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Politics
Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
A letter to my middle-class, well meaning, professional, liberal friends and family
A post about the responsibility to advocate for change in a visible way.
Peters’ greatest hits
Lloyd Burr at Newshub rounded up 23 of Peters’ most quotable attacks on the Nats and their failed government. Add them to the collection of issues that Peters will have to disown if he goes wrong and picks Right.
Another day
Just watched the “waiting for Winston Peters” live feed from Stuff. It sounds like the NZ First board know what they want and now there will be a bit more negotiation with both major parties to get closer to what the NZF board were after. They are heading back home leaving the politicians to finish up.
Updated: Winston in one-on-one talks with Bill and Jacinda last night. Looks like it is getting serious.
No consensus – more talks
Vance: “Now not committing to the end of the week”
“Reporters”.
“Once upon a time, in a world far away” we had these people called “reporters”.
An honourable profession, who considered it their job to keep the public accurately and completely informed.
Wellington Political Theatre’s Waiting for Godot – a review
Beckett’s classic Waiting for Godot by the city’s oldest company, the Wellington Political Theatre, is a triumph.
Poor reporters
Spare a thought for our poor political reporters today.
Austria and Europe
Europe is showing a worrying trend to the right as anti immigration parties are voted into office. Austria provides the latest example.
This is the day *
* but delays are possible.
Facebook and democracy
A long and interesting read in The Atlantic. “The very roots of the electoral system had been destabilized.”
The first 100 days of a Labour led government
Maybe Peters learned from history and is not doomed to repeat it. If we get a Labour led government, what should be its top priorities in the first 100 days?
Nats – lousy at government – “brilliant” at opposition
Peters has the opportunity to put an end to this useless government (and turn National into “the opposition from hell”). I think he’s going to ’96 us, but I’d be happy to be proved wrong
Helen Kelly – one year
Helen Kelly died a year ago today. She is missed.
IMF: higher taxes for rich will cut inequality and won’t hurt growth
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it now favours higher taxes on the rich and has demolished the myth this might adversely affect […]
Into the Vortex of Confirmation Bias: why we won’t be able to figure out which way Winston will go…
Every morning, as the waiting for Winston to decide continues to fray my fragile psyche, I can look at myself in the mirror, contemplate my own frenzied speculative hopes for an Ardern Prime Ministership, and immediately think of a host of strong social-methodological reasons why all such speculation is futile.
Lefties on The Standard #3
Another post on The Standard providing a discussion space for left-wing and progressive people only.
Sean Plunket resigns from Broadcasting Standards Authority
Anyone feeling for Sean Plunket?
The Nobel Peace Prize
Last week, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). This is a […]
Another term of Nats bad news for democracy
It’s starting to feel a lot like 1996 all over again. Another term of the Nats would be bad news for the institutions of democracy. We’ve had recent warnings on the state of the justice system, press freedom, and the public service.
First Past the Post nostalgia
A timely reminder that we replaced FPP for very good reasons.
Every body wants to rule the world
D day approaches. What will happen? Will we have a decaying toothless National Government moderated by coalition with New Zealand First or will we have something more exciting?
Last day of talks
It’s the last day of coalition talks (probably). Peters has certainly created big expectations of “change”, but what they will mean in practice is still anyone’s guess.
Green options
If the Greens prioritise change over power, then the whole ‘they have no leverage’ rhetoric becomes less important than the fact that the Greens are necessary to form government but still have choices in how they participate in that.
Anatomy of a plonker
“Anyone else feeling for Harvey Weinstein?” – Sean Plunket
Guest post: Deconstructing yet another National has moral right to govern argument
A guest post by Swordfish on the implausibility of the claims by Dr Claire Robinson’s odd claim that the 2017 election result was a win for the status quo.
NRT: This stinks
Idiot/Savant points to the unfairness of the Government having forced Christchurch red zone families off their land and now trying to sell that land at a profit.
Peters policy priorities
Peters’ policy priorities are clearly anathema to National. Depending on the details Labour may be more accommodating, but it’s a risky path given signs that “the economy” is already flatlining.
Announcement delayed
Great news for all those who are enjoying the suspense!
Nats’ secret tax plan
Newsroom (Shane Cowlishaw) reports that the Nats were considering significant hikes to fuel taxes, described in a document that was supposed to be released before the election – but somehow wasn’t.
Is there a Role for the Governor General in Coalition Formation?
MMP is challenging the traditional role of the Governor General in determining who should lead the Government after an election.
Can we please stop pretending that ACT is a political party
ACT was a political party once, but it died a long time ago.
Politics or Policy?
Policy is everything, Winston Peters said today. This should not be a surprise. Before every election, he has refused to give any hint of Party support preference until after the vote. But he will have thought a lot about what he might want, as it has long been clear that his Party would decide the outcome. So what are his policies?
Donkey Dick Duncan
Gross political incompetence, not immigration, is what lies behind and beneath New Zealand’s infra-structure problems. Only a excited donkey’s dick waving in a stiff breeze might point accusingly towards immigrants and immigration as the problem.
Arrival
Incognito writes about the need for a new narrative in politics and how the Green movement is providing one that takes us beyond neoliberalism and unfettered capitalism.
The education mess
The complete mess that National has made of our health system got plenty of airtime during the election campaign. While it received less coverage, the education system is a mess too.