Last week National shut down Peters’ attempt to introduce a Bill on paedophile name suppression. Presumably this was out of petty spite at Peters’ Northland victory, but in the context of the Thatcher revelations this was surely an issue that would have been worth debating.
Trouble is brewing in National’s ranks. In a series of recent tweets occasional Standard commenter Matthew Hooton outlines his reasons for now opposing John Key’s Government.
As New Zealand’s dollar approaches parity with Australia’s a responsible Government should be pondering the implications and acting in the country’s best interests. No such luck in Aotearoa …
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.
More economic genius from the Nats.
The Government has appointed Paula Restock to head an expert panel tasked to review Child Youth and Family. Even now the intent appears clear, outsource functions and cut costs. But if they were determined to improve matters they should reduce child poverty.
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 ….
Denis Tegg has persuaded the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security to inquire whether the GCSB is conducting mass surveillance on the Kafkaesque grounds that the legislation allows this to happen if a party ought reasonably to expect that the communication may be intercepted.
Simon Bridges announced yesterday the release of the 2015 block offer. Potentially oil companies could be drilling in deep sea pristine environmental areas off the West Coast where the endangered Maui’s Dolphin lives. He calls for a “mixed balance” of energy generation. But all this means is that he wants the good mixed with the bad.
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.
There are many specific reasons why National lost Northland, but arrogance is the thread running through all of them.
Steven Joyce is adamant that Northland was unique and what it really needed was improved infrastructure such as roads and broadband. Joyce has a narrow, blinkered view of the world. Sadly the election defeat didn’t remove his blinkers or open his eyes to look at Northlands real needs.
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.
A selection of the wit and wisdom of Twitter tonight. Compare and contrast the Labour and National leaders.
Is anyone else experiencing a bit of political shellshock?
A post to allow for the discussion of the Northland Buy Election result.
Stuff: “Peters says that over the next 48 hours the only thing National voters want from Key is an explanation for why they’re having a by-election in the first place.”
The most egregious feature remains the sheer banality. Its like John Key can’t help himself. Because most National Ltd™ voters really don’t care and because the MSM just accepts the deceit as “one of those things,” he’s been able to get away with it scot-free for more than six years.
Well, it’s pretty much a done deal now. Winston’s going to win Northland. But who’s the biggest loser?
Vote Winston (did I say that?) Update: Former Labour Cabinet Minister Colin Moyle thinks the same.
Mark Osborne is the manager of a controversial ratepayer funded project that is the subject of a governance and funding review by the Far North District Council after major losses in its first two years. According to the NBR he is refusing to answer questions about it. Aren’t the voters of Northland entitled to some answers before they vote?
Anne Tolley was told about the prosecution of Beverley Sepuloni under the no surprises policy nearly a month before the news became public. Release of this information makes you wonder why we cannot be told the date that the Government was told about Mike Sabin’s difficulties.
Is Northland getting sick of National’s panicked invasion? Will having Osborne fail to front Peters in the studio help? Could National actually lose Northland?
More embarrassment for the Government as it is revealed that the GCSB spied on internet communications involving diplomats competing with Tim Groser in his bid to be elected as the Director General of the World Trade Organisation.
One of National’s big claims in the Northland buy election was that they had created 7500 new jobs in Northland. Lies lies lies.
The Nats’ takeover of Environment Canterbury is the greatest attack on democratic rights ever seen in this country. They are about to extend the period of imposed rule, because a fully elected body carries “too many risks”. If you think the people of Canterbury can actually be trusted with democracy you can sign the petition.
A bill designed by Mike Sabin has resurfaced this week. The intention is to take away the right to silence by allowing a Court to draw an adverse inference if someone choses to say nothing when facing certain charges. This proposal needs debate.
Video from last night in Parliament where Judith Collins essentially confirmed the veracity of the information contained in Dirty Politics. And David Cunliffe had the most exquisite put down of an opponent I have seen in a long time.
All these National backbenchers with delusions of grandeur sound the same to me …
National is obviously deeply afraid of losing the Northland By Election as is clearly shown by the liberal application of pork barrel politics, the misuse of statistics, the use of Ministerial resources to help campaigning and now the bullying of a local group seeking to have a local road improved.
Last night in Parliament National voted down Harawira / Turei’s Feed the Kids Bill, David Shearer’s Food in Schools Bill, and Phil Twyford’s Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill.
So our PM is cutting short state business for the purposes of party campaigning. Since Key invented the whole silly hats game, I guess it’s fair to ask if he still gets paid as PM when he is acting in his capacity as Party Leader? If so, why?
Rodney Hide has published a column about the ancient Titirangi Kauri which predictably argues that land owners should do what they want. But John Roughan has argued to the contrary in an article that will make you wonder if he is actually a greenie at heart.
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
