A lot of politics and political blogging is all about the details. This includes National’s pollster David Farrar who falsely asserted yesterday that Winston would have received 7 annual letters about his superannuation status. So why is National trying to irritate their only possible coalition partner?
The lulz don’t stop there. Read through the various tweets and you’ll find “Check The Facts” has been well less than accurate in its portrayal of what constitutes a “fact”.
Denis Tegg reports that the Government is hiding a second critical report on climate change until after the election.
National’s campaign video was created using actors who were not paid but handled petrol or shopping vouchers and wanted a young boy of “mixed blood” …
Two excellent but very disturbing pieces in The Herald yesterday. This crisis in poverty, housing and health is a national disgrace. It is why we desperately need to elect a Labour led government in September.
What we can learn about Collins, Adams and the national Cabinet from Teina Pora’s Judicial review win.
Mike Hosking is decrying National’s cynical election campaign and release of its paid parental leave policy and claims that it is nothing more than a corrupt retail exchange.
The Standard has received real video from National’s campaign launch
Peters is enraged by the presumed Nat hit on him over super. Earlier he was calling on Bill English to resign over the Barclay scandal. Given these conflicts, no one can have any confidence in a post-election Nat NZF coalition. They hate each other.
New documents released under the OIA show that Bill English fought hide his involvement with the Todd Barclay scandal from media and the public. Coverups and lies, English is unfit for office.
National has announced a policy of increasing paid parental leave after complaining last year that it was unaffordable.
During the weekend one of National’s rising stars Amy Adams debates housing with Labour’s Phil Twyford. Adams was supremely confident but the data she relied on appears to have problems …
The hit job that has just been performed on Winston Peters is a sign of how desperate National is to divert attention from Jacindamania. But I suspect the attempt will backfire.
Mark Jennings: ‘A hundred or so young Chinese wearing blue T-shirts with “Blue dragons” written on the front marched in to the stadium in a highly-organised fashion. I randomly asked two of them why they had come. They seemed to find the question confusing but told me they were overseas students.’
The centerpiece of National’s campaign launch was an education package that doubles down on the demonstrably failed national standards policy. Out of ideas.
Duncan Garner reviews National’s record, and is not impressed: “Because the list of blind spots for National is too long. If this is success then our standards have slipped.”
National may have further copyright problems with the song used in its campaign video sounding remarkably similar to an old Bob Dylan song.
After nine long years the election is forcing National to acknowledge the poverty in NZ. Bill English is promising to throw money at bootcamps and “social investment” (targeting) – but he hasn’t read his own PREFU.
John Armstrong writes on the tide going out on National, and the big swing towards Labour in Ohariu.
Labour’s new campaign ad is great! Compare and contrast with Nat attack ads…
National found $10b down the back of the sofa for roads roads roads, but is under funding our health system to the point of collapse.
National’s supposedly well oiled campaign machine is resembling an episode of the Thick of It rather than a Crosby Textor training video.
The weekend offered up a pretty clear contrast between Labour and National. Address the problems facing New Zealand, or build more roads that make no long-term sense.
Early days but Labour’s surge should result in an outstanding array of talent entering Parliament.
Expect plenty of Nat boasting on “the economy” in the election campaign. They’ll be desperate to hide the inconvenient fact that ordinary workers are going backwards.
In an excellent piece on The Spinoff, Nicky Hager reflects on three years after Dirty Politics.
Time now to sweep the party of these disgusting tactics out of office and #ChangeTheGovernment.
I/S at No Right Turn: ”
This isn’t a “Pandora’s box”. The model for an easy, full and final settlement to resolve this exists, and iwi are keen. What is lacking is goodwill from the government to sign it. And Finlayson knows all this – so he is actively trying to mislead the New Zealand public about it, trying to appeal to the racism of rednecks in order to protect the stolen “rights” of a privileged few”.
English’s “boot camp” policy is pure politics. As much as he tries to deny it, it’s more or less an exact repeat of Key’s failed 2008 attempt, it would do much more harm than good if ever implemented. More than any other flailing to date, this mess is a sign of National’s desperation.
What a weekend of National panic that was. From desperate lies on water costs to repeating failed policy from 2008 to plans to wake parents up in the middle of the night to administer “instant fines” in a youth curfew. Jacinda Ardern’s Labour has got them on the run.
National are going to send our most “hardened” youth offenders to the Army to be trained up. If that fails, they’ll send them to adult prisons to learn their craft better.
National has announced its policy to deal with youth crime by reannouncing a military service scheme that already exists, proposing a special category for young offenders that will have some young people seek that status and by proposing to fine parents who can’t keep their kids home at night.
CTU President Richard Wagstaff writes on today’s actions about his opposition to the government attempt to dismember the historic decision in the Court of Appeal for pay equity by Kristine Bartlett and E tū. National has distorted the recommendations of the Joint Working Group to restrict or even eliminate equal pay for equal work.
Lots of big stuff going on at the moment, but other stories are significant too. The extent of the coverage of this blunder will be worrying the Nats.
If you want to know why the right is farting so much personal smoke, take a look at the poll trends 2011, 2014, 2017. It’s not a pretty picture for the Nats.
Two polls out tonight show a big surge for Labour and Jacinda Ardern. But we need a strong Green vote too. To those whom Metiria inspired – please don’t give up on voting. The Greens need you now more than ever!
