It’s time for Auckland to work
2020 will now be the year that New Zealand will now rely on Auckland to get its shit together.
Politics
politicans
Coronavirus and the State
A few weeks ago I slagged off the Chinese government for its response to the Corona virus and presumed that authoritarian states could never be as good as democratic states in responding to a pandemic. I want to revisit my opinion.
Before the massacre the State was warned
Through a series of meetings that led all the way to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Head of the State Services Commission Peter Hughes, and the Police, the Islamic Women’s Council repeatedly warned the highest levels of our civil service that their community was under imminent threat. They were ignored.
What the Government has done for beneficiaries
In Parliament this week Carmel Sepuloni outlined action being taken by the Government to implement the recommendations of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group designed to improve the plight of beneficiaries.
The politics of hand washing
Simon Bridges thinks that getting people to wash their hands and removing unemployment stand down periods is tinkering but that National’s still unreleased economic policy will solve the crisis.
Bridges thinks the solution to Covid 19 is tax cuts
Simon Bridges thinks that tax cuts are the best way to address financial stress caused by businesses by the Covid 19 epidemic. Even though businesses under financial stress will be paying little if any tax and a tax cut would have little if any effect.
Super Tuesday
In the US of A today is Super Tuesday. California, Texas, North Carolina and 11 other states and one territory will be voting for their preferred candidate.
Afghanistan pushes the US out
I have really no idea who to cheer for about the Afghanistan peace
agreement. If the Taliban were the answer, it was a pretty fucking
stupid question.
The trouble with MMP
The trouble with MMP is that sometimes members of minority parties court media attention by being overtly racist.
The Herald creates a panic and Trump says Coronavirus is a hoax
If a society ever wanted to set out how to handle a pandemic the Herald’s media response and Donald Trump’s handling of the situation provide perfect examples of what not to do.
National’s new conservation policy was previously announced in 2014
National has announced a “new” policy that it previously announced in 2014. And that has already been implemented.
Do not deport your people and your problems to New Zealand
Jacinda Ardern has trashed traditional notions of how New Zealand Australia relations are conducted when making the clear point that Australia should not be exporting Australian made problems who are barely kiwis to New Zealand.
National is going low on law and order issues
Over the past week National has shown a willingness to take really base aggressive positions on law and order issues for political advantages no matter what principles are at stake. And at the same time show a complete lack of understanding of the issues that are involved.
The right politicising the coronavirus
NACT’s values are showing.
A Democrat Senate Majority
So many left-leaning people around the world are looking to the United States election in November this year. We need to pay attention to the thing that enables the Presidential winner to get things done: a Senate majority.
Someone should keep a Talley
Radio New Zealand has published details of Talley donations totalling $27,000 being made to the NZ First Foundation.
The Wave Crashing In…
The race to win the most support from Democratic and Independent voters in the Democratic Primaries is over bar the shouting, but…
The real cause of New Zealand’s failing housing system
Simon Wilson has set out in a Herald article historical data which suggests that the cause of the housing crisis can be dated back to decisions made generations ago. But Steven Joyce thinks that the cure is actually the cause of the problem.
WTAF NZ First?
It has been reported that NZ First will oppose the Green’s attempt to make the country’s car fleet more sustainable and that it may hold up proposed gun law changes designed to address the problems clearly shown by the Christchurch massacre.
Pure clear water
It’s probably time to notice why Jones’ Provincial Growth Fund had to step in and provide several million of funding to patch up the water supply emergency in Northland.
National has nothing to be afraid of
National has absolutely nothing to worry about the prosecution of four people for carving up a donation to the National Party.
SFO: The National Party Four are Named
Name suppression has been lifted for the four National Party associates charged by the SFO.
Back in the U.S.S.A.
The onslaught launched against Trump from sections of corporate media and liberal institutions will look as nothing next to the unified onslaught that will be unleashed against a President Sanders.
National received two dodgy $100,000 donations
The SFO charges laid in the District Court reveal that it investigated not one but two dodgy $100,000 donations to National.
National’s big economic policy announcement
Simon Bridges has claimed that the average wage earner in the country pays almost 33c in the dollar in taxes. Spoiler alert, they do not.
National is not counting its chickens for granted
National will announce today that tax cuts will be a major policy plank for the next election.
What was Winston thinking?
It has been revealed that NZ First acquired photographs of its former President and two reporters emerged on the Whaleoil mark 2 site, raising the concerning possibility that Simon Lusk may be involved in helping NZ First.
The problem with opinion polls
This week the Reid Research Poll predicted a Labour Green government and the Colmar Brunton poll predicted a National ACT government. Which one will be proved correct?
Fact checking National
Simon Bridges has claimed that a GDP growth Jacinda Ardern used was wrong even though it was the figure released by Statistics NZ.
Bridges’ many and varied positions on coalition with NZ First
In the past 10 days Simon Bridges has said that National will not go into coalition with NZ First after the next election, to it could consider coalition in the future, to there is no way it will ever go into coalition with NZ First.
Will the last remaining National MP please turn off the lights
Three more National MPs have joined the ranks of those leaving Parliament this year.
Will DPF condemn National for hiding the identity of its donors?
David Farrar has called for the suspension of Winston Peters from Cabinet for reasons which would also justify the suspension of Simon Bridges from the National Party.
This result could lead to the break up of the United Kingdom
Originally posted onNick Kelly’s blog
Nick is a Director of Piko Consulting and works as a Political Adviser in The House of Lords.
Listening to the results being reported while driving on that California freeway, I recall thinking ‘this result could lead to the break up of the United Kingdom’. On hearing that both Northern Ireland and Scotland had voted to stay part of the EU, in contrast to the rest of the country, it was hard to imagine that this would not become a significant issue.
The end of petrol driven cars
Boris Johnson’s UK Government has announced that by 2035 there will be no more petrol or diesel cars entering the UK fleet. Is it time for the New Zealand government to announce the same thing?
Will Bernie Sanders unseat Donald Trump?
It will take a full renewal of democracy in the United States. So how does Bernie beat Trump?
Bernie by 6K.
Iowa and beyond.