […]
Tax cut speculation
Now that Michael Cullen has ruled out a tax-free bracket but promised that everyone will benefit from Labour’s tax-cut package, what cuts will […]
Norman coming into his prime
The Greens have started to use Russell Norman as their primary spokesperson, instead of Jeanette Fitzsimons. Fitzsimons has never been great with the […]
Get your questions in for Key
Our ‘Interview the Leaders‘ series is going well and this week it’s your chance to submit questions to the man who wants you […]
Unemployment figures
Unemployment rose from 3.4% to 3.6% between the December and March quarters. The number of people employed fell 15,000 from 2,162,000 in the […]
Cullen rules out tax-free bracket, GST cut
It’s disappointing that Michael Cullen has ruled out both a tax-free bracket and a GST cut in his tax cut package to be […]
It’s alright when he does it
A reader sent us this letter to the Herald’s editor, which the Herald has refused to print. When the government moved to block […]
If I were New Zealand First’s campaign strategist
In some ways, there’s little to tell New Zealand First, other than let Winston Peters be himself. Peters has been (along with Helen […]
Brownlee, not the brightest spark
Here’s Gerry Brownlee in the Herald today: Brownlee said the [Whirinaki] power plant, near Napier, was intended as an emergency backup to be […]
Tariana Turia answers your questions
We’re very pleased to have Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia respond to your questions as part of our Interview the Leaders series. Question […]
The 40 cent tax cut
National and some of the more wacky commentators are complaining that the $655 million used by the Government to buy back the rail […]
Kurariki on home detention
No doubt, there will be hollow cries of outrage from Simon Power and Sensible Sentencing over Bailey Kurariki being transferred from jail to […]
Transport’s inclusion in ETS delayed
The Government has delayed the inclusion of transport in the Emissions Trading Scheme from 2009 to 2011. On the surface, that seems to […]
Interview the Leaders VII: National
The Maori Party has asked for an extension on the replies for Tariana Turia and we’re happy to oblige. In the meantime, here […]
Wages up at record rate
The Labour Cost Index rose a record 3.4% for the March year. That means wages and salaries for doing the same job rose […]
For whom the Toll bells
The Government has bought back the rail stock and ferries from Toll for $655 million. The privatisation of these vital assets, which are […]
Our bank beats the rest
Today, ANZ and National Bank announced they are lifting their variable mortgage rates another quarter of a percent to 10.95%. That comes a […]
Talking down the economy
National is a party weak on policy. It has had to drop nearly every one of its principled but unpopular policies to get […]
Get your questions in for Dunne
Do you have a burning question to ask Peter Dunne? Does it not involve his hair? If so, submit your question here by […]
Mythbusting: Crime is down, not up
It’s hard to know why people keep interviewing Garth McVicar from Sensible Sentencing. The organisation has no credibility, no research every statement on […]
Electoral donations reported
The Electoral Commission has published the parties’ donation returns for 2007. It is worth noting from the outset that under the electoral law […]
Know your Nat: Judith Collins
If National were the Government, Judith Collins would be Social Services Minister. That should be enough to send shudders down the spine of […]
The Golfball and Sickle
Personally, I think it’s hilarious. A brilliant piece of activism that got the public’s attention and raised the issue of why we have American […]
Right answer, wrong question
It’s not often National gets something right but their latest flip-flop, on bio-fuels, is a good policy (well, partially and for the wrong […]
Child beating petition falls short
Family First’s petition for a referendum on reversing the amendment to s59 of the Crimes Act that removed the defence of reasonable force […]
Put it on the kids’ tab
Some may have noted an odd series of questions in Parliament and press releases from Bill English around government borrowing over the last […]
On child poverty
The Child Poverty Action Group has released a report [PDF, 400k] showing there were 185,000 children living in poverty in New Zealand in […]
Repeating the mistakes of others
Remember National’s policy of charging a $50 levy on everyone convicted of or, maybe, charged with (Key keeps on mixing up the terms) […]
Pepsi vs Coke
Last week, Campbell Live ran an article about the framing of Key as slippery. It could have been an excellent piece on the […]
Right question, wrong answer
Interesting to see people gradually waking up to what Fidel Castro, last year, called “The sinister idea of converting food into combustibles”. Even […]
Rodney Hide answers your questions
We’re very pleased to have ACT leader Rodney Hide respond to your questions as part of our Interview the Leaders series. Question to all leaders: Of […]
Mistakes, I’ve made a few
David Farrar’s three more prominent weaknesses came together in a speculator PR disaster yesterday. The weaknesses are his ego, his trick of using […]