political parties

A Government of spin redux

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:40 am, November 16th, 2015 - 26 comments

The Herald has withdrawn a story that reported on Government pressure on the ERO to rewrite a report after what appears to be pressure from the Government to do so.

The Tide is High

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 6:39 pm, November 15th, 2015 - 91 comments

I’m pleased about the Roy Morgan result. The last RWC was worth 2-3% in the polls to National. This RWC … nothing. And in the days since that poll, John Key has overseen an astonishing attack on the women of Parliament. I think we’ve reached Peak Key.

A government of spin

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:00 am, November 14th, 2015 - 52 comments

Two recent articles suggest that this Government is more interested in spin and PR than in achieving good. And one of the articles previously posted in the Herald has mysteriously disappeared.

Power Corruption and Lies

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 1:04 pm, November 13th, 2015 - 78 comments

A National List MP has been snapped trying to heavy the Housing Ministry into funding a lift in her personal profile. Remember John Key’s ‘higher standards in Government’? Nick Smith’s Ministerial office apparently doesn’t care too much about about such trifles. Worse, the Housing Ministry has been caught trying to cover up for the Tories by redacting an OIA request. Here’s your Brighter Future, folks. Enjoy.

Making the Opposition the Enemy –

Written By: tracey - Date published: 1:00 am, November 13th, 2015 - 18 comments

It takes fortitude to admit you are wrong. That’s right, not weakness but, strength, courage, resilience, grit, determination, endurance, guts, and staying power. When you won’t admit you are wrong you end up having to justify wrong decisions. That takes time and energy (and money) away from what actually needs to be done for the greater good. John Key won’t admit he is wrong. Because of this he has to keep going down several paths of “wrongness”, and because he is Prime MInister, he is taking us all with him. Some people think he does admit he made mistakes. But when you examine the few instances closer (if you can find them), it looks like something else.

Social media disasters – Paula Bennett tweets

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:30 pm, November 12th, 2015 - 27 comments

The first of what may be an ongoing series of posts where social media interaction by Politicians ends in disaster.

When survivors speak out

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 2:00 pm, November 12th, 2015 - 45 comments

Previously posted at Boots Theory. Content note: discussion of sexual violence and the experience of survivors. Yesterday I did a round-up of the women’s voices on Twitter talking about recent events in Parliament, where women MPs from the Opposition, many of them survivors of sexual violence, were thrown out of the House for taking exception […]

EPA to be gutted – for doing its job

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:40 am, November 12th, 2015 - 24 comments

Looks like National is planning to take over the Environmental Protection Agency.

There are no kiwi rapists on Christmas Island

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:23 am, November 12th, 2015 - 169 comments

John Key’s claim that Labour and Greens support the rapists on Christmas Island has struck a snag. There are none. And the brave action of progressive women MPs talking publicly about the sexual abuse they have suffered has shown how morally bankrupt Key’s politics are.

New Zealand needs a new Speaker

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:00 pm, November 11th, 2015 - 85 comments

David Carter’s refusal to rule John Key’s “backing the rapists” comment out of order raises issues about his ability to properly do the job of speaker.

The Christmas Island riots

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 2:18 pm, November 10th, 2015 - 99 comments

The barbaric treatment of New Zealand citizens by the Australian Government ought to attract condemnation and urgent diplomatic representations. But nothing is happening. Surely this is a time that John Key should get some guts. But instead of this he has accused the opposition of supporting rapists. Updated with video from Question one in Parliament today.

Inequality is a choice

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:10 am, November 10th, 2015 - 65 comments

Inequality is a choice. It isn’t a choice made by individuals, it is a choice made by governments. Check out Joseph Stiglitz’s new book Rewriting the Rules of the American Economy: An Agenda for Growth and Shared Prosperity.

Labour, identity, class and winning

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 2:00 pm, November 9th, 2015 - 54 comments

The question of identity politics and Labour’s direction just never go away. But maybe we’re just thinking about it all wrong.

Little’s speech – reaction

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:01 am, November 9th, 2015 - 61 comments

andrew-little-conference-2015-statement

Andrew Little’s speech to the Labour 2015 conference

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:07 pm, November 8th, 2015 - 182 comments

Details of Andrew Little’s speech to be delivered today to the Labour Party conference.

Updated with the full text of the speech.

Grant Robertson’s speech to the 2015 Labour Conference

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:43 am, November 7th, 2015 - 68 comments

The text of Grant Robertson’s speech to the 2015 annual Labour Conference.

National – rubbish at everything except politics

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:19 am, November 7th, 2015 - 50 comments

National are rubbish at everything except politics. And that’s not politics in a good way.

Which Labour Party Conference is Brook Sabin at?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:07 am, November 7th, 2015 - 148 comments

Brook Sabin has suggested that the Labour Party conference is in crisis following the release of the TPP text. He must be at a different conference to the one that I am at.

Labour – clearing the decks

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 6:47 am, November 7th, 2015 - 54 comments

Labour has positioned itself astutely in the run up to and early stages of its conference. Best news, there will be proper cooperation with The Greens next election.

Labour’s conference

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 1:36 pm, November 6th, 2015 - 118 comments

Labour’s conference will be in full swing this weekend. Don’t expect any policy fireworks.

David Cunliffe on the state of the media in New Zealand

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:00 am, November 5th, 2015 - 111 comments

In Parliament yesterday David Cunliffe spoke about the state of the country’s Media and how in rugby terms the right have effectively screwed the scrum..

The Carnival is over

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:15 am, November 5th, 2015 - 56 comments

Ad reflects on how the carnival of the Rugby World Cup is now over.

Welcome Marama Davidson

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 3:00 pm, November 3rd, 2015 - 21 comments

Welcome to new Green MP Marama Davidson.

Is this our brighter future?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:30 am, November 3rd, 2015 - 44 comments

This morning’s media has reports of increased domestic violence being reported by beneficiaries and an increase of the time and resources the police are having to put into helping the mentally unwell. And record profits earned by the Australian banks.

Were people smugglers paid money to take refuges away from New Zealand?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:30 am, October 30th, 2015 - 34 comments

Amnesty International has published a report “By Hook or by Crook: Australia’s Abuse of Asylum-Seekers at Sea” which has rightfully been described as a damning indictment of Australia’s handling of the refugee crisis. But New Zealand benefitted from payments of money to people smugglers. What did the Government know?