The problem with Charter Schools
The Government is moving to stop the creation of new charter schools and require existing charter schools to integrate with the public system.
The 2017 General Election electorate expense returns
Last year’s electorate expense returns have now been made public.
What will 2018 bring for National?
What are National’s prospects this year? Will Bill English survive as leader? Will there be resignations and a clean out of the front bench? Stay tuned …
The End of Life Choice Bill
We recently got the first reading on the End of Life Choice Bill, which aims to create a controlled regime for euthanasia. What are the pros and cons of the Bill?
National needs a friend
National is pondering one of the realities of MMP. Without friends its chances of becoming Government are very limited.
Suck it up political sleazers.
Winston Peters has launched a legal fishing expedition to identify who exactly breached privacy on his superannuation over payments. A problem that he shares with about 50 thousand other pensioners. Unlike them, his problem wasn’t trying to find money to repay it. It was that the breach was deliberately timed to be a classic dirty politics ploy, almost certainly by National, in the leadup to the recent election. I wish him good fishing.
Today is a win-win with Winston
It appears that Winston is about to announce the decision of the NZ First party about their coalition partner today. For those who seem to think that coalitions should be formed with rapidity, they simply shouldn’t. That is the path to making stupid decisions, and I am yet to hear a single good reason to do it.
Can we please stop pretending that ACT is a political party
ACT was a political party once, but it died a long time ago.
And the final result is …
The final election results have been announced with Labour and the Greens each picking up an extra seat.
ETS is useless, scrap it
I suspect that ETS has become a political football in the next parliament, but probably not part of a coalition agreement with either National or Labour. My guess is that both NZ First and the Greens will want it off the table unless it is agreed that it will go. That leaves them able to vote against further stupid patches being added to it.
National paying the price for cannibalising the political right
National have maintained their own vote but killed off all their political friends. Which is why their only route to power is now in the hands of an enemy, and why that enemy should be very wary of hitching his wagon to their fading star.
Spare a thought for ACT and David Seymour
David Seymour and the ACT Party are back in Parliament but their role this term will be nothing other than nodding lap dog.
The election result
Some thoughts on the morning after a bitter sweet election result for Labour and the Greens.
Darren Watson has a message for Epsom Greens and Reds
You just have to hold your nose and electorate vote Goldsmith …
This is how you change the Government – electorate vote Goldsmith if you are on the Epsom roll
For progressive Epsom voters the best way to change the Government may be to give your electorate vote to Paul Goldsmith.
More Nat ACT conflict
ACT is attacking the Nats yet again, calling out their record on housing and crime. Anyone for a coalition of chaos?
National endorses Dunne in Ohariu – Nek minnit
National’s supposedly well oiled campaign machine is resembling an episode of the Thick of It rather than a Crosby Textor training video.
Chaos between supposed coalition partners
Open warfare between supposed coalition partners in the run-up to the election. Just imagine what would happen if the Greens were attacking Labour like this.
ACT wants to subdivide the Waitakere Ranges (or at least the foothills)
Act has announced a policy that would undermine current protection given to the Waitakere Ranges. If it gets a chance …
ACT in blue – gives up all pretense
National will distort MMP for its own benefit, again
Without a cup of tea in sight National has announced that it will asking supporters to vote for Act leader David Seymour in Epsom and United Future leader Peter Dunne in Ohariu.
David Seymour is the smeghead of the year
David Seymour has managed to make the most stupid statement by a politician this year, and it is only just over half way through.
Breeding for a business
It looks like ACT the party of less government will be focussing on pregnant beneficiaries this election.
Nat / ACT don’t think poor people should have kids
ACT’s David Seymour thinks that poor people shouldn’t be allowed to have kids. If that sounds familiar it should – the Nats have said more or less the same thing over the years.
This Bloody Vote.
Disentangling the veritable plate of spaghetti that’s been set before us this election.
Act’s Euthanasia Bill
Following the selection of David Seymour’s private member’s bill euthanasia will be debated this year in Parliament.
Support party exposes National’s lie – government in disarray!
With this vicious infighting exposed the government is clearly in total disarray.
Charter schools fiddling their results
Charter schools are fiddling their results. Just another example of the way that education for profit is all about profit, with education hardly getting a look in. All of National’s ideological interventions in education are failures.
Politik on Labour/ Greens
I was rather amused reading Politik’s “Despite the pact Shaw takes on Robertson“ and was struck by the strange way that some political commentators (and probably some politicians) view the world at the political coalface. They really need to start to think about political parties as being like any other organisation. Tactical compromises without a strategic focus will always kill any organisation – eventually.
NRT: Charter schools are corrupt
I/S at No Right Turn: “ACT appears to be using charter schools to channel public money to government donors and cronies”…
Kiwi Values
Epsom hologram David Seymour reckons we need to force refugees to pledge allegiance to what he calls ‘values’. Of course, ACT don’t know value, they only know price. And haven’t we heard this sort of thing from another party in years gone by?
Latest Roy Morgan Poll
The Latest Roy Morgan poll result has been released with both National and Labour recording a significant improvement in support. But Winston is still the king maker …
All aboard the charter schools gravy train
Charter schools are pretty nice work if you can get it, no wonder groups are lining up. But there’s no evidence that they are good for education.
Return of the living dead
Don Brash has been resuscitated and is complaining about privilege and preferential treatment. Not of rich old white people like himself but because Maori rights to Taonga may be recognised.