Is Simon Court a victim of dirty politics?
When the news about an Act MP being shot in the foot when he was 17 during a drug deal was released I did not think too much about it. But on reflection maybe there is a story here …
Politics
national/act government
NACT’s Law & Order Policies: Dog Whistle Or Proto-Fascism?
NACT’s Law & Order policies are a dog whistle and signs of proto-fascism.
National releases uncosted corrections policy
National has released a hotch potch policy of changes to Criminal Justice that is uncosted and seeks to achieve that which is already in force or proposed.
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.
Comrade Chris wants to solve Aotearoa’s housing crisis
Something unusual has happened. Chris Bishop, or as we should now call him Comrade Chris, has come out fully in favour of a vast expansion of the provision of social housing for kiwis.
The inside story of National’s civil war
Andrea Vance’s book Blood Bath provides an insider’s view of the carnage that erupted in the National Party from 2017 to 2021. And while things have calmed down under Christopher Luxon’s his weaknesses, including his glossing over the importance of policy detail and his tendency to bag businesses has been noted.
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.
Prison conditions
Statements by the Minister for Corrections and Corrections themselves asserting that there had been no complaints about prison conditions at Waikeria, in the face of the Ombudsman’s report, just look to me to be pure sophistry and bullshit. The report on conditions in the high security make grim reading. Even ignoring the inmates protest – I want to protest about the waste of my taxes in providing such a unproductive, inhumane and outright evil environment.
Winston Peters Names Alleged Super Leaker
Winston Peters has named the person he says leaked his super details. Has ACT joined National in doing Dirty Politics?
National Has Found a Moral Compass
National has embarked on a moral crusade to not lose the Election.
Bridges and the Robertson trial
National has released a video of Simon Bridges talking about the trial he conducted against Tony Robertson and suggesting he is in politics to change the law. But the particular law he appears to be targeting was unchanged during the term of the last National Government.
Labour to repeal ban on family caregivers seeking justice
The Government has increased funding for family caregivers of people with disabilities and is moving to repeal one of the most constitutionally outrageous legislative provisions that the prevoius Government enacted.
National shafted us with the MOM privatisation
Five years on how are the benefits from the Mixed Ownership Model privatisation process the last Government engaged in working out?
Homeless families are living in cars … and tents
Remember how early on during his reign as National leader John Key talked about the underclass and how they were a blight on New Zealand society? Well over the past year WINZ has been giving grants to homeless families to live in tents.
Doofus of the week – April 7, 2018
Another easy decision. Gerry Brownlee wins for overseeing a $210 million blow out in EWC’s liability for Christchurch earthquake re-repair work and for being upset when Megan Woods called him on it.
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.
So there was a housing crisis after all
The briefing to incoming Housing Minister Phil Twyford shows clearly that a crisis in housing developed under National’s watch.
The repeal of the Hobbit law
Labour has indicated that as a priority it wishes to repeal the Hobbit law, a clumsy attempt in breach of International Law to prevent workers in the film industry from organising collectively and to divert attention from the fact that the National Government had been played by Warner Brothers.
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.
Our Nation’s Stolen Generation Moment
A guest post by @invisiphilia on the recent Mahinarangi Forbes interview on the Hui on the abuse of children in foster care and why the Government is wrong in refusing to have a proper independent inquiry into what went wrong.
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?
Dunne and dusted
Peter Dunne has announced that he will resign from Parliament at the next election.
A tale of three immigrants
The Government is refusing to allow a Tongan family with a very sick child and an American family who ran a very successful cafe from staying in New Zealand but rolled out the red carpet to an uber rich American who did not meet all of the requirements.
National again subsidises their land banking contributors from taxpayer funds.
The announcement that National were granting infrastructure funds to develop housing projects in the far north and south of Auckland caused me some amusement. Wisely Auckland council resisted this boondongle that only benefits land bankers, speculators and their political party (National) for some time. To the point where National used taxpayer funds instead.
Why be a public servant?
Today thousands of IRD workers face the prospect of losing their jobs while two MOT workers who lost their jobs for whistle blowing are vindicated. Who would be a public servant?
Why there should be work and drug test obligations for National MPs
Todd Barclay has not been seen at work lately but has been seen at a Queenstown pub. And is still being paid $3,000 a week to represent the people of Clutha Southland.
The Government is misrepresenting the effect of the Ruataniwha Dam decision
The Government has responded to the Supreme Court decision which puts a halt on the Ruataniwha Dam by claiming wrongly that the protected land was of low quality and by stating that a law change, possibly retrospective, will occur.
What happened to the Newshub article about Nick Smith and the Pike River film?
A Newshub article where Nick Smith contradicts the Police and Solid Energy about the existence of video showing a body in Pike River has disappeared …
Special Housing Area provisions are failing but Nick Smith thinks everything is fine
Nick Smith is attempting to rewrite history by claiming that the Government never thought the special housing area affordable housing provisions would work and that the housing crisis is improving.
The Todd Barclay debacle enters the sixth day of the news cycle
Through his never ending changing of the description of what happened in the Todd Barclay issue Bill English has kept the story prominently placed for six days in a row.
Later Todd
- Todd Barclay has announced that he will not stand at the next General Election as National’s Clutha Southland candidate.
Barclay debacle recap
From twitter, Holy shit, someone in NZ did some journalism and all hell breaks loose.
National’s social media is starting to suck
National’s social media have chosen a picture that sums up its policies well.
The Labour lite budget
From pre announced budget initiatives it is clear that today’s budget will provide National the opportunity to announce watered down insipid versions of current Labour Party policies.
Reshuffle
Bill English is to announce a cabinet reshuffle today. What should he do?
National’s Filipino campaign
National’s New Lynn candidate Paulo Garcia appears to be receiving campaigning assistance from the Philippine Ambassador for New Zealand. Is this appropriate?