The Herald doesn’t want Winston to go with Labour
The Herald has offered a number of opinions this weekend saying that Labour forming a coalition with New Zealand First would be a very bad thing.
We need a new version of MMP
This guest post looks at the ways that the national governments in Scotland and Wales operate. Their functional systems are effectively MMP, but they break up their list into regional areas which makes it easier to gain the voters to put regional issues into the wider debate.
The Future of Food
A short film about a Wairarapa organic farm using Community Supported Agriculture to bypass agribusiness control of the market and sell direct to customers.
Open Mike 01/10/2017
Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
English, Joyce, Bennett et al desperate to keep their power?
This might look like smart politics for National to draw the Greens in with National but a more primary motivation might be that English/Joyce and co. are desperate to form a coalition with anyone, otherwise as individuals, they’ll certainly lose their power within the party in the inevitable shakeup.
Nats fought a FPP campaign and blew it – Labour went with MMP…
You know that old saying about how generals always prepare to fight the last war? That’s National and their FPP election campaign (hello creepy joggers). There will be a certain poetic justice played out if Labour’s MMP campaign is the winner in the end.
On that stupid coalition deal…
A possible National/Green coalition deal? Matthew Whitehead discusses why and why not from a Green perspective.
Open Mike 30/09/2017
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For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
Weekend social 29/09/2017
It’s been a long election and we’re currently in political limbo. Writers are taking it easy. Time to revive weekend social? This post is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no aggro, why can’t we all just get along?
Why are we angry about tax and apathetic about low pay?
National’s one and only strategy this election was lying about Labour, specifically Labour’s budget and their tax policy. The $11.7bn hole lie just made the Nats look stupid, but the evidence suggests that the tax lie did real damage. Why are we so angry about tax and so apathetic about the much more important issue of low pay?
The political strategy of Winston Peters
The Winston Peters interregnum provides New Zealand with the opportunity to work out what are core values and what can be the subject of compromise.
Open Mike 29/09/2017
Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
Daily Review 28/09/2017
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
National the anti-environmental party
You can stop the silly chat now media – the Greens can’t go into coalition with National because of their members, their social polices… but mainly because of their environmental policies.
Dirty Politics 2017 style
The Greens aren’t going to support a National government, so why is there so much push to make it look like it might happen?
Reduce Poverty – Climate Change – Clean Rivers
Why the Greens can sit outside Government…
One obstacle to NZF + Labour removed
A significant and positive development late yesterday. Labour held firm on the Māori seats, and Peters has decided that a referendum is probably not a bottom line after all. This early progress bodes well for future negotiations.
Nats don’t understand a party of principle
Nats and their proxies continue to try and drag the Greens into negotiations with National. They just can’t conceive of a party based on principle. A party that exists for something other than the pursuit of power for power’s sake. But I fear that the Greens might have a stern test coming up.
Open Mike 28/09/2017
Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
Daily Review 27/09/2017
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
SaveMart shows why unions are vital for New Zealand
SaveMart employees were made to sort bales of filthy clothing dumped in Child Cancer charity bins without safety gloves. Unionized workers at New Lynn were sacked for contacting their union about it. Why did it require so much public pressure to get them reinstated? Why are our laws so inadequete?
Good work if you can get it
During the election campaign elements of the farming community protested the possibility of a water tax and of farming being in the ETS on the basis the sector could not afford it. In awkward news it has since come to light that the Chief Executive of Fonterra and senior executives are being paid huge salaries.
Peters campaigned against the Nats – his party wants him to do the right thing
Peters campaigned hard against the Nats, and for a change in government (check out the speech and video). To keep faith with democracy and with his party members he has to go with Labour Green (check out the feedback and polls). If Peters goes the other way NZF will implode.
Open Mike 27/09/2017
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For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
Daily Review 26/09/2017
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
The German Elections
On the other side of the world another western democracy with an MMP system has recently had an election which has thrown up a complex result.
Metiria Turei’s legacy
What she did wasn’t a mistake.
How a National/Green coalition could work
A plan for how the Greens could save the election.
National paying the price for cannibalising the political right
National have maintained their own vote but killed off all their political friends. Which is why their only route to power is now in the hands of an enemy, and why that enemy should be very wary of hitching his wagon to their fading star.
Peters hit list so far – Seymour – Eagleson – Carter
Peters has hardly cleared his throat yet and he’s already clearing out Nats and their proxies. Seymour, Eagleson, Carter – Peters won’t be stopping there. Bill English will agree to anything to cling to power. Peters is already enjoying humiliating him in public.
Open Mike 26/09/2017
Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
Daily Review 25/09/2017
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Labour won’t regain power until it wins the tax debate
Labour didn’t deserve to win on Saturday because, firstly, because it failed to bring a fully-fleshed tax policy to voters, and, secondly, it never attempted to win the ideological battle over tax. To succeed at the next election, Labour must begin work today to frame this debate.
No Right Turn: The only way is Winston
“Its not going to be a comfortable term. But it will probably be an exciting one.”
Establishment hysteria and MMP
The papers are full of the expected establishment hysteria today, trying to paint the election as a done deal for the Nats (I wonder what Peters will make of that?). Professor Richard Shaw: “Nobody’s won the election yet. The people who won the election are the people who form the government.”
Spare a thought for ACT and David Seymour
David Seymour and the ACT Party are back in Parliament but their role this term will be nothing other than nodding lap dog.