On poverty, parenting, and Paula
In times of trouble for the National Party, you can always rely on them to raise the rallying cry of “Personal responsibility!!!”
Politics
politicans
A tale of two no surprises disclosures
Anne Tolley was told about the prosecution of Beverley Sepuloni under the no surprises policy nearly a month before the news became public. Release of this information makes you wonder why we cannot be told the date that the Government was told about Mike Sabin’s difficulties.
On the flag – lets not have one
I guess that John Key wanted to raise the idea of a flag change to divert attention from his misdeeds and lack of anything positive from his terms in office. I can’t think of any other particular reason for bringing it up. But the referendum appears to lack the option of dumping the flag. Why have it at all?
Collins confirms Dirty Politics
Video from last night in Parliament where Judith Collins essentially confirmed the veracity of the information contained in Dirty Politics. And David Cunliffe had the most exquisite put down of an opponent I have seen in a long time.
Northland by election – National gets desperate
National is obviously deeply afraid of losing the Northland By Election as is clearly shown by the liberal application of pork barrel politics, the misuse of statistics, the use of Ministerial resources to help campaigning and now the bullying of a local group seeking to have a local road improved.
Key admits he’s using our troops as vote-bait
Yesterday the mask slipped and John Key admitted the real reason our deployment to Iraq is only for two years: so he can win an election.
NRT: Who is lying here?
GST wasn’t Key’s only bungle yesterday. I/S at No Right Turn reports…
Len Brown is toast
Bernard Orsman has reported in the Herald today that Len Brown’s campaign team no longer back him and are considering support for a Phil Goff run for the mayoralty.
PM can’t calculate GST
Gotcha politics is all good sport when the opposition makes a mistake. How about Key’s self-inflicted blunder?
Feed the Kids
Harawira / Turei’s Feed the Kids bill is up tomorrow today in Parliament…
Chutzpah in Northland
Winston Peters has challenged John Key to a debate in Northland.
Catching up with Key
You can only bungle and lie for so long before people get sick of it. Seems like it’s all starting to catch up with Key at last.
Caption competition
Key crosses a bridge too far
I kid you not but John Key thinks that Dotcom and Hager prevented him from announcing the Northland bridge decaboondoggle. And Sabin is having no effect on the by election campaign.
John Key’s weird “gotcha” moment on ACC
John Key and his MPs were acting like they’d scored a real hit on Andrew Little in Question Time. The reality is … not so impressive.
Key: I Apologise for Not Being a Man
It’s hammer time! Prime Minister John Key apologises for not being a man …
Key withdraws promise to resign
Labour Listens in Newtown
Thousands came to Newtown today for the Annual Fair on a beautiful sunny Wellington day. The Labour party stall was right in the middle and instead handing out lots of leaflets had a big sign saying “Tell us what you think” – and they did – have a look.
Little: ACC levies need to come down
A National government which loves to cut taxs + workers and business being overcharged ACC levies = levy cuts, right? Wrong!
National has to win Northland (plus Armstrong’s amazing U-turn)
In which John Key denies the bleeding obvious, and John Armstrong risks whiplash with the speed of his U-turn.
Key’s credibility and the Snowden leaks
The Sunday Star Times has reported on the set up and reach of the Waihopai Spy Base. Key’s statement that the GCSB does not have the physical capability to conduct mass surveillance appears to be not true.
Helen Clark’s statement on International Women’s Day
“International Women’s Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.”
Nudge Nudge in Northland
Two interesting changes in the Northland by-election overnight.
Northland Polls; Horrorshow for National
The first polls in the Northland by-election are grim reading for National. It looks likely that Winston will win and National will lose their Parliamentary majority. Have the Tories snatched defeat from the jaws of victory?
National Ltd™ Battling Truth On Two Fronts
The lies and media pap being distributed for public consumption by the boys down at “The Club” are old and worn out now. Politicians, public commentators, and media heads who really think they can get away with this flimsy “rinse and repeat” justification of the indefensible are treated us with contempt.
Is mass surveillance of Kiwis occurring?
The latest Snowden revelations that New Zealand has been collecting bulk data from various Pacific Islands and handing it to the NSA suggests that mass surveillance of New Zealanders is happening, despite promises to the contrary.
Key fails the leadership test
Fine work form David Fisher at The Herald. Does Key get to lie and deny his way through yet another crisis?
NZ spies on its Pacific neighbours
Nicky Hager and the Herald have reported that the GCSB has been collecting data en masse from New Zealand’s pacific neighbours and handed it over to the Americans for inclusion in xkeystore.
Why are we going to war?
National’s justification for going to war against ISIS suffers from two fundamental problems, it is supporting an Iraqi regime that is corrupt and working against the best interests of all of its people, and there is no plan to convert Iraq into a sustainable state.
Political donations and conflicts of interest
Whether it’s about election donations or portfolios, some people do seem to think MPs should always get the benefit of the doubt.
Andrea Vance on Andrew Little’s “dream run”
Andrea Vance on the Labour leader’s first 100 days in office.
Winston: We Will Fight Them on The Beaches of Northland!
NZ First leader Winston Peters is to stand in the Northland by-election. A three way race between NZ First, Labour and National will make for an interesting campaign and factors outside of National’s control may determine the result.
Politician salary rises and the minimum wage increase
John Key has yet again asked the Remuneration Authority to limit the increase in MPs pay. And yet again they have said that the law required them to make the decision they did. So MPs get a hefty raise at the same time that the minimum wage is raised slightly. And the media report Key’s comments sympathetically. He is the Prime Minister. If anyone can change the law he is the person best placed.
Public support for the Iraq deployment (In which the insightful and knowledgable Mike Hosking springs to the defence of the embattled PM!)
Despite the best efforts of Mike Hosking, the poll numbers tell us that Kiwis have lost their historical appetite for this kind of misadventure.
John Key channels Clarke and Dawe
David Parker recaps Key’s bluster on his Donghua Liu dinner, and it’s pure comedy.
NRT: John Key on MP’s pay rises
John Key has said today that he has urged the Remuneration Authority not to give MPs a salary increase. Get that feeling of deja vu? Idiot Savant at No Right Turn explains why.