Politics

Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation

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Thiel shows commitment to New Zealand by spending 12 days in it

Written By: - Date published: 12:52 pm, June 29th, 2017 - 16 comments

Following an intervention by the Ombudsman the Government has been obliged to disclose the number of days that Peter Thiel spent in New Zealand in the five years leading up to his grant of citizenship.  The answer is very few.

The view from Southland

Written By: - Date published: 9:23 am, June 29th, 2017 - 15 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.”

New information on Glenda Hughes?

Written By: - Date published: 8:12 pm, June 28th, 2017 - 33 comments

On 20 June  after Melanie Read’s Newsroom interview Andrew Geddis blogged about possible obstruction of justice by a National Party Board member. That was based on new information in the Barclay case, and may be why the Police have since re-interviewed Glenys Dickson.

Brighter Future Delivering the Cusp of Something Special for New Zealanders

Written By: - Date published: 11:41 am, June 28th, 2017 - 8 comments

That’s a mish-mash of Nat soundbites past and present. For the reality underlying it all, check out the excellent RNZ series “Is this the Brighter Future?”

National’s Dirty Politics Machine Attacks Complainant

Written By: - Date published: 6:43 am, June 28th, 2017 - 84 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?

Eleven questions about National, English and the Barclay affair.

Written By: - Date published: 6:15 am, June 28th, 2017 - 21 comments

Julie Fairey raises a plethora of unanswered issues.

Debarclay gets sordid

Written By: - Date published: 1:47 pm, June 27th, 2017 - 82 comments

Newsroom with more revelations: “Intercepted discussions in the Clutha-Southland MP’s electorate office included talk of “sex and drugs”, a source tells Newsroom”. How dismally predictable. Eeeew.

Police have reopened the Barclay investigation

Written By: - Date published: 11:16 am, June 27th, 2017 - 129 comments

Police has commenced a re-investigation of allegations that the private communications of an individual were intercepted by Mr Todd Barclay MP.

On winning the America’s Cup

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, June 27th, 2017 - 52 comments

Ad explores the implications of the Americas Cup win for this year’s election.

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.

Jesse Mulligan owned Bill English on national television

Written By: - Date published: 6:45 am, June 27th, 2017 - 47 comments

Getting very bloody angry and speaking truth to power.

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 - 20 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.

Labour clarifies position on irrigation and bottled water

Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, June 26th, 2017 - 50 comments

“We remain committed to setting a resource rental for large water take for irrigation at a fair and affordable price.”

National’s conference – no policy – drowns in Billshit

Written By: - Date published: 12:47 am, June 26th, 2017 - 20 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.

The left bites back

Written By: - Date published: 10:37 am, June 25th, 2017 - 17 comments

A little bit of feel good for a Sunday morning (plus a very clever cat!).

Corbyn speech at Glastonbury

Written By: - Date published: 10:34 am, June 25th, 2017 - 19 comments

Jeremy Corbyn’s full speech to Glastonbury 2017. “Another world is possible…”

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.

Racist attack on marae living

Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, June 25th, 2017 - 79 comments

Herald columnist Lizzie Marvelly: “Come election time, there are people who will stop at nothing to land a blow on the party they most hate. And somehow, inevitably, someone will aim a kick at Māori. Insinuating that the conditions at a marae are “slum-like” is both deeply offensive and staggeringly privileged.”

New Zealand First

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, June 24th, 2017 - 61 comments

New Zealand First could have a pivotal role in the next Government. What are their principles and what are they committed to?

Over egging the scandal soufflee

Written By: - Date published: 9:09 am, June 24th, 2017 - 97 comments

Team Nat were desperate to try and divert some attention from their floundering leader, and to a certain extent they succeeded. But compare and contrast Labour and National’s handling of the issues, front up and fix vs lie harder.

English still digging

Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, June 24th, 2017 - 44 comments

Burying the last shred of his credibility in a deep hole forever, Bill claims that nobody realised Todd Barclay recording of secretary might be a crime. It’s like the events of 2008 and 2011 never happened.

Greens to contest Nick Smith’s seat in Nelson

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, June 24th, 2017 - 41 comments

Nelson city councillor Matt Lawrey is to run a two tick campaign with the full backing of the party.

Creative uses for Brash’s “Hobson’s pledge” pamphlets

Written By: - Date published: 12:20 pm, June 23rd, 2017 - 48 comments

Ex Nat leader Don Brash, of racist Orewa speech and Iwi/Kiwi fame, is still out there fanning the flames of division in NZ.

So English lied to Parliament too

Written By: - Date published: 6:40 am, June 23rd, 2017 - 23 comments

Labour and Peters have both made complaints over English’s lie to Parliament. Peters is calling on English to step down. That’s going to make any post-election NZF/Nat coalition a bit tricky.

Follow the money

Written By: - Date published: 10:39 pm, June 22nd, 2017 - 49 comments

Bill English’s texted electorate chair Stuart Davie on 21st February 2016 saying Glenys Dickson was given an extra payout from the Leader’s fund “to avoid potential legal action.” It was the only source available for an extra payout for confidentiality. English said today no-one in February knew there was any issue of illegality. Then what legal action and why an extra payment?

Labour to invest in public transport for Greater Christchurch

Written By: - Date published: 11:17 am, June 22nd, 2017 - 9 comments

A 21st century city simply has to have integrated, multi-modal public transport at its heart.

Bill English is no John Key

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, June 22nd, 2017 - 37 comments

During Dirty Politics John Key was able to stand in front of a group of reporters and with complete confidence make a series of statements the veracity of which was dubious.  Bill English has shown this week that he does not have that ability.

Barclay/English cartooned

Written By: - Date published: 6:06 am, June 22nd, 2017 - 8 comments

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.

Later Todd

Written By: - Date published: 1:37 pm, June 21st, 2017 - 127 comments

  1. Todd Barclay has announced that he will not stand at the next General Election as National’s Clutha Southland candidate.

Why is Whaleoil being pathetic or paid on Toddy?

Written By: - Date published: 11:19 am, June 21st, 2017 - 32 comments

We may never know if Todd Barclay was one of the Simon Lusk / Cameron Slater Dirty Politics ‘clients’. However if you read the Whaleoil today, he has finally received instructions (umm) figured out the spin line … Whatever…

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