No nukes
The timing of the recent suggestion by Chris Penk that New Zealand should review its nuclear free policy makes you wonder if the Trump Administration has applied pressure to do so.
politicans
don brash
Is NZ as Stable as Luxon Claims?
By pursuing cuts, selling off assets to multinationals, enabling ACT’s attacks on the Treaty and cutting back on climate commitments, Luxon is guaranteeing that NZ will not be stable for long, writes Elliot Crossan.
USUKAs
US Undersecretary of State Bonnie Jenkins is in Wellington this week with a hard sell for us on AUKUS Pillar 2 wunderwaffen maybes. We should say tai hoa.
National’s new leader is …
Chris Luxon is set to be the next leader of the National Party.
Demand the debate
In two separate leaks it has emerged that Judith Collins privately briefed Don Brash on National’s demand the debate campaign and that Brash wrote to wealthy donors seeking $300,000 for an Iwi Kiwi style billboard response.
WTF Free Speech coalition?
The Free Speech coalition has attacked the Chief Censor’s decision to rule the Christchurch Mosque killer’s manifesto as objectionable as an attack on free speech. But the New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties has characterised the Censor’s decision as being entirely conventional.
Mr Brash goes to Waitangi
Don Brash is heading to Waitangi to tell local iwi that treaty settlements will not make them personally rich.
What should ACT’s new name be?
The authors at the Standard are proposing that readers suggest what ACT’s new name should be. Keep it seemly.
About freedom of speech
Simon Wilson in the Herald neatly skewers suggestions that Donald Brash is a free speech warrior and raises important issues about the interplay between free speech and attacks on “political correctness” also known as tolerance and respect.
The difference between Don Brash and Southern & Molyneux
What is the difference between Don Brash and Stefan Molyneux and Lauren Southern. And why should Brash’s right to freedom of expression be greater than Monyneux’s or Southern’s?
Let him speak
Don Brash should be allowed to speak at a University about politics.
Hate Speech Coalition Cans Canadian’s Crusade
BREAKING NEWS:
Alt Reich hate speech tour CANCELLED
The free speech coalition that is actually quite expensive
The Free Speech coalition, formed to protect freedom of speech for the far right, has amongst its members some whose views on what freedom of speech actually is are unusual.
Breaking: Libertarian opposes free speech
Don Brash has emerged from his crypt once again to tackle the greatest problem facing New Zealand today (in his strange little world) […]
IMF: higher taxes for rich will cut inequality and won’t hurt growth
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it now favours higher taxes on the rich and has demolished the myth this might adversely affect […]
Election 2017: the battle lines are drawn
The 2017 election campaign has been set alight by the Greens adopting brave policies that Jeremy Corbyn would be proud of and NZ First adopting policies that would meet with Donald Trump’s approval.
White Man Behind a Desk – Indigenous Rights
We no longer need the Waitangi Tribunal because everything’s fine now. Right?
He isn’t a racist because his ex wife is from Singapore
Don Brash and a group of other predominately privileged white males are complaining that Maori may also be receiving some privilege.
Metiria speaks the unspeakable – house prices should fall
Not often you’ll catch Metiria Turei and Don Brash in agreement!
It must have been on Planet Key
John Key thinks that he was thrown out of Parliament straight after Helen Clark a few years ago. The only problem is that Hansard thinks it was Don Brash.
Sprung again – Key’s “lawyer” has close links to Mossack Fonseca
Contrary to Prime Minister John Key’s categorical assertion, his “lawyer”, Ken Whitney, has been found to have links to Mossack Fonseca, the Panama law firm at the centre of a global scandal on tax evasion and avoidance, TVNZ reported today.
How Labour and the Greens win it from here
A great campaign launch from Labour on the weekend, a couple of bad weeks for National and suddenly there is a chance that David Cunliffe may be our next Prime Minister. But how does he succeed and what can progressives do to help?
Polity: Why Joyce is full of it on monetary policy
Rob Salmond at Polity just saved me from having to write something like this post explaining economic basics to Steven Joyce. Joyce demonstrated again why his tenure at MoBIE has been a failure for the overall economy. He fixates on one thing like the business selling milk powder to the exclusion of the overall picture. In part that is why we have neither expanding innovation or employment in our economy at present. He is a good tactical politician. But he is a fool on strategy.
Fixing the reserve bank
The head of the reanimated corpse of Brash should now be spinning furiously along with those fools from ACT who are into simplicity (because they can’t handle the real world). However having the Reserve Bank looking the balance of payments is pretty good. It includes the exchange rate and the export economy. They’re effectively now concerned with the exterior economy with a enforced savings tool as well as the interest rates. The government becomes largely responsible for the structural rigidities we have built up in the internal economy. That is a pretty good mix. Might have to train the MPs a bit though.
Does the National Party really not understand how unions work?
This article in the Herald gave me a giggle today. It refers to a cash payment being made to Parliamentary Services staff who […]
Hollow Men redux
Don Brash has published an autobiography and his comments about and presentation of John Key is less than complimentary.
The new right wing party
With ACT’s imminent demise, the Conservatives appearing to be decided flakey and National losing its free market credentials by engaging in crony capitalism the temptation to set up a new political party on the right is increasing. And you can be assured that money will not be a problem.
Return of the Hollow Men
With Cunliffe’s Labour in the ascendance, NAct and/supporters pull out their bag of dirty and deceptively manipulative, Hollow Men, tricks. Adviser to John Key & Boris Johnson, Mark Textor, will most likely be used again: ruthless attack politics, playing on fears & prejudices.
Tea ladies to be drug tested
Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson seems to be living in an alternative universe, with her comment on Checkpoint yesterday that tea ladies in the adventure tourism industry […]
Key on leadership ballots
“I’ve been around these votes before when at the last moment they change” John Key said today about the ALP leadership ballot. He certainly has; in 2003 he promised Bill English his vote then shifted at the last minute to Don Brash who won narrowly. Key talks about Labor needing a repair job; but I think the next challenge may be in the Coalition.
Teapot tattle
The Teapot Tapes have leaked on to the internet.
You can torrent it and listen past all of the noise.
ImperatorFish: Dr Don Seeks To Sink Santa
Scott at Imperator Fish has kindly given us permission to syndicate posts from his blog – the original of this post is here
Don thinks he’s finally found the right team to launch his next leadership coup on…
Interesting poll results
Minor Leaders’ debate: Winston Peters 36%, Hone Harawira 27%, Don Brash 14%.
Fairfax Epsom poll: Paul Goldsmith 45.5%, John Banks 29.1%.
Impact of Key endorsement: More likely to vote Banks 23%, Less likely 30%.
Taranaki Daily news debate exit poll: Andrew Little 64.5%, Jonathan Young 28%.
A wee reminder
MANA’s Epsom Candidate Pat O’Dea, reminds the voters of Epsom who they are really voting for.
Key & Banks chatted about rolling Brash?
The tea tape didn’t interest me at first. Nats’ reaction seemed over the top but would Key and Banks be so stupid to discuss anything sensitive in a public cafe metres from the press mob? But then Key went to the cops. This said the Nats were really worried. It can only be something that cuts to the heart of Brand Key’s greatest weakness: Key’s honesty.