Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
Andrew Little calls it the ‘The One Dollar Bill Budget’, a $1 tax cut for cleaner on minimum wage.
As usual it is the already well off who do the best out of National’s election year tax cut bribe.
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.
Budget Day.
Where to from here?
Ngaro has fronted up with another grudging apology. English should have fired him and it speaks volumes of third-term arrogance that he hasn’t.
I don’t know of a single piece written in support of Bennett’s proposal. She has been in the bubble too long, and lost touch with the values of NZ.
Terrible news from Manchester where two explosions have killed at least 19 people and injured many more. This post will be updated as more news comes in.
Richard Harman at Politik: A “Families’ Income Package” is likely to be at the core of this week’s Budget. Sources close to the Government have “leaked” details of the Budget to POLITIK.
Stuff is running an online survey – Is New Zealand on the right track?
We’ve had the Brighter Future (it sucks). We’ve had The Cusp of Something Special (it wasn’t). What will National’s soundbite slogan be this time?
Why isn’t National taking active steps to curb our emissions? We committed to reduce to 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, instead we are expected to increase. This is a massive failure of vision, commitment, and competence.
National does the bare minimum that it thinks it can get away with for those in need. This positioning is just preparing the ground for a budget that does more the same not enough.
Some great ideas in The Greens “Budget for All Mothers”. Surely no “data driven” “social investment” party could be opposed?
And in the United Kingdom the election that was meant to be a foregone conclusion suddenly is suddenly tightening.
The High Court this week has been asked to dissect the decline of the Conservative Party and of the 2014 form of dirty politics.
Gordon Campbell: “The TPP has literally become a cargo cult ritual that’s being performed in the hope that someday, one day, the Americans will return, bearing gifts.”
Good piece by Andrew Little where he addresses the arguments of the property speculators. “It’s common sense. Taxpayers shouldn’t be subsidising speculators and helping them outbid home buyers.”
The Government is attempting through coercion and cajoling to get Auckland Council to privatise Ports of Auckland.
On the issues of suicide and mental health, the choice is pretty clear. Bungling and abuse from National, a positive plan for action from Labour.
The Jonathan Pie guide to voter engagement.
John Armstrong is not impressed: Government’s handling of housing crisis lurches from chaotic to shambolic
What can the U.S. security collective do to work with their government and achieve something positive with Donald Trump?
Richard Harman on the Politik blog: “Overall, to use a favourite Government saying, it was an ‘untidy’ weekend capped by a flat speech from English which saw delegates ignore placards they’d been given to wave when he finished speaking.” The B-team is missing John Key.
It must be election year, because National has admitted that the market has failed, and swallowed the dead rat of state building. A useful graphic summary in The Herald lets you compare National and Labour’s housing plans…
Useful but – mostly re-announcing existing developments, far too little, far too late, and open to property speculators…
It isn’t just third term arrogance. Ngaro is merely the latest example of National’s long history of attacking, intimidating, and trying to silence critical voices and facts. Take a stroll with me down memory lane…
National’s shifting position on Israel suggests all is not happy within National’s ranks.
Lloyd Burr has some more quotes from Ngaro before he was forced to apologise, and Stuff writes on the Nats third term arrogance.
You know that old saying about not picking a fight with someone who buys printer’s ink by the barrel? If not, Bill, you really should look it up…
Labour has set the cat among the property speculator pigeons, and they don’t like it at all.
Housing may be the issue that decides this year’s election. And if Labour wins Andrew Little will have a major crisis to deal with, one that he has to solve.
Alfred Ngaro has apologised to the Prime Minister for threatening the funding of voluntary organisations critical of the Government, not for expressing the views or even thinking them but for being naïve.
It’s the right target, and the right reason, the left really does not want to end up dependent on Winston Peters for a shot at forming a government.
The text of Andrew Little’s speech delivered today to the Labour Party congress.
Speeches and policies from Congress so far.
