political parties

National’s “harder-to-vote” Electoral Bill

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 5:27 pm, January 26th, 2014 - 77 comments

There’s another sign National is getting a bit desperate at the beginning of election year 2014, as they reach in to the Tory trick-bag of voter suppression in the revised Electoral Amendment Bill reported back to the House on 18 December 2013.

Some random observations on Key’s Education proposals

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:38 pm, January 24th, 2014 - 65 comments

The first impression created by National’s announced education reforms is a positive one. But there is a lot of politics in the background. It may be strange for a lefty to say this but is this the best spend of finite education resources? Would the money be better spent addressing child poverty?

Polity: The truth about the gap between the rich and the rest

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:31 pm, January 24th, 2014 - 61 comments

John Key was careful in his speech. He and his government have helped themselves and their affluent mates while screwing everyone else. It is pretty clear who has been getting the benefits – since 2010 just the households with at least a hundred thousand dollars income. The bigger the household income, the more National helps. John Key – a liar with numbers.

National – a party for wastrels

Written By: lprent - Date published: 1:08 pm, January 24th, 2014 - 13 comments

The Crown Financial Statements to the end of November 2013 show that the sale of Meridian and Air New Zealand added hundreds of millions of dollars to the cost of the asset sales programme. Combined with the cost of the Mighty River Power sale and ancillary costs such as the Rio Tinto payout, the total cost of the asset sales now stands at $440m. National just likes burning the money of the taxpayers for no productive purpose.

Isolating change: the poverty of education

Written By: karol - Date published: 11:24 am, January 24th, 2014 - 60 comments

John Key presented one great idea in isolation instead of a full election agenda: a desperate attempt to stop the growing discontents with his government. He failed to address underlying problems. Cunliffe will outline a broader political agenda. Turei addresses poverty & income inequalities.

Herald massaging a message

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 5:19 pm, January 23rd, 2014 - 23 comments

The Herald continues its tabloid-style vendetta against Len Brown by serving up non-news in a shock-horror frame to make the mayor look bad. With a combination of the delicate removal/rewriting of what was said and a a senile loss of memory about the chains imposed on Auckland by National, Act and Rodney Hide – the Granny Herald continues its downward slide into irrelevance.

A little exploration?

Written By: Bill - Date published: 12:22 pm, January 23rd, 2014 - 23 comments

On the pipers, the dancers and the great unwashed.

Spot the difference! Stating the nation

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:19 am, January 23rd, 2014 - 97 comments

[Updated] Speeches: Key (today ZB Transcript). PM’s speech – untruths, misdirections & corporatisation of education – comment added. Cunliffe on Monday, on greater opportunities for all Kiwis. Metiria Turei’s speech, Sunday – will talk education, environment. Peters responds to Key. Greens response – education. Cunliffe’s Stand-up – audio.

David Cunliffe on the State of the Nation

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:11 pm, January 22nd, 2014 - 185 comments

Following your great response to Micky’s recent post David Cunliffe has got in touch about your comments, his policy, and his big speech on Monday.

National’s first strategic mistake

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 12:22 pm, January 22nd, 2014 - 109 comments

John Key has made a major strategic mistake with his early announcement of the parties National could go into government with. In framing the 2014 campaign as a contest between two blocs he has given away National’s trump card for gaining Winston’s support – support the largest party. Opportunity time for a positive alternative from Labour/Greens.

Welfare profiteers

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:23 am, January 22nd, 2014 - 33 comments

Paula Bennett’s punitive welfare reforms are bad enough (pressuring people into unsuitable work, or off benefits without alternative support); then there’s privatising the scheme by outsourcing enforced work placement to private companies – worse still, to overseas corporates. Devaluing & dehumanising people, communities, & nurturing activities. [Update: APM conflicts of interest]

National coalition with NZ First?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 5:00 pm, January 21st, 2014 - 126 comments

Key has refused to rule out the possibility of a National coalition with NZ First after this year’s election. How desperate is that?

A matter of “confidence”

Written By: karol - Date published: 11:43 am, January 21st, 2014 - 41 comments

Some say the economy often responds positively to “confidence”, while lack of it can result in some financial nose dives. But whose confidence is being highlighted in reports of NZ’ “rock star” economy? Not that of workers, beneficiaries – the precariat, say Labour, Greens.

What should David Cunliffe say in his state of the nation speech?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:42 am, January 19th, 2014 - 426 comments

David Cunliffe’s state of the nation speech is to be given on January 27 at Kelston in Auckland. As a crowd sourcing exercise what are the things that he should be talking about and what are the issues that will change hearts and minds?

National Breaches Crown Copyright

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:52 pm, January 17th, 2014 - 43 comments

Rob Salmond at Polity on the National Party’s use of public service videos for political ends.

David Cunliffe plans State of the Nation speech

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:34 am, January 16th, 2014 - 188 comments

David Cunliffe is planning to give a state of the nation speech in Kelston on Monday Janury 27.

Polity: English lies on impact of tax switch

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:22 am, January 15th, 2014 - 15 comments

Rob Salmond at Polity has been having a look at Bill English’s “neutral” tax change in 2010…

Bill English recently heralded his tax switch as making net tax more progressive. He lied. It actually made net tax at least $500 million more regressive.

Paula Bennett wastes taxpayers money on drug testing

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:45 am, January 13th, 2014 - 108 comments

The first results of Paula Bennett’s drug testing of beneficiaries has been released. Only 0.27% of the 8,000 beneficiaries required to be tested either failed or refused to take the test. The testing is a colossal waste of money but is performing an important political role by making the Government look like it is being tough on beneficiaries.

The puppet party, the Mega party and the pro assault party

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:30 am, January 12th, 2014 - 201 comments

Politics for the year is shaping up to be very interesting. In news today ACT puppet master Steven Joyce has failed to persuade Rodney Hide to stand again for Epsom, the Conservatives are aiming to legitimise the use of violence by parents against children and Kim Dotcom is said to be ready to announce his new political party this month.

Its not easy being Green

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:39 pm, January 11th, 2014 - 175 comments

There is an important debate for both Labour and the Greens to have about the level of cooperation they should display this year. Some commentators have suggested that the Greens will be sidelined and that the battle will be between Labour and National but this is MMP and every vote counts. The goal for progressives has to be to increase the overall left vote.

Obama’s TPPA bid to over-ride democracy

Written By: karol - Date published: 6:47 pm, January 10th, 2014 - 16 comments

There’s a tussle going on as Obama pushes to seal the deal and to limit Congress’s say on TPPA deals. But, Congress would still have more say about the deals than NZ MPs. It’s about democracy & sovereignty. It could slip under the radar over summer.

The Japanese are slaughtering whales again

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:24 pm, January 7th, 2014 - 24 comments

Three years ago John Key promised sort of that he could by diplomatic means stop the Japanese hunting of whales in the Southern Ocean. Given recent events it appears that his confidence was misplaced. Because the Japanese are slaughtering whales again in our back yard.

New Zealand is doing nothing about climate change

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:56 am, January 5th, 2014 - 178 comments

The latest report on New Zealand’s performance under the Kyoto Protocol is out and the news is disturbing. Net emissions compared to our 1990 CO2 equivalent emissions are predicted to treble by 2030 at a time where they should be trending to below the 1990 level. And Government policies are shown to be making little difference. Meanwhile a report by Prof Euan Mason advocates that Agriculture should be in the scheme and that with a proper price for ETS credits significant reforestation with attendant benefits could occur. And meanwhile RWNJs continue to show their belligerent lack of understanding of the science of climate change …

Josie Pagani replies

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 2:20 pm, January 3rd, 2014 - 127 comments

Josie Pagani objected to mickysavage’s post objecting to her post at Pundit, and wanted to publish this as a right of reply. That is something that doesn’t exist on this or any blog. After all there is always another site to put content up on. However the ongoing debate going on here about how the left and the labour movement should operate and communicate (from many different angles) makes it of interest.

Caption contest

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:31 am, January 3rd, 2014 - 110 comments

Celebrity golf! Which one will get voted off the island first!? Meanwhile the world burns, the poor struggle, and the wealth gap continues to be a blight on our country.

The Left Ulterior and other tendencies

Written By: lprent - Date published: 7:20 am, January 2nd, 2014 - 89 comments

Readers of this site are probably aware that I like reading science fiction. They’d also be aware that we run this site targeted at the general left labour movement of New Zealand. Of course many other people confuse this with the Labour party. In truth it can be distinguished as being more like the late great Iain M Bank’s view of his fictional Culture which he divided up into various Mind/ship behavioural segments. It kind of fits…
😈

John Key’s patchwork ‘job machine’: user pays

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:08 am, December 28th, 2013 - 47 comments

John Key’s great idea for job creation – his cycleway project – has produced some benefits, but is a patchwork production. Some sections will be user pays to fund maintenance. Meanwhile the job creation benefits have been limited.

The Standard’s ten most popular posts for 2013

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:53 am, December 27th, 2013 - 60 comments

A review of the Standard’s ten most popular posts for 2013.

In the shadow of Savage

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:33 am, December 26th, 2013 - 17 comments

25 December is a good day to visit historic sites. Yesterday I visited the Savage Memorial in Auckland. Political heritage in today’s environment. A memorial for workers? Remember the Savage government! Remember the Bastion Point protests! Lessons for today?

Thank you ….

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:57 am, December 25th, 2013 - 34 comments

To all those making a difference and working for a more inclusive, equal, fair and sustainable society. Special thanks to Lynn for all his work for The Standard.

NRT: National’s New Zealand

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:05 am, December 25th, 2013 - 16 comments

National’s New Zealand: wage-suppression through one-sided employment law. A jobless “recovery”. Cuts to state housing and to welfare. 265,000 kids in poverty. An indecent society of haves and have-nots. A government chooses, through welfare, health, education and child-support policies, whether all kids will get a good start in life, or whether their prospects will be blighted by their parents. The present government, a government of, by and for the rich, has chosen to tolerate, even exacerbate poverty, rather than impose on their wealthy supporters.