Written By: - Date published: 5:45 pm, June 11th, 2015 - 97 comments
Sometimes…often…I just can’t get my head around people who make obvious and simple things kinda difficult and fraught.
Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, June 10th, 2015 - 259 comments
Richard Harman has broken a story about the formation of a Blairite third way think tank within the Labour Party. Those involved include Stuart Nash, Phil Quin, Josie Pagani and Nick Legget.
Written By: - Date published: 5:34 pm, June 3rd, 2015 - 124 comments
The NZ Labour party’s review of election 2015 makes for interesting reading. It’s honest, straightforward and heartening. There is much to be learned from the last election campaign and it looks like the membership have got their points across to the review team. Good work, Labour!
Written By: - Date published: 9:12 am, May 31st, 2015 - 199 comments
Some thoughts on how Labour and the Greens need to manage relations in the hope that they can form a future progressive Government.
Written By: - Date published: 3:22 pm, May 27th, 2015 - 331 comments
Hardly a comprehensive take, but in the interest of stating some obvious stuff…
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, May 27th, 2015 - 29 comments
Currently, child protection law means a young person leaves CYFS care at 17, but other state support, like housing and student allowances, doesn’t start until age 18.
Written By: - Date published: 8:53 pm, May 25th, 2015 - 67 comments
Sir Michael Cullen discussed political strategy at the “Destination- Next Progressive Majority” seminars held recently by the Fabian Society in Auckland and Wellington. He started by sharing what he used to say to his students when they were facing a test – “never forget to state the obvious.” For a progressive majority that means “get more votes than the others” – he had some good ideas how.
Written By: - Date published: 9:24 am, May 24th, 2015 - 60 comments
The media’s handling of Labours Best Start policy announcement in January of last year and its handling of National’s recent budget announcement of a $25 a week increase for beneficiary families provides an interesting contrast.
Written By: - Date published: 4:38 pm, May 20th, 2015 - 29 comments
Andrew Little in Parliament being all poetic about the night before budget day.
Written By: - Date published: 12:44 pm, May 20th, 2015 - 8 comments
Only a quarter of the world’s workers have permanent jobs. A worldwide trend away from secure jobs risked “perpetuating a vicious circle of weak global demand and slow job creation” that has dogged many countries since the 2008 crisis, the ILO reports. Decoupling of wages from productivity has led to a loss of aggregate demand the report estimates at $3.7trillion.
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, May 19th, 2015 - 29 comments
The Herald has praised David Cunliffe with changing public opinion about the introduction of a capital gains tax. And rubbished John Key’s suggestion that the announced limited tax on increasing housing values is not a capital gains tax.
Written By: - Date published: 10:14 am, May 17th, 2015 - 52 comments
The latest attacks on the left involves the right claiming that left activists are too angry and hurting labour’s chances in the UK as well as New Zealand.
Written By: - Date published: 6:08 am, May 17th, 2015 - 64 comments
Back in March 1988 David Lange had a clear idea about what lay ahead for New Zealanders as the long-term consequences of Roger Douglas’ psychopathic worshipping of the metaphysical Invisible Hand gradually materialised.
Written By: - Date published: 2:59 pm, May 15th, 2015 - 59 comments
Labour’s Finance spokesperson Grant Robertson gave his pre-budget speech this morning. “So, what would a responsible government be doing in the Budget next week?”…
Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, May 13th, 2015 - 174 comments
“National’s talk now is about how achieving surplus was an “artificial target” and that getting a surplus is “like landing a 747 on the head of a pin.” A lot of effort has gone into glossing over the broken promise. But I see it for what it is – one of the biggest political deceptions in a lifetime.”
Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, May 12th, 2015 - 48 comments
For the sake of reference – Nye Bevan was a Labour mp and the architect of the British NHS. Michael Sheen’s speech was a defense of that institution, but the underpinning message is, well…
Written By: - Date published: 2:20 pm, May 10th, 2015 - 49 comments
There’s a major and rather obvious contributory factor to UK Labour’s failure in the UK general election that doesn’t seem to have drawn any comment. Until now…
Written By: - Date published: 10:21 am, May 7th, 2015 - 243 comments
Ed Miliband is dominating social media in the UK on the eve of the election. #milifandom is the meme of the day!
UPDATE: Exit Poll suggests Tory win, Lib Dem’s smashed. SNP dominate in Scotland, Greens may win 2 seats. UKIP stuffed, Farage to lose in his seat. Labour still a possibility to govern.
UPDATE 2: Rumours that both Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg will resign in the morning. George Galloway loses his seat, UKIP have flopped and it appears Nigel Farage will not be an MP. However, Tory win not yet confirmed.
Written By: - Date published: 3:27 pm, May 6th, 2015 - 60 comments
Our political system is awash with money. There is clearly an arms race going on where National is trying to spend everyone else into the ground. National includes significant funding from Auckland property developers and real estate agents, and probably explains their effective disinterest in fixing Auckland housing.
Written By: - Date published: 12:58 pm, May 3rd, 2015 - 40 comments
Is Ed Miliband fighting democracy? Well…
Written By: - Date published: 6:34 am, April 27th, 2015 - 32 comments
I’m planning to enjoy a day off today – the first “mondayised” public holiday – thanks to the work of David Clark, Grant Robertston, and others in Labour and the parties that supported the Bill. National and ACT voted against this holiday.
Written By: - Date published: 2:37 pm, April 8th, 2015 - 10 comments
Details of a public meeting hosted by the West Auckland Labour MPs about housing issues to be held tomorrow night.
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, April 4th, 2015 - 90 comments
John Armstrong in the Herald and Tracy Watkins in the Dominion Post have both written opinion pieces on the implications of Winston Peters’ win in Northland which reach very similar conclusions.
Written By: - Date published: 10:09 am, April 1st, 2015 - 148 comments
Winston Peters is poised to announce who will replace him on the NZ First list. It may even be someone who can lead the party after he retires. There’s one really obvious candidate; an ex MP suffering from relevancy deficit syndrome and keen to get back in the political spotlight. It’s ….
Written By: - Date published: 10:58 pm, March 30th, 2015 - 64 comments
Congratulations to Labour for a very clever strategy in the Northland by-election – lulling and gulling John Key into thinking they were going to run a conventional proxy-partyvote campaign, where National would have the upper hand. Key, the rockstar politician, also thought Andrew Little would be on the training wheels. He got that badly wrong; Little’s handling was superb.
Written By: - Date published: 9:51 am, March 29th, 2015 - 62 comments
Winston Peters’ win in Northland yesterday was based on turnout that was significantly higher than turnout for any other recent by election. And occurred in no small part because of some adept handling of messaging of support by Andrew Little.
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 pm, March 28th, 2015 - 310 comments
Is anyone else experiencing a bit of political shellshock?
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, March 25th, 2015 - 166 comments
Vote Winston (did I say that?) Update: Former Labour Cabinet Minister Colin Moyle thinks the same.
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, March 14th, 2015 - 70 comments
Self styled Labour activist Phil Quin has chosen to criticise the party’s commitment to democracy despite the clearly democratic structure the party has. And to repeat criticisms of Labour pre election despite the strong evidence of change that has occurred since. Yet the media go to Phil for comment on what is happening within the Labour Party even though I get the feeling he would prefer that Roger Douglas was still involved, despite the wishes of pretty well everyone else
Written By: - Date published: 7:36 pm, March 8th, 2015 - 15 comments
Thousands came to Newtown today for the Annual Fair on a beautiful sunny Wellington day. The Labour party stall was right in the middle and instead handing out lots of leaflets had a big sign saying “Tell us what you think” – and they did – have a look.
Recent Comments