political parties

Fairfax quotes Government cheerleader

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 2:06 pm, February 16th, 2014 - 30 comments

Fairfax posted an article recently where three businessmen were interviewed on what they thought the political parties should be discussing this election year. The comments from the first interviewee were basically a John Key love in so I thought we should try and provide some balance …

John Key, Blogsters and the Dotcom leaks

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:34 am, February 15th, 2014 - 170 comments

This week has seen how sophisticated the publicity campaign against Kim Dotcom has been. The surprising detail that a Herald Socialite columnist has published with political implications potentially represents a new tactic by National. And the confirmation that Key is regularly in contact with Cameron Slater shows how deep the relationship is between National and the Sewer is. And there was the use of, as Key calls them, blogsters to smear opposition MPs with hints of corruption. This is going to be an interesting year …

Rotten

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 4:24 pm, February 14th, 2014 - 270 comments

Stuff has an astounding interview with John Key where he reveals he has regular catch-ups with Cameron Slater.

We’ve always known that there were close ties between National and the abomination that is Whaleoil but now we know that the ties go right to the top.

NRT: Ticket clipping

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:53 pm, February 13th, 2014 - 29 comments

National’s charter schools are predicated on the idea that the public education system is doing a bad job. They’re (over-)funded to do things differently. So its more than a little odd that He Puna Marama Trust’s charter school is simply getting local state schools to do all their teaching for them. They just clip the ticket converting taxpayers money to private profit. Ridiculous corrupt NAct policy.

Jordan Williams: running the shell game

Written By: lprent - Date published: 6:28 pm, February 12th, 2014 - 40 comments

You have to look at the “taxpayers union” and ask how even the idiots who were behind ACT think that they can play the same trick to a new generation. But Jordan Williams seems to think that despite the law, Len Brown should pay for a Auckland council ordered audit of the mayoral office. Perhaps he should actually read the law about the supershitty that ACT foisted on Auckland ratepayers. Reading the law may prevent another legal failure from the lawyer who lost for Cameron Slater.

Dotcom’s extradition and the 2014 general election

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:51 am, February 12th, 2014 - 94 comments

In further news about Dotcom he has said that if the Internet Party has not reached 5% in the polls before the printing of the ballot papers he will endorse another party. An endorsement could be the difference between the left winning and losing the next election. And the Greens have raised the prospect of a Ministerial Veto of any extradition order.

NRT: National hates transparency

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:54 am, February 12th, 2014 - 56 comments

Yesterday Labour tried to put forward a Parliamentary motion calling on the government to release the draft text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement before signing it, on the simple democratic grounds that the public deserved to know what agreements were being made in our name. National refused to. The upshot: National hates transparency. It also hates democracy.

Local Bodies: First they ignore you

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:30 am, February 11th, 2014 - 13 comments

Local bodies writes on the way that National has been concentrating their personal attacks at the Greens. It is a pretty typical display by National in any election year. But you get the impression they’re going to seriously be dumpster diving for dirt this year – especially Judith Collins. National are getting desperate at their disappearing coalition partners. “First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win”

The politics of nastiness

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 8:45 am, February 11th, 2014 - 163 comments

Is this election year going to be the most vicious in recent history? There’s always a bit of argy-bargy in politics, and sometimes it’s personal. Despite the best of intentions, it’s impossible for people’s families and backgrounds to never be part of the conversation, because often they themselves bring it up – whether it’s John […]

Key’s transparent gerrymander

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 8:12 pm, February 9th, 2014 - 101 comments

For John Key, MMP stands for “Manipulate Members of Parliament”. Senior journalists are beginning to call him on the games he’s playing, and good on them; gerrymander entered the New Zealand political lexicon at Key’s press conference this week. Key wants to push the issues away till closer to the election, when he’ll know what his polling is telling him – I hope the gallery don’t let him.

It’s past time for fair employment laws

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 1:53 pm, February 8th, 2014 - 35 comments

After David Cunliffe’s state of the nation speech at the end of January, the spotlight was, appropriately, on the big policy announcement he made: the Best Start package for Kiwi kids. (It wasn’t the friendliest spotlight, unfortunately.) But there was a sentence at the end which hasn’t had a lot of pickup, and which could […]

Play it again John

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:00 am, February 8th, 2014 - 39 comments

John Key has welcomed Tony Abbott’s confirmation that Australia would extend access to students under the Higher Education Loan Program to long-term New Zealand residents in Australia. But this policy was announced eight months ago.

NZ Herald watch – history repeats

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:50 am, February 7th, 2014 - 146 comments

The NZ Herald has a long history of opposing Maori resistance and supporting colonisation. It has always been right wing with a strong commercial focus & MO. Yesterday it censored news of Waitangi Day protests. Today an editorial spins in slippery style, for the Govt’s failing PowerCo sales.

Some thoughts on Waitangi Day

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:01 am, February 6th, 2014 - 147 comments

Some thoughts on the nature of the Treaty of Waitangi and the need to continue with the treaty settlement process.

Myths of Waitangi Day – & Hikoi

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:55 am, February 5th, 2014 - 289 comments

The ratings driven MSM beat up dramas and conflict in relation to Waitangi Day – they continue to circulate myths about the Day. Morgan Godfery has blogged about those myths. Meanwhile, the hikoi to protect our seas and land continues. [update: Rachel Smalley]

National’s policy working – under-employment at record high

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 6:06 pm, February 4th, 2014 - 37 comments

Roy Morgan survey reports New Zealand under-employment – those working part-time but looking for more work – has jumped to a record high 11.3% (up 2.7%). Simon Bridges’ policies to create precarious employment seem to be working.

Here’s an idea! Clean energy…

Written By: karol - Date published: 2:34 pm, February 4th, 2014 - 56 comments

Anadarko fails to find commercially viable oil in Taranaki, and is now moving on to waste even more time, money and resources in the Canterbury basin. This is a big fail for John Key’s casino capitalist, speculative economic policy. And a fail for NZ’s people and environment. [update: Hikoi]

Dear RadioNZ – the largest party does not necessarily win the election

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:06 am, February 3rd, 2014 - 150 comments

Radio New Zealand this morning keeps saying that National could “win” the election but struggle to form a Government. This statement suggests that the Country’s foremost current affairs radio station may be struggling with the concept of MMP.

National’s election year strategy and designer jackets

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:30 am, February 2nd, 2014 - 111 comments

National’s attacks on Metiria Turei appear to me as being deliberate and programmed rather than an inconsequential argument on the cost of designer jackets.

John Key: telling it like it isn’t

Written By: karol - Date published: 6:12 pm, February 1st, 2014 - 121 comments

John Key says that the Greens make personal attacks: calling for ministers to be sacked. This is hardly a diversionary personal attack unlike the nastiest of Key’s cheap point scoring . The Greens “go hard” in focusing on relevant issues: public transport, environment, poverty & inequality gap.

No details, please, we’re gallery hacks

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 1:17 pm, January 31st, 2014 - 175 comments

Blue has a look at the the gallery hacks and what they’re looking for from a politician. The answer is – not much. Political journalists do not require any special qualifications. They go to journalism school to learn how to structure an article and avoid being sued. There is no test you must pass to become a Gallery hack proving that you understand policy, economics or statistics. Their job is write ‘colour’ pieces about the ‘cut and thrust’ of politics….

Key signals coalition with Labour

Written By: susannact - Date published: 11:42 am, January 31st, 2014 - 9 comments

John Key revealed that he was not ruling out going into coalition with Labour after the next election. He is rather bored and this party may make life a bit less boring. Besides this way he can take credit for having made the Best Start.

Media bias

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:41 am, January 31st, 2014 - 168 comments

Media bias has been a topic of discussion this week and such simple things as the choice of photos can be evidence of this. The Herald has been publishing very unflattering photos of David Cunliffe. You would think that with all of their resources they would have slightly more natural photos than the ones they are running …

The flag diversion

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:44 am, January 30th, 2014 - 119 comments

It appears that John Key is trying to divert attention away from this Government’s appalling record regarding child poverty and Labour’s Best Start and Paid Parental Leave by starting a discussion on what the Country’s flag should look like.

Media Watch: infotainment & “balance” – inequality

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:01 am, January 30th, 2014 - 56 comments

The ratings/sales driven ethos of the corporate MSM skews the coverage of the election campaigns of parties of the “left” and the “right”. Focus on individuals, implying they represent large sections of the population. The left are leading the agenda on inequality.

Poto Williams’ maiden speech

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:39 am, January 30th, 2014 - 3 comments

Video of Poto Williams’ maiden speech given yesterday in Parliament. Congratulations Poto.

Note to Media – check your facts.

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 12:55 pm, January 29th, 2014 - 202 comments

Sometimes I despair for our media. I mean, the latest parroting of Key’s line on Best Start is the stuff of black comedy. Apparently Key’s claiming David Cunliffe misled people about eligibility because they don’t get the payment while they also get paid parental leave. And the media are trumpeting it all over the place. […]

Opposing the PM’s statement

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:49 pm, January 28th, 2014 - 18 comments

The PMs’ statement todaywas a bit of a fizzer: lacking ideas, a lot of waffle. Some opposition speeches were more inspiring, & laid out some real alternatives: like the speeches from Cunliffe (on fire), Norman (inspiring), Ardern (animated) & Harawira (real people; real struggles).

Useless and venal

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 7:53 am, January 28th, 2014 - 197 comments

Following David Cunliffe’s announcement of Best Start New Zealand’s right wing took it upon themselves to show how useless and venal they are. It started with Jordon “the new Cameron Slater” Williams and the National front group Taxpayers’ Union’s eviscerating attack on “Middleclass Welfare” (honestly guys that line’s so 2007) only to blame it on” “Labour […]

“A Nation of Opportunity” – Cunliffe’s speech

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:16 pm, January 27th, 2014 - 527 comments

The text of David Cunliffe’s state of the nation speech from today’s meeting in Kelston.

Update: youtube of speech added

‘Reclaiming Our Children’s Birthright’- Metiria’s speech

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:55 am, January 27th, 2014 - 53 comments

Metiria Turei delivered a very strong, inspiring, and well-targeted speech yesterday. She reclaimed fractured values of inclusive, collaborative communities. She framed inequality as the issue for the coming election; the Greens’ education hub policy central. Labour, NZEI responded favourably.