Lots of competition this week with Katie Hopkins preferring to be called a racist to being described as being on drugs, Judith Collins for fronting the most naff scandals in the last decade, and Simon Bridges for going on tour to strange places. But the real contest was between Paula Bennett and Gerry Brownlee …
An ongoing series.
Paula Bennett stormed out of Parliament yesterday after Trevor Mallard correctly applied the standing orders and ruled out a question containing an unparliamentary term. And National has responded by questioning if Jacinda Ardern was actually described as a “silly little girl” but has refused to question its MPs.
It looks like the National collective has doubts about Simon Bridges’ pulling power.
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 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.
National’s claims about Labour’s health spend suffer from the not insignificant problem that they do not make any sense when analysed.
Simon Bridges has committed the twin political sins of not only believing in trickle down but in publicly confirming his belief.
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.
National has promised to overturn Auckland’s Regional Fuel Tax. But has no proposal for how the funding will be replaced.
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.
Media pundits are claiming on the evidence offered by one poll that the Government’s political honeymoon is over. But the same claim was made four months ago.
Jacinda Ardern has accepted the US, UK and French response to the Syrian crisis. Should she have instead condemned it?
Between the crisis facing Middlemore Hospital’s buildings and the farce surrounding the cost of repairs of repairs of the Canterbury rebuild, National’s claim that it is a party of strong economic management looks at least misguided.
In the second stage of a false flag attack, facts go out the window and the sole issue becomes “are you for us or against us.” Our media and National Party politicians are well into this stage in the Skripal affair. But as questions mount and skeptics proliferate from all sides, Jacinda Ardern and Winston Peters may well be wiser than media advisers by not following blindly the western herd. 26 countries is not the whole world. Update: Porton Down unable to establish Novichok of Russian origin.
The past week has seen the Herald focus on issues concerning Clare Curran to the almost exclusion of anything else, including the perilous state of our Health system and Kim Dotcom’s successful appeal against the last Government’s breach of his rights of privacy.
The first big Kiwibuild announcement, 3 to 4,000 houses in Mt Albert has been made. And National has responded that it was all their idea and they did not want to announce it because it would be seen as pork barrelling.
Keep it seemly …
The Government is reconsidering the future of New Zealand’s block offer process which releases exploration permits to the oil industry for exploratory drilling.
Phil Twyford has the perfect response to National’s claim that Judith Collins’ appointment as Housing Spokesperson would cause him to lose sleep.
National’s new line up has been announced. And there are some heavy hints to a few MPs that their careers may be ending soon.
Steven Joyce’s resignation may be the first of many as National adjusts to the possibility of a lengthy stay in opposition.
In this very important first week Simon Bridges has committed two major blunders. He has claimed he was environmentally friendly when any view of his Ministerial history would confirm that this is not the case. And he forgot his Government oversaw the stripping of democratic rights from all prisoners, and adjusted his position when his error was pointed out.
Avid watchers of Simon Bridges’ regular breakfast television appearances debating Jacinda Ardern when they were both relatively junior MPs will recall that 9 […]
It’s pretty grim reading for the new Nat leader this morning. Pundits reckon he has no show in 2020.
The initial response from right wingers online to the news that National’s new leader is Simon Bridges is a big meh.
The new leader of the National Party has been announced. It is Simon Bridges with Paula Bennett remaining as deputy.
Today we will find out if National is taking a step backwards. Or two steps backwards.
Damien Grant thinks that National is a relic and should fracture into libertarian and conservative parties.
Judith Collins has picked on the campaign term strong and decisive for behaviour better described as brutal and obdurate.
Simon Bridges has announced that he too will be seeking the National Party leadership.
