Out with three strikes
The National / ACT “three strikes” policy on violent crime sentencing is the worst kind of law.
It has been thoroughly condemned by the Justice Ministry, who were blocked from giving advice to select committee.
Politics
political parties
Signs of a more confident Labour
Labour is a pretty risk-adverse organisation. Making those two unorthodox attacks on those two ministers, and pulling it off both times, shows that Labour has got the measure of Key’s drop-kick ministers and is feeling more confident in itself.
Stifling dissent
The letter warning school boards not to speak out over national standards is an outrage, but John Key and his National Party have a long and dishonourable record of trying to shut down those who speak out to oppose them.
Labour, don’t stand by while English lies
Coleman bites off more than he can chew
The backlash to National’s attack on Radio NZ is beginning, and it looks like Jonathan Coleman may have bitten off more than he can chew.
Take the Save Radio New Zealand group on Facebook. In less than 24 hours it has 1700 2800 3500 supporters, with 10 more joining every minute.
Labour pins clueless Nat ministers
It’s hard to decide which is worst: Do Nothing John Key flouncing around the country while thousands of Kiwis lose their jobs, the Joyce cabal pushing their hard-right economic agenda, or the rest of them who don’t have two brain cells to rub together.
Brownlee lying over mining on conservation land
According to The Press Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee is denying he trimmed a South Island conservation park after being lobbied by mining company L&M. However, documents posted on The Standard and No Right Turn show he was lying.
No ideas? Bash some beneficiaries
John Key says sickness and invalid’s benefit numbers are increasing because “the previous government encouraged a move off the unemployment benefit into those categories, which aren’t work testedâ€. You’ve been caught out on this lie by The Standard authors before, John. Did you think it would slip by us now?
Mirror on a tale of two offices
Julie Fairey at The Hand Mirror has posted a follow-up on the curious tale of how National’s Dr Jackie Blue “had told the […]
Whanau Ora, who gains?
Whanau Ora is a terrible idea. It is the beginning of the privatisation of social services, wrapped in a cloak of Maori-centred solutions […]
Conservation park ‘trimmed’ to suit mining interests
The Standard has been sent copies of documents (1,2,3,4) released under the Official Information Act which show that one of National’s first acts in government was to trim a Conservation Park at the request of a mining company, ignoring local concerns and official advice, to let the company dig up the land for coal.
Nats & Maori Party headed for foreshore & seabed showdown
It turns out that the silly ‘no-one owns it’ option for the foreshore and seabed is John Key’s ‘elegant solution’. Here he is defending […]
Nats need to follow Labour’s lead on GST
“Last GST hike had little impact, say tax experts” – Herald The article is about inflation but it is also true of growth. […]
Jeanette Fitzsimons’ valedictory
As I have mentioned before, Jeanette Fitzsimons is one of the very few members of parliament for whom I have the utmost respect. […]
Maori Party/Nat breakup over GST?
Yesterday, Rahui Katene said the Maori Party could walk away from National if they didn’t adequately compensate low and middle income people for increasing […]
Policy roulette
I don’t recall the date or anything, but I remember the exact moment I decided to get politically active. Rob Muldoon was called […]
Quick thoughts
It’s obvious to anyone with a brain that a government that spends half its time on holiday and the rest on PR stunts […]
Nats lying over firing Aroha’s mum?
In yesterday’s Herald Jackie Blue told us she’d sacked the mother of young Aroha because she had to merge offices with Sam Lotu-Iiga. But some investigative work at The Hand Mirror suggests otherwise…
National, time to put your dog on a leash
As surely an endorphin high fades, Cameron Slater was going to do something to get his name back in the media. He’s been […]
The Government is to blame for record unemployment numbers
Andrew Campbell It should come as no surprise that unemployment hit 7.3% today. That’s what happens when a government does virtually nothing to […]
More jobs lost, govt does nothing
Telecom is threatening to throw up to 1,500 workers out of their jobs so it can increase profits by offshoring. A good government in this situation is […]
Not a good look
So, John Key and Pita Sharples put Hone Harawira in charge of deciding which flag will fly to represent Maori on government buildings […]
Wages dropping under Key, as promised
Remember how John Key said he “would love to see wages drop“. You might remember the big corporate media refused to run it, […]
Nats soft on crime
Oh, sure, the Nats will lock a person up longer after they commit a crime, if they get caught. But what they won’t do is prevent them […]
Speak up, Pita. We can’t hear you
TVNZ reports: “Associate Education Minister Pita Sharples has labelled the National Standards policy as damaging to Maori but later refused to comment after […]
Colin James on Labour’s election record
Dancr linked to Colin James’ piece in the Press the other day, in which he writes: Here’s Labour’s record for the five decades […]
That made my Auckland anniversary day
Peter Dunne on his record against Jeanette Fitzsimmons is really an exercise in ego instead of substance
Colin James on Labour 2010
I know Standard readers follow politics closely almost by definition, but for those who don’t here’s Colin James’ observations on the year ahead […]
Turei pushing me back to RAM
Check out this exchange between Trevor Mallard and Metiria Turei on his Facebook page (great how the new media allows these spur of […]
Thanks Jeanette
So Jeanette Fitzsimons is, as expected, resigning from Parliament. After 13 years her last day will be February 11th. Parliament will miss her […]
The many. Not the few
Phil Goff has just delivered his first major speech of the year to state what Labour stands for and where it is going. […]
The danger of pre-writing your narrative
It was clear that the Herald had decided how Ratana would play this year: eveyone loves Key, Goff gets the cold shoulder. It […]
Hide opens door for Winston?
Eddie has already covered the story of Hide giving the middle finger to the people of Franklin regarding the Supercity. Franklin is Tory […]
Say what?
Statements made in Parliament last year, in chronological order: Hon BILL ENGLISH: They have been telling us that we should copy the Australian […]