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Cunliffe v Key – Round 3

Written By: - Date published: 8:01 pm, September 10th, 2014 - 87 comments

Round three between David Cunliffe and John Key is scheduled for tonight.  John Campbell will moderate and Paul Henry will provide expert comment …

The only way National know to grow the economy

Written By: - Date published: 5:15 pm, September 10th, 2014 - 19 comments

On Firstline this morning, John Key tried to compare National’s and Labour’s policies by saying “You can’t grow the economy when you restrict labour laws.” It’s nonsense, and it’s scary.

Slater backs down

Written By: - Date published: 11:08 am, September 10th, 2014 - 67 comments

The Slater application for an injunction against various media outlets has been settled by the media agreeing  to not to use information that was not in the public interest, including but not limited to Mr Slater’s wife, children, medical information, the death of his mother and other inherently personal information regarding Mr Slater and his friends.  The way is now clear for further stories on Dirty Politics.

Poverty a National disgrace

Written By: - Date published: 7:12 am, September 10th, 2014 - 82 comments

Advocacy groups are calling for action. People are marching for action. The parties of the left are ready to take action. Only National stands in the way.

No One’s Fault But Ours

Written By: - Date published: 5:45 pm, September 9th, 2014 - 66 comments

Nothing so clearly demonstrates John Key’s contempt for the New Zealand voter as his confidence that we will believe whatever he tells us. He has had ample experience to back up that confidence. The course taken by the dirty politics saga is perhaps the most obvious case in point. If the polls are to be […]

Polity: Key waves hands, insipidly

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.

What kind of government would National lead?

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.

Is National’s sleaze unit feeding the Slater again?

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.

Where is Jason Ede?

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.

National’s mating dance with the Conservatives II

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.

Tax cuts – simple question simple answer

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…

“Democracy Under Attack”.

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.

There is no plan

Written By: - Date published: 7:50 am, September 7th, 2014 - 69 comments

Name one new thing you’d do in the next 3 years in government.  Bill English: “-“

Child Poverty March

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 pm, September 6th, 2014 - 14 comments

There was a great protest up Queen St today, as 1000-odd people (including me!) marched against child poverty, and government and societal inaction over it.

 

Perceptions of National’s government

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.

Two weeks to go …

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?

Show us the money John

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.

More Nat lies

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.

Thoughts from the crowd on Tuesday night’s debate

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.

Blogging isn’t the problem Mr Key

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.

It’s ethics that matter.

lprent: I add my little bit at the end about pseudonyms

Nasty negative Nats

Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, September 3rd, 2014 - 20 comments

Disgraced ex minister Collins calls Cunliffe a moron. Another John Ansell negative billboard campaign coming. The Nats are nasty as well as dirty. If only there was some positive alternative…

Emerson on Collins Enquiry

Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, September 3rd, 2014 - 14 comments

Emerson’s cartoon today in the Herald.

National’s campaign train wreck

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.

Nothing to hide, nothing to fear

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?

Score draw?

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.

NRT: The caretaker convention and elections

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.

The Press Debate – tonight, livestreamed on Stuff

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.

Puddleglum: We no longer have a Prime Minister

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…

Whitewash inquiry

Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, September 2nd, 2014 - 41 comments

I know, let’s put on a production of Hamlet, but leave out the role of the Prince of Denmark.

National must be very afraid

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.

NRT: More OIA skullduggery from National

Written By: - Date published: 2:50 pm, September 1st, 2014 - 8 comments

Another day, and more evidence the National government is manipulating the OIA process. Judith Collins’ office processed an Official Information Act request in just two days. The problem here isn’t that someone got their response within two days – its that other people didn’t…