political parties

The equal pay initiative

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:04 am, October 22nd, 2015 - 17 comments

After twice killing off pay equity legislation (2009, 1990), National have been forced to confront the issue again.

TVOne’s reporting of the latest Colmar Brunton Poll result

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:16 am, October 20th, 2015 - 90 comments

The latest Colmar Brunton poll shows that the opposition block is solidly ahead of National.  Yet One News chose to concentrate only on the preferred Prime Minister result and attack Andrew Little because of marginal change.

Labour’s position on TPPA

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:01 am, October 18th, 2015 - 186 comments

The last fortnight has not been a great time for Labour when it comes to the TPPA.  But a couple of imprecisely worded comments may have had far too much read into them.  And the left and the media may have fallen into a trap set by the right.

Surplus explained

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:03 am, October 16th, 2015 - 26 comments

Labour’s deputy

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:08 am, October 15th, 2015 - 85 comments

An anonymous editorial in The Herald this morning is a mostly well balanced discussion of the issue of Labour’s deputy leader.

CYF Review: Great work if you can get it

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:21 pm, October 13th, 2015 - 40 comments

Radio New Zealand has reported that Paul Rebstock, chair of the Government appointed committee engaged in the review of Child Youth and Family, is being paid $2,000 a day to perform her job.  This is the equivalent to the daily pay of thirteen social workers.

What happened to Mike Sabin’s bill?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:08 am, October 10th, 2015 - 22 comments

In March of this year National recycled a private member’s bill that Mike Sabin originally championed.  The bill if enacted would have permitted a Judge to draw an adverse inference from a defendant facing child sex abuse charges exercising the right to silence. The bill was in the list of private members bills released on […]

Even Catherine Isaac thinks Parata has no idea

Written By: tracey - Date published: 5:15 pm, October 8th, 2015 - 18 comments

When Catherine Isaac (wife of Roger Kerr (deceased) of the former Business Round-table and ACT party stalwart) is at odds with Parata, something must be amiss.

Let’s send Renée Rose Annan to Paris to counter Tim Groser

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:33 am, October 8th, 2015 - 25 comments

A young Auckland Green, Renée Rose Annan is fundraising to travel to the Paris Conference on climate change.

TPPA agreement reached

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:28 am, October 6th, 2015 - 163 comments

The TPPA has been agreed to. Dairy access improvement is minimal, there will be a cost hit on Pharmac and every industry but Tobacco will be able to access the investor state dispute resolution procedure.

TPPA deal close?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:35 am, October 5th, 2015 - 288 comments

The TPPA is said to be close to being concluded with resistance to change in Pharmaceutical rules being provided by Australia, not New Zealand.  And John Key says that the deal isn’t a very good deal for Dairy.

Where is Peseta Sam?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:06 am, October 3rd, 2015 - 13 comments

This week we have had the release of the Priestley Report into the escape of Phillip Smith which details a litany of problems within Corrections and overnight there have been reports of rape and assault on a person moved from segregation in Serco managed South Auckland Correctional Facility.  But no sign of Corrections Minister Sam Lotu Iiga.  Where is he?

Key pinches Labour’s Kermadec Sanctuary Policy

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:00 am, September 30th, 2015 - 88 comments

National’s announced intention to create a marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands looks remarkably like Labour’s policy from the last election. And why did John Key not tell his caucus beforehand?

Jarrod Gilbert on National’s Lies

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 3:09 pm, September 29th, 2015 - 26 comments

There’s a hard-hitting piece in the Herald today – from Jarrod Gilbert on how National has lied to the country’s face and got away with it. Tolley claimed before the election that 34% of drug offences and 25% of homicides were by a small group of gang members – and here was National’s policy response […]

The problem is child poverty not CYF

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:49 pm, September 28th, 2015 - 34 comments

The Rebstock Panel inquiry could be read to confirm that Child Youth and Family is unable to perform its job properly because of it is not properly resourced to provide the job. But it is clear that National is loathe to provide it with any more resources. And the elephant in the room is that the Government fails to understand that escalating child poverty is the cause the crisis.