NRT: Unconstitutional and dangerous
I/S at No Right turn writes on the Ombudsman’s report which finds some of the Nats’ plans for charter schools to be unconstitutional and dangerous.
Politics
political parties
THM: Questions that were never asked
Stargazer at The Hand Mirror has a unique take on the Prosser affair. Prosser claims to have been motivated by concerns for his daughters’ rights and freedoms – which raises some interesting questions…
The failure of economic austerity
As one writer sums it up – “no austerity has helped any economy”. So why do we carry on with this failed ideology? Perhaps because, while it does nothing for the vast majority of people, it helps make the super-rich even richer…
To intervene or not to intervene, that is the question…
Frank Macskasy at Frankly Speaking looks at who does get generous government assistance – and who doesn’t. “This isn’t governance. This is economic decline by a thousand cuts.”
Poverty Watch 18
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, further in to the Children’s Social Health Monitor 2012 Update Report.
Nats’ low wage economy hollowing us out
The Nats were elected on a promise of a high wage economy. When it became clear that they were achieving the opposite, they tried to spin a disaster into a “competitive advantage”. And so in the real world the exodus to Australia continues. Now it’s affecting even our naval capability.
Another one bites the dust
Another day, another company that couldn’t make it in National’s stagnant economy. But this company, Mainzeal, is a particularly significant case, our third largest construction company. There will be significant flow on effects to other parts of the sector.
Beneficiary bashing – mission accomplished
National’s constant beneficiary bashing has borne predictable fruit – beneficiaries are now perceived as the most discriminated against group in the country.
On engagement with the Labour caucus
Yesterday Annette King started talking with Standard commenters on a couple of threads. As I understand it this is part of a move to engage with the Standard…
Key failure
I wonder how the polls would look if the sampling included Kiwis who have fled the country?
One of the biggest failures of the Key government is the continuing massive exodus to Australia. This was an issue that Key made a core focus of the 2008 election. Remember the Westpac Stadium clip?…
Growing the Left vote
At the moment the Left and Right political blocs are poised more or less evenly in the polls. So how do we grow the Left vote to win in 2014?
King, wtf?
Garner has revealed that 63% of Maori Labour voters don’t know who the leader is. King responds by asking if they know who the PM is. Now, I’m no MP with 25 years’ experience but I reckon it’s pretty obvious that trying to deflect from a poll showing lack of profile of your leader in a key demographic by implying that Maori are just ignorant isn’t smart.
Shearer confirmed
According to, Patrick Gower David Shearer has been confirmed in the leadership vote this morning.
Living together
There’s a thought in some parts of Labour that they need to ‘put the Greens in their place’, then they will get back the votes that the Greens have taken from them, and that will lead to victory. It’s an Underpants Gnome strategy, missing the crucial link of how doing what they want to do emotionally results in the supposed objective. Better to build together.
Conflicted decisions
Another day, another example of some unseemly looking stuff from the Nats. This time it’s Judith Collins choosing Robert Kee – a friend of her husband – for a $200,000 a year taxpayer funded job.
Poverty Watch 17
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 Children’s Social Health Monitor 2012 Update Report, and will the Maori Party act on their words?
Shearer Says
David Shearer’s weekly e-newsletter, this week – on the big year ahead.
We’re happy to post similar newsletters from other opposition leaders – our email is on our contact page.
Where were you Granny?
Granny Herald: “Some policies aimed at quenching what politicians perceive to be a public appetite for fairness are recycled regularly even when they have been shown to be deeply flawed.” Discuss…
Foolish games
As I indicated would happen in my post this morning on the Labour reshuffle, Mallard made a run for speaker today.* He and the Labour leadership tried to keep the fact he was running secret right to the last moment. Why not run an honest, open campaign? Because a vote on speaker can only be made by MPs physically present in the chamber. No proxies. Let me explain.
The fiscal hole
David Parker has drawn attention to a steadily growing $1 Billion hole in projected tax income. That gap, and the stalled economy which underlies the problem, are not going to be fixed by John Key acting like an angry chimp in parliament, flinging insults out of his cage.
A new broom?
Word is that Shearer’s team has taken a cue from the media response from Key’s reshuffle and is looking to bolster his new tough image by dropping some of the old hands in his own reshuffle. Almost without doubt the losers will be Street, Sio, and Mahuta. Hipkins and Jones look set for promotion. Goff, King, and Mallard will continue to hold top tier jobs.
Opposition speeches & ‘Roads of Madness’
Debates on the PM’s statement to the House show that this do-nothing government needs to go. Plenty of good ideas from opposition MPs. An excellent speech by Genter against Joyce’s ‘Roads of Madness’ & for public transport.
Brian Edwards on Shearer
The macho posturing we’ve seen from David Shearer since conference never quite gelled with the Shearer I knew. I’d always thought of him […]
Get on board
Now I don’t know if there will be a leadership vote in the next couple of weeks or not, but if there is, and you’re a Labour supporter, then you really want to be a Labour Party member beforehand so you can have your say.
ImperatorFish: Is National Really Hands-Off Then?
Scott examines National’s line that they aren’t “hands-off”, and finds them, if not entirely neo-liberal, still pretty dedicated to their worship of the invisible hand of the (private) market.
Building a movement: acting local, talking global
The Greens, I’m in for the Future, is a promising initiative. The Greens’ focus on Auckland transport will be a great start. To end the “neoliberal” dominance, it is necessary to apply pressure from below. What can we learn from Canadian anti-“neoliberal” groups like Common Causes & Idle No More? [Updated]
Good coverage for Shearer
It was a slightly risky speech for Shearer, but the media reception has been decent. Labour will be pleased with the coverage, and especially so when compared (source by source) with John Key’s hapless effort last week.
States of it – Turei and Shearer
Metiria Turei and David Shearer have today given their State of the Planet and State of the Nation speeches respectively. There’s a lot of commonality, which is good. A critique of the government is solidifying and it’s centred on jobs, housing, and the environment. The Greens’ policy agenda looks heftier than Labour’s but both are heading the right way.
Shearer promises active government
David Shearer has just made his opening speech of the year at the Labour Party Summer School.
Green Party “I’m in – for the future”
For once lately, I agree with Matt McCarten on the Green Party being Centre Stage this week: a housing policy for renters and buyers on low incomes, including state housing. Memorable speech at Ratana by Turei. Today: Picnic for the Planet, State of the Planet speech & the launch of a new “I’m in – for the future” initiative.
Tell the truth
Zetetic’s telling porkies. His talk of a rift in the Labour Party is crap. He hasn’t got a clue about what went on the Party conference – the idea that there should be a membership-wide vote on the leadership was voted down in November by a large majority of the 600-700 delegates present.
This
How many times to we have to listen to Labour MP’s claim that they can’t stand up for labour values because they won’t be seen as “reasonable”.
Yeah, because your “reasonable” has really fired up the electorate thus far.
For a February leadership vote
No one in Labour can deny there’s a real issue with internal disunity. Not only is the caucus divided (and more than ever since the Shearer camp’s handling of the conference fallout), but there’s a major breach between the membership and the caucus. Unless this is fixed and we can get the party united we’re looking at another term in opposition after 2014.
Cunliffe rules out challenge
Tucked away on the One News site last night was a report that David Cunliffe has ruled out challenging for the Labour leadership.
Annette Sykes: a future MP?
Mana Party president, Annette Sykes could become an MP in the next election. The future of the Maori Party is in doubt. Hone Harawira is considering a Mana-Maori Party merger. Sykes is committed to left wing values, social justice, Maori land & water rights, and social & economic justice for Maori.
Complementary Housing
It’s great to see the Greens’ new housing policy nicely complementing Labour’s affordable housing policy.