political parties

The Covid election

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:40 am, August 6th, 2020 - 73 comments

I normally do not do this, tempting fate and all that. But the forces behind this election are so strong that it would take a really dramatic event to change current momentum.

The test of MMP

Written By: weka - Date published: 12:20 pm, August 5th, 2020 - 123 comments

With the left’s political fortunes having changed greatly in the past three years, and with more change on the way, does the left still want MMP?

Who are you going to trust with your job, Jacinda or Judith?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:17 pm, August 5th, 2020 - 16 comments

Defying expectations official labour force data from Stats NZ released today shows that the unemployment rate dropped to 4 per cent from 4.2 per cent in the June quarter.

National’s policy platform

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:35 am, August 5th, 2020 - 45 comments

For a party that promised to be a policy factory National’s policy offerings are severely deficient.

Go Well Ruth Dyson

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:44 am, August 5th, 2020 - 10 comments

Ruth Dyson has given a very funny very incisive valedictory speech in Parliament and will bow out of politics at this election. She deserves our thanks.

Falling into a coma

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:20 am, August 4th, 2020 - 92 comments

Why have we fallen into the most boring and predictable election we’ve had since Bolger’s second term?

Taxpayers’ Union promoting Green Party policy

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 6:10 am, August 4th, 2020 - 26 comments

Learning to love the tax.

National’s Auckland Central problem

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:27 am, August 3rd, 2020 - 45 comments

National is facing another PR disaster with reports of an increasingly hostile Auckland Central candidate selection process and with allegations that National’s head office has misapplied the party’s constitution.

National’s week from hell

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 6:01 pm, August 2nd, 2020 - 34 comments

A review of National’s week which is as bad as any week I can remember.

Mea culpa

Written By: lprent - Date published: 12:48 pm, August 2nd, 2020 - 33 comments

Back in 2017 I was upset, we had a leadership vote only in caucus – just before the election. I didn’t realise at the time that Andrew Little was actually stepping down in favour of Jacinda Ardern. She’d had the potential, but I hadn’t realised that Little thought she was up for the task. I’m delighted with the result. Thank you Andrew.

The Heron Report

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:38 am, July 31st, 2020 - 35 comments

The Heron Report has been released and reinforces the public perception that this was a cynical misuse of confidential information by National for political purposes and a clusterfuck of epic proportions.

Pollwatch: Colmar Brunton poll released 2020-07-30

Written By: Matthew Whitehead - Date published: 7:30 am, July 31st, 2020 - 54 comments

Poll analysis and modelling results: Is Colmar Brunton “the real rogue?” Who’s likely in and out for National, Labour, and the Greens on this poll result?

One News CB Poll July 2020

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 5:22 pm, July 30th, 2020 - 132 comments

The July One News Colmar Brunton poll is out at 6PM. Has Judith Collins worked the oracle? Or is it another of Gerry Brownlee’s rogue polls?

Stay tuned …

UPDATE: Labour in the 50’s, National 32

Kia kaha Sarah Dowie

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:23 am, July 30th, 2020 - 17 comments

Sarah Dowie’s valedictory speech yesterday was extremely good and offered a fascinating insight into Parliamentary life and some notable recent events.

Strategic voting is a bad thing unless you live in Epsom

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:42 am, July 30th, 2020 - 49 comments

Nick Smith has publicly opposed a change to the electoral system that would allow strategic manipulation of the electoral system. But only by Māori.

Will Jami Lee spill the beans on National’s donations?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:36 am, July 29th, 2020 - 45 comments

Jami-Lee Ross is threatening today to attempt to table details of National’s 2017 donations in Parliament.

National’s Internal Polling Leaked

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 6:46 pm, July 28th, 2020 - 40 comments

Yet another leak from Judith Collins’ Strong Team™. This time it’s their own polling … and it’s grim news.

How do you tell when Judith is saying something that is not true?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:59 pm, July 28th, 2020 - 56 comments

Judith Collins has backed away from telling a mistruth about escape statistics during her time as Minister of Corrections by claiming that her eyebrow was raised and this is evidence that what she was saying was a joke.

New Zealand believes Labour are better economic managers than National

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:51 am, July 28th, 2020 - 51 comments

There used to be a mantra in New Zealand politics that National were always perceived to be better managers of the economy than Labour. Until now.

Pollwatch: Reid Research poll completed 2020-07-24

Written By: Matthew Whitehead - Date published: 9:27 pm, July 26th, 2020 - 89 comments

Labour has hit stratospheric highs in the new Reid Research poll at 60.9%, and still have a strong partner in the Greens at 5.7%. Who’s in and out on these numbers? How has Collins performed?

Latest Newshub Reid Research poll – yet another rogue poll

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 6:12 pm, July 26th, 2020 - 144 comments

Tova O’Brien said that it would be a bombshell result and it was.

Happy 40th birthday Jacinda!

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:06 am, July 26th, 2020 - 24 comments

The woman who has led us through a terrorist attack, a significant natural disaster and who has safely guided us through an international Pandemic and who has led with aroha and compassion is turning 40 today.

The Greens are thinking ahead

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:30 am, July 26th, 2020 - 126 comments

The Greens have released a detailed policy document that sets out what they want to achieve if they are part of the next Government and their Labour Relations policies could be considered to be more pro union than Labour’s policies.

Association of Conspiracy Theorists

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:44 am, July 25th, 2020 - 81 comments

Act is proposing to introduce measures that will limit the amount of money people on benefits can spend on alcohol and tobacco. But not guns.

We must welcome Kiwis home

Written By: advantage - Date published: 12:27 pm, July 23rd, 2020 - 39 comments

With a new Immigration Minister this week, could we please get some reality to bringing our people home?

Winston Peters Names Alleged Super Leaker

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 4:44 pm, July 22nd, 2020 - 87 comments

Winston Peters has named the person he says leaked his super details. Has ACT joined National in doing Dirty Politics?

ILG Goes

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 11:02 am, July 22nd, 2020 - 110 comments

Immigration Minister Iain Lees Galloway has apparently resigned.

UPDATE: The PM confirms that she has sacked the Minister. He will not stand in the Palmerston North seat in the upcoming general election.

UPDATE: Iain Lees Galloway releases an apology.

What is the best way for a political party to handle a sex scandal?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:16 am, July 22nd, 2020 - 61 comments

Judith Collins appears to be living by her motto, giving back double, and has made public allegations that a Labour Minister has engaged in inappropriate behaviour. But is this the best way to handle a sex scandal?

Unthinkable Things

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:41 am, July 22nd, 2020 - 29 comments

With the government clearly watching the unravelling of Australia’s Covid-19 response and putting in place $14 billion in preparation for a second infection wave, we are clearly now in a history-in-making territory of the highest instability outside a world war.

Raymond Huo resigning at election

Written By: Matthew Whitehead - Date published: 3:56 pm, July 21st, 2020 - 15 comments

Raymond Huo has announced he will no longer contest the 2020 election.

Strong team?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:32 am, July 21st, 2020 - 267 comments

Earlier this year National boasted that it had a strong team. But this was before two coups and the loss of seven MPs in the past few weeks, the latest for sending indecent material to a teenager which the leader initially described as a case involving mental health concerns.