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National have a rubbish plan to deal with the $38billion of net government debt they've built up over the last 3 years. Asset sales is a short-term plan that pays for this year's school and hospital upgrades, but leaves us all much poorer in the…
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Today's Fairfax poll shows a rise in support for Labour of 3.2% (like the most recent 3 News poll which had Labour up 3.6% and National down 5.1%). National is at 52.6% and Labour on 31.3%. However: But what the poll also reveals is that…
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We would all like to see the number of people on benefits decrease. It ain't a nice life on the benefit. People who can work prefer to do it. That's why Labour got benefit numbers down by 104,000 and reduced the unemployment benefit to 17,000…
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Further to Anthony's post I thought more about Key's priorities as shown up in Monday's debate. What is most important to Key is shown up by what he saw as his biggest mistake: How he presented the purchase of BMWs. With all the disasters that…
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Key no doubt thinks it's very clever to call Phil Goff a "drunken sailor" in the debate, and then stage a "joke" where he bets on a horse called Drunken Sailor to come second in the Melboure Cup (second like Labour - geddit?). Apparently: He…
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Most strong democracies also have long tradition of high quality public broadcasting. In my opinion the situation in New Zealand has always been mixed. National Radio is a great success and an asset to the country (albeit an asset that is under threat from declining…
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Via Arthur Monteath-Carr and Elise Harris on Facebook. [And the reference, just in case there's anyone in NZ who still hasn't seen it]
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It struck me watching Goff and Key last night that it's a bit like watching Graham Henry arguing with Paul Henry. One was staid and sincere and not prone to torrid flourishs, the other smugly smirking confident that his showmanship will carry the contest. To…
campaigning election 2011 john key labour leadership national phil goff tv
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Here are my top moments from the first Leaders' Debate. Goff's passionate and upfront answer on Afghanistan. Key refusing to simply say yes or no on whether he would redeploy the SAS (it's dinnamic, don't you know). Goff calling Key out on his GST lie…
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You'd think if the Nats could convince anyone that they knew what they were doing it would be the business community. National is supposed to be the business party after all, they won't find a friendlier audience anywhere. But no, business owners aren't buying it: Key…
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Oh dear. This is not what National needed on the back of Goff besting Key in the first debate. National's new TV ad is on the world-class infrastructure they claim to have built. But it was all planned, funded, and mostly built by Labour. Have…
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National's got 60,000 more on benefits after 3 years. Nats' plan: get 46,000 off in 4 years (only 11,000 into work, the rest?) So, National's welfare plan = 14,000 more on benefits 7 years after coming to power. Ambitious for New Zealand? Where's National plan…
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According to John Key in the Leader's Debate, it's OK to break your promises because the world is "dinnamic". I'll have to try that next time I'm out late on the piss: 'Sorry, I'm late love, yeah sorry I didn't cook dinner like I promised.…
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Goff was the big underdog going into the debate after Key bested Clark in 2008. Goff far exceeded expectations. Got his policies out, got the best hits in, and sounded like a PM. Key was under-prepared and complacent. After an aggressive start intended to knock…
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The first debate. Phil Goff and John Key. TV1 at 7pm. Don't miss it! =================================================================== Update: See the website www.keyholes.co.nz for looking at the claims that Key makes in the debate. See also Twitter: #keyholes #ownourfuture #voteNZ Goff getting all the hits in. Got his policies across well. Key…
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Labour candidate for Northcote Paula Gillon writes: The Nats planned ‘starting-out’ youth rate is unfair, discriminatory and just plain bollocks It’s no surprise that TV3 showed a clip on Friday night where young people talked about how they didn’t agree with National’s proposed new ‘starting-out’…
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National has announced that the money gained from selling assets will go into a Future Fund and be spent on modernising schools. Is the sort of future they have in mind like the so-called "free schools" now being set up by the Conservatives in Britain…
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campaigning caption contest election 2011 john key leadership national
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It's been an extraordinary few weeks. It started with the double downgrade/DJ Key fiasco and Rena. Then Labour started dictating the play: its policies setting the beat of the campaign; its framing dominating. National took its only asset, Brand Key, and trashed it with its…
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The excellent Tom Scott from Stuff.
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So, that was National's 'big announcement'tm? Allocating money they've already banked into a fund which is just an accounting fiction for capital spending that was already budgeted for. It's a political fraud and an insult to our intelligence to say the asset sale money be…
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Last week I wrote about a Horizon poll which suggested that the Nats' mishandling of the Rena disaster was costing them votes. That's probably one of the factors behind the drop in their support in the latest 3 News / Reid poll. It's the Nats' largest…
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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There's a lot going on with the Qantas lockout that isn't being reported in our media. This guest post from a reader who's an aviation industry expert gives the dispute some context. I didn’t believe it yesterday when I was told yesterday that Qantas had…
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Labour has just over-shadowed Key's big smile and wave show today - where he is expected to reannounce spending - with another big policy. Labour will cancel National's Holiday Highway. With the money saved, they will make the existing road safe, and go 50-50 with…
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National has already booked the revenue from asset sales - despite people opposing them 4 to 1. The Budget docs say capital spending will be funded from the 'balance sheet': ie. buying new assets like schools and hospitals with revenue from selling the power companies.…
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To: Sir John Key (former PM of New Zealand) Address: Somewhere warm and comfortable Date: August 6, 2026 From: New Zealanders born from 2002 to 2011, living in New Zealand, Australia, UK, US and Asia. Subject: Happy 65th birthday Dear Sir John, We congratulate you…
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Five million kilos of radioactive yellow cake uranium are being shipped through New Zealand ports every year. ERMA was unaware this practice has been going on for the last 15 years and only learned of it in 2009, but not to worry, according to John…