Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, October 17th, 2013 - 28 comments
John Banks is to stand trial for knowingly submitting a false electoral expenses return. He’s charged, thanks to the private prosecution after the Police failed to act, with breaching s134(1) of the Local Electoral Act. Let’s take a look at the two lines of defence Banks has argued, and how they contradict each other.
Written By: - Date published: 8:12 pm, October 16th, 2013 - 91 comments
Today’s decision that John Banks will stand trial for signing a false donations return signals the beginning of the end of the Key government. Increasingly it resembles the last days of the Shipley government only worse, as corruption replaces shambles. The decision also puts the famous tea party conversation between Key and Banks, where they stitched up the deal to provide the present Government’s majority, into new perspective.
Written By: - Date published: 12:33 pm, October 16th, 2013 - 30 comments
Yesterday John Key, some MSM journos and a few Standard commentators were gloating that recently released Census 2013 data showed David Cunliffe was wrong in his concern with regional decline. The evidence shows Cunliffe is correct.
Written By: - Date published: 12:10 pm, October 16th, 2013 - 108 comments
No-one’s happy with the revelations about Len Brown’s private life, apart from Slater (himself also an adulterer) who is wallowing in all the details that Chuang seems only too happy to provide. But what’s interesting is that this is clearly a political play. Who’s behind it and what do they have to gain? The players: Slater, Slater snr, Chuang, and Palino.
Written By: - Date published: 10:13 am, October 16th, 2013 - 15 comments
The Republican majority in the US House of Representatives changed their standing orders to remove the right of any Representative to move that a Senate resolution be adopted. Watch Rep Chris van Hollen explain it. If his motion was allowed to come to the floor, there would be enough moderate Republicans in the House who would support the Democrats, and the gridlock that threatens the world economy would be removed. No wonder the Republicans are tanking in the polls.
Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, October 16th, 2013 - 31 comments
As the resulting court battles die away and the suppression orders lift, the level of sheer dumb stupidity and outright silly paranoia of the police and other agencies involved in Operation 8 becomes clearer. It is time to start examining the officers in the police who brought so much dishonour and disrespect to their force. And where better than Te Putatara who has a post up which details a raid who had a court examination of the validity of the bloated and illegal search warrant to court – while a raid was in progress.
Written By: - Date published: 9:22 pm, October 15th, 2013 - 177 comments
Len’s acknowledged affair can’t have been a secret until today – there are affidavits involved. It can’t have been about the campaign for mayor – otherwise the Slaters would have dropped it before the election. I think there is a bigger story that may come out tomorrow, involving Len’s opponent in the previous mayoral election. For what it’s worth, I also don’t think Len’s affair is a hanging offence. He’s a good man and has been a very good mayor, for Manukau and for Auckland.
Written By: - Date published: 12:59 pm, October 15th, 2013 - 27 comments
The District Court is hearing evidence today as to whether John Banks should stand trial for signing a donations return that he knew to be false. Kim Dotcom has given evidence – the Herald reports that when he agreed to give Banks a donation of $50,000, Banks asked for it to be split and to be made anonymous., so that if Banks helped DotCom in the future it would not be known that he had donated to him.
Written By: - Date published: 11:56 am, October 15th, 2013 - 37 comments
This morning Cunliffe shows how to front the media on current issues, and respond to journalists questions clearly and decisively while being informed on the issues. Questions about Kōhanga Reo National Trust, US government debt crisis, affordable housing, need better skills training, Euthanasia Bill.
Written By: - Date published: 8:32 pm, October 14th, 2013 - 239 comments
This must be one of the worst “interviews” given by an NZ cabinet minster tonight on Campbell Live. Simon Bridges all bluster, anger, spin and diversions, and fails to answer the real questions about the dangers of the deep sea drilling off NZ’s coast. The ugly face of John Key’s government. [Update: Youtube video of the interview]
Written By: - Date published: 1:46 pm, October 10th, 2013 - 29 comments
For the second time in less than 12 months the High Court has ruled a decision of Hekia Parata’s to be invalid. The latest decision to be invalidated was the decision to close Phillipstown School in Christchurch. It is clear that either Parata needs better advisors or John Key needs a new Minister of Education.
Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, October 10th, 2013 - 8 comments
Cunliffe’s CTU speech is significant, rousing and inspiring, laying out a shift “from a cost-based to a value-based” strategy- for an inclusive society and one that provides a good life for “all” Kiwis, with opportunities for all. Video of the speech is a must see. And social security? [Update: Gordon Campbell] & Turei’s speech
Written By: - Date published: 8:08 pm, October 9th, 2013 - 17 comments
In Christchurch East National is up and running in the by election, well sort of. A contributor points out that the National candidate, Matthew Doocey has not referred to the most pressing issues for the residents of Christchurch East, dealing with the EQC and the Insurance companies and the cost of housing.
Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, October 9th, 2013 - 8 comments
Time is running out and today is a good day to make sure that you have posted your votes in for the Local Government election in your area. And while you are at it remind your friends and family to do the same.
Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, October 9th, 2013 - 108 comments
A recent study gives a strong indication of the extent of, and the recent increases in, insecure work in NZ. It is being released at the CTU conference today, along with the launch of a campaign to improve worker security. [Update: Cunliffe to CTU on Labour pledges]
Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, October 9th, 2013 - 44 comments
One thing John Key always seems to like to do is to appear to be stupid about his own job. Last week the fool said that parliament had to ratify a TPPA treaty. Either through incompetence at his job or by deliberately lying to the public, he is completely wrong. This is something that a few minutes reading of the MFAT website could have told him.
Written By: - Date published: 10:33 am, October 8th, 2013 - 76 comments
John Key’s role as Obama surrogate in chairing TPP discussions at APEC just reinforce how much Key is deeply involved in crony capitalist, Big Corporate serving networks of influence: ones that link him with anti-democratic Big Tobacco, Big Oil, and climate change denial propaganda.
Written By: - Date published: 11:27 am, October 7th, 2013 - 16 comments
Statistics New Zealand has released the census night data and there will be one new seat in the North Island. The process of sorting out new boundaries could have significant implications for seats particularly those around Auckland.
Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, October 6th, 2013 - 28 comments
The Sunday programme this evening has Rob Gilchrist, police spy and provocateur, breaking his silence about the decade he spent amongst mostly peaceful activists. He was one amongst the very many sworn officers and informants that the police, spy agencies, and their civilian detective agencies use to monitor and often to disrupt democratic change. At […]
Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, October 6th, 2013 - 104 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike…
Written By: - Date published: 10:32 am, October 5th, 2013 - 94 comments
Old man Armstrong’s out on the Herald’s front lawn this morning, shaking his fist and telling those bloody kids in Labour to stop questioning whether the Reserve Bank is doing the right thing. They should sit quietly and accept whatever the Bank decides to do. This is called ‘consensus’, apparently. Problem is, Armstrong provides no justification for complete RB independence.
Written By: - Date published: 8:06 am, October 4th, 2013 - 58 comments
Earlier this year, National attacked the Greens’ Progressive Ownership housing policy, a ‘rent-to-own’ scheme that effectively gives first homebuyers access to the Crown’s low cost of capital. Nat fanboi John Armstrong said “It is a dog of a policy. It should be put out of its misery”. Now, National’s nicked it. The problem is, they’re just doing it on a token scale.
Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, October 3rd, 2013 - 43 comments
Central Auckland, gated city candidates get cosy about their grass verges. The west has a crisis in affordable rents & homelessness. Labour & Nats housing policies bow to the middle class home ownership agenda. Greens & Mana look to state & council housing.
Written By: - Date published: 9:59 pm, October 1st, 2013 - 43 comments
We know there is a massive home affordability problem, especially in Auckland. So, here’s National’s plan: don’t build any additional houses, just sell some ‘surplus’ state houses in provincial towns… where there isn’t an affordability crisis, and give 500 families these houses up to $20,000 of taxpayer money. That’s not a home affordability policy, it’s a parody of one.
Written By: - Date published: 10:38 am, September 30th, 2013 - 16 comments
On The Nation Kris Faafoi laid out the bare bones of Labour’s policy on public broadcasting: strengthening public broadcasting across a range of platforms; continuing funding for NZOnAir to commercial broadcasters; balancing commercial & public service broadcasting; a new youth oriented public radio station. [Update: boycotting RNZ – you know why]
Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, September 30th, 2013 - 74 comments
Matthew Hooton has issued a public apology to David Cunliffe for his comments last week. It is a begrudging pale imitation of a proper apology and it is tucked behind NBR’s paywall but a backdown it is. All ears will now be on Radio New Zealand today and if Hooton does appear then there will be interesting issues raised about balance.
Written By: - Date published: 7:38 am, September 30th, 2013 - 85 comments
The Herald and John Key are whining that National will have a ‘moral mandate’ to govern after the next election if it is the highest polling party, even if it can’t form a majority and the Left can. But the Herald and Key don’t answer the critical question: how? How would a National Party that can’t secure a majority in Parliament govern?
Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, September 27th, 2013 - 53 comments
Hooton has somewhat backed down from his liar liar accusations against David Cunliffe, but the allegations of “CV embellishment” are still coming. For future reference, I look to the “master” for an example of how not to pad a CV. What can we learn from him? [Update: John Key’s bio?]
Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, September 27th, 2013 - 34 comments
The other day, I wrote a piece on Poto Williams’ selection to be Labour’s candidate in the Christchurch East by-election. I promptly had to ban a commenter who assumed her selection was due to a quota – ie. a woman Cook Islander can’t possibly win on her own merit. Unfortunately, it seems The Standard sets higher, um, standards than The Herald, which published a similar argument by Damien Rogers today.
Written By: - Date published: 9:07 pm, September 26th, 2013 - 81 comments
The right must be very afraid of David Cunliffe. Because they are coming up with the most extraordinarily crazy conspiracy theories to try and discredit him.
Written By: - Date published: 10:35 am, September 26th, 2013 - 78 comments
Radio New Zealand has issued an apology to David Cunliffe following Matthew Hooton’s recent smearing of him. If only Cameron Slater would do the same because he is starting to get pretty obsessional about Cunliffe. This may not be a bad thing as he is rapidly turning the Collins faction of the National Party into New Zealand’s equivalent of the Tea Party
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