Roy Morgan bounces left
National 44 (down 7), Labour 34 (up 5), Greens 14 (up 4).
Politics
political parties
Be there – tonight
Final reminder of the pro-privacy anti-spying meeting tonight. Also worth noting in this context is Alastair Thompson’s excellent open letter to Peter Dunne. Read it. Will Dunne be a hero?
Oram on Nats’ economic bungles
The first of two required reading pieces from the weekend. Financial journalist Rod Oram sums up the Nats economic performance in an excellent piece in the SST. “Is damage control an economic development strategy?”
Paula Bennett plans legislative witch hunt
Paula Bennett’s latest idea is to remove the rights of natural justice for state employees who do not take the proposed child abuser vetting test, even though the test has not even been designed. Even for Paula the stupidity of this idea is extreme …
Poverty Watch 44
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. Last week CPAG published a report on the links between poverty and child abuse, and why current government policy is misguided. So what did the second part of the report have to say?
Cheap and nasty
Having been burned by the cheapest tender and the leaky building fiasco, the Nats say that they have now worked out that the cheapest tender is not necessarily the best. (Brilliant eh?) If only it was true that they had really learned the lesson…
Another diversion – “suspected” abusers
Time for another law-and-order-tough-on-crime distraction! Look! Over there!!
Nat housing policy panned
Labour and The Greens are clearly setting the agenda with a strong focus on housing affordability. National are struggling to catch up. But their new policy has been met with a chorus of criticism. They are going to have to do a lot better than this.
National’s “housing policy” is to reverse its previous cuts
This is/is not democracy
The Nats’ PR-managed conference stifled democratic debate & bright ideas, and diverted from significant issues. Armstrong attempts to talk it up, while exposing Key’s win-at-all-costs ruthlessness. Meanwhile: speakers announced for democratic meeting to Kill the GCSB Bill [Updated – Hagar also speaking]. [Update: Gordon Campbell – ‘Nanny National‘]
Shearer slams Key on Edwards parole release (not)
That’s a headline that you won’t see. Because politicising the crimes committed by those released on parole is low politics indeed. Isn’t that right, Mr Key?
Sexism
My colleague Eddie had a go at Phil Goff this morning for dickish remarks, and fair enough too. But in the interests of keeping things in perspective, just a reminder as to which is the sexist party here…
Armstrong on National’s conference
The Herald’s John Armstrong on Key’s “outrageous pragmatism”, National’s “great leap backwards”, and their “over-choreographed” Conference…
Hands-on National
It doesn’t suit the Labour Party narrative – and indeed it’s not their espoused philosophy – but every now and then National can’t help but be “hands on”. We’ve had the South Canterbury Finances in the past (won’t somebody think of the shareholders!), but this week was a real doozy for it, between Fonterra, Tiwai Point and Chorus.
What a dick
The stupidity of Phil Goff’s misogynist taunting of Chris Finlayson has been compounded by his refusal to apologise.
Poverty Watch 43
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. Last week CPAG published a report on the links between poverty and child abuse, and why current government policy is misguided. So what did the first part of the report have to say?
Fonterra scandal and deregulation
Stuff’s Pattrick Smellie makes the case that the Fonterra scandal is a product of deregulation. The lesson here is that Mike Joy and other scientists are right. To protect its environment, its brand, its exports and its economy, NZ needs to strengthen regulatory protections and clean up its act.
Labour supports Plunket
Another good policy announcement from David Shearer.
“The problem gambler”: Key & SkyCity
Brand Key – CEO of NZ Inc, speculator, gambler, spinmeister – epitomises the “neoliberal revolution”. Gambling & other consumerist addictions are blamed on the individual. A court case against SkyCity shows the contradictory links between gambling, smoking, corporate influence & “insatiable consumerism.”
Another $30 Million to prop up Meridian sale
John Key just spent another $30 Million of tax payer’s money to prop up his privatisation ideology.
Key rules out Peters?
“He is completely and utterly wrong as per normal,” Mr Key said. – The PM responds to Winston Peters’ allegations that the Police considered seizing his phone records in Key’s teapot tape witch-hunt with his usual sophistication and class. Key’s comments raise an important question: ‘would Key have in his government a man who is normally “completely and utterly wrong?’
Bob Jones – National vs Labour on the economy
In an otherwise typically dull piece in The Herald recently, Bob Jones finished up with a typically blunt assessment of the impact of Labour and National governments on the economy. It seems that Jones can acknowledge the truth that most right-wingers try and deny.
Support for off shore speculator ban
Hypocrisy in the House: GCSB Bill
The debates during last night’s filibuster if the GCSB amendment Bill exposed the hypocrisy of John Key, and hangers on Peter Dunne and John Banks: as seen in the videos of the speeches by Goff, Cunliffe and Peters.
Chorus of opposition to Key-Dunne spying Bill continues
Yesterday Opposition parties filibustered, and successfully delayed the passage of the Key-Dunne spying Bill. This buys more time to protest, and to put pressure on MPs.
We have never before seen in New Zealand such a broad and ongoing chorus of opposition to government legislation as we are seeing with this Bill. Just yesterday alone…
The view from China
The world has become a very strange place when NZ is getting lectured by China. Problem is, they aren’t wrong.
“The Big Issue”: councils & transport
Campbell Live last Wednesday focused on transport: funding & Auckland versus the regions; public transport & roads; the revolutionary Congestion Free Network plan. City Vision (supported by Labour & the Green Party – with a major focus on transport) & 2 Future West candidates launch their Auckland council campaigns.
The brighter future
Welcome to John Key’s “Brighter Future”. Here are some headlines: “Violation speaks ill of our democracy”, “Chilling attacks on freedom”, “Govt betrayal on a monumental scale”, and many more…
Poverty Watch 42
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, the CPAG report on the links between poverty and child abuse, and why it shows that government policy is misguided. Green MP Holly Walker tries to get a straight answer out of Paula Bennett.
John Key trashes the Constitution
John Key is getting into the habit of trashing important constitutional principles. The freedom of the press, the independence of Parliamentary Services and the principle that even the Prime Minister is subject to Parliament and the Privileges Committee have all been attacked recently. What next?
Spy scandals – today’s required reading
Here’s today’s required reading (so far) in the ongoing spy scandals that are swirling around John Key and his fiasco of a government. Hey Peter Dunne, are you really going to vote for more GCSB spying? Really?
The magical world of New Zealand’s, Neo-Liberal right wing.
It has been obvious that some people live in a different world than the rest of us. One where Chicago school economics, work! […]
The end of the media honeymoon for John Key
The Andrea Vance telephone record debacle is extraordinarily badly timed for the Government. At a time when they are trying to give to the GCSB huge powers to spy on all of us this particular incident shows us what is at stake. It has incensed the fourth estate. Key’s relationship with the press will never be the same.
Reaction to housing policy
Labour will be pleased at the reaction to its Latest housing policy, from Vernon Small, John Armstrong and (knock me down with a feather) Colin Espiner. Opinion polling is also in favour.
The non-resident property speculators are….?
An NZ Herald Editorial exposes John Key’s politically motivated spin against Shearer’s housing policy, but also takes some swipes at the “left”. Gower misleads, by repeating Key’s “anti-Asian” smears, supported by the eg of a website targeting South African property speculators.
Xenophobia – a Nat guide
