The challenge to the reeferendum result
A group of more than 350 people have applied to the High Court to try and void the reeferendum result.
Politics
Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
What now for Judith?
The latest Colmar Brunton poll results have been released just in time to get the summer BBQs firing. And the results would not have pleased Judith Collins.
Tranquillum
Don’t expect a jellyfish to grow a spine, they just bob along on the current and keep moving, gently, slowly, kindly.
Colin James looking forward
There is a public meeting in Wellington on Monday evening from the Fabians – which is also conveniently being streamed via Youtube and accessible by Zoom. Colin James doing a crystal ball gazing. While I’ve liked Colin James analysis for nearly 40 years, I’m also excited that the Fabians are starting to stream these nowdays so I don’t have to do the meat thing and actually attend.
Caption contest
Keep it seemly.
What happens when the Covid vaccine becomes available?
The United Kingdom has used emergency procedures to approve for general use the Pfizer Covid vaccine. But this will nor provide overnight respite from Covid. How do you handle the mass vaccination of pretty well the whole planet? And what are the implications for New Zealand’s border policy?
“Beyond Jacinda” – Colin James and Cr Tamatha Paul
Colin James and Councillor Tamatha Paul will discuss Colin’s paper “Beyond Jacinda” on Monday 7 December at 5:30pm at Baptist Church, 46-48 Boulcott Street Wellington. It will also be shown on Zoom and available on YouTube. Registration links below. All Welcome.
Parliament’s climate change declaration
Parliament has finally declared that the country is in a climate emergency. And it has also told the public service that it has to become carbon neutral within five years.
National’s gonna National
On two issues, pill testing at music festivals and tax changes to address the housing crisis, National yesterday indicated that it will do what conservative parties do and oppose any meaningful change.
Stuff apologises for decades of racist reporting
In a headline I thought I would never read this morning Stuff has apologised for decades of racist reporting, and has in its own words “grappled with the truth that our journalism has often unfairly portrayed Maori, ranging from racist to blinkered”.
The Speech From The Throne
I’m sure one needs a particular depth of political nerdiness to give a flying fig about such things, but since I am one of those, these are my highlights from the speech from the throne to Parliament this week.
Maiden Speech – Ibrahim Omer take a bow
Ibrahim Omer, refugee, trade unionist, and living wage advocate gave his maiden speech today in Parliament. If you want to watch an outstanding speech and shed a tear or two watch this.
Comrade David signals radical rewrite of Act’s living wage policy
Comrade David Seymour has signalled that Act may argue for a minimum wage of $50 per hour.
National announces terms of reference for its election campaign review
National wants to work out what went wrong during the last election.
Sneak preview of a neoliberal UBI
Giving migrant workers access to insufficient welfare is a financial coercion tool of right wing and centrist economics.
Georgian Republicans are part of the deep state threat to Trump
Over in the US of A some amazing claims are being made with Trump’a lawyer claiming that in Georgia, which has perfected the art of disenfranchising Black American voters, there has been a deep seated conspiracy to lose the state for Trump. And Venezuela is involved.
National’s annual conference
National has heeded the calls for change and rejuvination by returning Peter Goodfellow as its president.
Time’s up Labour
It’s not possible to resolve New Zealand’s housing and poverty crises from within a neoliberal frame. Change is going to have to be driven from outside of parliament.
Trump loses the presidency, but Trumpism lives on
The reality is that the United States is a poor example of a functioning democracy in 2020.
C’mon Grant
This government must demonstrate that it has the ability to lead the New Zealand economy where it has stated it wants it to go. It does not want more headlines like the average house in Auckland now being priced at $1 million.
Trump’s chances of winning the Presidential Election through legal action
To win the Presidential Election Donald Trump has to win multiple legal challenges in multiple states. So far his cases have not gone very well.
They Are Not Morons
Donald Trump will be back for another go at the Presidency in 2024. Progressives should underestimate the possibility of his winning. Unless the remaining centre-left generates strategies that are executed so well that people feel the difference good politics makes, the elements of populism arising again will stay ready like the elements of a bomb.
The million MAGA muppet march
America is in some trouble. Covid19 is surging. The third wave is hitting hard. Suddenly 100,000 daily new infections is not a scary possibility, 200,000 is. And a group of Americans have been persuaded that Trump has had the election stolen off him.
Capitalism’s end game
In Aotearoa New Zealand we are facing a new crisis. Not Covid, although the recent case of community spread is deeply concerning. The crisis is the value of houses.
Some men just want to see the World burn
Normally when you lose an election you say nice things about the winner and make way for them. But is Trump doing this in the US of A? No sirree. From refusing Biden transition resources to instructing officials not to cooperate with Biden’s team to mass sackings of Defense officials to various failed cases Trump is obstructing the transition every step of the way.
COVID19 Vaccine and New Zealand’s K-Shaped Recovery
IF the discovery of a potential Covid vaccine looks like a new dawn, let’s not forget that this is the accelerating point of the K-shaped recovery New Zealand have been dreading. Our already rich are on the line heading upwards. They are getting richer because of a range of our Government policies.
What should the left make of the US election result?
Now the dust is settling on the US election result the one question I have is why was it even close?
Lawyers, guns and money
Over in the United States of America the country is descending into chaos. But so far the farcical type of chaos as opposed to the violent type of chaos and this is a good thing.
Donald Trump’s letter to Joe Biden
It is customary for outgoing Presidents to leave for the incoming President a short letter of introduction. The Standard has managed to obtain a early draft copy of Donald Trump’s letter to Joe Biden drafted while he was playing golf.
President Biden and Vice President Harris.
At last. All of the main US media organisations have now called the election for for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris with Pennsylvania. The eventual electoral college vote looks to be over 300 – well above the 270 required as Arizona and Nevada are called. It looks like Georgia will wind up the same way.
If Biden wins, then what?
I hope that I am not tempting fate by saying this but a Biden presidency seems almost inevitable. But presuming he prevails the transition is going to be one of the most difficult and most important in America’s history.
Rerun reeferendum
One of the other results from the final results on was the reeferendum. The loss was minuscule in the final results. If I was the yes campaign, I’d be considering pushing this to another referendum soon. It was so close, that the result was mainly due to being run with Covid-19 in the background of the campaign, a unreadable proposed bill, and a surprisingly well funded No campaign.
Final election result – Labour ascendant National down and out
The Electoral Commission has released the final results of the 2020 election and if election night was a shocker for National the final result is even worse.
In support of Nanaia Mahuta
Some elements of the right as well as Comrade Chris Trotter have decided to attack Nanaia Mahuta’s appointment as Foreign Affairs minister. In my view they could not be more wrong and I believe she will be an outstanding Minister of Foreign Affairs.
US election 2020: the morning after
General discussion thread for the US election.
Updated at 0651
Labour’s new Oceans Ministry
Jacinda Ardern’s decision to rename the Fisheries Ministery to “Oceans and Fisheries” and install David Parker instead of Stuart Nash shows a welcome desire to protect this most precious of resources.