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NRT: A surfeit of caution
Written By: - Date published: 6:26 pm, July 18th, 2013 - 28 comments
I/S at No Right Turn on Street’s End of Life Choice Bill.
A tale of two housing policies
Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, July 17th, 2013 - 48 comments
Houses are seriously unaffordable, especially for first-time buyers. Labour’s policy settings will help first-time buyers, the Reserve Bank under the current government is proposing tougher requirements that will make matters worse for them. Parties of the Left need to take this issue and run hard!
Defending democracy – then and now
Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, July 15th, 2013 - 17 comments
There have been strong and compelling criticisms of the Nats’ spying Bill, similar to the situation that occurred under the previous government with electoral finance. But the responses of the two governments are very different – and very revealing. Where Labour revised its errant Bill to address the criticisms, John Key has threatened the HRC with funding cuts. Predictably, the response of The Herald to the two cases has been very different too…
Truth no longer matters
Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, July 14th, 2013 - 168 comments
A significant proportion of the media is now heavily invested in the narrative that David Shearer is about to be rolled as Labour leader. As Matt McCarten puts it today “Truth no longer matters” and “civil society is poorer for it”.
GCSB – independent inquiry needed
Written By: - Date published: 12:35 pm, July 10th, 2013 - 32 comments
A full, independent inquiry of the GCSB is needed , as argued by the Green & Labour Parties, and politics lecturer Damien Rogers. NZ First & Dunne – don’t support Key’s dodgy law changes! Key is masking political motives with spin and secrecy. [update] Campbell Live tonight – must see viewing.
Much a coup about nothing
Written By: - Date published: 7:23 am, July 10th, 2013 - 238 comments
Apparently there was a coup in Labour last night. Missed it? So did Labour. Looks like what really happened was that someone played Garner / Gower. Perhaps the problem lies with relying on well-known Labour insider Cameron Slater as your source.
Can democratic parties succeed?
Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, July 9th, 2013 - 111 comments
Can democratic parties be successful major parties in modern politics? The media’s drooling obsession with the “man ban” really makes me wonder, particularly with the level of ignorance displayed by Patrick Gower and others.
A problem of “masculine” values
Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, July 7th, 2013 - 121 comments
The MSM coverage of the Labour Party remit, led by right wing propagandists, is riddled with sexism and the same traditional masculinist values that marginalise the poor and those with least power. I repeat my post that critiques a speech on gender & politics at the 2012 Labour Party Conference.
ManBan!
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, July 6th, 2013 - 221 comments
Would it kill our journalists to add just the tiniest bit of fact into their Labour-scandal-obsessed feeding frenzy?
The flat patch
Written By: - Date published: 10:18 am, July 5th, 2013 - 17 comments
I’ve been having a look at the Roy Morgan trend. Oddly, I don’t see this Labour ‘flat patch’ that people are claiming is happening. What is happening is that the Greens are trending slightly down (as it usually does mid-term) and Labour isn’t rising fast enough to offset that. We’re still some way off the safe-zone for Labour+Greens, and the question is whether we’ll get there.
Notice to epicene women
Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, July 5th, 2013 - 38 comments
The dynamic duo of right-wing blogging are the modern day incarnation of the likes of Henry Wright and his 1902 “Notice to Epicene Women”…
So, we’re talking about this now
Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, July 5th, 2013 - 126 comments
National’s using Labour proposed gender balance proposals to take the media’s eye of the GCSB. It’s all in the game. But what about the seeming inability of Key to appoint women ministers? You know, something that’s actually happening, rather than a party’s proposed rule change? John Key has appointed just 8 women out of 28 ministers.
On having a more representative Parliament
Written By: - Date published: 6:33 pm, July 4th, 2013 - 323 comments
Labour should be congratulated for facing up to the lack of women’s representation in our Parliament.
They could sit around waiting for society to eliminate all structural barriers and usher in full gender equality, but frankly I’d rather they did something about it now. It’s a messy debate, but that’s democracy.
Man ban – Geddis on DPF
Written By: - Date published: 4:09 pm, July 4th, 2013 - 108 comments
Labour is proposing female-only candidate selection in some cases. Andrew Geddis has indecent fun as he schools DPF on his “man ban” spin. Extracts below but go read the whole thing on Pundit.
Maori Party finished?
Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, July 1st, 2013 - 83 comments
Gotta love the reporting of the Ikaroa-Rawhiti by election. This was a boring, predictable win for Labour, a big upset win for Mana, and probably the death knell of the Maori Party.
Update: Native Affairs has unconfirmed reports that Sharples has stood down as leader of the Maori Party.
Key, Brownlee: Not Auckland’s friends
Written By: - Date published: 9:26 am, July 1st, 2013 - 41 comments
John Key’s u-turn on Auckland City Rail is all smoke, mirrors and sleight of hand stealth of the common good. Phil Twyford and the Auckland Transport Blog are skeptical. Funding? Roads over public transport? Asset sales?
Your country needs you
Written By: - Date published: 1:15 pm, June 29th, 2013 - 76 comments
Slippery John Key continues with the theft of the common weal, while the Kiwis with the least powerful voices are being neglected. Labour MPs, it’s time to get over your personality politics, your divisions and careerist maneuverings, and step up.
Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election round-up
Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, June 28th, 2013 - 15 comments
Four contenders with excellent track records. Some important issues for the electorate have been highlighted, especially related to poverty, jobs, education, and affordable housing. Some commentators claim tomorrow’s by-election will be a test of this or that party’s strength.[update: RNZ interviews]
Christchurch East – A safe seat?
Written By: - Date published: 1:21 pm, June 19th, 2013 - 26 comments
Lianne Dalziel’s decision to run for the mayoralty of Christchurch will be great for the people of the city. But this means a by-election in Christchurch East: and with National’s 2011 party vote 1000 more than Labour and the Greens combined, it’s going to be a long way from a cake-walk for any Labour candidate.
Dalziel for Christchurch mayor
Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, June 19th, 2013 - 28 comments
As widely anticipated, Lianne Dalziel has confirmed that she will stand for Mayor of Christchurch.
Manufacturing Inquiry report
Written By: - Date published: 2:59 pm, June 17th, 2013 - 83 comments
The parliamentary inquiry into the future of manufacturing has released its report today. I’ve not had time to read it, but it’s great to see a report by 4 out of parliament’s 7 or 8* parties, showing a united stance to one of our country’s biggest economic problems. 40,000 lost jobs in 4 years; the worst current account deficit in the developed world (overtaking Greece) – and a government that’s ignoring it. We need some big solutions and a combined force committed to it.
Water under pressure
Written By: - Date published: 8:12 am, June 15th, 2013 - 38 comments
Water is becoming a precious resource, under threat from pollution, over use, population growth, & commercial profiteering. The Green & Labour Parties are very critical of Key’s government weakening the RMA in favour of commercial gains, while over-riding local government plans.
Workers’ rights under attack
Written By: - Date published: 9:55 am, June 14th, 2013 - 85 comments
Key’s government is continuing its attack on workers’ rights, pay, conditions & collective bargaining with Jami-Lee Ross’s ‘Strike Breaking’ Bill. Darien Fenton, the CTU & EPMU say why it is wrong. All parties and MPs should oppose this and other proposed changes to employment law.
Deep hypocrisy vs government for sale
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, June 14th, 2013 - 214 comments
While it was stupid of Labour MPs to muddy the waters, the real scandal goes unremarked.
Positioning and reality
Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, June 10th, 2013 - 72 comments
There’s a lot of talk at the moment about whether Labour is too close to the Greens. Lately, we’ve seen spin coming out that Labour might be able to govern without the Greens, favouring NZF instead. Meanwhile, the Greens seem happy to talk about a future Greens-Labour government. National’s leaking to Peters and Peters is playing the race card. What’s going on?
Campaign heroics or hubris?
Written By: - Date published: 12:02 pm, June 6th, 2013 - 38 comments
I was impressed by this press statement from the Mana Party on the ground in the Ikaroa Rawhiti by-election reporting that they door-knocked over 1000 houses over the weekend and found that support for their candidate was over 70%. As a political campaigner of many years experience, and I’m now running Labour’s by-election HQ in […]
OECD report leans left
Written By: - Date published: 11:56 am, June 5th, 2013 - 24 comments
Both sides of the political spectrum will draw some comfort from the recent OECD report on our economy, but overall the report is much better aligned with Labour / Green policy.
Charter schools have no future
Written By: - Date published: 8:50 am, June 5th, 2013 - 68 comments
The charter schools legislation passed its final reading last night. Labour and the Greens declare that charter schools have no future in this country…
Fairness and freedom
Written By: - Date published: 12:49 pm, June 4th, 2013 - 51 comments
If the left had to pick one word to describe the essence of its political philosophy, that word might be “fairness”. If the right had to do the same that word might be “freedom”. Labour MP David Clark considers the balance.
The National government’s divided society
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, June 2nd, 2013 - 14 comments
A Fairfax poll shows an NZ divided by income inequalities & political allegiances. Little unemployment for National voters & more for opposition voters: a precariat with a high proportion of Maori & Pacific people. The right time for Russel Norman’s speech and blockupy?
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