Ryall: do it or else
Health Minister Tony Ryall’s first policy will be to impose maximum waiting times for hospital emergency departments. No word on extra funding for […]
Politics
national/act government
Why is there a media honeymoon?
Why do new leaders get honeymoons? When you think about it, there’s no objective reason why a leader should get an easy run […]
Do we want to be a world-leader or a global joke?
According to a leading financier, carbon credit broker Nigel Brunel, of OMF Financial, New Zealand has become “a bit of a joke” in Europe […]
In praise of the welfare state
It’s very easy in our individualist, consumerist, capitalist society to say ‘if you’re poor, it’s your fault, don’t come looking to the rest […]
Delaying tactics
The National Party’s decision to resurrect the idea of a carbon tax is one of the most cynical plays I’ve seen in a […]
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 […]
A break from the honeymoon
While most of the big media are giving John Key his criticism-free honeymoon (“OMG! A solo mum! An Asian! And a gay chap!”) […]
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 […]
Retro
It seems 80’s retro has finally moved from being manifest only as the return of skinny jeans and naff facial hair and is […]
Cabinet announced
National’s cabinet has been announced. No major surprises, though Maurice Williamson has been dumped outside cabinet and unpopular newcomer Steven Joyce has taken […]
Undefeated
Paul Holmes wrote yesterday: “While Labour moves to the Opposition benches, it does so weirdly unmolested by the election defeat, weirdly undefeated” Damn […]
John Key’s victory parade
No, not the one the Herald’s organising. Over at Scoop Lyndon Hood’s unveiled his own victory parade for John Key and I gotta […]
Key reneges on PSA promise
Well, just days after a high profile meeting with PSA head Brenda Pilott and a promise to engage with unions John Key has […]
Local Govt minister wants to privatise water
As you’ll have read, John Key has made ACT leader Rodney Hide his Minister of Local Government. So, what’s ACT’s local government policy? […]
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 […]
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 […]
Polar bear returns
From Scoop: The hapless polar bear that emerged during the recent TVNZ You-Tube leaders debate has resurfaced to issue a plea to Prime […]
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 […]
Careful of them monsters, John
It’s amazing to see how quickly John Key got over his fear of five-headed monsters once it came time to cobble together a […]
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 […]
National gives ACT consumer affairs
John Key’s got to be taking the piss with his decision to appoint ACT MP Heather Roy as Minister of Consumer Affairs in […]
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 […]
Class and the Maori Party
The New Zealand Herald has a telling story today about how the Maori Party’s decision over whether to prop up a right-wing National/ACT […]
Not what they expected
I’ve been out and about over the last few days talking to people from the left and the right as well as a […]
A change to what? Part II
A few months ago I asked National supporters who comment here what they wanted to see in terms of hard policy from National. […]