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Dotcom snoopers: The “dirty, disgusting, despicable game”

Written By: karol - Date published: 4:19 pm, February 14th, 2014 - 73 comments

So, the PM is hinting that his tips about Winston Peters visiting Kim Dotcom 3 times, came from Cameron Slater. But then, who was Slater’s informant? Key admits to on-going contact with Slater. [Update: transcript of John Key stand up vid, Stuff – Update 2: transcript edited; 3 News]

Polity: Data on moral mandates in Europe

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:04 pm, February 14th, 2014 - 3 comments

Rob Salmond continues looking at the absolute silliness of the argument about the largest party having a “moral mandate” to form a government. It appears to be a self-serving wet dream made up by fossils who still haven’t grasped that we are nearly in our second decade of MMP. All our governments have been coalitions where the largest parties have usually received a mandate of less that a third of those on the roll. But look at the long-standing proportional governments of Europe for examples…

Jordan Williams: running the shell game

Written By: lprent - Date published: 6:28 pm, February 12th, 2014 - 40 comments

You have to look at the “taxpayers union” and ask how even the idiots who were behind ACT think that they can play the same trick to a new generation. But Jordan Williams seems to think that despite the law, Len Brown should pay for a Auckland council ordered audit of the mayoral office. Perhaps he should actually read the law about the supershitty that ACT foisted on Auckland ratepayers. Reading the law may prevent another legal failure from the lawyer who lost for Cameron Slater.

Dotcom’s extradition and the 2014 general election

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:51 am, February 12th, 2014 - 94 comments

In further news about Dotcom he has said that if the Internet Party has not reached 5% in the polls before the printing of the ballot papers he will endorse another party. An endorsement could be the difference between the left winning and losing the next election. And the Greens have raised the prospect of a Ministerial Veto of any extradition order.

The politics of nastiness

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 8:45 am, February 11th, 2014 - 163 comments

Is this election year going to be the most vicious in recent history? There’s always a bit of argy-bargy in politics, and sometimes it’s personal. Despite the best of intentions, it’s impossible for people’s families and backgrounds to never be part of the conversation, because often they themselves bring it up – whether it’s John […]

Polity: Moral mandates in Europe

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:16 pm, February 10th, 2014 - 37 comments

Rob Salmond at Polity highlights John Key’s naivety in politics. It isn’t hard because he is a poor amateur and largely unskilled. If he ever raised his eyes from golf and photo-ops for long enough to exercise his brain, then he could look at the governments of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark

Key’s transparent gerrymander

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 8:12 pm, February 9th, 2014 - 101 comments

For John Key, MMP stands for “Manipulate Members of Parliament”. Senior journalists are beginning to call him on the games he’s playing, and good on them; gerrymander entered the New Zealand political lexicon at Key’s press conference this week. Key wants to push the issues away till closer to the election, when he’ll know what his polling is telling him – I hope the gallery don’t let him.

It’s past time for fair employment laws

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 1:53 pm, February 8th, 2014 - 35 comments

After David Cunliffe’s state of the nation speech at the end of January, the spotlight was, appropriately, on the big policy announcement he made: the Best Start package for Kiwi kids. (It wasn’t the friendliest spotlight, unfortunately.) But there was a sentence at the end which hasn’t had a lot of pickup, and which could […]

A glorious waste of money for the titillation of perverts

Written By: lprent - Date published: 9:28 am, February 8th, 2014 - 70 comments

The fiasco of the wet dick and the perverts shuddered to a conclusion yesterday with the direct bill of around $250,000. Len Brown was strong-armed into paying $40,000 for the audit which turned up nothing much except that his wife brought a lot of hotel nights. Questions remain about who was responsible for the waste caused by the lack of scoping of the external audit. Looks like dirty politics at the ratepayers expense.

Play it again John

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:00 am, February 8th, 2014 - 39 comments

John Key has welcomed Tony Abbott’s confirmation that Australia would extend access to students under the Higher Education Loan Program to long-term New Zealand residents in Australia. But this policy was announced eight months ago.

NZ Herald watch – history repeats

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:50 am, February 7th, 2014 - 146 comments

The NZ Herald has a long history of opposing Maori resistance and supporting colonisation. It has always been right wing with a strong commercial focus & MO. Yesterday it censored news of Waitangi Day protests. Today an editorial spins in slippery style, for the Govt’s failing PowerCo sales.

Dear RadioNZ – the largest party does not necessarily win the election

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:06 am, February 3rd, 2014 - 150 comments

Radio New Zealand this morning keeps saying that National could “win” the election but struggle to form a Government. This statement suggests that the Country’s foremost current affairs radio station may be struggling with the concept of MMP.

National’s election year strategy and designer jackets

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:30 am, February 2nd, 2014 - 111 comments

National’s attacks on Metiria Turei appear to me as being deliberate and programmed rather than an inconsequential argument on the cost of designer jackets.

John Key: telling it like it isn’t

Written By: karol - Date published: 6:12 pm, February 1st, 2014 - 121 comments

John Key says that the Greens make personal attacks: calling for ministers to be sacked. This is hardly a diversionary personal attack unlike the nastiest of Key’s cheap point scoring . The Greens “go hard” in focusing on relevant issues: public transport, environment, poverty & inequality gap.

No details, please, we’re gallery hacks

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 1:17 pm, January 31st, 2014 - 175 comments

Blue has a look at the the gallery hacks and what they’re looking for from a politician. The answer is – not much. Political journalists do not require any special qualifications. They go to journalism school to learn how to structure an article and avoid being sued. There is no test you must pass to become a Gallery hack proving that you understand policy, economics or statistics. Their job is write ‘colour’ pieces about the ‘cut and thrust’ of politics….

Key signals coalition with Labour

Written By: susannact - Date published: 11:42 am, January 31st, 2014 - 9 comments

John Key revealed that he was not ruling out going into coalition with Labour after the next election. He is rather bored and this party may make life a bit less boring. Besides this way he can take credit for having made the Best Start.

Media bias

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:41 am, January 31st, 2014 - 168 comments

Media bias has been a topic of discussion this week and such simple things as the choice of photos can be evidence of this. The Herald has been publishing very unflattering photos of David Cunliffe. You would think that with all of their resources they would have slightly more natural photos than the ones they are running …

The flag diversion

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:44 am, January 30th, 2014 - 119 comments

It appears that John Key is trying to divert attention away from this Government’s appalling record regarding child poverty and Labour’s Best Start and Paid Parental Leave by starting a discussion on what the Country’s flag should look like.

Media Watch: infotainment & “balance” – inequality

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:01 am, January 30th, 2014 - 56 comments

The ratings/sales driven ethos of the corporate MSM skews the coverage of the election campaigns of parties of the “left” and the “right”. Focus on individuals, implying they represent large sections of the population. The left are leading the agenda on inequality.

Opposing the PM’s statement

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:49 pm, January 28th, 2014 - 18 comments

The PMs’ statement todaywas a bit of a fizzer: lacking ideas, a lot of waffle. Some opposition speeches were more inspiring, & laid out some real alternatives: like the speeches from Cunliffe (on fire), Norman (inspiring), Ardern (animated) & Harawira (real people; real struggles).

“A Nation of Opportunity” – Cunliffe’s speech

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:16 pm, January 27th, 2014 - 527 comments

The text of David Cunliffe’s state of the nation speech from today’s meeting in Kelston.

Update: youtube of speech added

‘Reclaiming Our Children’s Birthright’- Metiria’s speech

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:55 am, January 27th, 2014 - 53 comments

Metiria Turei delivered a very strong, inspiring, and well-targeted speech yesterday. She reclaimed fractured values of inclusive, collaborative communities. She framed inequality as the issue for the coming election; the Greens’ education hub policy central. Labour, NZEI responded favourably.

Cunliffe state of the nation speech

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:20 am, January 27th, 2014 - 193 comments

David Cunliffe’s state of the nation speech is being delivered today in Kelston.

Trickleup

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:39 am, January 26th, 2014 - 207 comments

There has been an abundance of research showing that communities and societies function better when their resources are shared around. But the need to persuade ordinary people that this is so is the most important thing to achieve. Because without popular support attempts to change the current system are bound to fail.

Less (inequality) is more….

Written By: karol - Date published: 7:19 pm, January 25th, 2014 - 40 comments

John Key seems to be trying to fudge the evidence of the damaging inequalities in NZ. I recap Bunji’s 2010 series of posts on The Spirit Level showing the benefits of a more equal society. Will this be addressed by Cunliffe and Turei this long weekend?

Caption contest

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:10 pm, January 24th, 2014 - 64 comments

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Isolating change: the poverty of education

Written By: karol - Date published: 11:24 am, January 24th, 2014 - 60 comments

John Key presented one great idea in isolation instead of a full election agenda: a desperate attempt to stop the growing discontents with his government. He failed to address underlying problems. Cunliffe will outline a broader political agenda. Turei addresses poverty & income inequalities.

Herald massaging a message

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 5:19 pm, January 23rd, 2014 - 23 comments

The Herald continues its tabloid-style vendetta against Len Brown by serving up non-news in a shock-horror frame to make the mayor look bad. With a combination of the delicate removal/rewriting of what was said and a a senile loss of memory about the chains imposed on Auckland by National, Act and Rodney Hide – the Granny Herald continues its downward slide into irrelevance.

Spot the difference! Stating the nation

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:19 am, January 23rd, 2014 - 97 comments

[Updated] Speeches: Key (today ZB Transcript). PM’s speech – untruths, misdirections & corporatisation of education – comment added. Cunliffe on Monday, on greater opportunities for all Kiwis. Metiria Turei’s speech, Sunday – will talk education, environment. Peters responds to Key. Greens response – education. Cunliffe’s Stand-up – audio.

David Cunliffe on the State of the Nation

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:11 pm, January 22nd, 2014 - 185 comments

Following your great response to Micky’s recent post David Cunliffe has got in touch about your comments, his policy, and his big speech on Monday.

National’s first strategic mistake

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 12:22 pm, January 22nd, 2014 - 109 comments

John Key has made a major strategic mistake with his early announcement of the parties National could go into government with. In framing the 2014 campaign as a contest between two blocs he has given away National’s trump card for gaining Winston’s support – support the largest party. Opportunity time for a positive alternative from Labour/Greens.