political parties

Depressing

Written By: Tane - Date published: 10:14 am, October 6th, 2008 - 29 comments

I see National has released a knee-jerk reactionary crime policy this morning, and it’s been reported largely uncritically by a news media that’s made a fortune fostering public fear of crime at a time when crime rates are falling and resolution rates are on the rise. It’s frankly depressing that our level of public debate […]

CTU on closing the wage gap

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 4:20 pm, October 3rd, 2008 - 4 comments

The Council of Trade Unions has done a lot of work on why wages are low for many workers in New Zealand and how they can be increased to close the wage gap with Australia. They offer six proposals: Increase the minimum wage to at least $15 per/hour We know from the painful experience of […]

Wage gap decreasing thanks to pro-worker policies

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 12:05 pm, October 3rd, 2008 - 36 comments

As The Standard first reported on April 1 and Radio New Zealand picked up today, Treasury figures show that the wage gap between Australia and New Zealand increased 50% under National in the 1990s and has decreased moderately under Labour since then. Now, a lot of our readers simply won’t want to believe that […]

Rhetoric vs reality

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 1:55 pm, October 2nd, 2008 - 25 comments

With expectations about National’s tax cuts justifably very high (thanks to National talking them up for nine years), National is suddenly trying to change course. John Key, who has promoted tax cuts as the solution to doctors’ strikes, the wage gap, and petrol prices along with every other issue facing this country, is now saying […]

Great expectations

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 1:54 pm, October 1st, 2008 - 25 comments

John Key is being pretty evasive on his tax cut plan. He won’t say whether the famous ‘$50 a week for the average worker’ (note that’s not every worker, your income has to be $47K plus) is additional to Labour’s cuts, the first round of which came into effect today. Given the evasiveness, it’s safe to […]

National lies, again

Written By: Tane - Date published: 12:25 pm, October 1st, 2008 - 69 comments

National just can’t stop lying. We’ve covered National’s lies on wages and migration in the past and our last two posts have debunked National’s lies on crime, the economy, compliance costs, corruption, press freedom and, well, just about everything. Now they’ve resorted to repeating David Farrar’s discredited lies by deliberately misquoting Helen Clark on tax. […]

Nats’ ‘NZ sucks’ campaign vs the facts

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 1:45 am, October 1st, 2008 - 69 comments

08wire produces some of the most well-thought out and best argued pieces on the blogosphere, as well as great videos. Well, I know what to do when I see gold – thief it. From 08wires’ post, here’s a table of arguments that comprise National’s ‘New Zealand sucks’ campaign and how they stack up against the facts: (sources) I […]

Between the lines: Nats’ RMA free-for-all

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 4:55 pm, September 30th, 2008 - 24 comments

The RMA is a quick and cheap process in the vast majority of cases, and it is regarded as a world-leading piece of legislation. Few consent applications are refused or appealed. Reforms of the RMA over the years have made it more efficient. The studies show that the delays that do happen in consents being […]

Nats: Pay cuts for you, tax cuts for the rich

Written By: Tane - Date published: 3:07 pm, September 30th, 2008 - 15 comments

Bill English has put out a press release whingeing about Helen Clark’s promise to lift wages for low-paid school support staff, and fearmongering that it might mean Michael Cullen will cancel his tax cuts. Presumably, English’s statement means National would cancel the planned pay increase to help fund its tax cuts for the rich. These […]

When did lying become OK?

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 2:40 pm, September 30th, 2008 - 43 comments

On Breakfast this morning, failed National party candidate Paul Henry and Guyon Espiner discussed the possibility of the Maori Party and National working together in a government. Henry: Do you get the feeling National would do anything for power, they would cut almost any deal at all with the Maori Party to get in? Espiner: […]

The Kingmaker but only one potential King

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 11:59 am, September 30th, 2008 - 51 comments

Let’s get serious about the idea of the Maori Party working with National. Yes, they want to play up the possibility to enhance their bargaining position, just as the Greens were last month, but it’s not going to happen. National and the Maori Party voted together in only a third of votes in the last […]

Still nothing personal

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 8:33 am, September 29th, 2008 - 15 comments

National desperately wants to portray any criticism of John Key as a personal attack. Don’t be taken in. Look, PM is a powerful job. We need to have a thorough examination of anyone contesting for that role. As I’ve always said there are three legitimate questions that need to be answered what are their policies? […]

Attack on democracy

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 5:02 pm, September 28th, 2008 - 53 comments

National have quietly released their policy on electoral law and have promised to abolish the Maori seats once treaty claims are finished, repeal the Electoral Finance Act and run a referendum on MMP. These all represent substantial changes to the way our democracy operates. I’ll be very interested to see what the Maori Party make […]

Nats desperate to silence grassroots activists

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 1:53 pm, September 28th, 2008 - 33 comments

An email from a reader: “A friend and I were putting up some Vote with Both Eyes Open posters on Lambton Quay the other night. We had just put some up around the intersection by Parliament and crossed the road when a senior National advisor came up to us with one of our recently pasted banners […]

Nats’ ‘NZ sucks’ campaign continues

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 10:56 am, September 26th, 2008 - 39 comments

I remember the first time I met Simon Power, when he had just come into Parliament. He struck me as a man who would be a future leader of National and an excellent one at that – articulate, informed, and moderate. Oh, what he has let himself become over 9 years in opposition – just […]

What a shame

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 11:03 am, September 25th, 2008 - 58 comments

Bob Clarkson chose not to speak during his valedictory speech. Instead, he just held up a sign saying ‘bye bye’ (in the same font as Peter’s famous ‘no’ sign). An opportunity for both hilarity and embarrassing revelations missed. After all, this was the man who thanked the Exclusive Brethren for all their help in winning […]

Why National won’t win

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 6:43 am, September 25th, 2008 - 138 comments

National has four fatal problems that will prevent it from winning the election. Or, rather, it has two problems, both with two parts. – A large majority of New Zealanders don’t like the policies National wants to implement – they reject privatisation and cutting government spending. – People were sucked in by the shallow, vague […]

Right Court: charges don’t match the facts

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 5:51 pm, September 24th, 2008 - 33 comments

[more great work from 08wire]

Diversion tactics

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 1:28 pm, September 24th, 2008 - 87 comments

Key’s three defences on the share scandal are ‘no-one asked how many shares I had’, ‘it didn’t matter how many shares I had’, and ‘Labour is spending all their time researching me’. It’s classic distraction stuff. Let’s break it down. ‘No-one asked me how many shares I had’ – Yes, Fran Mold did on Monday […]

Credit where it’s due

Written By: all_your_base - Date published: 12:13 pm, September 24th, 2008 - 28 comments

I’m usually no fan of Paul Henry as an interviewer but I’m prepared to give credit where it’s due. He certainly didn’t let John Key off the hook this morning on Breakfast. Was tempted to edit it down a bit but it’s worth watching the full thing. HENRY: “Well it’s not going well is it? […]

Not with a bang but a whimper

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 6:11 am, September 23rd, 2008 - 38 comments

The Privileges Committee has reported back. Peters is censured for not declaring that he had made a pecuniary gain from his lawyer taking donations for Peters’ legal fund. A minority of the Committee, the Labour and NZF MPs, disagreed with this censure pointing out that the evidence given to the Committee was that, had Peters […]

Nats relying on ignorance

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 12:43 pm, September 22nd, 2008 - 47 comments

It’s really easy to present misleading statistics. David Farrar shows how it’s done with a post on migration today. Note how his figures only go back to 2003. Why is that? Well, it just so happens that 2003 was the last low point in the migration cycle. So, if you show just the last five […]

Questioning politicians

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 9:36 am, September 22nd, 2008 - 16 comments

We’re keen to help you get active this election campaign. That’s why we’ve launched Campaign Hub 2008 and its Facebook group to give you info, access to materials, and tips on campaigning. It’s great to see so many people have downloaded leaflets and posters from the Hub or clicked through to Vote With Both Eyes […]

Kerr shows how the Right lie to themselves

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 5:33 pm, September 21st, 2008 - 42 comments

The Business Roundtable held another in their series of forums on political issues targeted at young people on Thursday. The aim is obviously to get along the type of kid who goes to his (sorry for the gendering but they were 90% male) commerce classes in a suit that he can’t yet fill and give him an […]

Roy Morgan has Winston on 5%

Written By: Tane - Date published: 12:52 pm, September 19th, 2008 - 93 comments

If the latest Roy Morgan poll is to be believed, John Key’s big gamble of ruling Winston Peters out of any future coalition may well turn out to be one of the stupidest plays in New Zealand’s political history. According to the poll, NZ First has increased its hypothetical share of the vote to 5%, […]

Unacceptable

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 10:39 am, September 19th, 2008 - 164 comments

From Newzblog: “Local activist James Sleep was today exercising his democratic right to protest when he was approached by an entourage of 4WDs carrying Wairapara MP John Hayes and John Key. Sleep attempted to get out of the way however he soon found himself being propelled backwards by the force of Hayes’ car. The car […]

Compliments and questions

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 3:20 pm, September 18th, 2008 - 25 comments

First, it’s nice to be pleasantly surprised by a tory. Turns out Tony Friedlander’s Road Transport Trust is not just donating to National. As well as $30K to the Nats, Labour got $20K and other parties will get something as well to help the democratic process. Can’t help but notice National got the most though. […]

ACT’s fifth Candidate?

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 1:00 pm, September 18th, 2008 - 54 comments

The word around the traps is that ACT will be announcing the name of its mystery 5th list candidate at its Law and Order policy launch this weekend and it’s rumoured that the candidate will be David Garrett. Garrett is a Barrister and is also a legal advisor to the Sensible Sentencing Trust who drafted […]

Key on scrapping four weeks annual leave

Written By: Tane - Date published: 11:15 am, September 18th, 2008 - 24 comments

Thanks to the wonders of Scoopit I’ve just come across this old TVNZ footage of John Key’s first day as National’s finance spokesman. It’s interesting to see where his economic priorities lay: The more things change, the more they stay the same, eh? [It’s worth noting that this isn’t some aberration limited to John Key […]

Greens good for workers

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 8:20 am, September 18th, 2008 - 75 comments

Work rights should be a big issue this election. National is proposing to strip workers of their rights to undermine wage increases. The Greens’ work rights policy, on the other hand, rocks. – Lift the minimum wage from $12 an hour to $15 an hour immediately. That will restore the minimum wage relative to the […]

Key still wishes we had invaded Iraq

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 6:45 am, September 18th, 2008 - 158 comments

Helen Clark made foreign policy judgement a campaign issue today when she told a Grey Power meeting that if New Zealand had invaded Iraq with the US as John Key wanted we would have lost up to 60 soldiers*. Through a spokesman, John Key said “the claim of 60 dead is hysterical and desperate”. I […]