political parties

The many and varied Covid reckons of Mike Hosking

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:56 am, June 30th, 2020 - 49 comments

A review of recent opinion pieces by Mike Hosking shows that he has adopted a series of contradictory positions with the one common feature that they are critical of the Government’s actions.

Bye bye Paula

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:36 am, June 29th, 2020 - 79 comments

Paula Bennett has announced that she is standing down from politics and will not seek re-election on National’s list at this year’s election.

Paora Goldsmith in fake news scandal

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:41 am, June 29th, 2020 - 33 comments

Paora Goldsmith has shown either that he is lacking in basic numeracy and literacy skills or that he is prepared to tell porkies for political advantage.

Green Party rocks their new Guaranteed Minimum Income policy

Written By: weka - Date published: 7:05 am, June 29th, 2020 - 263 comments

The Greens’ audacious new social security policy, the Poverty Action Plan, places manaakitangi and compassion at the centre. It includes guaranteed income across the board for those in need, reorientating ACC to include illness and prioritise care, support for children and single and double parented families, and it pays for it all by taxing some of the assets and income of the wealthy.

Green Party win: RMA amended to include climate change

Written By: weka - Date published: 7:05 am, June 28th, 2020 - 15 comments

“In my view, this is one of the most significant policy changes to address climate change that we have done this term” – James Shaw

Colmar Brunton poll – Labour can still form majority Government

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 6:36 pm, June 25th, 2020 - 117 comments

The latest Colmar Brunton poll results have been released and Labour is still remarkably in a position to rule on its own.

One News/CB Poll June

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 6:33 pm, June 25th, 2020 - 49 comments

The latest One News/Colmar Brunton poll continues to show Labour are the favourites to lead the next Government.

We don’t have time for this shit

Written By: weka - Date published: 1:00 pm, June 24th, 2020 - 52 comments

the government can’t agree is a euphemism for NZ First blocking climate action.

National is relentlessly negative about the country’s Covid response

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:03 am, June 24th, 2020 - 95 comments

You would think in the midst of a world pandemic that is threatening established countries everywhere that National would do the responsible thing and work constructively to resolve all of government issues. If you do think this you are wrong.

In defence of Ashley Bloomfield

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:27 am, June 22nd, 2020 - 155 comments

National and elements of the media have gone full on attack on the Government’s and Ashley Bloomfield’s Covid 19 performance. Which is unusual given that there is still no examples of community transmission and all recent infections have been picked up through the quarantine system.

Aroha Ardern Poster Banned?

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 9:24 pm, June 21st, 2020 - 66 comments

A piece of street art has got the right’s knickers in a twist. But Love conquers all.

Things that will live

Written By: advantage - Date published: 10:58 am, June 19th, 2020 - 14 comments

Despite downbeat economic predictions and an imminent global recession, the New Zealand recovery offers opportunities for entrepreneurial success that exceed anything we’ve seen for decades.

Todd Muller and the strange tale of the Leader’s Safe

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:45 am, June 19th, 2020 - 22 comments

The Herald has reported that Todd Muller’s staff used a safe cracker to open up a safe previously used by Simon Bridges, even though they had the access codes.

Responsible politics verses Gotcha politics

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:16 am, June 18th, 2020 - 215 comments

Michael Woodhouse has recently had a difficult ethical dilemma. He received information suggesting that there were major weaknesses in the Covid quarantine system. Should he do the responsible thing and point out these weaknesses to the authorities or should he play Gotcha politics?

National prepares to die in a ditch over racist American flag

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 4:10 pm, June 16th, 2020 - 26 comments

In politics there are two general theories, the conspiracy theory where events are the result of deep Machiavellian planning, and the f*ck up theory where things just happen because of human stuff ups. Todd McClay’s decision to defend the use of the Confederate Flag is that much of a f*ck up there must be a deep Machiavellian reason for him deciding to do so publicly.

Advising the country about Covid19 is unfair to National

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:28 am, June 16th, 2020 - 30 comments

National is complaining that a Government Covid19 media account liked Jacinda Ardern’s instagram page. And a National cheerleader wants all Covid 19 response advertising to stop.

Labour’s List

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 12:54 pm, June 15th, 2020 - 38 comments

The Labour Party has released its list lineup. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to refresh the caucus, and it’s down to one leader’s sacrifice and another’s steller performance.

Things that will die

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:55 am, June 15th, 2020 - 90 comments

For three decades tourism has been the great tidal surge that has made many otherwise spiralling towns stablise, and in some cases expand. Post Covid we are going to see some of these towns die.

Todd’s Odd Distress Signal

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 5:39 pm, June 14th, 2020 - 64 comments

How odd of Todd! A condescending gesture turns into a cry for help.

National has a discipline problem

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:03 pm, June 13th, 2020 - 28 comments

Yesterday saw two back bench National MPs unintentionally set National’s position on the Government response to Covid 19 and on Hamilton City’s decision to take down a statute that was repugnant to Waikato Tainui. What has happened to their messaging discipline?

Chris Penk has been thinking

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:54 am, June 12th, 2020 - 59 comments

Chris Penk has written a book suggesting that the Government’s Covid 19 response has been terrible. Because it was not quite perfect.

Strike Force Raptor is no more

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:20 pm, June 11th, 2020 - 10 comments

National has backed away from its policy of creating Strike Force Raptor Police Unit, a unit based on an Australian force dedicated to terrorising possible gang members.

Angry Ardern

Written By: advantage - Date published: 12:10 pm, June 11th, 2020 - 86 comments

A challenging post where Ad challenges Jacinda Ardern and the Labour Government to do more.

NZ Police abandon Armed Response Teams

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:05 am, June 10th, 2020 - 9 comments

We have a model of policing by consent and that means we need the vast majority of people to see as legitimate the style in which we’re policing and it’s been clear to me that there has not been acceptance of this as an appropriate style of policing in New Zealand. – Police Commissioner Andrew Coster