National’s last moderate falls on her sword
Katherine Rich was one of only 2 women on National’s front bench and its last moderate MP. The only surprise in her resignation […]
Rich resignation a huge blow for the Nats
The Press reports that “Senior National front-bencher Katherine Rich has resigned her education portfolio and will quit politics altogether at the election…” Rich […]
Every cloud
The latest in a long line of failed protests on the Electoral Finance Act has ended badly with Steven Franks taking legal action […]
Curia-ser and Curia-ser
You’ll probably know about the rumour around the traps that blogger David Farrar is running his polling company Curia out of National Party […]
Key disappoints
I’ve just listened to Key’s reply to the PM’s speech. I’m underwhelmed. Instead of using it to promote any sort of policy platform […]
Clark targets housing affordability
In her speech today, the Prime Minister announced a slate of government plans on housing affordability. New land will be freed up for […]
Swan to build surplus as economic stabiliser
Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan has announced that he intends to lift the target for the budget surplus, so that fiscal policy can help […]
Key conjures up cuts
John Key tells us that he would cut ‘wasteful government spending’ to pay for upper-bracket tax cuts bigger than Labour’s cuts. But do […]
Roy Morgan
Roy Morgan’s latest poll is out. It shows a big drop of 6.5 for National and a corresponding swing to Labour and the […]
Getting ALL the facts right
This contribution was sent through by a reader who did some digging after reading that Helen Clark’s research is letting her down in […]
Salvation Army report finds poverty in Godzone
A report out today from the Salvation Army acts as a reminder that despite a suite of policies designed to improve the lives […]
Congrats to the Conchords
Stuff reports that Wellingtonians of the year, “Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, who play marginally talented folk singers struggling to make it in […]
Peters ought to stop playing the race card
Winston Peters vexes me. He has a long list of worthy achievements, including free doctor visits for under sixes and crippling the last […]
Rich call for tax cuts for rich
Four associations representing wealthy New Zealanders are saying tax cuts should be in the form of making the top tax rate 30 cents […]
Simpsons evolution
This evening’s Simpsons – Best. Intro. Ever.
Media and our National Day
The decision of TVNZ’s CloseUp to pay to assist Tame Iti to travel to Waitangi this year was the focus of Media Watch […]
Say chee$e
At the supermarket earlier this week I was browsing the aisles and noticed the price of cheese. It seems now that for a […]
When politics and music video collide
From CNN earlier in the week – Jeanne Moos presents her very own Super Tuesday Political Video Awards. A good summary of some […]
Push polling
Tony Milne responds to National Party blogger, David Farrar’s recent post on push polling. Tony points out that any push polling undertaken during […]
Solution to wage-gap in hands of business
Larger (but still small) numbers of kiwis are leaving for Australia and higher incomes are part of the attraction. At the same time […]
KiwiSaver – what if…
Kiwis are showing their canny side in the way we’ve been flocking to sign up to KiwiSaver – now over 400,000 strong and […]
Greens/Maori Party cooperation good for the Left
The Maori Party and the Greens are discussing an informal alliance ahead of the election. This makes a lot of sense. The two […]
Cullen puts tax cuts in context
In a speech today to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce Cullen has further differentiated the role of tax cuts under National and Labour. […]
Unemployment at record low (again)
From Stuff: Growing numbers of women in the workforce pushed New Zealand’s unemployment rate down to a new record of 3.4 per cent […]
Key not competent to lead New Zealand
The Sunday Star-Times had an article titled ‘Who Is John Key?’. It’s remarkable that we’re still asking this question a year after Key […]
TV3 poll presents challenge
The latest TV3 poll comes hot on the heels of Labour MPs gathering for their first caucus meeting of the year. “National can […]
So which is it Granny Herald?
Jordan Carter has a great post up on the confusion evident in the Herald’s simultaneous endorsement of Republican John McCain for US President […]
Spot the difference
I’ve just had a chance to read Key’s speech properly. Call me a nit-picker but I don’t reckon it was a “state of […]
Mobile democracy
Another release on the state-owned telecommunications company Kordia from Murry McCully this morning which starts: Helen Clark’s claim that Kordia’s cellphone tower work […]
Good luck Winnie
Our thoughts and best wishes go out to MP Luamanuvao Winnie Laban who has just revealed that she has breast cancer. The cancer […]
Tax cuts and the wage gap
News that 28,000 New Zealanders left for Australia last year has Business NZ, the Chamber of Commerce and the National Party predictably calling […]
Dead rats
This cartoon from Moreu got me thinking… If interest free student loans, Kiwisaver and Kiwibank are dead rats for the Nats, what the […]
SST: Nats call in secret donations
The Sunday Star Times reported yesterday that “The National Party pulled in 11th-hour funding from its secret trusts and anonymous donors in a […]
Louis Theroux back on TV here tonight
I used to love Weird Weekends – a BBC show that aired here late at night several years ago. It was hosted by […]
MoveOn.org endorses Obama
MoveOn.org is a progressive political community, organised predominantly online, with over 3 million members. For the first time they’ve endorsed a Democratic candidate, […]
Clare Curran takes Dunedin South
News just in reports that Clare Curran has won the Labour nomination in Dunedin South over former cabinet minister David Benson-Pope, Don Pryde, […]