david cunliffe

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The election campaign is at a delicate stage

Written By: - Date published: 9:35 am, July 28th, 2014 - 128 comments

We are at a very sensitive stage of the election campaign.  Labour’s decline in the polls has reversed, membership enthusiasm is high and National is being criticised for its male dominated list as well as facing the problem of its relationship with the Conservatives.

What will David Cunliffe be accused of next?

Written By: - Date published: 5:44 pm, July 23rd, 2014 - 112 comments

There have been a number of allegations made against David Cunliffe recently and more can be expected.  In an effort to short circuit things I have collected a number of potential claims made by facebook friends.  Knock yourselves out and add to the list but in the interests of a positive campaign keep then funny and non defamatory.

Herald says weird things about Cunliffe and Labour Clutha Southland candidate

Written By: - Date published: 6:06 pm, July 21st, 2014 - 110 comments

The Herald is saying some weird things about David Cunliffe and Labour’s Clutha Southland candidate Liz Craig.

Work life balance

Written By: - Date published: 8:22 am, July 20th, 2014 - 172 comments

David Cunliffe is now being criticised for having a short holiday with his family. It is strange that it should be thought of as a bad thing for the leader of the party interested in improving ordinary people’s quality of life to try and get some work life balance.

Murray McCully must go

Written By: - Date published: 12:17 pm, July 10th, 2014 - 65 comments

Tania Billingsley’s public comments and her suggestion that Murray McCully should resign as Minister of Foreign Affairs are cogent and compelling. For his failure to look after New Zealand’s interests and for his inept handling of issues for Tania he should resign as Minister.

Lies damn lies and crime statistics

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, July 8th, 2014 - 19 comments

The number of reported domestic violence incidents is increasing but amazingly the number of prosecutions is going down at the same time allowing the Government to claim that it is getting on top of crime. And the release of the latest statistics give added support to David Cunliffe’s and Labour’s proposals to treat the issue with urgency.

The education debate

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 pm, July 7th, 2014 - 58 comments

Education has become a major election issue.  And after Labour’s announcements at this weekend’s congress there is a stark divide, between the enrichment of the few or the advancement of the many.

A quick note to John Key

Written By: - Date published: 9:59 am, July 7th, 2014 - 44 comments

Remember when John Key explained why he sends his children to private schools….. and now the Nats and Parata are saying that such advantages don’t work for all Kiwis.

David Cunliffe’s speech to the Labour Party congress

Written By: - Date published: 3:41 pm, July 6th, 2014 - 109 comments

David Cunliffe’s speech to the Labour Party congress delivered today.

David Cunliffe’s Congress Speech and education policy

Written By: - Date published: 8:22 am, July 6th, 2014 - 116 comments

Livestream details of David Cunliffe’s speech to the Labour Party Congress this afternoon which is expected to announce reduced classroom size by funding more teachers using money clawed back from National’s so called super teacher policy.

We men do need to own the violence problem

Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, July 5th, 2014 - 246 comments

Yesterday saw a social media attack on David Cunliffe based on six words taken out of context in a speech given on an important subject.  The debate needs to be about the subject and not on right wing framing of the six words.  And yes us men need to own the domestic violence problem and work towards solutions.

Labour Policy release – Eliminating violence against Women and Children

Written By: - Date published: 11:26 am, July 4th, 2014 - 120 comments

Labour has today announced its policy on eliminating violence against women and children.

Mallard’s moa idea is not going to fly

Written By: - Date published: 1:38 pm, July 1st, 2014 - 97 comments

Trevor Mallard’s comments today about Moas is obviously tongue in cheek but have succeeded in engaging social median in a way that the designers of #TeamKey can only dream of.

David Cunliffe Q+A

Written By: - Date published: 3:09 pm, June 29th, 2014 - 190 comments

David Cunliffe’s question and answer.

Remember this will be fully moderated. Keep your comments short, intelligent, and broadly on topic. David will be here at about 4pm. It’d be good to have your starting comments up by then.

Bryan Gould: An impartial press

Written By: - Date published: 11:25 am, June 29th, 2014 - 34 comments

Ed Miliband is competent, has the support of his party, but has abysmal poll ratings. The right-wing British press has played a significant role. For instance a messy bacon sandwich. In New Zealand, we all know that the British press is notoriously biased and that our own press may have their own allegiances but are reasonably  impartial. Which is why there are some disturbing features about the press treatment of the supposed “scandal” (as it is regularly referred to) of Donghua Liu and David Cunliffe.

David Cunliffe two-way on Sunday at 4pm

Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, June 28th, 2014 - 61 comments

David Cunliffe will be putting up a post on Sunday earlier on Sunday. He will be around for some two way interaction at about 4pm-5pm. It will be similar to the previous session last month. However he has put more time in his schedule.

The people respond to the Herald Editorial on Donghua Liu

Written By: - Date published: 11:53 am, June 27th, 2014 - 66 comments

Further to lprent’s post this morning there is an avalanche of responses on the Herald website to its Donghua Liu editorial. People are obviously furious and the anger is palpable. And there is a trade me sale of John Key’s book with a very funny series of questions and answers

Dear John Armstrong

Written By: - Date published: 6:45 pm, June 26th, 2014 - 82 comments

A dear John letter to Herald Columnist John Armstrong.

Labour’s alternative budget

Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, June 25th, 2014 - 139 comments

Labour has announced details of its alternative budget with the headline a change in the top tax rate to 36 cents in the dollar for the top 2% of taxpayers.

The police must investigate the alleged Liu donations because…

Written By: - Date published: 5:05 pm, June 22nd, 2014 - 24 comments

Scott Yorke makes some excellent arguments in favour of a full police investigation into the Liu saga.

Turn out and vote National out

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, June 21st, 2014 - 110 comments

At the last election, the high non-vote spoke to one important truth – many voters saw no reason to turn out. The media had told them that National would win by a landslide and they either didn’t mind or thought that one vote wouldn’t make any difference. This election is radically different. It is rapidly becoming clear that we are losing control of our country.  Vote on September 20, and vote against this Government.

NRT: An abuse of the OIA

Written By: - Date published: 4:14 pm, June 20th, 2014 - 39 comments

So it turns out that Immigration released letters from David Cunliffe and Chris Carter in support of Donghua Liu. However, the Department of Internal Affairs refused to release the letters sent by Mr Williamson and Mr Banks under the privacy and commercial provisions in the Official Information Act.  This looks like a blatantly political release decision to advance the interests of the government of the day.  Transparency of official information applies to everyone, not just the government’s enemies.

 

Local Bodies: National’s Campaign Strategy Stinks

Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, June 20th, 2014 - 25 comments

We all know from reading Nicky Hager’s The Hollow Men (or watching the documentary) that the National Party actually advocates for a small section of society. Their policies rarely support most New Zealanders and after each period of a National led Government we have costly messes like leaky buildings and dead miners as the aftermath. This isn’t to say that Labour shouldn’t take responsibility for not repealing dodgy legislation, but National has always stood for less regulation, fewer protections for workers and the environment and an upward flow of money to the already rich.

Polity: The game is the game

Written By: - Date published: 9:24 am, June 20th, 2014 - 24 comments

Rob Salmond offers some advice to the National smear team. When you screw up and start contradicting each other’s stories, you look like a pack of low-rent numpties. And it reveals your tactics for all to see, which is what you were trying to avoid in the first place. Bill English and John Key should really communicate so they don’t trample over each others stories. And the  spectacle of Michael Woodhouse changing his mind within hours about when he first saw the letter, and what he did with it? Pure comedy

The anatomy of a smear campaign

Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, June 20th, 2014 - 322 comments

David Cunliffe does not recall signing a letter 11 years ago which did not advocate for Donghua Liu’s application for residence yet gets pilloried by the media for stating that he did not advocate for Mr Liu.  Michael Woodhouse denies telling John Key about the letter, then says officials from his office briefed Mr Key’s office on the letters and then his office admits that he told Key’s office about the letter yet there is no media criticism of what clearly is an attempt to hide a smear campaign.  Is this yet more evidence of media bias?

The dirtiest election campaign backfires

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, June 19th, 2014 - 280 comments

Yesterday wasn’t a good day for Labour. But it’s not the end of the world – because we know how this game goes.

Good news, National are afraid of David Cunliffe

Written By: - Date published: 8:46 pm, June 18th, 2014 - 222 comments

The weak and transparent smear attempt from National says more about them than David Cunliffe.

The Donghua Liu letter – is that it?

Written By: - Date published: 3:50 pm, June 18th, 2014 - 324 comments

judith collins dumpster diving?

It is a damn form letter written to immigration by electorate offices every day. Prepared by electorate office staff. Signed in a stack by the MP. Requesting information about a constituent case or even a drop-in to the office. I’ve seen many of these per day going on in a neighbouring electorate office. Their files are strewn all over immense file directories. It is seldom that the MPs meet with the people until after the information is received from immigration. It isn’t “advocacy”. It is just dumpster diving for crap by National’s researchers.

Herald loses perspective

Written By: - Date published: 3:36 pm, June 18th, 2014 - 74 comments

So apparently forgetting about signing a form letter for a constituent 11 years ago is a resignable offence now.

Update: Key memory lapses

Labour’s Kiwisaver announcement

Written By: - Date published: 11:35 am, June 17th, 2014 - 202 comments

Labour has released its Kiwisaver policy.  Kiwisaver will now be universal for all workers except those earning less than a to be set level.  Contributions will be gradually increased.  The $1,000 Kick-start and government contribution of up to $521 a year will be retained and will apply to all new enrollments

Communication upgrade needed

Written By: - Date published: 9:24 am, June 9th, 2014 - 51 comments

David Cunliffe badly needs a new stump speech. On Thursday in Whanganui I heard him depress a large and sympathetic audience for ten minutes with tales of national woe, then promise a positive campaign but give no details. It is good to know that a positive campaign is proposed. Labour has promised an economic upgrade; it also needs a communications upgrade, and besides being positive it must be relevant. That could shift the polls.