National’s childcare announcement
National’s proposed child care subsidy policy is essentially an increase to existing grants that will fuel inflation and costs increases in the child care sector.
Politics
Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
But How Do You Pay For It?
To pay for recent flood damage Grant Robertson has to decide on what proportion of this will be paid by new debt, what proportion by reallocation of expenditure, and what proportion by special tax levies. Is an Australian style levy under consideration?
How Activism Dies
If anything progressive is to come out of this current government other than disaster recovery, really focused protest must prevail. It isn’t.
Mt Albert Labour selection
The candidates for the Mt Albert Labour selection to replace Jacinda Ardern are Helen White MP and Camilla Belich MP. The selection meeting is on Saturday 11th March at 10am in the Western Springs School Hall. This is an important electorate for Labour which has held it since 1947 through changing demographics. I have my preference.
Greens: Tax the banks
Instead of creating an appeal fund and one-off lotto draw, the Labour Government could tax the billions of dollars banks have made in unearned, excess profits and use the money to support people.
Where is the Free Speech Union when you need it?
Rob Campbell is under some pressure from National and Act for calling out publicly the right’s dog whistle attacks on co governance. But so far self appointed protector of the right to freedom of speech, the Free Speech Union, has been very quiet. Why is this?
A Lone Voice of Sanity on Ukraine
Historian Malcolm McKinnon in Thursday’s DominionPost states that “caution is needed when crafting victory over Russia as the primary war aim in Ukraine.” Truer words were never spoken, as western hysteria rejects calls for peace and escalates to wider war.
National’s three waters policy
National has announced its alternative to the Three Waters Policy with the standout feature being greater central control of asset management and investment plans than offered by Three Waters and even greater loss of local control.
What To Do About Climate Change
West Auckland’s activism, through such examples as the Arc in the Park sanctuary to the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area through to the protection of the environment provided by the South Titirangi Neighbourhood Network, provides examples of the sort of activism that may be needed if Aotearoa New Zealand is to deal properly with climate change mitigation.
Climate change – do we mitigate or do we adapt?
The political debate about climate change is coming to an end as the North Island is battered by the third huge climate change induced storm in a month. The focus will not be on what to do? Do we still mitigate the effects by reducing greenhouse gas emissions? Or do we dig in and adapt?
Is Labour heading for Muriwai-scale landslide win?
Here’s my prediction: Labour will not just win the October election, but it will complete a landslide of similar proportions to the 2020 election. It has been Labour’s response to the cyclones that will be the decisive factor in October. Luxon’s low energy performance helps.
This is really awkward
National MP Maureen Pugh has questioned the existence of human induced climate change.
Sturgeon, like Ardern, a casualty of online abuse
Nicola Sturgeon’s shock resignation as Scotland’s First Minister was something of a replay of Jacinda Ardern’s resignation. While subject to widespread abuse, both were reluctant to cite this as their main reason for quitting. But the abuse undoubtedly played a major role. But the misogynist trend is endemic and needs to be quelled.
Towards National Recovery
Just over seven months from the election the Labour government has been granted as great a political momentum as that leading into the 2020 election.
Why right wing media is bad for democracy and the planet
Newstalk ZB hosts have rightfully been criticised for minimising the danger posed by Cyclone Gabrielle. Which funnily is that they have been doing about climate change for the past few decades.
Natural disasters test new leaders in New Zealand – some did better than others.
After the Auckland flood, Wayne Brown’s election will now be viewed as a cautionary tale. What can happen when someone who is inexperienced and unsuited to political office is elected to important political leadership roles. The blowback of this on the New Zealand right should not be understated, it is bad news for them.
What Chat GPT thinks of the Standard
I thought that I would get Chat GPT to write 500 words on the Standard and this is what it came up with.
Prime Ministerial
Chris Hipkins has so far not put a foot wrong. Since he became PM he has quickly and competently reformed the Cabinet and jettisoned policies that were for one reason or another causing problems. And he has quickly asserted control over two massive storms, the first which pummeled the country’s major city and the second which has caused massive floods to much of the East Coast of the North Island.
Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation and Scottish Independence.
While Sturgeon’s strong leadership and vision have helped build support for Scottish Independence, the Conservative and Unionist Party’s arrogance and self-serving incompetence in government have greatly aided her in this.
Climate Minister James Shaw: If we do not act, it will get worse
“There will be a certain crowd who say … let’s give up on stopping climate change and its focus entirely on responding to the effects of climate change and I cannot state enough what a catastrophic mistake that would be, because every tenth of a degree of warming increases the frequency and the severity of these events.”
Is it too early to talk about climate change?
Two unprecedented summertime storms in Auckland suggest that the threats posed by climate change are not in our future but are here now.
Luxon’s little experiment
It is really difficult trying to appear to be Prime Minister material and inclusive and to appeal to racists at the same time. Christopher Luxon this week has shown how difficult it is.
Green Party announces [former Standard contributor] as candidate for Ōhāriu
“This election is a pivotal one. We have a choice between maintaining the status quo or building a bright green future for everyone in our community; between divisiveness or solidarity; between quibbling over the definition of “crisis” or taking real action to address the cost of living, housing, climate change and environmental exploitation.”
The great reset
Chris Hipkins has announced the great policy reset and there are no surprises.
Gender Critical Disputes
A selection of essays on the importance of feminism in gender critical debate has been published by UK-based, feminist collective The Radical Notion.
A week in the life of Mayor Wayne Brown
The Mayor of Supercity this week has given a textbook example of how not to communicate in a crisis.
National’s Brown problem
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is providing National strategists with a rather large headache.
2023: Year of the Long Grind
There will be no respite for any of us this year; it’s a politics and a society of endurance.
The Cabinet Reshuffle
Chris Hipkins has announced his cabinet reshuffle and there have been some dramatic changes.
Two new polls …
This evening two new political polls have been released both putting Labour ahead of National.
UK Labour – can they finally beat the Tories?
The left in the UK needs to accept they alone do not have majority support and need to work with what they term the “soft left” and more centrist factions to win. The current Labour leadership need to ensure that the left still has a stake in Labour winning, and give enough to motivate the left to vote and campaign for Labour. Look at the lessons learnt by the US Democrats.
Super City’s handling of the storm event
As Auckland slowly recovers but ready itself for further storms there is some attention being given to review Council’s response to the super storm. The initial impression, and this is held widely is that the response was sub optimal.
National is showing its class prejudice
National Deputy Leader Nicola Willis said yesterday that it was a great shame that the minimum wage had increased by so much because it means the Government can’t do it now to help low-income Kiwis make ends meet without stoking inflation.
Can Rishi Sunak save the Conservative Government?
Despite everything that has happened, it would be a serious mistake to underestimate the British Conservative Party which has proven time and again to be an electoral force to be reckoned with. In England, where over 80% of British voters live, Tory is the default option in many parts of the country. The polarisation within Britain is high with tensions from the Brexit debate and ongoing calls for Scottish Independence still simmering. The Tories can certainly play these divisions to their advantage in the hope of winning support
Luxon blunders again
Chris Luxon has provided another example of his ineptness by suggesting in an MMP environment that a vote in a Maori Seat is worth more than a vote in an European seat.
There is no misogyny in New Zealand *
* sung to the famous tune from Blam Blam Blam.