London feels surreal. Joined the demo against Trump, in town to see the Queen, see off the Prime Minister, and plunder the NHS in the name of ‘free trade.’ Saw the play “The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson,” which might be prescient.
Simon Bridges has accused Labour of engaging in dirty politics and considered that he was acting appropriately in releasing budget information early, contrary to standards that his Government implemented in 2014.
National is playing the innocent victim of Budgetgate whilst being the aggressive attacker all along.
With the United States – China trade war well underway, the sick chaos of Brexit is shrinking the U.K. economy and slowing much of Europe’s economy, and smaller economies such as that of Mexico in the crosshairs through further politically manufactured trade disputes, the second half of this year looks for New Zealand nowhere near as rosy as the first half.
National has engaged in the most crass form of beneficiary bashing in opposing Government changes to the benefit system announced in the budget and passed under urgency.
Has New Zealand’s social media spent too much time on gocha politics and not enough on the substance of the wellbeing budget?
So what is in the Wellbeing budget and what do you think about it?
The police has confirmed that a poorly secured website partially searchable through Treasury’s website’s search function was the cause of the release of sensitive budget information.
National is still embedded in Dirty Politics.
New Zealand Treasury head Gabriel Makhlouf has said that Treasury’s website was attacked 2000 times in 48 hours.
You have to wonder about what kind of law Simon Bridges, a former criminal prosecutor, actually practiced. Because given the events of today – it seems questionable if he understands the legal basis of our criminal laws about computers. Do we really want someone so incompetent at his chosen profession before entering politics (or have a criminal receiver of stolen goods) to run this country?
Simon Bridges has refused to rule out doing a deal with Destiny Church’s Coalition New Zealand Party.
Simon Bridges is trumpeting some figures he has received from the Government as evidence that crime rates are increasing. But there is a slight problem. Police figures show that the number of reported offences is decreasing.
Grant Robertson has announced there will be a relaxing of the fiscal responsibility rules, although not until after the next election.
Simon Bridges has conceded that his claim that talk about Alfred Ngaro setting up a conservative party was “rumour and speculation” was not actually true. And Ngaro has gone on the offensive describing abortion as an unholy holocaust.
Forestry is forcing an important tilting point between mitigating climate change and land use, and it’s going to affect the viability of some North Island towns.
In what is possibly a first ever occurrence the Standard is publishing a post in praise of Judith Collins for standing up for Green MP Golriz Ghahraman.
The Herald has reported that National is considering allowing Alfred Ngaro to form another break away party this time with a definite christian conservative bent and also to take over the Botany electorate.
The Germans and the Dutch have suspended training Iraqi soldiers citing increased tensions in the area. What do they know that Ron Mark doesn’t? Cabinet is due to make a decision shortly on our long-planned decision to withdraw, and he seems to want us to stay. Labour’s policy at the election was to withdraw, it should prevail.
Jacinda Ardern has shown true international leadership by achieving considerable international consensus to effecting change in the way that social media operates.
National has claimed that Labour’s tertiary fees policy is failing because numbers applying for it have not increased. But National clearly has failed to understand that the policy is about reducing student loan totals or it is deliberately misinterpreting the reason for the policy.
Paula Bennett has declined to engage in a debate with Chloe Swarbrick on National TV.
David Farrar has written saying that National should not underestimate Jacinda Ardern and describes a recent performance at an InternetNZ meeting as highly impressive.
Reprinted with permission from the blogsite How Melulater sees it, an important backgrounder to the impending teachers’ strike.
Donald Trump’s trade war with China is way, way bad for New Zealand.
Jami-Lee Ross has alleged that Simon Bridges pecuniary interest return is not correct because it failed to disclose an expensive dinner and a case of wine donated by Zhang Yikon.
Chloe Swarbrick has responded Paula Bennett’s derisory comments about the proposed cannabis drug reform with a very elegant burn.
The Government parties have all decided to support draft drug reform legislation should the referendum to be held at the next election succeed. But National is refusing to say what it will do.
Green Land Information Minister Eugenie Sage has vetoed Oceania Gold’s attempt to buy a 180-hectare dairy farm to store mining tailings from its Waihi gold mines.
Re-entry to the Pike River mine has been delayed so that a high oxygen reading from within the mine can be understood.
The Washington Post tracker of Trump whoppers suggests that he has told his 10,000th presidential lie.
In an unprecedented move yesterday in Parliament Government MPs agreed to Simon Bridges having extra time to harangue them during the general debate.
The results of the Zero Carbon Bill negotiations are due to be announced shortly. This Government has a political imperative to make sure that the final proposal is resolute.
It has been reported that John Key has shown some support behind the scenes for Judith Collins. And someone in National’s caucus has leaked to Newshub that MPs were told not to leak to Newshub.
National’s first caucus meeting in a while is scheduled for today. And the leaks are continuing.
Simon Bridges has decided to attack Corrections management for installing slushie machines designed to help cool prison guards in full uniform and heavy stab proof vests on hot days.
