Craig wins rehearing in Williams defamation case
Colin Craig has had a major success in court with Justice Katz ordering a retrial on the basis that the award of damages by the Jury was excessive.
Politics
politicans
Little’s court win good for democracy
The defamation case against Andrew Little has been an unwelcome distraction while he should have been free to do his job as leader of the largest opposition party. The consensus is that the process delivered a qualified win for Little, and a clear win for democracy.
A basic primer on the law of defamation
There has been some very confused reporting on the fate of Andrew Little in the Hagaman defamation trial.
Bid for Helen (for Women’s Refuge)
A rescued portrait of Helen Clark is raising money for Women’s Refuge via TradeMe.
Mediawatch on Hit and Run
“Has the meaning of book Hit and Run been obscured by all the claims and counter-claims in the media?” – Yes of course it has, and that is a deliberate strategy on the part of people who are desperate to avoid an inquiry.
National’s response to the Syria attack
Unlike the Australian and United Kingdom Governments’ response to the American attack has been muted and confused. Is this just the nature of anything that Bill English says or is it an attempt to assess public opinion before responding?
Resource Management Act Third Reading
Nick Smith’s RMA reforms are close to being completed. Will his high homes for the reforms be met?
Labour’s leadership team
Labour’s new tactic of featuring a leadership team seems to be working well.
Small on the Nats’ Key deficit on Hit and Run
Vernon Small thinks the B Team is missing Key.
The truth will out
English can squirm and deny, but according to Stephenson there is more Hit and Run to come.
Land of the long white wash
In ruling out an inquiry Bill English insults both our intelligence and our integrity. Next stop the International Criminal Court? (Alas the title is not mine, take a bow Finlay MacDonald.)
Conflict of interest what conflict of interest?
The lobbying body for fishing industry and Nathan Guy who is the responsible minister think there is no conflict of interest in the lobbying body inheriting huge powers previously held by the Ministry for Primary Industries.
The NZDF will never clear its name – and neither will Bill English
It’s likely that some time this week Bill English will announce that there will be no inquiry into operation Burnham. The NZDF will lose any opportunity to clear its name. Fronting up to the truth, whatever it may be, is better than the perception of a shabby coverup.
Update: And there it is – no inquiry.
National’s policing problem
National is facing increasing public concern about the ability of the police to do its job properly.
Trumping Idiocy
If you are absolutely determined to be one of the idiot legion who’re forever squirreling their heads deeper into sand, then don’t read this post.
Another reason for water pricing
The Government will be embarassed by another example of a corporation planning to extract ten billion litres of fresh water a year essentially at no cost which has arisen.
What does National do about English?
John Key has claimed that the transfer of power from himself to Bill English was flawless and designed to ensure continuation of National’s rule. Based on the last couple of opinion poll results he should reconsider his optimism.
Clifton: Nat MPs getting nervous
English is down 6% in the latest Colmar Brunton. Jane Clifton sees Nat MPs getting nervous. “For the Nats, having so long taken a fourth term as read, the possibility that their own leader may soon be less secure in his job than Labour’s will be a toughie.”
More thoughts on the Labour-Greens Budget Responsibility Rules
The Labour-Green Budget Responsibility Rules announcement this week ought to dispel the notion that Labour and the Greens cannot work together.
Impossible to refuse an inquiry
Bill English should stop being evasive and just get on with an inquiry into the fiasco outlined in Hit and Run. The latest developments make any other outcome ridiculous. The longer English delays the worse he looks.
A tale of two valedictory speeches
Compare and contrast Helen Clark’s and John Key’s valedictory speeches.
Hit and Run – time for an inquiry
Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson’s book Hit and Run makes a compelling case for the Government to conduct a full inquiry to see if New Zealand forces were complicit in the killing of innocent men and women and if there was a cover up.
John Key’s legacy of lies
Even then, local “journalists” were just parroting overseas reports despite having a major vanguard for the post-truth epoch playing out right before their very eyes
Unpopular PM
Bill English has premiered at 25% in TV3’s preferred PM poll. Even incumbency can’t make Bill look popular.
Classy
National’s ill advised attacks on Jacinda Ardern have shriveled in the sunlight, leaving only their reliably suggestible lunatic fringe / Mathew Hooton. The more they rant, the classier she looks.
National’s water problem
The Government’s timid backdown on water charging is placing it in a very uncomfortable position.
Nat branch chair calls for “corporal punishment”
Bill English should have spoken out to dissociate his party from Price’s archaic views. Why hasn’t he?
NRT: “Too hard”
No Right Turn: “The real barrier to National … acting on this is because that “no-one owns water, first come, first served” policy disproportionately benefits one group and allows them to profiteer from a public resource while destroying its value to others. That group is farmers – and they donate to the National Party.”
Nats’ attack on Ardern – Day 3
They were still digging themselves deeper yesterday. The latest attack tells us more about National than it does about Ardern.
Nats’ attack on Ardern backfires
National’s nasty, obvious, hamfisted attack on Jacinda Ardern has backfired on them big time.
Andrew Little’s speech on housing
Excellent speech from Andrew Little in Parliament yesterday, on the government’s willful blindness to the housing crisis.
Parata overrules Bennett – consent not taught in schools
In the followup to the rape culture protests, Hekia Parata has overruled Paula Bennett, and consent will not be taught in schools.
Breitbart Bill
Who has been feeding Bill English the latest alt-right attack language?
“All show and no substance”
The attack on Ardern as “all show and no substance” is a curious one for a party that was led for so many years by John Key.
Bye John!
Key’s act was was well and truly blown, and he’s moving on without, I suspect, a backward glance, at a job that his heart was never really in.
National’s flawed RMA ripoff still failing
Maori Party Co-Leader, Marama Fox, is playing hardball over Nick Smith latest attempts to weasel out of commitments on the deeply flawed RMA changes that National has spent the last few years trying to find any support for in Parliament. The bill is crap. The Maori party should just drop it regardless how many baubles they think they will get from it.