Author Archive

Will NZ First make it back into Parliament?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:07 am, September 8th, 2020 - 43 comments

One of the most interesting questions about the current election campaign is will New Zealand First make it back into Parliament after the election, with polling and a slew of not dissimilar parties on the right suggesting that Winston’s time may be up.

Landlord lobby group hopes National Government will ditch warm flat requirement

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:49 am, September 7th, 2020 - 56 comments

The NZ Property Investors Federation has proposed to its members they should hold off on making flats warmer and drier just in case there is a change of government.

Covid – New Zealand has similar levels of freedom to Sweden

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:41 pm, September 6th, 2020 - 83 comments

Simon Thornley is claiming that New Zealand’s covid response is a failure and we should be more like Sweden. But it appears that in more recent times Sweden has toughened its stringency tests so that they are similar to New Zealand’s.

The Herald’s idea of balance

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 6:30 am, September 2nd, 2020 - 43 comments

The Herald yesterday posted a story suggesting that Aucklanders were split over the second lockdown when the actual reality was the vast majority were supportive. And a subsequent article pointing out how positive the result was does not clear the perception of negative bias.

Left wing twitter is the worst *

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:42 am, September 1st, 2020 - 69 comments

* but you should see what Judith Collins’ husband has been posting.

Kia kaha Greens

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:06 am, August 29th, 2020 - 304 comments

The Green Party is facing major push back from members relating to a decision to give shovel ready funding to a private school involved in education about the environment.

Everybody got together on that day as one brother

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:45 am, August 27th, 2020 - 32 comments

The sentencing of the Christchurch Mosque mass murderer was shaping up to be a circus and allow the person in the dock to spread his message of hate. But so far it has been a cathartic event and has given the victims a chance to vent their feelings. And it has provided a chance for us to reinforce our solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters.

If National wins the hope for clean water and swimmable rivers will be gone by lunchtime

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:03 am, August 27th, 2020 - 40 comments

National has promised that if it gains power rules designed to improve water quality in our streams and rivers will be “gone by lunchtime.

National’s latest deception

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:45 am, August 26th, 2020 - 98 comments

National’s social media team has published an edited version of a response to a written question by Chris Hipkins to suggest that returning kiwis in quarantine were not subject to compulsory testing, when the reality is anyone refusing a test can be held for up to 26 days following the fortnight stay.

Should 16 year olds have the vote?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:36 am, August 25th, 2020 - 54 comments

A current case before the High Court is asking the question should 16 year olds be permitted to vote.

The election campaign and the sponsored Herald article

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:42 am, August 25th, 2020 - 58 comments

Radius Chair and NBR rich lister Brien Cree has a sponsored article in the Herald this morning that is critical of the Government’s Covid response.

Covid 19 catastrophisation

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:05 pm, August 24th, 2020 - 43 comments

Recent catastrophisation of the Government’s response to Covid by National is overplayed and overhyped, although some of the investigation by the media has been helpful in highlighting weaknesses in the response where improvement is important.

Is New Zealand or the United States the Covid cot case?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:39 am, August 22nd, 2020 - 28 comments

This week Donald Trump has defended the US’s abysmal handling of Covid 19 by claiming that the disease is out of control in New Zealand. And National’s rhetoric continues to match what he is saying.

The Covid Court Case

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:18 am, August 20th, 2020 - 30 comments

The High Court has ruled that for technical reasons during the first nine days of the lockdown statements that New Zealanders were legally required to remain at home were incorrect.

What does Judith do about Gerry?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:32 am, August 19th, 2020 - 113 comments

Gerry Brownlee has chosen to not only repeat his conspiracy theories involving Ashley Bloomfield but also claim that the media is against National. Both claims have no factual foundation.

Why we need to get on with the election

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:23 am, August 17th, 2020 - 114 comments

A coalition of losers has appeared demanding that the election is be delayed. Update: Ardern has announced a short deferral of election day to October 17.

What is wrong with postal voting?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:48 am, August 16th, 2020 - 73 comments

Judith Collins’s and National’s ridiculing the proposition that New Zealand could safely hold an election using postal voting has some disturbing similarities with Donald Trump’s approach in America.

TheY aRe onlY aSKing qUestiOns

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:32 am, August 13th, 2020 - 112 comments

Yesterday National suggested a wide based and interesting conspiracy theory involving the Government and the Ministry of Health and all of the Health Boards suppressing news of community spread of Covid 19 for political advantage while at the same time complaining that the Government should be consulting with them on decisions.

Will National politicise the new Covid outbreak? *

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:38 pm, August 12th, 2020 - 182 comments

*Rhetorical question. Of course they will.

The strange tale of the Auckland Central selection and Merv from Manurewa

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:01 am, August 11th, 2020 - 57 comments

News has emerged that a senior National Party figure rang talkback radio and made derogatory comments about National’s only Sri Lankan candidate in an apparent attempt to reduce her chance of being selected as National’s Auckland Central candidate.

IT doESN’t aDD up

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:49 am, August 10th, 2020 - 57 comments

For a few days now Gerry Brownlee has been peddling this dog whistle conspiracy campaign that the Government is hiding bad news about Covid and we should all be really concerned.

National’s list

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:50 pm, August 9th, 2020 - 23 comments

National’s list has now been released and highlights selection problems that it has had this year.

NZ First is in trouble in Northland

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:19 am, August 9th, 2020 - 70 comments

More bad news for NZ First. It looks like their hope that Northland could provide a get out of jail free card is misplaced.

The return of John Key

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:10 am, August 7th, 2020 - 110 comments

In a sign of desperation National has trotted out John Key to campaign that the country’s success in containing Covid should be put to risk because of a misguided perception that it would be good for the economy.

The Covid election

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:40 am, August 6th, 2020 - 73 comments

I normally do not do this, tempting fate and all that. But the forces behind this election are so strong that it would take a really dramatic event to change current momentum.

Who are you going to trust with your job, Jacinda or Judith?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:17 pm, August 5th, 2020 - 16 comments

Defying expectations official labour force data from Stats NZ released today shows that the unemployment rate dropped to 4 per cent from 4.2 per cent in the June quarter.

National’s policy platform

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:35 am, August 5th, 2020 - 45 comments

For a party that promised to be a policy factory National’s policy offerings are severely deficient.

Go Well Ruth Dyson

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:44 am, August 5th, 2020 - 10 comments

Ruth Dyson has given a very funny very incisive valedictory speech in Parliament and will bow out of politics at this election. She deserves our thanks.

National seats at risk in Auckland

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:54 pm, August 3rd, 2020 - 33 comments

National has a crop of new candidates in Auckland all wanting to be in Parliament. But judging by what has happened so far you have to wonder if there are further allegations that may emerge which may ankle tap carefully stage managed campaigns.

National’s Auckland Central problem

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:27 am, August 3rd, 2020 - 45 comments

National is facing another PR disaster with reports of an increasingly hostile Auckland Central candidate selection process and with allegations that National’s head office has misapplied the party’s constitution.