political parties

National’s New Lynn candidate is not having a good campaign

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:01 am, September 2nd, 2017 - 24 comments

Paulo Garcia, National’s New Lynn candidate has some very conservative world views and a recent interview suggests that his knowledge of the local area and the seat are less than optimal.

Challenging the divine right of kingmakers

Written By: weka - Date published: 12:40 pm, September 1st, 2017 - 123 comments

23 days to go. We’re now this close to changing the government, and have a real chance at a truly progressive government with a Labour/Green coalition. For that we need strong Green representation.

This is how you change the Government – Enrolments

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:19 pm, September 1st, 2017 - 6 comments

The first of what will be a series of posts on practical steps that people can take to elect a progressive Government. In this post the importance of getting as many people enrolled as possible.

Why is Farrar smearing the superannuation shit?

Written By: lprent - Date published: 7:59 am, September 1st, 2017 - 38 comments

A lot of politics and political blogging is all about the details. This includes National’s pollster David Farrar who falsely asserted yesterday that Winston would have received 7 annual letters about his superannuation status. So why is National trying to irritate their only possible coalition partner?

National Party – Lying Liars Who Lie

Written By: BLiP - Date published: 7:40 am, September 1st, 2017 - 5 comments

The lulz don’t stop there. Read through the various tweets and you’ll find “Check The Facts” has been well less than accurate in its portrayal of what constitutes a “fact”.

It’s a new political world

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:01 am, September 1st, 2017 - 77 comments

Labour has polled ahead of National for the first time in 12 years. It is only one poll and others may differ, but it has shattered a huge psychological barrier. We’re in a new political world. Time to go hard.

The Green Party plans to protect marine mammals and ecosystems

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:35 am, August 31st, 2017 - 25 comments

In Government the the Greens will create a blue whale sanctuary and a local ecotourism industry – to replace seabed mining and oil and gas.

Tegg Talk – Second Climate Change Report Withheld By Government

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:13 am, August 31st, 2017 - 5 comments

Denis Tegg reports that the Government is hiding a second critical report on climate change until after the election.

The making of National’s campaign ad

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:35 am, August 31st, 2017 - 55 comments

National’s campaign video was created using actors who were not paid but handled petrol or shopping vouchers and wanted a young boy of “mixed blood” …

Shameful poverty – why we must elect a Labour led government

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:04 am, August 31st, 2017 - 48 comments

Two excellent but very disturbing pieces in The Herald yesterday. This crisis in poverty, housing and health is a national disgrace. It is why we desperately need to elect a Labour led government in September.

Rachel Smalley stop telling lies about Labour

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:02 am, August 31st, 2017 - 65 comments

I know I shouldn’t sweat the small stuff, but this piece by Rachel Smalley is full of lies about Labour. We deserve better journalism than this.

Scottish Labour. On the Cusp?

Written By: Bill - Date published: 6:02 pm, August 30th, 2017 - 17 comments

Liberals depart and Liberals tank.

Is Justice Binnie vindicated by the Teina Pora decision?

Written By: tracey - Date published: 4:48 pm, August 30th, 2017 - 53 comments

What we can learn about Collins, Adams and the national Cabinet from Teina Pora’s Judicial review win.

Vote for NZ Labour if…

Written By: Bill - Date published: 1:00 pm, August 30th, 2017 - 53 comments

You want a TPP Agreement.

Mike Hosking feels used and wants to take a shower

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:30 am, August 30th, 2017 - 48 comments

Mike Hosking is decrying National’s cynical election campaign and release of its paid parental leave policy and claims that it is nothing more than a corrupt retail exchange.

Real video from National’s campaign launch

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:55 am, August 30th, 2017 - 8 comments

The Standard has received real video from National’s campaign launch

No one can have any confidence in a Nat NZF coalition

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:01 am, August 30th, 2017 - 45 comments

Peters is enraged by the presumed Nat hit on him over super. Earlier he was calling on Bill English to resign over the Barclay scandal. Given these conflicts, no one can have any confidence in a post-election Nat NZF coalition. They hate each other.

English coverup of Barclay scandal gets worse

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 6:42 am, August 30th, 2017 - 32 comments

New documents released under the OIA show that Bill English fought hide his involvement with the Todd Barclay scandal from media and the public. Coverups and lies, English is unfit for office.

National does u turn on paid parental leave

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:16 pm, August 29th, 2017 - 16 comments

National has announced a policy of increasing paid parental leave after complaining last year that it was unaffordable.

Labour announce affordable tertiary education

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:05 am, August 29th, 2017 - 54 comments

As the Nats stand exposed in another apparent dirty politics hit, Labour gets on with the job of winning the election. Jacinda Ardern today announced new policy: Making tertiary education and training affordable for all.

Tourism and Conservation Fund policy from Labour

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:50 am, August 29th, 2017 - 7 comments

Labour has announced a Tourism and Infrastructure fund policy which will raise funds for conservation and infrastructure.

National is telling fibs on housing

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:30 am, August 29th, 2017 - 16 comments

During the weekend one of National’s rising stars Amy Adams debates housing with Labour’s Phil Twyford. Adams was supremely confident but the data she relied on appears to have problems …

National’s political hit job on Winston Peters

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:22 am, August 29th, 2017 - 231 comments

The hit job that has just been performed on Winston Peters is a sign of how desperate National is to divert attention from Jacindamania. But I suspect the attempt will backfire.

Blue Dragons

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 5:08 pm, August 28th, 2017 - 30 comments

Mark Jennings: ‘A hundred or so young Chinese wearing blue T-shirts with “Blue dragons” written on the front marched in to the stadium in a highly-organised fashion. I randomly asked two of them why they had come. They seemed to find the question confusing but told me they were overseas students.’

Labour’s Christchurch policy

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:43 am, August 28th, 2017 - 21 comments

More new policy from Labour yesterday on Christchurch. Giving locals a say in the decision making process – what a radical new idea!

Nats double down on failed national standards policy

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 2:05 pm, August 27th, 2017 - 124 comments

The centerpiece of National’s campaign launch was an education package that doubles down on the demonstrably failed national standards policy. Out of ideas.

Middle East Changes

Written By: advantage - Date published: 1:58 pm, August 27th, 2017 - 70 comments

If there is a change of Government what should Labour do about requests for military assistance in the Middle East?

Ardern’s war paint

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:40 am, August 27th, 2017 - 65 comments

John Armstrong coined a memorable headline: That ain’t lipstick – it’s war paint. Jo Moir writes on the Jacinda tsunami in South Auckland, and Liam Dann gives Labour the economic thumbs up. Not a bad weekend for Labour!

Greens commit to Zero Carbon Act in first 100 days

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:52 am, August 26th, 2017 - 48 comments

“The Act will mean that climate targets are legally binding, and the Government will be obliged to have a detailed plan about exactly how it will meet those targets, detail that has been desperately missing under National. This is what real action on climate change looks like.”

Garner on Nats’ brighter future fail

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:11 am, August 26th, 2017 - 70 comments

Duncan Garner reviews National’s record, and is not impressed: “Because the list of blind spots for National is too long. If this is success then our standards have slipped.”