political parties

Walking through the wrong door is the least of Gerry’s problems

Written By: James Dann - Date published: 4:51 pm, July 29th, 2014 - 12 comments

Throughout the last few years Brownlee has consistently denied that there is a housing crisis, despite almost every sign pointing to one. What we need in Christchurch is more houses, now. Affordable, well-designed, well-insulated houses. Lots of them. This is why Labour’s Kiwibuild scheme will roll out 10,000 houses in Christchurch in the first 4 years.

Blinglish’s boondoggle bridge

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:15 am, July 29th, 2014 - 34 comments

Rob Salmond at Polity has discovered that amongst the $212 million worth of road projects to be accelerated by the Government is a bridge that will speed up Bill English’s trip to his Queenstown home. But officials have said that under current policy settings it is unlikely that the bridge will ever be built.

Nick Smith must resign

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 11:25 pm, July 28th, 2014 - 66 comments

I agree with Fish and Game: Nick Smith has severely overstepped the mark – again – and must resign as a minister. He may as well stand down as an MP as he should never be back in a ministerial capacity given the list of times he’s been caught lying and cheating are longer than his arm.

Male, Pale and Stale

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 4:14 pm, July 28th, 2014 - 121 comments

It’s the National Party list!

Nick Smith losing it

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:31 pm, July 28th, 2014 - 76 comments

“Conservation Minister Nick Smith is threatening legal action against Fish and Game council members who accused him of trying to gag the organisation.”

Local Bodies: Manipulated Data and the Art of Deception

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:28 pm, July 28th, 2014 - 7 comments

The National led Government are desperate to present the good news stories to promote the success of the past six years of their governance. They have increased the budget and the numbers of their spin doctors to ensure that it is mainly positive messages that make into the public domain. The Government cleverly manipulates data to hide the extent of poverty the degradation of the environment and the success of our economy. Of course most of us who live in the real world know that National’s reality is a falsely constructed one.

Polity: Bye bye, Colin

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:43 am, July 28th, 2014 - 18 comments

National has all-but confirmed today that there no deal for Colin Craig in East Coast Bays, or for any other Conservative. This was the right thing for them to do, for one simple reason. This decision came down to simple maths. If Key thought the Conservatives could muster double the votes that a decision to back the Conservatives would cost National in the centre-ground, then he should do the deal. If not, he should not. All the stuff about Winston running was a bit of a late sideshow, as the decision had likely already been made.

The election campaign is at a delicate stage

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:35 am, July 28th, 2014 - 128 comments

We are at a very sensitive stage of the election campaign. Labour’s decline in the polls has reversed, membership enthusiasm is high and National is being criticised for its male dominated list as well as facing the problem of its relationship with the Conservatives.

Positive Labour policy for meat industry

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 10:57 pm, July 27th, 2014 - 4 comments

In the late 1980’s I worked on the establishment of the Meat Industry Tradesmens Agreement, bringing eight awards into one. My lasting memory is how the meat companies hated each other more than they hated the unions, and they were no union-lovers. 25 years later, the companies still can’t get their act together, and it is the country as well as the farmers who are hurting. It may surprise some, but it’s the Labour party who is putting forward policy to bring in the necessary change to the $8billion industry. Good work from Damien O’Connor and the Labour leadership.

Mum and Dad Investor?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:39 am, July 27th, 2014 - 124 comments

The SST this morning have broken a story about how an American couple were able to purchase $1.6 million worth of shares in Genesis while “mum and dad kiwi investors” had their share allocation limited to $5,000.

National’s arrogant problems

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 5:18 pm, July 26th, 2014 - 26 comments

Claudette Hauiti, Gerry Brownlee, Jonathan Coleman… 3 National MPs mired in scandal this week. A serious lack of discipline, and each in their own way they betray an attitude of lack of concern for the public they’re meant to serve.

TVNZ’s white male syndrome

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:46 am, July 26th, 2014 - 86 comments

The focus of criticism of Mike Hosking as moderator for the TVNZ Leaders has been on his blatant pro-Nat bias. Hosking’s also has a track record of sexism and put-downs of some of the least powerful people in society. Are only white males eligible for the job?

Thriving children, liveable communities & sustainable resources

Written By: karol - Date published: 11:00 am, July 25th, 2014 - 14 comments

The Green Party’s election focus is on reducing poverty & inequalities (highlighting its impact on children), and developing sustainable communities. 2 recently announced policies are under-pinned by 2 crises: poverty/inequality; and the destruction of our environment (climate change, resource depletion).

Key denigrates All Black jersey

Written By: redfed - Date published: 8:30 am, July 25th, 2014 - 324 comments

John Key is now pretending to be an All Black as part of his campaign for re-election.

What should Labour do about Brownlee breaching Airport security?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 2:25 pm, July 24th, 2014 - 65 comments

Gerry Brownlee went through the wrong door of Christchurch Airport and breached security. What should Labour’s response be?

Why can’t John Key tell us how much Hauiti has ripped us off?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:50 am, July 24th, 2014 - 30 comments

John Key claims to not know how much money Claudette Hauiti has spent on her credit card and suggests that a list demotion has persuaded her to stand down. Surely he should ask. If he doesn’t then the media should ask why not. And was Hauiti persuaded or pushed into not standing again?

Government Inquiries – Not Throwing Light But Closing Down Debate

Written By: Bryan Gould - Date published: 3:18 pm, July 23rd, 2014 - 8 comments

As a young MP in the British House of Commons in the late 1970s, I rapidly became aware that half the political stories in Fleet Street originated with the Press Association’s indefatigable political correspondent, Chris Moncrieff. I was regularly button-holed by Chris as I crossed the Members’ Lobby and asked to comment on the latest […]

Just say sorry John

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:21 am, July 23rd, 2014 - 262 comments

Despite previously promising to do so John Key is now refusing to apologise to Tania Billingsley for the complete shambles that National has made of the Malaysian Diplomat issue.

Claudette Hauiti is gone

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:12 pm, July 22nd, 2014 - 74 comments

National’s Kelston candidate Claudette Hauiti has announced that she will no longer stand and will step down as an MP at this year’s election.

NRT: A circus of self-mutilation

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:47 am, July 22nd, 2014 - 104 comments

No Right Turn gets rightfully acerbic about the witless fool “senior” MP in Labour who was trying to sabotage Labour in the Sunday Star Times this weekend, and about the general self-mutilation of Labour by its caucus at present.

Herald says weird things about Cunliffe and Labour Clutha Southland candidate

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 6:06 pm, July 21st, 2014 - 110 comments

The Herald is saying some weird things about David Cunliffe and Labour’s Clutha Southland candidate Liz Craig.

Campaigning Avondale Market style

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:43 am, July 21st, 2014 - 37 comments

Every Sunday morning a group of Labour Activists attend the Avondale Market to hand out literature and talk to people. It is refreshing that ordinary people are not affected by beltway issues and are concerned at the basics such as housing, poverty and education.

Conservative idiots

Written By: lprent - Date published: 2:04 pm, July 20th, 2014 - 65 comments

The Conservatives have made a complete cockup of their “bottom line” for making a deal with National about going into government. They want to make referendums legally binding on the government. It is something that no rational government in NZ would agree with because it is impossible from several different criteria. Andrew Geddis points out that it is pretty well impossible without changing the legal basis of our government. I just think that the questions for our referendums have been complete crap.

NZ First conference – Sunday.

Written By: lprent - Date published: 11:03 am, July 20th, 2014 - 40 comments

It is a shorter day today. More organisational.

Leading up to Winston Peters speech later today where he is promising about 9 policy announcements.

Campaign slogan “It’s common sense”

Updated: 14:46

Collective renewal

Written By: lprent - Date published: 10:48 am, July 20th, 2014 - 59 comments

With Labour, there has been a particular topic on my mind for some time. How to get renewal inside the caucus. Over the last 6 years at The Standard we have had this horrible task of dealing with stupid “leaks” from unnamed sources in the party. As far as I can tell these unnamed leaks are invariably from safe electorate caucus members. I think it is time that party members start to make them feel less safe.

NZ First conference – Saturday.

Written By: lprent - Date published: 10:17 am, July 19th, 2014 - 70 comments

At the Alexandra Park racecourse for the NZ First conference.Just listened to Paddy Gower in his interview with Winston Peters. The interesting bit was the questioning about Winston standing in East Coast Bays if Steven Joyce/John Key make a deal with the conservatives and Murray McCully stands aside. That will be interesting, and I suspect under those circumstances that he’d get a lot of votes.

Tales from the left ground

Written By: karol - Date published: 6:34 pm, July 17th, 2014 - 26 comments

I was uplifted by seeing Team Carmel Sepuloni out campaigning in Henderson today. Marama Davidson has been out on the ground in Otara. The Internet-Mana Party have gone on a Road Trip. There’s been an on-going left campaign in Ohariu…. what are the tales from the left, campaigning on the ground?!

What’s so important about 15 September?

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 11:55 am, July 17th, 2014 - 46 comments

I’m intrigued by Kim Dotcom’s announcement of earth-shattering revelations to be made on 15 September – just 5 days out from the last voting day of this general election.

NRT: More statistical censorship from National

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:54 am, July 17th, 2014 - 1 comment

Last year, the Ministry for the Environment reported that 61% of New Zealand’s rivers were unsafe for swimming. National’s response? Shut down the monitoring program.

Polity: New Polls

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:43 am, July 17th, 2014 - 161 comments

The Roy Morgan and Fairfax/Ipsos polls out overnight are both bad news for the cause of positive change in New Zealand. Labour is below 25% in both polls, which is disaster territory if is solidifies. The potential coalitions of the left look just as bad. This doesn’t look like a change in the left-right split. The effects of the National / NZ Herald /Liu smear campaign feeding through fits the usual polling lag time period of about 4-6 weeks.

Russel Norman: ‘smart, green’, innovation economy

Written By: karol - Date published: 1:47 pm, July 16th, 2014 - 34 comments

Russel Norman has announced a business-friendly policy for a “smart, green” focus on innovation. A move towards a “Green New Deal”, working with the current system, and away from neoliberalism. It won’t dismantle capitalism, but exists within a framework for a fairer NZ.