Written By: - Date published: 12:12 pm, September 9th, 2014 - 34 comments
Nationals hypothetical tax cut package has not gone down well. People do not appear to like the fact that it is small, hypothetical, and irresponsible, all at once.This is what you get when you have a prime minister so weakly desperate for public approval that they make up policy by accident and then push that poor decision through their cabinet and caucus.
Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, September 8th, 2014 - 112 comments
The choice for NZ voters is becoming clearer in the last days of the 2014 election. The irony is that after John Key’s scaremongering, our options are a three-headed coalition of natural allies versus a five-or-six headed hydra of extremists and sworn enemies.
Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, September 8th, 2014 - 138 comments
Cameron Slater, National’s attack blogger has written a sleaze post on Martyn Bradbury. This shows far too much intelligence for the ever lazy Cameron to have researched it. Has National’s research unit (into dirt) resumed using that sock puppet again? We should be able to look and find out which blackmailed journalists they touch up as this story progresses. Time to follow the dots.
Written By: - Date published: 10:54 am, September 8th, 2014 - 19 comments
Jason Ede’s disappearance from public view suggests a cover up in response to Hager’s Dirty Politics. The book implicates Ede (past PM staffer) in a coordinated black ops smear machine working with blogs like Whale Oil. Key may need to come clean soon about some of Ede’s activities.
Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, September 8th, 2014 - 30 comments
National is now talking up the possibility of a post election accommodation with the Conservative Party. But the thought of the Conservatives having a significant say in policy formation should make all progressives very afraid.
Written By: - Date published: 9:54 pm, September 7th, 2014 - 84 comments
Duncan Garner asks – “when we’ve just borrowed $55b over 6 years how on earth are tax cuts suddenly affordable?”. Presumably it’s a rhetorical question…
Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, September 7th, 2014 - 89 comments
How long before “they” use control of the internet and media to bury adverse information, subvert democracy and vilify and silence those who disagree. “They” are doing it, NOW! A Government no longer has legitimacy, when they regard their own citizens as the enemy.
Written By: - Date published: 12:57 pm, September 6th, 2014 - 114 comments
There is how John Key and a few of his acolytes like to think of his government. Then there is how everyone else now does. The many ministers who have been abusing their position, were caught and ‘resigned’. Now we can see the true nature than lurks beneath. A vote for National is a vote for Cameron Slater.
Written By: - Date published: 11:05 am, September 6th, 2014 - 139 comments
Two weeks to go and polls suggest that National’s slide in the poll may be arrested. But for how long?
Written By: - Date published: 1:32 pm, September 4th, 2014 - 76 comments
John Key and National are talking about tax cuts. But when you think about the actual cost of the Christchurch rebuild and tumbling international milk prices you have to question if tax cuts are affordable or even justifiable.
Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, September 4th, 2014 - 20 comments
National’s been lying about increased teacher numbers, and the state of the economy – and now they’re promising unaffordable tax cuts.
Written By: - Date published: 7:50 am, September 4th, 2014 - 51 comments
I was in the front row of the audience at the Press leader’s debate between David Cunliffe and John Key. While the media in Auckland and Wellington might have called it one way, the people in Christchurch were only presented with one leader who understands the issues in this city, and it wasn’t the Prime Minister.
Written By: - Date published: 1:49 pm, September 3rd, 2014 - 26 comments
John Key has been pushing the “they blog on the left too” line, but he’s deliberately missing the point.
lprent: I add my little bit at the end about pseudonyms
Written By: - Date published: 8:33 am, September 3rd, 2014 - 243 comments
So far National’s election campaign has been a train wreck. What was meant to be a leisurely walk to the finish line has turned into a limp. David Cunliffe is more than holding his own against John Key. And dirty politics is having a gradual corrosive effect on National’s support.
Written By: - Date published: 7:18 am, September 3rd, 2014 - 37 comments
If John Key has nothing to hide, sure he has nothing to fear from a full government inquiry into Dirty Politics?
Written By: - Date published: 9:45 pm, September 2nd, 2014 - 181 comments
Cunliffe started best, Key got in a zinger and put him off his stride, Cunliffe dominated the second half.
Written By: - Date published: 4:17 pm, September 2nd, 2014 - 5 comments
There was an interesting discussion between Dean Knight and Graeme Edgeler about the caretaker convention and elections. Dean highlighted the fact that Key had a perfect right to call for whatever sort of inquiry prior to an election. Edgeler disputed this, on the basis that the Prime Minister could not be said to enjoy the confidence of the House, because there wasn’t one.
Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, September 2nd, 2014 - 227 comments
The second big head-to-head between David Cunliffe and John Key will be livestreamed on Stuff from 7pm tonight.
Written By: - Date published: 11:47 am, September 2nd, 2014 - 34 comments
There’s an excellent post at The Political Scientist I want to highlight, plus a few other of today’s Dirty Politics reads…
Written By: - Date published: 4:30 pm, September 1st, 2014 - 75 comments
The latest Whaledump has a collection of emails that makes no reference to Judith Collins. It makes you wonder if Key did not have the Cathy Odgers email whether he would have sacked Collins.
Written By: - Date published: 12:13 pm, September 1st, 2014 - 75 comments
I have today sent an open letter to the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security to ask why Mr Key is not required to attend her inquiry and to give evidence under oath. The letter is attached.
Written By: - Date published: 11:19 am, September 1st, 2014 - 30 comments
All credit to Guyon Espiner for another hard-hitting interview with Key on Morning Report today. Espiner tries to get a straight answer from Key over his personal contacts with Slater. Tries and tries and tries, to no avail. It is clear that Key, personally and through his office, is up to his neck in dirty politics.
Written By: - Date published: 10:54 am, September 1st, 2014 - 105 comments
Big fish and little fish.
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, August 31st, 2014 - 170 comments
The Sunday Star Times has reported on the Hotchin – Slater attack on SFO boss Adam Feeley. The email which caused John Key to effectively sack Judith Collins as a Minister was provided by Cathy Odgers. The intent was to put off a SFO/FMA investigation into Hotchin. This is third world stuff.
Written By: - Date published: 11:48 am, August 30th, 2014 - 18 comments
There is a self-appointed “Vast Right Wing Conspiracy” in New Zealand. Odgers and Slater are key members. Search VRWC on Slater’s website and you’ll find their activities. After Pansy Wong’s forced resignation from Cabinet for misuse of her travel perk the VRWC thought the National Cabinet needed “some serious steel going forward.” You can read the minutes of their virtual white-board session on post-it cards – the rifts at the top are deep and nasty.
Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, August 30th, 2014 - 44 comments
The latest Dominion Post contains survey data on people’s responses to Dirty Politics but attempts to manufacture a message by quoting selected interviews suggesting that Labour and not National have been hurt by Hager’s revelations. The headlines though are that half of all New Zealanders think less highly of John Key and 7.9% of voters are considering changing their vote. National should be afraid.
Written By: - Date published: 4:37 pm, August 29th, 2014 - 85 comments
They care about Child Poverty (and presumably he doesn’t)
Written By: - Date published: 1:52 pm, August 29th, 2014 - 52 comments
Three weeks before the election, action is being taken across the country voicing a rejection of the National Government’s track record and direction. Rallies are being held in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin to oppose National’s attacks on workers, abuse of the environment, inequality, cronyism and dirty politics.
Written By: - Date published: 12:07 pm, August 29th, 2014 - 66 comments
Last night there was one participant in the debate who looked disinterested and unhappy to be there: John Key. Has he had enough?
Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, August 29th, 2014 - 73 comments
Two new polls with different conclusions drawn and the first Leadership debate with a win to David Cunliffe. He may be a sterling campaign away from being the next Prime Minister.
Written By: - Date published: 10:07 pm, August 28th, 2014 - 119 comments
The pundits say: Cunliffe
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