politicans

Categories under politicans

PSA wins an important case about collective agreements

Written By: - Date published: 4:17 pm, July 18th, 2024 - 3 comments

The PSA just won an important case in the Employment Relations Authority against the Ministry of Education about collective agreements. There are significiant downstream implications to planned layoffs, legal fights, and Nicola Willis’s already tax cut strained budget.

Mountain Tui: ‘Corruption First’ Strikes Again – Is the National, ACT, and New Zealand Government in tobacco’s pocket?

Written By: - Date published: 3:53 pm, July 18th, 2024 - 10 comments

A track record of deception and pro tobacco industry policies is becoming evident in the Coalition. Casey Costello is at it again, this time quietly halving excise tax for some tobacco products. This is the first time in NZ’s history to have reduced excise on tobacco. We should all ask ‘Why now?’

Minister Bishop’s Misguided Legislation

Written By: - Date published: 8:20 am, July 18th, 2024 - 32 comments

Chris Bishop’s plan to “flood the market” with housing development described as being “unaffordable, unworkable and unfair” is also “unsustainable” and even “unhinged”.

Tui: National Party’s Local Water Done Well – A more expensive 3 Waters with potential for privatisation

Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, July 18th, 2024 - 4 comments

Simeon Brown is working on National’s New 3 Waters called “Local Water Done Well.” But is it just a more expensive version with a privatisation catch?

Mountain Tui: Crashing New Zealand’s health system is not the way to prosperity, Prime Minister

Written By: - Date published: 2:44 pm, July 16th, 2024 - 15 comments

The drumbeat of health warnings continues from hospitals, doctors and nurses. But is the Government prepared to listen?

Mountain Tui: Trump’s shooting reveals a hidden danger for New Zealand too

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, July 15th, 2024 - 73 comments

Trump’s shooting has left the world shocked and bewildered. But what, if anything, does it mean for us here in New Zealand?

Trump shot

Written By: - Date published: 11:37 am, July 14th, 2024 - 142 comments

In breaking news Donald trump has been shot in a Pensylvania. Film suggests that he is fine although suffered a wound to his ear. The implications for the US elections are profound. This is a post for general discussion and will be updated as matters develop. Updates 1305: BBC interviewed a witness who is talking […]

Government is paying lip service to climate change

Written By: - Date published: 11:29 am, July 14th, 2024 - 6 comments

This week Change Minister Simon Watts showed the depth of the Government’s thinking by releasing a three page brochure outlining its collective thoughts. If the Government is at that level of thinking the country is well and truly stuffed. And meanwhile ACT’s Mark Cameron wants to prevent local government from considering climate change when formulating regional plans.

Conflict what conflict?

Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, July 12th, 2024 - 16 comments

National activist Sunny Kaushall is to head a committee with a budget of $3.6 million over two years to advise the Government on complex legal and privacy issues for which Kaushal’s qualifications are not clear.

Mountain Tui: When is an independent expert or advisory group “independent?”

Written By: - Date published: 11:06 am, July 12th, 2024 - 5 comments

As reports confirm that the Government intends to sell off Kiwirail ferries, the question has to be asked: “Why is the Government paying thousands of dollars to former National Party members for advice” and when is independent advice not reliable?

Winston Peters – lazy hypocrite on ferries

Written By: - Date published: 11:33 am, July 11th, 2024 - 15 comments

My ire was raised this morning when I read a pile of PR drivel from acting PM Winston Peters about the Interislander. If he wanted to be useful looking at “critical part of our infrastructure” – then there are number of better things he could usefully do – rather than chasing headlines.

Mountain Tui: The Kiwirail Interislander saga continues

Written By: - Date published: 7:57 am, July 11th, 2024 - 40 comments

Nicola Willis’s decision to cancel the Kiwirail i-Rex contract without a back up plan is coming back to bite. As costs pile up for the taxpayer, we have already lost half a billion dollars, but that won’t be the final bill. And there are still no ferries.

The best carbon capture device is a tree

Written By: - Date published: 11:06 am, July 10th, 2024 - 18 comments

The Government is hoping that Carbon Capture and Sequestration will reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emission levels. But it is refusing to protect forests and trees, which are the best Carbon Capture and Sequestration devices going.

Bishop wants to accelerate urban sprawl

Written By: - Date published: 12:39 pm, July 4th, 2024 - 36 comments

Chris Bishop has announced proposed changes to planning laws that will increase urban sprawl and damage to the environment.

Government is cutting funding for food banks

Written By: - Date published: 12:29 pm, June 29th, 2024 - 14 comments

Are things back on track? How about for those who can least afford to feed themselves? It appears not with reports that funding for food banks is being slashed. And the consequence could be dire.

Should Joe Biden do an Andrew Little?

Written By: - Date published: 10:31 am, June 29th, 2024 - 30 comments

Jo Biden’s recent debate with Donald Trump did not go well.

Ferry sweary

Written By: - Date published: 9:08 am, June 27th, 2024 - 45 comments

The Government is in a rather precarious position relating to the contract to replace the ageing Cook Straight ferries, which clearly need replacing.

What the Aratere Grounding Means

Written By: - Date published: 4:24 pm, June 22nd, 2024 - 67 comments

The grounding of the ferry Aratere is potentially a political gift to National.

C Listers and tag alongs

Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, June 19th, 2024 - 28 comments

luxon sheep

Christopher Luxon has accused senior business leaders who travelled with a trade delegation with Chris Hipkins of being “C listers and tag alongs”.

Who would have thought that he used to run an airline?

Written By: - Date published: 2:06 pm, June 18th, 2024 - 26 comments

Last year Christopher Luxon said that he would not use Defence Force planes to travel internationally if elected as prime minister. Turns out that this is not actually true.

Safer streets or unsafer streets?

Written By: - Date published: 9:56 am, June 16th, 2024 - 18 comments

The Government is planning to reverse Labour’s previous policy relating to permanent safe speeds around schools. The change will decrease safety and walking and cycling and increase car use. And the upside is?

Haere ra He Wake Eke Noa

Written By: - Date published: 1:42 pm, June 13th, 2024 - 21 comments

It was always going to happen but it still rankles that an attempt to get farming to at least confront the damage it causes to the climate is being put on hold.

UK General Election – the mood on the doorstep

Written By: - Date published: 10:04 pm, June 10th, 2024 - 12 comments

The UK still has the First Past the Post Electoral system. Something New Zealand should have absolutely no nostalgia for. This means that, while the campaign is UK-wide, a lot of campaign activity is directed into constituencies that are deemed marginal. In marginal constituencies, a General Election brings a conveyor belt of the good and the great supporting their prospective parliamentary candidate. In “safe seats” voters get much less attention.

Respect existence or expect resistance

Written By: - Date published: 11:08 am, June 9th, 2024 - 16 comments

Yesterday’s Greenpeace’s War on Nature protest in Tamaki Makaurau suggests growing unity on the left and an increasing determination to stop the Fast Track Projects Bill from being passed.

Fast-Track to Fast-Fail

Written By: - Date published: 7:33 pm, June 8th, 2024 - 35 comments

Only a fool insists on furiously flogging a dead horse to go faster on the track.

March for Nature

Written By: - Date published: 8:46 am, June 7th, 2024 - 21 comments

Be there, bring your whanau, bring friends. Make it noisy and passionate and make it count.

Lies Damn Lies and Police Statistics

Written By: - Date published: 10:43 am, June 6th, 2024 - 15 comments

Police Minister has been caught out claiming an increase in patrols in Central Auckland when a proper analysis of the data shows that the number of patrols have decreased.

National’s irksome incompetence is inexcusable

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, June 5th, 2024 - 11 comments

When the fabric of lies unravels the gaslighting increases.

The Big Budget Backflip *

Written By: - Date published: 2:57 pm, June 3rd, 2024 - 10 comments

* or is it?

Putting Politics over People

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, June 1st, 2024 - 24 comments

National’s breaking of its election promise to fund 13 cancer treatments is cruel beyond words.

Budget Smudgeit

Written By: - Date published: 2:43 pm, May 30th, 2024 - 80 comments

Early comments on the budget. Basically tax cuts are being paid by more borrowing. There is no way this can be described as being fiscally neutral.

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.