Quick Snippets
The joys of bread rising far to fast through a warm autumn night is…this post.
policy
Small on how it went down and Nats’ bidding war myth
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.
Peters policy priorities
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.
Labour’s families package
Under Labour’s Families Package 70% of families with kids do better than they do under National’s tax plan. Labour launched their online calculator yesterday…
Labour’s climate change policy – nuclear free moment
Jacinda Ardern has released Labour’s climate change policy – including zero net carbon emissions by 2050. Jacinda has called climate change “my generation’s nuclear-free moment”.
Good on ya NZ – choosing Labour policy over Nat tax cut
It is very heartening to see Kiwis rejecting National’s tax cut bribe (and English’s arrogant debate rhetoric) – in favour of supporting each other and backing Labour’s policies for a better NZ.
Labour announce affordable tertiary education
As the Nats stand exposed in another apparent dirty politics hit, Labour gets on with the job of winning the election. Jacinda Ardern today announced new policy: Making tertiary education and training affordable for all.
A handy link to Labour policy for people who can’t use Google
What it says on the label.
Labour addresses urgent mental health need in Canterbury
In the wake of devastating earthquakes in Canterbury, National’s treatment of mental health needs in the region has been absolutely shameful. Yesterday Jacinda Ardern released new policy to help address the crisis. Great work from Labour in an area that National have cruelly neglected.
Nats repeat failed bootcamp policy in plea to rally their scared angry base
English’s “boot camp” policy is pure politics. As much as he tries to deny it, it’s more or less an exact repeat of Key’s failed 2008 attempt, it would do much more harm than good if ever implemented. More than any other flailing to date, this mess is a sign of National’s desperation.
Labour’s School Leavers’ Toolkit
“Labour’s School Leavers’ Toolkit will help students learn to drive, understand practical budgeting, be equipped with workplace skills, and learn how our political system operates through civics education at school. Every secondary school will be resourced to provide these courses.”
The parties on science
There’s an interesting piece by Peter Griffin over at Sciblogs on various parties’ positions on science in NZ. Not many Kiwis vote on the basis of science – and that’s one of our problems.
“It’s still the same Labour Party”
Steven Joyce wouldn’t front yesterday, but today National have worked out their attack lines. Leave popular Jacinda alone and attack Labour as tired and lacking in new ideas (projection, much?). Labour has a raft of new policy, to go with needed older one’s like 2013’s Kiwibuild of 100,000 affordable homes. Journos need to learn their policy so they don’t let National’s fake news through…
National reckon public health and education are a waste of money?
According to Morning Report the Nats are calling Labour’s budget for more spending on health and education “a plan to waste more money”. Tell it to the people who can’t afford private alternatives and depend on the public systems.
Labour’s plan – billions for health and education
Labour has just released costed details of its comprehensive plan to put $8b more over four years into health and $4b into education. Excellent.
A clear choice for voters
Herald editorial: “Credit where it is due. It takes courage to say that if elected, you will cancel a tax cut. … In doing so it has presented the voters with a clear choice which, for those without young families or earning above the income limits, will mean deciding whether to take the tax cut or give the benefit to children of the less well off.”
Good message – good messaging
Labour’s Targeted Families Package
As covered by Vernon Small on Stuff: “Labour is promising to scrap National’s Budget tax cut plan. Instead it will funnel the cash into higher Working for Families payments and extra help for those with young children. It’s a package it says will deliver up to $48 a week extra to middle income families.”
Employers don’t like Labour’s new employment relations package
In shocking news, it turns out that employers don’t like Labour’s new employment relations package. They (and the usual suspects) are running lines about a return to the 1970s. A time when workers’ share of the wealth was higher, poverty was lower, inequality was lower, and workers had more rights. Sounds awful.
National’s conference – no policy – drowns in Billshit
National’s conference was supposed to be a tour de force, setting them up for the home stretch to the election. Instead it was empty of policy or vision, and coverage was drowned in a rising tide of Billshit.
UK Defense Secretary on Corbyn
A quite remarkable interview of Michael Fallon by Channel 4 News in the UK.
Corbyn on terrorism and UK settings.
Full speech given by Jeremy Corbyn yesterday.
The Greens – Budget for All Mothers
Some great ideas in The Greens “Budget for All Mothers”. Surely no “data driven” “social investment” party could be opposed?
Little replies to property specualtors
Good piece by Andrew Little where he addresses the arguments of the property speculators. “It’s common sense. Taxpayers shouldn’t be subsidising speculators and helping them outbid home buyers.”
Compare two housing plans
It must be election year, because National has admitted that the market has failed, and swallowed the dead rat of state building. A useful graphic summary in The Herald lets you compare National and Labour’s housing plans…
Property speculator panic
Labour has set the cat among the property speculator pigeons, and they don’t like it at all.
Labour Congress so far
Speeches and policies from Congress so far.
Labour’s mental health policy
Labour’s mental health policy has had a good reception, especially in contrast to National’s systematic under-funding and arrogant response to the issue.
Green power
Lots to like in The Greens’ new power policy.
Bill’s big policy flop
Fair to say that Bill English’s “big” policy announcement today was a total flop.
Nats contradicting each other on panicked infrastructure policy
From Newshub:
Another policy to be proud of
Labour has rolled out another big bold policy that will shape the national discussion for years. Critics, most of whom received a free tertiary education themselves back in the day, want to deny a younger generation the same right (and pocket a tax cut instead). Enter Steven Joyce…
Polity: The big lie
Rob Salmond looks at the Big Lie technique coming from the right and being gormlessly swallowed by some pundits. That Labour and the left aren’t talking about policy. They have been brimming over with policy. The right have vague possible ideas. Pundits are too obsessed in dirty politics to look at the detail of actual policies.
Polity: Smoke and mirrors on housing
National’s own fine print takes us from “you can get up to $20,000!” to, at best, “11% of qualifying couples get up to $20,000.” Ouch…. Typical National. Long on glitz. Long on smoke. Long on mirrors. Short on actually helping people.
Labour policy
Because of the technical illiteracy of the political committee that appears to have run the development of the Labour website, their extensive list of policies tends to be unreachable. I eventually found the useful page and I’m giving their website a hand using The Standard’s search engine optimization.
Looking at the big policy picture
Despite John Key’s key message du jour, the parties of the Opposition are talking policy.