Farewell
A crowd several hundred strong turned out this morning to farewell Helen Clark as she left Parliament as Prime Minister for the last […]
Steve Pierson
Credit where it’s due
It’s exam season for high school students. So, for 10 points explain how the following statement (in the ACT-National agreement and repeated uncritically […]
What should Clark do?
There’s a lot of talk about Helen Clark leaving Parliament in a year or so to head for an international role. While Clark […]
Right plans give away to rich at your expense
Part of the National/ACT government’s agreement is that a top tax rate of 30% will be the target for the ‘medium term’. Such […]
Undefeated
Paul Holmes wrote yesterday: “While Labour moves to the Opposition benches, it does so weirdly unmolested by the election defeat, weirdly undefeated” Damn […]
Some questions
The Maori Party voted against the ETS because they thought it doesn’t go far enough; they want a stronger ETS. Will they be […]
Nats step to the right with ACT
As we predicted, National has used a confidence and supply agreement with ACT as a vehicle for its true right-wing agenda. National has […]
Time for a Green New Deal
With a masterful awareness of the import of his actions, President Roosevelt termed his economic program to lift the US out of the […]
Chainmail
Thanks to the two people have mailed election leaflets authorised in my name back to me. And such lovely messages you’ve attached to […]
Playing clever but playing with fire
On one level, the Maori Party’s dealing with National is smart work. Key needs to look inclusive even though he doesn’t need the […]
Unions offer better option for Kiwisaver changes
The unions have proposed an alternative to National’s plan to slash Kiwisaver in half. If Kiwisaver has to be cut, and with National/Act […]
The first test
Michael Cullen has released the latest economic and fiscal update, the one Key commented on in today’s papers but which he refused to […]
Cuts, three of the same kind
From Stuff: Mr Key said New Zealand had a significant advantage over other countries because official cash rates set by the Reserve Bank […]
Threshold
[I’ll just preface this post by saying I have no love for Winston Peters’ politics and I’m happy to see New Zealand First […]
To do list
Getting elected is easy if you promise people the world and tell different audience different, contradictory things. It’s especially easy when you’ve got […]
Goff and King to lead Labour
As has been widely reported, Phil Goff is set to take the leadership of Labour with Annette King as deputy leader. We’ll hear […]
How to stimulate the economy
During the debate over the economic stimulus package in the US earlier this year, Moody’s produced a model that shows which stimulus options […]
Designer needed
A couple of mates of mine are working on a new left-wing project and are in need of some design help to get […]
08wire signs off
As a kid at a decile two high school in under National in the nineties, the one thing I did get a good […]
Campaign to save MMP underway
The Right hates MMP. The old system, FPP, advantaged the Right by about 1.5% according to this study. In 1978, 1981, and 1993 […]
Onward
I am incredibly proud to have worked with some many great people during the election campaign, and to know that many times more […]
What will happen with the specials?
There are about 240,000 special votes still be be counted. That’s about 11% of the vote in total. Special voters include large numbers […]
Musical interlude for John
I’m a money lender I have fortunes upon fortunes Take my hand for tender I am tortured, ever tortured And if you don’t […]
Making the decision
Have you still not decided who you’ll vote for? The final poll shows the race between a National/ACT/United Future or a Labour/Green/Progressive/Maori government […]
What a National/ACT Govt would mean
National/ACT would would implement several major policies: – it would weaken work rights. You could be fired without justification in the first 90 […]
The fundamental question
The fundamental question of politics is how the wealth of society should be divided among the members of society. We live in a […]
Key the opposite of Obama
Supports a Woman’s Right to Choose This is abortion rights. John Key was asked about abortion rights in the debate and he lied […]
Key used Nat research unit to search for smear on Clark’s husband
After weeks of griping about dirty tactics, it has been revealed in the NBR that Key ordered the tax-payer funded National Party research […]
Endorsements
Steve Pierson: Greens – I want a more left-wing Labour-led government. The Greens’ work rights and environment policies are better than Labour’s and […]
Election day
On election day, we won’t doing any posting until the polls close. We will lock off comments, as well, until then. As the […]
Down to the wire
The last polls are out, except for Roy Morgan, which will presumably be out later today. Here are how the blocs sit (assuming […]
Key to work rights activist: you’re an idiot
You know, you can fly around acting all presidential if you like in a cheap attempt to wow the press gallery but that […]
More unemployed but more employed too
Unemployment has risen to 4.2%, the first time in four years it has topped 4%. That’s lower than the experts expected, they thought […]
Shock revelation: Taper is Wellington Leftie
The secret taper has revealed himself as Kees Keizer, a leftie from Wellington. I spent quite a bit of time yesterday encouraging Keizer […]
Context
Yesterday morning on Sunrise, John Key was moaning that there is no context to the latest secret agenda tape, where Bill English praises […]
Clark makes it 2 from 3
The debate was Clark’s. The format and tone suited her. Her softer approach, which showed us the person behind the role was very […]