Ardern’s Leadership Generates Pacific Results
New Zealand has been overdue to show strong results in the Pacific Islands. Not a moment too soon, this is what Prime Minister Ardern delivered.
Politics
Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
Luxon goes to Te Puke Hawaii
The question of what has happened to Christopher Luxon was answered yesterday in a shambolic messy way that must have National operatives in despair.
Really bad takes on the Green’s leadership issue
There have been some spectacularly bad takes on Green Party leadership issues by voices on the right and academia which were all shown to be spectacularly wrong after Chloe Swarbrick announced that she was not seeking the Green Party leadership.
The inside story of National’s civil war
Andrea Vance’s book Blood Bath provides an insider’s view of the carnage that erupted in the National Party from 2017 to 2021. And while things have calmed down under Christopher Luxon’s his weaknesses, including his glossing over the importance of policy detail and his tendency to bag businesses has been noted.
James Shaw and the Green Party co-leadership
The tension in the Green Party is between pragmatism and the need for urgent system change.
For the public, there’s no need to panic. Dissent is valuable and healthy in politics. It sits alongside trusting that the Greens know how to manage their internal processes even if the public at large doesn’t understand them well.
Brian Tamaki really annoys Auckland by adding to traffic congestion
Brian Tamaki and Vision New Zealand supporters sought to improve levels of support by causing significant congestion in Auckland city yesterday.
Unthinkable Renationalisation
Europe is leading the global fight against climate change by rapidly shifting away from fossil fuels. This now includes fully renationalising energy companies and forced decreases in gas use. What could New Zealand learn?
Chinese Capital in the Pacific
It would be tidy for New Zealand and Australian leaders to blame China’s debt within Sri Lanka for its collapse, so that they could scare Pacific Island nations back into the fold. It would be wrong.
Another partial privatisation that has failed
I watched the Rugby test on Saturday night. One side played with passion and vigour. Their forward pack dominated and the defensive effort from the backs was superb. The other side was the All Blacks who displayed all the passion and vigour of a National Party conference.
Wear your #$%^& mask properly
Although we still compare favourably to the vast majority of Western nations in terms of our Covid response our performance has been eclipsed by Japan and Singapore, two nations which strong mask mandates and cultural norms supporting the wearing of masks.
Luxon is still struggling to understand Mask rules
During January of this year Christopher Luxon described the traffic light system as confusing. This week he described it as “very, very confusing”. It is of concern that he appears not to have learned about what the rules require in the meantime.
Complaint about RNZ use of Bryce Edwards article upheld
The Media Council has upheld a complaint against a Bryce Edwards article published on RNZ’s website that incorrectly stated that Labour went into the 2020 election promising to break up the supermarket duopoly and bring down the cost of food and that the policy was essentially dead when the policy only promised to conduct a market study using the Commerce Commission.
Luxon goes to London to get campaign ideas
At the very time that the United Kingdom Conservative Government is imploding National leader Chris Luxon is visiting to get new ideas on how to run a country.
Boris Johnson has agreed to resign
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How Can Labour Win in 2023?
Right now Labour is preparing the ground for its run at 2023’s election with new policy. New policy must be wildly popular. What could make Labour popular enough to them back leading a third term in government?
The $11 billion man strikes again
Remember Steven Joyce who claimed there was a $11.7 billion dollar hole in Labour’s alternative budget? Another example of his negotiation prowess has recently received media attention and the only conclusion that can be drawn is that his ability to analyse crown accounts is matched by his ability to negotiate.
Anarchy in the UK
In the United Kingdom Boris Johnson’s government has been brought to its knees because of a sex scandal, surprisingly not one involving himself.
Covid – time for red?
With a second wave of Covid infections starting and with new potentially more serious variants emerging it may be time for the Government to consider a return to the Covid red setting.
The benefits of Ardern’s recent overseas trips
Jacinda Ardern has just completed three overseas trips. The cumulative benefits for the country are extraordinary and I have never witnessed anything similar from another New Zealand leader. But local responses from sectors of the media have been muted. Why is this?
Ardern significantly improves EU Free Trade deal
Before her involvement in the European Union Free Trade Agreement negotiations Jacinda Ardern was accused of “scattering stardust” in a vain attempt to get an agreement over the line. If this is an example of Jacinda scattering stardust then long may she continue to do so.
Jacinda’s comments to NATO
Yesterday Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave a speech/comments to NATO outlining our position on NATO, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, multilateral diplomacy, our region, and nuclear proliferation. Plus of course she helped to finally get the EU trade treaty over the line. Her ‘comments’ are worth reading and commenting on because I suspect that they align pretty well to our societies general position.
Nonsense Auckland Council PR
Sometimes the egregious spin gets too much. And when developers who want a compact urban form are telling Auckland Council that its plans are not working you know Auckland Council has a problem.
Mansplaining Luxon
Fresh from his attempt to alienate the female vote by being equivocal on if a National Government would move to restrict access to abortions yesterday Christopher Luxon compounded things by purporting to speak for all women.
Hey Free Speech Union, Simon O’Connor is being muzzled
Someone should send out the free speech police. Simon O’Connor has been muzzled and is being stopped from saying what he thinks.
Christopher Luxon’s many and varied abortion takes
National leader Christopher Luxon who has been previously reported as believing that abortion is murder, issued three public statements over the weekend trying to distance himself from the controversy caused by the US Supreme Court overturning of Rowe v Wade.
The US abortion bans and women’s rights
We have abortion rights by the grace of men.
Mick Lynch is a working class hero
In the UK Rail Maritime and Transport boss Mick Lynch has caused a media sensation by strongly and clearly advocating for workers rights as the Conservative Government aims to deal with inflation by eroding further workers wages and job conditions.
Matariki and Prime Minister Ardern
Plenty of experts will tell you about what Matariki ‘means to us’. Here’s what it means to Ardern.
Luxon has been Susied on National Radio
This morning on Morning Report Christopher Luxon was well and truly Susied as Susie Ferguson asked him how can we have tax cuts yet improved public services.
How Democracy Weakens
It’s pretty commonplace now to observe that Prime Minister Ardern is doing well overseas but tanking at home.
The dodgy Auckland Mayoralty Curia poll
An Auckland Ratepayers Alliance Curia poll that was trumpeted as claiming that Efeso Collins and Leo Molloy were neck and neck in terms of public support has attracted criticism after it was disclosed that the poll of 500 persons had 53% stating that they did not know who they would vote for.
Tamaki Makaurau’s very own wannabe Trump
What started out as an ego driven campaign is now developing into full blown Trumism as Leo Molloy thrashes around attempting to court attention in the belief, Trump like, that it will convert into political support.
The Tauranga by election
The Tauranga by election has been one of the most low key by elections held in some time. The polls are now closed. If Labour get within 25 points of National they can regard this as a victory.
Human rights, culture wars and the right
Christopher Luxton has proposed that social media posts showing gang members wearing bling should be censored. And in the United Kingdom Boris Johnson has railed against a ECHR decision which has upset his efforts to illegally extradite refugee status applicants to Rwanda. These are different examples of something the right is finessing, culture wars against minorities in breach of their rights for political advantage.
Selling Henderson Film Studios is Actually Good
In 2003 Mayor Bob Harvey drove the formation of Film Auckland and the construction of the Henderson Valley Studios. Now they are being sold. But this is a good thing.
Rage and the Woke
The past couple of years has seen a significant increase in far right activity and rapidly increasing racism.