Author Archive
David Cunliffe Q+A
Written By: - Date published: 3:09 pm, June 29th, 2014 - 190 comments
David Cunliffe’s question and answer.
Remember this will be fully moderated. Keep your comments short, intelligent, and broadly on topic. David will be here at about 4pm. It’d be good to have your starting comments up by then.
Reverse ferret bites PM on arse.
Written By: - Date published: 2:46 pm, June 24th, 2014 - 83 comments
PM John Key has performed a backflip by now suggesting Donghua Liu should front up with evidence to support the NZ Herald’s unsubstantiated claim that he donated substantial sums to Labour. This is a world away from his previous position that it was up to Labour to show that no donation was made. It’s increasingly looking like it simply not true and the Herald has been played like a fiddle. And two, the fiddle planter is Cameron Slater, the PM’s bestie from way back.
Turn out and vote National out
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, June 21st, 2014 - 110 comments
Real Monetary Reform
Written By: - Date published: 10:45 am, June 16th, 2014 - 142 comments
The most important thing that needs to be learned is that money is nothing. Or, to be more precise, money is a tool that can be used to distribute the resources available to a society. In and of itself it has no value nor does it have a physical representation. Specifically, money is not a medium of exchange but a symbol of exchange and because of this the cost of money, usually presented as interest, should be zero.
Poto Williams – Forestry Safety
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, June 14th, 2014 - 23 comments
A guest post from Poto Williams, Labour’s MP for Christchurch East concerning her recent attendance at the Independent Forestry Safety Review consultation and her thoughts on what is happening in relation to safety in the sector.
Phil Twyford – Budget Ignores Housing Crisis
Written By: - Date published: 3:30 pm, May 16th, 2014 - 90 comments
If New Zealanders needed any more proof of the National Government’s total failure on housing, this Budget has given them all they need to know. The Budget does nothing to address New Zealand’s acute housing crisis. There is nothing here for first home buyers. Nothing to build a single new home. Nothing to make rentals […]
National’s proposed public spending to GDP ratio – the election’s clear blue line
Written By: - Date published: 9:22 am, May 15th, 2014 - 72 comments
The real story of the coming election is what was revealed in Bill English’s reported pre-budget speech to the National Party’s Southern Region conference at the weekend. He signalled an intention to reduce the proportion of government spending to 26% of GDP over the next 6 to 7 years. The current level at 30% already places NZ in the lowest quartile of OECD countries, having fallen from 35% of GDP in 2008. Most developed nations spend a significantly higher proportion of GDP on government goods and services.
David Cunliffe on The Standard
Written By: - Date published: 5:00 pm, May 13th, 2014 - 160 comments
The guest post from David Cunliffe outlining where he sees a Labour-led government heading.
What do you want to know about it.
David Cunliffe will be online after 5:30pm today to clarify any points people care to raise. The comments will be fully moderated. Check the rules about comments before making any.
Clutha- Southland and the stark contrast in NZ politics
Written By: - Date published: 4:08 pm, April 30th, 2014 - 79 comments
Guest post by Ad about the Clutha Southland where Labour’s Liz Craig, a Doctor and Public Health researcher, is standing against Todd Barclay, a former National Parliamentary staffer and ex Philip Morris lobbyist.
What do we do about synthetic cannabis?
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, April 5th, 2014 - 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: - Date published: 10:01 am, April 4th, 2014 - 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.
The Politics of Small Green Fences
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, April 1st, 2014 - 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.
Warm, dry homes – let’s just do it
Written By: - Date published: 4:50 pm, March 20th, 2014 - 100 comments
Making sure every rental property is a warm, dry home should be a no-brainer in the 21st century. Parliament will shortly get the chance to vote on my Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill. The vote will sort the parties for whom this is a genuine belief from those who just pay it lip service.
Guest Post – What is Shane Jones doing?
Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, March 15th, 2014 - 149 comments
A guest post on Shane Jones and what effect his recent behaviour is having on Labour’s election chances.
Guest post – Who is David Cunliffe?
Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, March 10th, 2014 - 182 comments
A guest post on the enigma that is David Cunliffe by David Craig.
Guest Post – Labour Candidate Deborah Russell
Written By: - Date published: 12:01 pm, February 25th, 2014 - 48 comments
In the first of what may be a series of posts by candidates this year Deborah Russell, Labour’s candidate for the seat of Rangitikei, was invited to provide a guest post on her world view and why she is standing for office.
It’s not stolen – I just borrowed it without asking
Written By: - Date published: 3:23 pm, February 23rd, 2014 - 51 comments
One of the areas of concern in the current Blomfield vs Slater defamation case was the theft and copying of documents and stored data owned by Blomfield. Slater is covering for the source of this material by claiming he is a journalist. However this guest post argues that clearly his possession of the material in itself constitutes a number of crimes under the Crimes Act. Which makes the police’s refusal to charge Slater without a valid legal explanation rather peculiar.
Tale of two Irelands
Written By: - Date published: 9:41 am, February 20th, 2014 - 42 comments
Tracey recounts the rise and fall of the `financial genius` John Key’s pet financial hub for NZ to emulate the paragon economies that tried it. Like Ireland – the home of the jobless and deserted housing projects.
Fortunately he was somehow prevented from stuffing NZ in this way. However he did put in some legislation of dubious value to allow NZ to be used as a haven for hot money fleeing taxes…
Muddying the Waters
Written By: - Date published: 10:43 am, February 13th, 2014 - 62 comments
Dave Hansford contrasts the way that France handles its usage of waterways by farmers with the unsustainable degradation of NZ farmers. For that matter with the way that farming in the France is targeted at high value rather than commodity factory farming. Let’s have the really tough conversation: is a low-value, mass-market business model really the best we can do? Are cheap, anonymous, industrial commodities our finest work? And are they worth the hidden cost to farmers, taxpayers and the environment?
Australian hissy fit at supermarkets
Written By: - Date published: 7:20 pm, February 5th, 2014 - 135 comments
Australia again. I wish they would adopt an honourable and fair stance to New Zealand instead of using us whenever they want to gain advantage for themselves or throw a hissy fit. Now they are discriminating against our food exports in two large supermarkets, one of which has a large store ownership here.
No details, please, we’re gallery hacks
Written By: - Date published: 1:17 pm, January 31st, 2014 - 175 comments
Blue has a look at the the gallery hacks and what they’re looking for from a politician. The answer is – not much. Political journalists do not require any special qualifications. They go to journalism school to learn how to structure an article and avoid being sued. There is no test you must pass to become a Gallery hack proving that you understand policy, economics or statistics. Their job is write ‘colour’ pieces about the ‘cut and thrust’ of politics….
What do you value?
Written By: - Date published: 10:16 pm, January 30th, 2014 - 54 comments
Tim Watkins has written a piece on Labour’s Best Start policy.
Down in the comments were the most incredible remarks I have read in support of the policies.
On Best Start
Written By: - Date published: 10:06 pm, January 28th, 2014 - 95 comments
So Labour has launched the Best start policy and the criticism from National and its followers has been swift and well coordinated. And, like the bulk of National’s attacks on it opponents, it also has no basis in reality.
Herald massaging a message
Written By: - Date published: 5:19 pm, January 23rd, 2014 - 23 comments
The Herald continues its tabloid-style vendetta against Len Brown by serving up non-news in a shock-horror frame to make the mayor look bad. With a combination of the delicate removal/rewriting of what was said and a a senile loss of memory about the chains imposed on Auckland by National, Act and Rodney Hide – the Granny Herald continues its downward slide into irrelevance.
Local govt is on the move
Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, January 6th, 2014 - 51 comments
The Local Government Commission is currently proposing to crush a number of local bodies together into the same kind of mess that the Auckland super city has been suffering. Undemocratic and divorced from anything local because only a wealthy few can consider standing and those few can ignore any local wishes from the token local boards. The only defense that citizens have against the LGC is to force binding poll. Be ready to do so for Northland and Hastings/Napier.
Josie Pagani replies
Written By: - Date published: 2:20 pm, January 3rd, 2014 - 127 comments
Josie Pagani objected to mickysavage’s post objecting to her post at Pundit, and wanted to publish this as a right of reply. That is something that doesn’t exist on this or any blog. After all there is always another site to put content up on. However the ongoing debate going on here about how the left and the labour movement should operate and communicate (from many different angles) makes it of interest.
Judith Collins: The obnoxious right
Written By: - Date published: 3:06 pm, December 11th, 2013 - 31 comments
Seems that Collins likes to call others bullies, but doesn’t mind being simply abusive and derogatory in her own language. Let’s call it what it is: more insults fly from the obnoxious right who like to play the man and not the ball, especially when the facts are inconvenient. It’s not surprising that the Collins faction has been associated with Cameron Slater.
A more equitable society
Written By: - Date published: 1:13 pm, December 11th, 2013 - 53 comments
Welfare benefits and how you provide for the disadvantaged is one of the primary distinguishing features of the difference between the left and right of the political spectrum. Here is a proposal on how to make sure that the wealth of society is better distributed. It would require consensus from most people to implement as it would fundamentally change the fabric of society.
Time to end perception of degrees for sale
Written By: - Date published: 6:14 pm, December 4th, 2013 - 50 comments
The All Blacks do not give out honorary test caps to the chief financial officer of insurance sponsor AIG. Politicians no longer give seats in a House of Lords to their almsgivers and patrons. Perhaps it is time to question why our most prestigious universities give away honorary doctorates to significant benefactors. A couple of […]
Chorus sings a Dirge
Written By: - Date published: 7:42 am, December 4th, 2013 - 36 comments
I welcomed Amy Adams independent review of Chorus’s financial claims in response to Chorus’s sad song. Not something I should say in a left leaning site but it does show an increasing awareness from government of big business endeavours to manipulate NZ to their advantage. I felt that the Minister had a gun to her […]
The Right Conservatives
Written By: - Date published: 3:24 pm, November 27th, 2013 - 98 comments
The Conservatives have a significant constituency and pose an interesting dynamic for the future of NZ politics. Their constituency will possibly letting the left in or sharing power on the right. The Conservatives are fond of saying how close they got in the previous election given how little time they had worked on it. Colin comes out on top against Paula then be prepared for a real change in the political landscape. They are already having an impact without being in parliament.
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