Polity: Armstrong on National on Labour

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 13 comments

It isn’t a new ploy from National or its supporters. “Mortgage rate rises under National: Good. Mortgage rate rises under Labour: Dreadful!”. I’ve seen David Farrar argue both that a recession is the perfect time to cut taxes because it stimulates the economy, and a recovery is also the perfect time to cut taxes to provide a dividend. It reminds me of that old chestnut, most recently applied to Don Brash: “The answer is tax cuts. What is the question again?”

Winning song urges Key to leave politics

Written By: susannact
Date published: - 7 comments

Tracy Whatshite, Cadet Reporter, attended the “Bellies” (held at Bellamy’s) and found out who the winners were in this year’s competition for the Best Political Song of 2014. She spoke with the judge Frankie Stevens.

“Competition was particularly intense this year and the top entries included some old favourites, but also some surprizing new comers,” he said.

David Farrar…..Busted.

Written By: geoff
Date published: - 134 comments

  David Farrar has let slip that he has been privy to information which is only intended for select committee members. Tim Watkins […]

The image is the story …

Written By: karol
Date published: - 15 comments

Images from today’s mainstream media news: tales of class, crime, drugs, disasters…… and jet-setting beneficiaries.

Local Bodies: The Great Oil Gamble and Wasted Opportunities

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 24 comments

Gamble Big’ rather than ‘Think Big’ should be this National Government’s mantra.Opening up huge areas of our land and territorial waters for open slather oil and gas exploration is a gamble on so many levels. When many countries like Denmark are actively chasing a sustainable, clean energy future, this government is throwing all its hopes on a big strike of fossil fuel.

Bugger the polls!

Written By: karol
Date published: - 83 comments

Auckland Against Poverty protest the Young Nats Ball and Paula Bennett’s war on the poor.  Steven Joyce is cynical about the polls. A Stuff poll shows everything that is wrong with the media’s poll beat ups.

Auckland’s city rail link may be accelerated

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 32 comments

The introduction of new electric trains to Auckland’s train system is going to put increased pressure on the Government to bring forward funding of Auckland’s inner city loop. Will it stick to its anti train beliefs or will it succumb to pressure to change in election year?

What do we do about synthetic cannabis?

Written By: Guest post
Date published: - 254 comments

A guest post from Shane Henderson, Labour elected representative to the Henderson Massey Local Board about synthetic cannabis, one of those issues that is becoming more and more important.  What do we do?

There are protests occurring today for folk who are interested.

National preparing for November election?

Written By: Guest post
Date published: - 36 comments

A guest post concerning apparent confusion on the part of the National Party about when this year’s election is. Stand by for breathless denunciation of the party by Farrar, Slater and the Young Nats for its inability to organise a piss up in a brewery.

Go Annette!

Written By: karol
Date published: - 53 comments

Mana Party candidate Annette Sykes has been developing an effective organisation in her electorate.  Her speech at the TPPA rally laid out its threats to livelihoods in the Bay of Plenty.  Her views on the Internet Party will be listened to when discussed by the Mana Party.

What are we in for if National win?

Written By: geoff
Date published: - 150 comments

According to some in the MSM National has already won the election.

But given they’ve come to that conclusion they seem oddly unconcerned about what it would actually mean…

Polity: The impact of Labour’s GOTV efforts

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 10 comments

David Farrar often bullshits on numbers. Does he have what appears to be a maths block that makes him so wrong so often (like Bill English)? Or is it just that he obeys orders like the good National puppet tools that he and Cameron Slater appear to be? Anyway, Rob Salmond pulls him up on a few obvious and significiant flaws in his ‘analysis’. DPF didn’t allow for people lying – just like he does

NRT: Time to see if the Ombudsman will keep their word

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 3 comments

Last month, we learned that Judith Collins had taken time off a taxpayer-funded trip to China to endorse her husband’s company – a company which had also donated significant sums of money to the National Party. The endorsement appeared to violate the Cabinet Manual, but John Key stepped up and claimed that the Cabinet Office said it was all OK. Then, just a few days later, he admitted that he’d lied about that. In the process, he implicitly raised serious questions about the quality of the Cabinet Office’s advice.

Rogernomics, income inequality & gender politics

Written By: karol
Date published: - 22 comments

All of us, in our diversity, can make a big impact this election year. Time to end the “neoliberal” tyranny!  Crime stats are celebrated masking the continuing impact of income & social inequalities. Rogernomics fractured gender politics & rape crisis intiatives.

Drill baby drill

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 40 comments

Two days after the IPCC has warned us of the threat posed by climate change and Simon Bridges has announced a huge block offer of parts of New Zealand and much of its territorial water.  This will include the pristine waters off Auckland’s west coast, home of Maui’s dolphin.  In a world that has to address its consumption of petroleum you have to question if it is worth the risk.

NRT: Privatization is theft

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 33 comments

A government is carrying out a crash-program of privatization without a mandate. It is desperate to sell, so it sets the price of the shares artificially low, and loses $1.5 billion in a single day. No, this isn’t New Zealand (yet) – its the UK:

Hone Harawira: No prestige in iwi leaders trying to hide poverty

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 52 comments

When so-called iwi leaders condemn teachers for daring to highlight the massive failings of the New Zealand education system for Maori children in case the minister of Education might be embarrassed, then they show themselves up as a sad and pathetic group for whom the warm embrace of government has become more important than the needs of their own children and grandchildren. Just who the hell do they think they are, trying to hide the truth of New Zealand’s failed policies just because the international community is in town?

NRT: Climate change: “Adaptation”

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 51 comments

No Right Turn notes the typical response from politicians to the Fifth IPCC Assessment report. Perhaps that promoting legislation with a penalty of long prison terms for political negligence would help? It sounds like a good way for lazy politicians to retire. After all the law recognises negligence as being a criminal action in other spheres – why not for our political servants?

 

Polity: Key in self-parody about lying (mk 2)

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 52 comments

There was an Audrey Young piece in the Herald yesterday, in which John Key talks about Labour’s plan to increase eligibility for free Early Childhood Education. So Key thinks this policy will cost at least ten times as much as Labour does. That’s a very big claim. But Andrey did not appear to ask for his sums, she just printed Key’s figures without comment. That was a pity because John Key’s figures are a bare-faced lie and are quite impossible.

LocalBodies: Transport Poverty, Bicycles Needed.

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 20 comments

bsprout has found out that quite a number of children didn’t have bikes. It shook his middle class perception that all New Zealand kids must have access to a bike. People using them for transport to get to work as they no longer have a car or can’t afford to repair one. While cycling is obviously a healthy and practical choice of transport many are obviously doing it because they have no choice. A fraction of the roading money would provide people with transport to go on them…

The Politics of Small Green Fences

Written By: Guest post
Date published: - 43 comments

I arrived at the TPPA protest march in Wellington the intent of making my voice heard. The protest started well – enlightening speakers, a funny MC and raucous chanting. However, when we got to parliament, the march was confronted by a waist-high green fence blocking our way up seven stairs to the main courtyard in front of the parliament. How we dealt with this seemingly insignificant obstacle does not bode well for the political left in New Zealand.

Whales 1 Japan 0

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 12 comments

The International Court of Justice has ruled that the Japanese yearly slaughter of whales is not for the purposes of scientific research and is illegal.

Act thinks the IPCC is scaremongering

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 65 comments

The latest IPCC report has been released and not only are scientific views on the existence of climate change hardening, but the effects are becoming more pronounced.  Meanwhile ACT has described action to try and save the planet as “moral exhibitionism” and has said that not improving the ETS is a bottom line for any future coalition with National.  If you need any reason to work to get rid of this Government this has to be it.

Patricia Grace takes on RONS

Written By: karol
Date published: - 48 comments

The Kapiti Expressway is one of the National government’s RONS projects:  it makes no sense economically.  It is destructive to the environment and the local communities. The NZTA is attempting to run roughshod over ancestral lands, including that of writer, Patricia Grace.  She is taking a stand.

10/40/4102 ekim nepO

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 200 comments

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 …

Polity: The new TV polls

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 24 comments

The TV1 and TV3 polls yesterday show roughly the same situation, which also mirrors Polity’s poll of polls. National retains a smallish polling lead over the left bloc of around four points. But Winston Peters and New Zealand First are starting their surge toward the 5% threshold. If they cross that threshold it would complicate the post-election picture enormously.