Paula Bennett stormed out of Parliament yesterday after Trevor Mallard correctly applied the standing orders and ruled out a question containing an unparliamentary term. And National has responded by questioning if Jacinda Ardern was actually described as a “silly little girl” but has refused to question its MPs.
On Thursday 31 May at the University of Auckland, the Fabians are hosting Max Harris on the topic “Is it time for an independent foreign policy?” What would be the costs of a really independent foreign policy, over the benefits of salving our conscience with greater national independence? And where does Trade fit in?
It looks like the National collective has doubts about Simon Bridges’ pulling power.
Factional infighting within UK Labour.
David Seymour has hit a new low by drumming up public opposition to a small social housing development planned by Housiung Corporation in Epsom by claiming some of the potential tenants may have mental health problems.
The Government has announced it will not proceed with the Waikeria mega prison as part of its policy to decrease the prison muster by 30%. And the called for public debate starts off with one of the major players using a study the author of which subsequently retracted because the data he relied on was wrong.
National has made a meal of its first critique of Labour’s budget with a poor performance by Simon Bridges and with four claims about the budget that are clearly wrong but which National keep repeating.
Marama Davidson’s speech to Parliament during the Budget debate.
Some proposals on why we just got the budget we did.
National’s claims about Labour’s health spend suffer from the not insignificant problem that they do not make any sense when analysed.
An evolving post to cover budget announcements.
National MPs are refusing to own up to who used a sexist comment in Parliament against Jacinda Ardern.
Simon Bridges has committed the twin political sins of not only believing in trickle down but in publicly confirming his belief.
This is as good a year as it is going to get to squeeze your employer for a fair wage.
There was intense competition this week. Paula Bennett with her attack on Jacinda’s Spotify playlist almost won but Northcote candidate Dan Bidois succeeded for managing to talk out of both sides of his mouth at the same time and only confusing his tongue.
The CTU have commissioned UMR to poll kiwis on their attitude to tax. The vast majority believe that more money is needed to fix infrastructure. And a remarkable number support the imposition of a Tobin Tax.
It is great that we have a Minister of Social Development who actually has empathy for poor New Zealanders, as shown by her treatment of dog whistle questions in Parliament today.
National MPs have without notice refused to turn up to the House Committee of Parliament. Should they have their pay docked?
2018 marks several anniversaries of Karl Marx whose significance for the critique of capitalist society is hard to diminish. But what now for his beliefs?
Dan Bidois has formally launched his campaign by blaming Auckland Council for the last Government’s shortcomings, and opposing the regional fuel tax while at the same time insisting that if there is intensification then it needs to be paid for.
By Nick Kelly – Upper Hutt boy in London.
Isn’t it time we at least synchronized the New Zealand budget with the Australian budget?
The election year donation returns have been released and show a surge of donations for Labour but National still well ahead.
Labour’s announcement of $100 million spending on homelessness has attracted praise from everyone, except National.
Thoughts on a resurgent left and a collapsing centre.
In further horror news about our health system the leaks of sewage into the walls of Middlemore Hospital has been confirmed and its discovery occurred in 2010. And in 2015 the chair of cash strapped Canterbury DHB signed a Ministry of Health drafted letter saying it did not need further funding despite an urgent need for further funds.
Rhys Darby has discovered the real conspiracy facing New Zealand by judicious use of the Internet. And Clarke Gayford does not feature.
National has promised to overturn Auckland’s Regional Fuel Tax. But has no proposal for how the funding will be replaced.
Last weekend ACT had a protest against charter schools and spent in the vicinity of $10,000 to get maybe 50 people to attend. They should have gone to Labour Hire.
I’m sure all revealed at Budget 2018, but the financial management of this government is not surefooted.
National’s Blue Green conference on the weekend suggests that the party has moved on from outright denial that cliamte change exists to grudging acceptance that it is a phenomenon but “balance” requires that it is tolerated.
National has responded to Labour’s ATAP proposal by refusing to accept there is a problem, drumming up anti Auckland resentment in the rest of the country and claiming they would have done the same thing.
This week’s winner is a National MP who has perfected the ability of cutting and pasteing but has no idea about the dark art of social media.
Minister Phil Twyford and Mayor Phil Goff announced the ATAP, the transport programme for Auckland for the next ten years. At $28 billion it is the largest civil infrastructure programme since World War II.
A Guest Post from Luke C where he analyses National’s creation of working groups in the last Goverment and comes up with a surprising conclusion.
In a gross example of click bait journalism a senior political commentator at a major media outlet has claimed that Jacinda Ardern and Donald Trump are similar.
