Trump has announced he will ban Tik-Tok from the United States. It’s Chinese-owned so there. Or maybe he will force it to be sold to Americans.Don’t think security is the issue; kids used it to stuff up his Tulsa rally. And it is good for mockery, as clips about Trump and Pompeo show. Don’t think that will stop if Americans own it.
Back in 2017 I was upset, we had a leadership vote only in caucus – just before the election. I didn’t realise at the time that Andrew Little was actually stepping down in favour of Jacinda Ardern. She’d had the potential, but I hadn’t realised that Little thought she was up for the task. I’m delighted with the result. Thank you Andrew.
Environment Minister Eugenie Sage this week announced the beginning of the end of Aotearoa’s unfortunate experiment with free-market waste management that has trashed our environment. It may be just a baby step, but moving away from a failed free-market approach seems a good first step.
Poll analysis and modelling results: Is Colmar Brunton “the real rogue?” Who’s likely in and out for National, Labour, and the Greens on this poll result?
The July One News Colmar Brunton poll is out at 6PM. Has Judith Collins worked the oracle? Or is it another of Gerry Brownlee’s rogue polls?
Stay tuned …
UPDATE: Labour in the 50’s, National 32
Nick Smith has publicly opposed a change to the electoral system that would allow strategic manipulation of the electoral system. But only by Māori.
According to our Prime Minister, today’s announcement that New Zealand is suspending extradition arrangements with Hong Kong is because of our principles. But it is not immediately clear what these principles are, other than falling into line with our Five Eyes spying partners. Some history is important.
Judith Collins has backed away from telling a mistruth about escape statistics during her time as Minister of Corrections by claiming that her eyebrow was raised and this is evidence that what she was saying was a joke.
There used to be a mantra in New Zealand politics that National were always perceived to be better managers of the economy than Labour. Until now.
Labour has hit stratospheric highs in the new Reid Research poll at 60.9%, and still have a strong partner in the Greens at 5.7%. Who’s in and out on these numbers? How has Collins performed?
Tova O’Brien said that it would be a bombshell result and it was.
The woman who has led us through a terrorist attack, a significant natural disaster and who has safely guided us through an international Pandemic and who has led with aroha and compassion is turning 40 today.
Act is proposing to introduce measures that will limit the amount of money people on benefits can spend on alcohol and tobacco. But not guns.
*they will drag you down to their level and beat you through experience.
Winston Peters has named the person he says leaked his super details. Has ACT joined National in doing Dirty Politics?
Ian Lees Galloway wasn’t sacked for an extra-marital affair. He was sacked because of his abuse of power.
Immigration Minister Iain Lees Galloway has apparently resigned.
UPDATE: The PM confirms that she has sacked the Minister. He will not stand in the Palmerston North seat in the upcoming general election.
UPDATE: Iain Lees Galloway releases an apology.
Judith Collins appears to be living by her motto, giving back double, and has made public allegations that a Labour Minister has engaged in inappropriate behaviour. But is this the best way to handle a sex scandal?
With the government clearly watching the unravelling of Australia’s Covid-19 response and putting in place $14 billion in preparation for a second infection wave, we are clearly now in a history-in-making territory of the highest instability outside a world war.
Should Labour’s Grant Robertson stand aside in Wellington Central to guarantee the Greens are available to be a coalition partner?
An occasional series
With Nikki Kaye’s shock retirement announcement National urgently needs a new candidate. One name springs to mind.
The Herald is reporting that Nikki Kaye will announce her retirement from politics today.
Ok sure, they won’t. You list why. But here’s the top five things National could do to give themselves a better shot.
The latest Roy Morgan Poll is further bad news for National and a stark warning for NZ First.
In a great leap backwards Judith Collins and Gerry Brownlee are now leaders of the National Party.
Twitter confirms that Judith Collins is now National leader. She is the perfect candidate if your goal is to stem the bleeding of support. She is not the candidate if you want to win the election …
I realise that National probably won’t appreciate my advice. However I actually would like to have a viable competent opposition. I don’t even want an election to be as much of a pushover as this one is likely to be. If I was a stalwart National supporter or a member of their caucus, I’d be pushing for Amy Adams.
In breaking news Todd Muller has resigned for “health reasons”, effective immediately.
Time to bring back Simon?
Updated with some breaking links.
The Serious Fraud Office has commenced an investigation in relation to donations made in 2017 to the Labour Party.
UPDATE: The investigation may involve donations made at a ‘silent’ art auction, something that Labour was upfront about back in February.
National’s latest attempted spin is to try and suggest that last week’s clusterfuck of rolling events did not involve in any way the slightest trace of dirty politics. How wrong they are.
A variety of Christian parties have attempted to gain a place in Parliament. What are the chances in 2020 of a conservative Christian Party succeeding in gaining seats?
National has made two major roading project announcements in the past week. Both announcements recycled announcements that were also made before the last election.
Privacy breaching MP Hamish Walker has announced he will step down at the next election. But who else should go?
Update: Muller tries to divert attention by announcing that National still want a 4 lane highway from Chch to Ashburton. Problem solved!
As details emerge about Hamish Walker’s leaking of confidential information of Covid sufferers for political advantage, questions are being asked about Todd Muller’s leadership and if National is actually committed to assisting the country’s response to Covid 19.
Audrey Young’s take in Granny Herald was interesting. “No ordinary Labour speech by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern”. That is because the political ‘business as usual’ approach by the business orientation of National campaigning using the politics of fear and envy doesn’t work well in times of crisis. Business simply has too short a viewpoint to be acceptable in government at present – or increasingly in our uncertain future.
