Written By: - Date published: 1:32 pm, November 16th, 2019 - 50 comments
The referendums on two contentious issues could cloud and crowd out the General Election.
Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, August 28th, 2019 - 239 comments
Boosting the signal to noise ratio.
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, June 13th, 2019 - 27 comments
Boris Johnson declared his candidacy today. The Guardian’s Tom Kibasi speculates on his strategy – pick a fight with the EU, make Brexit the issue and call an election. Do a deal with Farage and save Britain from Corbyn. Will it work?
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, May 30th, 2019 - 179 comments
National is still embedded in Dirty Politics.
Written By: - Date published: 4:00 pm, April 22nd, 2019 - 75 comments
New Zealand is too small for high-achievers and star-performers and does not offer enough challenges and rewards.
Written By: - Date published: 2:41 pm, April 19th, 2019 - 31 comments
The pace of politics of transformation is glacial but it is unstoppable.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, April 15th, 2019 - 119 comments
Silencing dissonant voices only leads to more and stronger dissonant voices and further radicalisation.
Written By: - Date published: 11:12 pm, April 8th, 2019 - 122 comments
Political leaders must have expert knowledge on many topics and near-perfect recall. No naps allowed and no room for error.
Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, March 20th, 2019 - 205 comments
Jacinda Ardern has shown over the past week that she is one of the country’s best leaders.
Written By: - Date published: 4:12 pm, March 9th, 2019 - 28 comments
Simon Bridges makes a passionate plea for the environment and for a mate.
Written By: - Date published: 2:57 pm, February 16th, 2019 - 32 comments
The National Party is a sad, confused, slightly dazed white old man behind the curtain.
Written By: - Date published: 10:34 am, February 12th, 2019 - 130 comments
So, it turns out Simon’s a dud. What do the Tories do about it? And can Judith Collins really make a difference?
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 28th, 2018 - 42 comments
An ineffectual Opposition creates a vacuum that will be filled by the Mainstream and Social Media as they will assume the role of unelected and non-representative opposition in effectuo.
Written By: - Date published: 9:38 am, September 27th, 2018 - 229 comments
The Herald claims to have been leaked a draft copy of the report into Meka Whaitiri. And the indications are that it may have come from a National Party source.
Written By: - Date published: 10:38 am, September 10th, 2018 - 42 comments
The Donald found a real one!
Written By: - Date published: 12:12 pm, August 26th, 2018 - 42 comments
The Scottish government has just taken a massive step to eradicate period poverty. Why not here?
Written By: - Date published: 2:29 pm, August 23rd, 2018 - 100 comments
Turnbull out, Morrison or Dutton in? The Australian Liberal Party self flagellation continues in Canberra. Updates as they roll in, cobbers.
UPDATE: Malcolm Turnbull calls press conference at 1PM AEST (3PM in NZ)
UPDATE: Turnbull to quit tomorrow, if ballot called.
UPDATE: Julie Bishop prepares bid.
UPDATE: Scott Morrison wins, Dutton defeated 45-40.
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, August 22nd, 2018 - 64 comments
The pope missed a great recent chance to state that accused abusers should be walked to the nearest Police station, make written statements, face trial, hopefully jailed, then defrocked, and excommunicated.
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, April 28th, 2018 - 27 comments
Democracy’s permanence is not inevitable. Its imagining is not beyond imagining. And New Zealand is one of the shrinking number of democracies who really have it.
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, April 10th, 2018 - 68 comments
While there has been some informed commentary on Marama Davidson’s ascension as co-leader of the Green Party, some of the more right-wing outfits have failed to understand the dynamics within the party right now. What did Marama promise, and what were Greens expecting of her?
Written By: - Date published: 1:46 pm, March 27th, 2018 - 257 comments
The Minister for Open Government has been caught organizing a secret meeting, and it has led to the resignation of an RNZ manager who covered for her. Is it time to kick Curran out?
Written By: - Date published: 6:15 am, March 26th, 2018 - 32 comments
Two speakers from yesterday’s March for Our Lives.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, March 1st, 2018 - 45 comments
Avid watchers of Simon Bridges’ regular breakfast television appearances debating Jacinda Ardern when they were both relatively junior MPs will recall that 9 times out of ten Jacinda wiped the floor with the new Head Tory. Fast forward a few years, and judging by Question Time this week it doesn’t appear that much has changed. […]
Written By: - Date published: 1:37 pm, February 9th, 2018 - 15 comments
National knows what to expect with Bill.
Written By: - Date published: 6:31 am, January 11th, 2018 - 7 comments
Jim Anderton’s funeral is at 2pm today, and will be livestreamed from youtube.
Written By: - Date published: 10:50 am, January 7th, 2018 - 67 comments
Jim Anderton has passed away. A politician of passion and principle.
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. “
Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, October 22nd, 2017 - 27 comments
Where this government ranks in terms of proportion of the vote compared to the historical record. Useful analysis.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 20th, 2017 - 25 comments
If you missed it last night – Jacinda Ardern’s first speech as PM elect is everything that we could want and expect. But the take-home line of the drama belongs to Winston Peters.
Written By: - Date published: 6:58 pm, October 19th, 2017 - 416 comments
Winston Peters has announced that he will be going into coalition with Labour and Jacinda Ardern will be the next Prime Minister. Let the attacks from the right about how unfair it is that a minority party did not ascend into Government and how MMP needs to be reformed begin. For the rest of us – this is a time of hope…
Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, October 16th, 2017 - 30 comments
Maybe Peters learned from history and is not doomed to repeat it. If we get a Labour led government, what should be its top priorities in the first 100 days?
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