political parties

Freedom Protesters are a pain in the ass

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:36 am, November 10th, 2021 - 74 comments

Human rights are a pain in the ass. Yesterday’s protesters were rude, unfit to invite home to dinner, shouty, and so incoherent that you could’t make any sensible point with them. They were and are a pain in the ass. But they are OUR pain in the ass.

Jacinda Ardern’s speech to the Labour Conference

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:46 pm, November 6th, 2021 - 76 comments

The text of Jacinda Ardern’s speech delivered today to the Labour Conference.

The Labour Conference

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:04 am, November 6th, 2021 - 50 comments

Labour is this year holding its Conference on line. There will be some attention on a proposal to allow a supermajority of Caucus to avoid members and affiliates from having a say in a future Parliamentary leader.

The Rules To Save The World

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:06 am, November 4th, 2021 - 7 comments

Beyond the NGO emotion and singing and joyous arm waving, country leaders at COP 26 actually have to achieve stuff this week.

Auckland Light rail options released

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:09 am, October 29th, 2021 - 23 comments

Construction of light rail in Auckland, proposed 50 years ago by former Mayor Dove Myer Robinson, is now a step close with the release of working group recommendations for options of a light rail line running between the city centre and the Airport.

Good Again

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:48 am, October 28th, 2021 - 23 comments

COVID has reminded us how good New Zealand is, and we should remember how we were reminded.

In December 2022 We Will Be …

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:00 am, October 25th, 2021 - 15 comments

A year ago we were preparing for the America’s Cup and threading our way through the latest crisis quite well. What will we be planning next year?

Won’t someone think of the business owners?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:04 pm, October 24th, 2021 - 174 comments

This week Judith Collins was reported to be close to tears. But not about the possibility of a significant number of deaths but by the prospect of business closures.

National’s plan – open and be damned

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:43 am, October 21st, 2021 - 71 comments

Yesterday National released what feels like take 16 of its Covid response plan, this one focussing on business interests and setting a hard timeline for reopening. But getting significant details wrong and rehashing failed policies previously tried in England has dampened its effect.

Slater smears again

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:33 am, October 18th, 2021 - 104 comments

The Herald’s publication of an attack on Ardern by a wedding venue owner appears to have been sourced from Cameron Slater and brings into stark relief the Herald’s twin business model of funding serious journalism by both subscriptions and the use of click bait.

Jacinda Ardern: Tear Down This Wall

Written By: advantage - Date published: 11:18 am, October 17th, 2021 - 109 comments

In the coming months Fortress New Zealand will be dismantled. What will take its place?

Why Can’t We Do More?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:44 am, October 16th, 2021 - 35 comments

The Government’s dramatic action taken over the past 18 months to respond to Covid and the population’s overwhelming support suggests that it should be taking similar drastic action to address poverty and climate change.

Time for Auckland to go back to level four?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:55 am, October 15th, 2021 - 114 comments

With daily Covid infection rates in Tamaki Makaurau increasing it may be time for the Government to consider a short sharp lockdown to try and arrest this increase and to let vaccination rates improve.

Goudie blunders again

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:46 am, October 14th, 2021 - 176 comments

Thames Coromandel mayor Sandra Goudie who previously admitted not scanning where she goes has been at it again, this time stating that the Pfeizer vaccine is not good enough for her and she will be waiting for the Novovax vaccine to be available before she gets vaccinated.

Covid D day

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:38 am, October 11th, 2021 - 159 comments

Some big decisions are due to happen today. What happens to Auckland’s Covid status? Should the lockdown level be reduced or should the Government think about putting it back up?

Gender split is interesting in latest poll

Written By: lprent - Date published: 10:49 am, October 7th, 2021 - 30 comments

The latest Roy Morgan poll was run between August 30th and September 26th. The headline results of Labour/Greens with 55% (increase by 3.5%) against opposition National/Act/Maori parties on 41% (up 0.5%) were good enough. But they also showed the gender split.. Women are deserting the right.

Holding our covid nerve

Written By: weka - Date published: 9:31 am, October 6th, 2021 - 48 comments

and keeping the faith.

That our covid response is not working out perfectly doesn’t mean we or the government are failing. What we need more of at this point are stories about ‘what if things work out’. Not in a Pollyanna or return to BAU sense, but that we can still be ok. We need strong narratives of what that might be like, us being ok despite the pandemic.

Have we just thrown the fight, before the war has ended?

Written By: KJT - Date published: 8:59 am, October 6th, 2021 - 53 comments

With all the unfortunate rhetoric around “giving up on the elimination strategy”.

Small businesspeople around me, who have quietly carried on with the program, and have been supportive of the Government strategy of elimination, even though, in many cases, it has been personally costly, are telling me,, “why did we bother”!

It doesn’t matter if it is the actual Government intention, or the media interpretation, the damage has now been done.

Covid does not give a fuck about your plans

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:20 am, September 30th, 2021 - 31 comments

This week we have seen reckons from John Key, Act and National on how we should be loosening up Covid lockdown restrictions. Yesterday’s 45 new cases shows how dangerous it is to think that dealing with Covid is a simple management exercise.

Government introduces law to assist tenants

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:59 am, September 29th, 2021 - 19 comments

Barry Soper and the Property Council are up in arms about proposals to ensure that all commercial tenants should only pay a fair proportion of their rental if their use of the premises has been affected by responses to the Covid pandemic.

About the latest Colmar Brunton poll

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:55 am, September 28th, 2021 - 152 comments

The latest Colmar Brunton poll confirms that National’s polling is in the doldrums and David Seymour’s preferred PM rating is twice that of Judith Collins.

Smug hermit king

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:44 am, September 27th, 2021 - 127 comments

John Key has doubled down on his claims that Aotearoa is a smug hermit kingdom and claimed that it is imperative that international travel is eased although he is fine with all other restrictions to stay in place.

Key’s baaaack

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:35 am, September 26th, 2021 - 273 comments

John Key is back and has described New Zealand as a smug hermit kingdom for daring to so far achieve something no other western nation has been able to accomplish, holding back Covid and preventing thousands of deaths.

Where’s Judith?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:27 am, September 22nd, 2021 - 104 comments

Crusher Collins, the leader who has taken great delight in giving back double, has been too afraid to be interviewed by Radio New Zealand this morning.

Where Is The Real Green Party?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:47 am, September 17th, 2021 - 48 comments

Where’s the hairy knuckle-dragging woke when you need them?

National’s urban wing moves against Collins

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:17 pm, September 15th, 2021 - 106 comments

Events this afternoon have confirmed that Judith Collins is indeed toast.

Until all of us are safe none of us are safe

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:39 am, September 9th, 2021 - 78 comments

On Monday of this week David Seymour received a roasting after posting a confidential Health code that was to be used by Waitakere Whanau to receive priority vaccination slots. He has now doubled down on his effort and claimed that prioritisation is wrong.