Seeing Is Believing
A video post, starring Christopher Luxon, Chris Hipkins, Nicola Willis and Winston Peters. Featuring Debbie Ngarewa-Packer as star prosecutor.
Politics
politicans
Which animal does Labour resemble?
In the United States Republicans have been compared to Apex Predators and Democrats to a deer in headlights. Which animal does Labour resemble and which animal should it aspire to resemble?
Nicola Willis’s Debt Higher Than All 6 Years of Ardern Government
Current & planned debt will surpass Labour’s full term debt in less years. Willis also admitted Budget 2024 had a higher deficit than all of Grant Robertson’s bar Covid.
The weird similarities between the Trump and the Willis budgets
A comparison of Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Budget and Nicola Willis’s recent budget disclose remarkable similarities.
Willis’ Roundup Budget will not grow new shoots of the economy
Nicola Willis’ Budget is bad for growth and a Big throwback unfit for NZ.
Liam Hehir needs to relearn his civics
Generally I like reading Liam Hehir over at the The Blue Review. He is usually interesting despite his position. However he asserted that “Parliament Must Rule Itself”. Of course parliament must control itself. But rule itself – no! Voters do that. Parliamentary rules are mainly there to keep a low profile to voters looking at their poor performance. Right now that is inside the privileges committee.
The Government blinks
Faced with the threat of an impassioned filibuster against the Priviliges Committee extreme recommendations the Government yesterday abruptly stopped debate on the committee report by voting to adjourn the debate.
What would the Greens’ inheritance/gift tax mean for farming?
In a climate crisis world we should be treating farming as a national strategic asset.How would a wealth transfer tax affect that?
Privileges Committee recommendations are partisan, indefensible and racist
The Privileges Committee recommendation for suspension of three Maori Party MPs for performing a haka in Parliament has been described as appearing to be partisan, indefensible and open to attacks of racism. Parliament’s response tomorrow will show how political the issue has become.
Jacinda Ardern’s speech to Yale graduates: leading with empathy is a strength
Ardern at her finest.
Waitangi Tribunal wants halt to Regulatory Standards Bill introduction
The Waitangi Tribunal’s interim judgment on the Regulatory Standards Bill strongly suggests the Government has been playing games with it.
Te Pati Maori and the Privileges Committee
The Government’s desire to heavily punish Maori Party MPs for their haka in Parliament in opposition to the Treaty Principles Bill may have a dramatic effect on Budget Week.
The Empire strikes back
National has launched an all out attack on Labour for accusing it of cutting women’s pay, even though this is precisely what it has done.
The Green Budget
An economy for the people, by the people.
Louisa Wall – This Is Not Feminism – It’s Fiscal Evasion Dressed in Lipstick
Louisa Wall eviscerates Government claims about pay equity.
The worst Finance Minister ever?
Future historians may consider Nicola Willis to be the country’s worst Finance Minister, even worse than Rob Muldoon and Ruth Richardson.
Get ready for the Regulatory Standards Bill
Following on from the undermining under urgency of the current Pay Equity scheme the Government intends to introduce the Regulatory Standards Bill which if passed would have a significant adverse effect on collective rights and environmental action.
The beginning of the end
When the history of the sixth National Government is written I am confident that the events of this week when the Pay Equity system was smashed up will be described as the the beginning of the end.
Vale David Parker MP
David Parker’s Deputy Leader ‘s speech in 2014 at the Wellington Labour Party Conference was the best I ever heard from a Labour Leader. Vision matched values in intensity and scope. Parliament now loses one of its very best.
Lies damned lies and Pay Equity Repeal excuses
Christopher Luxon yesterday tried to claim that budgetary considerations were not the reason for repealing the Pay Equity Legislation even though David Seymour had said that the monetary savings from the bill would save the Budget.
National wants to make voting harder
National’s recent announcement that it will take away voting rights from all prisoners may be nothing more than a distraction from its real intent, screwing the electoral scrum by making it harder to vote for some of us.
The Ukraine-United States Deal
In a bargain of the damned the United States and Ukraine have signed a peace agreement to share revenues from the future sale of Ukrainian minerals and rare earths.
The monkey still has the gun!
When John Oliver isn’t ragging on New Zealand, he and his writers have a keen senses in explaining complex topics clearly. He did one long section a couple of weeks ago that took apart the Trumpian view on the economic value of tariffs. Worth watching.. But first about that monkey image
National yet again wants to take away prisoner voting rights
Despite the prospect of it being struck down by the Courts being very high the Government has announced a plan to reintroduce a prisoner voting ban.
Culture wars and the Waitākere Ranges
Claims have been made that Auckland Council is giving away rights to the Waitākere Ranges to local iwi. But the claims suffer from that important characteristic of not actually being true.
Tory Whanau leaves Wellington mayoral race for Māori ward
Smart move by Whanau and great for the green and the left.
Atlas and the Treaty Principles Bill
It is time to reflect on what happened with the Atlas Network and the Treaty Principles Bill.
The National MP and the religious sect
National MP Hamish Campbell has been the subject of a media pile up recently for being a member of the Two by Two Christian Sect. But the treatment appears at this stage to be an overreaction.
And now, the end is near …
It looks like the three way marriage made in hell is on the rocks.
The Empire strikes back
A recent run on US Government bonds showing possible coordination between different countries may have been the reason that Donald Trump walked back the worst of his tariff changes. And he has also realised the US can’t make cheap IPhones.
The Trump Shock: Why the US President Crashed the Global Economy
There is a method to Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff madness. The chaos and confusion is deliberate; the aim is nothing less than the […]
The maniac president blinks, but for a moment…
Faced with an inability to fund the the US government debt, Donald Trump halted his insane rush to toward a global depression. However the political system in the US that produced this global economic insanity is still there and is still nonfunctional. Time to disengage and let the US time to heal itself.
NZD Freefalls & NZ First Linked To Green Party Attack Ads
Headlines: NZD free falls, misleading Green Party attack ads linked to NZ First, making NZDF lethal, and American billionaires regret support for Trump
All they are saying is give War a chance
At a time when the need for increased spending in health, education and the environment is so pressing the Government wants to spend a further $12 billion over the next four years on rearming.
Trump’s Secret Sauce Hits NZ
What is Trump’s secret sauce? And what parallels and lessons can we draw in Aotearoa New Zealand, before it’s too late?
Trump Schadenfreude
All the fools supporting hard right political leadership will now be reminded of what they signed up for.