election 2014

Labour’s Mana Internet Party dilemma

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:02 pm, May 30th, 2014 - 234 comments

So what does Labour do? Gift Te Tai Tokerau and be open to allegations of manipulating the system (even though National has made an art form of this particular type of activity) or campaign hard and risk the loss of 3 – 4 % points of party vote if Hone loses his seat?

Internet Mana: the sell-out and the reaction

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 5:30 pm, May 27th, 2014 - 191 comments

A common response I saw to the Mana/Internet alliance today was, “Oh great, Mana’s sold out. Mana’s meant to be grassroots! Mana and the Internet Party have nothing in common!”

The thing is, it largely (not entirely) came from people who aren’t Mana members or supporters. It came from Labour supporters.

Of polls and elections

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:07 am, May 26th, 2014 - 116 comments

Two new polls are out and the Government has enjoyed a post budget bounce. But when the post budget glow wears off and the inevitable seepage of support starts what will National do then?

Occasionally Erudite: Please, Labour, stop trying to link everything to the housing crisis

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:20 am, May 21st, 2014 - 99 comments

Jono at Occasionally Erudite has this advice to offer the strategy team at Labour. Make sure pushing of theme(s) this election doesn’t get snagged into the irrelevant that doesn’t have much to do with it. For instance “…are people currently earning minimum wage really likely to be even close to getting into the Auckland, Christchurch or Wellington housing markets?”

Polity: Key – “Meh. Maybe I lied to Parliament.”

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:38 am, May 14th, 2014 - 39 comments

Misleading parliament is serious. If it happens, MPs are supposed to make a stand-alone statement to the House about what they said, why it was wrong, and what they should have said instead. Key didn’t do that at all. He just inserted a pathetic “meh” concession into an answer to a question. And the speaker diminished parliament by letting him get away with it.

Green Party pre-budget policy launch

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:14 am, May 13th, 2014 - 10 comments

The Green Party will do a pre-budget economic policy launch: livestream here 11am 11.30am-12.30pm.They are pretty adept at interacting with Kiwis via social media, and on TV. They are grounded in grassroots activities, that link to their policies aimed at making life better for low-to-middle income Kiwis. [Updated#1: got start time wrong: #2 policy here – Green Investment Bank; news reports]

Corrosive, anti-democratic power of big money

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:23 am, May 2nd, 2014 - 86 comments

Too many MPs in the NAct government, & some journalists, fail to understand that the negative impacts of the infiltration into politics of the worst ethos of big business & big money: croynism, networks of power & influence, self-serving, buddy-supporting actions, & deceptive manipulations of public relations.

Clutha- Southland and the stark contrast in NZ politics

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 4:08 pm, April 30th, 2014 - 79 comments

Guest post by Ad about the Clutha Southland where Labour’s Liz Craig, a Doctor and Public Health researcher, is standing against Todd Barclay, a former National Parliamentary staffer and ex Philip Morris lobbyist.

To Robert Reid, respect

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 2:24 pm, April 27th, 2014 - 135 comments

I may be damaging the prospects of him being invited back but I thought Robert Reid’s recent performance on Q&A was terrific and his example is one that all progressive MPs and activists should follow.

Labour and the working class

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:18 am, April 24th, 2014 - 325 comments

Shane Jones’ retirement has made some say that it is evidence that Labour is becoming less relevant to the working class.  Josie Pagani says that the party should be concentrating more on jobs, better pay, and on celebrating opportunities for all of us to do better in life.  She should read the party’s policy platform before she makes this criticism because it talks about nothing but job creation, better pay and improving our quality of life.

Russel & Metiria – or Winston?

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 9:30 am, April 23rd, 2014 - 133 comments

Yesterday Rob Salmond commented on Labour’s two likeliest options for coalition partners after the 2014 election, and had some interesting things to say about New Zealand First and the Greens. But I must beg to differ on the suggested advantages of offering a plum deal to Winston and expecting Russel and Metiria to play along […]

Polity: I am still holding out for a three-way

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:38 pm, April 22nd, 2014 - 110 comments

I think the pundits misjudge Peters. I think he wants a major, polity-based legacy in the 2014-2017 term, as well as baubles. Only the left can offer this. With the left, Peters can be The Man who Saved the Power Companies. National cannot compete with that. Which gives everyone on the left, including the Greens, some leverage. So count me out of the consensus that Winston in Cabinet means no Greens in Cabinet. I see a feasible three-way deal on the horizon.

Polity: Boundary changes

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 5:16 pm, April 18th, 2014 - 20 comments

Rob Salmond’s take on the boundary changes announced last week. In a MMP election system the actual electoral boundaries usually only really matter to a few MPs. It isn’t likely to make much of a difference unless National manages to have a cup of tea with a party with enough electoral muscle to get more than a single MP into the house and an electorate’s voters think this matters. After the John Banks/Act debacle who’d be moronic enough to think that electorate seats in a list do matter? Apart from our silly first-past-the-post stand-in-man for David Farrar of course…

Polity: Labour’s manufacturing plan

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:37 am, April 18th, 2014 - 10 comments

This is very good stuff. Having a tax break for R&D work has always been a no-brainer, and it is great to see it reconfirmed. Adding an accelerated depreciation scheme for new plant is a helpful addition. And partnering with more local firms for more locally-sourced government procurement makes perfect sense, too. Another no brainer for parties – like Labour – that actually care about local employment.