Democracy in Dire Straits
Like an auto-immune disease, democracy can attack itself with dire consequences.
Politics
Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
Gotta pay for those tax cuts for landlords somehow
What is the lowest most disgraceful thing this Government has done? How about cutting funding for top ups of the wages of disabled workers aimed to get them to the living wage?
C Listers and tag alongs
Christopher Luxon has accused senior business leaders who travelled with a trade delegation with Chris Hipkins of being “C listers and tag alongs”.
Who would have thought that he used to run an airline?
Last year Christopher Luxon said that he would not use Defence Force planes to travel internationally if elected as prime minister. Turns out that this is not actually true.
Safer streets or unsafer streets?
The Government is planning to reverse Labour’s previous policy relating to permanent safe speeds around schools. The change will decrease safety and walking and cycling and increase car use. And the upside is?
Do the EU elections matter in Britain?
Last weekend the EU elections saw a significant increase in support for the populist/alt-right in European elections.
I deliberately avoid using the term far-right. It would be too simplistic and inaccurate to paint a picture of Europe re-living the 1930s and entering fascism. It is not.
Health & safety of workers is apparently about Cones
The Government’s latest announcement about worker safety is about business, not people.
National announced more subsidies in farming for capital gains
National and their minion parties just announced another massive $400 million R&D subsidy for agricultural greenhouse gases by taxpayers for the low profit industry of pastoral farming. This joins the other large and hidden subsidies levied on tax and rate payers to support rural and state roads capable of sustained heavy agricultural and forestry trucks.
Haere ra He Wake Eke Noa
It was always going to happen but it still rankles that an attempt to get farming to at least confront the damage it causes to the climate is being put on hold.
UK General Election – the mood on the doorstep
The UK still has the First Past the Post Electoral system. Something New Zealand should have absolutely no nostalgia for. This means that, while the campaign is UK-wide, a lot of campaign activity is directed into constituencies that are deemed marginal. In marginal constituencies, a General Election brings a conveyor belt of the good and the great supporting their prospective parliamentary candidate. In “safe seats” voters get much less attention.
Respect existence or expect resistance
Yesterday’s Greenpeace’s War on Nature protest in Tamaki Makaurau suggests growing unity on the left and an increasing determination to stop the Fast Track Projects Bill from being passed.
Fast-Track to Fast-Fail
Only a fool insists on furiously flogging a dead horse to go faster on the track.
March for Nature
Be there, bring your whanau, bring friends. Make it noisy and passionate and make it count.
Lies Damn Lies and Police Statistics
Police Minister has been caught out claiming an increase in patrols in Central Auckland when a proper analysis of the data shows that the number of patrols have decreased.
National’s irksome incompetence is inexcusable
When the fabric of lies unravels the gaslighting increases.
National/Act – good at breaking public services
Today is my 65th birthday. So I’m trying to check out a PDF letter on MyMSD which probably has some details about superannuation. But I get ERR_CONNECTION_RESET consistently. Looks like the idiots in this government have managed to screw up the efficient systems already. The MyMSD site is currently partially dead.
The National Party has a pattern of broken election promises
The National Party has created a new slogan: give New Zealanders a break … in promises!
The Big Budget Backflip *
* or is it?
Anti-Muslim, anti-black, pro-Zionist: UK Labour goes for purge
I attended Faiza Shaheen’s impressive candidate launch in Chingford four years ago. She aimed to take on IDS and she dented his majority. Reselected two years ago by the local Labour Party, four days ago she was deselected by a 3-person kangaroo court from the party’s National Executive Committee.
Update: Faiza Shaheen to stand as an independent in Chingford.
Putting Politics over People
National’s breaking of its election promise to fund 13 cancer treatments is cruel beyond words.
The QE2 covenant, the Mining Company and the donation to NZ First
Radio New Zealand has broken the jaw dropping and astounding story that shows why the Fast Track Projects Bill is potentially so corrupting to the body politic and why there has to be electoral law reform to stop corporations from buying influence.
Budget Smudgeit
Early comments on the budget. Basically tax cuts are being paid by more borrowing. There is no way this can be described as being fiscally neutral.
The Budget Day Protests
Protests by Māori and Tangata Tiriti against government policy are underway on the day of the National government’s first budget. Carkoi and Hikoi are taking place in many locations across the country.
Is our investment in defence value for money?
Defence cost us more than $6.7 billion in 2023/24. Why does our small, remote country have such a costly defence force? Is it fit for purpose – and in 2024, what is that purpose?
What does the Government have against Māori wards?
The Government is moving with urgency to reverse Labour’s repeal of referenda for Māori wards on local councils.
What is that word that starts with “C” and ends with “orruption”?
The past fortnight has seen a number of breaking stories each of which raises concerns about the motivations and goals of this Government. It makes you wonder whether the pursuit of self interest is an embedded feature as opposed to a bug.
Is Shane Jones Right About Mining?
Maybe Shane Jones is at least partially right about mining.
The Luxon Government’s War on Nature
“But the truth is that real gains only ever come out of a mobilised civil society and achieving a mobilised civil society is exactly what we have to do.”
– Russel Norman
Making up for lost time
Guest post by Nigel Haworth where he discusses Labour membership’s desire for taxation reform and why it is important that Labour decides on its position as soon as possible.
National MP *forgets* to declare $178,000 in donations
In breaking news New Plymouth National MP David MacLeod apparently *forgot* to declare $178,000 in declarations to the Electoral Commission.
Speech time
In the past week Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins have both delivered future vision themed speeches. With some dramatic contrasts.
British politics – hurry up and wait for a general election
While I do not pick elections, I think it is safe to make this point. If Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party are holding on for a dramatic change in polling numbers, they are unlikely to see this happen. On current polling, even a 7% swing in their favour would not be enough to stop them from losing the election. Labour should not be complacent, but it is increasingly obvious that the voter coalition that helped the Conservatives win in 2019 has collapsed.
A Deliberate Recession
It is sickening to see how economic power is being used against ordinary New Zealanders right now.
Are we drifting away or falling apart?
What is the antidote for our socio-economic problems and how do we deal with this coalition government?
While the gender/sex culture war rages…
Listen to the detransitioners.
Charter schools are back
Following on from the decision to cut $103 million a year from the school lunch programme the Government has announced the return of chartered schools at a cost of $153 million over four years.