The Cabinet reshuffle
There was some drama yesterday in the Beehive where Kris Faafoi and Trevor Mallard announced that they will be resigning from Parliament and Jacinda Ardern took the opportunity to reshuffle the Cabinet.
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Ardern is apparently to blame for National having racist supporters
Yesterday on Morning Report Chris Luxon pivoted from a question about National supporters expressing distaste for Te Ao Maori to blaming Jacinda Ardern for not burning up political capital on co governance.
The problem with keyboard warriors and media commentators
Internationally Jacinda Ardern’s speech to the Harvard graduating class has been very well received. But locally not so much.
Jacinda Ardern’s Harvard University Commencement speech
Video and transcript of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s speech at Harvard.
What Can Be Saved?
The tide of this government is running out. There’s 18 months left in the term. What would you save?
The battle lines for the next election
Despite Labour seeing the country through the biggest public health threat seen in the last century and despite improving numbers of houses and a reduction in child poverty some on the left are buying into National’s despair lines. And the issues on which the next election will be fought are becoming clearer.
Go well Ashley Bloomfield
With a sense of regret for many of us this week Ashley Bloomfield announced his pending resignation as Director General of Health.
Change nothing
You get to a point – and Ardern must be close – where the most you can do is hang on.
Why in the middle of a pandemic an immediate change to Orange is magical thinking
National’s friends are in unison complaining that the Government should be announcing now when we will be back into Orange. But our exemplary performance compared to other nations suggests strongly that the Government should continue to respect the medical advice it is receiving.
The Natives are Getting Uppity
Jacinda Ardern is “gravely concerned.” Peeni Henare was ‘”caught off-guard.”. Barnaby Joyce feels “intimidated.” Solomon Islands PM Sogavare found it “insulting to be branded as unfit to manage our sovereign affairs.” I think he is right.
Covid and political capital
Jacinda Ardern has burned significant political capital on dealing with Covid. But it is something that a responsible Political leader, of which there are few, would do.
Can This Government Be Saved?
Can Labour win a third term? Here are some pathways up, and some pathways down.
Government announces significant changes to traffic light settings and mandates
The Government has announced changes to Covid policies relating to traffic light settings and mandates.
Pick a side
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelinsky has made a direct appeal broadcast to the United States Congress. That will sort out the Putin supporters from the rest. And with climate change beckoning it is time to pick a side.
Everyone is over Covid
Jacinda Ardern said yesterday that everyone is over Covid. She is right. We all want this to end.
Why negotiating with the Wellington protesters is a waste of time
There is something of a manufactured chorus of calls for the Government to sit down and negotiate with the protesters. Here are four reasons why negotiations would be a complete waste of time.
Can this government get re-elected?
Where will the votes come from to get Labour a third term?
Prime Minister Ardern on Climate Change and the economy
The full text is worth perusing across multiple areas, but Prime Minister Ardern’s speech in Parliament yesterday gave useful hints about how the economy and climate change are being integrated into a single economic strategy.
Luxon under pressure after latest Newshub Poll
I am going to channel my Matthew Hooton left wing alter ego in the writing of this post. The latest Newshub poll shows a resounding level of support for the Labour Party and there are murmurs of discontent about Chris Luxon after support for the right plummets.
NZME is on a mission to change the Government
NZME owned entities including the Herald and Newstalk ZB appear to be on a mission to change the Government.
Prime Minister Ardern’s Waitangi Day speech
The text of Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern’s Waitangi Day speech
David Seymour should stick to twerking
David Seymour has responded to slumping poll results by claiming that the Treaty of Waitangi should be trashed.
How the Covid era changes us
With Prime Minister announcing effectively the beginning of the end of state control of COVID, the question that has to be asked is how will the end of COVID change us all?
How New Zealand Reconnects With the World
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced a phased reopening of the country’s border. Update: video of the speech is added.
And what have they done anyway?
With Ardern getting a good-old media beat-down, remember here’s how to change a country for good like no one else but Labour can.
Go well Jacinda
Worrying news emerged this morning with a report that Jacinda Ardern is a close contact of an Omicron case on an Air New Zealand flight.
About the latest Colmar Brunton poll
The latest Colmar Brunton (now Kantar) poll has now been released and some of the commentary and analysis is pretty ordinary.
Weird stuff Jacinda Ardern has been accused of
It appears that social media allegations against Jacinda Ardern are becoming more and more extreme.
Omicron is coming
So far the country has fought back and eliminated the original Covid infection, won a couple of skirmishes and then and fought and quelled the Delta incursion. But it looks like Omicron is coming …
What about those neat capital gains on housing, eh?
Labour are doing the things about the housing crisis they said they would. It’s not working.
Australia’s Omicron problem
With over 61,000 new Covid cases reported yesterday Australia is in the midst of an infection surge that it has not seen before. What lessons can New Zealand learn from Australia’s handling of the pandemic?
A few random predictions for 2022
A few random predictions for 2022.
The Standard’s 2021 political awards
It is that time of year where nostalgia kicks in and the desire to review current events dims. So much has happened this year. It has truly been twelve months of the praiseworthy and the absolutely pitiful. And it is time to reflect on the personalities who made us smile, made us frown and made us raise our eyebrows to breaking point.
Can Labor Win Australia Back?
Coming up surprising quickly in 2022 is the Australian federal election – and Labor has a good shot.
The Freedom Bus is on the move *
But special entry conditions including being double vaccinated or having a recent clear Covid test apply.
The winners and losers from National’s leadership spill
The winners and losers of today’s National Party leadership spill are …