Nick legged it
Remember how the move of Nick Leggett to National was supposed to be some big disaster for Labour?
Politics
Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
TOP climate change policy
Morgan’s TOP climate change policy is out, and it commits to “net zero carbon emissions by 2050”. There’s lots to like…
Racist campaigns and attack ads
A couple of racist groups seem to be hawking their wares recently. Unfortunately this may herald the start of a dirty election, dragged down by well funded and unaccountable pressure groups.
Roads not health
A new coalition protests health under-funding, while the cost of the holiday highway blows out. Our government has its priorities all screwed up.
Who will Bill English attack next?
Fresh from insulting voters, English has now taken to insulting political parties. Perhaps he doesn’t want to be in government any more? Or is he just losing it completely?
Dick of the year
Yesterday, on International Women’s day David Seymour chose to attack Metiria Turei for what she was wearing.
International Women’s Day, 47 years on, how far have we come?
Test of a speech given by feminist icon Sandra Coney on the state of the feminist movement in 2017
Vault 7: CIA Hacking Tools Revealed
Some very quick initial thoughts on expected reactions.
The gender pay gap – grandstanding but no action
A new report has some really interesting findings on the gender pay gap. Paula Bennett engaged in a bit of grandstanding, but it rings completely hollow given National’s history on the issue.
Happy International Women’s Day.
Congratulations Jacinda Ardern!
Will Collins make a move?
The crisis around English’s amateur-hour handling of the super announcement is an opportunity for Judith Collins.
English a shambles
English isn’t going to be very happy when he opens the papers this morning.
English proposes raising age of super to 67 (eventually)
In what seems to have been a panicked reaction to a disastrous series of interviews, English has just announced that the age of eligibility for super will rise from 65 to 67, phased in from 2037.
Bowron on English’s ‘useless druggies’ smear
Bowron: “Prime Minister Bill English’s reputation as a safe pair of blands taking the reins after the mysterious disappearance of John Key took a dive last week when he ruthlessly and cynically turned on Kiwi youth.”
National accuses John Key of shying away from the hard issues
Shambolic scenes as Bill English’s twitter account tweets criticism of John Key not taking the hard decisions regarding superannuation eligibility, then the tweet gets deleted. And Bill did not know the tweet had been sent out.
White Man Behind a Desk – Indigenous Rights
We no longer need the Waitangi Tribunal because everything’s fine now. Right?
Future state abuse victims
What to do with the helpless anger generated by such a statement?
Swimmable standards that aren’t for all of our rivers except most of them
Swimmable standards that aren’t, for all of our rivers except most of them, sometime maybe not now. Nat policy at its finest.
Social investment meets the surveillance state
First they came for the budgeting services. Now we know that every social service agency has to provide clients’ private personal data to […]
English puts super back on the line
In what was apparently a pretty dire interview on The Nation this morning, Bill English dropped one bombshell, possible changes in superannuation. For the record I think English is right on this. For a change.
A social media primer for progressive candidates
Labour Party General Secretary Andrew Kirton recently sent out a message to Labour Candidates which of itself was a lesson on all things social media …
Slightly smug about MMP
2017 will be New Zealand’s eighth election under MMP, over 22 years. With very strong democratically elected governments appearing right across the world digging in for the long term, it’s useful to take a moment for MMP.
Encouraging Signs
A refreshing shift in NZ’s political environment.
Trump’s confidence: The kiss of death?
Watching Steve Brannon and his alter ego Donald Trump operate from a long way away is almost amusing. Total confidence == Jeff Sessions needs to recuse himself from the enquiry into unlawful contacts with the Russians..
Thanks Annette
I well remember going to see new Minister of Employment Annette King in 1989 to ask for support for group apprenticeship in the motor industry. “Seems like a good idea, we’ll put up $50,000.” she said. I nearly fell off my chair. It was not the usual response from Ministers in those days, but is Annette King to a T – positive, decisive, and supportive.
Coalition building – deft politics from Little
Helen Clark wrote the book on MMP coalition government, shoring up alliances on the left and the right. Looks like Andrew Little has read the book. Labour + Green + NZF = government.
Labour: Greens are the first cab off the rank
Andrew Little has confirmed that the Green Party will be first party Labour looks to for a coalition deal after the election.
English reckons the collapse of NZ’s housing is “a good problem to have”
In every case a failure to plan, a failure to deliver, and a glib attempt to fob off the victims of his government’s failure.
Who would have thunk that Government’s approach to housing is inadequate
Radio New Zealand has reported on a review of the Government’s housing policy which described it as fragmented and lacking a robust plan but it took intervention by the Ombudsman to have the review released.
Great reaction to Jacinda move
The (presumed) move to Jacinda Ardern as deputy leader has been very well received.
Annette King standing down as deputy leader
In breaking news Annette King is standing down as deputy leader of the Labour Party and Andrew Little will nominate Jacinda Ardern as deputy leader.
English hammered on ‘druggies’ smear
English will be worried that he got hammered like this, when Key got away with all sorts of insults and lies. And if you think your fellow Kiwis are useless workers you’re doing it wrong.
Off the track
Off the Track is the 10th State of the Nation report from The Salvation Army’s Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit. Many of the markers routinely analysed for the report currently suggest we are not heading in the best direction for New Zealand as a whole. The Auckland Fabians have a lecture by Alan Johnson on the report on Thursday in Auckland.
National bolster their moribund blue-greens
I read this morning in Politik that Vernon Tava has left the Greens and appears to be leaning towards National. It doesn’t seem to me to much of a problem to lose a conservationist to National. It just means that the Greens can concentrate more effectively on the work of getting everyone trying to build a cleaner sustainable future.
Homeless crisis hidden in plain sight
Bill blames the blowout in emergency housing grants on the “hidden homeless”. Hidden only from those who will not see. Hidden only from a government that deliberately chooses for political reasons not to collect the relevant data.
Bill’s bigoted drug reckons vs the evidence
Some folks Bill knows are telling him stuff and he’s basing immigration policy on it. The facts say otherwise. Bill English is full of shit and it’s time that more media called him on it.