Labour’s support for renters
While National revert to type with populist scaremongering, Labour is getting on with the business of releasing practical policy that supports real people and addresses real problems.
Social issues
Regeneration Minister’s Mysterious Non-appearance
Nicky Wagner seems to shy away from the hard stuff. First gazing dreamily out a window wishing she was somewhere else (when being addressed by Disability groups) and now a no-show at a debate about her City and Portfolio.
Shameful poverty – why we must elect a Labour led government
Two excellent but very disturbing pieces in The Herald yesterday. This crisis in poverty, housing and health is a national disgrace. It is why we desperately need to elect a Labour led government in September.
Is Justice Binnie vindicated by the Teina Pora decision?
What we can learn about Collins, Adams and the national Cabinet from Teina Pora’s Judicial review win.
“All I can do … is tell the Truth”
“Our integrity and our role as Ministers in holding confidential information is absolutely pivotal to our role” Bennett 2017
Public Event in Christchurch
Thursday August 31 Cardboard Cathedral at 7pm Meteria Turei speaks about the importance of addressing poverty, for all of us. See you […]
National announces free house for everyone!
Effective 2020. Terms & Conditions apply. House may or may not resemble the one pictured. Must prove you voted National in Election […]
Labour announce affordable tertiary education
As the Nats stand exposed in another apparent dirty politics hit, Labour gets on with the job of winning the election. Jacinda Ardern today announced new policy: Making tertiary education and training affordable for all.
National is telling fibs on housing
During the weekend one of National’s rising stars Amy Adams debates housing with Labour’s Phil Twyford. Adams was supremely confident but the data she relied on appears to have problems …
WINZ and Super Scandals
Here’s the scandal.
Nats double down on failed national standards policy
The centerpiece of National’s campaign launch was an education package that doubles down on the demonstrably failed national standards policy. Out of ideas.
Congratulations Black Ferns!
The All Blacks won a game last night, but it is the Black Ferns who own the front page of the (online) Herald today. An overdue sign of changing times. Good stuff.
Garner on Nats’ brighter future fail
Duncan Garner reviews National’s record, and is not impressed: “Because the list of blind spots for National is too long. If this is success then our standards have slipped.”
A tale of two hospital announcements
There were some notable differences between Labour and National’s accouncements of a new Dunedin hospital…
Another DHB in trouble
National found $10b down the back of the sofa for roads roads roads, but is under funding our health system to the point of collapse.
Still no answers on housing from Nats
Yesterday Phil Twyford debated Amy Adams on the housing crisis. Adams was hopeless, the Nats still have no answers.
Godwin on Godwin
It’s ok to call Nazis Nazis.
Excuses/reasons, for not doing anything about children in poverty.
Excuses/reasons, for not doing anything about children in poverty.
This is a re-post from 2013. Unfortunately the need to talk about poverty is even greater now.
Equal pay protestors chase the Government out of the Dunedin hospital
They ran away from equal pay.
A “Culture of Entitlement”?
With the current dialog about welfare, It is time to look at the people who are the real beneficiaries, of the welfare system.
Who use the educated and healthy workforce our system provides
The people who say “everyone should stand on their own two feet”, “you don’t work you don’t eat”, and “take personal responsibility”,
The business sector.
Labour addresses urgent mental health need in Canterbury
In the wake of devastating earthquakes in Canterbury, National’s treatment of mental health needs in the region has been absolutely shameful. Yesterday Jacinda Ardern released new policy to help address the crisis. Great work from Labour in an area that National have cruelly neglected.
Race Relations Commissioner calls on UN to to support inquiry into the abuse of children in state care
Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy has called on the UN to tell the government to hold an independent inquiry into the abuse of children and people with disabilities in state care. (Some of us were wrong about Devoy!)
Nats repeat failed bootcamp policy in plea to rally their scared angry base
English’s “boot camp” policy is pure politics. As much as he tries to deny it, it’s more or less an exact repeat of Key’s failed 2008 attempt, it would do much more harm than good if ever implemented. More than any other flailing to date, this mess is a sign of National’s desperation.
Labour’s School Leavers’ Toolkit
“Labour’s School Leavers’ Toolkit will help students learn to drive, understand practical budgeting, be equipped with workplace skills, and learn how our political system operates through civics education at school. Every secondary school will be resourced to provide these courses.”
Brutal
Punitive welfare settles into a new low.
National promises stronger, more skilled criminals
National are going to send our most “hardened” youth offenders to the Army to be trained up. If that fails, they’ll send them to adult prisons to learn their craft better.
National promises to get tough on youth crime
National has announced its policy to deal with youth crime by reannouncing a military service scheme that already exists, proposing a special category for young offenders that will have some young people seek that status and by proposing to fine parents who can’t keep their kids home at night.
Fire and Fury over North Korea
Donald Trump may not know it but Koreans certainly remember the last time the United States unleashed fire and fury over North Korea. In the 1950s, B-29s used bombs and napalm to flatten every North Korean city. Gen Curtis Lemay boasted that the USAF killed off 20% of the population. That’s why this time they have nuclear weapons.
3:43
Great (Aussie) video on the gender pay gap… [twitter_video id=”895540259642986497″]
Do you?
In the interests of keeping it simple, an obvious fact or two and a basic proposition.
Corbyn-esque NZ
This post was written and ready to go and then news of Metiria Turei stepping down hit. Some of it might read a little strangely because of that. I’ve changed some of the tenses used.
The Listener on our health system crisis
A major piece by Jessica McAllen in The Listener out today. Cash-strapped hospitals are using unsafe hardware-store versions of proper surgical-grade equipment, and reusing “single use” devices.
Messages for the Left
Kōrero Pono writes about the class divide within the parliamentary Left and the importance of the wider Left’s message in this election.
Health disasters – useless Coleman in all kinds of shit
The Health system is riddled with crises and useless Minister Jonathan Coleman is in all kinds of shit. He doesn’t seem to care any more and we won’t front up for interviews. Coleman is a disgrace.
No Right Turn: Dealing with ghost homes
“we want houses to be homes for people to live in, not gold bars for the rich”
Lifeline funding cut
Funding to Lifeline has been cut in favour of an organisation with a family link to Bill English. It may be completely innocent as all the interested parties claim. But it’s not a good look to be destroying Lifeline, an organisation doing world class work in an area of desperate need. You don’t easily replace that experience.