Craig suing Slater – bring popcorn
Colin Craig is suing Cameron Slater and Jordan Williams in defamation.
Updated with booklet.
Politics
political parties
left wing leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn well ahead
Hard lefty Jeremy Corbyn has a 22 pt lead in the UK Labour leadership race. The Labour Party Blairites are definitely not happy.
Breathless children
Tim Groser has some advice for us on the TPP – “We need adults to do this, not breathless children to run off at the mouth when the deal is not actually finished.”
Kia kaha New Zealand First
Winston Peters was thrown out of Parliament yesterday and New Zealand First MPs walked out in sympathy for raising points of order following a personal explanation from Anne Tolley where she corrected an answer to a parliamentary question that was clearly wrong.
What will National give away?
Labour has set out its bottom lines for supporting the TPP. My question to National and its supporters – which of Labour’s bottom lines are you prepared to give away, and why?
Update: We can cross off point 1, Key sells out Pharmac.
Internal polling apparently good
It’s not a good idea in general to comment on internal polling. But since they were discussed on other blogs yesterday – Labour’s current numbers are looking good.
Then they came for the Health Boards
It appears that the Government has a radical proposal to undermine democratic participation in our Health Boards. Although the Minister claims not to know about it.
National’s lightweight conference
National had a conference in the weekend. They used it to re-announce some Labour policy, but otherwise if you noticed it was probably because of the protest outside.
3News Poll: National Lose Lead
The latest 3News/Reid Research poll continues the trend of bad results for National. On these numbers, National are knackered. And, surprise, surprise, Kiwis don’t want non-residents buying up our houses. Not a great way to finish a conference weekend, is it?
291 workers dead since Pike River: where’s the law we were promised?
National Party delegates were greeted at their conference today by a sea of crosses representing the 291 workers who have died on the job since the Pike River disaster.
National’s week from hell
This was the week from hell for National when they experienced the Serco fiasco, news that they responded to a suggestion they close a failing Charter School by giving it more money, the Judicial spanking of their undermining of the Problem Gambling Foundation and the ruling that their legislation removing the rights of some prisoners to vote was a breach of the country’s human rights.
Paula Bennett feeds raw meat to the base about Social Housing waiting lists
Paula Bennett wants us to believe that people on Housing Corporation’s waiting lists are choosy.
National’s law ruled a violation of human rights
The High Court has ruled that a law passed by National in 2010 is a violation of the Bill of Rights Act. This is a first for NZ, and another “proud” item to add to National’s legacy.
Health and Safety
The CTU’s excellent campaign to get a stronger version of National’s post-Pike River Health and Safety law has produced this excellent video, and you can sign to support Iain Lees-Galloway’s amendments to improve the bill.
Failing Charter School punished by increase in funding
The Friday afternoon bad news dump is on with news that Education Minister was recommended to close a poorly performing charter school. She has elected not to do so and to instead give the school extra money.
Serco, Lotu-Iiga and the death of Nick Evans
Nick Evans was alleged to have been dropped from a height while being supervised in a Serco run prison. He was transferred to another prison and shortly after this died from injuries apparently inflicted from the dropping. Yet there is no police investigation and Minister in charge Lotu-Iiga says the allegations are “unproven” without making the most basic of inquiries.
Saying one thing and doing the other
Both Key and English now on record as being “concerned” about rising inequality. So why are they acting to increase it?
The Fighting Foreign Corporate Control Bill
With support from Labour, the Greens and the Maori Party NZ First is promoting the Fighting Foreign Corporate Control Bill. The support of one more MP will be sufficient to sent the Bill to select committee for consideration.
Serco should be sacked
Video from the urgent debate today in Parliament concerning Serco and that company’s failure to abide by basic standards of imprisonment.
The great state house sell off – small groups need not apply
Treasure has indicated that the sell off of State housing should occur in minimum lots of a hundred houses. Only large wealthy organisations need apply and claims that the sale was about the building of capacity amongst local social service providers cannot be reconciled with this.
National Debt cracks the ton
The Crown has reached an unfortunate milestone and national debt now exceeds $100 billion.
National doesn’t know what it’s doing on foreign buyers
National on a foreign buyers register: Smith says no, English says yes, Collins says maybe, Key says – bad Labour!
Labouring it.
With overall confidence dropping and Labour being all over the headlines for the past week, Labour’s support…
TV One Colmar Brunton Poll
The latest One News Colmar Brunton poll is out. National drop one to 47%, Labour gain that point to lift to 32% , the Greens rise to 13% and NZ First are steady on 7 %. Consumer confidence plummets 9% points to just 36%.
National’s leadership on home ownership
No need to worry about low levels of home ownership, National is here to lead. They understand the fundamental issues, and they have a plan…
Social mobility policies do not address poverty
Excellent work by RNZ, following up on previously redacted documents to expose this sham.
One tough issue
Although the issue, the unfettered flow of overseas money into Auckland’s housing market, is important Labour’s current handling of this issue is not optimal and needs to be reconsidered.
Twyford Responds
Labour’s Housing Spokesperson Phil Twyford responds to accusations of racism and points to the way forward. The Labour Party will limit foreign speculation, build affordable houses and replenish the State Housing stock.
Not the “end to zero hour contracts” you were looking for
Who would have suspected that Michael Woodhouse would be completely ineffectual in cracking down on zero-hour contracts?
China Crisis
Good on Labour for saying what needed to be said. Can they, the Greens and NZ First save the next generation of Kiwis from being tenants in our own land?
Includes Bonus Seinfeld reference!
International investment in Auckland housing
Phil Twyford’s recent announcement on Auckland’s housing crisis raises important issues concerning the inflow of overseas capital into our housing market. But should it have depersonalised the argument?
Fuck you Auckland!
That’s the Nats’ message to Auckland, who are getting a taste of some Canterbury style “democracy”.
Labour’s principles redux
It turns out Labour does have a good set of principles – why don’t we know more about them?
“Labour values” are more than a talking point
What does it actually mean when we say “my values are Labour’s values”?
Another #Keyfib about Kiwisaver
The treasury release of budget policy advice suggests that John Key’s claim that changes to Kiwisaver would not have any effect on participation numbers was, ahem, erroneous.
The Canterbury rebuild
The Canterbury Rebuild grinds on with news that CERA is to be replaced by a new entity dubbed Regenerate Canterbury. But is a name change all that is required?