political parties

Little on immigration

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 2:09 pm, May 8th, 2017 - 34 comments

A good piece by Andrew Little in The Herald, setting out Labour’s position on immigration (with policy to come).

Chester Borrows in court

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 9:51 am, May 8th, 2017 - 74 comments

With the Eminem case on the go too its a busy time in court for National.

More love for Labour’s list

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:12 am, May 8th, 2017 - 18 comments

Herald: “It is a fresh-looking line-up, led by MPs who have been in opposition long enough to have won their spurs and feel they are more than ready to move into the Beehive.”

Macron and Trudeau mean yes for Ardern

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:21 am, May 8th, 2017 - 96 comments

The election of Trudeau in Canada and Macron in France suggest that the path to electoral success may be with younger fresh faced and untainted candidates.

Still spinning “social investment”

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:04 am, May 7th, 2017 - 36 comments

Directing welfare spending where it will do most good makes sense. But let’s make sure that that is what it is, not an excuse to simply cut funding, stigmatise, and target “undesireables”. National’s record does not inspire confidence, to say the very least. Then there’s the hypocrisy…

Fuck the homeless

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:11 am, May 6th, 2017 - 187 comments

Those compassionate conservatives of the National Party have a message for the increasing number of homeless who occupy our Brighter Future.

NRT: This is why we can’t have nice things

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:09 pm, May 5th, 2017 - 11 comments

I/S highlights National’s new net debt target of 10-15% of GDP – and specifically, what it will cost us.

Brownlee as Foreign Minister as successful as you’d expect

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 12:16 pm, May 5th, 2017 - 77 comments

Brownlee’s run as Foreign Minister is already a mess. Such is the depth of National’s talent pool.

Why Labour’s Maori MPs opted out of the list

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:01 am, May 5th, 2017 - 65 comments

In a facebook post Meka Whaitiri has explained why Labour’s Maori Electorate MPs decided not to stand for list placements.

NRT: Inflation and poverty

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:13 pm, May 4th, 2017 - 8 comments

I/S at No Right Turn writes: “The CPI is out today, and it shows that the poor are getting poorer … This is a long-term trend. Since National took office, inflation for poor households has been nearly twice that of rich households.”

Bill English doesn’t get it – literally doesn’t get it – how messed up the “Brighter Future” is

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 11:30 am, May 4th, 2017 - 55 comments

“There are approximately 92,700 Kiwis aged between 15 and 24 who aren’t working, in education or training. That’s up 19 percent during National’s time in power, and Prime Minister Bill English admits he’s not sure why.” Could it be because…

A young person’s view on why we have to change the Government

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:00 am, May 4th, 2017 - 78 comments

At Labour’s North Shore candidate Romy Udanga’s recent campaign launch a fourteen year old young man spoke about why he wants to work to change the Government.

Labour’s list – diversity and renewal

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:01 am, May 3rd, 2017 - 112 comments

Labour has delivered a list of diversity and renewal. Good to see it getting the recognition it deserves.

Labour’s list of candidates for 2017

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:13 am, May 2nd, 2017 - 67 comments

The full list of Labour’s list candidates for the 2017 election list. (Updated)

Protecting our biggest export income earner

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:03 am, May 2nd, 2017 - 51 comments

Tourism Export Council: “The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) in its current form is nothing more than a PR-stunt from Government who continue to ignore scientists and expert opinion re the state of our freshwater. The NPS-FM does not address the serious problems facing our waterways and, in fact, will make them worse.”

Eminem case could cost Nats big

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 6:53 am, May 2nd, 2017 - 82 comments

Eminem’s lawyer on the Nats’ email chain – “Also, the focus is on not just whether it’s an infringement. But whether they can shift liability to someone else.” Typical.

Jackson’s list position

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:37 pm, May 1st, 2017 - 24 comments

Willie Jackson accepts his (rumoured) list position without the need for an over-hyped “crisis meeting”.

Pike River – what did the government know and when did they know it?

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 12:41 pm, May 1st, 2017 - 34 comments

Bill English claims to have been unaware of the video footage, but the night before Nick Smith’s spokesperson said the government had been “advised”. It would have been extraordinary if they had not. Pike River families deserve the truth.

National in court – is “pretty legal” good enough?

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 7:47 am, May 1st, 2017 - 41 comments

Today National, party of personal responsibility and property rights, is in court for allegedly ripping off work the work of Eminem. How stupid do you have to be to make the same mistake twice?

Is the Labour Housing policy even possible?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:50 am, April 30th, 2017 - 129 comments

If Labour wins in September what state infrastructure can it utilise to deliver on its promise to build tens of thousands of affordable homes?

Hickey’s chart of the week

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 3:32 pm, April 28th, 2017 - 16 comments

Greens launch nationwide Māori Caucus tour

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:32 am, April 28th, 2017 - 11 comments

The Green Party’s Māori Caucus is on a national outreach tour to engage with Māori communities, starting in Northland today.

A legacy of poisoned water

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:01 am, April 28th, 2017 - 66 comments

We won’t be able to say that we didn’t have ample warning, with a another detailed and damning report on water quality out yesterday. Does National really want to be remembered for allowing the poisoning of our water?

Nick knifed

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 9:51 am, April 26th, 2017 - 15 comments

Parata fleeing education mess

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 12:30 pm, April 24th, 2017 - 37 comments

Parata can believe whatever brings her comfort of course, but the fact is that this National government has made, as usual, a mess of education.

Reshuffle

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:08 am, April 24th, 2017 - 52 comments

Bill English is to announce a cabinet reshuffle today. What should he do?

Housing affordability data suppressed?

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:02 am, April 22nd, 2017 - 83 comments

Bill English would have you believe that there is no housing crisis. He desperately needs you to believe it until after the next election. Is Nick Smith deliberately suppressing housing data?

Green power

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:34 pm, April 20th, 2017 - 78 comments

Lots to like in The Greens’ new power policy.

National’s economic report card fail

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 2:52 pm, April 18th, 2017 - 18 comments

Though artificially boosted by high immigration and disaster rebuilds, the NZ economy is in the doldrums, and National are a failure even by their own goals and targets. I predict that National will soon abolish all targets, and that this will be “a sign of our success”.

National has some strange candidates – Pakuranga

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:25 am, April 18th, 2017 - 86 comments

National is selecting some unusual candidates. One of them is Simeon Brown a devout chrisitian with very conservative views who is replacing liberal National MP Maurice Williamson.