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NRT: Election 2014: A clear choice on clean rivers

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:37 am, July 15th, 2014 - 6 comments

The National government’s policy for economic growth has been simple: pump up dairy production, export more low-value milk powder, and keep low-value farmers as the “backbone of the economy”. To achieve this, they have dismantled the protections for and then defiled our fresh water on an industrial scale. The Greens want to reverse that and thereby ensure a long-term future for both our farming and peoples. Updated.

National wanted Dotcom to stay in NZ

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:30 am, July 15th, 2014 - 202 comments

The Herald is reporting that direct political pressure was applied on Immigration NZ to grant Kim Dotcom and his family residence in New Zealand. And the SIS tried to block the application but dropped their objection after being told there was “political pressure”.

Updated with more links

The Worm turns: serves the media not democracy

Written By: karol - Date published: 11:11 am, July 14th, 2014 - 35 comments

I am really sorry to see the return of the Worm this election. It’s bad enough we have way more polling than we need, interfering with democratic process. Now we have even more of the same, with the way the Worm is to be implemented. [Updated]

Green Party election priorities launch

Written By: karol - Date published: 1:56 pm, July 12th, 2014 - 107 comments

Today the Green Party launched the first of it’s election priorities in Hamilton at 11. 00 am. The focus is on building a cleaner, fairer, smarter New Zealand. The Internet Party is onboard with a new environment policy. There are differences between these 2 parties and Labour on oil and gas exploration. Equality continues to be a key priority for the Green Party. [Updated]

Polity: The ENV debate: Some more data

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:27 am, July 11th, 2014 - 14 comments

Rob Salmond presents the David Farrar / Steven Joyce / John Key argument that 2011 non voters are a National-leaning bunch. Then he shows that a better look at their own data undermines their claim. This matters because it helps us understand which bloc has more to gain from voter mobilization efforts in 2014. This means the left has a lot more to gain than the right from mobilization in 2014.

Murray McCully must go

Written By: mickysavage - 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.

Clear choices in Labour’s mini-Manifesto

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 8:53 pm, July 8th, 2014 - 35 comments

Kiwi voters are going to be offered clear election choices across a wide range of policies that matter. This is clear from Labour’s mini-Manifesto, released at the weekend Congress. As promised Labour’s offerings are positive and forward-looking. Besides education, there are policies on work, economy, schools, children, jobs, homes, environment, democracy, health, living costs and budget – put the commitments together and it’s a recipe for positive change.

Lies damn lies and crime statistics

Written By: mickysavage - 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: mickysavage - 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.

Polity: National dropped 6% in 2008, 2011 campaigns

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:18 pm, July 7th, 2014 - 8 comments

At Rob Salmond’s briefing to Labour’s Congress over the weekend, he made a point about National’s performance in recent campaigns, which was later picked up in David Cunliffe’s speech.

National has dropped six percent each time. For those interested, here is the data that sits beneath this claim.

It is no wonder that John Key is worried when 3 months out from an election they are sitting on less than 50%, with dead and dying coalition partners.

Imperator Fish: In the Beehive today

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:14 pm, July 7th, 2014 - 5 comments

This post was put up at Imperator Fish on Sunday evening. It looks like Hekia Parata was following Scott’s script today. 🙂

Sure we need a better class of wingnut commenter, as is frequently suggested here. However surely it is more important that we get a better quality of government minister than ones who think that evidence based policies means only the evidence about how well their party is doing in the polls?

A quick note to John Key

Written By: karol - 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.

Polity: Vote Positive

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:49 am, July 7th, 2014 - 11 comments

Rob Salmond got enthused over the Labour congress this weekend. We heard a superb set of politics emerge about education, always a core theme for Labour. We got not one but two treats in the form of speeches from our leadership. Both David Parker and David Cunliffe did great speeches, sending everyone home in exactly the right spirit of both pride and optimism. And we now know the campaign slogan…

David Cunliffe’s speech to the Labour Party congress

Written By: notices and features - 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: mickysavage - 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.

Labours fiscal plan – ring fencing

Written By: lprent - Date published: 5:24 pm, July 5th, 2014 - 15 comments

I have spent a large chunk of the this week digging my way into Labour’s fiscal plan after the Liu smear collapsed. I think that the fiscal plan is a work of art, and very classy art at that. Of course you have to read it closely and look at what it is intended to do. I was particularly intrigued about why there was ring fencing of future increases to education and health.

Parker’s egalitarian passion

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 1:39 pm, July 5th, 2014 - 51 comments

David Parker’s speech at Labour’s Congress today was passionate, comprehensive, and fully thought through. Respected for his intellect, Parker also said “My political heart lies in what has become something of a quaint notion these days, the notion of an egalitarian society. Perhaps it’s because of my Southern Presbyterian roots. It’s not just about equality of opportunity. It’s about decent outcomes as well.” Amen to that.

We men do need to own the violence problem

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

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

NRT: The police are still ignoring electoral crime

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 3:05 pm, July 3rd, 2014 - 17 comments

The Electoral Commission is saying nothing about apparent police inaction on breaches of the electoral law. Information provided by the Commission reveals that since the beginning of 2011 there have been 113 breaches of the Electoral Act that it’s referred to police for investigation. Not one has resulted in a prosecution. In November, then the prosecution time-limit will kick in, and people will escape justice.

Labour will end the farce of “voluntary” school donations

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 1:40 pm, July 2nd, 2014 - 188 comments

Labour’s latest education policy announcement is fair, practical, and an answer to my (childhood) prayers.

Polity: Who do the “missing million” like?

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:16 pm, July 2nd, 2014 - 17 comments

National appear to have been indulging in wishful thinking for some time based on dubious analysis of voter turnout. Their latest round of silliness comes from kiwiblog. Sure there were some National supporters who chose not to vote in 2011 out of complacency. But it is probably a minority, and that most of the new non-voters (who voted up to and including 2008, and then stopped) are lefties. The survey evidence points that way, and so does the E9 evidence when looked at properly.

Rachel who?

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:30 pm, July 1st, 2014 - 69 comments

A guest post from Rachel Jones, who is number 25 of Labour’s list as well as the Labour candidate for the Tauranga seat.

Mallard’s moa idea is not going to fly

Written By: mickysavage - 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.

Is Bill English’s ‘big data’, Big Brother & privatisation of govt?

Written By: karol - Date published: 11:00 am, June 30th, 2014 - 135 comments

Bill English has stated that a third term Key government would majorly reform the government’s budgeting & spending. It’s a major move towards privatisation of public services, & full spectrum digitally-enhanced monitoring of individuals’ lives: especially those of the already demonised and harassed single mothers on benefits.

David Cunliffe Q+A

Written By: Guest post - 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: notices and features - 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.