Author Archive
Covid – time for red?
Written By: - Date published: 9:23 am, July 5th, 2022 - 68 comments
With a second wave of Covid infections starting and with new potentially more serious variants emerging it may be time for the Government to consider a return to the Covid red setting.
The benefits of Ardern’s recent overseas trips
Written By: - Date published: 12:34 pm, July 4th, 2022 - 69 comments
Jacinda Ardern has just completed three overseas trips. The cumulative benefits for the country are extraordinary and I have never witnessed anything similar from another New Zealand leader. But local responses from sectors of the media have been muted. Why is this?
Ardern significantly improves EU Free Trade deal
Written By: - Date published: 11:13 am, July 2nd, 2022 - 26 comments
Before her involvement in the European Union Free Trade Agreement negotiations Jacinda Ardern was accused of “scattering stardust” in a vain attempt to get an agreement over the line. If this is an example of Jacinda scattering stardust then long may she continue to do so.
Mansplaining Luxon
Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, June 30th, 2022 - 14 comments
Fresh from his attempt to alienate the female vote by being equivocal on if a National Government would move to restrict access to abortions yesterday Christopher Luxon compounded things by purporting to speak for all women.
Hey Free Speech Union, Simon O’Connor is being muzzled
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, June 28th, 2022 - 41 comments
Someone should send out the free speech police. Simon O’Connor has been muzzled and is being stopped from saying what he thinks.
Christopher Luxon’s many and varied abortion takes
Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, June 27th, 2022 - 103 comments
National leader Christopher Luxon who has been previously reported as believing that abortion is murder, issued three public statements over the weekend trying to distance himself from the controversy caused by the US Supreme Court overturning of Rowe v Wade.
Mick Lynch is a working class hero
Written By: - Date published: 10:50 am, June 25th, 2022 - 30 comments
In the UK Rail Maritime and Transport boss Mick Lynch has caused a media sensation by strongly and clearly advocating for workers rights as the Conservative Government aims to deal with inflation by eroding further workers wages and job conditions.
Luxon has been Susied on National Radio
Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, June 22nd, 2022 - 68 comments
This morning on Morning Report Christopher Luxon was well and truly Susied as Susie Ferguson asked him how can we have tax cuts yet improved public services.
The dodgy Auckland Mayoralty Curia poll
Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, June 21st, 2022 - 104 comments
An Auckland Ratepayers Alliance Curia poll that was trumpeted as claiming that Efeso Collins and Leo Molloy were neck and neck in terms of public support has attracted criticism after it was disclosed that the poll of 500 persons had 53% stating that they did not know who they would vote for.
Tamaki Makaurau’s very own wannabe Trump
Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, June 20th, 2022 - 41 comments
What started out as an ego driven campaign is now developing into full blown Trumism as Leo Molloy thrashes around attempting to court attention in the belief, Trump like, that it will convert into political support.
The Tauranga by election
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, June 18th, 2022 - 64 comments
The Tauranga by election has been one of the most low key by elections held in some time. The polls are now closed. If Labour get within 25 points of National they can regard this as a victory.
Human rights, culture wars and the right
Written By: - Date published: 10:49 am, June 17th, 2022 - 39 comments
Christopher Luxton has proposed that social media posts showing gang members wearing bling should be censored. And in the United Kingdom Boris Johnson has railed against a ECHR decision which has upset his efforts to illegally extradite refugee status applicants to Rwanda. These are different examples of something the right is finessing, culture wars against minorities in breach of their rights for political advantage.
The Cabinet reshuffle
Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, June 14th, 2022 - 64 comments
There was some drama yesterday in the Beehive where Kris Faafoi and Trevor Mallard announced that they will be resigning from Parliament and Jacinda Ardern took the opportunity to reshuffle the Cabinet.
BusinessNZ has been telling porkies about fair pay agreements
Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, June 13th, 2022 - 10 comments
BusinessNZ’s attempt to put New Zealand on the ILO naughty list because of fair pay agreements has failed.
National’s anti gang policies and the Bill of Rights
Written By: - Date published: 4:09 pm, June 12th, 2022 - 33 comments
This weekend National threw out a few hunks of red meat to some of its more rabid supporters by going to its old favourite of gang bashing.
The prospects of a snap election
Written By: - Date published: 2:18 pm, June 10th, 2022 - 85 comments
Various media and the National Party are speculating that there may be an early election. What are the chances of one being called?
He Waka Eke Noa?
Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, June 10th, 2022 - 16 comments
The He Waka Eke Noa report recommends the introduction of farm-level split-gas levy on agricultural emissions. The anticipated savings are very small and reliant on Government proposals for the sector to reaching the Government target of 10% methane reduction. Are we really all in this together?
National needs better lawyers
Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, June 8th, 2022 - 68 comments
Christopher Luxon this morning called for the police getting warrantless search powers for arms. But the law already allows for warrantless searches where Arms Act violations are suspected.
Is Boris gone?
Written By: - Date published: 7:49 am, June 7th, 2022 - 17 comments
Reports from the UK suggest that Boris Johnson’s reign as Prime Minister may be over because it appears sufficient conservative MPs have a sufficient sense of morality to be outraged about Boris’s Covid lockdown busting ways.
Update: he survived but over 40% of Conservative MPs voted to remove him.
China and the Pacific
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, June 5th, 2022 - 223 comments
National and it allies have this week attacked Nanaia Mahuta for not responding to China’s forays in the Pacific. But they do not appreciate the quiet diplomatic work that Labour MPs have been doing in the background or the reasons why the Pacific rejected having a joint security arrangement with China.
Ardern is apparently to blame for National having racist supporters
Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, June 2nd, 2022 - 273 comments
Yesterday on Morning Report Chris Luxon pivoted from a question about National supporters expressing distaste for Te Ao Maori to blaming Jacinda Ardern for not burning up political capital on co governance.
National’s policies don’t add up
Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, May 31st, 2022 - 48 comments
In 21 tweets Clint Smith has set out why National’s tax cut policies and its rhetoric are absurd and how the media is doing us a disservice by not asking the hard questions like what will be cut and how the promised tax cuts will be paid for.
The problem with keyboard warriors and media commentators
Written By: - Date published: 8:29 am, May 29th, 2022 - 178 comments
Internationally Jacinda Ardern’s speech to the Harvard graduating class has been very well received. But locally not so much.
If not now then when?
Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, May 26th, 2022 - 47 comments
Yet another school shooting has occurred this time in Texas with 19 children and two teachers shot. And this weekend the NRA is holding its annual Convention in Texas and Donald Trump is one of the guest speakers.
Wood announces boost to Coastal shipping
Written By: - Date published: 9:47 am, May 25th, 2022 - 36 comments
Transport Minister Michael Wood has announced funding to increase coastal shipping services in New Zealand in a move that will decrease highway congestion, reduce wear and tear on roads, improve employment, support regional development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Australian Election
Written By: - Date published: 7:08 pm, May 21st, 2022 - 66 comments
Post for people to comment on developing news about the Australian election.
The time that Roger Douglas was right
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, May 21st, 2022 - 39 comments
Roger Douglas may have caused New Zealand a lot of harm through his policies and actions but there was one occasion where if a policy he had helped to introduce had been retained New Zealand would be a much better place.
The Media and the Australian election
Written By: - Date published: 2:03 pm, May 20th, 2022 - 28 comments
I cannot understand why in Australia Scotty from Marketing still has a fighting chance of remaining as Prime Minister. But the recent tightening in the polls suggests that this is a possibility.
The Goldilocks budget
Written By: - Date published: 9:25 am, May 20th, 2022 - 24 comments
How was the 2022 budget? Was it the worst since Ruth Richardson’s mother of all budgets or the best since the first Labour Government gave everyone a Christmas bonus in 1935?
Budget Day!
Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, May 19th, 2022 - 50 comments
Today is budget day. What surprises will Grant Robertson announce to address the country’s many and varied problems. Will Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis be able to sound like they actually understand what is in the budget? Stay tuned for 2 pm …
Has Business NZ been telling porkies?
Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, May 17th, 2022 - 18 comments
Business NZ has claimed that the proposed Fair Play legislation breaches International Labour Law and that the International Labour Organisation agrees with it. But its claims appear to be on the wrong side of what we could politely describe as the truth.
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