Even your Granny doesn’t believe you anymore
The Herald editorial this morning lambastes National’s crime policy as “simply a more extreme version of a policy that has failed this country […]
zzero use
election 2008
Green TV ads
The Greens’ new TV ads are up on Youtube. Pretty sparse, but they get the message across clearly. [Hat tip: frogblog]
In case you missed it
Here’s the footage from 3News last night on the fresh National Party cocktail revelations. Bill English’s comments again serve to reinforce the message […]
On ‘doing what it takes to win’
As you know, the latest secret agenda tape has Bill English saying National will do what it needs to do to win, even […]
Standard Scoop: Key gives poor another booting
No, I’m not talking about National’s tax cuts, which would hit the poorest Kiwis in the pocket – John Key doesn’t seem to […]
Greens set their standards for coalition partners
The Greens have announced that they will choose their preferred coalition partner based on their commitment to 12 criteria. I’ll just look at […]
Small change
That was going to be the title of my first post on National’s tax-cut plan but then it turned out National’s plan would […]
Reviews of Nats’ tax cut/Kiwisaver cut/R&D cut policy
Just a quick note at the start for our press gallery friends who live in central Wellington on high incomes. 50% of New […]
Nats break into your piggy-bank
John Key has announced that Kiwisaver would be slashed along with National’s tax cuts for the rich (and they are tax cuts for […]
Tax cuts for the rich
National has released its tax policy. At first glance it appears the top rate will be reduced to 37% by 2011, giving the […]
The test
After building a political career that has consisted of little more than calling for tax cuts and attacking those that were delivered, John […]
Power to attack Nats’ new prison policy?
If he stands true to his principles, National justice spokesman Simon Power will soon be criticising the cost of their proposed new prison. […]
Changing the subject
Former National advisor Richard Long has let the cat out of the bag. The day before National’s much-hyped, cure-all tax cut package is to be […]
Will Labour back $15 minimum wage?
The unions want the minimum wage lifted to $15 an hour, two thirds of the average hourly rate, restoring the historic ratio. The […]
The rainy day cometh
The Pre-election Fiscal Update projects that gross debt will rise from 17.4% today to 24.3% of GDP in five years. Fortunately, we are […]
Spin-busting: Govt could have used surpluses for tax cuts
With the economic situation deteriorating the surpluses the Government has run for the first eight years have turned to a deficit. National’s line […]
Party like it’s 1946
Reverting to type
Fearing a PR disaster over their tax-cut package announcement later this week, National has reverted to type, shedding the moderate facade and proposing […]
Previewing the Prefu
Tomorrow the government’s books will be opened up. It is not expected to be a pretty picture. Oil prices and the credit crunch […]
Fighting the moral fight
There are two core strains to left-wing thought. Both of them can be seen as rooted in the evolution of the scientific method […]
CTU on closing the wage gap
The Council of Trade Unions has done a lot of work on why wages are low for many workers in New Zealand and […]
Trivialising the electoral process
I don’t have a lot of time for Winston Peters’ politics or his dodgy electoral practices, but sometimes the man just hits the […]
Video: Why vote? Watch this
We’ve seen the work of Declare Yourself before. Their message is aimed at voters in the US but the call to engage and […]
Wage gap decreasing thanks to pro-worker policies
As The Standard first reported on April 1 and Radio New Zealand picked up today, Treasury figures show that the wage gap […]
Good on youse
Yesterday, I printed and cut 6500 A6 leaflets from the designs on the Campaign Hub and took them along to Drinking Liberally. They […]
Rhetoric vs reality
With expectations about National’s tax cuts justifably very high (thanks to National talking them up for nine years), National is suddenly trying to […]
Here’s an idea, ask the expert
Don’t take it from me. Certainly don’t take it from a National hack, who despite being a professional statistician, is too dishonest to […]
Great expectations
John Key is being pretty evasive on his tax cut plan. He won’t say whether the famous ‘$50 a week for the average worker’ […]
Nats’ ‘NZ sucks’ campaign vs the facts
08wire produces some of the most well-thought out and best argued pieces on the blogosphere, as well as great videos. Well, I know […]
Between the lines: Nats’ RMA free-for-all
The RMA is a quick and cheap process in the vast majority of cases, and it is regarded as a world-leading piece of […]
When did lying become OK?
On Breakfast this morning, failed National party candidate Paul Henry and Guyon Espiner discussed the possibility of the Maori Party and National working […]
The Kingmaker but only one potential King
Let’s get serious about the idea of the Maori Party working with National. Yes, they want to play up the possibility to enhance […]
More posters and leaflets on the Hub
We’ve got a range new posters and leaflets up on the Campaign Hub and we’re keen to see more. Some people are printing […]
Still nothing personal
National desperately wants to portray any criticism of John Key as a personal attack. Don’t be taken in. Look, PM is a powerful […]
Attack on democracy
National have quietly released their policy on electoral law and have promised to abolish the Maori seats once treaty claims are finished, repeal […]
Expect the unexpected
I’m probably going to be at odds with my fellow Standardistas in this but I support having debates featuring just Clark and Key. […]