Crims gangs and extremists
National has chosen for political reasons to oppose the Government’s proposed gun law changes designed to address weaknesses shown up by the Christchurch terrorist attack.
Politics
politicans
Why is Jacinda Ardern so popular?
Boosting the signal to noise ratio.
National tacks right
National has released its economic policies for the next 12 months and they have a decidedly backward feeling about them.
I agree with Heather
Heather du Plessis Allan has concluded that National was responsible for leaking details about Winston Peters superannuation overpayment. And believes that it was business as usual for National.
Protect Ihumātao hīkoi to Jacinda Ardern today
Protect Ihumātao are taking the invitation to meet to the Prime Minister. The petition is live and can be signed during the hīkoi today.
Labour and welfare
Many of us wanted to believe that the Ardern-led compassion would apply to all New Zealanders, but Labour’s defence of highly punitive benefit sanctions tell us it doesn’t.
Talk is cheap Tamihere
I am really not a fan of political candidates bullshitting. John Tamihere – candidate for Auckland city Mayor, is this kind of blowhard. He is the epitome of the kind of fool who seems to keep his brain mounted right next to his testicles to inform his mouth what to say. He released a transport policy fantasy… I’ll vote for Goff.
The Government’s prison reforms
The Government has announced policies designed to reduce Maori incarceration rates dramatically.
Fonterra failure and Government failure
Fonterra is dragging New Zealand down, faster and faster. What is this Government going to do?
National still does not get MMP
National has shown that it does not understand MMP by being overly concerned that some electorates may be slightly bigger or smaller than other electorates.
Do poor people and women exist in right wing economics land?
David Seymour has written a critique of Deborah Russel’s review of the hard right economic tome “Economics in one lesson”. And totally missed the point of what she was saying.
Bridges emulates Trump
Simon Bridges has borrowed heavily from Donald Trump in releasing a press release saying that Ihumātao protesters should go home.
The sociopathology of sanctions
Autonomous sanctions imposed on Iran and Venezuela by the US are expressly designed to drive whole populations into poverty to bring about regime change. They are sociopathic. Based on its values, The National Party wants to make such sanctions New Zealand’s policy. Extraodinary!
What is up with NZ First?
New Zealand First’s late decision to promote a referendum concerning abortion has caught everyone including its spokesperson Tracy Martin by surprise and is the latest example of last minute changes of position.
Five days is a long time in politics
Five days ago Simon Bridges predicted that unemployment had gone up. The latest figures show that the unemployment rate is at its lowest rate for the past eleven years. Update: My enthusiasm was too high. It has been pointed out to me that the Bridges tweet was from last year. My apologies to Simon …
Simon Bridges wants a new Digital Media advisor
A slight rewrite of an ad currently on Parliament’s careers website.
Dear America Antifa is not the problem
America has suffered two mass shootings of civilians in the past couple of days with at least one being committed by a white supremacist. But the Republican Party is fixated on Antifa, a loose organisation that has been implicated in no mass shootigns.
Can the Greens rise like the liberal democrats?
Only 6 months ago the UK Liberal Democrat party was at a real low, with their leader resigning and the polls about 7%: same as the last five years. Fast forward five months from that and they are ready to become a major opposition party of opposition. Can the Greens do the same?
Truth-telling and The New Climate Denial
James Shaw lays it out in his AGM speech: the new climate denial sounds reasonable and is the gravest danger we currently face.
Dutton engages in weaponised brutality
Australia is responding to New Zealand’s concern at the forced repatriation of New Zealand citizens from Australia who fall foul of the law by dramatically increasing the potential for this to occur.
The unbelievable lightness of Simon Bridges
Simon Bridges has insulted women and Tokelauans at the same time with a thinly veiled attack on Jacinda Ardern.
Simon – only good at the bottom of a cliff
The interview between Jack Tame and Simon Bridges was revealing. Circumlocutions and the wheedling of a conniving prosecutor around the National party hypocrisy over cancer drugs. Making a token amount towards funding super-expensive cancer drugs – but don’t want to deal with root causes or prevention of cancer? It beggars belief that this fool is a politician.
Ihumātao
The background to the Ihumatao dispute is complex and problematic and resolving it may require the Government to review issues relating to privately held land and treaty claims.
National’s cynical cancer policy announcement
National has announced a new Cancer Agency to replace the agency it closed four years ago to be funded from within already overstretched Health budgets.
Jacindamania
Despite the babies and the engagements, maybe it’s time to ditch the default Jacindamania.
Fool me twice?
Boris Johnson’s ruthless purge of Cabinet and hard right shift looks like preparation for an early election. Reminds me of 1984 at home, as a right wing coup is on the way. He lied his way to Brexit – will it work again?
The weasel accurately dissects National.
Matthew Hooton has a piece on National’s chances in the next election this morning entitled as “National stumbling to defeat”. Personally I think he is a PR weasel who is on the border to dirty politics. But he did cover the salient points that will be on the mind of the National party conference.
Bye bye Banks
John Banks has announced that he will not be standing for Auckland’s mayoralty.
Dunne reckons next election will be close
Peter Dunne has come up with some 2020 election reckons that ignores current polling as well as National’s leadership problems.
The Greens’ attack ad
The Greens recent ad mocking Simon Bridges has attracted some strong criticism. But is it justified?
Australian right wing commentators suffer from deranged Jacinda syndrome
Australian right wing commentators are losing their shirts at the thought that Jacinda Ardern may be in the running for a Nobel Peace prize.
More polling problems for Bridges
Barry Soper has reported on a UMR poll that has National at 38% and Simon Bridges unfavourable rating at over 60%.
National’s ranks are cracking about climate change
National Climate Change spokesperson Todd Muller has publicly stated that he is broadly supportive of the Government’s proposed EV incentive policy.
Peters, Pence, Pompeo and the Rapture
Hamish Rutherfurd writes that Winston Peters’ trip to the US to secure a trade deal is far-fetched and a waste of time. I agree. But if Peters has his agenda, so will Mike Pompeo, Mike Pence, John Bolton and Dan Coats have theirs. He was scheduled to meet them all. No wonder the 9th floor are worried.
The strait of Hormuz
With the seizing of an oil tanker by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz today as a presumably tit-for-tat escalation for British seizing an Iranian ship, and the U.S. Navy harassing their coastline, we are in for a senseless and dangerous political escalation.
There is no climate emergency according to National
Simon Wilson has suggested in the the Herald this morning that for purely political reasons National will frustrate and stymie action on climate change