Author Archive

Gordon Campbell: new Labour leadership

Written By: - Date published: 7:34 pm, November 12th, 2008 - 42 comments

As we’ve come to expect, a thought provoking piece from Gordon Campbell, who says …the public may one day come to rue the change they sought on Saturday. But if and when they do, there is no guarantee that a paternalistic Labour would be the only, or best source of relief. The Greens, now that […]

Fare thee well

Written By: - Date published: 10:54 pm, November 9th, 2008 - 37 comments

Firstly I must say congratulations to the winners on the night, and sympathies to those who did not succeed. We may not hold politicians in high regard but they put themselves on the line.  The voting public have had their say and that, if nothing else, we must celebrate and respect. But for Labour the […]

Video: Get the vote out

Written By: - Date published: 1:59 pm, November 6th, 2008 - 12 comments

Want a say in who will run the country – let’s get the vote out. Just as long as they know it’s Saturday 8th November!

PSA tackles the stats

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, November 3rd, 2008 - 38 comments

The PSA have put together some interesting numbers on the size of the public service. They appear to tell a different story to the one we’ve been hearing about from Mr Key who wants a” razor gang of cabinet ministers to trim state sector fat”. For example: We’re on par with Australia: Australian public service […]

Public politics

Written By: - Date published: 3:30 pm, November 2nd, 2008 - 46 comments

In today’s Herald six prominant NZer’s nail their political colours to the mast: Sir Paul Reeves: electorate vote Maori party, party vote Labour; “Labour will still get his party vote, and he would prefer that the Maori Party formed a government with Labour, rather than National” Graham Lowe: “ending a 40-year relationship with Labour to […]

SSTimes finds more $ in the pocket

Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, November 2nd, 2008 - 22 comments

From this mornings SSTimes: New research has revealed a dramatic reversal in financial fortunes for the average Kiwi family, which is now $60 better off each week than it was six months ago. Falling mortgage costs teamed with the government’s October 1 tax cuts and a beefed up Working for Families package are the main reasons […]

Arseneau: Election too close to call

Written By: - Date published: 1:26 pm, October 31st, 2008 - 64 comments

In her blog column Teresa Arseneau discusses the polls overall, and what happens if the largest party doesn’t form the government: Several of these polls suggest that while National is likely to “win” the election – receive both the most votes and seats – it may not govern….But in an MMP election it is important […]

Brian Fallow: words of warning on bailout

Written By: - Date published: 9:34 am, October 30th, 2008 - 11 comments

Feeling attracted to the idea of getting your mortgage covered should the sky fall in? Brian Fallow comments on the perils of Key’s policy plans: “We are in the mess we are in because of a cavalier attitude towards debt and risk by households and their bankers, both here and in more important economies overseas. […]

Video: National muppets

Written By: - Date published: 9:51 am, October 26th, 2008 - 11 comments

Warning – this song will stick in your head!

Video: Election coverage 23rd Oct

Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, October 24th, 2008 - 1 comment

If you missed Ali Ikram’s view of the day (from yesterday)

A missing NZ Herald poll?

Written By: - Date published: 1:54 pm, October 23rd, 2008 - 23 comments

Now I’m not one to gossip (well, not too much) but in the last few days I’ve heard from several people that the NZ Herald has held back an opinion poll. Why might they do this? Well perhaps it’s related to NZ First apparently polling over 5%. That could really set the cat amongst the […]

Video: Election campaign, 22 Oct

Written By: - Date published: 5:34 pm, October 22nd, 2008 - 19 comments

Observations of the campaign trails from TV3’s Ali Ikram…. Not sure what I think of those “bleeps” on the John Key excerpt…

Clark winning in the style stakes

Written By: - Date published: 2:31 pm, October 22nd, 2008 - 34 comments

And now for something fluffy. That’s right, the fashion stakes count in the election as well. According to one stylist National leader John Key needs to update his style. Stephanie Rumble, a top New Zealand stylist says: “he hasn’t changed his appearance much since the election campaign started, but that Key’s look is very smart, […]

Williamson on tolls for roads (again)

Written By: - Date published: 12:20 pm, October 21st, 2008 - 12 comments

I see Maurice Williamson has again confirmed that we will be paying more for driving on some roads under National: Williamson: “If it is quite a short distance road of a few kilometres, somewhere in the city-type link, you’d only be talking of $1 or $2. If it’s a very long haul road you may […]

Video: 12 Flip Flops from Mr Key

Written By: - Date published: 4:25 pm, October 17th, 2008 - 33 comments

National policy on Maori seats (2007): “The Caucus today confirmed that the Maori seats will be abolished, which we anticipate will take place around the time of settlement of historic Treaty claims,” says National Party Leader John Key. National policy on Maori seats (Sept 2008); “National wants to scrap the Maori seats in Parliament once all […]

What exactly did Mr Key say?

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, October 17th, 2008 - 50 comments

We see this morning that: John Key concedes he has privately indicated to the Maori Party that National’s policy to abolish the Maori seats would not stand in the way of doing a deal with the party post-election. What did Mr Key say in that debate again? Shane Taurima: ” Pita Sharples said that you told him […]

Pita falls for the lines – but not for long

Written By: - Date published: 1:09 pm, October 16th, 2008 - 97 comments

I have some sympathy for Dr PIta Sharples over the fallout of Mr Key’s promises. He’s clearly been left high and dry by Mr Key, his would-be coalition partner. According to the Maori Party’s chief of staff we now find: …that Mr Key was clear in the meeting that National’s position could be put on the backburner. […]

Where were you then (and do you care?)

Written By: - Date published: 11:38 pm, October 15th, 2008 - 94 comments

Lots of comments continue over the leaders debate. One of the bits that made it through the usual dinner time madness in my household was the section on the Springbok tour. It reminded me of this video clip. In it, Key was all over the place, before adopting that favourite technique, tell everyone what they […]

Wouldn’t you be embarrassed if…..?

Written By: - Date published: 1:28 pm, October 15th, 2008 - 40 comments

I have to declare – yes, I am an urban liberal. So I would be embarrassed if a member of my family said this: The National Party’s candidate for New Plymouth (Jonathan Young) says homosexuality is a choice and strongly objects to it being seen as a “normal alternative“: Jonathan Young’s views, printed in the […]

Video: TV3 on Key’s campaign day 2

Written By: - Date published: 4:52 pm, October 14th, 2008 - Comments Off on Video: TV3 on Key’s campaign day 2

Media coverage of the campaign is coming thick and fast – a helpful reader pointed out this excerpt from TV3 on Key’s day yesterday.

Every reason for Key to blitz debate tonight

Written By: - Date published: 2:34 pm, October 14th, 2008 - 20 comments

It is still possible to follow the news without encountering politics at every turn – but it’s getting harder. And the journalists are sitting alongside the leaders watching every step along the way. So far we see Otago Uni students giving Helen Clark a “rock star welcome“, with the ODT saying: The Prime Minister was […]

The problem for National in fewer than 100 words

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 14th, 2008 - 14 comments

OK – they are not my words. I could do it – but then again I really liked what Gordon Campbell wrote: The financial meltdown poses a basic identity problem for National, the instinctive champion of de-regulation and market solutions. That’s a bit of a problem right now, given that Europe and the US are […]

Words to watch

Written By: - Date published: 9:20 pm, October 11th, 2008 - 2 comments

Two headings in today’s Herald caught my eye. One from John Armstrong (who I don’t always agree with but who is most often an obersver of skill) who says “Tax plan turns divide into ideological chasm”: After months of deliberately lying low on policy details, National has finally been obliged to put its head above […]

Video: The Joker

Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, October 11th, 2008 - 22 comments

Spotted by an eagle eyed reader. Fancy leaving the running of our economy up to the Joker? Seems like the economic risks/challenges ahead have proved a creative inspiration….

TV3 poll shows movement

Written By: - Date published: 8:31 pm, October 10th, 2008 - 28 comments

From TV3 A full 3 News political poll shows Helen Clark is back up off the canvas, while John key has taken a significant blow, in the very week he tried to land one using tax cuts…. Labour has been 12 points behind in the 3 News Poll since March 2007. Now that gap has […]

Costs of the Nats tax cuts – commentators’ views

Written By: - Date published: 12:15 pm, October 9th, 2008 - 4 comments

Here’s a smattering of what some of the commentators are saying: Gordon Campbell: Putting tax cuts ahead of science and research neatly underlines the lack of vision, or sensible strategy for growth in the National package … The cutbacks on science and research will only send more scientists and high tech jobs offshore and rob New […]

Note to self – Mr Key will say what you want to hear

Written By: - Date published: 2:39 pm, October 7th, 2008 - 18 comments

Mr Key will tell you what you want to hear. That’s the message that Pita Sharples has taken from his encounter with Mr Key over the future of the Maori seats: Dr Sharples told Sky TV on Sunday night Mr Key had assured him the seven Maori seats would not be abolished till Maori agreed […]

Video: Why vote? Watch this

Written By: - Date published: 3:15 pm, October 3rd, 2008 - 3 comments

We’ve seen the work of Declare Yourself before. Their message is aimed at voters in the US but the call to engage and get involved resonates just as strongly for us here. This time some big names are promoting the message to get involved including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Aniston and Ellen DeGeneres (others whose faces […]

Key’s leadership questioned again

Written By: - Date published: 11:26 am, October 2nd, 2008 - 27 comments

When a commentator like Jenni McManus raises questions over Key’s leadership ability in troubled global economic times you know National should be getting worried. In today’s Independent Financial Review she writes: Just as the United States House of Representatives this week rightly refused give a US$700 billion (NZ$1.04 trillion) blank cheque to Treasury Secretary Henry […]

Nats testing plan proves unpopular

Written By: - Date published: 8:51 pm, October 1st, 2008 - 18 comments

Just one in 10 school principals support the type of national standards for pupils being proposed by the National Party, a study reported in the NZ Herald suggests: National education standards are favoured by: * 10% of the 196 primary school principals surveyed. * 13% of the 912 primary school teachers surveyed. * 38% of […]

Fun: Whack a poll

Written By: - Date published: 2:03 pm, September 30th, 2008 - 2 comments

Need a little respite from election madness? Utilise your keyboard to reach your desired poll result with Whack a Poll…

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