Splitters!
David Moffett, a Former board member of the New Conservative Party has announced the launch of a new new conservative party.
Politics
politicans
Regulating social media
Is it possible that the zeitgeist for global social media regulation is peaking at the right time, and the big tech giants will accede?
Everything Should Be Made As Uncomfortable As Possible, But No Less Comfortable
When providing a voluntary carbon-offset scheme, make it as simple as possible, but not simpler, and tell people about it.
Kiwi Cultural Cringe is Alive and Well
New Zealand is too small for high-achievers and star-performers and does not offer enough challenges and rewards.
The Mueller report
Robert Mueller’s report has now been released and questions are being asked at the benign spin that the White House has been allowed to engage in to describe it before its release.
About the CGT decision
With the benefit of hindsight the decision not to proceed with a capital gains tax was almost inevitable.
Should he stay or should he go?
Tova O’Brien has reported that different National MPs are speaking out against Simon Bridges and that a coup against him may be in the offering.
Trump’s border problem
Donald Trump has considered taking some extraordinary steps to quell a surge in migration through the southern boarder of the United States.
Nat MP Nuk Karako Quits
Nat List MP Nuk Karako has unexpectedly announced his retirement, effective next month.
National’s culture review shambles redux
Simon Bridges has given a train wreck of an interview this morning on Radio New Zealand’s morning report about National’s culture review. It appears that National is keeping the report secret because of fears that the report may be leaked.
The latest Reid Research poll
The latest Reid Research suggests that Labour is almost at the stage where it could rule alone. And National is getting into danger territory.
Bridges’ emotional junior staffer problem
The emotional junior staffer incident shows that National’s internal discipline is poor and that leaks are continuing.
National’s culture review shambles
National’s internal cultural review has been completed but two female MPs most affected by recent events were not interviewed.
Tough, swift leadership needed to police social media
The government has been rightly lauded for swiftly acting to ban assault weapons after the Christchurch massacre, but is its failure to decisively call social media giants to order just as weak and unacceptable as the failure to act on Aramoana massacre back in 1990?
MSSA Bill reported back
The Finance and Expenditure Select Committee has reported back the Arms Amendment Bill which will ban the general availability of military style semi automatic weapons with only modest changes.
Are We Expecting Too Much Of Our Political Leaders?
Political leaders must have expert knowledge on many topics and near-perfect recall. No naps allowed and no room for error.
Trump’s tax returns and the Mueller investigation
Donald Trump and his supporters have been celebrating Mueller’s finding as interpreted by William Barr. But with Congress formally requesting his tax records and with the Mueller report not being yet released the celebration could be premature.
David is delayed
David Seymour has done something even more embarrassing than twerking on Dancing with the Stars.
Life and Death in Aotearoa – Debating Euthanasia
David Seymour’s Private Member’s Bill on euthanasia is back for debate in Parliament. Maggie looks at one of the great social issues of our time.
Brexit: May’s Remaining Options for Leaving
Theresa May is entering the Brexit death spiral. Her last real chance to get her own preferred deal over the line will happen in a Tory cabinet meeting overnight. But what are the other options?
UPDATE: May has now invited Jeremy Corbyn for talks on a soft Brexit. But will the Labour leader be in a mood to help?
Dumb as a plank
Pro gun lobby groups are making some outlandish claims about the Government’s proposed gun law changes.
The benefits of a Labour led Government
Today marks the day that the largest ever increase in the minimum wage will occur.
Simon Bridges is seeking to join the Labour Party
The Standard understands from two reliable sources that Simon Bridges has applied for membership of the Labour Party. More news as it comes to hand …
The gun lobby fights back
The Herald is reporting that Gun City the business that sold the military style semi automatic weapons to the Christchurch Mosque killer, has urged customers to sign a petition against banning military style semi automatic weapons.
Xi-ing Jacinda
Jacinda Ardern will get a very warm welcome in Beijing based on immense respect for her and for New Zealand. Xi Jin-Ping has just returned from a very successful visit to Europe, joining Italy to the Belt and Road initiative and buying 300 jets from Airbus. Pepe Escobar outlines the implications for Eurasia. Much food for thought.
The Green Party on the Mosque murders
Recent criticism of Marama Davidson and Golriz Ghahraman over their drawing links between racism and the Mosque murders is misplaced.
Leading a feminist Pacific
It’s time to convert Ardern’s massive global symbolic capital into a lasting legacy for the Pacific. It’s time for a feminist international development policy.
WTF Free Speech coalition?
The Free Speech coalition has attacked the Chief Censor’s decision to rule the Christchurch Mosque killer’s manifesto as objectionable as an attack on free speech. But the New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties has characterised the Censor’s decision as being entirely conventional.
We need more than capital gains tax to address inequality
The most important comment in the Tax Working Group’s Final Report is that even the reasonably comprehensive capital gains tax proposed is likely to have only a minor impact on addressing inequality — what is needed is a more progressive income tax system that lifts the top marginal tax rate
Trump: Nyet Collusion!
The Mueller report apparently clears Donald Trump of collusion. However, charges of obstruction of justice against his team remain possible.
Reform of the SIS
Following the Christchurch Mosque murders there are strong calls for an inquiry into the SIS. But should it be given more power or should it be reformed to remove a pretty clear blind spot.
Mueller Report Complete
The Mueller report has dropped. The next few days are going to be crucial for the Trump presidency.
Adequate gun control and (almost) complete party support.
Now that I’ve had time to look through what has been implemented and what is proposed to happen with changes to gun laws and think about it. I’m almost satisfied. Since that so seldom happens that I suspect a gotcha, I’m now going to keep debugging until I am sure that it is actually as good as it looks.
Rambo has been constrained. Now about those other semi-automatics?
Jacinda Ardern has announced an effective ban by an order in council on the current sales of all military-style semi-automatic weapons and all assault rifles. There will be legislation passed to remove them from the hands of the public including a buyback and prison terms for possession. Not quite far enough yet. (Updated as I see other details)
Banning Rambo weapons not a knee-jerk
Passing stringent gun controls is far from a knee-jerk reaction to the Christchurch massacre – our politicians of all stripes have procrastinated over this ever since the 1990 Aramoana massacre. We already have the 13 recommendations of the 2017 Law & Order committee that were rejected. Let us at the very least now accept those.
Westland Dairy sale
Westland Dairy has done a deal to sell out to Yili industrial Group of Mongolia. This company is the third largest dairy company in New Zealand.