Two new polls …
This evening two new political polls have been released both putting Labour ahead of National.
The rich want their country back
The Electoral Commission has published that National raised $2.3 million dollars in large donations alone over the past 12 months.
The Standard’s political awards for 2022
It is that time of year again where the events of the year are reviewed and what was notable, noteworthy and notorious.
Be afraid, be very afraid …
David Seymour is feeling his oats and has claimed that past National Governments never changes anything. A brief review of history would suggest otherwise.
The rise and rise of David Seymour’s ACT
I thought David Seymour was the most interesting speaker at the Victoria University post-election conference at Parliament last year. Two things stood out for me in his presentation following ACT’s election gains. He opened by offering lengthy and effusive praise to his researcher, then clearly stated his objective to supplant National as the leading party on the right. He’s on track for that, as current media attention shows.
Much ado about nothing
The big news this week was Jacinda Ardern describing David Seymour in an unparliamentary phrase on an open mike in Parliament. But the matter was resolved in a way that can only happen in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The politics of the voting age change
The Supreme Court has just lobbed a grenade into New Zealand politics by ruling that denying 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote was not only discrimination on the basis of age but also had not been justified and was therefore a breach of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.
Male privilege is a fragile thing
Golriz Ghahraman wanted Parliament to condemn the Iranian Government’s oppression of women’s rights. David Seymour moved to block the motion because Golriz had raised points of order against him during a previous speech. Fancy putting your hurt feelings in front of making a statement of support and principle.
Who pays the cost of an extra day off?
The Government has announced that we will all have a day off to commemorate the life of Queen Elisabeth. Act has come out against it on the basis that we are in a cost of living crisis, even though the adverse effect on workers and the poor is essentially nil and even though there is analysis that suggests that holidays are good for the economy.
The Three Strikes abomination is no more
The three strikes legislation, the brainchild of dead baby identity stealing former ACT MP David Garrett, is no more.
The time that Roger Douglas was right
Roger Douglas may have caused New Zealand a lot of harm through his policies and actions but there was one occasion where if a policy he had helped to introduce had been retained New Zealand would be a much better place.
Act’s scorched earth proposal
Act has publicly released its proposal to decimate the state should it have a say in the next Government. Its Real Change Alternative Budget may be wet dream inducing for Ayn Rand acolytes but for the rest of us the proposals should instill a deep sense of dread.
Is Act buying social media followers?
Hot on the heels of news that Act has recently received a number of significant donations comes news that it may have spent some of these funds on buying social media followers following news that Seymour’s Instagram followers jumped from 23,800 to 72,600 in one day.
National announces receiving $1.8 million in recent donations
National has gazumped Act’s recently announced significant donations drive and has just announced that it will shortly be filing declarations confirming that it has recently received $1.8 million in donations.
Act’s generous donors and its anti Treaty campaign
This has not had the media attention that it deserves but Act has raised, to use the technical term, a shit load of money recently. And it is using this money to engage in some good old fashioned racist dog whistling.
Can This Government Be Saved?
Can Labour win a third term? Here are some pathways up, and some pathways down.
The latest poll
National/Act (47%) would beat Labour/Greens (46%) if there were an election held tomorrow, according to the latest One News Kantar poll.
Everyone is over Covid
Jacinda Ardern said yesterday that everyone is over Covid. She is right. We all want this to end.
Luxon under pressure after latest Newshub Poll
I am going to channel my Matthew Hooton left wing alter ego in the writing of this post. The latest Newshub poll shows a resounding level of support for the Labour Party and there are murmurs of discontent about Chris Luxon after support for the right plummets.
David Seymour should stick to twerking
David Seymour has responded to slumping poll results by claiming that the Treaty of Waitangi should be trashed.
About the latest Colmar Brunton poll
The latest Colmar Brunton (now Kantar) poll has now been released and some of the commentary and analysis is pretty ordinary.
The Standard’s 2021 political awards
It is that time of year where nostalgia kicks in and the desire to review current events dims. So much has happened this year. It has truly been twelve months of the praiseworthy and the absolutely pitiful. And it is time to reflect on the personalities who made us smile, made us frown and made us raise our eyebrows to breaking point.
How many centrist votes go to Labour?
Judith Collins lost a vote of confidence. David Farrar seems to think that Act will get the inevitable flow. Sounds unlikely. The far right and nutbar fringe has already vacated to Act – who represent them so well. But Labour overwhelming won last election on a vote from previous National voters. History repeats in 2023?
Astroturfers of the world unite
Two days before what is claimed will be the mother of all protests links between the Groundswell organisation and the Taxpayers Union have been discovered.
Covid and the latest polls
The results of two polls were leaked recently both showing a drop in support for Labour. Clearly the Delta outbreak has rattled confidence. But National has not surged up in support and the Greens have picked up some of the former Labour vote.
Gender split is interesting in latest poll
The latest Roy Morgan poll was run between August 30th and September 26th. The headline results of Labour/Greens with 55% (increase by 3.5%) against opposition National/Act/Maori parties on 41% (up 0.5%) were good enough. But they also showed the gender split.. Women are deserting the right.
Covid does not give a fuck about your plans
This week we have seen reckons from John Key, Act and National on how we should be loosening up Covid lockdown restrictions. Yesterday’s 45 new cases shows how dangerous it is to think that dealing with Covid is a simple management exercise.
About the latest Colmar Brunton poll
The latest Colmar Brunton poll confirms that National’s polling is in the doldrums and David Seymour’s preferred PM rating is twice that of Judith Collins.
Until all of us are safe none of us are safe
On Monday of this week David Seymour received a roasting after posting a confidential Health code that was to be used by Waitakere Whanau to receive priority vaccination slots. He has now doubled down on his effort and claimed that prioritisation is wrong.
Seymour undermines vaccine roll out for Maori
David Seymour has publicised a code designed for West Auckland whanau to try and improve poor vaccination rates amongst Maori.
Judith’s very bad two days
Judith Collins’ insistence that Parliament be reconvened even at a time that the country was in lockdown level 4 has backfired spectacularly.
Gumming up the works
Last night it was revealed that National and Act had refused to agree to a proposed virtual Parliament sitting where questions could be asked, and instead wanted face to face meetings, even though this would mean a third of the country’s MPs travelling regularly to Wellington from a Covid delta hotspot.
The strange story about the fake news poll results
The Politik website’s inadvertant publishing of fake news of a drop in Labour’s support shows how fragile the system of relying on two sources for a story is.
The latest Reid Research Poll result
Last night’s Reid Research poll result suggests that the electorate is reverting back to a more conventional dynamic after the stratospheric heights that Labour enjoyed immediately post Covid elimination.
Letting private enterprise handle Covid quarantine is a really stupid idea
Leader of the Opposition David Seymour has proposed that private enterprise should provide quarantine services. The recent experience of Melbourne where private security firms failed dramatically to properly managed quarantine facilities suggests that this is a really stupid idea.
Act likes some rights but not others
Following on from its campaign to protect freedom of expression Act has come out with policy on gangs which if enacted would involve some pretty egregious attacks on freedom of association and movement and due process.