political parties

The Standard line: Photoshop

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 10:03 am, October 24th, 2008 - 132 comments

So, you’re talking with someone about politics and they say something really dumb and wrong and you know it’s wrong but you don’t have the arguments and facts at your fingertips to make a decisive point. That’s where our election series, The Standard line, comes in. The info you need in bite-size form. Today: photoshop Points: […]

Caught in the ACT

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 7:43 am, October 24th, 2008 - 48 comments

The Dom Post reports that ACT will have to file amended returns after failing to declare $20,000 of donated office space. Luckily for ACT nobody found out until they got past the time-limit for prosecution. Rodney Hide is, of course, not embarrassed. I’m reminded of that proverb about glass-houses.

Don’t dream, it’s over

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 3:58 pm, October 23rd, 2008 - 76 comments

I’ve always regarded the possibility of a National-Maori Party governing arrangement as absurd, even grotesque. The interests of the Maori people, who are predominantly working-class, are clearly best represented by the Left. Under National in the 1990s, Maori unemployment reached 25% and incomes plummeted. Today it is 7.7%, and Maori incomes are rising as fast […]

National’s ‘redneck element’

Written By: Tane - Date published: 10:06 am, October 23rd, 2008 - 117 comments

In the heat of the Lockwood Smith controversy yesterday, some of our right-wing readers had a go at John A for posting a link to National’s racist 1975 election ad with the comment that “underneath they haven’t changed”. In light of this, I thought the comments in the Herald today from National’s first Pacific Island […]

Green laffs

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 8:46 am, October 23rd, 2008 - 7 comments

Russel Norman at Drinking Liberally – Auckland last night on Lockwood Smith: Lockwood may think all Asians have small hands but what we really learned today is that Lockwood’s feet are so small he can fit them in his mouth Classic.

Wait, what’s the RSE?

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 3:46 pm, October 22nd, 2008 - 38 comments

OK, we’ve reported on, given historical context to, and mocked Lockwood Smith’s racist comments about seasonal migrant workers. Now, to the substance of what Smith as saying, ie that fewer permits issued under the Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme (RSE) should be allocated to people from the Pacific Islands (because, he says, other people are smaller […]

Nats: instilling the work ethic early

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 1:51 pm, October 22nd, 2008 - 34 comments

Lockwood Smith has unveiled more National workforce innovations. In addition to favouring Asian seasonal migrants over Polynesians because their hands are smaller, Smith has announced that National’s plans to have new schools built and owned by private companies will include “co-location of educational and industrial facilities” to “further leverage our most precious asset: our children, […]

Nats on Pacific workers in the 70s

Written By: John A - Date published: 12:17 pm, October 22nd, 2008 - 32 comments

Galumalemana Alfred Hunkin says Lockwood Smith’s statements about Pacific workers are an example of the sorts of comments made in the 70s. Here’s a National Party TV ad from the 1975 election about Pacific workers. Underneath they haven’t changed.

Scratch a Tory…

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 9:27 am, October 22nd, 2008 - 40 comments

…and you still reveal a bigot, it seems. Here is National’s Immigration spokesperson, Lockwood Smith, (he who likes to swallow dead fish) on taking more Asian seasonal worker migrants instead of Polynesians: “There are some skills in the vineyard that some people are perhaps better at, for example some of the pruning … some of […]

Highly principled statements

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 12:29 pm, October 21st, 2008 - 16 comments

Yesterday, Bill ‘do whatever it takes to win’ English was out trying to assuage Kiwis fears of National’s secret agenda (which his recorded remarks helped ignite). He praised Labour’s achievements but said it was time for more positive leadership. In other words, ‘don’t worry, we’re just like Labour but John smiles a lot, oh and […]

Williamson on tolls for roads (again)

Written By: Dancer - Date published: 12:20 pm, October 21st, 2008 - 12 comments

I see Maurice Williamson has again confirmed that we will be paying more for driving on some roads under National: Williamson: “If it is quite a short distance road of a few kilometres, somewhere in the city-type link, you’d only be talking of $1 or $2. If it’s a very long haul road you may […]

John vs John

Written By: Tane - Date published: 11:20 am, October 21st, 2008 - 53 comments

Labour’s new television ad is up on Youtube and I’m pleased to see it’s actually pretty bloody good. They’ve managed to draw attention to one of John’s many flipflops, this one on Kiwisaver, in a way that uses humour and sticks to the facts and thereby avoids the nastiness often associated with negative campaigning. It’s […]

It’s your choice

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 1:35 pm, October 20th, 2008 - 109 comments

Now that both Labour and National have all their major spending promises out, we can compare the options. Remember, whatever happens one of these two parties will lead the next government, so these are the basic choices we face: Labour: -Keep existing policies including important polices growing next term: -retaining Kiwibank -retaining Kiwisaver -tax cuts […]

Sensible Sentencing Trust in drag?

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 7:44 pm, October 19th, 2008 - 29 comments

Act have run an anti-crime protest outside of Mt Eden today and it was particularly theatrical by the sound of it with lots of coffin lids and whatnot. ACT have never done anything like this before. But the Sensible Sentencing Trust certainly has. I’ve asked before why the trust has refused to register as a […]

Party like you matter

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 8:17 pm, October 18th, 2008 - 55 comments

There’s so much to comment on about the policies and parties that matter that we hardly ever get to time to mention ACT. But I couldn’t resist this brochure from the zero tolerance liberals: (it says ‘not your typical party’ in the yellow box) Thoughts: – did ACT think they were the first to see […]

Childish

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 11:09 am, October 18th, 2008 - 64 comments

We live on a finite planet. We can’t just keep adding 75 million people a year to the human population while also increasing the average resource consumption per person without collapsing the biological systems that support us. Current projections have the world population rising another 2-2.5 billion in the next 40 years to peak around […]

Guest post: The clever dealer?

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 5:58 am, October 18th, 2008 - 48 comments

Many people laud John Key’s experience in the business world, and say that the smiling assassin’s ability to play hard-ball when required means he will be an excellent prime minister. So why, during talks with the Maori Party, did Key drop a National ‘bottom line’ that would be a strong card to play? As evidenced […]

Video: 12 Flip Flops from Mr Key

Written By: Dancer - Date published: 4:25 pm, October 17th, 2008 - 33 comments

National policy on Maori seats (2007): “The Caucus today confirmed that the Maori seats will be abolished, which we anticipate will take place around the time of settlement of historic Treaty claims,” says National Party Leader John Key. National policy on Maori seats (Sept 2008); “National wants to scrap the Maori seats in Parliament once all […]

Not a game

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 3:56 pm, October 17th, 2008 - 46 comments

National has a press release out blaming Labour for a supposed increase in assaults on police. Now, there are more people and more police than ever before, so all things being equal there will be more assaults, but it would be a concern if the rate of assaults had increased. In fact, the rate on […]

Vote smart: Progressives and Wigram

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 11:25 am, October 17th, 2008 - 52 comments

Vote smart is a series of posts on tactical voting for people who support certain parties or live in certain electorates to help you maximise your vote. Today, the Progressives and Wigram: Since the last election, the Progressives have failed to register in half the Roy Morgan polls and never broken 1%. For a party […]

Tranzrail eyes

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 10:15 am, October 17th, 2008 - 23 comments

It’s possible to win a battle but, in doing so, lose the war. Like most commentators, I thought Key came off best from the debate on Tuesday. It was a good format for him to parrot his lines, all he had to do is deliver them well. As he said himself, 2 years of training […]

Pita falls for the lines – but not for long

Written By: Dancer - Date published: 1:09 pm, October 16th, 2008 - 97 comments

I have some sympathy for Dr PIta Sharples over the fallout of Mr Key’s promises. He’s clearly been left high and dry by Mr Key, his would-be coalition partner. According to the Maori Party’s chief of staff we now find: …that Mr Key was clear in the meeting that National’s position could be put on the backburner. […]

Key vs Sharples, who do you believe?

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 10:18 am, October 16th, 2008 - 71 comments

On September 28, Key released National’s policy on the Maori seats. It is unequivocal (if light on the details): “At the conclusion of the settlement of historic Treaty claims, National will begin a constitutional process to abolish the Maori seats. National wishes to see all New Zealanders on the same electoral roll.” Pretty clear. The […]

Make-work don’t work

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 2:15 pm, October 15th, 2008 - 24 comments

The Maori Party wants the dole abolished to be replaced by work schemes. It’s a bad idea but it’s not too far from being a good one. Make work schemes are bad in several ways. They distort the market for low-skill work. The State with an army of cheap, semi-involuntary labour ends up undercutting the […]

Wouldn’t you be embarrassed if…..?

Written By: Dancer - Date published: 1:28 pm, October 15th, 2008 - 40 comments

I have to declare – yes, I am an urban liberal. So I would be embarrassed if a member of my family said this: The National Party’s candidate for New Plymouth (Jonathan Young) says homosexuality is a choice and strongly objects to it being seen as a “normal alternative“: Jonathan Young’s views, printed in the […]

Nat vs Nat on National policy

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 10:50 am, October 15th, 2008 - 22 comments

National wants to introduce a 90 Day no work rights period for new employees. Now, in the face of very strong opposition to the policy, they have been forced to scale it back to only workplaces where there are 20 or fewer employees. But big questions still remain – not least of all whether teachers […]

Labour chickens out on $15 minimum wage

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 2:54 pm, October 14th, 2008 - 23 comments

Labour, why do you do this to me? One day you’re announcing neo-Keynesian policies to help us through the coming recession, then you stand up for the principle that access to education shouldn’t be dependent on the wealth of ones parents, and, then, just when I’m starting to believe that you really are a true […]

Wrong time for short-term thinking

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 10:55 am, October 14th, 2008 - 90 comments

National’s Nick Smith has announced that they would cancel the $1 billion fund to insulate New Zealand houses, which the Greens won as part of the Emissions Trading Scheme. This massive programme would improve energy efficiency, create warmer, healthier homes and would provide useful employment during the downturn. A study, ironically carried out under National and mentioned to me […]

Down with literacy

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:31 am, October 14th, 2008 - 45 comments

A crusade on illiteracy, surely. Um, I’m not sure we want to entrust these guys with improving language skills. [Update: true to form, the people in the sector don’t know what the hell National is talking about. Teachers say National seems to be taking about some vague reporting system, not more resources to actually improve […]

Confident or foolish?

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 8:30 am, October 14th, 2008 - 20 comments

So, you’re one of the 900,000 Kiwis who have so far signed up to Kiwisaver. You know that you get $1000 on signing up, you put in 4% of your gross income, the Government matches that up to $20 a week, and your employer matches with at least 1% rising to 4% by 2011. It’s […]

‘Give me warning next time’, Key whimpers

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 4:08 pm, October 13th, 2008 - 44 comments

While Key was blathering on about who-cares-what yesterday, Clark announced a radical and forward-looking economic stimulus package. Now, Key is having a cry over Clark not notifying him beforehand of the deposit insurance scheme. As if the Prime Minister needs to seek the approval of an opposition party before setting government policy. Key whines that monetary […]