Written By: - Date published: 7:40 am, August 6th, 2020 - 73 comments
I normally do not do this, tempting fate and all that. But the forces behind this election are so strong that it would take a really dramatic event to change current momentum.
Written By: - Date published: 12:20 pm, August 5th, 2020 - 123 comments
With the left’s political fortunes having changed greatly in the past three years, and with more change on the way, does the left still want MMP?
Written By: - Date published: 12:17 pm, August 5th, 2020 - 16 comments
Defying expectations official labour force data from Stats NZ released today shows that the unemployment rate dropped to 4 per cent from 4.2 per cent in the June quarter.
Written By: - Date published: 8:35 am, August 5th, 2020 - 45 comments
For a party that promised to be a policy factory National’s policy offerings are severely deficient.
Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, August 5th, 2020 - 10 comments
Ruth Dyson has given a very funny very incisive valedictory speech in Parliament and will bow out of politics at this election. She deserves our thanks.
Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, August 3rd, 2020 - 45 comments
National is facing another PR disaster with reports of an increasingly hostile Auckland Central candidate selection process and with allegations that National’s head office has misapplied the party’s constitution.
Written By: - Date published: 6:01 pm, August 2nd, 2020 - 34 comments
A review of National’s week which is as bad as any week I can remember.
Written By: - Date published: 5:37 pm, August 2nd, 2020 - 5 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 12:48 pm, August 2nd, 2020 - 33 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, August 1st, 2020 - 13 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, July 31st, 2020 - 54 comments
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?
Written By: - Date published: 5:22 pm, July 30th, 2020 - 132 comments
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
Written By: - Date published: 7:42 am, July 30th, 2020 - 49 comments
Nick Smith has publicly opposed a change to the electoral system that would allow strategic manipulation of the electoral system. But only by Māori.
Written By: - Date published: 9:49 pm, July 28th, 2020 - 38 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 12:59 pm, July 28th, 2020 - 56 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 7:51 am, July 28th, 2020 - 51 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 9:27 pm, July 26th, 2020 - 89 comments
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?
Written By: - Date published: 6:12 pm, July 26th, 2020 - 144 comments
Tova O’Brien said that it would be a bombshell result and it was.
Written By: - Date published: 10:06 am, July 26th, 2020 - 24 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, July 25th, 2020 - 81 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, July 24th, 2020 - 53 comments
*they will drag you down to their level and beat you through experience.
Written By: - Date published: 4:44 pm, July 22nd, 2020 - 87 comments
Winston Peters has named the person he says leaked his super details. Has ACT joined National in doing Dirty Politics?
Written By: - Date published: 12:15 pm, July 22nd, 2020 - 154 comments
Ian Lees Galloway wasn’t sacked for an extra-marital affair. He was sacked because of his abuse of power.
Written By: - Date published: 11:02 am, July 22nd, 2020 - 110 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, July 22nd, 2020 - 61 comments
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?
Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, July 22nd, 2020 - 29 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 2:12 pm, July 19th, 2020 - 47 comments
Should Labour’s Grant Robertson stand aside in Wellington Central to guarantee the Greens are available to be a coalition partner?
Written By: - Date published: 1:51 pm, July 18th, 2020 - 48 comments
An occasional series
Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, July 17th, 2020 - 38 comments
With Nikki Kaye’s shock retirement announcement National urgently needs a new candidate. One name springs to mind.
Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, July 16th, 2020 - 149 comments
The Herald is reporting that Nikki Kaye will announce her retirement from politics today.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, July 16th, 2020 - 37 comments
Ok sure, they won’t. You list why. But here’s the top five things National could do to give themselves a better shot.
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