Archive for October, 2011

A win to Goff on points

Written By: - Date published: 8:37 pm, October 31st, 2011 - 147 comments

Goff was the big underdog going into the debate after Key bested Clark in 2008. Goff far exceeded expectations. Got his policies out, got the best hits in, and sounded like a PM. Key was under-prepared and complacent. After an aggressive start intended to knock Goff out, Key was on the backfoot throughout.

Goff vs. Key first debate

Written By: - Date published: 3:35 pm, October 31st, 2011 - 145 comments

The first debate between Phil Goff and John Key is on TV1 at 7pm. Don’t miss it!

Update: See the website www.keyholes.co.nz for looking at the claims that Key makes in the debate.

Goff getting all the hits in. Got his policies across well. Key defensive and angry. www.keyholes.co.nz running hot.

Why the Nats Youth Rate is just plain bollocks

Written By: - Date published: 2:03 pm, October 31st, 2011 - 20 comments

Labour candidate for Northcote Paula Gillon has submitted us a post on National’s proposed starting Youth Rate that appears to be ready for peer-review – with academic references and everything.

Is Key going where Gove’s gone?

Written By: - Date published: 1:33 pm, October 31st, 2011 - 78 comments

National’s “Future Fund” asset-sale money will  be spent on modernising schools  we are told. Is the future they have in mind like Conservative Education Minister Michael Gove’s so-called “free schools” now being set up in Britain? It would be no surprise if our public assets were sold down by National to pay for private interests to get a stake in the school system here. We shouldn’t be under any illusions that the agenda is just short-term.

Caption Contest

Written By: - Date published: 1:01 pm, October 31st, 2011 - 42 comments

Owning the discourse

Written By: - Date published: 12:28 pm, October 31st, 2011 - 2 comments

It’s been an extraordinary few weeks. It started with the double downgrade/DJ Key fiasco and Rena. Then Labour started dictating the play: its policies setting the beat of the campaign; its framing dominating. National took its only asset, Brand Key, and trashed it with its phony, weird opening address. And, then, National’s launch was over-shadowed by the rail loop announcement.

Would you trust him with a kitten?

Written By: - Date published: 11:21 am, October 31st, 2011 - 21 comments

Key: tired & bereft of ideas

Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, October 31st, 2011 - 32 comments

So, that was National’s ‘big announcement’tm? Allocating money they’ve already banked into a fund which is just an accounting fiction for capital spending that was already budgeted for. A billion of it over five years to ‘transform’ schools? $80,000 a year per school … of already budgeted spending. Talk about tired and bereft of ideas.

Nats’ biggest ever drop in 3 News poll

Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, October 31st, 2011 - 68 comments

The latest 3 News / Reid poll has National down 5.1%, their  largest drop (in this poll) since becoming the government.  Labour is up 3.6%. A long way to go yet, but it’s an encouraging start to the election campaign for the Left.

Open mike 31/10/2011

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 31st, 2011 - 98 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

The Qantas lockout

Written By: - Date published: 3:22 pm, October 30th, 2011 - 127 comments

There’s a lot going on with the Qantas lockout that isn’t being reported in our media.

This guest post from a reader who’s an aviation industry expert gives the dispute some context.

Labour overshadows Key with Auckland transport policy

Written By: - Date published: 12:19 pm, October 30th, 2011 - 130 comments

Labour has just over-shadowed Key’s big smile and wave show today – where he is expected to reannounce spending – with another big policy. Labour will cancel National’s Holiday Highway. With the money saved, they will make the existing road safe, and go 50-50 with the Auckland council to fund the CBD rail-loop and get Auckland moving sustainably.

Key cooking the books on asset sales

Written By: - Date published: 11:47 am, October 30th, 2011 - 37 comments

National has already booked the revenue from asset sales – despite people opposing them 4 to 1. The Budget docs say capital spending will be funded from the ‘balance sheet’: ie. buying new assets like schools and hospitals with revenue from selling the power companies. Key will re-announce this today. But, in the long-run we’ll be able to afford more schools and hospitals if we don’t sell our profit-generating assets.

Update: as expected, Key has re-accounced what is already in the Budget and given it a fancy new name.

Hickey on how Key’s failing the kids

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, October 30th, 2011 - 15 comments

Dear Mr Key: “We are the generation born between 2002, when you became an MP, and 2011, when you won your second of four terms as Prime Minister. We wonder why you insisted on spending our inheritance to ensure you were voted back in.”… Bernard Hickey presents a chilling vision of the future. The way to avoid it is make sure that Key only gets one term.

Enough to finish us off

Written By: - Date published: 10:20 am, October 30th, 2011 - 58 comments

Five million kilos of radioactive yellow cake uranium are being shipped through New Zealand ports every year. ERMA was unaware this practice has been going on for the last 15 years and only learned of it in 2009, but not to worry, according to John Key’s spokesperson the yellow cake is “Australian dirt, which is […]

Unlucky Banks

Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, October 30th, 2011 - 28 comments

Jeez some people just can’t catch a break. Not only is John Banks coming second in an election race to a guy specifically chosen to lose to him but now the word is some scoundrel’s stolen his Harley Davidson.

Winning the debates

Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, October 30th, 2011 - 43 comments

The first of the leaders’ debates is on tomorrow (it would have been on Thursday on Labour’s savings policy, but Key refused to show). Key’s strategy is clear: ‘I’m a safe economic manager, these guys will fuck it up’. Goff can’t let a single attack slide. Every time Key disses Labour’s or ups his own record, Goff just needs to cite one of these facts.

Key’s small target

Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, October 30th, 2011 - 18 comments

Key’s “small target” strategy was always going to come under pressure during the election campaign. But by rights it should now be blown completely out of the water.  Labour’s willingness to take on the hard issues leaves Key facing plenty of questions.  Time we got some answers.

Open mike 30/10/2011

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 30th, 2011 - 54 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

More opening addresses

Written By: - Date published: 5:41 pm, October 29th, 2011 - 42 comments

Opening addresses from the remaining parties screen on TV1 starting at 7:30pm. Should be good fun for political junkies, make sure you tune in…

Phil Goff’s balls

Written By: - Date published: 2:54 pm, October 29th, 2011 - 209 comments

Guts. Backbone. Chutzpah. Grit. Will. Vision. Courage.

The one thing all of these words have in common is that Phil Goff could quite easily have used them instead of “balls”

This is how you win

Written By: - Date published: 2:14 pm, October 29th, 2011 - 68 comments

Sprout’s post says it all. Labour’s opening address blew National’s out of the park. But I can’t help myself, I have to put in my analysis of why National’s was so awful and Labour’s so good. Almost out of nowhere, Labour has seized the discourse. It is dictating the run of play with its policies, its framing, and, now, with its marketing. This is how you win.

Heart and balls

Written By: - Date published: 9:41 am, October 29th, 2011 - 106 comments

Labour’s opening address shows that the Party has rediscovered its heart. It’s policies show that its rediscovered its balls as well!  Win or lose, right now Labour is a party to be proud of.

Opening addresses for your convenience

Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, October 29th, 2011 - 32 comments

In case you missed them last night, here are the National, Labour and Green election opening addresses, collected for your convenience.

Open mike 29/10/2011

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 29th, 2011 - 72 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

Labour Opening Address

Written By: - Date published: 8:16 pm, October 28th, 2011 - 246 comments

Amazing. Brilliant. I’ve seen a lot of political television, and that would have to be the best piece of contemporary political television by a political party I can remember. Could not have been better. National utterly trounced.

PAY IT BACK!

Written By: - Date published: 5:02 pm, October 28th, 2011 - 39 comments

TV1 at 7:50 – Opening Address

Written By: - Date published: 4:58 pm, October 28th, 2011 - 67 comments

Labour’s election Opening Address will be broadcast on TV1 at 7:50pm tonight.  Labour is hinting that the address will be something different, and unlike anything we have seen before.  Given their gutsy campaigning so far, anything could happen!  Make sure you tune in…

Weekend social 28/10/2011

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, October 28th, 2011 - 12 comments

Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no aggro, why can’t we all just get along?

Ride that pony

Written By: - Date published: 12:10 pm, October 28th, 2011 - 44 comments

On RNZ today: Mr Goff said Prime Minister John Key did not have the “guts” to debate him. “It’s time to make a decision that will build a stronger future for New Zealand. We’ve got the balls to do that. John Key doesn’t.”

Nek minnit

Written By: - Date published: 11:31 am, October 28th, 2011 - 52 comments

Net benefit of hosting the Rugby World Cup $280m over 7 weeks ($780m tourist spending minus $500m investment and operating losses). Cost of an 8cm welding crack in the Maui pipeline: $350m after 2 days. Guess it pays to mind the small stuff. Least it didn’t happen during the Cup when Auckland was chocka with tourists.