What If Roe v Wade is Really Reversed?
It is no mere hypothetical to inquire whether States, as soon as the reversal of Roe v Wade is confirmed, start to aggressively go after kinds of contraception.
Politics
Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
Announcing New Zealand’s low carbon future
The climate crisis is no longer something that’s happening to someone else, somewhere else, at some point in the future. It’s happening to us. It’s happening here. It’s happening now. – James Shaw
Paula Bennett’s rewriting of Pharmac history
Paula Bennett has forgotten history by advocating for a significant increase in spending on Pharmac while at the same time forgetting that under the National Government she was a senior member of Pharmac’s funding stagnated.
The politics of opposition to cycleways
Opposition to Auckland Council’s Cycling and Micromobility Programme Business Case appears to be motivated by the belief that plans to have more of the population walk and cycle instead of using cars will be unpopular. Overseas experience suggests that not only can these types of projects contribute significantly to sustainability but they can also be very popular.
The end of Roe v Wade
America’s status as a potentially failed republic is growing stronger with the highest court of the land having a draft judgment leaked in an apparent attempt to shore up a conservative majority position on overturning abortion rights.
Latest poll result – all steady but the Herald needs an English lesson
The latest Reid Research poll result has been released. Basically it reflects other polls that have been recently conducted. But the Herald have chosen to suggest it shows a dramatic change.
National’s diversity problem
National’s short list of candidates for the Tauranga seat has been released. And it is clear that its gender and ethnic representation problems will be made worse after the selection process is completed.
What Can Be Saved?
The tide of this government is running out. There’s 18 months left in the term. What would you save?
Is Parker procrastinating or scene setting for fairer tax system?
Is Revenue Minister David Parker’s plan to gather tax data on the wealthy just more procrastination by this Labour government on making the tax system fairer? Or is it recognition the public debate needs a long-term frame to get a capital gains, or wealth tax, over the line?
Who Will Protect Us From Media Power Now?
With RNZ and TVNZ now in full merger mode, we have yet another untested state megalith upon us. But where is the power that will hold it to account?
Tame shows media how to interview Luxon
Jack Tame’s interview of Chris Luxon on Q&A suggests that the post leadership change honeymoon may now be over and that Luxon does not really understand how difficult a job being Prime Minister would be.
Anzac Day
A more sombre and quieter Anzac Day today with planned ceremonies being pared back in this post Covid world.
UK government signals urgent inquiry into overmedicalisation of gender non-conforming children
This is a medical scandal affecting children and teens, and the left is still largely in denial of it.
According to National budget slashing is a man’s job
National leader Chris Luxon has publicly declared full confidence in National Finance Spokesperson Nicola Willis by proposing that former PM Bill English, not currently an MP, and Willis, who is an MP would be jointly directing the Ministers of every department to find savings.
Luxon’s triple backward summersault on Labour Day
In the space of one day Chris Luxon called repeatedly for the scrapping of Labour Day as a holiday then confirmed that a future National Government would not do this and said that his earlier comment was facetious.
RNZ’s weird take on MIQ
RNZ’s recent shock horror reporting on a memo from November 2021 proposing a wind back of MIQ is severely deficient. The framing is one sided and ignores the subsequent emergence of Omicron as a variant of concern.
The battle lines for the next election
Despite Labour seeing the country through the biggest public health threat seen in the last century and despite improving numbers of houses and a reduction in child poverty some on the left are buying into National’s despair lines. And the issues on which the next election will be fought are becoming clearer.
Just how gross can a anti-vaccine enema be?
Everything has been too serious recently and kind of gross.
Lets keep the gross and but go for the satirical.
Enemas! Pimples!
Does truth in politics no longer matter?
Over in the UK Boris Johnson has been fined for attending a party he told Parliament he did not attend and which was a gathering that did not breach Covid lockdown restrictions. Surely he should resign.
Luxon’s strange Public Transport take
Yesterday Chris Luxon showed the sensitivity and sophistication of someone who owns seven properties and at one stage had 6.1 million Air New Zealand shares by stating that he believed that at least some public transport services should not be supported and that public transport needs to stand on its own feet.
Plant based foods
Worrying news has emerged that New Zealand officials sought along with other agricultural nations to remove references to the benefits of consuming plant based foods on climate change from the IPCC report summary.
Climate Action Mondays: after the IPCC report, what now?
It’s time to act as if our lives depend on it.
Why trust in the media is declining
A recent study into New Zealand’s media suggests that trust in what the media says is declining and that views of what is good and bad media is more and more dependent on the participant’s world view.
Go well Ashley Bloomfield
With a sense of regret for many of us this week Ashley Bloomfield announced his pending resignation as Director General of Health.
Is Act buying social media followers?
Hot on the heels of news that Act has recently received a number of significant donations comes news that it may have spent some of these funds on buying social media followers following news that Seymour’s Instagram followers jumped from 23,800 to 72,600 in one day.
Greens call for rent freeze
The Green Party has published a reasonable plan to make renting more affordable for low income New Zealanders. There’s nothing extreme-communist-scary here, it’s well within the values of the NZ electorate.
Water and Money
If the 3 Waters reforms can survive its attacks and be implemented, a consequence will be that we are going to have a most enormous nationwide economic argument about the price of water and who pays for it all.
Change nothing
You get to a point – and Ardern must be close – where the most you can do is hang on.
Why in the middle of a pandemic an immediate change to Orange is magical thinking
National’s friends are in unison complaining that the Government should be announcing now when we will be back into Orange. But our exemplary performance compared to other nations suggests strongly that the Government should continue to respect the medical advice it is receiving.
Climate Action Mondays: slow fashion
It’s time to act as if our lives depend on it. Here are the things we can do and we can require government and business to do.
3 Waters Reform Must Happen
If you’re out there in ZB land and believe that water management should be democratically elected, you won’t find respite here. Local Government has done a terrible job dealing with water and change is urgently needed.
National still has a culture problem
This week National found itself the centre of media suggesting that its treatment of women is still not acceptable. A couple of Young […]
National announces receiving $1.8 million in recent donations
National has gazumped Act’s recently announced significant donations drive and has just announced that it will shortly be filing declarations confirming that it has recently received $1.8 million in donations.
Will John Key stand for National in Tauranga
The Standard has learned from a normally reliable source that John Key is considering seeking the National Party nomination for the Tauranga seat.
Kia kaha Louisa Wall
Earlier this week Louisa Wall announced that she is retiring as a Member of Parliament. History will confirm that she was one of our best Parliamentarians.
The Natives are Getting Uppity
Jacinda Ardern is “gravely concerned.” Peeni Henare was ‘”caught off-guard.”. Barnaby Joyce feels “intimidated.” Solomon Islands PM Sogavare found it “insulting to be branded as unfit to manage our sovereign affairs.” I think he is right.