politicans

Categories under politicans

Plant based foods

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:08 am, April 12th, 2022 - 122 comments

Worrying news has emerged that New Zealand officials sought along with other agricultural nations to remove references to the benefits of consuming plant based foods on climate change from the IPCC report summary.

Go well Ashley Bloomfield

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:28 am, April 10th, 2022 - 31 comments

With a sense of regret for many of us this week Ashley Bloomfield announced his pending resignation as Director General of Health.

Is Act buying social media followers?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:14 am, April 8th, 2022 - 14 comments

Hot on the heels of news that Act has recently received a number of significant donations comes news that it may have spent some of these funds on buying social media followers following news that Seymour’s Instagram followers jumped from 23,800 to 72,600 in one day.

Water and Money

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:26 am, April 7th, 2022 - 20 comments

If the 3 Waters reforms can survive its attacks and be implemented, a consequence will be that we are going to have a most enormous nationwide economic argument about the price of water and who pays for it all.

Change nothing

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:04 am, April 6th, 2022 - 15 comments

You get to a point – and Ardern must be close – where the most you can do is hang on.

Why in the middle of a pandemic an immediate change to Orange is magical thinking

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:27 am, April 5th, 2022 - 77 comments

National’s friends are in unison complaining that the Government should be announcing now when we will be back into Orange. But our exemplary performance compared to other nations suggests strongly that the Government should continue to respect the medical advice it is receiving.

3 Waters Reform Must Happen

Written By: advantage - Date published: 5:22 pm, April 3rd, 2022 - 147 comments

If you’re out there in ZB land and believe that water management should be democratically elected, you won’t find respite here. Local Government has done a terrible job dealing with water and change is urgently needed.

Will John Key stand for National in Tauranga

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:44 am, April 1st, 2022 - 32 comments

The Standard has learned from a normally reliable source that John Key is considering seeking the National Party nomination for the Tauranga seat.

The Natives are Getting Uppity

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 8:24 pm, March 29th, 2022 - 33 comments

Jacinda Ardern is “gravely concerned.” Peeni Henare was ‘”caught off-guard.”. Barnaby Joyce feels “intimidated.” Solomon Islands PM Sogavare found it “insulting to be branded as unfit to manage our sovereign affairs.” I think he is right.

Who will be National’s Tauranga candidate

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:18 am, March 29th, 2022 - 66 comments

National is opening up nominations for the Tauranga by election today. The Standard reviews some potential candidates for the seat.

Covid and political capital

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:28 am, March 28th, 2022 - 141 comments

Jacinda Ardern has burned significant political capital on dealing with Covid. But it is something that a responsible Political leader, of which there are few, would do.

Act’s generous donors and its anti Treaty campaign

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:18 am, March 26th, 2022 - 65 comments

This has not had the media attention that it deserves but Act has raised, to use the technical term, a shit load of money recently. And it is using this money to engage in some good old fashioned racist dog whistling.

Can This Government Be Saved?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 5:43 pm, March 25th, 2022 - 118 comments

Can Labour win a third term? Here are some pathways up, and some pathways down.

The Peace Settlement Must Start

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:50 am, March 24th, 2022 - 172 comments

Pressure for a Ukraine war settlement starting with a ceasefire will continue to mount. If this does drag out, there’s more chance of the conflict widening. Belarus could attack. NATO-allied supply convoys could be attacked. I’m trying not to go further. As with all major wars since Vietnam, the media frenzy puts the highest cost […]

Government announces significant changes to traffic light settings and mandates

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:52 am, March 23rd, 2022 - 218 comments

The Government has announced changes to Covid policies relating to traffic light settings and mandates.

Luxon thinks helping poor people is Bottom Feeding

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:38 am, March 22nd, 2022 - 81 comments

Chris Luxon has admitted in National media that provision of assistance to the poor is “bottom feeding”.

Crisis, What Crisis?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:00 am, March 22nd, 2022 - 88 comments

There is only so much New Zealand and its government can do to soften the blows of the instability that are besetting the world. And the problem is without dramatic change New Zealand will remain one of the most car-addicted, petrol reliant societies on earth for several decades to come.

National’s politicisation of Covid over the past two years

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:07 am, March 21st, 2022 - 34 comments

A slightly deeper review of National’s response to the Covid epidemic over the past two years. The overwhelming impression is that they have always complained about supposed Government incompetence in handling the pandemic and have always argued for the loosening of restrictions no matter how justifiable.

Who Pays the Price of Sanctions

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 4:32 pm, March 20th, 2022 - 194 comments

New Zealand’s sanctions on Russia have not stopped the war in Ukraine. They may have made our parliamentarians feel better, and Tony Blinken was quick to congratulate us on falling into line with the US “high-impact sanctions.” The language is combative, but the evidence shows sanctions do not work. They can have significant blow-back effects, particularly if not combined with effective diplomacy.

Pick a side

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:00 am, March 17th, 2022 - 351 comments

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelinsky has made a direct appeal broadcast to the United States Congress. That will sort out the Putin supporters from the rest. And with climate change beckoning it is time to pick a side.

The Tauranga by election

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:55 am, March 16th, 2022 - 67 comments

By elections are at the best of times dramatic events. Given current circumstances and a well funded although deeply unpopular anti vaccine movement and the likely candidacy of Winston Peters the Tauranga by election is likely to be a circus.

See you later Simon

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:13 pm, March 15th, 2022 - 40 comments

Simon Bridges has just announced that he is retiring from politics.

National’s advice to the poor – you are on your own

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:11 am, March 13th, 2022 - 125 comments

To help the poorest amongst us during the current times of International hyper inflation National has come up with a list of tips to help them. But no money.

“Labour… stop playing by this tired, neoliberal playbook”

Written By: weka - Date published: 6:05 am, March 11th, 2022 - 98 comments

Chloe Swarbrick, the cost of living crisis, and what the economy is for.

National’s tax policy

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:14 am, March 7th, 2022 - 107 comments

National has proposed to reverse all tax changes implemented by Labour and claims that the cuts can be managed without damage to the state. But the figure it uses, $1.7 billion a year, includes income tax adjustments only and not the cost of the removal of other taxes.