elections

Categories under elections

National has nothing to be afraid of

Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, February 20th, 2020 - 54 comments

National has absolutely nothing to worry about the prosecution of four people for carving up a donation to the National Party.

National’s donation reporting problem

Written By: - Date published: 7:19 am, February 19th, 2020 - 25 comments

National’s recent donations returns suggest that a large total of their donations are made in the under $15,000 category, the benefit of which is that the donor’s identity does not have to be disclosed.  Update: The four accused have been named.

Green Party call for national discussion on political party funding and donations reform

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, February 19th, 2020 - 61 comments

It’s clear that Parliament is incapable of meaningful reforms to itself, as some political parties have a vested interest in the status quo, a citizens’ assembly would remove bias around these important decisions.

– NZ Green Party

Back in the U.S.S.A.

Written By: - Date published: 3:58 pm, February 18th, 2020 - 31 comments

The onslaught launched against Trump from sections of corporate media and liberal institutions will look as nothing next to the unified onslaught that will be unleashed against a President Sanders.

National received two dodgy $100,000 donations

Written By: - Date published: 7:25 am, February 18th, 2020 - 46 comments

The SFO charges laid in the District Court reveal that it investigated not one but two dodgy $100,000 donations to National.

The problem with opinion polls

Written By: - Date published: 7:38 am, February 14th, 2020 - 77 comments

This week the Reid Research Poll predicted a Labour Green government and the Colmar Brunton poll predicted a National ACT government.  Which one will be proved correct?

Will DPF condemn National for hiding the identity of its donors?

Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, February 11th, 2020 - 59 comments

David Farrar has called for the suspension of Winston Peters from Cabinet for reasons which would also justify the suspension of Simon Bridges from the National Party.

Will Bernie Sanders unseat Donald Trump?

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, February 8th, 2020 - 52 comments

It will take a full renewal of democracy in the United States.  So how does Bernie beat Trump?

Bernie by 6K.

Written By: - Date published: 4:54 pm, February 7th, 2020 - 35 comments

Iowa and beyond.

The Big One’s Coming In.

Written By: - Date published: 11:34 am, February 4th, 2020 - 70 comments

These past few years anyone might be forgiven for believing liberals have never heard of King Canute.  How else to explain their stupid resistance to inevitable change? And now…

Pay the money back Simon

Written By: - Date published: 3:17 pm, February 1st, 2020 - 33 comments

Simon Bridges has stated that National wants to pay the undeclared $100,000 donation back but even though nearly two years have passed since it was made it still remains unrepaid.

Is National the party of law and order?

Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, January 30th, 2020 - 38 comments

Following the announcement by the Serious Fraud Office of charges relating to the donation of $100,000 to the National Party Simon Bridges claim of being exonerated appear to be optimistic.

SFO files charges in relation to National Party donations

Written By: - Date published: 3:37 pm, January 29th, 2020 - 55 comments

The SFO has confirmed that it has charged four persons with offences relating to the receipt of donations by the National Party.

19th September: Talk Like a Pirate Day

Written By: - Date published: 3:36 pm, January 28th, 2020 - 19 comments

Plus we get to choose our government again.

Why UK Labour lost?  Part 8: What it takes to win

Written By: - Date published: 7:18 am, January 16th, 2020 - 6 comments

Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s blog 

The UK Labour Party in the 2019 election assumed that like in 2017, the release of their policy manifesto would see their support increase significantly. Assuming that 2019 would be a re-run of 2017 was a foolish mistake.

Why UK Labour lost? Part 5: Antisemitism

Written By: - Date published: 6:29 am, January 14th, 2020 - 13 comments

Originally posted onNick Kelly’s blog

Why UK Labour lost? Part 2: UK Labour’s Strange loyalty to First Past the Post.

Written By: - Date published: 2:56 am, January 13th, 2020 - 13 comments

Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s Blog

Simon Bridges went to China

Written By: - Date published: 11:21 am, January 8th, 2020 - 44 comments

It has been revealed that Simon Bridges’trip to China last year was organised by National MP and former teacher of English to Chinese spies Jian Yang and that an offer of assistance from MFAT was declined.

The power of positive campaigning

Written By: - Date published: 2:42 pm, December 31st, 2019 - 123 comments

With the 2020 election just round the corner and recent complaints about the left’s treatment of the #TurnArdern campaign it is a perfect time to think about the importance of language and positive uplifting campaign themes.

MMP Mark II*

Written By: - Date published: 11:57 pm, December 25th, 2019 - 24 comments

What beats MMP? Open-list proportional representation with a low threshold would be a good option.

The British Election result 2019

Written By: - Date published: 11:05 am, December 20th, 2019 - 21 comments

Democracy is a precious thing, and not something that can be taken for granted. Having an electoral system where every vote matters is crucial to creating a decent society. It is time that the UK started seriously debating electoral reform and how to improve its democratic systems.

How to counter angry boomer campaigns

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, December 17th, 2019 - 154 comments

The UK election was won not by Russian bots but by older voters with limited technical skills circulating poorly designed ads.  What can be done in New Zealand to counter what is clearly a right wing campaign tactic?

Is it better to deliver in Government or better to shine?

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, December 14th, 2019 - 180 comments

Let’s frame this in leftie terms: can you get in, do grunty policy moves, and stay popular?

Lefties on The Standard: UK election edition

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, December 13th, 2019 - 197 comments

A dedicated post on The Standard providing a discussion space for left-wing people only.

The Missing Millions

Written By: - Date published: 11:18 am, December 12th, 2019 - 18 comments

Millions of people and an entire region of the UK left out of polling calculations….

Pop Media Bullshit – another example.

Written By: - Date published: 9:24 am, December 11th, 2019 - 10 comments

It’s said that in times of war, the first casualty is truth. Well, since truth is taking such a pummeling these days, it follows that we are at war, no?

The freedom to lie during an election campaign

Written By: - Date published: 6:55 am, December 11th, 2019 - 75 comments

Two recent National advertisements involving drastically inaccurate graphics have attracted attention.  And at the same time National is opposing changes to the Electoral Law that would extend the time that it is an offence to publish a false and misleading advertisement during an election period.

An Early Christmas.

Written By: - Date published: 12:33 pm, December 5th, 2019 - 23 comments

Christian tradition dictates Christmas falls on the 25th of December. This year though, if we simply view Christmas through a lens of ‘good things happening’, then Christmas is coming early.

Little’s Electoral Bill a curate’s egg – good in parts

Written By: - Date published: 1:51 pm, December 4th, 2019 - 11 comments

I’ve always liked Punch magazine’s famous cartoon “True humility” where the curate assures his bishop noticing his bad egg that parts of it are excellent. Most discussion on Little’s Bill has focused on the bad bits regarding foreign donations. The good bit requires all political ads online to be attributed.

Labour Conference

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, November 30th, 2019 - 97 comments

It’s a weird moment for the Labour Party at Conference this weekend.

The folly of electoral pacts

Written By: - Date published: 2:15 am, November 30th, 2019 - 2 comments

Originally posted  Nick Kelly’s blog One feature of the UK election has been various electoral alliances or deals done. This has mostly occurred around the issue of Brexit. Early on in the campaign I wrote about Trump’s intervention in the UK election, specifically him calling on The Brexit Party and The Conservatives to do a deal. […]