Neck and neck
Last post before election day but the big mo is on and the election is getting closer and closer.
elections
election 2023
Election day rules
The rules about election day are pretty clear. You may only keep existing election material up on a website or social media if all the following apply. This time we will start moderating all comments with rules at midnight. OpenMike will be the only open post. Normal service back at 7pm
About last night’s debate
It is very clear now why National did not agree to a further debate between the leaders. Last night’s debate between Chris Hipkins and Christopher Luzon was totally one sided.
Down to the wire
Two new polls were released last night and they both confirm a tightening of the race with the right slumping and the left improving.
The lost art of the heckle
What has happened to the fine art of intelligent heckling?
Managing Expectations: Community transmission of coronavirus in NZ was inevitable
The sad thing about the NZ COVID response is that overall it did deliver in that it protected the public health system and saved lives. But expectations about stopping all community transmission were set too high, and walking back from that politically has been challenging for Labour.
Winston Peters? I barely know him
National has over the past couple of weeks indicated that it will ring Winston if it needs his votes, then saying that if he negotiates too hard it will seek a further election. This is real coalition of chaos stuff.
The Big Mo
Recent polls suggest that National and Act is going backward while Labour has stabilised. A win for the left is possible but this last week will be all important.
Like two cats in a sack
The minor leader’s debate last night confirmed the fact that David Seymour and Winston Peters hate each other.
Managing Expectations – the NZ Housing crisis and Labour’s response.
Watching the 2023 election campaign in New Zealand, one of Labour’s challenges appears to be that it has failed to manage voters’ expectations over the last six years. Recalling the election campaign in 2017, Jacinda Ardern gave people hope that politics could be different. However government is about handling problems – like building at scale and pandemics.
National set to renege on Paris Agreement
National says it is not interested in meeting its financial obligations under the international Paris Agreement on climate change, signed by the previous National government. Reneging on the accord will have huge trade, diplomatic and reputational damage implications.
Even Capitalists think that too much Capitalism is a bad thing
In recent times Goldman Sax has warned National that its policies will hurt the economy. And S&P has praised Labour’s handling of the economy and expressed a high assessment of various factors relating to the country.
The weird and wacky 2023 election campaign
In a week of weird events National’s decision not to debate Labour in the Press’s leader’s debate has been a massive own goal because the country will be able to see how toxic David Seymour’s and Winston Peters’ relationship is.
Why won’t Winston Peters answer straight forward questions about NZ First policy?
Jack Tame vs Winston Peters.
Skyfall comes to Wellington
Skyfall was 10 years ago but it has a message for all public servants local or central as you choose your vote.
Hipkins goes on the offensive
Chris Hipkins has upped the ante in the election campaign by directly calling out the right’s use of dog whistle racism.
Triple the vote!
“If you triple your vote, we triple our power to protect people and planet”
Tax or quality public services – which is more important to NZ voters?
Earlier this year Andrew Marr wrote in the New Statesmen, that Britain’s problem was that it wanted Scandinavian levels of Public Services and North American levels of taxation. His view was that Britain was overdue for an honest debate about tax and public spending. In New Zealand, there is a similar challenge.
Winston adds to National’s tax cut credibility problem
National’s failure to adequately explain how its new revenue policies will work has seen its support sag. And its problem is that if it depends on Winston Peters for confidence and supply he has expressed major reservations about these policies and there is no guarantee he will support them. And a significant majority of New Zealanders understand this.
A Green surge and fighting for the election
Don’t share defeatist bollocks. It tells swing, undecided and habitual non-voters to not bother voting left. Instead, there are still actions that will make a difference over the next three weeks.
Even Mike Hosking thinks that a National-Act-NZ First coalition would be an absolute disaster
As the polls show a further slump in support for the right and as Winston Peters emerges as a kingmaker there is growing concern about the possibility of a real coalition of chaos being elected.
Greens: Climate future of communities on the line this election
“The extreme weather events that Aotearoa has seen this year have been supercharged by climate change. How we go about building resilient and affordable communities that meet everyone’s needs despite the challenges of climate change will be a critical question for the next government. For the Greens, the answer is clear: we must slash our emissions, and take action to protect our homes and communities from extreme weather”
There is no recession in New Zealand
The growth figures are up and National operatives will be in despair. Not only did the economy grow considerably faster than anticipated in the last quarter at 0.9% but the previous quarter’s figure has been resolved from -0.1% to 0%.
NZ Election: National’s tax policy
A year ago this month, the Liz Truss/Kwasi Kwarteng mini-budget destroyed once and for all the myth that the Tories are better at managing the economy. The New Zealand National Party could not even wait until they were in government to prove the same applies to them.
Understanding the New Zealand General Election 2023: Historical trends and perspectives.
From the outside, the New Zealand 2023 General Election seems both lacklustre and slightly strange. The Labour Government, having won a huge majority in 2020 is now fighting for its political life. Yet National, the main centre-right opposition party is still on average polling significantly worse now than they were when it lost power in 2017.
The great debate
Who will win tonight’s debate? Will Christopher Luxon release his foreigner land purchase tax calculations spreadsheet? Will Chris Hipkins talk about sausage rolls?
Stay tuned …
Cookers of the world unite
Ryan Hamilton, National’s Hamilton East candidate, has had social media released suggesting that he is against flouridation of water, opposed covid mandates and thinks that covid death numbers were inflated, is vehemently opposed to cycleways and thinks that poor people only drink Raro.
Labour’s Women’s Manifesto
“A re-elected Labour Government will continue its proud tradition of advancing women’s health, employment, and legal rights Spokesperson for Women Jan Tinetti said.”
Where are National’s costings?
Despite repeated analysis that its policies do not add up National is refusing to release the costings behind its policies.
Last night’s ASB Finance Debate (updated)
Jack Tame hosts the debate between Labour’s Finance Minister and Finance Spokespersons from the Greens, NZ First, National and Act.
National is devastated as PREFU is better than expected
National has reached new levels of excessive hyperbole in response to the PREFU release which was better than expected.
Labour pledges free cervical screening
“Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers and regular screening saves lives, so it is critical cost isn’t a barrier to accessing early detection”
Greens will demand Minister for Oceans and Fisheries to lead ocean rescue plan
“The Green Party has a rescue plan for the ocean”
The Greens In Real Government in October 2023
What happens if the Green Party gets 10% of the vote and the top 9 get in. And say they get to form a government. What would Greens in Cabinet look like?
Another Act candidate bites the dust
At this rate Act may not have enough candidates to fill its list of MPs in Parliament.
Where is NZ First’s list?
With the nomination period closing within a week or so I wonder why NZ First has not published its list yet?