Author Archive

Simon’s unfortunate pecuniary register omission

Written By: - Date published: 7:39 am, May 10th, 2019 - 31 comments

Jami-Lee Ross has alleged that Simon Bridges pecuniary interest return is not correct because it failed to disclose an expensive dinner and a case of wine donated by Zhang Yikon.

Swarbrick 1 Bennett 0

Written By: - Date published: 1:11 pm, May 9th, 2019 - 47 comments

Chloe Swarbrick has responded Paula Bennett’s derisory comments about the proposed cannabis drug reform with a very elegant burn.

Zero carbon bill – let the battle commence

Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, May 9th, 2019 - 102 comments

The Zero Carbon bill is already being attacked by farming groups who are clearly concerned at the implications for their industry.  And National is already showing signs that it will play politics with the issue.

Zero Carbon bill announced

Written By: - Date published: 4:44 pm, May 8th, 2019 - 40 comments

The Government has announced that the Zero Carbon Bill will have as a goal carbon neutrality by 2050 and the halving of methane emissions by that time.

Reeferendum madness

Written By: - Date published: 7:39 am, May 8th, 2019 - 121 comments

The Government parties have all decided to support draft drug reform legislation should the referendum to be held at the next election succeed.  But National is refusing to say what it will do.

It’s the end of the world as we know it *

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, May 7th, 2019 - 104 comments

* and I don’t feel fine.

Watch out Iran

Written By: - Date published: 8:10 am, May 7th, 2019 - 57 comments

National Security Advisor John Bolton has announced that the US is sending an aircraft carrier and a bomber task force to the Middle East.

Eugenie Sage vetos vast tailings dump

Written By: - Date published: 7:46 am, May 6th, 2019 - 72 comments

Green Land Information Minister Eugenie Sage has vetoed Oceania Gold’s attempt to buy a 180-hectare dairy farm to store mining tailings from its Waihi gold mines.

Is Tony Abbott finished?

Written By: - Date published: 10:20 am, May 5th, 2019 - 9 comments

Tony Abbott is facing electoral defeat from Zali Steggall, an independent candidate who has put combating climate change at the centre of her campaign.

Pike River re-entry delayed

Written By: - Date published: 10:53 am, May 3rd, 2019 - 51 comments

Re-entry to the Pike River mine has been delayed so that a high oxygen reading from within the mine can be understood.

10,000 lies

Written By: - Date published: 3:36 pm, May 2nd, 2019 - 64 comments

The Washington Post tracker of Trump whoppers suggests that he has told his 10,000th presidential lie.

National’s bad day in the house

Written By: - Date published: 7:28 am, May 2nd, 2019 - 70 comments

In an unprecedented move yesterday in Parliament Government MPs agreed to Simon Bridges having extra time to harangue them during the general debate.

Climate change is this Government’s nuclear free issue

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, May 1st, 2019 - 50 comments

The results of the Zero Carbon Bill negotiations are due to be announced shortly.  This Government has a political imperative to make sure that the final proposal is resolute.

Death by a thousand cuts

Written By: - Date published: 7:20 am, May 1st, 2019 - 74 comments

It has been reported that John Key has shown some support behind the scenes for Judith Collins.  And someone in National’s caucus has leaked to Newshub that MPs were told not to leak to Newshub.

The ides of April

Written By: - Date published: 7:34 am, April 30th, 2019 - 87 comments

National’s first caucus meeting in a while is scheduled for today. And the leaks are continuing.

Slushiegate

Written By: - Date published: 7:46 am, April 29th, 2019 - 101 comments

Simon Bridges has decided to attack Corrections management for installing slushie machines designed to help cool prison guards in full uniform and heavy stab proof vests on hot days.

The Herald paywall

Written By: - Date published: 11:43 am, April 28th, 2019 - 59 comments

The Herald is getting ready this week to install a paywall.

Should white supremacists be preferred over ISIS?

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, April 27th, 2019 - 117 comments

According to media sources in the United States Twitter won’t autoban white supremacists because too many GOP Politicians would be banned.

Splitters!

Written By: - Date published: 10:37 am, April 26th, 2019 - 34 comments

David Moffett, a Former board member of the New Conservative Party has announced the launch of a new new conservative party.

Sri Lanka

Written By: - Date published: 7:53 am, April 24th, 2019 - 13 comments

A junior Sri Lankan Minister has suggested that the recent bombings was an ISIS inspired response to the Christchurch mosque bombings.  But others are not so sure that this is right.

Confirmation bias

Written By: - Date published: 12:03 pm, April 21st, 2019 - 134 comments

The internet neatly divides us into separate isolated tribes with polarised views of what are the issues and what is reality.  How do we engage in a civilised discussion to educate each other and reach a consensus of what we should be doing?

The Mueller report

Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, April 19th, 2019 - 75 comments

Robert Mueller’s report has now been released and questions are being asked at the benign spin that the White House has been allowed to engage in to describe it before its release.

About the CGT decision

Written By: - Date published: 8:06 am, April 18th, 2019 - 232 comments

With the benefit of hindsight the decision not to proceed with a capital gains tax was almost inevitable.

Should he stay or should he go?

Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, April 17th, 2019 - 68 comments

Tova O’Brien has reported that different National MPs are speaking out against Simon Bridges and that a coup against him may be in the offering.

Trump’s border problem

Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, April 16th, 2019 - 30 comments

Donald Trump has considered taking some extraordinary steps to quell a surge in migration through the southern boarder of the United States.

National’s culture review shambles redux

Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, April 15th, 2019 - 32 comments

Simon Bridges has given a train wreck of an interview this morning on Radio New Zealand’s morning report about National’s culture review. It appears that National is keeping the report secret because of fears that the report may be leaked.

Stuart McCutcheon thinks students are too sensitive

Written By: - Date published: 10:08 am, April 14th, 2019 - 39 comments

Auckland Vice Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon has attracted the ire of Auckland students by suggesting that their concern with recent evidence of fascist behaviour at Auckland campus is because they are being too sensitive.

The latest Reid Research poll

Written By: - Date published: 4:10 pm, April 12th, 2019 - 173 comments

The latest Reid Research suggests that Labour is almost at the stage where it could rule alone.  And National is getting into danger territory.

Bridges’ emotional junior staffer problem

Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, April 11th, 2019 - 36 comments

The emotional junior staffer incident shows that National’s internal discipline is poor and that leaks are continuing.

National’s culture review shambles

Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, April 10th, 2019 - 79 comments

National’s internal cultural review has been completed but two female MPs most affected by recent events were not interviewed.

MSSA Bill reported back

Written By: - Date published: 8:10 am, April 9th, 2019 - 10 comments

The Finance and Expenditure Select Committee has reported back the Arms Amendment Bill which will ban the general availability of military style semi automatic weapons with only modest changes.