political parties

The Mount Roskill by-election and the strange case of the missing horse shoe

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:44 am, November 26th, 2016 - 47 comments

One News has reported on the strange case where a local Mt Roskill resident was threatened by someone describing themselves as Parmjeet Parmar’s right hand man, had a horse shoe thrown at him, complained to the police, but was subsequently told that the horse shoe had been destroyed.

National better late than never on pay equity

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:04 am, November 26th, 2016 - 5 comments

A 2015 court decision forced National’s hand on pay equity. This week the equity working group reported back. To its credit National is accepting the recommendations, and unions are hailing a big win. But the final form of any law is not yet clear.

Mana and Māori Party ‘unification’?

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:17 am, November 25th, 2016 - 44 comments

Although the personality obstacles probably retired with Turia and Sharples, it is hard to see how Mana’s left wing policies can be reconciled with the Māori Party’s record propping up the Key government.

National plans to sell Housing Corp home Key grew up in

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:30 am, November 25th, 2016 - 39 comments

John Key, the state house tenant turned good who has relied heavily on his humble upbringing is overseeing the sale of the state house he grew up in.

Sale of Key’s old house a powerful symbol

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 7:57 am, November 25th, 2016 - 11 comments

English admits that the government has done a poor job of maintaining state houses, and uses it as an excuse for privatisation – its by design. The attempted sale in Christchurch, incuding Key’s childhood home, is a powerful symbol of the way this government likes pulling up the ladder that they used behind them.

Politik on Labour/ Greens

Written By: lprent - Date published: 7:57 am, November 24th, 2016 - 18 comments

I was rather amused reading Politik’s “Despite the pact Shaw takes on Robertson“ and was struck by the strange way that some political commentators (and probably some politicians) view the world at the political coalface. They really need to start to think about political parties as being like any other organisation. Tactical compromises without a strategic focus will always kill any organisation – eventually.

Nat state house selloff in tatters

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:18 am, November 23rd, 2016 - 24 comments

Another fail in National’s plan to sell off state houses is good news for those of us who believe that it is the government’s responsibility to take care of society’s most vulnerable.

Brownlee should stop vilifying scientists

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:53 am, November 22nd, 2016 - 21 comments

Gerry Brownlee has attacked a public servant firstly for not approached the Government for increased Geonet monitoring and then for raising the issue but not telling him personally.

Brownlee bullies GNS staff

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:15 am, November 21st, 2016 - 49 comments

Gerry Brownlee has chosen to respond to the cautious words of a public servant by publicly attacking him.

The eternal tax-cut mirage

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:15 am, November 21st, 2016 - 94 comments

Despite the unknown cost of the quakes, and the host of other urgent needs, Key is once again talking up election-bribe tax cuts.

Andrew Little: Promises to Pike families must be kept

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:57 am, November 20th, 2016 - 81 comments

Yesterday marked the sixth anniversary of the Pike River disaster. Here is a statement released by Andrew Little urging that the mine not be sealed and the deaths of the miners be investigated and their bodies brought home.

Rewarding incompetence with a 4th term?

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 8:26 am, November 20th, 2016 - 76 comments

Disaster response is about more than showing up for photos and cancelling a trip or two. National has made a mess of Christchurch and comprehensively failed to learn its lessons. They should in no way be rewarded with a 4th term.

National tries to have it both ways

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:31 am, November 19th, 2016 - 51 comments

Despite the Kaikoura earthquakes, the damage to the Capital and the fact the EQC fund is now in deficit, the Government is still holding out the possibility of tax cuts in election year.

Nats politicising earthquake response

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 7:00 am, November 18th, 2016 - 74 comments

Oh look, National are nakedly politicising government earthquake response.

Dirty politics past and present

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 12:42 pm, November 17th, 2016 - 63 comments

A couple of dirty politics related stories that slipped under the radar in the last hectic week.

Andrew Little: The Kaikoura Earthquakes

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:45 am, November 15th, 2016 - 193 comments

Andrew Little on the Kaikoura Earthquakes.

Fear and loathing in Mt Roskill

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 2:17 pm, November 12th, 2016 - 69 comments

Members of the National Party in Mount Roskill are trying to make a story out of Michael Wood after he responded directly to public insults made against his wife.

Chloe Swarbrick steps up for 2017

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:40 pm, November 12th, 2016 - 46 comments

“The world is changing, people are angry, and more than ever, we need open minds and compassionate action. I’m joining the @NZGreens”

Nat allegations about Michael Wood a pack of lies

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 12:30 pm, November 12th, 2016 - 25 comments

I trust the truth will be reported by all the media that reported the lies.

Flogging the dead TPP horse

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 12:55 pm, November 11th, 2016 - 24 comments

The Nats are determined to keep flogging the TPP horse in Parliament. Someone should buy them a newspaper.

Trump scooped up the white vote that Democrats abandoned

Written By: Colonial Viper - Date published: 12:05 pm, November 11th, 2016 - 83 comments

Trump laid siege to the Democrat’s “Blue Wall” and they didn’t respond to or recognise his strategem until far too late.

RMA changes back on agenda

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:51 am, November 9th, 2016 - 19 comments

A good day to dump bad news. Looks like RMA changes are back on agenda, courtesy of the Maori Party.

Grant Robertson: Future of Work

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:25 am, November 9th, 2016 - 10 comments

At the Labour Conference over the weekend, Grant Robertson announced the results of the Future of Work Commission. Ideas for policy to cope with a new age of work.

The media double standard

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:15 am, November 9th, 2016 - 126 comments

Andrea Vance has attacked Labour’s Ready to Work policy and claimed that the policy does not add up, despite being told how the figures had been arrived at.

Andrew Little At Labour Conference

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:28 pm, November 8th, 2016 - 35 comments

Here’s the video of his speech for you to get the full rousing impact.

There is no housing crisis

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:41 am, November 8th, 2016 - 22 comments

Paula Bennett has announced a new spend of $300 million to address the non existing housing crisis. But the announcement appears to be little more than a refinancing of Housing Corp and an admission that the Government should have stopped taking Housing Corp dividends years ago.

Deficient newshrub

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 3:22 pm, November 7th, 2016 - 23 comments

According to the deficient newshrub on Saturday night there was a distinct lack of support from Labour for the Mt Roskill campaign. In reality 4 buses carrying more than 200 door-knockers including all the Labour MPs other than Little, went to Mt Roskill on Saturday afternoon.

All the best to Michael Wood, who got a great reception on the doorstop.