election 2014

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Polity: Mr Angry tries to reheat 2011 campaign

Written By: - Date published: 12:31 pm, August 11th, 2014 - 13 comments

Steven Joyce is asking about how Labour can afford their policies. Half of the money is what National is planning to spend unwisely. The rest is from documented increases in revenue in a fiscal plan. Unlike National’s mythic surplus, these are solid values. They will produce a solid surplus to pay down National’s debt.

The bottomless Labour-Green divide

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, August 11th, 2014 - 82 comments

It seems like every time Labour (or the Greens) announce a policy the first question (after “what does John Key think about this?”) is “But the Greens (or Labour) have a different policy to the one you just announced! How can you possibly work together in government?

Get out the vote!

Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, August 11th, 2014 - 3 comments

11,000+ voters enrolled in the last week – great work, more to be done.  For democracy & NZ’s sake, now and in the future, enroll, vote, vote left!

How Labour and the Greens win it from here

Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, August 11th, 2014 - 81 comments

A great campaign launch from Labour on the weekend, a couple of bad weeks for National and suddenly there is a chance that David Cunliffe may be our next Prime Minister.  But how does he succeed and what can progressives do to help?

Labour – “Ready to Win”

Written By: - Date published: 3:10 pm, August 10th, 2014 - 135 comments

David Cunliffe’s campaign launch speech.

Added a video of the speech.

Campaign launch – live stream

Written By: - Date published: 1:08 pm, August 10th, 2014 - 61 comments

For those of you who aren’t going to be at the campaign launch today. Here is the link to where the live stream will be.. It is going to be fun to see what happens this afternoon. But I’ll be there so if I have elbow room, I might write something.

Updated with reaction links.

 

The Labour Campaign Launch

Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, August 10th, 2014 - 40 comments

Labour’s campaign launch is today and it is expected that major health initiatives will be announced.

Leading voices: TV debates

Written By: - Date published: 12:17 pm, August 9th, 2014 - 101 comments

There’s much to discuss on the two election-focused TV debates conducted over the last 24 hours. Prime TV’s new show: Prime Time with Sean Plunket – Bennett & Turei on poverty/inequality (Prime TV Fridays 9.30pm): TV 3’s The Nation: Saturday 9.30am

Fuck inequality! Fuck poverty! Fuck the Nat govt!

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, August 8th, 2014 - 267 comments

There are sobering & harrowing stories coming out of AAAP’s Action Impact at Mangere this week. It exposes the vast inequalities & poverty existing in NZ.  Vote to end this destruction of humanity & democracy! Vote for compassion, caring & sharing! VOTE LEFT!

NRT: The Greens on transport

Written By: - Date published: 4:24 pm, August 7th, 2014 - 41 comments

There’s a strong element of planning for the future here: peak oil and climate change mean the days of cheap cars (and therefore of massive motorways) are numbered. But it also reflects the changes we’re seeing now. Road usage is already dropping, while Aucklanders are crying out for a better rail system so they can escape gridlock.

Not enrolled to vote?

Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, August 7th, 2014 - 13 comments

The success in getting people enrolled may be the difference between David Cunliffe and John Key being our next Prime Minister.

Polity: Shifting ground?

Written By: - Date published: 11:31 am, August 7th, 2014 - 19 comments

Rob Salmond looks at the recent shifts in media opinion pieces. Perhaps the National strategy of getting the house to rise too early has backfired. It appears to be giving opposition parties more room to showcase their policy, more room for National to showcase its arrogance, and more time for the polls to close.

Greens: Falling milk prices highlight danger of National’s economic strategy

Written By: - Date published: 7:11 pm, August 6th, 2014 - 39 comments

This press release from the Greens pretty well sums up the situation that National have left the economy in. Once you remove the rebuild effects from the Christchurch earthquakes, our increasingly undiversified economy is looking in pretty poor shape for the decade ahead.

Our Friends in the North

Written By: - Date published: 6:31 pm, August 6th, 2014 - 225 comments

It’s been an interesting few days in the battle for Te Tai Tokerau. Never mind the bollocks, people. The question for Labour isn’t should we stand aside for Hone in the north or Mana/IP anywhere else. The question is ‘do we need ’em?’. The answer is looking more and more like no.

NRT: 32,000 out of work under National

Written By: - Date published: 3:21 pm, August 6th, 2014 - 54 comments

The latest Household Labour Force Survey was released today, showing a drop in unemployment. But while its an improvement, there is far less employment than when National came into office 5 years ago. That is a monumental fail.

John Key prepares for Helensville debate

Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, August 6th, 2014 - 86 comments

John Key has agreed to attend one local meet the candidates meeting this year. The rules are however that there will be no debate, questions will be screened and candidates will only be able to refer to each other once. And silence will be demanded. What happened to the good old fashioned election political meeting?

Counting the cost – long time dying

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, August 6th, 2014 - 54 comments

How much longer do we have to live with this”neoliberal” nightmare?   It should have died with the global financial crisis, caused by the unfettered greed of the banksters & socially callous.  “Paying the Price” on Al Jazeera; AAAP Mangere Action Impact this week.

Labour campaign launch this Sunday (Auckland)

Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, August 5th, 2014 - 56 comments

David Cunliffe is officially launching Labour’s campaign in Auckland this Sunday and you’re all invited.

Polity: In search of National’s ideas

Written By: - Date published: 12:19 pm, August 5th, 2014 - 14 comments

Rob Salmond has noticed recently that National likes to talk a lot about everyone else’s ideas, but it prefers not to discuss its own.

Tertiary education – a “public good”

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, August 5th, 2014 - 14 comments

The Green Party is launching their “election priority for students” at Auckland University today from 2-3pm in the Auckland University Quad.  Russel Norman and Metiria Turei announced a student Green Card for off peak public transport. Updated

Positive Policy on Youth Employment

Written By: - Date published: 6:09 pm, August 4th, 2014 - 8 comments

Other than fixing child poverty, there’s probably no more important policy than this. Labour will commit $183 million to a comprehensive Youth Employment Package designed to reach 24,000 young New Zealanders.

Spread the word: enrol to vote

Written By: - Date published: 11:09 am, August 4th, 2014 - 15 comments

Live News is reporting that 40,000 people have been removed from the electoral roll because they have moved address. Their enrolment update packs were returned to sender with the message: “gone no address”.

National and the Kiwi aversion to arrogance

Written By: - Date published: 10:05 am, August 2nd, 2014 - 35 comments

Simon Bridges has spent $237,000 of taxpayers money to wine and dine and house eleven oil executives.  And Tim Groser, Murray McCully and Claudette Hauiti have spent up large on the taxpayer tab.  Way to reinforce the born to rule feeling National.

NRT: The last day

Written By: - Date published: 2:26 pm, July 31st, 2014 - 9 comments

Today is the last day of Parliament for the term. After spending the morning on non-controversial legislation, the House will have its last Question Time and then an adjournment debate. And then they’ll be off to campaign for the election. The big triumph here? No last-minute urgency. No “wash-up”. Hopefully it’ll be a permanent change.

Walking through the wrong door is the least of Gerry’s problems

Written By: - Date published: 4:51 pm, July 29th, 2014 - 12 comments

Throughout the last few years Brownlee has consistently denied that there is a housing crisis, despite almost every sign pointing to one. What we need in Christchurch is more houses, now. Affordable, well-designed, well-insulated houses. Lots of them. This is why Labour’s Kiwibuild scheme will roll out 10,000 houses in Christchurch in the first 4 years.

Polity: Bye bye, Colin

Written By: - Date published: 10:43 am, July 28th, 2014 - 18 comments

National has all-but confirmed today that there no deal for Colin Craig in East Coast Bays, or for any other Conservative. This was the right thing for them to do, for one simple reason. This decision came down to simple maths. If Key thought the Conservatives could muster double the votes that a decision to back the Conservatives would cost National in the centre-ground, then he should do the deal. If not, he should not. All the stuff about Winston running was a bit of a late sideshow, as the decision had likely already been made.

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.

TVNZ’s white male syndrome

Written By: - Date published: 10:46 am, July 26th, 2014 - 86 comments

The focus of criticism of Mike Hosking as moderator for the TVNZ Leaders has been on his blatant pro-Nat bias. Hosking’s also has a track record of sexism and put-downs of some of the least powerful people in society.  Are only white males eligible for the job?

Thriving children, liveable communities & sustainable resources

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, July 25th, 2014 - 14 comments

The Green Party’s election focus is on reducing poverty & inequalities (highlighting its impact on children), and developing sustainable communities. 2 recently announced policies are under-pinned by 2 crises: poverty/inequality; and the destruction of our environment (climate change, resource depletion).

Enrolment statistics are worrying

Written By: - Date published: 10:12 am, July 25th, 2014 - 38 comments

Latest enrolment figures from the Electoral Commission are concerning.

Everything in moderation …

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, July 24th, 2014 - 44 comments

I’m not sure it really warranted being front-page news (Gaza? MH17? Bueller?) but the announcement of Mike Hosking as the anointed moderator for TVNZ’s political leaders’ debates was always going to lead to a bit of head-scratching.

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