Open mike 22/01/2023
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It will be Chippy for PM
Chris Hipkins is now set to become prime minister. I rather expected that would be the likely outcome. Helps the election campaign as it will mute the revolting misogynist arsehole conservatives of the right and some on the left. I’m really tired of listening to them, and I suspect that way more than half of the countries population are as well.
Open mike 21/01/2023
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Running on empty
Jacinda Ardern has realised that she was not in a position to commit to four more years as Prime Minister and has called it quits. Recent levels of abuse and misogyny shown to her have clearly played their part.
Nick Kelly’s email to Jacinda Ardern
In particular, I wish to acknowledge the strong compassionate leadership you took after the Christchurch Mosque attack. Your simple statement “they are us” regarding Muslims living in Aotearoa had a profound impact and broke down barriers of hate and ignorance at a time when tensions were so high. I still tear up thinking about how important your showing humanity and compassion was at that dark time. Thank you.
Open mike 20/01/2023
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Jacinda Ardern has announced she is standing down as PM …
Jacinda Ardern has just announced she is standing down as Prime Minister from February 7 and will not seek re-election. Further details will follow.
Slater and Lusk limp again
Cameron Slater and Simon Lusk have been accused of engaging in underhand tactics to upset National’s Tukituki selection process.
Open mike 19/01/2023
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Your Mindset and Your Money
Mega property owning entrepreneur Graeme Fowler thinks we can all be rich if we just changed our attitude.
The rich want their country back
The Electoral Commission has published that National raised $2.3 million dollars in large donations alone over the past 12 months.
Open mike 18/01/2023
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The curious case of Liz Truss
The truth is, the throwing caution to the wind approach of slashing taxes, removing restrictions on banker bonuses, and slashing other regulations such as IR35 were all consistent with what he and Truss had argued in Britannia Unchained a decade earlier. And these ideas found favour with the Conservative Party membership – with the idealised view of Thatcher’s vision of small government, deregulation and low taxation. For the general public, this was not so much ‘Britannia Unchained’ as ‘Libertarians Unhinged.
Open mike 17/01/2023
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German riot police defeated by some kind of mud wizard
Who said climate action can’t be funny?
Open mike 16/01/2023
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The importance of political narrative
Wayne Brown’s campaign techniques used in the Auckland Mayoral election are likely to be used by National in the election campaign this year.
Boris Johnson – why he fell and can he come back?
It is risky to make predictions, but it is safe to assume we have not heard the last of Boris Johnson. And much like Berlusconi in Italy, the results will undoubtedly be bad both for politics and the country.
The climate fight
What are we fighting exactly?
Open mike 15/01/2023
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Open mike 14/01/2023
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The Occupy Movement and the response to the 2008 financial crisis
As the world currently goes through a post-pandemic and Russian invasion of Ukraine fuelled economic crisis, it is interesting to reflect on the economic crisis of over a decade ago and how the public responded at that time.
Open mike 13/01/2023
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Dog whistling climate change
National MP Stuart Smith has tweeted suggesting that students should not be taught about climate change but should instead be taught the skills to decide for themselves if it exists.
Solidarity and ostracism
The mechanism for ostracism destroys solidarity and has serious implications for the left.
Open mike 12/01/2023
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The end of the post war boom
Throughout my time being active in politics, people have discussed the rise of Neo-Liberalism and the free market that occurred throughout much of the world from the late 1970s onwards. Yet few seem to really understand the reasons for this significant shift in economic policy at that time, which continues to shape our society today.
Open mike 11/01/2023
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Why is everything always Jacinda’s fault?
Son of former National MP and former Political reporter and currently self branded travel reporter Brook Sabin has produced potentially the most ridiculous article of the year by blaming the Government for not sorting out Auckland Airport’s baggage handling problems. And we are only 10 days in.
Open mike 10/01/2023
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The 2022 midterms and what happens next in US politics
Overall, the 2022 midterms were the best for any sitting Democrat President since 1978. Whilst losing control of the House is disappointing, the Republican majority is slim. Should hardliners try to block the Biden agenda as they did with Obama, they risk moderate Republicans breaking ranks. Further, hardline Republicans overplaying their hand in Congress may scare moderate voters away from the party and at the same time motivate the Democrat base to win back the House in 2024. Add to that the prospect of Trump returning in 2024, it could be about to get very messy in the Republican Party.
The weather sucks
I’m back at work at my home office desk today and the weather sucked in Auckland and the north of the North Island over my break. Waiting for Luxon and minons blaming the government for not controlling La Niña – now in the third year of her current reign.It seems like all that National can do these days – blame the government for external events.
Open mike 09/01/2023
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Open mike 08/01/2023
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Open mike 07/01/2023
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What repeat covid infections do to the human body
There’s bad news, but there is also hope and opportunity.