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So, you're one of the 900,000 Kiwis who have so far signed up to Kiwisaver. You know that you get $1000 on signing up, you put in 4% of your gross income, the Government matches that up to $20 a week, and your employer matches…
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OK - they are not my words. I could do it - but then again I really liked what Gordon Campbell wrote: The financial meltdown poses a basic identity problem for National, the instinctive champion of de-regulation and market solutions. That's a bit of a…
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Jon Stewart looks at some recent clips from Fox News on the American presidential race. Just incredible.
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While Key was blathering on about who-cares-what yesterday, Clark announced a radical and forward-looking economic stimulus package. Now, Key is having a cry over Clark not notifying him beforehand of the deposit insurance scheme. As if the Prime Minister needs to seek the approval of an…
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Good to see Labour joining the Greens and Progressives with a universal student allowance policy. It has been a crying shame that many people who are trying to get an education and whose parents can't support them have had to borrow to get a fraction…
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It was inevitable that the focus of media coverage of Labour's announements yesterday would be the deposit insurance, it's a good self-centred middle-class story. But the important stuff, as Irish pointed out last night, is the re-training money, the speed-up of infrastructure construction, the money for sewerage,…
economy election 2008 labour national wages welfare workers' rights
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One of the first rules of politics is don't set yourself up to be snookered; don't position yourself in a way that your opposition can and will undercut, don't run attack lines that your opposition can and will invalidate. National has repeatedly done this. They…
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You're going to love this story. Pay attention, you'll need patience and concentration. It's got the lot - lies, conspiracy, fraud, theft, and a truly good cover up that has stood the test of time (until now). Let's begin. Here's John Key lying to Claire…
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When I saw this guy using the guise of a Youtube debate question to attack Clark on her appearance, I felt sorry for the little jerk - what a pathetic life he must lead. When I saw Bill 'do what it takes to win' English…
bill english election 2008 helen clark national same old national sexism
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One of the things that has pissed me off about MSM political analysis lately is the constant repetition of the idea that cutting taxes in a recession is all you need to do to be considered Keynesian. This is generally remarked upon in the context…
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From the campaign launch, I got this photo, and decided that I'd put it up for the skulkers complaining about the EFA. For some reason they were conspicuous by their absence (didn't want to tangle with 1600+ activists?). For the EFA fetishists, please note that…
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Labour is too damn popular! I'm at the campaign launch and the place is full. There are a couple of hundred of us hanging around in the lounges looking at the televisions - metres away from the hall. The Auckland town hall is overflowing with…
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The Herald reports that producers had to interrupt the filming of today's Eye to Eye because Mathew Hooten called Winston Peters a "f***ing c***". Apparently Hooton confirmed he used the phrase but was unrepentant. I think we all knew Hooten was a childish bully, it's…
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A few thoughts from today's Agenda: Questioned about why National would introduce another tax rebate, having endlessly criticised Working for Families because of its complexity, English says 'we do, in the long term, want a simpler tax system'. So, be on notice, Working for Families…
assets bill english economy election 2008 families kiwisaver Media national public services slippery spin tax workers' rights
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For the many of you who won't know, Tory boys David Farrar and Cameron Slater have been driving around the country interviewing MPs and youtubing the results. They did John Key in Rotorua the other day and the result is telling: What particularly interested me…
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I don't want this post to be taken as overly critical; it's just meant to offer some constructive advice. John Armstrong's piece in the Herald today is good. It's great to see a senior political commentator acknowledging that politics is a competition of ideologies, rather…
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Two headings in today's Herald caught my eye. One from John Armstrong (who I don't always agree with but who is most often an obersver of skill) who says "Tax plan turns divide into ideological chasm": After months of deliberately lying low on policy details,…
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I've brought the site up to date. All the various hacks that I put in this years have now been removed as the software and plugins have now been upgraded. The main area of difference is in the re-edit, which is no longer in-line. I'm…
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A utopia, an ideal socio-politico-legal system that we can work towards if never reach, should lie at the heart of ones political philosophy. Ones support for ideas and policies should be based on whether they further progress towards ones utopia. One of the earliest expoundings…
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My sources tell me Key has a big surprise planned for National's campaign launch tomorrow. In a break with tradition, Key will not be telling supporters about his plans for "a Labour government I lead". Instead, he will not be telling them about his plans…
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Spotted by an eagle eyed reader. Fancy leaving the running of our economy up to the Joker? Seems like the economic risks/challenges ahead have proved a creative inspiration....
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From TV3 A full 3 News political poll shows Helen Clark is back up off the canvas, while John key has taken a significant blow, in the very week he tried to land one using tax cuts.... Labour has been 12 points behind in the…
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National finally released their tax cut policy this week. If you earn less than $14,000 a year, it's the same as Labour's cuts. If you earn $14,000 to $24,000 and aren't getting Super, if you are a beneficiary, or if you get Working for Families…
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The new Roy Morgan poll is out today. It was taken between Sep 22 and October 5, and has National's vote collapsing by 7 points to 40.5%, Labour up one to 37.5 and the Greens shooting up to 9. So very good news for the…
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We've been receiving reports of some appalling statements by National MPs on the campaign trail. They mesh with the arrogance and heartlessness that shines through in the secret agenda tapes. A writer reports on David Bennet's performance at a forum on mental health policy in…
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I was going to write about the economic effects of taking money out of Kiwisaver and spending it on tax cuts but this youtube video with South Park characters does the job and is much more fun: (hattip: Labour's 'Campaign Trail' blog)
economy election 2008 john key kiwisaver labour national youtube
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The Herald editorial this morning lambastes National's crime policy as "simply a more extreme version of a policy that has failed this country and others" but Granny Herald consoles herself: In all likelihood, this is not something that Mr Key will pursue if National wins…
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The Greens' new TV ads are up on Youtube. Pretty sparse, but they get the message across clearly. [Hat tip: frogblog]