political parties

Hone Harawira’s speech

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 3:22 pm, March 10th, 2011 - 20 comments

Hone Hariwira’s speech on the second reading of the Marine and Coastal Area Bill. Agree with him or not, there is no denying the passion. The Maori Party may have made a huge mistake in pushing him out, thus leaving him free to speak his mind…

Christchurch Earthquake Bulletin

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:31 pm, March 10th, 2011 - 22 comments

The Labour Party’s Christchurch electorate MPs are today starting a regular bulletin designed to keep people in their electorates and media informed about what is happening at grass roots level in their electorates.

National continues ECE assault

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 6:35 am, March 10th, 2011 - 49 comments

National are to allow battery farming style early childhood education. From July the government will allow 75 stressed under-2 year-olds in one room, unable to form a relationship with any one teacher.

Some free advice for National

Written By: r0b - Date published: 10:59 am, March 9th, 2011 - 20 comments

Hey National – stop lying and inventing dodgy stats to try and prove that we’re all better off. The tax cut received by most people was derisory, and the cost of living is shooting up fast. Even the Kiwiblog heartland isn’t buying the lies. If you can’t convince them, you can’t convince anyone…

Everything is waffle

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 1:40 pm, March 8th, 2011 - 158 comments

There isn’t just one hard truth to NZ politics at the moment. The second is equally unpopular with people, but if it doesn’t offer a clear way forward it at least suggests a fixable problem. At the same time, it’s not the kind of thing Labour/the Left want to have bandied about too publicly in an election year.

Quake used as foreshore cover

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:14 am, March 8th, 2011 - 9 comments

Today Parliament sits in full for the first time since the second earthquake. There’s lots to attend to: the government is required to explain the state of national emergency, change the census law, create a one-off provincial holiday, and alter the law on school zoning. But it looks like the Nats are more concerned with slipping through their foreshore and seabed bill.

National hates Public Broadcasting

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 6:15 am, March 8th, 2011 - 41 comments

TVNZ7, and New Zealand public service television as a whole, looks to be coming to an end in June next year. TVNZ has been told their only responsibility is to return to the government a 9% return on investment per annum; their response is that they see pay-TV as their future. Sky is now “a frenemy”.

Embarrassing result for Nats in Botany

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 10:22 pm, March 5th, 2011 - 78 comments

So another corrupt Nat minister has gone and Jami-Lee Ross has taken her seat in Botany. What an embarrassing resulting. The majority reduced by 7,000 and Michael Wood reduced the gap from 36% to 28%. Nat strategists will be crapping themselves over the New Citizens’ Party’s result. Considering that Wood had acknowledged from the start […]

Farrar illustrates WfF folly

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 9:02 am, March 4th, 2011 - 46 comments

John Key has tidied up the confusion he caused yesterday and says that the quakes will cost the government $5 billion in rebuilding and $5 billion in lost revenue over the next 4 years. Big bikkies but easily covered by an emergency levy and canning the white elephant motorways. So, why are the Nats obsessed with tinkering with Working for Families?

Powerless

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 1:56 pm, March 2nd, 2011 - 61 comments

The man tipped to be National’s next leader, Simon Power, has announced he will not be standing at the next election. The reasons are obvious. As a decent man and an old fashioned caring Tory, Power has no heart for the direction National want to take New Zealand. His resignation is a sign that within the party, the dry right have finally taken total control the idealogical reigns and there is no longer a place for liberal wets like Power.

Tax policy for economic stimulus and growth

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 12:00 pm, February 26th, 2011 - 79 comments

Last week, Treasury issued a press statement saying it had commissioned research on the impact of governments’ fiscal stimulus packages, now published in the influential publication the Economic Journal. One article, “Tax policy for economic stimulus and growth”, had this to say:

Hone, MP split, no contest 2011

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 3:21 pm, February 23rd, 2011 - 65 comments

Radio New Zealand are reporting that Hone Harawira and the Maori Party have decided to go their separate ways after the Maori Party disciplinary committee recommended he be thrown out. In a more peaceful resolution than the acrimony that has surrounded their dispute, they have decided that Hone can stick to Te Tai Tokerau, and […]

Hone goes under cover of earthquake

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 4:09 pm, February 22nd, 2011 - 47 comments

With everyone quite rightly focussed on the destruction in Christchurch, the Maori Party have kicked out Hone Harawira and cancelled his membership.

Bashing benes no solution to joblessness

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 10:30 am, February 22nd, 2011 - 26 comments

National’s grand plan for the economy in the age of peak, peak food, and climate change: give tax cuts to the rich and take from the poor. It’s classic Nat class war. They want to force 100,000 people off the benefit in the ludicrously long time-frame of 10 years. But they won’t be creating any jobs so other workers will be displaced and wages will be forced down.

Compare and contrast

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:40 am, February 19th, 2011 - 54 comments

Idiot/Savant at No Right Turn compares the bailout of SCF investors with the Nats’ threat to change the law to deny some workers the minimum wage.

What do you think Righty – a perfect score?

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 1:30 pm, February 17th, 2011 - 50 comments

Even the most optimistic lefty can’t deny that National are continuing to dominate the opinion polls. That must be quite a source of pride and confidence for the Right. But I wonder, is there anything that rightwing voters believe this National-led Government has done wrong? A couple of years ago I asked what rightwing voters thought […]

Lies make BMW story worse

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 8:27 pm, February 16th, 2011 - 37 comments

Key says he didn’t know about the BMW purchase. Funny cause on Tuesday, English was taking responsibility: “we could go out and buy second-hand cars but one way or another cars need to be maintained”. The Nats try to blame Labour but the contract Labour signed says replacing the cars was optional without penalty.

How not to handle a rebel

Written By: r0b - Date published: 8:30 am, February 16th, 2011 - 38 comments

The Maori Party handling of rebel MP Hone Harawira has been a complete mess. The latest bizarre chapter in the story is the gagging of Harawira with “a complete media ban” to be “strictly observed by the Maori Party”. I’m trying to recall any precedent for such an extreme gagging of free speech by a political party…

Greens right on Gillard

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 10:00 am, February 15th, 2011 - 147 comments

It seems odd at first, blocking our closest friend’s leader from speaking in our Parliament, but the Greens were right to look at the higher principle. The debating chamber is where our sovereign assembly meets, it is not a place for foreigners to come, at the government of the day’s invitation, and lecture our elected representatives. I think the NBR put it best..

New Right Party?

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 10:11 pm, February 13th, 2011 - 6 comments

There’s a somewhat fact-free article today on the possible challenge of a new “centre-right” party in Epsom. Whilst an interesting possible development, there’s no substance as to who’s behind the party or any credentials. The most we get is that John Banks has heard a rumour. Presumably there’s more to the story, does anyone have […]

Nats bully bulldozer still running

Written By: r0b - Date published: 9:15 am, February 11th, 2011 - 18 comments

The Nats regard parliamentary process as an inconvenience to which they must pay lip service, but nothing more. They started as soon as they took office, with repeated abuse of urgency. The current disgraceful process over the foreshore & seabed legislation is just the latest instalment.

Tuku wades in again – same result?

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 10:34 pm, February 8th, 2011 - 16 comments

There are some interesting legal and constitutional parallels between the Maori party’s attempts to rid themselves of Hone Harawira and previous unsuccessful attempts in Tainui to have their Kauhanganui chair dismissed for raising awkward questions about use of tribal finances. Tukoroirangi Morgan was a key player in the Tainui ructions; now he has waded into […]

You can’t mix oil and water

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 12:14 pm, February 8th, 2011 - 46 comments

Every new party faces an inevitable conflict between the ‘realos’ and the ‘fundis’ over how much principle can be compromised to make some gains through coalitions. The Maori Party made it far worse by supporting a party that is anathema to everything it stands for. That big mistake is at the root of collapse we’re now witnessing.

Maori Party Council decides by consensus

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 9:43 pm, February 7th, 2011 - 5 comments

According to its Constitution ,the Maori Party Council makes decisions by consensus. I remember consensus decision-making from my days as a community activist in the 1970’s. Nay-sayers have a veto. If Te Tai Tokerau’s representatives don’t agree, the Council can’t decide and Hone doesn’t go. Hence the co-leaders’ move to suspend him.

Hone suspended

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 2:33 pm, February 7th, 2011 - 62 comments

Hone has just been suspended from the Maori Party caucus. Pita and Tariana have had enough and they’re cutting him off in parliament – which surely can only be a prelude to him being cut off at party level as well.

Waitangi Day

Written By: r0b - Date published: 9:39 am, February 6th, 2011 - 24 comments

Is there any other country in the world with such a complex and contentious national holiday? As an annual barometer of Maori political opinion, this year is already looking much more turbulent than the last. Events surrounding Key’s welcome yesterday show a high level of tension and dissatisfaction with the Maori Party’s support for the government.

Hickey on the tax bludgers

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 9:00 am, February 6th, 2011 - 62 comments

Bernard Hickey looks at the tax bludgers. Labour’s plans to introduce a higher new top tax rate would raise needed tax from those who can most afford it. But it would also foster more tax bludging by the rich. Rather than throw the baby out with the bathwater by abolishing the top rate, we need to eliminate the avenues for bludging.

Nats drop 6% on privatisation announcement

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 12:56 pm, February 5th, 2011 - 65 comments

OK, that title is pure spin. National has dropped from 55% to 49% in the latest Roy Morgan, and Labour’s up from 29% to 34.5%. But that just shows the last poll was a rogue. Now, normal transmission, and National’s decline, has resumed. When you look at the Nat/ACT and Lab/Green/New Zealand First potential coalitions – the race is tight and closing fast.

Principles

Written By: r0b - Date published: 8:00 pm, February 2nd, 2011 - 45 comments

So John Key has flip flopped and decided to rule out working with Winston Peters again. He’s trying to portray that as a principled decision, about running an “aspirational” government. So why did he need to spend so many months working out what his principles are? No, it’s a political decision. Key thinks he can squeeze a little more milage out of flogging the dead horse that is Winston Peters.

Economic recovery despite the Nats

Written By: r0b - Date published: 1:34 pm, February 1st, 2011 - 44 comments

Pundits looking to talk up the economy are hopeful that things will improve in 2011. National have done more harm than good, but there some encouraging signs too, arising from external factors such as high food prices, and returns on old investments such as NZ Super. The NZ economy will eventually recover. Not because of the Nats, but in spite of them.

Greens state of the planet

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 10:30 am, January 31st, 2011 - 78 comments

Russel Norman followed Phil Goff and John Key’s state of the nation speeches with the annual Greens state of the planet address. The capital gains tax initiative grabbed headlines but there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface. As we face myriad economic and environmental problems, the Greens have the real answers.