The Serious Fraud Office has commenced an investigation in relation to donations made in 2017 to the Labour Party.
UPDATE: The investigation may involve donations made at a ‘silent’ art auction, something that Labour was upfront about back in February.
Surprise surprise – Bill English is still whining that 44.4% should really be counted as 50.1% – and other snippets from Parliament’s post election conference.
Where this government ranks in terms of proportion of the vote compared to the historical record. Useful analysis.
Vernon Small has the best account of the events of “D-Day”. Nat supporters are trying to pedal the myth that English lost a baubles bidding war because of his principles (hah!), the fact is it was all about policy match.
If you missed it last night – Jacinda Ardern’s first speech as PM elect is everything that we could want and expect. But the take-home line of the drama belongs to Winston Peters.
Winston Peters has announced that he will be going into coalition with Labour and Jacinda Ardern will be the next Prime Minister. Let the attacks from the right about how unfair it is that a minority party did not ascend into Government and how MMP needs to be reformed begin. For the rest of us – this is a time of hope…
Lots of chatter going on at the moment. The Herald reports that NZF prefers Labour. Will it come down to the baubles in the end?
Livestream: http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/10/livestream-winston-peters-makes-announcement.html
Updated: He has arrived – join the livestreams. And…. Jacinda
The site will be down this afternoon for a few hours for scheduled maintenance.
Lloyd Burr at Newshub rounded up 23 of Peters’ most quotable attacks on the Nats and their failed government. Add them to the collection of issues that Peters will have to disown if he goes wrong and picks Right.
Vance: “Now not committing to the end of the week”
Beckett’s classic Waiting for Godot by the city’s oldest company, the Wellington Political Theatre, is a triumph.
Spare a thought for our poor political reporters today.
Maybe Peters learned from history and is not doomed to repeat it. If we get a Labour led government, what should be its top priorities in the first 100 days?
Peters has the opportunity to put an end to this useless government (and turn National into “the opposition from hell”). I think he’s going to ’96 us, but I’d be happy to be proved wrong
Every morning, as the waiting for Winston to decide continues to fray my fragile psyche, I can look at myself in the mirror, contemplate my own frenzied speculative hopes for an Ardern Prime Ministership, and immediately think of a host of strong social-methodological reasons why all such speculation is futile.
It’s the last day of coalition talks (probably). Peters has certainly created big expectations of “change”, but what they will mean in practice is still anyone’s guess.
Peters’ policy priorities are clearly anathema to National. Depending on the details Labour may be more accommodating, but it’s a risky path given signs that “the economy” is already flatlining.
Great news for all those who are enjoying the suspense!
Newsroom (Shane Cowlishaw) reports that the Nats were considering significant hikes to fuel taxes, described in a document that was supposed to be released before the election – but somehow wasn’t.
Expect to see agendas on display, and egos, and reckons, and the occasional gleaned factoid. But don’t expect predictions to be any better than chance.
The right wing clobbering machine is already calling a possible Labour Green NZF a “coalition of losers”. Well under MMP a coalition of losers can be the winners. But however you cut it a coalition of liars will always be liars.
The special vote count should be out at 2pm tomorrow. The mathematically plausible scenarios are either good, or very good, for the left.
Preliminary talks between NZF and National have concluded, talks between NZF and Labour are due this afternoon. (Image from Vernon Small)
I have very mixed feelings about a Labour Green NZF government. I certainly don’t think that Labour should “pay any price”. So I’m pleased to see Jacinda Ardern acknowledging the Greens.
The Nats are desperate to make big concessions for a coalition with the Greens. The establishment is lining up in The Herald to beg for this to happen. Promises to strengthen environmental and social policies in order to cling to power – but not for the last nine long years when it was simply the right thing to do…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
The Nats lost this election. It was a vote for change. NZF party members are calling on Peters to do the right thing.
The fact that we could even hope for a Labour Green win is remarkable – was inconceivable just 2 months ago. Labour’s surge has been incredible. Thank you Jacinda Ardern, and thank you all who worked so hard! Now it’s up to MMP…
The final election pitches – Ardern inspires – English in a hole.
If you haven’t voted already – vote wisely tomorrow!
Today is the last day you can enroll to vote in the election. Historically far too many people in the 18-24 age group have not enrolled. The same again would suit the Nats very well indeed.
Update: Newsroom: “A record turnout of early voters suggests a youthquake in action – and the polls might be wrong.”
Update: If you are trying to enrol and the queues are long, here are the other ways you can do it, including online!
Update: you can enrol up until midnight Friday online, and then vote at a polling station on Saturday. Details here.
On current polling the next government could be Labour + Green + NZF. That would annoy a lot of Nats if they have more votes than Labour alone, but that’s how MMP works. English lied about this in the last debate, but apparently has since walked it back.
