Smarmy Brownlee on urgency
Brownlee’s press release on urgency is pure smarm. The Nats have always abused urgency, and this current session is no exception.
Politics
Parliament
Networks of influence: Lobbyists
The Speaker’s list of lobbyists has doubled over the last year. “Neoliberal” & corporate entities have the balance of power. Journalists & PR merchants get more influence than the marginalised, low income & politically disengaged. Social media is a means to counter such influence. [Update: Bunji, NRT]
You can be a leader of nothing!
Well it turns out I was wrong – you can be a leader of nothing! Chaos in Parliament at the Speaker’s ruling.
You can’t be a leader of nothing
Peter Dunne’s status as a party leader in Parliament (i.e. funding and perks) is under threat. Seems pretty cut and dried – you can’t be a leader of nothing. Being a sensible type, I’m sure that Peter will agree.
Old Boys Club
This speech follows Metiria Turei’s (previous post). In which John Banks (facilitated by Eric Roy) indulges in some good old fashioned Parliamentary sexism (first 2 minutes).
Then why don’t you release the advice John?
A legal expert has raised the alarm over the Nats’ latest outbreak of constitutional arrogance. So too has the Attorney General, and the media. Key says it’s all OK (of course), but why should anyone believe him when his government won’t release the advice that it has received?
Constitutional arrogance
The invaluable Andrew Geddis has yet another good post on Pundit, describing National’s latest outbreak of constitutional arrogance. Add to the long list. These are the actions of politicians who are drunk on power, and not being held to account for it.
Kitteridge report released
Following the leaking of the Kitteridge GCSB report to the media (who had copies? who leaked?) and ructions in Parliament’s question time today, the report has been released early. (Very convenient timing for the Nats!)
Key needs time to get his story straight
In an interview this afternoon Key said that: “There will be no more answering of questions straight away, if I need to get details”. Defensive and petulant, Key is backing away from accountability.
NRT: David Carter must go
I/S at No Right Turn with a full and frank assessment of The Speaker…
Democracy needs straight answers to straight questions
The current Speaker in the House, David Carter, is a disaster. Yesterday he let the government get away with avoiding providing serious answers to important questions: a government ploy? Russel Norman has complained. Democracy needs the government to be held to account.
Two Things
Marriage Equality and Mondayisation – both proceeding fabulously!
NRT: The Constitutional Conversation
A useful note from NRT on the constitutional review. Make your submissions…
Mr Answerer
Oh dear. Lockwood Smith was by common consent one of the best Speakers we’ve had. David Carter seems to be heading in a different direction. Lockwood required Ministers to give direct answers. Today in the House Carter gave the answer for Hekia Parata, interpreting her words to get her off the hook. He may well have put himself on one though, if that is the way he is going to go.
Against a four year term
Key and Shearer want 4 year terms. Why? Efficiency, they reckon. 3 years is ‘too short to govern’. Well, they wouldn’t be the first politicians to argue that less democracy would be more ‘efficient’. In New Zealand, we are unique among democracies in the degree to which power is held by the government. Regular opportunities to vote the bastards out is all we have.
Government in turmoil over spending cap
Conflict between support parties. The government without the majority needed for legislation. The Nats’ economic plans in turmoil. Thank goodness the country is in such safe, steady hands.
Marriage equality – how they voted
How they voted, some wise words on the range of christian belief, and credit to John Key.
Conscience votes
Two high-profile conscience votes are coming up in Parliament over the next two days. It will be interesting to see the breakdown of who votes which way on the issues. But the level of malice expressed by some of those opposed to marriage equality is disturbing.
A good week for the opposition
3 opposition private members’ Bills passed – extended paid parental leave, Mondayisation, and lobbying disclosure – on Wednesday (moving a ban on land sales to foreigners up the list). Then, all 5 drawn from the ballot on Thursday opposition bills too: marriage equality, $15hr minimum wage, super-majority/referendum protection for asset sales, charging government agencies that pay access to info, and controlling water pollution.
Member’s Day
2 great Member’s Bills are before the House today. National oppose both the Mondayising of Holidays and Paid Parental Leave, but they should have the numbers to get through their first readings.
Patsy of the year
Such is the abundance of talent in the National Party that they can’t even ask a patsy question right…
Abbott does a runner
Tony Abbott fled from the Australian Parliament on Wednesday. He was trying to avoid his vote being recorded if newly independent Craig Thompson supported the Coalition on a closure motion. Running away won’t help Abbott whose numbers are at record lows as Labor improves. Instead of a leadership spill in Labor we could see one in the Coalition.
Ounce of prevention, pound of cure etc etc
Vetoing extra paid parental leave doesn’t make social sense and it doesn’t make economic sense either.
Which is why National have said they’ll do it.
Meeting a need
Can anyone tell me why the Nats are spending $300m to build and $36m pa to run a 960-bed PPP prison when there are 2000 spare beds in the system and prisoner numbers are projected to fall? Or why Joyce is cutting a dirty ‘convention centre for pokies’ deal when international convention numbers are falling? Or why they’re spending $1b a year on low BCR highways when vehicle numbers are falling?
NRT: Foss lied to Parliament
2 weeks ago, Labour’s Clare Curran asked Broadcasting Minister Craig Foss whether he had received any advice or reports about Stephen McElrea’s potential conflict of interest between his role as John Key’s electorate chair and his role as a board member of New Zealand on Air. Foss replied with a single word: “None”. Yesterday, we found out that that was incorrect.
NRT: The nuclear option
Lockwood ‘small hands’ Smith is digging himself deeper into a hole that is going to destroy his legacy as Speaker over the Mojo Mathers’ right to participate in Parliamentary debate. The Minister for Disabilities, Tariana Turia, is missing in action (probably off granting more of your money to her mates). Key wants nothing to do with it. So, I/S at NoRightTurn has proposed the ‘nuclear option’.
We want our Mojo
Making Mojo Mathers pay for the tech she needs to participate in debate is bad enough. She is a democratically elected member and […]
New Labour MPs first speeches
The four new Labour MPs make their first (“maiden”) speeches today in Parliament, starting at 5pm. I’d expect to hear some thoughtful and moving speeches.
Opposition parties hammer Key on asset sales
Yesterday, the opposition parties worked together to hammer John Key on asset sales. He faced questions from four parties during one question; the breadth of opposition showed, and Key was stumbling. Some say Shearer should be taking a more leading role but, for mine, this was far more effective than Goff uselessly slogging out a primary and half a dozen sups without landing a blow. How’s that anti-asset sales coalition coming?
Absolutely damning
We have a government department which has acted deliberately to thwart judicial and Ombudsman oversight, for reasons of its own convenience, apparently in violation of New Zealand law. The question is whether the Minister will act – or whether he will effectively endorse this situation with his silence.
3 more years of this
On Breakfast this morning, John Key said that losing a confidence vote “by definition, constitutionally means a snap election”. No. If a government loses the House’s support, then another one can be formed that does have Parliament’s support. Only if that cannot happen is there an election. Key has been PM for 3 years. He should know the basics.
The Herald ban
Speaker Lookwood Smith is getting a lot of flak for his decision to punish The Herald for publishing a photo (taken in violation of Standing Orders) by banning their reporters from Parliament for ten days.
The mask slips
Here is Key making the throat-cutting gesture to Labour after a man tried to jump into the Debating Chamber. He displays a total lack of concern for the man and anyone else. Key to Labour: “you should be ashamed of yourselves”. King: “What! What? we should be ashamed of ourselves?!”. Key makes gesture. King, Chadwick, “you scumbag”.
Wishing Chris Carter well
Chris Carter’s egocentric valedictory earlier this week didn’t exactly cover him in glory. Whether it should ever have gotten to this point is another matter. It’s interesting to review the evolving views of Standard authors on the issue. Did Carter do this to himself or did mismanagement from the leadership escalate the situation?This guest post takes the second view.
Boscawen’s brilliant own goal
John Boscawen thought he was on to a winner yesterday. In an unprecedented move, he asked Parliament’s permission to ask a question of Phil Goff on the youth minimum wage. He got it, and the result was Goff at his very finest. He looked and sounded like a Prime Minister – like a real one, that is, not like Key. Let’s have more questions, Boscawen!
NRT: More secret government laws
I/S at No Right Turn writes about the government’s continued abuse of Urgency. This week, they’re going to slam 11 laws through the House, ignoring basic democratic steps like the select committee stage that let the public have a say. The worst part though, is a Bill that they are refusing to name and plan to rush through all stages in a couple of days.