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#sheepgate: National paid out money to settle a non existing dispute without legal advice

Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, September 15th, 2017 - 26 comments

In a case of extraordinarily bad timing for National it has been confirmed that despite claims to the contrary MFAT never provided National legal advice about the merits of any possible claim made concerning New Zealand’s banning of live sheep exports.

Lets talk about tax policy

Written By: - Date published: 8:29 am, September 14th, 2017 - 283 comments

Tax is emerging as the big issue of this campaign.  How valid are National’s claims that Labour will introduce a variety of new taxes and what has National’s record been like?  Update: in a smart tactical move Labour has promised no new taxes will be introduced until after the next election.

National’s new copyright problem

Written By: - Date published: 4:07 pm, August 25th, 2017 - 58 comments

National may have further copyright problems with the song used in its campaign video sounding remarkably similar to an old Bob Dylan song.

Key praises Ardern and Labour

Written By: - Date published: 1:05 pm, August 16th, 2017 - 53 comments

Key: “The camera likes Jacinda. Paul Holmes once said to me ‘on TV they see your heart’ – she responds well to that so that works really well for her…”, “Labour made the right decision to make Jacinda Ardern leader”

How much is Mike Hosking paid by TVNZ?

Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, July 25th, 2017 - 107 comments

Mike Hosking does not want there to be a debate on how much he earns from TVNZ and thinks that there would be an adverse irrational response from the public if the information was released. This is the best reason yet why disclosure should occur.

Breeding for a business

Written By: - Date published: 12:08 pm, July 14th, 2017 - 23 comments

It looks like ACT the party of less government will be focussing on pregnant beneficiaries this election.

The magical disappearing Foreign Trust industry

Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, July 6th, 2017 - 22 comments

National’s original claims that New Zealand was not a tax haven are in tatters as the Sherwan rule changes have resulted in the mass exodus of Foreign Trusts from New Zealand.

Bill English is no John Key

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, June 22nd, 2017 - 37 comments

During Dirty Politics John Key was able to stand in front of a group of reporters and with complete confidence make a series of statements the veracity of which was dubious.  Bill English has shown this week that he does not have that ability.

National’s Todd Barclay problem

Written By: - Date published: 8:24 am, June 20th, 2017 - 113 comments

Newsroom has released details about how National handled the police investigation into Todd Barclay’s alleged illegal wiretapping suggesting that Bill English thought it had occurred and that the complaint was dealt with in part by a payment from John Key’s Prime Minister’s fund.

Arise Sir John

Written By: - Date published: 7:24 am, June 5th, 2017 - 261 comments

John Key has been awarded a knighthood. Want to know why?

Herald’s little oops…

Written By: - Date published: 11:55 pm, June 4th, 2017 - 12 comments

What a surprise! Not sure how long it was up, but Google cache still has a copy.

What does National do about English?

Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, March 27th, 2017 - 51 comments

John Key has claimed that the transfer of power from himself to Bill English was flawless and designed to ensure continuation of National’s rule.  Based on the last couple of opinion poll results he should reconsider his optimism.

A tale of two valedictory speeches

Written By: - Date published: 7:28 am, March 23rd, 2017 - 32 comments

Compare and contrast Helen Clark’s and John Key’s valedictory speeches.

Hit and Run – time for an inquiry

Written By: - Date published: 10:37 am, March 22nd, 2017 - 21 comments

Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson’s book Hit and Run makes a compelling case for the Government to conduct a full inquiry to see if New Zealand forces were complicit in the killing of innocent men and women and if there was a cover up.

John Key’s legacy of lies

Written By: - Date published: 8:46 am, March 22nd, 2017 - 25 comments

Even then, local “journalists” were just parroting overseas reports despite having a major vanguard for the post-truth epoch playing out right before their very eyes

Bye John!

Written By: - Date published: 12:23 pm, March 15th, 2017 - 78 comments

Key’s act was was well and truly blown, and he’s moving on without, I suspect, a backward glance, at a job that his heart was never really in.

Marwick on dirty politics, leaks and the OIA

Written By: - Date published: 2:01 pm, March 13th, 2017 - 31 comments

Marwick: “The other thing you can deduce from a three year battle over access to correspondence is that the most senior politician in the land probably had something to hide.”

National accuses John Key of shying away from the hard issues

Written By: - Date published: 8:35 am, March 6th, 2017 - 61 comments

Shambolic scenes as Bill English’s twitter account tweets criticism of John Key not taking the hard decisions regarding superannuation eligibility, then the tweet gets deleted. And Bill did not know the tweet had been sent out.

A fan grieves Key’s popularity bubble

Written By: - Date published: 10:08 am, February 26th, 2017 - 24 comments

Today’s news, tomorrow’s fish and chip wrapper. Tracy Watkins grieves. Max Rashbrooke explains.

John Key – Mr 2%

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, February 20th, 2017 - 43 comments

John Key’s support as preferred Prime Minister has plunged in the latest Colmar Brunton poll.  And he has been seen playing sponsored golf for a Japanese businessman with unusual characteristics.

Key gives up on us, keeps International Democratic Union.

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, February 10th, 2017 - 33 comments

The Herald informs us that Key is going on the speaking circuit and will go back into finance (not that he ever left). Like John Howard before him, he also intends to carry on  chairing the International Democratic Union of right-wing parties. Not a surprise.

The Peter Thiel citizenship grant

Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, February 2nd, 2017 - 78 comments

The Peter Thiel paper dump raise more questions than they answer and hints at ongoing communication with National ministers and that John Key approached Thiel to make the donation subsequently made to Key’s earthquake fund.

Godzone for billionaires

Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, January 26th, 2017 - 93 comments

Peter Thiel’s fast tracking of his citizenship application needs some explaining by the Government.

Bill English thinks he was pro Springbok tour

Written By: - Date published: 8:51 am, January 20th, 2017 - 102 comments

Bill English says that he was probably for the 1981 Springbok tour of New Zealand although has hinted that he has since changed his mind.

The end of ‘governing from the centre’?

Written By: - Date published: 3:33 pm, January 10th, 2017 - 124 comments

And a return to the politics of division by Blinglish…

Denial in Politics

Written By: - Date published: 9:26 pm, December 17th, 2016 - 33 comments

There’s a lot of it around. The Democrats and their media and spook allies are in a complete lather over Putin’s supposed personal influence in the US election. Confident of victory and its spoils up till midday on election day, the Clinton team are incapable of assessing just what a debacle of a campaign they ran, still less what they need to do now. Lessons abound.

Andrew Little: Middle New Zealand needs answers from English

Written By: - Date published: 12:48 pm, December 13th, 2016 - 205 comments

Andrew Little talks about what a Bill English leadership may look like.  John Key promised to lift up the underclass, to fix the housing crisis, and to close the wage gap with Australia but failed.  Will English be the same?

Caption competition

Written By: - Date published: 1:31 pm, December 12th, 2016 - 48 comments

Out with the old – in with the old

Written By: - Date published: 10:18 am, December 12th, 2016 - 110 comments

Bye John, out with the old. And in with the old. Shortly the Nats will anoint the chosen one, Bill English. A pre-failed leader. Mr 21%. The greedy double dipper. The boring, conservative choice for a boring conservative party.

The Political Scientist: Is that all there is?

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, December 10th, 2016 - 131 comments

Puddleglum has perhaps the most accurate description of the Key years and equates it as the equivalent of a Big Mac, perfectly engineered but ultimately deeply dissatisfying.

Barbecue season

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, December 7th, 2016 - 84 comments

Now that we are entering the post Key era the Barbecue season presents the perfect time for all good progressives to talk to everyone about the importance of politics.