political parties

The selective empathy of Key’s callous government

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:54 am, May 12th, 2014 - 21 comments

John Key’s government is cutting back on state housing, uprooting families from their homes. Large numbers of state houses are empty, while many are left to move from caravan park to sleeping in cars or outdoors. Weasel words from Paula Bennett and Nick Smith.

The Herald is turning against the Government

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:24 am, May 11th, 2014 - 92 comments

The Herald, normally a bastion of support for National, has this weekend printed a number of stories openly critical of the National Government. As John Armstrong asks, have the wheels fallen off the Government’s reelection campaign?

The politics of private dinners

Written By: karol - Date published: 12:10 pm, May 9th, 2014 - 225 comments

Whether it’s Judith Collins, Michael Woodhouse or the Cabinet Club/s, National Party fundraisers, target the wealthy base they represent. In the process, boundaries are blurred between mainstream politics, exclusive private spaces & personal relationships.

Latest Roy Morgan

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:32 pm, May 7th, 2014 - 168 comments

The latest Roy Morgan poll result is out and although it bounces around and trends rather than individual results are more important National’s support has slumped signficicantly and Labour’s and the Green’s support has risen.

Judith Collins the walking dead

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:53 pm, May 7th, 2014 - 114 comments

Yesterday in Parliament the Government was completely on the back foot. Judith Collins cannot be more compromised. National strategists must be afraid at the damage that its one strength, John Key, is sustaining.

NRT: Still 42,000 out of work under National

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:32 pm, May 7th, 2014 - 41 comments

No Right Turn points out that depressing fact that “Still 42,000 (more) out of work under National”. Tories don’t really care until they have to pay taxes for the debt. But hey they voted themselves a tax cut in 2008 – so they’re still happy as the government debt levels keep blowing out to Muldoon levels. National economic management = stupid debt.

Handouts to make them go away

Written By: lprent - Date published: 12:25 pm, May 7th, 2014 - 9 comments

The announcement from National that they’d bribe unemployed beneficiaries to go to Christchurch was “An empty grab for headlines”. Perhaps they should have used their strategy for party renewal? Pay more from party funds awash from selling the time of Ministers time seems to work well.

Culture of Impunity

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 9:05 am, May 7th, 2014 - 32 comments

It now appears that Judith Collins would have to commit murder to be relieved of her ministerial warrants – or perhaps not.

Cabinet Club

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 11:34 pm, May 6th, 2014 - 223 comments

It’s called “Cabinet Club” but National claims Ministers aren’t actually acting as Ministers when they use it to raise money.

Which is why they called it “Cabinet Club” and not something with Ministerial connotations like… um… “Cabinet Club”

Labour’s Caucus Reshuffle

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:55 am, May 6th, 2014 - 61 comments

Labour has announced a reshuffle of its Caucus rankings and portfolios.

Crushed Collins

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:20 am, May 6th, 2014 - 163 comments

Judith Collins spectacular fall from grace continues. The latest news is that shortly after THAT dinner where business was NOT discussed Oravida received a quarantine clearance certificate from the Chinese Authorities and then coincidentally made a donation to the National Party.

Polity: Why Joyce is full of it on monetary policy

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:11 am, May 5th, 2014 - 33 comments

Rob Salmond at Polity just saved me from having to write something like this post explaining economic basics to Steven Joyce. Joyce demonstrated again why his tenure at MoBIE has been a failure for the overall economy. He fixates on one thing like the business selling milk powder to the exclusion of the overall picture. In part that is why we have neither expanding innovation or employment in our economy at present. He is a good tactical politician. But he is a fool on strategy.

Collins is out of control

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:25 am, May 5th, 2014 - 232 comments

Judith Collins’s startling attack on Katie Bradford on the weekend has created all sorts of problems for John Key. Relations with the Press Gallery must be at an all time low. Sacking her will cause all sorts of problems within National’s caucus, retaining her in Cabinet will risk further bad publicity. There is no upside.

Spin Slater Spin

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:21 pm, May 4th, 2014 - 94 comments

Cameron Slater is spinning that an informal question of a police minister about staff leave entitlements by an opposition MP is the same as a Minister effectively requiring the review of a police prosecution of a National Party donor. There is a sense of desperation emanating from the right over the Oravida issue … Update – and John Key appears to be displeased that Collins has brought a TVOne reporter into the debate …

What Maurice Williamson’s shock tells us about domestic violence

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 5:30 pm, May 2nd, 2014 - 279 comments

In defending himself against allegations of misusing ministerial authority, Maurice Williamson said of the domestic violence charges against Donghua Liu: He had been “shocked” at the charges because Liu had required a clean record to get a New Zealand visa. The logic is this: Liu needed a clean record to get a visa, Liu had […]

Media response to Labour’s Monetary Policy Upgrade

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 2:32 pm, May 2nd, 2014 - 105 comments

The response to Labour’s Monetary Policy upgrade has been overall very good and it has dominated the policy debate at the same time as a series of scandals start to circle around the National Party.

Corrosive, anti-democratic power of big money

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:23 am, May 2nd, 2014 - 86 comments

Too many MPs in the NAct government, & some journalists, fail to understand that the negative impacts of the infiltration into politics of the worst ethos of big business & big money: croynism, networks of power & influence, self-serving, buddy-supporting actions, & deceptive manipulations of public relations.

Todd Barclay’s real problem: naïveté

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 5:30 pm, May 1st, 2014 - 79 comments

I don’t think Todd Barclay’s biggest crime was working for the tobacco industry; it’s being a bit bloody naïve about how his professional background was going to play.

Williamson now. How corrupt is the National cabinet?

Written By: lprent - Date published: 10:30 am, May 1st, 2014 - 199 comments

It never seems to end does it? A National Party Minister contacted a top ranking police officer after a wealthy businessman with close ties to him was arrested on domestic violence charges. The Prime Minister’s office is understood to be considering Maurice Williamson’s future as a Minister, following Herald inquiries into the phone call that he made and over his involvement with Donghua Liu’s criminal case.

Bunji: And he’s gone – resigned as a Minister

Williamson in trouble

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:06 am, May 1st, 2014 - 23 comments

Maurice William’s career is in the balance as news of an inappropriate approach to the police on behalf of a National Party donor emerges.

Clutha- Southland and the stark contrast in NZ politics

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 4:08 pm, April 30th, 2014 - 79 comments

Guest post by Ad about the Clutha Southland where Labour’s Liz Craig, a Doctor and Public Health researcher, is standing against Todd Barclay, a former National Parliamentary staffer and ex Philip Morris lobbyist.

Paul Henry and Christchurch’s floods

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 2:26 pm, April 30th, 2014 - 67 comments

Paul Henry’s rant last night on TV3 and his attack on Lianne Dalziel was appalling. And it makes you wonder if the intent was to take the attention away from John Key who has shown that he will move heaven and earth to increase irrigation for Canterbury Plain farmers but thinks that the Council should deal with a water problem that is significantly affecting a number of ordinary people.

National’s exports – how to lose value and jobs

Written By: lprent - Date published: 10:54 am, April 30th, 2014 - 77 comments

Manufacturing exports dropped by 3.3% over the last year. Manufacturing businesses and their jobs disappeared with them. Meanwhile the National MP’s with dairy farms and interests will today be proclaiming a buoyant economy based on them selling barely processed milk-powder to China. It is good for them but as they gut the manufacturing jobs few other kiwis will reap any benefits.

The local in the bigger picture: new Green conservation policy

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:47 am, April 30th, 2014 - 12 comments

Largely overlooked yesterday, the Green Party launched their “Conservation in Our Backyards” policy. Focusing on protecting New Zealand’s socially and environmentally rich biodiversity, it provides a means to act locally in countering the current track towards global social, environmental and economic destruction.

Another Quality Selection

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 10:54 pm, April 29th, 2014 - 30 comments

So many things wrong with what poor Clutha-Southland are having foist upon them by National. A very young man whose experience of life is National Party jobs and Tobacco company lobbying. Fortunately democracy gives them a very good choice…

Fixing the reserve bank

Written By: lprent - Date published: 1:14 pm, April 29th, 2014 - 32 comments

The head of the reanimated corpse of Brash should now be spinning furiously along with those fools from ACT who are into simplicity (because they can’t handle the real world). However having the Reserve Bank looking the balance of payments is pretty good. It includes the exchange rate and the export economy. They’re effectively now concerned with the exterior economy with a enforced savings tool as well as the interest rates. The government becomes largely responsible for the structural rigidities we have built up in the internal economy. That is a pretty good mix. Might have to train the MPs a bit though.

David Parker – Lower interest rates, a more competitive dollar and better jobs from Reserve Bank changes

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:02 am, April 29th, 2014 - 169 comments

David Parker’s speech notes announcing Labour’s proposed changes to the Reserve Bank.

LocalBodies: King Luddite and the Green Wave

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:41 am, April 28th, 2014 - 31 comments

King Luddite was resolute in his belief in the power of black gold and he decided to make a public stand against the green tidal wave that was rapidly approaching his small kingdom. On September the 20th he decided would place his throne on the nearest beach and, with his ministers standing behind him, command that the wave come no further. He had once heard a story of another king who had done something similar and thought it sounded like a good idea. Of course he had never been a good history scholar and he had never bothered to consult his wise men.

Remembering forestry workers

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:17 am, April 28th, 2014 - 15 comments

The deaths of forestry workers are outrageous & sad. Helen Kelly has campaigned extremely well for change. An international day of remembrance yesterday, a procession on parliament today – a belated govt Bill that is an improvement, but does not go far enough.

Labour announces ban on synthetic cannabis

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 5:04 pm, April 27th, 2014 - 215 comments

David Cunliffe has just announced that Labour will introduce legislation to remove synthetic cannabis and other psychoactive substances from sale. (updated)

To Robert Reid, respect

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 2:24 pm, April 27th, 2014 - 135 comments

I may be damaging the prospects of him being invited back but I thought Robert Reid’s recent performance on Q&A was terrific and his example is one that all progressive MPs and activists should follow.