political parties

Labour and welfare

Written By: weka - Date published: 7:34 am, August 22nd, 2019 - 93 comments

Many of us wanted to believe that the Ardern-led compassion would apply to all New Zealanders, but Labour’s defence of highly punitive benefit sanctions tell us it doesn’t.

Fonterra failure and Government failure

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:38 am, August 19th, 2019 - 95 comments

Fonterra is dragging New Zealand down, faster and faster. What is this Government going to do?

Labour reduces the number of cats getting stuck in trees every month

Written By: weka - Date published: 4:04 pm, August 17th, 2019 - 14 comments

Meanwhile, National signalled they need a hand with statistics, and the public gladly stepped up.

National still does not get MMP

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:23 am, August 14th, 2019 - 62 comments

National has shown that it does not understand MMP by being overly concerned that some electorates may be slightly bigger or smaller than other electorates.

Bridges emulates Trump

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:56 am, August 12th, 2019 - 30 comments

Simon Bridges has borrowed heavily from Donald Trump in releasing a press release saying that Ihumātao protesters should go home.

The sociopathology of sanctions

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 9:08 am, August 11th, 2019 - 206 comments

Autonomous sanctions imposed on Iran and Venezuela by the US are expressly designed to drive whole populations into poverty to bring about regime change. They are sociopathic. Based on its values, The National Party wants to make such sanctions New Zealand’s policy. Extraodinary!

What is up with NZ First?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:37 am, August 9th, 2019 - 105 comments

New Zealand First’s late decision to promote a referendum concerning abortion has caught everyone including its spokesperson Tracy Martin by surprise and is the latest example of last minute changes of position.

Five days is a long time in politics

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 2:20 pm, August 6th, 2019 - 27 comments

Five days ago Simon Bridges predicted that unemployment had gone up. The latest figures show that the unemployment rate is at its lowest rate for the past eleven years. Update: My enthusiasm was too high. It has been pointed out to me that the Bridges tweet was from last year. My apologies to Simon …

Simon Bridges wants a new Digital Media advisor

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:43 am, August 6th, 2019 - 21 comments

A slight rewrite of an ad currently on Parliament’s careers website.

Can the Greens rise like the liberal democrats?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:56 am, August 4th, 2019 - 71 comments

Only 6 months ago the UK Liberal Democrat party was at a real low, with their leader resigning and the polls about 7%: same as the last five years. Fast forward five months from that and they are ready to become a major opposition party of opposition. Can the Greens do the same?

Truth-telling and The New Climate Denial

Written By: weka - Date published: 2:03 am, August 4th, 2019 - 170 comments

James Shaw lays it out in his AGM speech: the new climate denial sounds reasonable and is the gravest danger we currently face.

Memo from Crosby Textor – fake news

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:06 am, August 2nd, 2019 - 19 comments

The Standard has obtained an internal memo from CTF Partners (formerly Crosby Textor) where it responds to allegations that it is a kindergarden for the rich children of Conservative Party donors, has engaged in misogynist behavior and ran anti and pro cycle astroturf campaigns to get a cycleway moved from near a client’s business premises to near an opponent’s premises.

The unbelievable lightness of Simon Bridges

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:49 am, July 31st, 2019 - 31 comments

Simon Bridges has insulted women and Tokelauans at the same time with a thinly veiled attack on Jacinda Ardern.

Ihumātao

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:32 am, July 31st, 2019 - 119 comments

The background to the Ihumatao dispute is complex and problematic and resolving it may require the Government to review issues relating to privately held land and treaty claims.

National’s cynical cancer policy announcement

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:59 am, July 30th, 2019 - 104 comments

National has announced a new Cancer Agency to replace the agency it closed four years ago to be funded from within already overstretched Health budgets.

Jacindamania

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:01 am, July 28th, 2019 - 138 comments

Despite the babies and the engagements, maybe it’s time to ditch the default Jacindamania.

The weasel accurately dissects National.

Written By: lprent - Date published: 2:05 pm, July 26th, 2019 - 36 comments

Matthew Hooton has a piece on National’s chances in the next election this morning entitled as “National stumbling to defeat”. Personally I think he is a PR weasel who is on the border to dirty politics. But he did cover the salient points that will be on the mind of the National party conference.

Dunne reckons next election will be close

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:22 am, July 26th, 2019 - 48 comments

Peter Dunne has come up with some 2020 election reckons that ignores current polling as well as National’s leadership problems.

The Greens’ attack ad

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:58 am, July 25th, 2019 - 87 comments

The Greens recent ad mocking Simon Bridges has attracted some strong criticism. But is it justified?

National’s ranks are cracking about climate change

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:36 am, July 22nd, 2019 - 90 comments

National Climate Change spokesperson Todd Muller has publicly stated that he is broadly supportive of the Government’s proposed EV incentive policy.

There is no climate emergency according to National

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:59 am, July 19th, 2019 - 194 comments

Simon Wilson has suggested in the the Herald this morning that for purely political reasons National will frustrate and stymie action on climate change

Sometimes explaining is not losing

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:03 am, July 18th, 2019 - 98 comments

Stacey Kirk thinks that Julie Anne Genter should not have criticised National’s spin on the Government’s fuel efficient importation policy but forgets to do her basic job of analysing National’s spin.

D Day for ETS?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:32 am, July 16th, 2019 - 75 comments

There are rumours that the Interim Climate Change Committee will propose that agriculture is included in the Emissions Trading Scheme as an interim measure to allow a levy/rebate system that can operate at a farm level.

A Good Week for Conservation

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:26 am, July 15th, 2019 - 10 comments

Three big, bold moves for conserving nature and expanding our awareness of it were announced inn the last week. All of them led by Minister Eugenie Sage.

Simon Bridges Going Blue in the Face Barking at Green Cars

Written By: Incognito - Date published: 3:48 pm, July 14th, 2019 - 51 comments

Simon Bridges is barking madly at green cars.

Submit or surrender

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:02 am, July 11th, 2019 - 33 comments

The submission period for the Zero Carbon Bill closes shortly. Please make a submission. This may be the New Zealand Goverment’s last chance to put in place measures to get us to carbon neutrality in time to make a difference.

Guest post – Bucking the trend at ECAN

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 8:47 am, July 10th, 2019 - 26 comments

A guest post from Anthony Rimell about a very disturbing attempt by ECAN to allow the levels of nitrate leach into Christchurch’s water supply to increase.

Government plans to disincentivise purchase of gas guzzlers

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:45 am, July 9th, 2019 - 134 comments

Julie Anne Genter has released a policy document proposing rebates for the purchase of electric and fuel efficient vehicles funded by a surcharge on gas guzzlers to start the transition of our vehicle fleet to carbon neutrality.

Labour to repeal ban on family caregivers seeking justice

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:20 am, July 8th, 2019 - 39 comments

Labour and New Zealand First Ministers under the first term of the sixth Labour government sitting in the Cabinet office.

The Government has increased funding for family caregivers of people with disabilities and is moving to repeal one of the most constitutionally outrageous legislative provisions that the prevoius Government enacted.