NZ Fabian Society event: Brian Easton on Transforming New Zealand
“Why is the Left failing?”
Politics
Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
State of the Nation – dire
Remember National’s promise to get us back on track? Salvation Army’s latest state of the nation report suggests that for ordinary people things are getting much worse.
The latest polls suggest a change in Government
Two recent polls both predict a one term National Government.
Kieran McAnulty is underrated: How Chris Bishop Got Away with Blowing Up Kāinga Ora & State Housing Momentum
Kieran McAnulty’s points are fair and important – so why is media ignoring most of them? Also – Labour delivered 14,000 homes in government – so why is Chris Bishop blowing that trajectory up?
Bring us your wealthy and your privileged …
National wants more wealthy people to come to New Zealand to increase investment fund levels. But what if we created the situation so that locals could increase investment through Kiwisaver contributions?
Leadership D.O.A.
As we approach the half-time oranges for his government, I thought I’d give Mr Luxon some feedback and a few suggestions on how he might turn things around – if becoming a real leader interests him.
Why get upset with solar power?
You have to hand it to the right. They have succeeded in making ordinary people oppose the most beneficial projects imaginable. Like a group of residents in North Canterbury that is opposing construction of a solar farm.
Dear Mum and Dad
I had a great week at school!
What does Trump have against Canada?
And why isn’t New Zealand backing Canada against Trump’s self declared trade war?
Standing for Auckland
Can Kerrin Leoni pave the way as Tamaki Makaurau’s first wāhine Māori Mayor? Open to all today from Nick’s Kōrero…
Cancun Cruz’s crazy tweet
Ted Cruz has criticised New Zealand for requiring all Israelis to detail their military experience before coming to New Zealand. But there is a problem with this. He is wrong.
Tim Jago is part of a bigger ACT Party issue
The former ACT Party President’s name suppression ceased 2 years after Jago was charged, allowing ACT to bypass critical scrutiny during the 2023 election
The Second Major Offensive of Neoliberalism in New Zealand Since the 80s
The Coalition is fighting a multi-front blitzkrieg to entrench neoliberal hegemony in NZ.
David Farrar’s Curia Market Research Woes
What happened to the Curia Market Research suspension? David Farrar responded after RANZ hired an independent sub-committee to investigate complaints about polling integrity
What will he do next?
I did not think it possible but it seems that every week Donald Trump does something that makes me think even worse of him.
Better Late than Never?
Davey Seymour’s Disgusting School Dinners, and the faster you go, the bigger the mess, but does Chris Bishop look bothered?
Keep on Digging
The latest outbursts and brain farts from the great Kumara of the North…
Open to all today in Nick’s Kōrero – Shane Jones calls climate change ‘woke’ and says, ‘Send the Mexicans home’.
Most kiwis blame Willis for Ferry Fiasco
Recent polling suggests that two thirds of kiwis disagree with Nicola Willis’s decision to cancel the replacement Inter Island ferries contract.
Later Stuart
Stuart Nash has suggested that Labour is losing support for not sticking to its values. But his suggested policy solution would have Labour resemble National lite, not deepest red Labour.
If that’s Luxon’s Plan, What About Labour?
It’s time to highlight what a Labour plan for the New Zealand economy under a 2026 government would look like. And ask questions.
New Zealand’s worst leadership speech since 2008
The PM’s ‘State of the Nation’ speech about the New Zealand economy titled “economic growth the key to better days ahead” was a bag of words with no plan.
Selling NZ off to the highest foreign bidder. Is it still NZ First?
For a year, Luxon and Seymour have been prepping the Overseas Investment Act to sell NZ off to wealthy foreigners. But who is running the show? Libertarian interests of course. And Winston Peters might find the money good enough to fold.
In Defence of Golriz Ghahraman
Golriz Ghahraman didn’t shoplift “again” – but recent media reports made it sound like she did. This article looks back on her history and her treatment by NZ’s political and media class.
The difference between Christopher Luxon and Donald Trump *
* is not as great as you think.
America would never happen here!
Why corporate fascism may no longer be a distant dream – and how it’s closer than you might think
The future dystopia
He’s baack. The man least suited to running the world’s most powerful country is now President again.
Luxon’s panicked reshuffle
Christopher Luxon has conducted a major Cabinet Reshuffle with the stand out feature the demotion of Shane Reti and the transfer of Health from Reti to Simeon Brown.
The World has too many Oligarchs
In his final speech Joe Biden has warned the world about the dangers posed by Oligarchs supporting the right into democratic power. He is right.
Clearing the Decks: Government replaces half of the Waitangi Tribunal
The government has replaced half of the Waitangi Tribunal, removing three of NZ’s most highly regarded experts in mātauranga Maori.
Latest opinion poll – Labour overtakes National
That grinding noise you can hear from the Parliamentary precinct is the sound of National backbenchers sharpening their knives getting ready for a change of leadership. Because the latest Curia poll shows National has fallen behind Labour in the preferred party stakes.
Reviewing the Cook Strait Ferry fiasco
A review of the history of the Ferries issue suggests that this could be coalition ending and career ending.
The Left Went That Way
In the past two decades, election results in western Europe, Australasia, and North America have been framed as a crisis of the left. But in reality are things that bad?
Labour’s Long-Sightedness and the Opposition’s Opprobrious Omniabsence
New Zealand is sleepwalking to an unmitigated constitutional, societal, and environmental disaster under the smokescreen of culture wars.
The Los Angeles fires – could they happen here?
With large parts of Los Angeles burning and the right still trying to divert attention and blame the question arises, could the same thing happen here?
President Biden’s Accomplishments
It’s common these days to see the rapid 2024 exit of multiple global social democrat leaders as just a post-COVID symptom of democratic impatience. But Biden achieved far more than his age-related decline obscures.
Winston’s Next Job
While he scoops up behind Minister Willis’s Cook Strait ferry disaster, he’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and our primary lead on the rise of President Trump and boy does he have a job ahead of him.