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Abomination becomes law

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:30 am, December 9th, 2010 - 45 comments

Paul Quinn’s appalling Electoral (Disqualification of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Act passed last night with the support of just two parties – ACT and National. We’ve talked about why this law is so bad in the past. The Attorney-General agreed it is an unjustified breach of our human rights. Why did ACT, the supposed ‘Liberal Party’ vote for it?

What would a National win mean in 2011?

Written By: Michael Foxglove - Date published: 9:28 pm, December 6th, 2010 - 49 comments

In my final post I look at the possible influence coalition partners could have on a future National government. Even if Labour loses in 2011, an outright win for right-wing economic doctrine is not necessarily on the cards.

Unravelling at both ends

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 11:57 am, November 26th, 2010 - 42 comments

The new foreshore and seabed deal is going sour for the government at both ends. The Maori Party is in a state of virtual civil war with the fundi faction led by Hone Harawira gaining support against Tariana Turia’s sell-out faction. Meanwhile, National is feeling the heat as ACT targets its redneck vote.

Charging for the foreshore

Written By: r0b - Date published: 1:32 pm, November 2nd, 2010 - 9 comments

I don’t know about you, but I have certainly been confused about ACT’s move to insert a last-minute clause into the new Marine and Coastal Areas (Takutai Moana) Bill (proposed replacement for the Foreshore and Seabed Act). Canterbury legal academic David Round sets out some of the issues involved. With deep divisions within Maoridom, and a growing conservative backlash, this mess isn’t going away any time soon…

Why the Right is worried 4: Polls

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 11:57 am, October 21st, 2010 - 41 comments

The trend is quite clear now. The Right’s support peaked and the Left’s support reached is nadir last year. The gap has been gradually closing ever since. From a 24.5% gap between National and ACT a year ago, the gap in the latest Roy Morgan has fallen to 5.5%. About quarter of a million Kiwis have switched their support to the Left in a single year.

ACT – one law for all?

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 10:13 am, October 15th, 2010 - 19 comments

Hillary Calvert introduced an amendment this week to change the Marine and Coastal Act. In keeping with Act’s philosophy of One Rule For All it denies Maori the right to charge for access to beaches, whilst allowing current private owners to (continue to) charge access fees.

More ACT identity theft?

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 3:30 pm, October 13th, 2010 - 20 comments

In recent days, David Garrett has been spotted hanging around Parliament. Now, The Standard has acquired a picture of ACT’s new MP, ‘Hilary Calvert’, arriving at Parliament. It raises further identity theft questions within the party.

Evidence suggests that the real Calvert was brain-dead at least two weeks ago.

Prendergast doesn’t get it

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 10:59 am, October 13th, 2010 - 40 comments

According to Kerry Prendergast, STV may cost her election as mayor of Wellington, and therefore it is undemocratic. Good doublethink there Kerry.

UPDATE: Prendergast really doesn’t get it – Celia is Mayor!… Lost by 176 votes.

Hide begging for his political life

Written By: r0b - Date published: 3:02 pm, October 11th, 2010 - 74 comments

So Rodney Hide is reduced to publicly begging for his political life, asking National for an easy ride in Epsom. It will be interesting to keep an eye on National’s response. Especially with the name of defeated Auckland Mayoral candidate John Banks already being mentioned…

Caption Contest

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 10:58 am, September 30th, 2010 - 39 comments

“The Cabinet Manual clearly states that Ministers are responsible to me for their ethical behaviour, not for their judgment.” “Mr Hide has carried out his affairs in a personal and private capacity to a high ethical standard.” John Key, 22 Sep 2010

RWNJs worried msm may awaken

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 6:14 pm, September 26th, 2010 - 19 comments

I guess we shouldn’t really mock such unfortunates but this latest missive from the Bog is too hard to resist. Farrar and his merry band of ignorant loons are furious that the ODT, one of New Zealand’s better newspapers, is daring to ask pertinent questions of ACTs replacement for David Garrett. It seems pretty fair […]

“We’re all shades of sheep” – the Calvert interview

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 1:28 pm, September 25th, 2010 - 49 comments

Check out Hilary Calvert’s interview in the ODT. It’s, um, extraordinary and hilarious. Calvert can’t remember whether she was ever a member of a different political party, when she first stood for ACT, or whether she has any convictions.

More evidence of the depth of talent in ACT these days.

“My foolish actions 26 years ago”

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 3:03 pm, September 24th, 2010 - 35 comments

Rodney Hide and David Garrett would have us believe that Garrett’s downfall is about youthful indiscretions and skeletons in closets. Let’s nip this in the bud straight away. It wasn’t Garrett’s “foolish actions 26 years ago” that sealed his fate, it was the confirmation that even to this day he is still a liar, a criminal and the worst kind of hypocrite.

Caption Contest

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 11:48 am, September 23rd, 2010 - 31 comments

“All I can say is that in the 22 months that Mr Hide has been a minister in my Government he’s shown very good judgement and he has my full support.” John Key, 17 Sep 2010

Key ties himself to Hide

Written By: r0b - Date published: 8:34 am, September 23rd, 2010 - 36 comments

What is John Key thinking? Why would he tie himself so firmly to the mast of the sinking ship that is Rodney Hide and ACT?

The next ACT

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 1:04 pm, September 22nd, 2010 - 52 comments

Key is strongly backing Hide.

That might be because he doesn’t want to deal with the ideologues who would replace him. Or it might be because Hide knows where the skeletons are buried.

Either way Key’s going to find it harder and harder to distance himself from the mess.

Garrett and McVicar partners in crime

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:15 am, September 21st, 2010 - 36 comments

Garth McVicar is head of ‘tough on crime’ lobby group the Sensible Sentencing Trust. David Garrett is a serial offender who now faces further criminal charges for perjury.

So naturally McVicar is backing Garrett to head up a new hard-line law and order party.

Stable government

Written By: r0b - Date published: 8:08 am, September 20th, 2010 - 44 comments

John Key and the Nats are failing to provide the stable government that New Zealanders require – and vote for. His coalition partners are both self destructing. Interesting times.

Awatere-Huata & Garrett, what’s the difference?

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:24 pm, September 19th, 2010 - 75 comments

ACT’s lost two List MPs. When Donna Awatere-Huata was booted out, Rodney Hide took her to court to force her out of Parliament. Now, David Garrett is forced to resign and Hide says he won’t push him to leave Parliament. Why the kid-gloves for Garrett? Because Hide’s leadership matters more to him than the future of his party.

Some thoughts on ACT

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 12:00 pm, September 18th, 2010 - 81 comments

One way or another ACT’s troubles are going to ripple through the entire political discourse.

So what’s likely to happen with Garrett?

And what does it mean for everyone else?

A Busy Week In Politics

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 11:41 pm, September 17th, 2010 - 19 comments

It’s been a very big week this week, so I thought I’d do a round-up, just so we don’t forget some of the ‘lesser’ lights that may have been big news had we not had so much to go on…

Tashkoff: Hide lied to ACT Board about Garrett

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 4:08 pm, September 17th, 2010 - 83 comments

According to ACT’s Peter Tashkoff, Rodney Hide misled the ACT Party Board by hiding his knowledge of David Garrett’s passport dishonesty offence. So here we have a party leader who couldn’t see the problem with accepting someone who’d committed such a distasteful crime becoming not only an MP, but ACT’s Law and Order spokesman, and so […]

Garrett resigns from ACT

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 1:37 pm, September 17th, 2010 - 80 comments

David Garrett has resigned from ACT and has indicated he will almost certainly resign from Parliament. Good, He is a scumbag, a liar, and a hypocrite. He is only resigning because he was caught. Now attention must turn to Rodney Hide. He can’t now pretend to be administering justice when he harbored Garrett and kept […]

Key: No Surprises?

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 10:54 am, September 16th, 2010 - 22 comments

Under National & Act’s power-sharing agreement there is a ‘No Surprises’ clause. So Rodney Hide should have told John Key about David Garrett’s assault conviction and dead baby identity stealing, as well as his own drunk and disorderly conviction in 2008.

Did he?

Hide’s dilemma

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 6:31 pm, September 15th, 2010 - 102 comments

Rodney Hide can either ditch Garrett and likely lose his leadership.

Or he can back him and likely kill off Act.

It’s a classic individual versus collective dilemma.

Day of the Jackoff

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 4:04 pm, September 15th, 2010 - 87 comments

So ACT’s nutcase extraordinaire, the man whose only talent is to make John Boscawen look stable, has done it yet again. Forever getting attention for all the wrong reasons, David Garrett has now admitted he’s been found guilty of a particularly distasteful dishonesty offence – stealing the identity of a dead infant for the purpose of […]

Garrett convicted for assault

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 8:33 pm, September 13th, 2010 - 40 comments

It seems Act MP and wannabe tough guy David Garrett has a conviction for assault.

I guess you don’t have to dig too far beneath the skin of these Sensible Sentencing Trust types to find their inner thug.

Right wing tantrums

Written By: r0b - Date published: 9:25 am, September 10th, 2010 - 173 comments

The mind set of your typical far RWNJ (Right Wing Nut Job) reminds me of nothing so much as a spoiled greedy baby. Never more so than after reading a couple of notable tantrums from right wing politicians lately.

Roy calls Rodney’s bluff

Written By: Dancr - Date published: 1:41 pm, August 26th, 2010 - 9 comments

From John Armstrong: He [Hide] stared at the ornate ceiling. He stared at the wood-panelled walls. And when he wasn’t staring at those things, he just stared into the void in front of him. The only direction Rodney Hide was not looking was two seats to his left….

ACT infighting continues

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 2:40 pm, August 25th, 2010 - 15 comments

The ACT Party’s in-fighting continues, with ACT member Peter Tashkoff announcing he will contest Rodney Hide for the party’s selection in Epsom. Someone pass the popcorn.

Roy enounters changeable Mr Hyde

Written By: Dancr - Date published: 8:00 pm, August 24th, 2010 - 24 comments

Is Heather Roy to depart the ACT caucus? According to TVNZ, Act Party leader Rodney Hide is signalling his dumped deputy Heather Roy will find it extremely difficult to stay on as an MP, despite saying last week that she would be welcomed back into the caucus.