Down with literacy
A crusade on illiteracy, surely. Um, I’m not sure we want to entrust these guys with improving language skills. [Update: true to form, […]
Politics
political parties
Confident or foolish?
So, you’re one of the 900,000 Kiwis who have so far signed up to Kiwisaver. You know that you get $1000 on signing […]
‘Give me warning next time’, Key whimpers
While Key was blathering on about who-cares-what yesterday, Clark announced a radical and forward-looking economic stimulus package. Now, Key is having a cry over […]
Universal allowance – Labour joins rest of Left
Good to see Labour joining the Greens and Progressives with a universal student allowance policy. It has been a crying shame that many […]
Working our way forward
It was inevitable that the focus of media coverage of Labour’s announements yesterday would be the deposit insurance, it’s a good self-centred middle-class story. […]
Labour takes bull by the horns, Nats left standing
One of the first rules of politics is don’t set yourself up to be snookered; don’t position yourself in a way that your […]
Tories still bigots at heart
When I saw this guy using the guise of a Youtube debate question to attack Clark on her appearance, I felt sorry for […]
Labour – too popular
Labour is too damn popular! I’m at the campaign launch and the place is full. There are a couple of hundred of us […]
Live: Helen Clark launches Labour campaign
Hooten shows his true colours
The Herald reports that producers had to interrupt the filming of today’s Eye to Eye because Mathew Hooten called Winston Peters a “f***ing […]
Trickle-down
A few thoughts from today’s Agenda: Questioned about why National would introduce another tax rebate, having endlessly criticised Working for Families because of […]
Getting it right matters
I don’t want this post to be taken as overly critical; it’s just meant to offer some constructive advice. John Armstrong’s piece in […]
From the jaws of victory
My sources tell me Key has a big surprise planned for National’s campaign launch tomorrow. In a break with tradition, Key will not […]
Nats letting the facade drop
We’ve been receiving reports of some appalling statements by National MPs on the campaign trail. They mesh with the arrogance and heartlessness that […]
What happens if Nats gut Kiwisaver?
I was going to write about the economic effects of taking money out of Kiwisaver and spending it on tax cuts but this […]
Even your Granny doesn’t believe you anymore
The Herald editorial this morning lambastes National’s crime policy as “simply a more extreme version of a policy that has failed this country […]
Green TV ads
The Greens’ new TV ads are up on Youtube. Pretty sparse, but they get the message across clearly. [Hat tip: frogblog]
In case you missed it
Here’s the footage from 3News last night on the fresh National Party cocktail revelations. Bill English’s comments again serve to reinforce the message […]
Johnnie’s choice
With the second English secret agenda tape out, John Key was asked whether he was worried about whether he had been caught on […]
No, Bill.
I felt a pang of pity for Bill English tonight as I watched TV3 roll out another secret tape. After all, “winning is […]
Costs of the Nats tax cuts – commentators’ views
Here’s a smattering of what some of the commentators are saying: Gordon Campbell: Putting tax cuts ahead of science and research neatly underlines […]
Greens set their standards for coalition partners
The Greens have announced that they will choose their preferred coalition partner based on their commitment to 12 criteria. I’ll just look at […]
Small change
That was going to be the title of my first post on National’s tax-cut plan but then it turned out National’s plan would […]
Reviews of Nats’ tax cut/Kiwisaver cut/R&D cut policy
Just a quick note at the start for our press gallery friends who live in central Wellington on high incomes. 50% of New […]
Nats break into your piggy-bank
John Key has announced that Kiwisaver would be slashed along with National’s tax cuts for the rich (and they are tax cuts for […]
No tax cut for most from Nats
As predicted on The Standard, National has announced it would abolish the increases in the bottom threshold to pay for tax cuts for […]
Tax cuts for the rich
National has released its tax policy. At first glance it appears the top rate will be reduced to 37% by 2011, giving the […]
The test
After building a political career that has consisted of little more than calling for tax cuts and attacking those that were delivered, John […]
Power to attack Nats’ new prison policy?
If he stands true to his principles, National justice spokesman Simon Power will soon be criticising the cost of their proposed new prison. […]
Note to self – Mr Key will say what you want to hear
Mr Key will tell you what you want to hear. That’s the message that Pita Sharples has taken from his encounter with Mr […]
Changing the subject
Former National advisor Richard Long has let the cat out of the bag. The day before National’s much-hyped, cure-all tax cut package is to be […]
Will Labour back $15 minimum wage?
The unions want the minimum wage lifted to $15 an hour, two thirds of the average hourly rate, restoring the historic ratio. The […]
Spin-busting: Govt could have used surpluses for tax cuts
With the economic situation deteriorating the surpluses the Government has run for the first eight years have turned to a deficit. National’s line […]
Reverting to type
Fearing a PR disaster over their tax-cut package announcement later this week, National has reverted to type, shedding the moderate facade and proposing […]
Depressing
I see National has released a knee-jerk reactionary crime policy this morning, and it’s been reported largely uncritically by a news media that’s […]
CTU on closing the wage gap
The Council of Trade Unions has done a lot of work on why wages are low for many workers in New Zealand and […]