Written By: - Date published: 1:46 pm, October 10th, 2013 - 29 comments
For the second time in less than 12 months the High Court has ruled a decision of Hekia Parata’s to be invalid. The latest decision to be invalidated was the decision to close Phillipstown School in Christchurch. It is clear that either Parata needs better advisors or John Key needs a new Minister of Education.
Written By: - Date published: 9:37 am, October 10th, 2013 - 21 comments
An article in today’s UK Guardian highlights the role of Key’s, US-supporting, government in the GCSB, Dotcom, surveillance saga (and TPP). It is chilling & shows why we need to continue to campaign against NZ’s surveillance state legislation and for TPPA transparency.
Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, October 9th, 2013 - 44 comments
One thing John Key always seems to like to do is to appear to be stupid about his own job. Last week the fool said that parliament had to ratify a TPPA treaty. Either through incompetence at his job or by deliberately lying to the public, he is completely wrong. This is something that a few minutes reading of the MFAT website could have told him.
Written By: - Date published: 10:33 am, October 8th, 2013 - 76 comments
John Key’s role as Obama surrogate in chairing TPP discussions at APEC just reinforce how much Key is deeply involved in crony capitalist, Big Corporate serving networks of influence: ones that link him with anti-democratic Big Tobacco, Big Oil, and climate change denial propaganda.
Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, October 4th, 2013 - 22 comments
That would be Steven Joyce describing university councils, but he could be describing any democratic governance.
Written By: - Date published: 4:27 pm, October 2nd, 2013 - 21 comments
Banner ads for UnitedFuture’s signature policy on flexible superannuation have been appearing on Kiwiblog for the last week or so with no promoter’s statement. Yesterday a post promoting the policy with David Farrar’s byline included a photo of Peter Dunne and the parliamentary crest. After several commenters queried whether it was indeed written by Farrar, DPF responded: [DPF: It’s not a press release. It’s a paid advertisement as indicated by the tag, and also the use of the parliamentary crest which is required for advertisements by MPs]. It didn’t have a promoter’s statement either.
Written By: - Date published: 1:13 pm, October 2nd, 2013 - 15 comments
“I just utter one fear…”
Remember that?
Written By: - Date published: 9:37 am, October 2nd, 2013 - 50 comments
The Axe the Copper Tax campaign has stepped up a notch with the release of a peer review of the original analysis that the tax would cost Kiwis $600 million. The review states that the original methodology was sound and the findings conservative. The issue itself has galvanised opposition from some of the Government’s most staunchest friends. This is probably the first Standard Post ever to rely on comments from the Herald, the NBR, David Farrar and Matthew Hooton to justify a claim that this Government is engaged in the most basic form of Crony Capitalism. Yes things are that bad for the Government.
Written By: - Date published: 4:02 pm, October 1st, 2013 - 80 comments
Te Reo Putake starts speculating on when, how, and by whom John Key will be knifed in the back by. The question of if it is before or after the losing the next election. So far only Keith Holyoake has managed to retire as a leader of National, so after Labour’s tidy leadership changes we’re all looking forward to the political splatterfest that only National can provide.
Written By: - Date published: 7:27 pm, September 27th, 2013 - 39 comments
Good on Kennedy Graham for posting a good critique of Key’s UN speech, while the MSM largely report the speech in uncritical and glowing terms., Graham focuses on Errors of Omission. [Update: Key’s Omission of Kampala non-aggression Agreement, implicitly supports Obama’s UN speech for US military aggression.]
Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, September 26th, 2013 - 48 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 10:56 pm, September 25th, 2013 - 52 comments
Two very good speeches in the General Debate in the House from opposition leaders. They highlight Nick Smith’s dodgy record, & why he should be stood down as a Minister in Key’s “Dark, dirty & heartless” government. [Update: Key – on (dis)honesty]
Written By: - Date published: 11:31 am, September 25th, 2013 - 35 comments
Cunliffe’s moderate, centre left Labour is on the rise; MSM-supported, NAct smears & negative spin is in over-drive. John Key and the NZ Herald editorial spin from the radical “neoliberal” right. Slippery Nick Smith, a NAct weak point, is under concerted pressure. [Updated]
Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, September 25th, 2013 - 11 comments
Just to be clear: Nick Smith did not order the Big Brunch Fry-up, no matter what he might have said.
Written By: - Date published: 6:45 pm, September 24th, 2013 - 16 comments
John Key: “I don’t think New Zealand should rush to become a republic. It may happen one day, but I can’t for the life of me see the benefits of it other than you get to spend a lot of money electing heads of state as opposed to the government appointing one.”
Written By: - Date published: 2:37 pm, September 24th, 2013 - 53 comments
National is a very traditional party. They think that NZ is good at clearing land and raising animals, with a bit of mining on the side. The population is there to service farmers and miners on low wages. That may have been the case in the 1950’s. But as usual they’re hopelessly dated. Sometimes in recent years it has appeared to me that Labour thinks that way as well. But it looks like David Cunliffe is intent on refocusing us back on the burgeoning hi-wage and hi-growth hi-tech sector.
Written By: - Date published: 3:31 pm, September 23rd, 2013 - 83 comments
Details of the Labour Caucus changes are now appearing in the media. The update is Parker, Robertson and Jones will be the core of the economic team, King retains Health, Shearer gains Foreign Affairs and Cosgrove and Hipkins retain their current responsibilities. Mahuta and Moroney are elevated to the front bench and this will help gender balance.
Updated with full list.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, September 22nd, 2013 - 51 comments
In a previous post at The Standard I did a wee bit of math and came to the conclusion that National has already made $5.26 billion worth of spending promises out of the Future Investment Fund, the not-actually-a-fund chunk of cash they plan to make from selling taxpayer-built infrastructure to their mates. Things have developed. […]
Written By: - Date published: 3:27 pm, September 18th, 2013 - 17 comments
What seems to be the defining feature of this government is in providing corporate welfare to incompetents who underbid their competition for government work or want bigger subsidies at the taxpayers expense. Give them the vaguest excuse and Key or Joyce will wilt like a flower in a desert and throw money at companies who […]
Written By: - Date published: 12:57 pm, September 18th, 2013 - 41 comments
The MSM largely reported on Cunliffe stumbling over the word Chorus in his first question yesterday to PM Key. But Key’s answers and later replies to the media, indicate corporate-friendly, cronyist manipulations and dodgy phone advice. [Update: Coalition for Fair Internet Pricing]
Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, September 18th, 2013 - 43 comments
Yesterday Paula Bennett introduced the First Reading of the Vulnerable Children Bill. Nat MPs separated child abuse from issues of poverty and income inequality. Opposition MPs from Mana, Labour & The Greens called the Nats on it, arguing for the bigger picture.
Written By: - Date published: 7:41 am, September 18th, 2013 - 87 comments
Paddy Gower’s gleeful predictions of ‘blood on the floor’ of caucus didn’t happen. Tracy Watkins’ unrealistic demand that Grant Robertson (whom she incorrectly thought would win the leadership race) be retained as deputy was never going to happen. What we saw was a neat, least moves action that puts the economy front and centre of Labour’s brand.
Written By: - Date published: 9:43 pm, September 17th, 2013 - 62 comments
As a special handy guide for political journalists I include a summary of John Key’s understanding of the inner workings of the Labour Party:
Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, September 17th, 2013 - 197 comments
Cunliffe has asked David Parker to be his is Cunliffe’s deputy. Moroney & Lee-Galloway Whips, Robertson Employment, Jones Economic Development. Audrey Young at the NZ Herald. Parker to retain finance, Robertson leader of House. Will there be a strong female presence in the front bench? Tracy Watkins on Stuff: [Updates]
Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, September 17th, 2013 - 48 comments
John Key tries to smear the winner of Labour’s democratic leadership contest as “far left”, while his government continues in its anti-democratic, plutocratic ways: sale of Meridian to avoid referendum; Joyce’s Broadband pricing “arm twisting”.
Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, September 17th, 2013 - 178 comments
Day one of Cunliffe’s leadership and he is into battle mode. He has made it clear that unity in the caucus is expected. And he has deftly raised the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement as a political issue.
Written By: - Date published: 12:26 pm, September 16th, 2013 - 91 comments
Day one of David Cunliffe’s tenure as Labour leader and the tone is being set. There will be unity in the party and Labour is going to take the fight to National and John Key.
Written By: - Date published: 11:07 am, September 13th, 2013 - 75 comments
The response to Metiria Turei’s sttements about affordable housing on The Vote, raises questions about political narratives are told to the general electorate? The Greens, Mana and Cunliffe have stressed their “vision“. How to tell it so it reaches the hearts of New Zealanders?
Written By: - Date published: 9:43 am, September 13th, 2013 - 75 comments
TV3’s analysis of the Labour Leadership contest is leaving a lot to be desired. Rather than reporting on what has happened they are trivialising the leadership campaign and getting important details wrong.
Written By: - Date published: 9:22 am, September 12th, 2013 - 100 comments
I voted for Cunliffe, Robertson, and Jones in that order. My reasons are in this post. It is unnecessary for people to speculate on additional motivations.
But if any MP or jonolist wants to try to run a politically based smear on me like they did on Jenny Michie, Mike Williams, and others then I’m perfectly happy to tear them a new rectum through their political credibility over the next decade.
Written By: - Date published: 8:35 am, September 12th, 2013 - 86 comments
Jonolist award to Patrick Gower for slanted reporting of a non-poll result, continuing his anti-Cunliffe lines. Special mention to 3 News report on The Vote bovver boys, against affordable housing for those in need, forcing a “back-down” from Turei on lowering house prices. Need better MSM.
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