democracy under attack
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Middle east Teenagers
Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, February 2nd, 2018 - 60 comments
In the middle east a Palestinian teenager is detained for a minor assault and for protesting the occupation of her country. And three Israeli teenagers are apparently trying to sue two New Zealand residents for exercising their rights of free speech.
States United.
Written By: - Date published: 9:44 am, January 20th, 2018 - 12 comments
On how states in conflict, have seemingly and nevertheless, managed to share in the likely or possible creation of one common goal.
Shock horror right wing think tank thinks NZ not very democratic
Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, January 18th, 2018 - 74 comments
National’s cheerleaders are pushing an international report which suggests that New Zealand’s democratic system is only slightly better than average in world terms. But the organisation behind the report and the methodology used need some checking.
NRT: Spain refuses to respect Catalonia’s election.
Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, January 16th, 2018 - 12 comments
Idiot/savant on Spain’s love of democracy.
Jian Yang wanted to help the SIS with recruitment
Written By: - Date published: 10:31 am, December 21st, 2017 - 24 comments
Matt Nippert has made further revelations about Jian Yang including that he lobbied on behalf of an unsuccessful applicant for a security sensitive job with the New Zealand Defence Force and that he disclosed to Auckland University but not to Immigration that he had worked for a PLA University.
Broadcasting Standards Authority finds Mike Hosking’s election comments about the Māori Party inaccurate and misleading
Written By: - Date published: 6:15 am, December 20th, 2017 - 56 comments
“Further, his comments the following evening were confusing and insufficient to correct the inaccurate information for viewers.”
The Herald thinks Jacinda Ardern is a Marxist
Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, December 13th, 2017 - 204 comments
The Herald has equated Jacinda Ardern’s desire to temper the worst excesses of capitalism with the full embrace of marxist communism.
Making official Information flow again
Written By: - Date published: 2:08 pm, December 4th, 2017 - 31 comments
“Ministers realised they had a device through which they could reduce the surprises they suffered. And, as it went on, the surprises ministers no longer wanted to experience became greater in number and smaller in significance.Increasingly, it placed on the public service a political imperative which it had never had to shoulder. “
Flynn cuts a deal while Trump scrambles
Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, December 4th, 2017 - 147 comments
Donald Trump’s response to news of the arrest of Michael Flynn suggests that charges closer to the office of the President may be close.
National spams the Beehive
Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, November 27th, 2017 - 90 comments
National has been clogging Parliament’s written question system by asking questions that even David Farrar thinks seem silly and are over the top.
Once again: National lost the election
Written By: - Date published: 9:17 pm, November 26th, 2017 - 154 comments
A rebuttal of Nick Smith’s claim to have “won the 2017 election, but lost the coalition negotiations.”
Doofus of the week – Nick Smith
Written By: - Date published: 3:58 pm, November 25th, 2017 - 60 comments
No competition in this one, Nick Smith for showing that despite the 27 long years he has spent in Parliament he still has no idea how our electoral system works and for claiming there is an electoral convention that simply does not exist.
TPP, Corporate Coup or “Free trade”?
Written By: - Date published: 9:07 pm, November 8th, 2017 - 99 comments
Jian Yang and his residence application
Written By: - Date published: 10:35 am, November 5th, 2017 - 68 comments
Just before the election news broke that National MP Jian Yang had previously taught in a Chinese University training spies. A recent OIA release of his immigration application raises further issues.
Catalonia
Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, October 28th, 2017 - 62 comments
The predictable reactions of regional and world leaders.
This coming digital war
Written By: - Date published: 8:12 am, October 21st, 2017 - 68 comments
This is the first Labour Government of the digital age. How progressives respond to social media attacks may be crucial to its success.
“Reporters”.
Written By: - Date published: 8:44 am, October 17th, 2017 - 56 comments
“Once upon a time, in a world far away” we had these people called “reporters”.
An honourable profession, who considered it their job to keep the public accurately and completely informed.
Austria and Europe
Written By: - Date published: 2:07 pm, October 16th, 2017 - 20 comments
Europe is showing a worrying trend to the right as anti immigration parties are voted into office. Austria provides the latest example.
Facebook and democracy
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, October 16th, 2017 - 27 comments
A long and interesting read in The Atlantic. “The very roots of the electoral system had been destabilized.”
Another term of Nats bad news for democracy
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, October 13th, 2017 - 64 comments
It’s starting to feel a lot like 1996 all over again. Another term of the Nats would be bad news for the institutions of democracy. We’ve had recent warnings on the state of the justice system, press freedom, and the public service.
There is hope
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, October 4th, 2017 - 22 comments
Anarchism and democracy.
The Herald doesn’t want Winston to go with Labour
Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, October 1st, 2017 - 132 comments
The Herald has offered a number of opinions this weekend saying that Labour forming a coalition with New Zealand First would be a very bad thing.
Today is the last day to enroll – and you should
Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, September 22nd, 2017 - 34 comments
Today is the last day you can enroll to vote in the election. Historically far too many people in the 18-24 age group have not enrolled. The same again would suit the Nats very well indeed.
Update: Newsroom: “A record turnout of early voters suggests a youthquake in action – and the polls might be wrong.”
Update: If you are trying to enrol and the queues are long, here are the other ways you can do it, including online!
Update: you can enrol up until midnight Friday online, and then vote at a polling station on Saturday. Details here.
National pushing through with secret TPP talks before the election
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, September 17th, 2017 - 23 comments
“This continues National’s desperation to see a TPPA at any cost”
The Bullshit
Written By: - Date published: 8:37 pm, September 12th, 2017 - 84 comments
National up, NZ Labour down, Greens dead? Really!?
This is how you change the Government – electorate vote Goldsmith if you are on the Epsom roll
Written By: - Date published: 1:05 pm, September 11th, 2017 - 32 comments
For progressive Epsom voters the best way to change the Government may be to give your electorate vote to Paul Goldsmith.
Reasons to vote Green: the TPPA
Written By: - Date published: 12:58 pm, September 9th, 2017 - 63 comments
A strong Green Party presence in government is the best way to prevent the TPPA, and is critical in protecting NZ’s environment and social and political sovereignty.
National enters panic mode and goes tough on beneficiaries
Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, September 8th, 2017 - 27 comments
National has tried to divert attention from the budget hole fiasco by promising to get even tougher on beneficiaries.
A test for NZ media and democracy
Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, September 5th, 2017 - 23 comments
The Nats are not backing down from their $11.7bn lie. The media need to call it loudly for the big lie that it is. This is now a test for NZ’s democracy.
National plays the lauranorda card
Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, September 4th, 2017 - 42 comments
National is panicking and Paula Bennett has gone full dog whistle in claiming that gang members should have less rights than others.
“All I can do … is tell the Truth”
Written By: - Date published: 2:47 pm, August 30th, 2017 - 50 comments
“Our integrity and our role as Ministers in holding confidential information is absolutely pivotal to our role” Bennett 2017
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