Author Archive

Political campaigning in a Covid-19 world

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:52 am, March 23rd, 2020 - 15 comments

How will the Covid-19 pandemic affect the 2020 election campaign, and are we looking at a postponement?

Relentless negativity

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:22 am, March 18th, 2020 - 57 comments

Simon Bridges has been criticised for his relentless negativity towards the Government’s urgent Covid-19 budget response and for playing politics as usual at a time when unity is required.

The right become socialists as Covid-19 bites

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:52 am, March 17th, 2020 - 38 comments

The right, elements of which have thought the best thing to do to the state is weaken it that badly that they could then drown it in a bathtub, are rethinking and now realise that a well resourced, active and engaged State is actually a life saver.

Different responses to the Covid virus pandemic

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:11 am, March 16th, 2020 - 105 comments

It has been disclosed that Donald Trump has attempted to buy exclusive rights to a German vaccine in development. But only for the use of the American people. Meanwhile in New Zealand there is agreat anticipation about the Government’s announced package due to be released tomorrow.

Remember March 15

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:34 am, March 15th, 2020 - 9 comments

Today marks the first anniversary of the Christchurch Mosque shooting.

How does the government handle a pandemic induced world recession?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:54 am, March 13th, 2020 - 152 comments

With the world’s economy in turmoil and infection rates continuing to surge the responses of different countries to the crisis shows markedly different results. And the issue could be the determining issue of this year’s election.

Red tape bonfire of the vanities

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 2:19 pm, March 9th, 2020 - 19 comments

National has promised a bonfire of regulations. Just like conservatives in Australia, the United Kingdom, America and previous National administrations.

The politics of gun control

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:47 am, March 9th, 2020 - 180 comments

National and NZ First are frustrating the passage of the Arms Legislation Bill by raising issues that may appeal to extremists but will not make the country a safer place after the Christchurch massacre.

What the Government has done for beneficiaries

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:22 am, March 7th, 2020 - 43 comments

In Parliament this week Carmel Sepuloni outlined action being taken by the Government to implement the recommendations of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group designed to improve the plight of beneficiaries.

The politics of hand washing

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:35 pm, March 6th, 2020 - 25 comments

Simon Bridges thinks that getting people to wash their hands and removing unemployment stand down periods is tinkering but that National’s still unreleased economic policy will solve the crisis.

RIP Jeanette Fitzsimons

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:04 am, March 6th, 2020 - 33 comments

Former Greens co leader Jeanette Fitzsimons has died.

Bridges thinks the solution to Covid 19 is tax cuts

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:14 am, March 5th, 2020 - 64 comments

Simon Bridges thinks that tax cuts are the best way to address financial stress caused by businesses by the Covid 19 epidemic. Even though businesses under financial stress will be paying little if any tax and a tax cut would have little if any effect.

Super Tuesday

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:00 am, March 4th, 2020 - 61 comments

In the US of A today is Super Tuesday. California, Texas, North Carolina and 11 other states and one territory will be voting for their preferred candidate.

The trouble with MMP

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:11 am, March 3rd, 2020 - 93 comments

The trouble with MMP is that sometimes members of minority parties court media attention by being overtly racist.

Climate change – the right schemes and the left despairs

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:02 am, March 2nd, 2020 - 27 comments

The Australian Liberal Government has signalled a movement away from solar and wind power to untested technologies including carbon capture, hydrogen and lithium. Meanwhile the woman who led the negotiations for the Paris Agreement is calling for civil disobedience to force institutions to respond to the climate crisis.

The Herald creates a panic and Trump says Coronavirus is a hoax

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:37 am, March 1st, 2020 - 65 comments

If a society ever wanted to set out how to handle a pandemic the Herald’s media response and Donald Trump’s handling of the situation provide perfect examples of what not to do.

National’s new conservation policy was previously announced in 2014

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:29 pm, February 29th, 2020 - 12 comments

National has announced a “new” policy that it previously announced in 2014. And that has already been implemented.

Do not deport your people and your problems to New Zealand

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:33 am, February 29th, 2020 - 53 comments

Jacinda Ardern has trashed traditional notions of how New Zealand Australia relations are conducted when making the clear point that Australia should not be exporting Australian made problems who are barely kiwis to New Zealand.

National is going low on law and order issues

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:48 am, February 27th, 2020 - 10 comments

Over the past week National has shown a willingness to take really base aggressive positions on law and order issues for political advantages no matter what principles are at stake. And at the same time show a complete lack of understanding of the issues that are involved.