national
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- same old national (1,617)
Flashback from way back
Written By: - Date published: 3:16 pm, February 23rd, 2009 - 23 comments
Anyone else read Audrey Young’s interview of Bill English in the New Zealand Herald and get a massive feeling of deja vu? Here’s a typical outtake: Rather than the Treasury working out where to cut spending, he wants the departments to change the way they think. “We will get them doing it. They are going […]
Actions speak louder than words
Written By: - Date published: 10:53 am, February 20th, 2009 - 51 comments
Remember this infamous PowerPoint presentation from National’s 2005 campaign? Remember the Nats’ vote-winning strategy of targeting female voters as outlined in The Hollow Men? Remember Key’s answer to Investigate Magazine: Investigate: In terms of the votes that you’re out to capture by 2008, who are you after, what is your target market? Key: It’s got […]
Thankfully, the election isn’t tomorrow
Written By: - Date published: 11:05 am, February 19th, 2009 - 148 comments
When John Key and Pita Sharples were jostled by two Maori men opposed to the National-Maori Party alliance, the thing that stuck in my mind was Key’s smile. Like Donald Trump’s hair, it was back in place immediately, covering whatever lies underneath. That smile, and the intensive, expensive, extensive image management it represents, are the […]
Fueling the PR machine ain’t cheap
Written By: - Date published: 2:53 pm, February 17th, 2009 - 13 comments
Just like petrol prices, the cost of fueling National’s PR machine is on the rise. Tracy Watkins reports that “National has employed 18 press secretaries on salaries of $100,000 or more. Seven are employed in the $10,000 band below $100,000”. In the past Winston dubbed the National Party PR machine “The ministry of National affairs”. No […]
Ralston on Ryall
Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, February 12th, 2009 - 22 comments
Ralston’s latest column – Ryall’s disabled thinking – covers Tony Ryall’s decision to ignore a select committee recommendation that National set up a Disabilities Commission, asking: Why did he [Ryall] ignore the fact that National’s own MPs were on the select committee that agreed a commission was necessary? Why did he think the mountain of submissions to […]
Rainbows tame Waitangi
Written By: - Date published: 2:25 pm, February 7th, 2009 - 7 comments
Gosh what a difference a few years can make when it comes to symbols of national identity. Not so long ago National had a leader happy to springboard off dog-whistling race-divisive carping about the Treaty Grievance Industry in speeches and billboards. More recently National campaigned on abolition of the Maori seats, at least until it became […]
Car crushing fist of the State
Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, February 3rd, 2009 - 32 comments
Despite being remarkably quiet throughout a spate of serious police controversies, Police Minister Judith Collins has finally risen to the challenge of leadership over the so-called Boy Racer issue. Collins has suggested crushing the impounded cars of those deemed to be acting like ‘Boy Racers’ in reaction to a Christchurch incident last week when a […]
So what’s the plan again?
Written By: - Date published: 5:15 pm, February 1st, 2009 - 15 comments
Labour got a fair amount of mileage during the election campaign out of harassing National about its lack of distinct policy. I guess that’s kind of forgivable of National in some ways, for reasons we won’t go in to again. But now National are in Government I still can’t help thinking their policy direction is […]
Identity Politics
Written By: - Date published: 1:15 pm, January 31st, 2009 - 10 comments
In 2007 Te Ata Tino Toa applied to Tranzit New Zealand to have the Maori Sovereignty flag flown on the Auckland Harbour Bridge on Waitangi Day. Tranzit declined permission on the grounds that it wasn’t a UN recognized national flag, despite having previously flown the Team New Zealand flag, which would have failed the same […]
Fonterra’s Corporate Accountability
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 pm, January 29th, 2009 - 33 comments
Despite very serious allegations from former Sanlu CEO Tian Wenhua that an unnamed Fonterra board member influenced her decision to not cease production of milk powder known to be contaminated, on RNZ’s Checkpoint Fonterra Chairman Henry van der Hayden was adamant Fonterra would not be disclosing documentation to prove it advised Sanlu only a 0% melamine content […]
The Neo-Liberal Front
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, January 28th, 2009 - 76 comments
National’s two main internal factions consist of the Conservatives, and the Neo-Liberals. Overall the Conservatives want to keep things pretty much as they are, and with such an inspiring reason for being it’s hardly surprising their star has waned over the last couple of decades. The Neo-Liberal camp has a different agenda. Like the Conservatives […]
Conservatism and Progressivism
Written By: - Date published: 3:30 pm, January 27th, 2009 - 99 comments
Conservatism is all about maintaining the status quo. It assumes that the status quo is essentially ok, while change is best avoided. The idea comes from philosophers like Edmund Burke who figured the reason conventions and structures get to endure in the first place is because they work. Of course if you’re in the middle […]
A topic for the NACT talk-fest. Needs a slogan for success.
Written By: - Date published: 7:43 am, January 15th, 2009 - 13 comments
My favourite indicator for a deep recession is showing up. The applications and enrollments for colleges and graduate programs appears to be significantly up in the east, west, and south of the US and Canada. Probably something similar is happening here but we are unlikely to know until later this month. The reason that this […]
National’s first hundred days of (in)action
Written By: - Date published: 8:29 am, January 14th, 2009 - 22 comments
Splits and divisions
Written By: - Date published: 1:53 pm, January 7th, 2009 - 57 comments
Which MP only got his job by 39 votes? Which former State house kid and brand-new Tory MP already has ambitions to be the next John Key? Which National MP from a working-class background is going around telling people he opposes the 90 Day Fire at Will law and thinks rushing it through was a […]
Gratitude
Written By: - Date published: 4:49 pm, December 17th, 2008 - 39 comments
I haven’t commented on the maiden speeches yet (we’re doing some analysis later) but I can’t let this stand. Aaron Gilmore, the bottom-ranked National List MP who got in by 39 votes, is having his maiden speech. He started by remembering growing up in a state house, going to school, a teacher giving him some lunch. […]
Judith Collins – thoughtless idiot
Written By: - Date published: 11:34 am, December 14th, 2008 - 28 comments
Nothing is quite as important to a democracy as activist groups that engage in peaceful protest for change. In the past these are the groups that have worked for extending the franchise (including to woman), establishing the rights of workers in employer/employee relationships, the abolition of slavery, campaigned for sewerage systems and clean water reticulation, […]
Keith Rankin: Controversy over National’s Tax Cuts
Written By: - Date published: 2:18 pm, December 12th, 2008 - 5 comments
If you’re feeling lost in the discussion around National’s tax plans there’s handy analysis from Keith Rankin who point out: … persons earning between $14,000 and $24,000 will receive annual tax cuts of less than $100. They will receive nothing before 2011. This contrasts with Labour’s already legislated for tax cuts, from 2010, which target this group […]
National’s abuse of Parliamentary process
Written By: - Date published: 2:24 pm, December 11th, 2008 - 7 comments
Audrey Young writes on her blog that National would do well to heed the opinion of the Human Rights Commission who have today spoken out against National’s decision to rush through a number of pieces of important legislation under urgency – denying them proper scrutiny. She points out that this is the very same Commission National […]
Courting the ethnic vote
Written By: - Date published: 5:58 pm, December 9th, 2008 - 31 comments
I’ve just watched the first part of the Address in Reply debate which included maiden speeches by two new National Party MPs – Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga and Melissa Lee. They were impressive. This in itself should provide some cause for concern for Labour but more ominous should be the signal that while this year’s election […]
Kia kaha
Written By: - Date published: 1:55 pm, December 9th, 2008 - 34 comments
The Greens have joined in opposing National’s “Fire at Will” Bill which they say puts “jobs and democracy at stake”. They’re calling on the Maori Party to stand strong in its previous opposition to the bill. Only two years ago Hone Harawira said when voting against it: [O]ur journey with this bill has not been an […]
All the facts
Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, November 25th, 2008 - 81 comments
National’s David Farrar has been running a series for some time trying to paint NZ Labour as out of step with Labour Parties around the world when it comes to their attitude on tax cuts. His intention, of course, is to portray Labour as extreme left and his mates in National as centrist and middle […]
Crosby/Textor on repeat
Written By: - Date published: 3:30 pm, November 15th, 2008 - 58 comments
The topic of Crosby Textor has emerged again with a story in the NZ Herald. While it is unsurprising to read that Crosby Textor is “drumming up business after last week’s election by offering insights into the new Government and its personalities” there’s another aspect I think also deserves examination. How and why is this […]
What will National’s cabinet look like?
Written By: - Date published: 10:55 am, November 11th, 2008 - 58 comments
Will it be the same tired old faces, the fresh noobs or a mixture of both? Will it be an all National cabinet or will Peter “marginal seat” Dunne secure himself a place at the grown-ups table? Here’s a few off the top of my head: Bill English – Deputy leader and Finance Obvious really […]
National Spinners
Written By: - Date published: 3:30 pm, November 9th, 2008 - 91 comments
David Farrar wrote… “Funniest moment was talking to a few of John’s staff, and one of them asked whether their imminent transfer to the 9th floor meant they would get to take over The Standard. It was hilarious as they started fighting over who would be all-your-base and who would be Irish Bill etc” Wow! […]
The distances between parties
Written By: - Date published: 12:53 pm, November 9th, 2008 - 5 comments
Just before the election They Work For You released some impressive work on the voting distances between parties based on:- There are 110 final bill reading votes included in the analysis. All the votes are from the 48th New Zealand Parliament which was in term between 7 November 2005 and 3 October 2008. The plot […]
Congratulations
Written By: - Date published: 10:36 am, November 9th, 2008 - 77 comments
It’s been a hard fought campaign but it’s clear that we’ve got a firmly right wing government now. Congratulations are in order for John Key and the ACT party. Of course I’m not happy with the outcome and I expect it will bode badly for a lot of New Zealanders but that’s the democratic result […]
Making the decision
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, November 7th, 2008 - 56 comments
Have you still not decided who you’ll vote for? The final poll shows the race between a National/ACT/United Future or a Labour/Green/Progressive/Maori government is neck and neck, so your choice matters. Here is some advice and tools that may help: When choosing who to vote for there are three things you should consider: policy – […]
Pigs in muck
Written By: - Date published: 10:29 am, November 6th, 2008 - 137 comments
Yesterday, John Key was telling journalists that he knew the secret agenda taper, Kees Keizer, was a Labour Party activist. In fact, he knew that wasn’t true, which is why he refused to name him. The Herald has. And what it’s also reveled is a close relationship between Cameron Slater and the National Party research […]
Shock revelation: Taper is Wellington Leftie
Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, November 6th, 2008 - 99 comments
The secret taper has revealed himself as Kees Keizer, a leftie from Wellington. I spent quite a bit of time yesterday encouraging Keizer to tell his story, preferably to The Standard or the Herald (more credible), and he steadfastly refused. So imagine my surprise when I see a three page article of him talking to […]
Context
Written By: - Date published: 6:43 am, November 6th, 2008 - 10 comments
Yesterday morning on Sunrise, John Key was moaning that there is no context to the latest secret agenda tape, where Bill English praises the war in Iraq and criticises Bill English’s ‘moralistic’ approach to international relations. Key is right, context helps us undestand information better. Luckily, Scoop’s library keeps every media release, so we can […]
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