Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
Lots of competition this week with Katie Hopkins preferring to be called a racist to being described as being on drugs, Judith Collins for fronting the most naff scandals in the last decade, and Simon Bridges for going on tour to strange places. But the real contest was between Paula Bennett and Gerry Brownlee …
An ongoing series.
Post Immigration New Zealand Spreadsheet debacle, Ministers Curran and Shaw announce a stocktake and review of all government algorithms.
The Twitter hashtag #twyfordaccusations has been set up to allow people to speculate on what other nefarious allegations will be made against Phil Twyford by Judith Collins.
New Zealand has a low carbon energy future plan. What is the strategy to achieve this?
Minister Twyford’s resignation has been refused by the Prime Minister after he took a call against Civil Aviation rules, in the second ministerial scandal of the Ardern administration.
National’s show down with Trevor Mallard today did not go as well as they hoped.
Is NZ’s fishing industry just a domestic version of the tobacco companies? And how much would that really matter?
Paula Bennett stormed out of Parliament yesterday after Trevor Mallard correctly applied the standing orders and ruled out a question containing an unparliamentary term. And National has responded by questioning if Jacinda Ardern was actually described as a “silly little girl” but has refused to question its MPs.
On Thursday 31 May at the University of Auckland, the Fabians are hosting Max Harris on the topic “Is it time for an independent foreign policy?” What would be the costs of a really independent foreign policy, over the benefits of salving our conscience with greater national independence? And where does Trade fit in?
Sam Stubbs, a longstanding outspoken commentator in New Zealand’s financial industry, continues to advocate for a Royal Commission into banking and insurance.
It looks like the National collective has doubts about Simon Bridges’ pulling power.
Factional infighting within UK Labour.
David Seymour has hit a new low by drumming up public opposition to a small social housing development planned by Housiung Corporation in Epsom by claiming some of the potential tenants may have mental health problems.
The Government has announced it will not proceed with the Waikeria mega prison as part of its policy to decrease the prison muster by 30%. And the called for public debate starts off with one of the major players using a study the author of which subsequently retracted because the data he relied on was wrong.
In a welcome move by Labour to relieve energy poverty on those with fixed, low incomes, all beneficiaries (including pensioners) are to get up to $700 extra automatically over winter.
National obviously hate this.
National has made a meal of its first critique of Labour’s budget with a poor performance by Simon Bridges and with four claims about the budget that are clearly wrong but which National keep repeating.
Marama Davidson’s speech to Parliament during the Budget debate.
Some proposals on why we just got the budget we did.
National’s claims about Labour’s health spend suffer from the not insignificant problem that they do not make any sense when analysed.
An evolving post to cover budget announcements.
Donald Trump has had a few months of being lucky with some luck Foreign Affairs wins and good economic news. But his wreckage-trail of his consequences is becoming longer and clearer.
The “lesser of two evils” speaks its mind.
Phil Quin has been his usual dickheaded self on the net. Trying to bully people about material that they probably didn’t write on this site is not a way to get it looked at. For that everyone need to follow the procedures detailed in our contact page and the pages linked to it. The alternatives aren’t nice. Ask Dermot Nottingham. Updated
National MPs are refusing to own up to who used a sexist comment in Parliament against Jacinda Ardern.
The BBC thinks that depicting Jeremy Corbyn as a Russian stooge is sound news judgment.
Simon Bridges has committed the twin political sins of not only believing in trickle down but in publicly confirming his belief.
This is as good a year as it is going to get to squeeze your employer for a fair wage.
There was intense competition this week. Paula Bennett with her attack on Jacinda’s Spotify playlist almost won but Northcote candidate Dan Bidois succeeded for managing to talk out of both sides of his mouth at the same time and only confusing his tongue.
The CTU have commissioned UMR to poll kiwis on their attitude to tax. The vast majority believe that more money is needed to fix infrastructure. And a remarkable number support the imposition of a Tobin Tax.
It is great that we have a Minister of Social Development who actually has empathy for poor New Zealanders, as shown by her treatment of dog whistle questions in Parliament today.
Just some thoughts that kind of meandered down to the ocean.
Algorithms are a form of fascism – yet a fascism from data manipulation rather than from the state. Are they a threat to our democracy?
Donald Trump has torn up a deal between the US and Iran that provided for limitation of its nuclear programme and prevented it from obtaining nuclear weapons.
National MPs have without notice refused to turn up to the House Committee of Parliament. Should they have their pay docked?
2018 marks several anniversaries of Karl Marx whose significance for the critique of capitalist society is hard to diminish. But what now for his beliefs?
