political parties

And now for the real news…

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:00 am, March 21st, 2014 - 15 comments

“Rockstar economy”? Let’s hear it for another chorus of,”There is no depression in New Zealand”! Demographia reports on absolute food and housing poverty for too many Kiwis. Simon Collins reports on the ethnic inequality gaps & high rates of Maori imprisonment.

NRT: A good idea from NZFirst

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:06 pm, March 20th, 2014 - 4 comments

From an environmental economics perspective, mining is a wealth transfer, shifting public wealth (minerals) into private profits of mining companies. Along the way, it creates jobs, but it is basically spending capital. When the resources run out or become unprofitable to extract the jobs disappear and a regional economy geared solely to resource extraction withers and dies. NZ First wants to change that.

Parata replaces Collins and Adams as National’s weakest link

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:20 am, March 20th, 2014 - 57 comments

This week Hekia Parata has achieved what I thought was impossible. She has shown even worse judgment than Judith Collins and is threatening to replace Collins as National’s minister who is most in trouble. Hekia’s days as a Minister must be numbered …

What use is oil extraction here?

Written By: lprent - Date published: 9:10 am, March 20th, 2014 - 26 comments

One of the more irritating traits of National politicians is their bone-headed and short-term obsession about being rentiers selling raw and lightly processed raw materials offshore. Sure it is great in the short-term for the seller of the rights to those raw materials, but it does little to nothing for the other 4+ million people […]

Labour and the Greens announce forestry policies

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 3:48 pm, March 19th, 2014 - 39 comments

Labour announced policies today seeking to reinvigorate the Forestry Industry and to promote more local processing of logs. And the Greens have announced a policy designed to increase the use of wood in local buildings.

Amy Adams has more explaining to do

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 3:01 pm, March 18th, 2014 - 12 comments

Further questions have arisen about Amy Adams’ involvement with decisions relating to Canterbury water and in particular the decision to extend the term of the existing commissioners.

Out of the Loop

Written By: geoff - Date published: 9:49 pm, March 17th, 2014 - 155 comments

As I’ve previously pointed out, John Key’s National government only serves the privileged elite.

But their policy of only favouring the favoured few is not only venal, it’s really stupid economics as well.

NRT: An economic upgrade?

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:24 pm, March 17th, 2014 - 60 comments

No Right Turn reacts to David Cunliffe’s speech on Friday. “…one thing is clear: we need to move our economy away from a focus on milk. Our environment can’t sustain it, and its not delivering for anyone other than a narrow class of wealthy farmers.” “… rich economies have multiple sources of income. And they consciously develop them through industrial policy.”

Polity: The Greens’ draft list

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:37 pm, March 17th, 2014 - 107 comments

Rob Salmond at Polity looks at the draft Green party list. “The Greens have released their draft party list today, in advance of a party member STV vote. The top 20 is…”

Hekia Parata wants to punish poor schools

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:43 am, March 17th, 2014 - 46 comments

Yesterday Hekia Parata floated the idea that funding of schools should be based on measuring the periodic change in academic standards. This is a retrograde proposal which almost inevitably would penalise poor schools and worsen educational standards for many. Today she has been trying to dampen down the idea and has emphasised that it will not be considered until after the next election. A better reason to vote this Government out I cannot imagine.

Tony Abbott is an idiot

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:22 am, March 16th, 2014 - 90 comments

Tony Abbott’s Liberal Government has acted to undermine New Zealand’s push for a United Nations declaration that it is in the interest of humanity that nuclear weapons never be used again under any circumstances. Having the option of killing millions of human beings and devastating major urban centres either by way of a first strike or a retaliatory strike is obviously something he thinks should be preserved.

Russel Norman on consumerism & happiness

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:23 am, March 16th, 2014 - 38 comments

An interview provides an insight into Russel Norman’s working class background & frugal, anti-consumerist outlook. Combines well with Metiria Turei’s working class background – which has motivated her campaign against child poverty and inequality.

Guest Post – What is Shane Jones doing?

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 9:02 am, March 15th, 2014 - 149 comments

A guest post on Shane Jones and what effect his recent behaviour is having on Labour’s election chances.

David Cunliffe’s speech to the New Zealand Institute

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:13 pm, March 14th, 2014 - 124 comments

Speech notes from today’s address to the New Zealand Institute. “Trickle-down economics and its neoliberal parentage have failed New Zealanders and left many of our emerging businesses starved of investment capital and skills. The opportunity gaps have widened and there is no clear, shared strategy to a high value, high income future. That’s something Labour will change. We want an economy that works for all New Zealanders.”

ImperatorFish: A statement from Shane Jones

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:48 am, March 14th, 2014 - 14 comments

[probably satire] This statement has been reposted from ImperatorFish and is believed to be a work of satire by Scott Yorke (who generously allows us to reproduce his posts). However with Shane Jones, one can never be too sure what is truth and what is fantasy. Shane Jones or a reasonable facsimile thereof takes on why he isn’t going to attack the terrible Green party again (to the nearly universal chorus of “dickhead”).

The Genesis share float – or is that share sink?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:03 am, March 14th, 2014 - 24 comments

The Government is continuing with the Genesis share float. Shares with an anticipated yield of 15% are being sold to pay off debt on which interest at 5% is being charged. What sort of economic lunacy is this?

LB: Greens hit the ground running

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:50 am, March 13th, 2014 - 35 comments

Dave Kennedy (aka bsprout) at Local Bodies is the Green candidate for Invercargill. He posted this on Monday in response to Josie Pagani’s pundit post. It is on the preparedness of the Green party for this election It got overshadowed in the news cycle by burst of corrupt stench of self-entitled elitist behaviour from National, but is worth reposting anyway. It is going to be interesting to look at this election campaign where National is fighting two large parties on the left.

Scandals

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 9:31 am, March 13th, 2014 - 8 comments

Just a wee list to try and keep track of the current scandals our dear friends in the National party are dealing with.

Oravida employee of the month

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:32 pm, March 12th, 2014 - 24 comments

And the winner is …

Amy Adams has some explaining to do

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:12 pm, March 12th, 2014 - 33 comments

Amy Adams is now facing questions of conflict of interest after details have been published that land and company shares she owns may increase in value because of the proposed Canterbury Irrigation Scheme.

ImperatorFish: John Key explains to the media

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:41 am, March 12th, 2014 - 4 comments

[satire] Let me explain. There has been no breach of Cabinet rules. This has been confirmed by the Cabinet Office. Not the real Cabinet Office, but the one that exists in the deepest recesses of my imagination. That particular Cabinet Office always gives me the advice I want to hear, and the one thing I’ve learned from all my years in this place is to always listen to the voices in my head.

Polity: “Promoting” vs “endorsing”

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:22 am, March 12th, 2014 - 16 comments

The Orivida mess smells worse by the day for National. Yesterday, it turned out the Cabinet Office’s advice clearing Judith Collins of any wrongdoing had failed to even look at the most important piece of the evidence – the Chinese text of Orivida’s website. It had to rush out new advice to cover that off, which Key still won’t release. That is why today John Key will spend much of question time dancing on the head of a pin…

National – pissing debt against a wall.

Written By: lprent - Date published: 3:41 pm, March 11th, 2014 - 77 comments

The deficit was $637 million dollars bigger than expected. In fact it was more than double the expected size. Why? Well mostly because of much smaller tax revenues than previously estimated. So much for the mythic recovery that National’s spinners have been pushing over xmas. We just finished paying off the mountain of debt that National gave me back in the 1970’s and early 80s. Now the shifty party of crony business morons are trying to do it to another generation.

Polity: Why announce the election date this week?

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:30 pm, March 11th, 2014 - 18 comments

Rob Salmond at Polity has a look at why National surprisingly announced the election date yesterday. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that it was a deflection from something. Rob thinks that National was worried about where a look at donations to National’s campaign would lead. He may be right, as in the past National has had some legally and morally dubious donation regimes

Key, Peters and the early election

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:20 am, March 11th, 2014 - 57 comments

Three years ago National announced a full term election date and ruled out going into coalition with NZ First. Fast forward to now and we are having an early election and Key is not ruling out going into coalition with Peters. Get the sense that National is becoming desperate?

Beltway blues: serving the public interest?

Written By: karol - Date published: 12:00 pm, March 10th, 2014 - 32 comments

Gower’s one-dimensional, distorted, gotcha reporting, highlights the failings of TV3 news & The Nation. Corin Dann and Qu &A are less one-dimensional, but speak within the B-Hive-Media Loop, that speaks for the comfortable middle & Business classes, & manufactured a “problem” week for Cunliffe.

Guest post – Who is David Cunliffe?

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 8:41 am, March 10th, 2014 - 182 comments

A guest post on the enigma that is David Cunliffe by David Craig.

LB: Government Spin and Hidden Secrets

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:24 pm, March 8th, 2014 - 34 comments

This National led Government has seriously mismanaged things and is desperate to hide the true effects of its governance over the last five years. I half suspect many of the retiring National MPs are jumping ship because they don’t want to be around when the proverbial hits the fan. National have carefully constructed showy facades that hide flimsy realities

Give us the names or pay the money back, John

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 11:59 am, March 8th, 2014 - 157 comments

John Key has taken at least $165,000 in anonymous donations through secret dinner donations.

Will he follow David Cunliffe’s example and either name names or pay the money back? Or is Key too tricky for that?

Colin Craig wants help with his legal costs …

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:47 am, March 7th, 2014 - 112 comments

Not to be outdone by the Greens Colin Craig is now seeking donations to help him defend the allegation that he thinks a woman’s place is in the kitchen …

Auckland Council CCO 2 step

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:42 am, March 7th, 2014 - 13 comments

Mai Chen argues that the current review of Auckland Council CCOs will put them on a tighter leash. Tony Holman argues against the whole CCO set up: it’s a trojan horse, 2 step towards privatisation of Auckland assets. Aucklanders need to have their say. Vote out Team Key to prevent such sales.