political parties

John Key on media freedom

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 11:02 am, January 9th, 2015 - 37 comments

Yesterday John Key condemned the attacking of journalists going about their daily work and said that it was an attack on the fourth estate and the democratic principles of freedom of speech and expression. But his track record on respecting the independence of journalists leaves a lot to be desired.

On Freedom of Speech and Tolerance and Powers of Surveillance

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:46 am, January 8th, 2015 - 102 comments

The slaying of staff at Charlie Hebdo and the killing of two police officers will no doubt cause further debate on the extent of freedom of speech, on our relations with Muslims and on the state’s powers of surveillance and if they should be increased.

What John Key actually believes in

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:21 am, January 6th, 2015 - 146 comments

Charlie Mitchell of the Dominion Post has analysed John Key’s formal speeches since 2007 to see what has from time to time been uppermost in Key’s mind. The results are interesting to say the least.

‘The future will be green or not at all’

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:41 am, January 2nd, 2015 - 275 comments

Yesterday, on Outspoken at RNZ, Craig McCulloch interviewed Jeanette Fitzsimons, Gareth Morgan and Metiria Turei on the future of the Green Party. Morgan wants the Greens to shift away from “scary” economic policies. Turei and Fitzsimons explain why not.

Top MP tweeters ….?

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:54 am, December 29th, 2014 - 27 comments

Claire Trevett in the NZ Herald has an article on her chosen top MP tweeters, now that Judith Collins has vacated her (alleged) position as “Minister of Twitter” Not quite my list of top tweeters… and yours?

National knew about Sabin allegations since before the election

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:44 am, December 28th, 2014 - 67 comments

The Sunday Star Times has revealed today that the inquiry into Mike Sabin started before the last election and that senior National figures knew about it. And it appears that two private members bills he drafted have disappeared. The questions has to be asked, why is he still the chair of Parliament’s Law and Order committee. And when did John Key find out about the allegations?

The Government wishes Andrea Vance a very merry Christmas

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:50 am, December 25th, 2014 - 25 comments

On the eve of Christmas in a cynical attempt to avoid political damage the Government has apologised to Andrea Vance for breaching her rights of privacy in 2013 after requiring Parliamentary Services to hand over her metadata and attempting to cover up the exercise.

Europe & the anti-austerity left

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:42 am, December 24th, 2014 - 28 comments

The UK Green Party is gaining in popularity as many people turn away from the 3 established parties. The radical left Syriza party in Greece could possibly gain power in their election – what powerful international right wing forces would then be unleashed?

The Sky City Convention Centre

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:41 am, December 23rd, 2014 - 81 comments

Sky City is doing what Rio Tinto and Warner Brothers have done in the past. Threaten to walk away from a deal unless the Government writes you a big cheque …

Thumbs down for Joyce’s ministerial domain

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:23 am, December 22nd, 2014 - 33 comments

A new report shows that Steven Joyce’s MBIE fiefdom is failing miserably. Meanwhile the MBIE is under fire for the major cost blow out of the Sky City Casino deal – another deal with Joyce’s imprints all over it.

Mike Sabin is in trouble

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:52 am, December 22nd, 2014 - 215 comments

Northland MP Mike Sabin is facing a police enquiry and a by election is possible.

Why wasn’t Brownlee sacked?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:50 am, December 19th, 2014 - 49 comments

The Civil Aviation Authority report into Gerry Brownlee’s breach of security at Christchurch Airport has now been released albeit in a heavily redacted form. The report contradicts Brownlee’s claim that the door was opened for him by a Security Officer and that the officer consented to his use of the security area. Why was the release of the report delayed? And why wasn’t Brownlee sacked as a Minister?

On the economy and tax cut bribes

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:24 am, December 18th, 2014 - 9 comments

National are not responsible for the eventual recovery, they are responsible for delaying it.

Surplus sunk

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 2:18 pm, December 16th, 2014 - 73 comments

The Nats are going to miss the only target they ever cared about hitting – the mythical surplus. Seven wasted years and counting…

Andrew Little’s adjournment speech

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:00 am, December 15th, 2014 - 6 comments

Well worth a look. A straight talker, with a sense of humour, freshness and vigour.

The line on Little…

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:49 am, December 15th, 2014 - 155 comments

The Nats have finished focus-grouping their attack line on Andrew Little and are moving in to deployment. As narrated by Twitter this morning…

Whaleoil is the only person John Key apologised to this year

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:16 am, December 15th, 2014 - 12 comments

John Key’s only formal apology this year was to serial privacy breacher Cameron Slater for breaching his privacy. Not to any of the victims of dirty politics or to any of the victims of this Government’s policies. Why is it that National is continuing to allow Slater to undermine the Prime Minister’s position so effectively?

‘Ditch the [misleading] rhetoric’

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:39 am, December 12th, 2014 - 16 comments

On RNZ this morning PSA National Secretary Richard Wagstaff criticised Bill English for his misleading rhetoric about rises in “average wages”. NZ’s income and wealth gaps have increased in recent decades. The lowest income remain low; the top earners get big salary increases.

A good speech

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:25 am, December 11th, 2014 - 17 comments

A good speech from Green MP James Shaw in Parliament’s closing session yesterday.

Why is it Len’s fault?

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 10:45 pm, December 10th, 2014 - 36 comments

Various Tory voices, fresh from finding Len Brown guilty of needing a wee; now find he’s to blame for failing to get his visionary Central Rail Loop started on time, with its delayed start to 2018. But surely the blame lies not with him, but squarely with National and Key for refusing to pay their share until 2020.

Oppose the housing sell off!

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 3:11 pm, December 10th, 2014 - 4 comments

A last-minute, urgent appeal from Phil Twyford – oppose the sell off of state houses – today!

New Zealand Betrayed – Again

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 3:05 pm, December 10th, 2014 - 95 comments

A guest post from BLiP on Labour’s support for the “terrorism” legislation.

Dodging the big decisions

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 9:03 am, December 10th, 2014 - 18 comments

Colin James has an excellent piece on the housing market. Simon Collins has a piece on the implications on young renters. Meanwhile, a number of other big problems are being ignored by National as well.

First review results

Written By: lprent - Date published: 6:56 am, December 9th, 2014 - 111 comments

“Labour’s review panel has reported its findings back about the party’s election campaign and the reasons for the low 25 per cent result, identifying problems ranging from a failure to unite behind former leader David Cunliffe to resourcing and confusion over its “Vote Positive” slogan.”

Poor (and rather pathetic) Bomber

Written By: lprent - Date published: 9:52 pm, December 8th, 2014 - 109 comments

Martyn Bradbury is still ‘leading’ the left from the behind. My focus on this site is how to reduce all the costs. One of those costs over the last year has been complaints about us from inside the NZLP. That is why I decided last month to drop my membership. Bomber snarkily whining up his ego looks like another wasteful cost.

Today’s DomPost cartoon

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:08 am, December 8th, 2014 - 27 comments

Andrew Little grows into his role as Labour leader.

The tipline has a SST column

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:30 am, December 7th, 2014 - 36 comments

Judith Collins had her debut as a columnist in the Sunday Star Times today. Her article was not contentious and raised issues of importance. She also revealed that she never liked the name “Crusher” and Hager’s description of her was false in many ways.

Heads in the Sand protest this Sunday

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:11 am, December 7th, 2014 - 25 comments

The Coal Action Network is planning a series of protests this Sunday to highlight how this Government has its head planted firmly in the sand when it comes to addressing climate change.

Groser and National have a plan to save the world from global warming

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:00 pm, December 6th, 2014 - 61 comments

Tim Groser and National have a plan to solve global warming so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel.

Dirty Politics and the health advocates

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:00 am, December 6th, 2014 - 59 comments

How is it that Katherine Rich can be the head of the Food and Grocery Council and look after the interests of suppliers yet at the same time be on the Health Promotion Agency and not have a conflict?

National’s campaign of false equivalences

Written By: lprent - Date published: 8:23 am, December 4th, 2014 - 102 comments

John Key has been advertising us in parliament. But he has a problem distinguishing how his right puppet blogs operate compared to the volunteer blogs of the left. It says more about how John Key thinks than it does about us. Key prefers sites that recruit prostitutes in order to blackmail reporters.