political parties

No free trade deal

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 10:39 pm, March 8th, 2009 - 33 comments

The Obama administration has halted free trade talks with New Zealand. On one hand free trade is simply increased freedom of capital and without equivalent freedom of labour lends itself toward increased disparity between rich and poor. On the other hand Douglas and his neo-liberal thugs left us with no protections at all in the […]

PM eyes fetching tiara

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 6:14 pm, March 8th, 2009 - 61 comments

The world may be going to hell in a hand-basket and National may have been pretty derelict so far in coming up with any real plan to combat the recession, but clearly they’ve been busy focusing on the really important business of dragging us back into the past. The British titles of Knights and Dames […]

Meat and Wool NZ: “Job Summit Disappointing”

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 12:45 pm, March 6th, 2009 - 18 comments

It’s been said by some of the Government’s supporters that criticism of the Job Summit is nothing more than rantings of the embittered Left. Well, I may be doing Chairman of Meat and Wool NZ Mike Petersen a great disservice, but I’m willing to gamble that he’s not a hardcore lefty. Here’s what Petersen had […]

ACT’s dodgy backroom deals?

Written By: Tane - Date published: 3:43 pm, March 5th, 2009 - 63 comments

This is interesting. From the Greens’ Metiria Turei: Last night on TVNZ7’s political show Backbenches, Rodney Hide commented that ACT had supported the Whanganui [Gang Insignia] Bill to “get Three Strikes through”. In 2006 Mr Hide was positively sneering at Chester Borrows attempt to ban gang patches. Now it seems ACT has done a backroom […]

Some cold day in hell

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 1:10 pm, March 5th, 2009 - 30 comments

Observant msm spectators may have noticed this gem from TV1 news last night: ‘A radical shake-up of the controversial Seabed and Foreshore Act is on the cards it could result in new powers for Maori to test their rights in court, but John Key is vowing no New Zealander will lose their access to the […]

National’s newspeak

Written By: all_your_base - Date published: 10:57 am, March 5th, 2009 - 15 comments

When he’s not hard at work protecting the profits of tobacco giants by helping them peddle smokes to your kids, Ryall’s having a go at his own version of Newspeak. Stuff reports that there’s a list of banned words currently circulating in the Health Ministry. The list includes “public health, social change, inequalities and advocacy”. […]

National’s ambition for your kids: a pie and a fag

Written By: all_your_base - Date published: 8:09 pm, March 4th, 2009 - 44 comments

Last month Anne Tolley ditched the requirement that schools sell healthy food to kids. Not to be outdone, minister for tobacco Tony Ryall now wants to make cigarettes more accessible to them too. Ryall has rejected the health select committee recommendation that cigarettes and tobacco be kept out of sight in shops, choosing to favour […]

Fire at will causing discrimination already

Written By: Tane - Date published: 3:42 pm, March 4th, 2009 - 32 comments

The Herald reports the fire at will law is already claiming victims, after Sue Bradford revealed a beneficiary has been denied help for his job relocation costs because Work and Income considered his 90 day ‘trial’ period to mean he was a temporary rather than a permanent worker. Work and Income said it had concerns […]

What is to be done?

Written By: Tane - Date published: 5:29 pm, March 3rd, 2009 - 40 comments

Kudos to the Maori Party’s Rahui Katene for using her position to highlight the situation at Sealord in Parliament today. But it’s Paula Bennett’s response that got me thinking: Rahui Katene: Is the Minister aware that the MÄori shareholders of Sealord attended the Prime Minister’s Job Summit last Friday, and what plans does the Government […]

Buyer’s remorse

Written By: Tane - Date published: 12:37 pm, March 3rd, 2009 - 69 comments

It’s well known that David Garrett is only in Parliament as ACT’s payoff for their support from the Sensible Sentencing Trust. I’m guessing right about now they must be having some serious buyer’s remorse. The buffoon is in the Herald again today after the Attorney General found his three strikes bill to be at odds […]

Welcome to the real ACT party

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 12:34 pm, March 3rd, 2009 - 7 comments

This their slogan: “ACT – the liberal party” This is the reality: “We’ve got too hung up on people’s rights.”

Key writes off Sealord jobs

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 10:52 am, March 3rd, 2009 - 50 comments

Despite making sound profits Sealord are laying off 180 workers in Nelson. They claim the move is part of restructuring and that there will be fifty new jobs aboard factory ships that will fully process fish. Remaining workers are also being asked to take a pay cut. I’m not sure I buy that. Even with […]

Documenting Act

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 8:39 pm, March 2nd, 2009 - 15 comments

One of the things I’ve been following in the last few weeks and keep meaning to post about is Bryce Edwards’ series on the history of the Act party. I don’t know how he’s managed to do it (let alone why) but in a brave and foolish act Edwards has waded into the strange and […]

Running the lines

Written By: all_your_base - Date published: 10:01 am, March 2nd, 2009 - 2 comments

No surprise to see The Herald editorial still running National’s lines. Now that Key’s equivocating on National’s planned tax cuts Granny’s right in behind him – despite their previous convictions. From October last year, an editorial from The Herald titled Overdue, but tax cuts timely: If [the tax cuts are] viewed widely as overdue and […]

Now comes the hard part

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 12:14 pm, February 26th, 2009 - 25 comments

I get why the government is riding so high in the polls. John Key looks confident amd relaxed albeit a little goofy sometimes but lord knows that can be a nice change after the grim sternness of Helen. His Ministers seem pragmatic and sensible. You can almost hear the swish swish of 350 percale cotton […]

Act MP caught out

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 12:56 pm, February 25th, 2009 - 44 comments

Rethinking Crime and Punishment Director, Kim Workman, has caught Act MP David Garrett being less than honest about how many extra prisoners his draconian three strike law world create (the answer is about 14,000). In a particularly aggressive media release yesterday Garrett claimed Workman’s figures were false. Unfortunately for Garrett, Workman’s OIA request on the […]

Flashback from way back

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 3:16 pm, February 23rd, 2009 - 23 comments

Anyone else read Audrey Young’s interview of Bill English in the New Zealand Herald and get a massive feeling of deja vu? Here’s a typical outtake: Rather than the Treasury working out where to cut spending, he wants the departments to change the way they think. “We will get them doing it. They are going […]

Fitzsimons to step down from Greens’ co-leadership

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 1:54 pm, February 23rd, 2009 - 20 comments

Jeanette has announced she will be stepping down at co-leader of the Greens. Technically, she will just not be putting her name up for re-election – the Greens elect/re-confirm their leaders at their annual conference (the only party that elects their leaders with the votes of the membership, not just the MPs). Jeanette has made […]

Actions speak louder than words

Written By: all_your_base - Date published: 10:53 am, February 20th, 2009 - 51 comments

Remember this infamous PowerPoint presentation from National’s 2005 campaign? Remember the Nats’ vote-winning strategy of targeting female voters as outlined in The Hollow Men? Remember Key’s answer to Investigate Magazine: Investigate: In terms of the votes that you’re out to capture by 2008, who are you after, what is your target market? Key: It’s got […]

Thankfully, the election isn’t tomorrow

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 11:05 am, February 19th, 2009 - 148 comments

When John Key and Pita Sharples were jostled by two Maori men opposed to the National-Maori Party alliance, the thing that stuck in my mind was Key’s smile. Like Donald Trump’s hair, it was back in place immediately, covering whatever lies underneath. That smile, and the intensive, expensive, extensive image management it represents, are the […]

On ACT’s three strikes policy

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 11:42 am, February 18th, 2009 - 14 comments

ACT’s infamous three-strikes-and-you’re-out policy will get a first airing in the House tomorrow when the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill is introduced. Violent and sexual offenders will face harsher penalties each time they reoffend – a first “strike” will earn a warning, a second will get a no-parole jail term, and a third a life […]

Fueling the PR machine ain’t cheap

Written By: all_your_base - Date published: 2:53 pm, February 17th, 2009 - 13 comments

Just like petrol prices, the cost of fueling National’s PR machine is on the rise. Tracy Watkins reports that “National has employed 18 press secretaries on salaries of $100,000 or more. Seven are employed in the $10,000 band below $100,000”. In the past Winston dubbed the National Party PR machine “The ministry of National affairs”. No […]

So much for democracy

Written By: Tane - Date published: 12:50 pm, February 17th, 2009 - 21 comments

The Greens have released advice from the Ministry of Justice confirming that the Government’s rushed RMA changes will prevent legitimate cases going to court and undermine fundamental justice rights. According to the leaked cabinet paper: ‘the [financial] risks associated with security of costs can act as a barrier for those with legitimate cases but little […]

Sold out

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 1:00 pm, February 16th, 2009 - 26 comments

According to the Dom Post Judith Collins is preparing legislation to reintroduce private prisons into New Zealand’s corrections system. The arguments against privatisation are manifold and many of them have been covered at The Standard before. Bottom line for me is that the right to take an individual citzen’s liberty comes from a compact between […]

Love’s Labour’s lost

Written By: Dancer - Date published: 4:24 pm, February 14th, 2009 - 14 comments

There were few Valentine’s Day sentiments for Labour in John Armstrong’s column today: It is difficult to put a finger on it, but something does not feel quite right about Labour’s approach to being in Opposition…Labour is exhibiting a self-righteousness which grates when placed against the backdrop of its rejection by voters…. We have yet […]

Ralston on Ryall

Written By: all_your_base - Date published: 11:32 am, February 12th, 2009 - 22 comments

Ralston’s latest column – Ryall’s disabled thinking – covers Tony Ryall’s decision to ignore a select committee recommendation that National set up a Disabilities Commission, asking: Why did he [Ryall] ignore the fact that National’s own MPs were on the select committee that agreed a commission was necessary? Why did he think the mountain of submissions to […]

More than words

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 11:20 am, February 10th, 2009 - 33 comments

I see the Maori Party has come out saying the increase in the minimum wage to $12.50 an hour isn’t enough, and that they still support both a $15 an hour minimum wage and a tax-free bracket up to $25,000 (about the full-time minimum wage income). Pity they didn’t do something about it when they […]

Labour calls for $13 minimum wage

Written By: Tane - Date published: 1:51 pm, February 9th, 2009 - 34 comments

Phil Goff has come out strongly in anticipation of today’s minimum wage announcement from the Government with a call for an immediate increase to $13 an hour, rising to $15 over three years. As he points out, if National only increases the minimum wage from $12 to $12.50 an hour as the DoL suggests, that […]

Rainbows tame Waitangi

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 2:25 pm, February 7th, 2009 - 7 comments

Gosh what a difference a few years can make when it comes to symbols of national identity. Not so long ago National had a leader happy to springboard off dog-whistling race-divisive carping about the Treaty Grievance Industry in speeches and billboards. More recently National campaigned on abolition of the Maori seats, at least until it became […]

Always look on the bright side

Written By: all_your_base - Date published: 11:23 am, February 5th, 2009 - 22 comments

Clown incites lawbreaking.

Written By: lprent - Date published: 8:25 am, February 5th, 2009 - 56 comments

Clown Rodney Hide is the Minister of Local Government. He is also the lead clown of the long-time opposition circus that is the ACT party. It appears that he has the two roles confused. He is advocating that people ignore the law on gaining building permissions. Local governments enforce those building regulations. Those regulations are […]