Doofus of the week – April 7, 2018
Another easy decision. Gerry Brownlee wins for overseeing a $210 million blow out in EWC’s liability for Christchurch earthquake re-repair work and for being upset when Megan Woods called him on it.
Media
the praiseworthy and the pitiful
Ardern was right to hold back on Russia
Remember two weeks ago when Jacinda Ardern’s handling of the Russian poisoning scandal was considered to be a major misstep? Well with the benefit of hindsight it appears to have been a very balanced nuanced response to an incident that is not as clear cut as it was presented.
Gaza
Is it the new by-word for silence?
Regrets, John Key’s had a few *
or more accurately one. A failed vanity flag referendum.
National’s strong economic management …
Between the crisis facing Middlemore Hospital’s buildings and the farce surrounding the cost of repairs of repairs of the Canterbury rebuild, National’s claim that it is a party of strong economic management looks at least misguided.
This is extremely dangerous to our democracy
Make of this what you will.
The Largesse
April the first and second mark the days when those receiving entitlements receive a yearly increase in line with the CPI and the governments increase to Accommodation Supplement also comes into effect. So what does it all mean for those receiving entitlements?
Hope – A powerful but dangerous tool.
Some interesting musings on hope and dashed hope by “Upper Hutt boy in London” – Nick Kelly.
The manufacturing of a narrative
The past week has seen the Herald focus on issues concerning Clare Curran to the almost exclusion of anything else, including the perilous state of our Health system and Kim Dotcom’s successful appeal against the last Government’s breach of his rights of privacy.
Love war, fear and hate.
Political power doesn’t respond well when those who are meant to be invisible decide to be visible.
Joyce may have been right about the Fiscal hole
Steven Joyce’s prediction of a $11.7 billion deficit in the Government’s finances may be true. But this is because the last Government has underfunded health and hidden problems.
Local Bodies: NZ Politics, a rocky road ahead.
Dave Kennedy at Local Bodies looks at the tough task ahead for Labour, and where retired MPs are landing.
Kiwibuild kicks off
The first big Kiwibuild announcement, 3 to 4,000 houses in Mt Albert has been made. And National has responded that it was all their idea and they did not want to announce it because it would be seen as pork barrelling.
Naughty Nick’s Parliamentary Porkie
Nick Smith has been caught out by Trevor Mallard telling a porkie in Parliament.
Du Plessis-Allan jumps the shark
Heather Du Plessis-Allan has suggested that there is a power struggle happening in the Labour Party. Without the benefit of things normally considered to be important elements of an argument, those things being facts.
Doofus of the week – March 17, 2018
is awarded this week to Lisa Prager who is convinced that construction of cycleways in Auckland is part of a global conspiracy to take away our rights and whose sledge hammering technique is not optimal.
Collins: No one cares about National’s abject failure over housing
Judith Collins thinks that no one cares that National oversaw the creation of a significant housing crisis.
Housing needs a builder not a crusher
Phil Twyford has the perfect response to National’s claim that Judith Collins’ appointment as Housing Spokesperson would cause him to lose sleep.
Was National a good economic manager?
Bill Rosenberg from the CTU has stated convincingly why National is not and was not a sound manager of the economy.
Doofus of the week March 10, 2018
An occasional post where we celebrate the extremely banal or bad taste or idiotic behaviour in politics.
Steven Joyce threatens to sue Matthew Hooton and the NBR
Matthew Hooton has been sacked as a contributor to the NBR and Steven Joyce has threatened to sue him and the NBR over claims that Joyce is not popular in caucus and should be sacked.
Simon Bridges’ not very good first week
In this very important first week Simon Bridges has committed two major blunders. He has claimed he was environmentally friendly when any view of his Ministerial history would confirm that this is not the case. And he forgot his Government oversaw the stripping of democratic rights from all prisoners, and adjusted his position when his error was pointed out.
Doofus of the week – March 3, 2018
David Seymour has created history by being the first person to win two doofuses of the week awards for blatant misogyny and disrespecting young kiwis who this week won olympic medals.
Some Trash.
Being anti-plastic is all the rage these days. How might business respond?
Facebook Bullshit
A very cursory glance at Facebook, Palantir Technologies, Cambridge Analytica, AggregateIQ, click bait, targeted ads…and what the hell is the FBI playing at?
Doofus of the week – David Seymour
Hot on the heels on the news that he is going to spend valuable time dancing with the stars David Seymour has engaged […]
Little proposes radical shake up of the Criminal Justice system
Andrew Little has called for a complete change the way criminal justice works. But National’s initial response suggests that the prospects of a mature discussion on the issue are slim.
Joyce stands down as National struggles to find new leader *
* in Australia.
Arm me with
Teachers in America have responded to Donald Trump’s proposal to arm teachers in response to the Parkland School massacre with a request that they be armed with anything but guns.
National’s meh leadership contest
National’s leadership contest is one week old. The latest is a central edict that all candidates have to be nice to each other and a claim that candidates are not offering senior positions to MPs in exchange for their support.
Strong and decisive
Judith Collins has picked on the campaign term strong and decisive for behaviour better described as brutal and obdurate.
Seymour is dancing with the stars
David Seymour has indicated his commitment to improving ACT’s plight by enrolling for Dancing with the Stars.
Beetrooted
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce’s future in politics is on the line as he responds to allegations of infidelity, hypocrisy and misuse of Government resources.
No Bridges Bridges announces he will seek National leadership
Simon Bridges has announced that he too will be seeking the National Party leadership.
Bio-fuels.
Biofuels and fossil. The difference?
The problem with Charter Schools
The Government is moving to stop the creation of new charter schools and require existing charter schools to integrate with the public system.