Written By: - Date published: 1:41 pm, September 6th, 2020 - 83 comments
Simon Thornley is claiming that New Zealand’s covid response is a failure and we should be more like Sweden. But it appears that in more recent times Sweden has toughened its stringency tests so that they are similar to New Zealand’s.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, September 5th, 2020 - 43 comments
Our cities are the nation’s lungs; they recycle and accelerate external goods and transform them internally into faster circulation. Auckland and Christchurch have had tens of billions invested in them over successive local and central governments, but has this improved our strength or wealth as a country at all?
Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, September 4th, 2020 - 78 comments
Everyone has recently had an education on “Socialism” working in practice.
And a graphic illustration of the shortcomings, of under regulated “Free market” Capitalism, Globalism, tax cuts for the rich, and the mania for monetising everything in sight, and “running it like a business”.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, September 2nd, 2020 - 28 comments
Post Trump how is the world order looking?
Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, September 2nd, 2020 - 43 comments
The Herald yesterday posted a story suggesting that Aucklanders were split over the second lockdown when the actual reality was the vast majority were supportive. And a subsequent article pointing out how positive the result was does not clear the perception of negative bias.
Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, August 31st, 2020 - 16 comments
New Zealand’s local and regional councils have been given until August 31 2020 to sign up to a ginormous fund that would help them improve their water, wastewater, and stormwater systems. The implications for them doing this are significant and could see the end of Council control of the supply of water.
Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, August 29th, 2020 - 304 comments
The Green Party is facing major push back from members relating to a decision to give shovel ready funding to a private school involved in education about the environment.
Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, August 27th, 2020 - 32 comments
The sentencing of the Christchurch Mosque mass murderer was shaping up to be a circus and allow the person in the dock to spread his message of hate. But so far it has been a cathartic event and has given the victims a chance to vent their feelings. And it has provided a chance for us to reinforce our solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters.
Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, August 25th, 2020 - 54 comments
A current case before the High Court is asking the question should 16 year olds be permitted to vote.
Written By: - Date published: 1:05 pm, August 24th, 2020 - 43 comments
Recent catastrophisation of the Government’s response to Covid by National is overplayed and overhyped, although some of the investigation by the media has been helpful in highlighting weaknesses in the response where improvement is important.
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, August 22nd, 2020 - 28 comments
This week Donald Trump has defended the US’s abysmal handling of Covid 19 by claiming that the disease is out of control in New Zealand. And National’s rhetoric continues to match what he is saying.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, August 21st, 2020 - 46 comments
Australian Prime Minister Scott Malcom has indicated he’s getting close to the deal of a lifetime for Australians with a letter of intent from Astra Zenica, who are in third stage clinical trials. Will New Zealand benefit?
Written By: - Date published: 8:18 am, August 20th, 2020 - 30 comments
The High Court has ruled that for technical reasons during the first nine days of the lockdown statements that New Zealanders were legally required to remain at home were incorrect.
Written By: - Date published: 1:02 pm, August 19th, 2020 - 24 comments
Inasmuch as tiny, distant New Zealand need worry about the foreign policy of the United States, it’s worth a drill into what a Democratic Party dominated United States foreign policy might look like.
Written By: - Date published: 3:52 pm, August 17th, 2020 - 16 comments
In NZ politics, the perception of fairness matters more than actual fairness.
Written By: - Date published: 1:19 pm, August 17th, 2020 - 36 comments
The Chief Executive of Watercare Raveen Jaduram has resigned. With Auckland Council’s recent Council Controlled Organisation review having been concluded and the recommendations released is this the opportunity to require meaningful change of Watercare?
Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, August 17th, 2020 - 114 comments
A coalition of losers has appeared demanding that the election is be delayed. Update: Ardern has announced a short deferral of election day to October 17.
Written By: - Date published: 5:10 pm, August 14th, 2020 - Comments Off on test post
https://twitter.com/TheAlanRichards/status/1304896549399547912
Written By: - Date published: 7:45 am, August 14th, 2020 - 47 comments
Covid has fundamentally changed society for the better in surprising ways.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, August 14th, 2020 - 15 comments
He’s old, boring, uninspiring, and offends no-one: surely he’ll fail miserably as President? But he has a stronger chance than any Democrat President since LBJ of getting very strong domestic reforms done.
Written By: - Date published: 10:25 am, August 10th, 2020 - 118 comments
Ten reasons to vote against cannabis law reform this election.
Written By: - Date published: 11:19 am, August 9th, 2020 - 70 comments
More bad news for NZ First. It looks like their hope that Northland could provide a get out of jail free card is misplaced.
Written By: - Date published: 5:09 pm, August 8th, 2020 - 94 comments
Jacinda Ardern’s speech to the Labour 2020 campaign launch.
Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, August 7th, 2020 - 110 comments
In a sign of desperation National has trotted out John Key to campaign that the country’s success in containing Covid should be put to risk because of a misguided perception that it would be good for the economy.
Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, August 5th, 2020 - 10 comments
Ruth Dyson has given a very funny very incisive valedictory speech in Parliament and will bow out of politics at this election. She deserves our thanks.
Written By: - Date published: 1:54 pm, August 3rd, 2020 - 33 comments
National has a crop of new candidates in Auckland all wanting to be in Parliament. But judging by what has happened so far you have to wonder if there are further allegations that may emerge which may ankle tap carefully stage managed campaigns.
Written By: - Date published: 6:01 pm, August 2nd, 2020 - 34 comments
A review of National’s week which is as bad as any week I can remember.
Written By: - Date published: 12:48 pm, August 2nd, 2020 - 33 comments
Back in 2017 I was upset, we had a leadership vote only in caucus – just before the election. I didn’t realise at the time that Andrew Little was actually stepping down in favour of Jacinda Ardern. She’d had the potential, but I hadn’t realised that Little thought she was up for the task. I’m delighted with the result. Thank you Andrew.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, August 1st, 2020 - 70 comments
With the growing assertions by the Chinese government across the eastern Pacific including in Hong Kong and our own repudiation of an extradition treaty, there are now calls to expand the Five Eyes intelligence network to include Japan.
Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, July 31st, 2020 - 35 comments
The Heron Report has been released and reinforces the public perception that this was a cynical misuse of confidential information by National for political purposes and a clusterfuck of epic proportions.
Written By: - Date published: 12:59 pm, July 28th, 2020 - 56 comments
Judith Collins has backed away from telling a mistruth about escape statistics during her time as Minister of Corrections by claiming that her eyebrow was raised and this is evidence that what she was saying was a joke.
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