Our PM is fond of telling us all what we think. In the wake of Dirty Politics he is working it overtime, telling us all that we believe his spin. Interesting then to get some actual data on what (extrapolating from a sample) most New Zealanders really do think. Many thanks to the Horizon polling people for putting this up on line.
“Dirty Politics” and “The Hollow Men” have revealed the extent of the National party’s nasty internal war over the past decade. Cameron Slater is merely one of the noisier but dumber sock puppet weapons in use against National’s centre and moderates. Looking at the actions of Simon Lusk using his sock puppet is more revealing…
Labour’s Rainbow Policy got some attention for its promise to offer a third gender option on passports and drivers’ licences. Why is this a big deal?
The NZ Herald has been notable for the blind stupidity of their editorials since its formation in the 1860s and its enthusiastic fostering of the New Zealand civil war for short-term profit. Today’s editorial continues that long tradition of blind stupid ignorance by being surprised (yet again) at Labour’s long tradition of fiscal responsibility.
Brent Robinson is rightly peeved. He was at the end of an internal smear campaign orchestrated by Slater and Lusk, and had the […]
So National are both so out of ideas and so desperate to take the spotlight off their Dirty Politics that they’re now promising tax cuts. Tax cuts straight after we have a panel of our most prominent economists warning that the ‘rock star’ economy is going to hit the rocks.
According to the PM, Bill English saying there won’t be tax cuts was both true and untrue at the same time, like a fiscal Schroedinger’s Cat.
Labour has the bold set of policies to take New Zealand forward into the 21st century – National’s “same old same old” tinkering will see the Kiwi skiff swamped. That was the clear conclusion from the debate between David Parker and Bill English on National Radio this morning.
National’s own fine print takes us from “you can get up to $20,000!” to, at best, “11% of qualifying couples get up to $20,000.” Ouch…. Typical National. Long on glitz. Long on smoke. Long on mirrors. Short on actually helping people.
Because of the technical illiteracy of the political committee that appears to have run the development of the Labour website, their extensive list of policies tends to be unreachable. I eventually found the useful page and I’m giving their website a hand using The Standard’s search engine optimization.
John Key has taken to answering relevant questions about Dirty Politics by refusing to answer them. But these questions go to the heart of the issue of whether he is fit to be New Zealand’s Prime Minister and deserve to be answered.
National has announced its housing policy using Labour’s Kiwisaver scheme to provide extra money to first home buyers. But the policy will only add to housing inflation instead of addressing it.
Last night the opening party political addresses were broadcast on TV One, simultaneous with an All Blacks match and a live-tweeted crowd viewing of Labyrinth. So if you missed out (and don’t follow my every thought on Twitter), here’s my reaction! [Update: more links to videos!]
The NZ Herald poll made a certain amount of sense. Sure they’ve probably over-estimated National’s current support as they always do (see DimPost’s […]
National’s membership website had an open backdoor that’s just been closed. The hacker who found it didn’t do what John Key reckons anyone would do and take advantage; he reported. Careful John Key – your ethics are showing.
Green Party Opening Address
Update: added InternetMana one
Labour’s Opening Address – to make it easier for those who were watching the rugby
John Key says the election is in danger of being stolen by a hacker. What he is afraid of is that the election is going to be “stolen” by the truth.
Despite John Key’s key message du jour, the parties of the Opposition are talking policy.
In the NZ Herald panel interviews, Green & Labour Party leaders come across extremely well. The leaders are confident, considered and ready to govern.
Bill English was the first senior Nat to distance himself from Key’s dirty politics. Now, according to one of our commenters (Tracey) who was called, the Nats’ polling company is sounding out English as a possible party leader.
A 2011 press conference video has cast further doubt on John Key’s claim that he did not know about the release of sensitive information to Cameron Slater.
Updated: The recollection of Tucker doesn’t match what John Key said in 2011. What spaghetti explanation will Johnnie give today.
Some improved versions of National’s opening commercial [update: pic added]
John Key’s told media they don’t need to talk to him about Judith Collins and her Cameron Slater choices, they should talk to her as she’s no shrinking violet…
But Radio NZ, The Herald, TV3 and I imagine all other media have been trying to contact her for days.
Cut Your Hair has some great analysis of who is the “policy free zone” that Key is claiming the left is…
Poor John Key must think he is in the movie Groundhog Day. The media clearly do not accept his explanation for Dirty Politics. And each day further information comes out which casts more and more doubt on the veracity of what he has been saying.
Just Wow. Morning Report failed to get hold of Bob Harvey to offer balance on their coverage of National/Labour’s opening ads this morning, […]
Labour has launched its campaign video.
I trust that the media will be interested to know which senior Nats Slater was working with on the release of data hacked from Labour servers.
In 2008 National breached copyright by using a song suspiciously like Coldplay’s Clocks. The DVD had to be withdrawn. It may not have learned as its latest campaign video has music that sounds suspiciously like an Eminem song. Has it learned and does it have permission?
John Key has been running a pretty simple diversion strategy over the past week asserting that Labour knew about Hager’s book (they didn’t), that they aren’t interested in policy (our mailbox is full of their policies), and that the public will ignore the book (our stats are skyhigh). He is a loser. Rob Salmond puts his view.
Pot pourri, grab bag… Nicky Hager’s sister’s response, Media Take, John Key’s wanting to talk about policy, political passion, at the end of the day…
How slippery is John Key? Part one of transcript of Key’s press standup last Thursday. On accessing Labour’s website private details, OIAs to the SIS, Dirty Politics, Nicky Hager and Mr Slater. [Updated]
Simon Collins has published a very good article comparing various parties policies on social security. As is the current trend, he doesn’t fully examine the deep and lasting contribution good child care & education make towards society & the economy. It’s about material and social well-being.
Five months ago John Key gave Judith Collins a final warning regarding her Ministerial Career after misleading him and the media about Oravida. Following the release of Nicky Hager’s book Dirty Politics and the allegations, backed up by emails, that Hager has made against Collins her last chance must have now been used up.
I think it’s likely that the emails leaked to Nicky Hager for “Dirty Politics” have everything to do with the National Party. Nicky Hager identified the main source for his previous book “The Hollow Men” as six people from the National Party. He thanks “the National party staffer who first suggested he work on this subject” in the preface to “Dirty Politics.” It may well be that the both leaks come from the same source, and for the same reason. There will be many people in the National Party who will be disgusted at what is now being done under their name.
