political parties

Mallard/Pagani: Soft headed lefties

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 8:42 am, May 7th, 2011 - 33 comments

The semi-hysterical responses of some of the unreconstructed left and pseudo-left about some at the Standard supporting Hone Harawira and the Mana Party has really been quite revealing. They seem to think, with a clarity of logic Garth George would surely envy, that refusal to endorse a public burning of Harawira constitutes some kind of crazily misplaced […]

Life in the fast lane

Written By: r0b - Date published: 9:28 am, May 6th, 2011 - 28 comments

Judith Collins has joined the long list of National MPs with their hands buried up to the elbows in the taxpayer’s pockets. She claims it was all within the rules. That doesn’t make it right.

All quiet at the Commerce Commission

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 10:30 am, May 5th, 2011 - 23 comments

Since Paula Redstock was pushed out of the Commerce Commission with a lot of the other brilliant staff, there has not been one cartel or monopoly abuse case prosecuted by the Commerce Commission. This is the very same Commission that was previously saving us millions of dollars each year and paying for itself with its court settlements.

Elitist Nats’ heads in the clouds

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:40 am, May 5th, 2011 - 18 comments

Wayne Mapp revealed that Murray McCully’s air force flights to Vanuatu cost $65,000 in fuel alone and that he tried to stop McCully. Meanwhile, Key got a free helicopter ride from a photo-op but decided it was a bad look so he paid $2,000 for a 1 hour flight. Well, you and I paid $2,000. It’s always us lesser mortals who pay as Key and co bounce from cloud to cloud.

US Embassy: Political Objectivity of NZ Media Questioned

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 7:20 am, May 5th, 2011 - 9 comments

Here’s an interesting Wikileaks cable on the ‘objectivity’ of the New Zealand msm, particularly the Herald. The cable relates to the period leading up to the last election. Most of it seems like a pretty fair appraisal to me, despite it perhaps being a little optimistic about the influences ideology and profit motive have on […]

Billboard fun

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 12:17 pm, May 4th, 2011 - 6 comments

Helen Clark calling the shots

Written By: r0b - Date published: 9:14 am, May 4th, 2011 - 19 comments

After a turbulent fortnight in politics, Helen Clark’s new look Green Party is now in place.

Russel’s mana

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 7:35 am, May 4th, 2011 - 127 comments

Russel Norman has followed John Key and Phil Goff in the attack on the Mana party.

I’d hoped for better from him.

Perhaps it’s time he reflected on his own mana.

Update: it seems the Dom Post quotes might have been a fit of pique. Russel has posted the following on his facebook page:[more over the break]

Own goal by National flunky

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 6:09 am, May 4th, 2011 - 24 comments

Cameron Slater has the inside word on Murray McCully’s $75,000 trip to Vanuatu on a New Zealand Air Force plane that involved flying the 126-seater there and back to drop him and seven staff off, then there and back again the next day to pick them up. This story gets worse the more details come out.

McCully joins Flying Squad

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 5:31 pm, May 3rd, 2011 - 6 comments

With his RNZAF jaunts to photo-ops, John Key has set an example his ministers seem keen to follow. Having seen Key use Air Force helicopters to enjoy the V8s and do karaoke at the Parachute festival, Murray McCully has learnt that our Air Force is there to ferry about ministers. On 13 February our Foreign […]

The same old answer

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 1:00 pm, May 3rd, 2011 - 27 comments

If Don Brash is the answer, what’s the question?

John Key’s shakey government

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:01 am, May 3rd, 2011 - 35 comments

The Nats have ‘soft-launched’ via Kiwiblog and Whaleoil that Rodney Hide and John Boscawen will both lose their portfolios and ACT will have no ministers. Farrar points out this will benefit ACT’s taxpayer funding to the tune of $130,000, which is somehow sweet while spending $500,000 on a by-election to get a mandate is a serious crime.

Another blunder

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 11:55 am, May 2nd, 2011 - 156 comments

Phil Goff has gone one step further today and ruled out working with anyone that signs up to The Mana Party, not just the already ruled-out Hone Harawira. A Labour Party spokeswoman is reported by the Herald as saying “He doesn’t prescribe to the values of Hone Harawira.”

Would Phil Goff care to explain which of Harawira’s values he doesn’t ‘prescribe’ [sic] to?

Mana up and running

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 10:21 am, May 2nd, 2011 - 37 comments

The Mana Party already have a great website that suggests someone who knows what they’re doing is looking after the communications. Well worth taking a quick look.

Harawira right to call by-election

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:03 am, May 2nd, 2011 - 21 comments

As I foreshadowed a week ago, Hone Harawira is to trigger a by-election in Te Tai Tokerau. It’s the right thing to do: Harawira should test his mandate to lead a new party, as Winston Peters and Tariana Turia did. It’s also good politics – keeping the Mana Party in the news – just as the other parties’ reactions are good politics on their part.

Choices: Tax cuts or teachers

Written By: r0b - Date published: 7:10 am, May 2nd, 2011 - 65 comments

You’re the ruling government. Which do you choose, tax cuts for 47 millionaires or salaries for 121 new teachers? It’s not a hypothetical question…

Mana vs Maori Party

Written By: r0b - Date published: 12:26 pm, May 1st, 2011 - 128 comments

The Maori Party has cast aside its word not to stand against Hone Harawira.

They’ve bought themselves a no holds barred fight with Mana.

Armstrong on Brash+Key

Written By: r0b - Date published: 9:57 am, April 30th, 2011 - 37 comments

John Armstrong doesn’t get much wrong in the assessment of the Brash take over. Brash, with his Hollow Men legacy, anti-Maori posturing, and loony economic policies, is very much Key’s problem now.

ACT: bought by the Nats for a song

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 7:12 am, April 29th, 2011 - 123 comments

The Left are rubbing our hands with glee at the prospect of taking on BrashKey, but make no mistake, Key wanted this coup too. Think about it: former Nat Leader Don Brash, former Nat Minister John Banks, Nat money man Alan Gibbs, former Nat President Michelle Boag – and it goes down while John Key is far away playing smile and wave in Europe.

National cuts safety nets

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 6:24 am, April 29th, 2011 - 34 comments

National continue to target the vulnerable with their cuts. Their latest moves in cutting the budgets of Womens’ Refuges and a national Self-Defence course for girls are merely the latest example.

National lines ruined…

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 4:22 pm, April 28th, 2011 - 64 comments

Some National memes that they’ve been running against the opposition parties are somewhat ruined by A Brash Act…

Brash new world

Written By: r0b - Date published: 1:51 pm, April 28th, 2011 - 49 comments

So, just as Irish predicted, Calvert was the swinging voter, and Brash has now achieved his hostile takeover of ACT. Goodbye Rodney, and good riddance. What does this do to the political landscape? Here are some preliminary thoughts.

Hide gone by lunchtime

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 12:15 pm, April 28th, 2011 - 174 comments

Rodney Hide has resigned as Leader of the ACT Party.

While not actually a member of the Party, Don Brash will now lead ACT.

Calvert switches support to Brash

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 8:00 am, April 28th, 2011 - 77 comments

ACT’s newest MP Hilary Calvert is reported to have changed her support from Hide to Brash. That means the leadership of New Zealand’s most rightwing party will transfer to someone who isn’t currently even a member of the ACT Party.

UPDATE: Hide expected to announce resignation at midday

Blanket Man to make bid for ACT leadership

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 7:09 am, April 28th, 2011 - 15 comments

Ben ‘Blanket Man’ Hana has thrown his loin cloth into the contest for ACT’s leadership. Despite not having any political experience, Blanket Man says he is the man for the job due to his firm commitment to laissez-faire economics, his excellent face recognition, and the virtue that he is not a tired, old, has-been, racist arsehole.

What next for Rodney?

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 12:15 pm, April 27th, 2011 - 26 comments

ACT Leader Rodney Hide will soon be out of a job. I doubt he’ll be in the running for any prime SOE chairs like Jim Bolger, and all the best jobs at the UN are taken by competent people. Jenny Shipley went in to the HR business and Mike Moore became a WTO lapdog.

So what next for Rodney?

Caption Contest

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 12:30 pm, April 26th, 2011 - 36 comments

The Mana Party & the Money Party

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 12:13 pm, April 25th, 2011 - 48 comments

Hone Harawira is set to launch his Mana Party next weekend, possibly triggering a by-election in Te Tai Tokerau at the same time. At the other end of the spectrum, Don Brash’s haphazard to take over ACT may actually just be casus belli for him to establish a New Right Party.

Nats try to warn off Brash

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 10:27 am, April 24th, 2011 - 79 comments

Tweedledum and Tweedledee were a bit slow off the mark responding to the news that Don Brash is looking to take over ACT. Took the Nats a while to get their lines together but have decided, on balance, they want ACT dead. And that will be a lot easier to achieve if Brash isn’t in charge.