Labour has indicated that as a priority it wishes to repeal the Hobbit law, a clumsy attempt in breach of International Law to prevent workers in the film industry from organising collectively and to divert attention from the fact that the National Government had been played by Warner Brothers.
Steven Joyce had a bad day yesterday. His claim that National’s use of one of Eminem’s song was “pretty legal” was shown to be anything but. And he stuck to his claim that there was a $11 billion dollar hole in Labour’s budget, casting doubt either on his honesty or on his competence.
It seems that National’s use of Eminem’s song lose yourself was not so legal.
National’s roads of national significance programme looks to be no more with an early casualty being the East West Link in Auckland, which per kilometre was destined to be the most expensive transport project the world has ever seen.
National CRUSH puny parties! Why National no mates?
This is the first Labour Government of the digital age. How progressives respond to social media attacks may be crucial to its success.
NZ First chose to be inside Cabinet in a full coalition. I’d rather expected that they would choose to be in a confidence and supply agreement as they did with Labour back in 2005. That they decided to take the risk despite their previous experience with National is a stunning level of trust. But they work well with Labour.
It appears that Winston is about to announce the decision of the NZ First party about their coalition partner today. For those who seem to think that coalitions should be formed with rapidity, they simply shouldn’t. That is the path to making stupid decisions, and I am yet to hear a single good reason to do it.
The prospects of a Labour led Government have improved dramatically following the release of the final election results.
The final election results have been announced with Labour and the Greens each picking up an extra seat.
A tongue in cheek list of reasons why it may be best for National to form the next Government.
I suspect that ETS has become a political football in the next parliament, but probably not part of a coalition agreement with either National or Labour. My guess is that both NZ First and the Greens will want it off the table unless it is agreed that it will go. That leaves them able to vote against further stupid patches being added to it.
In a sign of desperation Bill English rang Winston Peters on the weekend but the call was not answered. Clearly National realises that waiting for the special votes to be released will significantly weaken its bargaining position.
During the election campaign elements of the farming community protested the possibility of a water tax and of farming being in the ETS on the basis the sector could not afford it. In awkward news it has since come to light that the Chief Executive of Fonterra and senior executives are being paid huge salaries.
Peters campaigned hard against the Nats, and for a change in government (check out the speech and video). To keep faith with democracy and with his party members he has to go with Labour Green (check out the feedback and polls). If Peters goes the other way NZF will implode.
David Seymour and the ACT Party are back in Parliament but their role this term will be nothing other than nodding lap dog.
National do a last ditch dirty politics effort. A few hours before it becomes impossible for anyone to refute this, Tracey Watkins publishes an opinion piece which sounds like the usual National BillShit. Another cynical lie designed to stop the horses from thinking rationally when they vote. This time it is a lie about things that the Greens can’t do – not without going to members. Who aren’t going to go for it.
Who I am going to vote for and why.
National has created the perception that it is a better manager of Government than Labour and is suggesting that it is more compassionate. Neither claim is true.
It is difficult to understand National’s election campaign. Instead of campaigning on what they have achieved and what they plan to do they are using fear of Labour to try and win the election. And saying some palpably untrue things on the way.
According to English, in a revealing Q+A interview, Labour wants to “slaughter the dairy herd” and “depopulate the cities”. Why is he such a scared little man? Why doesn’t National have the confidence to run a positive campaign on its policies?
A guest post by @invisiphilia on the recent Mahinarangi Forbes interview on the Hui on the abuse of children in foster care and why the Government is wrong in refusing to have a proper independent inquiry into what went wrong.
In a case of extraordinarily bad timing for National it has been confirmed that despite claims to the contrary MFAT never provided National legal advice about the merits of any possible claim made concerning New Zealand’s banning of live sheep exports.
Out west National candidates are that afraid of their Labour conterparts they are refusing to attend public debates.
Tax is emerging as the big issue of this campaign. How valid are National’s claims that Labour will introduce a variety of new taxes and what has National’s record been like? Update: in a smart tactical move Labour has promised no new taxes will be introduced until after the next election.
Newsroom and the Financial Times have reported that National MP Dr Jian Yang was educated at a Chinese University specialising on training spies and was investigated by the SIS for possible links to the Chinese Government.
National has acted in breach of State Services Commission guidelines for the pre election period by having a flash opening of the Christchurch Justice Precinct even though it was not finished.
Simon O’Connor’s attack on Jacinda Ardern yesterday represents a new low, even for National.
Voting has opened for advance votes and the expectation is that it will be pretty heavy prior to polling day over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be out there voting today for Jacinda Arden as my local MP, and for the Greens as my party vote.
For progressive Epsom voters the best way to change the Government may be to give your electorate vote to Paul Goldsmith.
Reprinted with permission from Julia Schiller’s blog Enough is Enough. Julia analyses Abortion politics in New Zealand and details a recent interaction she had with National MP Simon O’Connor.
Some polls have National below 40%. If that is reflected in the election result then National will lose much of its diversity, setting the party back by many years. The current list was constructed for the “pale stale male”. They need to be better balanced in the future.
Bill English has finally committed the Government to doing something about Child poverty. But why has he and National taken so long?
National has tried to divert attention from the budget hole fiasco by promising to get even tougher on beneficiaries.
Steven Joyce is spinning furiously and is now claiming that Labour has set aside no money for budget increases for many Government Departments. But when Labour’s figures are compared to PREFU it is clear that Labour is planning to maintain or exceed National’s propose future spend.
David Farrar has put up and then amended a post suggesting that there is a $11.7 billion hole in Labour’s policy financials. It appears that even he does not believe there is a $11.7 billion discrepancy in Labour’s accounts.
