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New Zealand trade negotiations with Europe

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, May 23rd, 2018 - 7 comments

On Thursday 31 May at the University of Auckland, the Fabians are hosting Max Harris on the topic “Is it time for an independent foreign policy?” What would be the costs of a really independent foreign policy, over the benefits of salving our conscience with greater national independence?  And where does Trade fit in?

Trouble within National’s ranks?

Written By: - Date published: 3:43 pm, May 22nd, 2018 - 126 comments

It looks like the National collective has doubts about Simon Bridges’ pulling power.

David Seymour blows the dog whistle, hard

Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, May 22nd, 2018 - 34 comments

David Seymour has hit a new low by drumming up public opposition to a small social housing development planned by Housiung Corporation in Epsom by claiming some of the potential tenants may have mental health problems.

The law and order debate and the grade one tosser

Written By: - Date published: 7:43 am, May 22nd, 2018 - 36 comments

The Government has announced it will not proceed with the Waikeria mega prison as part of its policy to decrease the prison muster by 30%.  And the called for public debate starts off with one of the major players using a study the author of which subsequently retracted because the data he relied on was wrong.

Why does Simon hate pensioners?

Written By: - Date published: 5:31 pm, May 21st, 2018 - 130 comments

In a welcome move by Labour to relieve energy poverty on those with fixed, low incomes, all beneficiaries (including pensioners) are to get up to $700 extra automatically over winter.

National obviously hate this.

National is all over the place on the budget

Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, May 21st, 2018 - 131 comments

National has made a meal of its first critique of Labour’s budget with a poor performance by Simon Bridges and with four claims about the budget that are clearly wrong but which National keep repeating.

Marama Davidson – This is what a real Government looks like

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, May 20th, 2018 - 103 comments

Marama Davidson’s speech to Parliament during the Budget debate.

Fudget for Austerity

Written By: - Date published: 12:31 pm, May 19th, 2018 - 71 comments

Some proposals on why we just got the budget we did.

Shouty Simon’s strange budget claim

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, May 19th, 2018 - 64 comments

National’s claims about Labour’s health spend suffer from the not insignificant problem that they do not make any sense when analysed.

The Budget

Written By: - Date published: 2:09 pm, May 17th, 2018 - 168 comments

An evolving post to cover budget announcements.

Trump was right … and then …

Written By: - Date published: 7:53 am, May 17th, 2018 - 17 comments

Donald Trump has had a few months of being lucky with some luck Foreign Affairs wins and good economic news. But his wreckage-trail of his consequences is becoming longer and clearer.

No class National

Written By: - Date published: 5:39 pm, May 15th, 2018 - 97 comments

National MPs are refusing to own up to who used a sexist comment in Parliament against Jacinda Ardern.

Sound news judgment?

Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, May 15th, 2018 - 48 comments

The BBC thinks that depicting Jeremy Corbyn as a Russian stooge is sound news judgment.

Bridges believes in trickle down

Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, May 14th, 2018 - 199 comments

Simon Bridges has committed the twin political sins of not only believing in trickle down but in publicly confirming his belief.

Doofus of the week May 12, 2018

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, May 12th, 2018 - 62 comments

There was intense competition this week.  Paula Bennett with her attack on Jacinda’s Spotify playlist almost won but Northcote candidate Dan Bidois succeeded for managing to talk out of both sides of his mouth at the same time and only confusing his tongue.

Carmel Sepuloni respect

Written By: - Date published: 4:09 pm, May 9th, 2018 - 17 comments

It is great that we have a Minister of Social Development who actually has empathy for poor New Zealanders, as shown by her treatment of dog whistle questions in Parliament today.

Trump trashes Iranian Nuclear deal because he can

Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, May 9th, 2018 - 108 comments

Donald Trump has torn up a deal between the US and Iran that provided for limitation of its nuclear programme and prevented it from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Should MPs also be subject to sanctions when they don’t do their job?

Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, May 8th, 2018 - 59 comments

National MPs have without notice refused to turn up to the House Committee of Parliament.  Should they have their pay docked?

Is Karl Marx dead?

Written By: - Date published: 11:38 am, May 8th, 2018 - 60 comments

2018 marks several anniversaries of Karl Marx whose significance for the critique of capitalist society is hard to diminish. But what now for his beliefs?

Dunedin Hospital

Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, May 8th, 2018 - 22 comments

Yes, Dunedin needs a new hospital, but…

The strange and unusual National Campaign Launch for the Northcote by election

Written By: - Date published: 11:36 am, May 7th, 2018 - 52 comments

Dan Bidois has formally launched his campaign by blaming Auckland Council for the last Government’s shortcomings, and opposing the regional fuel tax while at the same time insisting that if there is intensification then it needs to be paid for.

Everyone applauds Labour’s homelessness plan … except National

Written By: - Date published: 9:56 am, May 5th, 2018 - 133 comments

Labour’s announcement of $100 million spending on homelessness has attracted praise from everyone, except National.

The real conspiracy facing New Zealand

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, May 3rd, 2018 - 55 comments

Rhys Darby has discovered the real conspiracy facing New Zealand by judicious use of the Internet.  And Clarke Gayford does not feature.

Trumping Obama?

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, May 3rd, 2018 - 9 comments

A post on big boy’s scouting medals.

National wants to add to Auckland’s gridlock

Written By: - Date published: 4:11 pm, May 2nd, 2018 - 16 comments

National has promised to overturn Auckland’s Regional Fuel Tax.  But has no proposal for how the funding will be replaced.

The Australian banking system review

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, May 2nd, 2018 - 17 comments

The review into Australia’s banking system really matters to New Zealand and is doing New Zealand an almighty good service.

ACT’s failed charter school protest in tweets

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, May 1st, 2018 - 101 comments

Last weekend ACT had a protest against charter schools and spent in the vicinity of $10,000 to get maybe 50 people to attend. They should have gone to Labour Hire.

National is yeah nah on climate change

Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, April 30th, 2018 - 34 comments

National’s Blue Green conference on the weekend suggests that the party has moved on from outright denial that cliamte change exists to grudging acceptance that it is a phenomenon but “balance” requires that it is tolerated.

National’s fiscal ineptitude over Auckland transport

Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, April 29th, 2018 - 32 comments

National has responded to Labour’s ATAP proposal by refusing to accept there is a problem, drumming up anti Auckland resentment in the rest of the country and claiming they would have done the same thing.

New Zealand Is all right, at the end

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, April 28th, 2018 - 27 comments

Democracy’s permanence is not inevitable.  Its imagining is not beyond imagining.  And New Zealand is one of the shrinking number of democracies who really have it.

The Big Auckland Transport announcement

Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, April 26th, 2018 - 39 comments

Minister Phil Twyford and Mayor Phil Goff announced the ATAP, the transport programme for Auckland for the next ten years. At $28 billion it is the largest civil infrastructure programme since World War II.