Two more Labour candidate selections
Angela Warren-Clark (Tauranga Women’s Refuge manager) for Bay of Plenty and Jan Tinetti (Principal) for Tauranga. These are the kinds of grounded, real-world perspectives that we need in Parliament.
Politics
Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
Housing crisis what housing crisis
The Government’s estimate of the extent of the housing crisis has recently been shown to be totally out of touch and to add further pathos it is counting kiwi families urgently housed in motels in tourism statistics.
Green Party Member’s Bill to protect freshwater
The Green Party has launched a member’s bill that will keep water from underground sources, called aquifers, safe from pollution and contamination.
You can’t afford a house because of – plants!
I’m used to hearing some pretty pathetic excuses out of the National government. But this will really take some beating.
Green Party candidates and vision speech (updated)
James Shaw addresses Green Party candidates and shares their vision for Aotearoa New Zealand
Pike River facts laid out
An excellent piece by Pike River mum, Sonya Rockhouse, in today’s Sunday Star-Times. The full article is here, but here are some of the most important points…
A fan grieves Key’s popularity bubble
Media response to the Mt Albert By election result
The media have responded to the Mt Albert by election result by raising the prospect of Jacinda Ardern becoming deputy leader of the Labour Party.
Trump Whitehouse bans critical media from briefing
It is day 37 of Donald Trump’s reign as POTUS. Today he decided to attack elements of the press that have been critical of him by banning them from a press conference.
The Mt Albert By election
It is election day today in Mt Albert for the successor to David Shearer.
Comments are open.
It’s past time to be bold about water
Water is both the front line and the rallying cry.
Mt Albert – the left and the right
All the best to all candidates, and thank you to Julie Anne Genter and Jacinda Ardern for showing us all such a model of cooperation.
Two big policy fails
This is what you get with a hasty, reactive, “top down” policy process.
Nick Smith becomes Minister of Government Information
The Government intends to change the definitions of various indicators in an effort to solve some of the country’s most serious problems.
Forest and Bird takes it the Government in the Supreme Court
The Crown is seeking to overturn the Court of Appeal decision obtained by Forest and Bird which is preventing Conservation land in the Hawkes Bay from being used for the controversial Ruataniwha dam.
English on the Māori seats
Someone should ask English whether he still believes the opinions stated in the press release, and if not, why not?
2017
The left is facing the possiblity of its fourth election loss in a row. What type of campaign should it run this year to win?
Kaupapa Pākehā
What if we based our politics on relationships not power?
Willie Jackson on democracy
Willie Jackson is using his return to the political spotlight to good effect.
Nick Smith screws up again
We should probably just schedule this as a monthly post.
Jonathan Pie – A Socialist agenda
Jonathan Pie on why being a socialist is actually a good thing.
Win for sanity in Hager vs Westpac
The Privacy Commission issues a ruling that should not have been unnecessary.
NRT: Two ideas to get rid of electorate deals
Idiot/Savant suggests removing the 5% threshold and introducing preferential voting for electorate seats.
What if anything does Bill English believe in?
Can anyone work out what English stands for? His actions and his words are at odds. Vernon Small tries and fails to pin English down on electoral deals, Winston Peters, abolishing the Maori seats, and more.
Maryan Street defers to Raymond Huo
For very human reasons former Labour Party President and Labour List MP Maryan Street has confirmed that if Jacinda Ardern wins the Mt Albert by election this weekend she will not seek to return to Parliament via the list.
He Kawenata ki Waenga i Te Roopu MANA me Te Paati Māori
The agreement between the Mana Movement and the Māori Party.
The Greens in Te Tai Tokerau
Te Tai Tokerau looks to be a hotly contested seat in the 2017 general election, and the Greens are entering the fray there for the first time, with new candidate Godfrey Rudolph.
Māori Mana deal in Te Tai Tokerau
As reported on Stuff: “Hone Harawira gets clear Te Tai Tokerau run for Mana not running against Maori Party in other seats”.
Duncan Webb for Christchurch Central
Another strong Labour selection in an interesting electorate.
John Key – Mr 2%
John Key’s support as preferred Prime Minister has plunged in the latest Colmar Brunton poll. And he has been seen playing sponsored golf for a Japanese businessman with unusual characteristics.
National’s one-trick election pony – the eternal mirage of tax cuts
As Finance Minister Bill English effectively ruled out tax cuts, but it’s election year, and so of course the Nats can’t help but trot out their one-trick election pony again.
Colmar Brunton poll
1 News: “The gap between National and the centre left block of Labour and the Greens has tightened in the wake of John Key’s departure as leader, according to the first major poll since his shock resignation.”
Greg O’Connor responds
In a guest post, Labour’s Ōhāriu candidate Greg O’Connor responds to some of the topics of comments in the post “Greg O’Connor selected for Ōhāriu” and elsewhere on the blogs.
Bungling Brownlee under fire
Gerry Brownlee is a walking disaster. Such is the depth of National’s talent pool that he is ranked number 4 in their lineup.
Helen White for Auckland Central
Looks like a strong candidate – all the best in Auckland Central!
Good ideas in Gisborne
Andrew Little’s announcement yesterday in Gisborne of Labour’s pledge of up to $20million to build a prefabricated timber plant there is a much-needed boost to the area and a sign that Labour’s 100,000 new house pledge first made by David Shearer in 2012 has legs.