Author Archive

Can we trust David Seymour?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:04 am, May 1st, 2021 - 48 comments

David Seymour has got himself into a little bit of trouble. He filed a Parliamentary Pecuniary interests return that was not, ahem, correct.

The Most Blacks

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:36 am, April 30th, 2021 - 45 comments

The New Zealand Rugby Union is currently in the process of selling its soul to the devil, in this case a private equity firm called Silver Lake. This made me reflect on what the NZRU is selling.

National’s election review leaked

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:33 am, April 29th, 2021 - 20 comments

It was only a matter of time. Tova O’Brien at Newshub has been leaked a copy of the abridged version of the National Party election review.

Australia is picking a fight with China

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:22 am, April 28th, 2021 - 53 comments

I am pleased that Nanaia Mahuta and the Government have distanced ourselves from joining in with five eyes attacks on China. Because when you look at that aggressive rhetoric that is emanating from Australia you have to be worried.

Boris Johnson’s and Dominic Cummings’ very public fallout

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:54 am, April 27th, 2021 - 17 comments

Over in the UK Boris Johnson and his former chief advisor Dominic Cummings have had a very public fallout. And ever since it happened there have been very public leaks of damaging information which incredibly have not as yet damaged the Conservative Party’s standing.

The five eyes beat up

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:50 pm, April 24th, 2021 - 33 comments

There has been a conservative sourced beat up of Aotearoa New Zealand for not using an intelligence gathering treaty grouping to publicly attack China.

Biden is serious about climate change

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:28 am, April 24th, 2021 - 70 comments

One of the many regretful aspects of the Trump presidency was the United States open hostility to doing anything about climate change. It looks like Joe Biden will do his best to make up for lost time.

National’s very bad day

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:44 am, April 22nd, 2021 - 86 comments

Yesterday was a day where National focussed on dog whistle racism, supported religious extremists and moaned about workers receiving a modest increase in the minimum wage.

DHBs to go

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:20 am, April 21st, 2021 - 101 comments

Television New Zealand has reported that Andrew Little is to announce that district health boards are to go

Its official – Transmission Gully is a fiasco

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:10 am, April 20th, 2021 - 19 comments

A damning report into National’s PPP contract for construction of Transmission Gully has concluded that the maximum price the government would pay was set too low, project bidders soon worked this out and that proposals were “value managed down” or made cheaper on designs and timelines that created risks that would eventually manifest themselves after procurement once construction commenced.

National’s housing policy

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:06 pm, April 16th, 2021 - 30 comments

National has released its housing policy and the proposals are predictable. Free up more land, loosen up the RMA, and require Councils in high growth areas to urgently review their district plans.

Bridges supports Judith at this time

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:28 am, April 14th, 2021 - 10 comments

Simon Bridges had added to rumours of a leadership challenge by pledging support for Judith Collins as leader “at this time”.

Donations trouble for Māori Party and National

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:08 am, April 13th, 2021 - 14 comments

The Electoral laws about donations are pretty clear. Receive a donation over $30,000 and you should tell the Electoral Commission about the report within the next ten working days. But the Maori Party and the National Party have both managed to recently breach this simple requirement.

The politics of the Covid vaccination roll out

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:15 am, April 12th, 2021 - 91 comments

Poor National. Faced with a Government response to Covid that has been superb it is reduced to criticising the Government for not rolling out the Covid vaccine quickly enough.

The Covid India issue

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:13 am, April 9th, 2021 - 29 comments

This is a desperately difficult issue. India is currently experiencing a surge in Covid cases. And faced with the prospect of quarantine beds being overrun if current trends continue the Government has taken the step of banning people entering the country if they have been in India during the two weeks prior to travel.

Bridges is back?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:42 am, April 9th, 2021 - 16 comments

Judith Collins has more reasons to be worried. There is a rumour of a SImon Bridges-Chris Luxon leadership ticket potentially having a run for the leadership of the National Party.

Click bait frenzy

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:04 am, April 8th, 2021 - 69 comments

Media has been awash with discussion about Mike Hosking’s recent interaction with Jacinda Ardern. She was invited onto his show, agreed to appear, was grilled on isolation facility beds, and gave responses. End of story you would think.

Bubble bubble toil and trouble

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:43 am, April 6th, 2021 - 42 comments

An announcement on the Trans Tasman bubble is expected this afternoon.

The biggest grifter

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:21 pm, April 5th, 2021 - 17 comments

The New York Times is reporting that the Trump Campaign sucked in a whole lot of republican voters by asking for urgent donations but then treating them as regular rather than one off donations unless donors discovered and clicked on a well hidden check box.

What is Socialism – a primer for idiots

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:09 am, April 5th, 2021 - 163 comments

Merchant Banker Troy Bowker has accused the Government of engaging in Socialist wealth redistribution ideology by not extending to landlords a state supported loan guarantee scheme and by implementing relatively modest wealth redistribution measures.

Greta Thunberg is now 18

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:06 am, April 2nd, 2021 - 59 comments

Greta Thunberg is now aged 18. And her activism is still strong.

Ports of Auckland – time for change

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:47 am, March 31st, 2021 - 5 comments

Auckland Council has released the Ports of Auckland Independent Health and Safety Report and the recommendations are damning.

National’s leadership problem

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:48 am, March 30th, 2021 - 42 comments

Chris Luxon’s maiden speech last week and another example of multiple leaks of details of a caucus meeting highlight how precarious Judith Collins’ tenure as National Party leader is. But does someone have the numbers to replace her?

About Grant Robertson’s bright line tax statement

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:39 am, March 28th, 2021 - 217 comments

Media has been abuzz with comment about how last election Grant Robertson has backtracked on a promise on not extending the bright line test. Should politicians stick to their pronouncements no matter what? Or should they change their minds if circumstances demand a change in course?

Doocey is taking the piss

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:49 am, March 26th, 2021 - 12 comments

Private member’s bills are an important feature of Parliament. They give all MPs the chance to change the law to address real or perceived issues and problems. So what does National MP Matt Doocey think is the country’s most pressing problem?

The housing crisis and the Government’s response

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:28 am, March 25th, 2021 - 163 comments

The Government’s housing policy announcements have been attacked by the right and landlords as being an attack on rights and business, and by elements of the left for being too timid. Which suggests that the announcements are quite well pitched.

Something big but not like that

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:45 am, March 23rd, 2021 - 41 comments

I am going out on a limb here but I think that Comrade Chris Trotter suggesting that Jacinda Ardern may resign as Prime Minister may be overhashed.

Boris wants more bombs

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:05 am, March 19th, 2021 - 50 comments

Boris Johnson has announced that the United Kingdom will increase its stockpile of nuclear weapons and open up the possibility of using weapons against non nuclear nations, despite being a signatory to various treaties that prohibit both actions being taken.

Americas Cup is New Zealand’s cup?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:30 am, March 18th, 2021 - 80 comments

It appears that the Government and Auckland Council have spent $250 million on an event the organisers of which are now making plans to go overseas in pursuit of the big corporate dollars.

National and the Greens on how to solve the housing crisis

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:04 am, March 17th, 2021 - 71 comments

Over the past week National and the Greens have released housing policy designed to address the country’s current housing crisis. National’s are tired and either reflect what is already happening or reinforce their doctrinal view of the world. The Green’s proposals are more radical and reflect steps that Micky Savage and the First Labour Government took in 1935.