Opening addresses for your convenience
In case you missed them last night, here are the National, Labour and Green election opening addresses, collected for your convenience.
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Labour Opening Address
Amazing. Brilliant. I’ve seen a lot of political television, and that would have to be the best piece of contemporary political television by a […]
TV1 at 7:50 – Opening Address
Labour’s election Opening Address will be broadcast on TV1 at 7:50pm tonight. Labour is hinting that the address will be something different, and unlike anything we have seen before. Given their gutsy campaigning so far, anything could happen! Make sure you tune in…
Ride that pony
On RNZ today: Mr Goff said Prime Minister John Key did not have the “guts” to debate him. “It’s time to make a […]
Campaigning on policy – what a concept!
Labour has once again broken the mould and chosen to focus its election campaign on policy. As a country we’ve been saying for a long time that elections should be about policies and not personalities. Now we’ve got a chance to try it. If the media is up to the challenge, of course.
Labour’s savings & retirement policy
Well, they said they were going to run this campaign on policy and make the bold moves, and Labour proved that with their savings policy. National is been left floundering. Brand Key is unraveling while Labour starts to dictate the play for the first time since Orewa. But the substance of the savings policy wants a closer look, it has both good and bad aspects.
Cult of personality deficit
It’s not surprising that National are trying to run a presidential, personality based election campaign – after all, their policies aren’t going to […]
Not quite beyond parody
There’s almost too many excellent parodies of National’s silly billboards and ads.
A campaign launch for the times
Labour’s cleverly wrong-footed Brand Key with a policy-based campaign launch. Key will look out of touch playing messiah at his campaign launch while the economy burns. Labour’s ads are great. The Tories are in panic mode: they don’t feature Goff enough moans Key; they feature Goff too much cries Clare Robinson; the lighting’s wrong whines Hoots. They’re afraid to take on the message.
There, fixed it for you
NoRightTurn: Election choices
I/S looks at two dividing lines between left and right that may help your choice in a month’s time. The first is Afghanistan. Labour has promised to bring the SAS home within 90 days. National won’t commit to withdrawing. The second is water: National wants more subsidies to polluters; Labour and the Greens want businesses to pay for their use of public resources.
Europe finance ministers’ meeting cancelled
The meeting of European Finance Ministers set for Wednesday that was supposed to put in place the framework for the Euro support has been cancelled. Certainty appears ever more elusive. The downside scenario to Treasury’s PREFU begins to look like the most realistic option. It is time our media took off the rose-tinted spectacles and asked some hard questions of the government in the run-up to the election.
Why are the Right acting like losers?
It was meant to be so easy. With high polling and several possible support partners, National would breeze into a second term thanks to Brand Key. The man himself would carried around the country by crowds of adoring locals. It would be more coronation than campaign. So, why are National weather-vanes, Farrar and Slater, hitting the panic-button?
PREFU
The Pre-Election Fiscal and Economic Update is out. It shows that National has broken its promises on the economy once again. Under National, we are under-performing woefully and their only response is to continue to promise that brighter future is just around the corner. Time for parties with real plans: Labour and the Greens.
Undesirables for Banks
Pamphlets are circling highlighting past comments made by Mr Banks, including anti-homosexuality and racist ideas. Right-wing bloggers say it’s all part of nasty campaign tactics by Labour. “waa, waa, waa” said Farrar and Slater “it’s mean to quote a man’s words when he’s trying to keep his true views secret from the voters”.
Nats in a world of their own
National’s new online ad campaign shows a roadworker with a stop sign, supposedly representing Labour (he has a red hat and red swandry so you get the point) and another roadworker with a go sign meant to represent National (although his sign is green … searching for a support partner?). It’s pretty bare-faced cheek from the party with the worst economic record in this country’s history.
The austerity death trap
In response to tough economic times, Government austerity programmes do more harm than good. It’s a pretty simple equation based on the debt / GDP ratio. With an election coming up soon, NZ needs to look for economic competence and a willingness to try new ideas, rather than muddling along deeper into the austerity death trap.
Friends like these
Act president Chris Simmons on Don Brash’s sudden trip to Europe: Brash’s skills were in economic management, not in “glad-handing rugby players and tickertape parades” which he would happily leave to Prime Minister John Key.
John Banks: “I’m going to do the photo opportunity with Richie McCaw,” he laughed. “I need the votes more than Dr Brash.”
Leaks and leaks
As more oil leaks from the Rena, National’s beginning to leak too. I’ve just been hearing about their latest internal polling, and it ain’t pretty. As the earlier Horizon poll suggested, the Rena has been an inflection point for National and the masses of soft support they’ve accumulated is drifting away.
We won!
The All Blacks have won and the cup has come back.
Congratulations to the ABs and everyone who supports them.
We Won!
US to leave Iraq by Xmas – Obama
Mission accomplished. Meanwhile Cameron comes to urge Key to keep our troops in Afghanistan.
Questions for leaders’ debate
TV1 is calling for submissions of questions for their televised leaders’ debate. Want to give them a hand?
Some questions in passing
+ Wouldn’t a Key endorsement of Banks be an admission that a Labour-led government is possible if ACT doesn’t make it?
+ Is the delay in Key’s endorsement because the Nats are worried that revelations will make Banks unelectable regardless and an endorsement will tarnish Brand Key by association?
+Is it true that ACT is seeking legal advice on removing Banks from the ballot?
Mishandled Rena costing Nats votes
A recent poll confirms that the expected loss of Nat votes over the Rena disaster is a real effect.
Death cab for Banksie
Another Epsom poll has ACT’ stuffed. Goldsmith: 37%; Banks: 24%; Parker: 17%. However, it also says the blue-rinsers will obediently tick Banks if Key explicitly tells them to. But will he? Will the chance of saving 2% ACT be worth the nationwide loss of votes from linking Key’s brand to that mess of a party? His equivocating suggests the Nats haven’t decided.
A new low
Last election, National promised to subsidise a treatment for the rare and deadly Pompe disease. Now, they won’t even meet with the sufferers. The truth is that New Zealand can’t afford ongoing treatments that cost $1m per patient per year. National promises us whatever we want to hear to get our votes. Knowing from the start they’ll never deliver.
No pay rises under Nats
St. Augustine said “Lord, give me chastity, but not yet”. Was reminded of that reading the Tories’ reaction to Labour’s work and wages policy. Tories say they want you to have higher wages. But not yet. It’s always later. Once you’ve earned it. In the ‘brighter future’. And they’ll scream blue murder any time you demand what you deserve today.
Time for a Government
Last election it was “Time for a change”. After three years of incompetence and inaction, our priorities should be different this time…
Parallels with the Past
On Sunday the 10th of May 2008, John Key gave a speech at the Southern Regional Conference explaining National’s platform for the looming election. It’s an interesting read, and looking back to consider words from the past can uncover some revealing realities about the present
micky savage: Is it Phil Goff’s time?
Two weeks ago I thought that Goff and Labour did not have a chance in this election. National’s lead in the polls seemed too big, the country still seemed to be in love with John Key and Goff just was not getting the media cut through necessary to change hearts and minds. Then something happened. The wheels started to fall off National’s well honed machine.
National’s tooth fairy wishlist
National’s election billboards focus on National’s “Brighter Future” plan. They’re not a plan, more like a wish-list for the tooth fairy. Bill board No 1 says “End the deficit sooner”. Sooner than what? This year’s budget? Not likely according to Brian Gaynor in today’s Herald. Pollyanna John promised a brighter future in 2008 – that hasn’t happened and the rerun may be wearing very thin.
Over or Into The Wall?
Will the protests around the world hit the brick wall of ingrained habits? Or will we manage to get over, around or beneath that particular barrier to progress?
What the BSA said – Key on RadioLive
The Broadcasting Standards Authority has decided that Key’s hour-long promotional programme on RadioLive was not an election programme.
It will now be very interesting to see what the Electoral Commission decides in relation to advertising complaints.
What the Commission said – Key on RadioLive
Key’s staff spun to media that his Radio Live show was ok if he didn’t discuss politics, saying the station had received advice from the Electoral Commission that “political content’ could breach rules. That didn’t sound right to me, so I asked the Commission what they actually said.
Election flyers: Wage drop
Can we afford 3 more years of falling real wages under Key?
Famous liars
No wonder politicians get such a bad rep.