political parties

Humourless Key pours scorn on Civilian

Written By: lprent - Date published: 11:58 am, June 10th, 2014 - 44 comments

John Key has been making a joke of the electoral system in recent days with his support of criminal MPs and his veiled attempts to foist the crazy Conservatives on various electorates. But he was quick to pour scorn on a very popular micro-party who were less likely to become a pliant tool of the National party. Clearly he hasn’t realised who the Civilians are satirising and why so many taxpayers support them. Updated with Occasionally erudite’s analysis.

Polity: A paucity of vision?

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:51 pm, June 9th, 2014 - 68 comments

Hey, we won’t get in the way of a good stoush on the net about Labour’s policies, in fact we will encourage it. Here is Rob Salmond’s response to Idiot Savant’s post at No Right Turn. We’d also suggest that people look at Mike Smith’s post from this morning and last night (that probably has the nuttier conspiracy theorists going by now) for a third point of view.

Comments please…

NRT: Good riddance to John Banks

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:56 pm, June 9th, 2014 - 62 comments

The government has been stripped of its legislative majority and its policy programme, especially employment relations “reform”, is now in tatters. Now that Banks has going, we are seeing an extensive rewriting of history by the National government. Kind of pathetic really.

John Banks announces his resignation

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 6:23 pm, June 8th, 2014 - 108 comments

John Banks has announced his resignation from Parliament effective from this Friday …

Dotcom 2 Banks 0

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:06 am, June 6th, 2014 - 88 comments

Justice Wyllie’s written decision in the John Banks case makes compelling and damning reading.  Banks has been found guilty because he engineered a situation where a false return was produced and he signed it knowing of this defect. His continued presence in Parliament must be untenable.

D Day for John Banks

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:58 am, June 5th, 2014 - 99 comments

D Day for John Banks is today. Is he guilty of making a false declaration of his electoral expenses? Will he be convicted? And what are the political repercussions?

Climate change – ETS or Carbon tax?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:43 pm, June 4th, 2014 - 71 comments

The media is trying to suggest that Labour is opposing the Green’s proposed Carbon Tax policy.  This is a gross over dramatisation of the situation.  Labour has in the past supported a Carbon Tax, has a policy formation process which prevents policy creation on the hoof, and prefers an ETS even though it is slightly more complex on the basis that it is slightly more effective in allocating costs and benefits across the board.

Polity: Meanwhile, in Bomber-land

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:38 am, June 3rd, 2014 - 169 comments

Last week’s developments around Internet MANA have caused much conversation on the left in New Zealand. Some of that conversation has been constructive, strategic, and forward-thinking. And then there is Bomber:…. Whose analysis is designed to split the left, not unify it; and the recommendations would help the left lose, not win. Top work.

Spying on the left: 20th century “dirt files”

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:43 pm, June 1st, 2014 - 56 comments

Secret files have been released, that document the spying of Labour/left politicians in the early-to-mid 20th century: Savage, Fraser, Nash, Sutch, Sir Dove Meyer Robinson.  The NZ establishment has a long history of treating the left as a threat. [Update: “Dunne over” by spy review]

The Greens and the Emissions Trading Scheme

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:21 am, June 1st, 2014 - 228 comments

Russel Norman is tipped today to announce the proposed scrapping of the ETS. It is clear that it is not working. But what do we do instead?

The coat-tail rule and democracy

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 5:00 pm, May 30th, 2014 - 136 comments

Allow me to fly in the face of an accepted truth in NZ politics by saying this: there is absolutely nothing undemocratic about the MMP “coat-tail” rules.

Some thoughts on Internet Mana and Laila Harre

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:02 am, May 29th, 2014 - 262 comments

Some thoughts on the implications of the Internet Mana announcement and the anticipated selection of Laila Harre as the Internet Party leader.  Like everything else concerning Kim Dotcom nothing is simple.

Internet Mana: the sell-out and the reaction

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 5:30 pm, May 27th, 2014 - 191 comments

A common response I saw to the Mana/Internet alliance today was, “Oh great, Mana’s sold out. Mana’s meant to be grassroots! Mana and the Internet Party have nothing in common!”

The thing is, it largely (not entirely) came from people who aren’t Mana members or supporters. It came from Labour supporters.

TV3 and the manufacturing of a political narrative

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:06 am, May 27th, 2014 - 97 comments

Two weeks ago Paddy Gower interviewed David Cunliffe on the Nation and they had a wide ranging discussion on ideal Immigration flows and housing pressures.  No criticism was made by Gower of the policy.  Yesterday after Cunliffe said essentially the same thing Gower alleged that Cunliffe had engaged in dog whistle politics. But Gower had earlier blogged advocating for Labour to look at going harder on the immigration issue. My fellow lefties should not be confused by Gower’s attempt to construct a narrative.