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The first debate
Written By: - Date published: 3:18 pm, August 31st, 2017 - 203 comments
The first debate between Jacinda Ardern and Bill English is tonight at 7pm (with a poll due at 6).
Update: CB Poll puts Labour ahead of National, and Ardern ahead of English. Crikey!
Mike Hosking feels used and wants to take a shower
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, August 30th, 2017 - 48 comments
Mike Hosking is decrying National’s cynical election campaign and release of its paid parental leave policy and claims that it is nothing more than a corrupt retail exchange.
Real video from National’s campaign launch
Written By: - Date published: 8:55 am, August 30th, 2017 - 8 comments
The Standard has received real video from National’s campaign launch
No one can have any confidence in a Nat NZF coalition
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, August 30th, 2017 - 45 comments
Peters is enraged by the presumed Nat hit on him over super. Earlier he was calling on Bill English to resign over the Barclay scandal. Given these conflicts, no one can have any confidence in a post-election Nat NZF coalition. They hate each other.
English coverup of Barclay scandal gets worse
Written By: - Date published: 6:42 am, August 30th, 2017 - 32 comments
New documents released under the OIA show that Bill English fought hide his involvement with the Todd Barclay scandal from media and the public. Coverups and lies, English is unfit for office.
National does u turn on paid parental leave
Written By: - Date published: 12:16 pm, August 29th, 2017 - 16 comments
National has announced a policy of increasing paid parental leave after complaining last year that it was unaffordable.
National’s new copyright problem
Written By: - Date published: 4:07 pm, August 25th, 2017 - 58 comments
National may have further copyright problems with the song used in its campaign video sounding remarkably similar to an old Bob Dylan song.
English on poverty – hasn’t read his own PREFU
Written By: - Date published: 9:48 am, August 24th, 2017 - 14 comments
After nine long years the election is forcing National to acknowledge the poverty in NZ. Bill English is promising to throw money at bootcamps and “social investment” (targeting) – but he hasn’t read his own PREFU.
Legal action on “Hit and Run” deaths
Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, August 19th, 2017 - 10 comments
Lawyers for the villagers in the area allegedly hit in Operation Burnham are taking the Government to court over its refusal to hold an independent inquiry. English responds with some particularly vile spin.
Nats repeat failed bootcamp policy in plea to rally their scared angry base
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, August 15th, 2017 - 30 comments
English’s “boot camp” policy is pure politics. As much as he tries to deny it, it’s more or less an exact repeat of Key’s failed 2008 attempt, it would do much more harm than good if ever implemented. More than any other flailing to date, this mess is a sign of National’s desperation.
National promises to get tough on youth crime
Written By: - Date published: 1:08 pm, August 13th, 2017 - 77 comments
National has announced its policy to deal with youth crime by reannouncing a military service scheme that already exists, proposing a special category for young offenders that will have some young people seek that status and by proposing to fine parents who can’t keep their kids home at night.
English damaged by Barclay scandal – poll
Written By: - Date published: 10:38 am, August 8th, 2017 - 45 comments
The missing Newshub poll question has appeared at last, showing that Bill English has been damaged by his handling of the Barclay scandal. 56% of Kiwis (even 36% of Nats) have lost some trust in English. Updated: The texts have been “deleted”. English refusing to answer questions.
What was English up to with his Barclay text storm?
Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, August 2nd, 2017 - 43 comments
Peters claims that English sent over 450 text messages to Barclay’s then staffer Glenys Dickson “many early in the morning and late at night” in the months before she resigned. English is in this mess up to his eyeballs. What was going on?
National will distort MMP for its own benefit, again
Written By: - Date published: 12:02 pm, July 26th, 2017 - 80 comments
Without a cup of tea in sight National has announced that it will asking supporters to vote for Act leader David Seymour in Epsom and United Future leader Peter Dunne in Ohariu.
Did English break the law during Dotcom debacle?
Written By: - Date published: 11:15 am, July 26th, 2017 - 44 comments
David Fisher on the Dotcom spying debacle: “But the legal action which disclosed the extended spying also targets English specifically, saying he acted “unlawfully” when he signed a ministerial certificate intended to bury the spying operation forever.”
Let’s get rid of these clowns
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, July 25th, 2017 - 46 comments
The Government’s failure to do anything about the housing crisis or about zombie cannabis is evidence they should be removed from office.
National again subsidises their land banking contributors from taxpayer funds.
Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, July 24th, 2017 - 25 comments
The announcement that National were granting infrastructure funds to develop housing projects in the far north and south of Auckland caused me some amusement. Wisely Auckland council resisted this boondongle that only benefits land bankers, speculators and their political party (National) for some time. To the point where National used taxpayer funds instead.
Nats default to bully mode over Barclay scandal
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, July 17th, 2017 - 26 comments
The ongoing Barclay scandal has taking a familiar turn, with the PM’s office trying dirty tactics on journalists. Meanwhile the pressure builds on English over Barclay’s taxpayer funded disappearing act.
Why there should be work and drug test obligations for National MPs
Written By: - Date published: 8:55 am, July 16th, 2017 - 52 comments
Todd Barclay has not been seen at work lately but has been seen at a Queenstown pub. And is still being paid $3,000 a week to represent the people of Clutha Southland.
“Ongoing cover-up” on Operation Burnham
Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, July 9th, 2017 - 14 comments
David Fisher in The Herald exposes yet another NZDF “error” on Operation Burnham. Intelligence analyst Dr Paul Buchanan: “I’m absolutely certain that what we’re seeing is part of the ongoing cover-up.”
The Government is misrepresenting the effect of the Ruataniwha Dam decision
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, July 9th, 2017 - 21 comments
The Government has responded to the Supreme Court decision which puts a halt on the Ruataniwha Dam by claiming wrongly that the protected land was of low quality and by stating that a law change, possibly retrospective, will occur.
Bill English reckons that landlords can’t raise rents
Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, July 5th, 2017 - 51 comments
The last budget raised accommodation supplement – against the advice of Treasury who said that landlords would capture the cash. Not to fear though, because Bill English reckons that landlords can’t raise rents…
Official complaint over police handling of Barclay case
Written By: - Date published: 10:49 am, July 3rd, 2017 - 28 comments
With so much evidence available, why was the first police investigation into the Todd Barclay scandal dropped so quickly? This is now the subject of a complaint to the Independent Police Conduct Authority.
Counterfeit Bill
Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, July 2nd, 2017 - 31 comments
Bill English has an active social media strategy, likely well funded and professional. While most commentators are cringing at it, plenty of people are probably buying the counterfeit Bill.
The view from Southland
Written By: - Date published: 9:23 am, June 29th, 2017 - 41 comments
A Southland Times editorial has a pretty blunt assessment of the PM: English wasn’t there for us. “In what he has done and in what he has failed to do, English has himself become a party to the deception of the public.”
National’s Dirty Politics Machine Attacks Complainant
Written By: - Date published: 6:43 am, June 28th, 2017 - 85 comments
Upon what basis do they feel confident in suggesting to the public that Barclay’s – alleged – victim had been so unprofessional and out-of-control as to be accusing Barclay of being a drug dealer?
Gower is correct – police must reopen Barclay case
Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, June 27th, 2017 - 32 comments
English is trying, many days too late, to shut up about the scandal in his old electorate and hope that it will blow over. It won’t – too many loose ends. In particular, Patrick Gower is right, the police must now re-open the Barclay investigation.
The Todd Barclay debacle enters the sixth day of the news cycle
Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, June 26th, 2017 - 61 comments
Through his never ending changing of the description of what happened in the Todd Barclay issue Bill English has kept the story prominently placed for six days in a row.
What the National Party president and board knew
Written By: - Date published: 6:40 am, June 26th, 2017 - 21 comments
Newsroom has another investigative piece on the Barclay debacle. This is not only about a single MP and a lying Prime Minister. It’s also about the governing structure of the political party in charge of running the country, and who was involved in the coverup and dishonesty.
National’s conference – no policy – drowns in Billshit
Written By: - Date published: 12:47 am, June 26th, 2017 - 21 comments
National’s conference was supposed to be a tour de force, setting them up for the home stretch to the election. Instead it was empty of policy or vision, and coverage was drowned in a rising tide of Billshit.
HDPA on the rot that goes to the top
Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, June 25th, 2017 - 30 comments
Heather du Plessis-Allan asks why Barclay is taking the fall alone, when – just as with dirty politics – the rot goes to the top of the National Party.
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3 weeks ago - No sweat
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia IMDB Christmas films appear in many guises. There is the witty (Christmas in Connecticut, Scrooged). The comedic (It Happened on 5th Avenue, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation). The wonderfully sentimental ...4 days ago
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From Mansfield Park to Jurassic Park, some reading inspiration for every age. A book for every year of your life: Part one, ages 0-30 Here is the second instalment of a book for every year of your life. After 30, any sort of age recommendation for works of great literature ...4 days ago - Christopher Luxon should have accepted Waitangi challenge – trust chair
"As heated as it may get, we have to keep up those conversations and not stop talking with each other," Pita Tipene told Morning Report. ...4 days ago - Chistopher Luxon should have accepted Waitangi challenge – trust chair
"As heated as it may get, we have to keep up those conversations and not stop talking with each other," Pita Tipene told Morning Report. ...4 days ago
- NZ tight-lipped over membership of space network
Analysis - Operation Olympic Defender aims to protect space from the likes of exploding satellites, but NZ is keeping quiet about its involvement. ...4 days ago
- Fast-tracked hotel and hostel in Mount Eden surprise residents
Plans for a hotel and student hostel at Auckland's Eden Park stadium have been revealed in the release of fast-track application documents. ...4 days ago
- The Bulletin wrapped, 2024
The Bulletin editor Stewart Sowman-Lund reflects on the year – what you were reading and what you engaged with the most – and looks ahead to 2025. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...4 days ago
- The year in news: Stories that dominated the headlines in 2024
Here's a snapshot of party politics in 2024. ...4 days ago
- The year in politics: Stories that dominated the headlines in 2024
The year saw nationwide protests, swathes of legislation repealed and introduced, crackdowns on crime and some stern words to local councils. ...4 days ago
- No budget for psychiatric beds despite being over capacity
Workers on the front line of NZ's mental health wards say surging demands are leading to people getting turned away or discharged early. ...4 days ago
- The lady on the beach: whānau’s shock at development in unsolved murder
A month after Joanna Sione-Lauaki’s body was found on a Northland beach, her whānau got a shock when police made an announcement about a crucial development.In a statement to the media and on social media, police released CCTV pictures of a man they believed was the last person to see ...4 days ago - The boozeless bubbly of Aotearoa, reviewed and ranked
‘Tis the season for festive fizz, but what if you’re not drinking? There’s plenty on offer beyond Grapetise these days – we delved in to bring you the best and worst. We’re smack bang in the middle of the most liquor-soaked period of the year, with more Christmas parties, boozy ...4 days ago
- How the gambling industry is using influencers to appeal to a new generation
From paid partnerships and podcasts to ‘party holes’, the TAB and its youth-focused subsidiary Betcha are making a concerted effort to attract young people to gambling. Shanti Mathias reports. A group of men are crowded around a golf green, waiting for a ball. When it’s successfully putted into the hole, ...4 days ago
- Daily crossword, Friday 20 December
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- A lesson in playing chicken with Big Tech
Opinion: Big Tech is choking the life out of New Zealand journalism. The advertising monopoly run by platforms like Meta and Google starves local media of revenue, making it harder to pay journalists and sustain quality reporting. New Zealand’s Media and Communications Minister, Paul Goldsmith, is studying Australia’s new tougher approach ...4 days ago
- The biggest selling books of 2024
FICTION1 The Bookshop Detectives: Dead Girl Gone by Gareth Ward & Louise Ward (Penguin Random House, $38)Wow! The biggest-selling novel of the year is a detective caper dreamed up by the very people who know best about bestsellers – bookstore owners. The Wards run Wardini’s, that wondrous book emporium in ...4 days ago
- Luxon’s reason for skipping Waitangi challenges the sniff test
Comment: The Prime Minister’s announcement that he won’t mark Waitangi Day in Waitangi itself next year would make sense in most other contexts – but not so much when he has admitted Māori-Crown relations have worsened under his leadership.Christopher Luxon has said in the past that he would like to ...4 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 20 December
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.Keep playing
Daily crossword, Friday 20 December 4 days ago- Coalition scraps plan to leave open government pact
The Government has backed away from a secret proposal to withdraw New Zealand from a global transparency initiative, with officials repeatedly pushing for the country to pull out.A leading civil society group has welcomed the decision, but says greater buy-in from ministers and officials is necessary if the initiative is ...4 days ago- Queen T’s threepeat of Tauihi final showdowns
Tania Tupu has a painful, puffed-up reminder of her Tokomanawa Queens’ shock semifinal victory in the Tauihi basketball league last weekend.The highly-successful Queens head coach is still hopping around on a swollen knee after trying to show her team the moves that drove her through two Olympics and 93 games ...4 days ago- Wheels off the bus: bikes on buses do us good
Opinion: As we enter the holiday period, there will inevitably be many more cars on the road, which usually leads to a spike in the road toll.More cars on the roads means more traffic, more crashes and more injuries, as well as more pollution and more greenhouse gas emissions.We should ...4 days ago- West and media are ‘erasing’ Palestinian history, say critics
Asia Pacific Report Palestinian history is “deliberately ignored” and is being effectively “erased” as part of Western news media narratives, while establishment forces work to shut down anyone speaking out against Israel’s slaughter in Gaza, academics have told a university conference of legal and Middle East experts. Article ...4 days ago- Government’s First Paris Agreement Report Fails To Address How It Plans To Hit Targets
The report fails to address how it plans to hit its emissions savings targets. ...4 days ago- Former Defence Minister Peeni Henare Calls Vanuatu Flight Woes ‘Embarrassing’
A Hercules plane carrying urban rescue staff to Vanuatu was stranded in New Caledonia after an engine fault. ...4 days ago- Vanuatu quake: Rescue teams continue Port Vila hunt for survivors
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific news editor There are conflicting reports of the official death toll from this week’s massive earthquake in Vanuatu as rescue teams continue to scour the rubble for survivors. On Tuesday, the Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office reported 14 deaths. It said four people had been ...4 days ago- Hipkins’ letter to BlackRock boss over SolarZero liquidation goes unanswered
A letter sent by Opposition leader Chris Hipkins to BlackRock asking for assistance to ensure 160 terminated SolarZero staff are paid what they are owed has been met with silence.Hipkins sent a letter to David Giordano, BlackRock’s managing director of climate infrastructure, on December 4, one week after news broke ...4 days ago- International student numbers in Australia will be controlled by a new informal cap. Here’s how it...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Hurley, Associate Professor and Director, Mitchell Institute, Victoria University Paper Cat/ Shutterstock The federal government has found a new way to manage the number of international students in Australia. It has instructed immigration officials to prioritise student visa applications ...4 days ago- Government Legislation On Academic Freedom Sign Of New Hope For Universities
Legislation changes announced by the Government today signals that academic freedom can still be restored to university campuses. New Zealand universities have consistently shown they’re not fulfilling their obligations to uphold academic freedom; this ...4 days ago- National, Labour blame each other – but is the Reserve Bank responsible for GDP fall?
The last two quarterly figures for the economy are the worst since the late 2021 Covid-19 lockdowns. ...4 days ago- New Zealand Economy In Freefall While The Government’s Books Burn
...4 days ago- Survey Shows Government Lacks Mandate To Repeal Live Export Ban
“Sending live animals on boats into volatile conditions to destinations with poor animal welfare standards is not progressive, lucrative, or likely to stimulate the economy,” says SPCA Chief Scientific Officer, Dr Arnja Dale. ...4 days ago- Bill To Increase Penalties For Slavery Welcome, But Doesn’t Go Far Enough
World Vision New Zealand welcomes the introduction of a Private Members’ Bill to increase penalties for slavery offenses, but warns it does not go far enough to address weaknesses in New Zealand’s modern slavery and trafficking laws. ...4 days ago- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Chalmers says the budget’s better than it was; Taylor says it’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Appropriately, we finish our podcast for 2024 talking to Treasurer Jim Chalmers and his shadow, Angus Taylor because, as the saying goes, “it’s the economy, stupid!” This week’s mid-year budget update showed Australia’s economy ...4 days ago - Coalition scraps plan to leave open government pact
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