political parties

Charter Schools: F

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 7:52 am, December 4th, 2014 - 45 comments

So despite the vast amount more funding (5x more per pupil) to charter schools, 1 of the 5 first, Te Kura Hourua ki Whangaruru, is failing abysmally.

The Government has previously said that all their problems were fixed, or being fixed – but they clearly aren’t.

Is John Key on the skids?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 4:25 pm, December 3rd, 2014 - 85 comments

In the House today Megan Woods embarrassed John Key with some very simple yet direct questions about Jason Ede. Key’s attempts to joke away the issue was met with silence from his side of the house. Dirty Politics is clearly having an effect.

Local Bodies: Government Responsible for Invercargill Poverty

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:00 am, December 2nd, 2014 - 6 comments

The second annual Child Poverty Monitor was released today. bsprout on Local Bodies on poverty and inequalities in Invercargill, “provides a good snapshot of New Zealand society”.

The Countering Terrorist Fighters Legislation Bill

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:16 am, December 2nd, 2014 - 34 comments

The Countering Terrorist Fighters Legislation Bill is set to return to Parliament today with some changes likely to be recommended by the select committee. And John Key is sounding conciliatory by promising to wind some powers back while at the same time promising an increase in powers next year even though a review of the Intelligence agencies has not been completed.

Local Bodies: John the Don and the Family

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:00 am, December 1st, 2014 - 19 comments

bsprout on the Local Bodies blog departs from his more usual style and makes some parallels with popular culture. One of John Key’s many hats?

Andrew Little: the future of work

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:03 am, December 1st, 2014 - 98 comments

The text of a speech delivered by Andrew Little this morning

The week that was

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:32 am, November 30th, 2014 - 55 comments

The past week has been a terrific one for Andrew Little and a very bad one for John Key, thanks to Cameron Slater. Key failing to cut contact with Slater is bizarre. It makes you wonder what Slater has on Key.

Save Our State Houses: Labour Party

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:26 am, November 28th, 2014 - 12 comments

Kevin Hague says, the government’s plan to replace state housing with “social housing” will make the affordable housing crisis worse & is “economically reckless”. The Labour Party have circulated a petition to save state houses from being sold by the NZ government.

Moira Coatsworth announces resignation

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:00 am, November 27th, 2014 - 7 comments

Labour Party president Moira Coatsworth has announced that she will stand down as Party President in December.

Dirty political money – why isn’t it illegal?

Written By: lprent - Date published: 7:30 pm, November 26th, 2014 - 39 comments

The Greens have released information that shows National having 77% of their donations in the last 3 years ($3.375 million) funnelled to them in non-public quite large donations. What are they providing for that? Well amongst other things it pays for sleazeballs like Jason Ede. But what legislation?

Scope

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 4:59 pm, November 26th, 2014 - 5 comments

Yesterday’s 2 reports are even worse for what they managed to conclude inside their scope. What was outside their scope shows things even more interesting.

A Breakdown.

Written By: Bill - Date published: 10:44 am, November 26th, 2014 - 25 comments

There’s a lot of smash flying around concerning the SIS, the PM’s office, OIA requests, Judith Collin’s and what not. So here’s a simple, stripped back, breakdown

Only on Planet Key

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:07 am, November 26th, 2014 - 16 comments

John Key thinks that the finding by Cheryl Gwyn that his office helped Cameron Slater with his OIA request is “contested”. Who should we believe? Updated: Key will be asked this question this afternoon in Parliament.

Gwyn report

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:19 am, November 25th, 2014 - 66 comments

The Gwyn report finds that the SIS failed to maintain political neutrality.

What did Key know and when did he know it?

Key will apologise to Slater but not Billingsley or Vance

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 7:30 am, November 25th, 2014 - 21 comments

John Key has apologised to Cameron Slater for releasing an email which details a campaign against a senior Public Servant.

Gwyn Report to confirm dirty politics

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 6:32 pm, November 24th, 2014 - 203 comments

What did Key know and when did he know it?

Polity: New Labour lineup: 8/10

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:53 pm, November 24th, 2014 - 21 comments

Rob Salmond has a look at the new Labour lineup. “…a consistent display of clarity and unity and being on New Zealanders’ side is what is needed from Labour right now”. Gives it an 8 out of 10

Little announces Labour’s new front bench

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:09 am, November 24th, 2014 - 170 comments

Andrew Little has announced Labour’s new lineup.

Oh dear – National’s “white elephant” is still growing?

Written By: lprent - Date published: 4:56 pm, November 23rd, 2014 - 44 comments

Public transport traffic in Auckland keeps growing by large 7.7% per year. Car traffic despite all of the motorway and roading improvements grew by just 2.3% in the whole period of 2006 and 2013 amongst commuters. But our current idiotic National transport minister wants more roads? And won’t let Aucklanders decide what they should do despite them voting with their AT Hop cards.

Key in for the long term?

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 10:33 pm, November 22nd, 2014 - 38 comments

John Key’s election as chair of the International Democratic Union is significant. Key succeeds John Howard who has led the IDU for the past 12 years. Key’s acceptance signals that like four-time winner Howard, Key plans a long career as Prime Minister of New Zealand. This news should be a wake-up call for the Labour Party’s review of its election organisation and party structure.

End of the Internet Party?

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:21 am, November 22nd, 2014 - 192 comments

Laila Harre has quit – end of the line for the Internet Party?

’81: knowing your position

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:21 am, November 22nd, 2014 - 103 comments

Andrea Vance has written an informative article about Andrew Little. In it, among other things, we learn that Little remembers exactly which side he was on during the 1981 Springbok rugby tour.

Who needs $4.8 billion anyway

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:15 am, November 21st, 2014 - 106 comments

Yesterday a report from the NZ Super Fund (the Cullen fund) provided further evidence of National’s economic “genius”. We could have used the $4.8 billion that they just chucked away.

NRT: Policy of fear

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 3:58 pm, November 20th, 2014 - 17 comments

Community groups have a vital role in New Zealand. They speak on social problems such as poverty, mental illness and addiction. They also often have a direct role in fixing them via government funding. The tension between those two roles is one that National is ruthlessly exploiting to stifle dissent.

Labour and the unions

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:26 am, November 19th, 2014 - 109 comments

In which I ponder my 2c on the leadership race, and the path ahead for Labour and the unions…

A late run succeeds

Written By: lprent - Date published: 7:08 pm, November 18th, 2014 - 46 comments

On October 4th Andrew Little was looking to see if he was even going to be in Parliament because he hadn’t achieved the near impossible task of winning New Plymouth. He was at the bottom of small list and only got back into parliament on special votes. But Andrew Little has a well deserved reputation is a organiser and a campaigner. It showed.

And the winner is …

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:45 pm, November 18th, 2014 - 487 comments

Vernon Small has tweeted that Andrew Little has been elected as the new leader of the Labour Party. Update: The result is confirmed.

Gerry Brownlee and Airport security

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:16 pm, November 18th, 2014 - 11 comments

Gerry Brownlee has admitted and been fined for entering a security area at Christchurch Airport. But there is an issue about whether he had a defence to the charge that he actually faced. And despite John Key’s and the CAA’s indication the report into the incident would be released it is now being withheld.

John Key and the Fart Tax

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 3:16 pm, November 17th, 2014 - 35 comments

Momentum is building for action on climate change – but Key reckons it’s all just too hard for little old NZ. If only the Nats hadn’t killed of funding for research into the reduction of agricultural emissions…

Last chance to vote

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:36 am, November 17th, 2014 - 67 comments

The Labour leadership campaign is in the home straight. Various authors have declared their preference and why and I thought I should do the same.

My (late) vote

Written By: lprent - Date published: 4:58 pm, November 16th, 2014 - 56 comments

Here are my votes for the leadership contest. It was a hard choice, especially having to rank them. But my main criteria was to look for the people who I think had the most chance retaining and utilising the ever increasing membership and the other parts of the party together into a election winning system for the left.