Armstrong demolishes Nats on housing
John Armstrong is not impressed: Government’s handling of housing crisis lurches from chaotic to shambolic
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The other conference
Richard Harman on the Politik blog: “Overall, to use a favourite Government saying, it was an ‘untidy’ weekend capped by a flat speech from English which saw delegates ignore placards they’d been given to wave when he finished speaking.” The B-team is missing John Key.
Sledge of the day
Compare two housing plans
It must be election year, because National has admitted that the market has failed, and swallowed the dead rat of state building. A useful graphic summary in The Herald lets you compare National and Labour’s housing plans…
Nat housing announcement – far too little far too late
Useful but – mostly re-announcing existing developments, far too little, far too late, and open to property speculators…
National’s long history of intimidation
It isn’t just third term arrogance. Ngaro is merely the latest example of National’s long history of attacking, intimidating, and trying to silence critical voices and facts. Take a stroll with me down memory lane…
National’s messy Israel position
National’s shifting position on Israel suggests all is not happy within National’s ranks.
Ngaro’s “apology” and National’s third term arrogance
Lloyd Burr has some more quotes from Ngaro before he was forced to apologise, and Stuff writes on the Nats third term arrogance.
Alfred Ngaro reprimanded for being “naïve”
Alfred Ngaro has apologised to the Prime Minister for threatening the funding of voluntary organisations critical of the Government, not for expressing the views or even thinking them but for being naïve.
National threatens Government critics with loss of Government contracts
Alfred Ngaro has told a National Conference that critics of the Government can expect to lose Government support for proposed contracts. And that Labour prompted concern about families living in cars.
How much information is being withheld from us?
Covering up inconvenient truths is an old pattern for this government. What percentage of their effort goes in to obfuscating and hiding the facts?
There is no housing problem!
But only in Nick Smith’s head. See the finally released government Housing Affordability Measure (HAM).
Mental health problems are a figment of our imagination and the work of anti government protesters
according to Health Minister Jonathan Coleman
Seymour on Nat properties and policy
Right place wrong reason
Photo: M Wilson
Chester Borrows in court
With the Eminem case on the go too its a busy time in court for National.
Still spinning “social investment”
Directing welfare spending where it will do most good makes sense. But let’s make sure that that is what it is, not an excuse to simply cut funding, stigmatise, and target “undesireables”. National’s record does not inspire confidence, to say the very least. Then there’s the hypocrisy…
Fuck the homeless
Those compassionate conservatives of the National Party have a message for the increasing number of homeless who occupy our Brighter Future.
NRT: This is why we can’t have nice things
I/S highlights National’s new net debt target of 10-15% of GDP – and specifically, what it will cost us.
Brownlee as Foreign Minister as successful as you’d expect
Brownlee’s run as Foreign Minister is already a mess. Such is the depth of National’s talent pool.
NRT: Inflation and poverty
I/S at No Right Turn writes: “The CPI is out today, and it shows that the poor are getting poorer … This is a long-term trend. Since National took office, inflation for poor households has been nearly twice that of rich households.”
Bill English doesn’t get it – literally doesn’t get it – how messed up the “Brighter Future” is
“There are approximately 92,700 Kiwis aged between 15 and 24 who aren’t working, in education or training. That’s up 19 percent during National’s time in power, and Prime Minister Bill English admits he’s not sure why.” Could it be because…
Protecting our biggest export income earner
Tourism Export Council: “The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) in its current form is nothing more than a PR-stunt from Government who continue to ignore scientists and expert opinion re the state of our freshwater. The NPS-FM does not address the serious problems facing our waterways and, in fact, will make them worse.”
Eminem case could cost Nats big
Eminem’s lawyer on the Nats’ email chain – “Also, the focus is on not just whether it’s an infringement. But whether they can shift liability to someone else.” Typical.
Pike River – what did the government know and when did they know it?
Bill English claims to have been unaware of the video footage, but the night before Nick Smith’s spokesperson said the government had been “advised”. It would have been extraordinary if they had not. Pike River families deserve the truth.
National in court – is “pretty legal” good enough?
Today National, party of personal responsibility and property rights, is in court for allegedly ripping off work the work of Eminem. How stupid do you have to be to make the same mistake twice?
A legacy of poisoned water
We won’t be able to say that we didn’t have ample warning, with a another detailed and damning report on water quality out yesterday. Does National really want to be remembered for allowing the poisoning of our water?
Nick knifed
Parata fleeing education mess
Parata can believe whatever brings her comfort of course, but the fact is that this National government has made, as usual, a mess of education.
Reshuffle
Bill English is to announce a cabinet reshuffle today. What should he do?
Housing affordability data suppressed?
Bill English would have you believe that there is no housing crisis. He desperately needs you to believe it until after the next election. Is Nick Smith deliberately suppressing housing data?
National’s economic report card fail
Though artificially boosted by high immigration and disaster rebuilds, the NZ economy is in the doldrums, and National are a failure even by their own goals and targets. I predict that National will soon abolish all targets, and that this will be “a sign of our success”.
National has some strange candidates – Pakuranga
National is selecting some unusual candidates. One of them is Simeon Brown a devout chrisitian with very conservative views who is replacing liberal National MP Maurice Williamson.
Won’t the Government think about the kiwis?
The Government has granted Alpine Pure the right to construct a pipeline through a breeding area for a critically endangered Kiwi so that it can extract water from a Unesco World Heritage site for free.
Stay on the treadmill suckers!
That is the Nats’ advice to aspiring Auckland house buyers.
Motels are full of homeless so now what?
Ordinary people are priced out of home ownership and increasingly out of renting, the state-housing safety net has been deliberately run down, and now the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff is full. National leaps into action – by asking the Salvation Army for ideas…