The Standard » Rodney Hide

ACT: bought by the Nats for a song

Eddie — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:12:03 +0000

The Left are rubbing our hands with glee at the prospect of taking on BrashKey, but make no mistake, Key wanted this coup too. Think about it: former Nat Leader Don Brash, former Nat Minister John Banks, Nat money man Alan Gibbs, former Nat President Michelle Boag - and it goes down while John Key is far away playing smile and wave in Europe.

Brash new world

r0b — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 01:51:26 +0000

So, just as Irish predicted, Calvert was the swinging voter, and Brash has now achieved his hostile takeover of ACT. Goodbye Rodney, and good riddance. What does this do to the political landscape? Here are some preliminary thoughts.

Blanket Man to make bid for ACT leadership

Zetetic — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:09:24 +0000

Ben 'Blanket Man' Hana has thrown his loin cloth into the contest for ACT's leadership. Despite not having any political experience, Blanket Man says he is the man for the job due to his firm commitment to laissez-faire economics, his excellent face recognition, and the virtue that he is not a tired, old, has-been, racist arsehole.

It’s all on Calvert

IrishBill — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 08:38:51 +0000

Hide's gone if Calvert or Boscawen jump ship. But so is the one that doesn't jump. I'm picking Calvert will be the key.

Update: As of noon today 3 News reports that Rodney may be about to go...

Brash to roll Hide?

IrishBill — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:29:59 +0000

Brash has thrown his hat in the ring for ACT's leadership.

If the best the far right can do is a failed National MP warmed over then things are looking up.

Some Epsom arithmetic

IrishBill — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 23:00:17 +0000

Unsurprisingly it's taking the nats a wee while to decide who to stand in Epsom.

I'd imagine that's because they're struggling with the maths.

No votes for appointed advisers

Marty G — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:17:28 +0000

It's been revealed that the Government, having decided against dedicated Maori seats on the supercity council, gave appointed Maori advisers votes on council committees under its supercity legislation. That's just unacceptable, we can't have appointees voting equally to democratically-elected council members.

Rolling back transparency

r0b — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 19:17:15 +0000

Last year MPs' spending was opened up to public scrutiny, and many hailed a "new era" of openness. Well it didn't last long. Now MPs' travel costs are to become secret again. We won't get to know about cases like Rodney Hide and Chris Carter. This will prevent incidents like the Carter witch-hunt. But on balance I have to come down on the side of transparency. This move to start rolling it back is a mistake.

“My foolish actions 26 years ago”

Eddie — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 03:03:50 +0000

Rodney Hide and David Garrett would have us believe that Garrett's downfall is about youthful indiscretions and skeletons in closets. Let's nip this in the bud straight away. It wasn't Garrett's "foolish actions 26 years ago" that sealed his fate, it was the confirmation that even to this day he is still a liar, a criminal and the worst kind of hypocrite.

The next ACT

IrishBill — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 01:04:35 +0000

Key is strongly backing Hide.

That might be because he doesn't want to deal with the ideologues who would replace him. Or it might be because Hide knows where the skeletons are buried.

Either way Key's going to find it harder and harder to distance himself from the mess.

Garrett and McVicar partners in crime

Eddie — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 21:15:30 +0000

Garth McVicar is head of 'tough on crime' lobby group the Sensible Sentencing Trust. David Garrett is a serial offender who now faces further criminal charges for perjury.

So naturally McVicar is backing Garrett to head up a new hard-line law and order party.

Some thoughts on ACT

IrishBill — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 00:00:25 +0000

One way or another ACT's troubles are going to ripple through the entire political discourse.

So what's likely to happen with Garrett?

And what does it mean for everyone else?

Hide’s dilemma

IrishBill — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 06:31:05 +0000

Rodney Hide can either ditch Garrett and likely lose his leadership.

Or he can back him and likely kill off Act.

It's a classic individual versus collective dilemma.

Rodney Hide in control of Key Government policy

Michael Foxglove — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 21:42:23 +0000

According to OIA papers released to the NZ Herald, Key's plan to extend the 90 day "fire at will" law to all businesses is an ACT party takeover of government policy. Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson recommended against the extent of the plan. She was overruled by Cabinet in response to ACT threats. As Trevor Mallard said, if Key had any balls he would've stuck to his Minister's advice.

Roy enounters changeable Mr Hyde

Dancr — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:00:43 +0000

Is Heather Roy to depart the ACT caucus? According to TVNZ, Act Party leader Rodney Hide is signalling his dumped deputy Heather Roy will find it extremely difficult to stay on as an MP, despite saying last week that she would be welcomed back into the caucus.