Written By: - Date published: 1:09 pm, November 8th, 2013 - 27 comments
This week in Parliament Judith Collins was in full-on “no” mode – no to alternative trial process for sexual abuse cases, and no to changes to the law of evidence in sexual abuse cases rising from Law Commission work commissioned by Simon Power. This morning on National Radio Jan Jordan of Victoria University called for that extensive work to be revisited. I think she is absolutely right; if carried through it can only lead to a better outcome than what we have at the moment.
Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, November 7th, 2013 - 140 comments
The police yet again apologise for the continuing support for rape culture within their ranks. As a result, young (alleged) rape victims have been re-traumatised. The Bazley Report recommendations should have prevented this from happening. From Key, Collins & Tolley we have been hearing the low-key sound of feet dragging.
Written By: - Date published: 10:35 am, November 7th, 2013 - 23 comments
Parliament’s Chief Nanny has been in full flight this week, trying to slap down questions from Jan Logie and Andrew Little about trial processes for sexual abuse cases. Nanny was very strict. Everyone else had got it wrong, and needed to be corrected. When Nanny got it wrong herself, as she did when answering Andrew Little, she backed off quickly. When he challenged “so you don’t want to change anything”, she found the mild heckling “abusive”, which certainly does raise the bar, at least for herself.
Written By: - Date published: 7:59 pm, November 4th, 2013 - 310 comments
The reports of the Roast Busters are chilling. Watching 3 News tonight was very upsetting. Reported responses by the police, John Key and Judith Collins are inadequate. Key & Collins seem to be shifting the focus to cyber-bullying and away from the brutality of the physical acts. [Update: Scuba Nurse – positive steps to make a difference]
Written By: - Date published: 9:26 am, October 23rd, 2013 - 49 comments
At least one MP if not the whole of National’s caucus knew that the news concerning Len Brown and Bevan Chuang would break soon eight days before it did. Slater’s and Palino’s claims are becoming more and more difficult to believe. And in a comment yesterday Bad12 sums up why this is such bad news for National.
Written By: - Date published: 6:54 pm, October 17th, 2013 - 104 comments
The latest Roy Morgan poll has Labour 37%, Green 12.5%, and National down to 41.5%. As Roy Morgan says, this is the closest Labour has been since 2008. Morgan’s comment: “If a National Election were held now the latest New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows that a Labour/ Greens alliance would win easily.” The Conservatives have dropped from 2% to 0.5% – no help there.
Written By: - Date published: 1:13 pm, October 2nd, 2013 - 15 comments
“I just utter one fear…”
Remember that?
Written By: - Date published: 4:02 pm, October 1st, 2013 - 80 comments
Te Reo Putake starts speculating on when, how, and by whom John Key will be knifed in the back by. The question of if it is before or after the losing the next election. So far only Keith Holyoake has managed to retire as a leader of National, so after Labour’s tidy leadership changes we’re all looking forward to the political splatterfest that only National can provide.
Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, September 26th, 2013 - 48 comments
With Cunliffe’s Labour in the ascendance, NAct and/supporters pull out their bag of dirty and deceptively manipulative, Hollow Men, tricks. Adviser to John Key & Boris Johnson, Mark Textor, will most likely be used again: ruthless attack politics, playing on fears & prejudices.
Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, August 22nd, 2013 - 22 comments
Judith Collins is making a play for support among her fellow National ministers and trying to turn them against Key following Key’s contemptuous attitude to their privacy in the Henry Inquiry. At the Privileges Committee hearing into the Henry Inquiry yesterday, Collins and sidekick Anne Tolley asked why Henry thought he could look at their emails without their permission. Why indeed.
Written By: - Date published: 11:27 am, July 30th, 2013 - 44 comments
Written By: - Date published: 8:53 pm, July 12th, 2013 - 20 comments
The dispute over Judith Collins’ Wikipedia page has made it into an NZ Herald article, with both Brooking & Clarke43 accused of political bias. Team Collins claim they just edited out defamatory entries. The Herald is looking for Clarke43, who surely does poor PR – praising Collins’ twitter performance.
Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, July 8th, 2013 - 174 comments
Wellington alcohol and drug counsellor Roger Brooking has revealed a campaign by Judith Collins’ staff to sanitise her Wikipedia page and the pages on various issues related to New Zealand justice issues. References to facts that National doesn’t want to acknowledge – such as its links to the Sensible Sentencing Trust – have been purged by Collins’ team.
Written By: - Date published: 10:25 am, July 2nd, 2013 - 67 comments
The simmering leadership struggle in the National party doesn’t get a lot of attention in the mainstream media, but here’s an exception. Judith Collins will not be pleased.
Written By: - Date published: 2:19 pm, June 2nd, 2013 - 67 comments
Been having a look around the question of party memberships. Turns out there was a good investigative package in The Nation last year. We really need to tighten this stuff up. From alleged National’s “raffle ticket” membership to the incompetence of our revenue minister’s party being unable to locate their members, it seems like an awful lot of money flowing around with little accountability.
Written By: - Date published: 8:25 pm, May 31st, 2013 - 38 comments
Well, its not taken long for the counter-strike. After Judith Collins’ main brain, Simon Lusk (better known as the cogent Whaleoil) went public last weekend threatening backbenchers that their careers would be short if they didn’t back Collins’ leadership bid when Key goes. Now, documents by Lusk talking about a ‘party within a party’ have been leaked.
Written By: - Date published: 7:40 am, May 31st, 2013 - 71 comments
I’ve been meaning to write something on Andrea Vance’s very good piece on Simon Lusk. It tells us a lot that we already know: Lusk is the brains behind Slater; Lusk was involved in the demolition of Gilmore; and he’s very tight with the Collins camp. What’s interesting is why he has come out in the public light now. And the messages he is sending to National MPs. The leadership battle is heating up.
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, May 16th, 2013 - 29 comments
According to Labour: “Judith Collins has claimed that she ‘consulted’ with political parties but was unable to reach consensus. There was absolutely no consultation.”
Written By: - Date published: 6:33 pm, May 14th, 2013 - 69 comments
Holly Walker dragged out of Judith Collins that the government will not implement the Electoral Commission’s recommendations for MMP. Collins argues there is no “consensus” between all political parties on possible changes. The Greens say National has not kept the promise of changes, out of self interest.
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, April 15th, 2013 - 107 comments
I didn’t see Key’s Q+A interview on Sunday, but it seems to have been an interesting one. Speculation about the leadership of the Nats appears to be growing.
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, April 10th, 2013 - 18 comments
Yesterday more planks in the NAct raft amounting to major changes, were before the House. These undermine democracy, fairness, the security and rights of individuals, and increase hardship for those on low incomes. Ardern on Social Security. Cunliffe on child support, privacy breaches & trust.
Written By: - Date published: 1:34 pm, April 4th, 2013 - 14 comments
John Key needs some cover for his being caught out lying / incompetent / omitting stuff (/ insert your interpretation), so today the government is making sure it is Doing Something. More importantly Doing Something about Bad People.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, March 30th, 2013 - 59 comments
Today, Fran O’Sullivan argues that Key has lost his edge & his ministers are using dubious tactics in dealing with Rio Tinto over Tiwai Point. O’Sulllivan implies that sharp, savvy and successful deal-making & leadership are masculine qualities.
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, March 22nd, 2013 - 47 comments
No Right Turn asked an interesting question yesterday about how the appointment of Susan Devoy was made.
..it is highly doubtful that Devoy meets that statutory criteria for the office she has been appointed to. The advice on her appointment should make very interesting reading…
Written By: - Date published: 4:27 pm, January 30th, 2013 - 63 comments
David Bain has filed a claim against Judith Collins. Here’s The Herald’s / APNZ quick announcement.
Written By: - Date published: 8:53 am, December 22nd, 2012 - 131 comments
While John Key spends the summer in Hawaii, he will need to make some decisions about the future of his cabinet. Parata’s future is poised in the balance, and he is looking to move Tim Groser on later next year.
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, December 16th, 2012 - 75 comments
Fran O’Sullivan & Audrey Young are awestruck by Judith Collins as ruthless Force. FO’S does a fan-girl rave, slipping into fanfic mode.Was the Binnie episode a daring bid to become the next Nat leader? Will English & Joyce respond with callous, socially-destructive manoeuvres?
Written By: - Date published: 1:50 pm, December 13th, 2012 - 11 comments
The House went into recess yesterday. Today there is a rush of stories that are bad news for the government. Collins and the Binnie report, unsuccessful boot camps, and counter-productive anti-union and anti-worker policies. What else?
Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, December 13th, 2012 - 63 comments
Gordon Campbell on Judith Collins and the Binnie report (go read the full article on Scoop). “This is banana republic stuff from Collins”…
Written By: - Date published: 4:58 pm, November 27th, 2012 - 73 comments
David Shearer had Key on the back foot today in the House over Labour’s housing policy. Even Speaker Lockwood Smith sat Key down for going on too long and off the point. He had to be rescued by Chief Whip Michael Woodhouse with a patsy question, but the leadership crack it was designed to bring out fell flat too.
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