About the reversed GST Kiwisaver changes
National’s attack on requiring banks to charge GST on the provision of Kiwisaver services the same as smaller services is deeply cynical when its attacks on Kiwisaver in the past are considered.
Politics
Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
Viv Beck going full Trump backfires
Recent leaks and publicity have caused huge damage to Viv Beck’s campaign to become Auckland’s next mayor. They also highlight the stark difference between the left and the right in terms of campaigning.
Govt public media reform performance makes AB’s look good
The government’s reform of public broadcasting has made Ian Foster’s quest for rugby’s World Cup look like a cinch.
The way the Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media Bill is drafted, suggests worse calamities than the All Blacks loom for the public broadcasting sector, according to leading media critics.
Sharma keeps digging
Last night a 4,761 word rant was published on Gaurav Sharma’s facebook page. In it he details information which on the face of it may have breached confidentiality requirements. And the overwhelming effect of the allegations is Meh.
Mark Mitchell is Kim Hilled on National Radio
National should learn. They should never send an MP into an interview with Kim Hill unless they are completely prepared. As Mark Mitchell learned this morning.
Labour’s Ardern and Democrats’ Biden: Learnings
For those fishing around for a progressive playbook in this fractious world, Biden and Ardern are pretty similar. But Biden appears to be turning the fortunes of the Democrats around but Ardern is currently unrewarded. Is there anything to learn?
Labour poised to resolve housing supply crisis
It is possible that within the next year New Zealand’s housing supply crisis will be resolved.
Selling your soul to the bishop for power
This morning Christopher Luxon refused to rule out working with Freedoms New Zealand, the Brian Tamaki entity which has held mock trials, alleged senior Government figures should be tried for treason and have professed a desire to make the country ungovernable.
Crikey v Murdoch & News Corp
Australian news site Crikey has taken on Murdoch’s News Corp by reposting an article accusing the Murdoch family of being “Donald Trump’s unindicted co-conspirator” and then taking out advertisements in the New York Times inviting Lachlan Murdoch to sue them.
Who will be Wellington’s next Mayor?
The Wellington Mayoralty is shaping up to be a contest between the incumbent Andy Foster, Labour candidate Paul Eagle who will be a direct challenge to Foster’s support base and Tory Whanau who is standing on a policy basis strong on sustainability including the construction of a comprehensive connected bike network.
Labour’s “tenant tax” is neither a tax nor for tenants
National’s media spin team is at it again claiming that removing interest rate deductibility for landlords is a “tenant tax” when it is neither a new tax nor for tenants.
A week of sideshows
But the past week has been a week of sideshows. One international as elements of the right try to smear Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin for dancing. And one local where rogue Labour MP Gaurav Sharma is running out of excuses for not backing up the extraordinary claims he has made about the Labour Party.
Not A Ripple of Difference
The polls are out and the internal revolt last month to remove James Shaw as Greens co leader hasn’t made a ripple.
By Nature Unfair
You can be the most moral nation on earth and have no reward for it.
What to do with Gaurav Sharma
The Labour Caucus will meet this afternoon to discuss what to do about Gaurav Sharma.
Greens: New public transport model must be backed with investment
“Along with public ownership and better wages and conditions for people working on public transport, if we can get the Government to focus nearly all transport investments on making it easier for people to walk, bike, or hop on a bus, train, or ferry we can create a world-class transport system that works for everyone. The best way to do that is to get more Green MPs into Parliament,” – Julie Anne Genter.
About Gaurav Sharma
Recent incidents involving Labour MP Gaurav Sharma are evidence of poor relationships with staff and not anything more sinister.
Stuff’s Fire and Fury major investigation into the occupation of Parliament grounds
The Wellington occupation was supposed to be about ending the mandates, but a new Stuff Circuit documentary investigates those behind the protest and discovers they have far bigger and more dangerous goals.
Molloy drops out of Mayoralty race
Self described tough man Leo Molloy has found the going too tough and has pulled out of the Auckland mayoralty race.
Bastards Versus Assholes
This post was written before Gaurav Sharma’s Herald article and should not be taken as validation of his comments. There are necessary bastards in political life, and in developed democracies compared to everywhere else ours are gentle as lambs
Greens: Bill to ban mining on conservation land pulled from biscuit tin
Eugenie Sage’s Members Bill has been drawn.
“We call on the Labour Government to back the Bill so it can finally fulfil its promise to ban new mining projects on public conservation land”
The Three Strikes abomination is no more
The three strikes legislation, the brainchild of dead baby identity stealing former ACT MP David Garrett, is no more.
Uffindel’s new allegation
Radio New Zealand has published new allegations of bullying by National MP Sam Uffindell this time by a female flatmate who flatted with Uffindell while at University.
Was This The Change We Needed?
Crises that profoundly test a small developed state like New Zealand have required huge growth in state strength and policy power. But was it the change we needed?
National’s culture problem
National MP Sam Uffindell has today been engaged in a media wide mea culpa after allegations that he bullied a young student and was expelled from Kings College have been publicised.
National tries to blame Labour for National’s tax flip flop flip
Chris Bishop has accused Labour of engaging in dirty politics for pointing out that this week National has changed its policy on income tax indexation twice.
Luxon’s latest gaffes
Hot on his confusion of Hawaii with Te Puke Christopher Luxon’s has dropped a couple of new clangers by admitting then denying that National will not increase health funding at least by the rate of inflation and then by displaying his class prejudice by saying people are not going to get rich on welfare.
National’s weird take on the Government’s Climate Adaption Plan
The Government’s release of the National Adaption Plan to deal with climate change has been met by National with an insistence that who should pay for potentially hundreds of billions of costs should have already been identified.
What New Zealanders are thinking about climate change
A new Ipsos poll has some good news.
Chris Bishop supports AND opposes vaccine mandates
Remember when National’s Chris Bishop thought that Labour was not being staunch enough of mandates? He now thinks that Labour is being too staunch.
Why stick more fingers in the donations dyke?
The latest attempt to construct a sensible political donations regime will likely again prove to be full of holes. Going back to basics would be much better. The good news is that the basics were comprehensively assessed 36 years ago by the 1986 Royal Commission on Electoral Reform. It recommended state funding.
Political donations law needs reform
Judge Jagose’s decision to acquit two persons linked to New Zealand First charged with obtaining control over $750,000 has opened up rather large holes in the obligations of political parties to report donations.
Poverty is a political choice, why are Labour choosing it?
Labour announced earlier in the year that it would give a $350 cash transfer to all New Zealanders earning less than $70,000.
Except beneficiaries.
Why is the UK’s only youth gender identity clinic closing, and what does this mean for New Zealand?
The NHS is shutting down its gender identity clinic for children after a damning review found that it failed vulnerable under-18s.
Emeritus Professor Jane Kelsey Valedictory Lecture
Academic activism and speaking truth to power.
Best yet in National Party splatter series in production
The kicker in Andrea Vance’s Blue Blood, her insider’s view of the splatter-movie that has been the National Party since John Key stepped down, is that the best yet is in production. She chronicles treachery that has become the modus operandi of the vacuous vipers inhabiting the caucus. Details of the dirty work induce you to turn the page for more. It doesn’t look like Luxon is the redeemer.