Costs of the Nats tax cuts – commentators’ views
Here’s a smattering of what some of the commentators are saying: Gordon Campbell: Putting tax cuts ahead of science and research neatly underlines […]
Greens set their standards for coalition partners
The Greens have announced that they will choose their preferred coalition partner based on their commitment to 12 criteria. I’ll just look at […]
Speak no evil
Word around the traps is that this week Key and English have added veteran financial reporter Rod Oram to their list of journos […]
Small change
That was going to be the title of my first post on National’s tax-cut plan but then it turned out National’s plan would […]
Reviews of Nats’ tax cut/Kiwisaver cut/R&D cut policy
Just a quick note at the start for our press gallery friends who live in central Wellington on high incomes. 50% of New […]
Nats break into your piggy-bank
John Key has announced that Kiwisaver would be slashed along with National’s tax cuts for the rich (and they are tax cuts for […]
No tax cut for most from Nats
As predicted on The Standard, National has announced it would abolish the increases in the bottom threshold to pay for tax cuts for […]
Tax cuts for the rich
National has released its tax policy. At first glance it appears the top rate will be reduced to 37% by 2011, giving the […]
No one likes McCain
Ever wondered what would happen if the whole world could vote for the President of the United States? According to The Economist’s online […]
The test
After building a political career that has consisted of little more than calling for tax cuts and attacking those that were delivered, John […]
Farce
It was with wry amusement I read Bill Ralston’s revisionist history of New Zealand superannuation today. According to Bill it was Muldoon who […]
Power to attack Nats’ new prison policy?
If he stands true to his principles, National justice spokesman Simon Power will soon be criticising the cost of their proposed new prison. […]
Note to self – Mr Key will say what you want to hear
Mr Key will tell you what you want to hear. That’s the message that Pita Sharples has taken from his encounter with Mr […]
Changing the subject
Former National advisor Richard Long has let the cat out of the bag. The day before National’s much-hyped, cure-all tax cut package is to be […]
Will Labour back $15 minimum wage?
The unions want the minimum wage lifted to $15 an hour, two thirds of the average hourly rate, restoring the historic ratio. The […]
Key still hopping on Hobsonville
At the first Helensville candidates’ debate last night, John Key reversed his position on state housing once again. Despite using the years he […]
Spray and hope
This is so funny. Click on image for full zoom.
The rainy day cometh
The Pre-election Fiscal Update projects that gross debt will rise from 17.4% today to 24.3% of GDP in five years. Fortunately, we are […]
Spin-busting: Govt could have used surpluses for tax cuts
With the economic situation deteriorating the surpluses the Government has run for the first eight years have turned to a deficit. National’s line […]
Party like it’s 1946
Reverting to type
Fearing a PR disaster over their tax-cut package announcement later this week, National has reverted to type, shedding the moderate facade and proposing […]
Depressing
I see National has released a knee-jerk reactionary crime policy this morning, and it’s been reported largely uncritically by a news media that’s […]
We’re popular – but with the wrong people
After a lot of work both by a few e-mails from people here and by the good services of some people on nz.comp […]
Previewing the Prefu
Tomorrow the government’s books will be opened up. It is not expected to be a pretty picture. Oil prices and the credit crunch […]
Fighting the moral fight
There are two core strains to left-wing thought. Both of them can be seen as rooted in the evolution of the scientific method […]
Drawing your attention
Malcolm Evans, award-winning former Herald cartoonist, is bloody good at what he does – insightful, well-drawn, concerned with the big issues, and always on the side of the […]
The Standard Week: 26 September – 3 October
So, there’s no articles on Key in this edition of the Standard Week. I know! Hardly believable. But there’s a reason for that. […]
CTU on closing the wage gap
The Council of Trade Unions has done a lot of work on why wages are low for many workers in New Zealand and […]
Trivialising the electoral process
I don’t have a lot of time for Winston Peters’ politics or his dodgy electoral practices, but sometimes the man just hits the […]
Video: Why vote? Watch this
We’ve seen the work of Declare Yourself before. Their message is aimed at voters in the US but the call to engage and […]
Wage gap decreasing thanks to pro-worker policies
As The Standard first reported on April 1 and Radio New Zealand picked up today, Treasury figures show that the wage gap […]
Good on youse
Yesterday, I printed and cut 6500 A6 leaflets from the designs on the Campaign Hub and took them along to Drinking Liberally. They […]
How big is big enough?
The first round of the tax cuts that National derided as the ‘block of cheese’ tax cuts kicked in on Wednesday. Next week, […]
Rhetoric vs reality
With expectations about National’s tax cuts justifably very high (thanks to National talking them up for nine years), National is suddenly trying to […]
Reminder: Drinking Liberally Wgtn tonight
Just a wee reminder for anyone in Wellington. Scoop.co.nz political editor and former Listener journo Gordon Campbell is at Drinking Liberally tonight to […]
Key’s leadership questioned again
When a commentator like Jenni McManus raises questions over Key’s leadership ability in troubled global economic times you know National should be getting […]