Gone Flippin’
Slippery John’s flip-flops keep on coming. Here he is just three weeks ago in the Listener: “you either have a conflict of interest […]
Steve Pierson
A clear choice on ACC
If you vote National, United Future, or ACT, you will be voting for the ACC system to be privatised. Consequences of this include: […]
Update on Brownlee
There are substantive policy issues such as National’s privatisation plans for the prisons that need to be covered but, first, an update on […]
A pattern of (mis)behaviour
Over this year, we’ve seen John Key caught out lying on a number of occasions – the excuses for his “we would love […]
Standard scoop: Another senior Nat failed to disclose conflicts
Last month, Key lied when he was asked whether he had more Tranzrail shares, over which he had failed to declare his conflict […]
You’re too kind
Audrey Young is now acknowledging Key’s reflexive tendency to lie, but she is incredibly soft on it: I was intrigued at Key’s suggestion […]
Horse racing
Here are the results of the last four polls, released over the past four days. I’ve presented them in number of seats won […]
Labour’s labour policy good for labourers
Labour has unveiled its work rights policy, and it’s a good one: – minimum wage increases at least at the rate of inflation […]
Key – Undisclosed conflict of interest
National’s response to my revelation on The Standard that John Key owned shares had undisclosed conflicts of interest with Fletcher Challenge Forests is […]
Standard Scoop: Key exposed again on secret shares and Tranzrail
When the Tranzrail shares came to light, Key was asked whether he had any other undisclosed shares entailing a conflict of interest. He […]
On moral mandates
So, let me get this straight. The Right says that the minor parties have to support a National-led government if National gets more […]
Here be dragons
So, we can all make up dumb pictures and say ‘beware of many-headed monsters’. Let’s, instead, ask if National’s attack makes sense. First, […]
The Standard Week: 17-24 October
National’s MPs might be considering spending the next two weeks in bed, dreaming of victory. Because it seems every day they go out, […]
The Standard line: Kiwisaver
So, you’re talking with someone about politics and they say something really dumb and wrong and you know it’s wrong but you don’t […]
The Standard line: Photoshop
So, you’re talking with someone about politics and they say something really dumb and wrong and you know it’s wrong but you don’t […]
Don’t dream, it’s over
I’ve always regarded the possibility of a National-Maori Party governing arrangement as absurd, even grotesque. The interests of the Maori people, who are […]
Reserve Bank drops OCR 1%
The OCR is down from 7.5% to 6.5%. That’s an unprecendented cut in one go and further confirmation that we are entering tough […]
Green laffs
Russel Norman at Drinking Liberally – Auckland last night on Lockwood Smith: Lockwood may think all Asians have small hands but what we […]
Wait, what’s the RSE?
OK, we’ve reported on, given historical context to, and mocked Lockwood Smith’s racist comments about seasonal migrant workers. Now, to the substance of […]
Nats: instilling the work ethic early
Lockwood Smith has unveiled more National workforce innovations. In addition to favouring Asian seasonal migrants over Polynesians because their hands are smaller, Smith […]
Drinking Liberally – Palmerston North
When: 24th of Oct, 7:30pm Where: Zoe’s Bar – Bottom floor of the Kingsgate hotel, Fitzherbert ave Who: guest speaker Green MP Keith […]
Scratch a Tory…
…and you still reveal a bigot, it seems. Here is National’s Immigration spokesperson, Lockwood Smith, (he who likes to swallow dead fish) on […]
Vote smart: Epsom
I’ve come in for a bit of flak for this ‘Vote Smart‘ series of posts on how people can make the most of […]
Inflation up but already on way down
Inflation hit 5.1% for the year to September driven by the mammoth spike in oil, food, and other commodity which has abated since […]
Highly principled statements
Yesterday, Bill ‘do whatever it takes to win’ English was out trying to assuage Kiwis fears of National’s secret agenda (which his recorded […]
New posters/leaflets
I have to say, these are my favourite so far. There are some talented people out there. There’s eight versions of this new […]
It’s your choice
Now that both Labour and National have all their major spending promises out, we can compare the options. Remember, whatever happens one of […]
The Standard line: crime
So, you’re talking with someone about politics and they say something really dumb and wrong and you know it’s wrong but you don’t […]
Fact checkin’ – Sunday addition
From Agenda Rawdon Christie: Maori make up 7.7% of unemployed compared to 3.9% of the rest of the population. Incompetent: The unemployment rate […]
The best they’ve got?
When I heard a Chinese national had been approved for citizenship by a minister against the advice of officials and with a letter […]
Aspirational politics laffs
Party like you matter
There’s so much to comment on about the policies and parties that matter that we hardly ever get to time to mention ACT. […]
Childish
We live on a finite planet. We can’t just keep adding 75 million people a year to the human population while also increasing […]
Not a game
National has a press release out blaming Labour for a supposed increase in assaults on police. Now, there are more people and more […]
The Standard Week: 10-17 October
The polls are closing, National dropped 7% and 4% in the Roy Morgan and TV3 polls, respectively, as the full impact of Key’s […]
Vote smart: Progressives and Wigram
Vote smart is a series of posts on tactical voting for people who support certain parties or live in certain electorates to help […]