Neither Farrar nor the slithery one have any posts on last night’s debate. Could it be that they agree that Goff won handsomely but cannot bring themselves to say this?
It was that convincing a win I thought we would see a “Guyon Espinar is a member of the Labour Party” theme develop.
Phil Goff had the details and the studio craft, but after a nervous start John Key had the authority. It’s one of the things that a Prime Minister gains simply by going into work every day – and Key got the tone right to edge Goff in tonight’s debate. Not that the legacy of his night’s work won’t have ramifications.
To me Key didn’t show authority but a disdain for opposition, democratic debate and open discussion. This disdain to me is based in an authoritarian tendency (a feature of Key’s tenure in government).
So I’m curious as to what seemed very evident to me as weakness in Key, should be read as someone else s a strength? Maybe it dpends in how aware one is of body language and non-verbal communication? And Key’s was appalling in the debate. He looked like he had no patience with democratic process.
But Key kept is cool with a measured, clam performance.
Nice analogy – cold, hard, closed, slimy, lives in the darkness……
But seriously, for those who don’t already see through Key (yet), this debate won’t have changed anything imo. I don’t know how it’s even possible to penetrate the wall of lies, malicious innuendo, and misinformation that he puts up. To even seriously try in a debate like that would probably be counter-productive. I’ve never seen any politician use the strategy of telling so many lies, that meaningful discussion is impossible. It doesn’t seem like it should work. But sadly, it does, and did last night imo.
Of course you saw a convincing win. You probably think Labour can win on Saturday.
Farrar was busy on Back Benches.
The TVNZ text poll favoured Key (about 2/3). I think most people will have seen what they wanted in the debate, I doubt it will have converted many votes.
I don’t rate polls like that, I couldn’t be bothereds looking up the actual figures. I don’t know if text polls that cost have been analised, but people who respond could range from rich pricks who have money to waste to beneficiaries who have other people’s money to waste.
Most voters don’t watch debates or follow politics, they vote based on hard to explain inclinations towards a party or a leader.
No you werre not
I have facebooked this comment and it is now in the process of showing the Dunedin people exactly what you really stand for.
o the power of the Internet 🙂
“to beneficiaries who have other people’s money to waste.”
WTH? Bang went any remote chance of my ever voting for UF… You nasty POS… You have joined the list of people on whom I wish beneficiary status, along with the silly bitch I was arguing with yesterday on FB, the married ‘lady’ who thinks all women with children and a broken relationship should starve with their kids or work at what she called a “gas station”…
And yet National cheerleader Tacy Watkins, gives the debate to Goff…. well kinda… she first says Goff scored the “knock-out punch” when he dropped in the question about National secretely planning to cut police numbers. But in Watkins’ final line she calls it “an even match”.
PG, the Most common comment I read on the #leadersdebate & #oneness twitter feeds was you g people stating the poll was a farce cause none of them could afford or were prepared to spen the 75c to txt in. They seemed pretty clear in their belief that the poll played to the rich Nat supporters advantage.
But I keep forgetting, you like the nats are caught in that 19th century thinking…
Key’s body language was appalling. He rarely could look Goff in the eye and the dead eyes and downturned mouth when Goff was speaking was extremely defensive and closed. The hand wringing was also a sign of discomfort. Shifty and uncomfortable would how I’d describe Key.
And how many times did Key start his answers with “So, let me tell you what we’re doing” or similar? He’d learnt the script but where was the passion?
John Johannsen shamed Key on the STV lie – shame no-one picked him up on the others.
P.S. Clare Robinson’s face as JJ laid into Key was a beautiful television moment.
Yes it did seem strange to have the two commentators there only to give them a couple a minutes at the end but I guess the debate overran and they’re working within the constraints of commercial television.
Having said that, exposing Key telling porkies again and clarifying the problems with STV is far from non-sensical. More a very useful contribution to the democratic process.
They did have another go at 10:30 with a repeat of JJ indignation over Key/MMP v SM.
Don’t like the way though that JJ says that this election is really a setting up for 2014 saying that this one is lost for Labour. It ain’t over yet.
Anyone who recognised Key’s scolded petuant school boy act as “authority” has spent too much time in corporates. Those with organisational authority might behave like that, but it’s the behaviour of arrogant insecure two-faced liars and schemers. If any more proof was needed to see that Key has never intended to debate anything, last night was the grossest display. Key behaved like many people I’ve met professionally behave and that is the problem. They will see themselves and vote accordingly. This election may just be a measure of how far NZs people have become degraded.
Well said, uturn: I was astonished when I read that Key’s performance was seen as authoritative when what I mostly saw was the facial expression of the bitchy girl in one of those high school dramas. I am also interested in your suggestion that “This election may just be a measure of how far NZs people have become degraded.” Last night I watched Michael Sandel’s lecture on Rawls, which really showed up the limits of our current mode of debate. In such a small country, treating poverty & privation as something to we will get round to addressing when we can afford it rather than something immediate and compelling, is by itself evidence of degradation. Especially where it is accompanied by an enthusiastic interest in life-styles.
The real authority is John Armstrong. He saw John Key displaying gravitas! Bless my soul if I had one. Gravitas? John Key? Perhaps Armstrong writes in jest.
The idea that poverty is a concern only once we can afford it was also presented during the documentary on TV3 a few nights ago. It used 3/4 of the story to show what a mistake it is to interpret the economy as a thing which the people serve, rather than a by-product of the way people live, then promptly finished up by convincing viewers that solutions were all about saving money. Yep, seems that even when people stare the obvious in the face they have difficulty knowing what they’re looking at.
People have forgotten, and this is primarily the fault of the economists who have also forgotten, what the economy is and what it’s for. These days people see the economy as the movement of money and that it’s solely there to make a profit. Hence why the growth in GDP is seen as the be all, end all of the economy (increased movement of money), why we celebrate people who have lots of it (making a large profit), scorn those who don’t and then blame their circumstances upon them instead of questioning our socio-economic systems that actively create the poverty.
That line Steve Keen is almost right. The bit that he got wrong is that economists don’t even have a model of the economy. What they have is a hypothesis of how they think the economy works (which they may or may not understand) that they’re not changing despite all the evidence that that is not how the economy works.
Nah, I think that’s exactly what he’s getting at, he says we may progress in economics, one funeral at a time. Their Model being their Hypothesis, or more specifically in my mind, their FAITH!
Have you all noticed this “so, let me just tell you” is how all Nats start each sentence, Nikki K was very pronounced with this on Backbenchers against Jacinda. All got the same coach eh!
Nah, Nikki has just been doing personal studies of John Key’s debate performances. Probably watches them two or three times a day to get the talking points down pat.
And Farrar has been very quiet like nothing for a few days on the Herald or Stuff. From what I saw of the debate last night Phil showed John up for the nasty psycopath he is. And now his police force have ‘collected all the evidence’ including the tea tape copies now how long for these to either go missing or get corrupted some how. I hope someone has a copy or 2 hidden away for insurance
What I saw was a very slimy sneering PM who had the slogans but not the actual coal face knowledge, Goff sucker lunched him on the police numbers issue and generally showed a much better grasp…. No surprises there.
Gluon finds a backbone on some issues finally and pinned Key down but too little to late methinks, just shows he can but never bothered till now.
Wouldnt a nat greens coalition with Act gone be fascinating, no asset sales and a toned down right wing approach…..bet they wouldn’t bleat about that but bang on about Winnie.
Yep. I’m wondering about that one too Adrian. I think it is to do with… a drug investigation… a p lab… and a politician called John Banks who has been running an anti-drug campaign for years. The key word is “hypocrisy”.
So we have two police investigations we know of, where the police are being used (I assume willingly) in an effort to withhold information from the public that would do a lot of damage to the re-election chances of the National and ACT parties.
My estimation of the police has plummeted to an unprecedented level.
Fuck how disgraceful… There is going to be riots when people get hold of all the info held back from them during this election… And just now on the news – the ACT ballot papers seem to be promoting National and ACT. How fast we have become a banana republic..
The FTSE 100 has fallen for eight consecutive days, shedding £104 billion from the value of the UK’s most valuable companies, as a disastrous auction of German 10-year bonds ignites contagion fears…
Wonder how much of Shonkeys portfolio looks risky? Does he really want to win an election? Could explain the missing Mr Niceguy persona.
“John Key looking sheepish as people stare and point while he waits for is unemployment benefit interview.”
Oh how wonderful that would be! (I had mine today, for my “re-application”, and discovered that they’ve changed the rules again (within the last 3-6 months, the WINZ woman said). It’s now a 3 stage process, with a week between each stage. That would be terrible for people who were starving… Luckily, I have saved the $$ I earned during the past 6 weeks…
If John Key ended up living here, in a boarding house maybe, and I spotted him at our ‘local’.. what a glorious mental picture!
Key is worried latte loving NZ will fall
apart when he fails to get re-elected.
Russia invasion plan uncovered, sell
our assets, banks to Australians so they
aren’t captured! Its the sensible thing to do.
Govt spending needs to come down, because the
private debt problem is so huge that shrinking
government debt will have some effect. Ding-Don,
it took Key three years to run it up, and
both parties say they will drop it back in no time,
so no wonder Key was downgraded when Don
says its a government debt problem.
Shit in shit out, NZ economy fails because
the right claim to competence on the economy
is never questioned by the media.
As a rule reporters place expensive microphones when politicians give speaches, and politicians and their handlers have a duty surely to return said property. As anyone who sits down in a cafe, the cleanliness, a clear empty table is a sign of a well run establishment. So reasonably, the PM would have known microphones were there, that he would be giving further speaches ‘after the chat’, and that reasonably any left over baggage remaining on the table should have been removed by him or his staff (if they also recognized the claim of privacy). The fact that the Police have been called, chills press freedom and is unjustice in my opinion. If Key is caught on camera looking at the package then he made a decision to not have it removed, that was consent in my opinion, as he would have been all to aware of the many miriad of packages left in his path (like background recorders to help the technicians to clean up the audio shit).
John Key was interviewed by Katherine on 9 to noon Yesterday. He seldom answered questions and rambled and hummed and hawed a lot. He is supposed to be the PM and have answers ready!
Phil Goff was interviewed by Katherine on 9 to noon today. He answered every question and placed hits on Key/National. He covered a lot of ground and packed in a huge amount of information. Most has been heard before but that is the nature of interviews at this time.
Thanks for, greatly appreciated 😎
and DTB nice to hear that there is an extreme load given what is at risk in a few days time. Best that people tick from an informed base.
I’ve asked that question as well, H. Apparently there is an issue somewhere, but I assume LP is a bit busy helping score the greatest upset in NZ political history to fix it. That’s fine by me!
Here is an interview I did with US War veteran and ex banker and senior editor of Veterans today Gordon Duff thanks to Vinny Eastwood, Auckland internet radio host:
Thanks for doing this Travellerev. Bit of a coup I would say-congrats. Couldn’t hear the recording as my head phones just broke,blast, but I could see the value of your questioning from that one comment Gordon D. emailed you regarding “his tasking”, which sounds scarily ‘evil’.
So want the truth to come out about Key. I loathe lies.
An interesting thing about the weather, we just need to look out the window to see what it’s like. In contrast, we have no idea about how many people are voting on election day, and what way they are voting.
You can mention the weather but you can’t do so in relation to the election. You also cannot tweet about the election. Specifically, you can’t tweet in such a way as to look like you may be trying to influence the way anyone votes. I think blogs may be exempt but I can’t recall precisely – I suggest erring on the side of caution.
And that article is a load of bollocks. Report the weather and it’s forecast and then leave it to people to make up their own minds about when they go to the voting booth. They don’t need a weatherperson telling them.
You’re allowed to encourage people to vote, as long as it’s done in a non partisan way.
So it’s acceptable to say “all that sunny weather out there should help get people out to vote!”. But you’re not allowed to say “all that terrible rainy weather out there will be stopping people from voting”.
With the obsession about lies on here I thought you may be interested in another big lie – one from Phil Goff when he says that he said he knows of no other developed country that has GST on healthy food/fresh food and vegetables.
Well he must be lying becasue he’s obviously looked at the issue and missed the fact that plenty of countries tax food. Japan, one of our biggest trading partners and last time I looked a reasonably developed country, is like us in taxing food at the standard VAT rate.
Many do so at a reduced rate but they still tax it. http://www.worldtaxpayers.org/stat_vat.htm. only five countries -Australia, Canada, Mexico, Ireland, and the United Kingdom – apply a zero rate to certain food items.
If he didn’t actually know then it’s not a lie. Of course, he probably should have known and WTF is it about NZ that we constantly refer our decisions to what other countries do?
Just judging Goff by the low standard you and many other Standardistas have applied to Key. I wouldn’t go so far as saying his inability to accept he might be wrong on issues is a sign of sociopathy though.
Agreed on your latter point though. One of my big bugbears: ‘what will it do to our reputation?’ Answer: Sweet FA.
only five countries -Australia, Canada, Mexico, Ireland, and the United Kingdom – apply a zero rate to certain food items.
Your worldtaxpayers site conveniently left out several states in the USA. California does not add on sales tax on many food items that a consumer purchases at a market.
Totally correct “insider”
Just another example of Mr Goff ignoring the facts, and preferring a faulty [Towers?] sound-bite.
One has to wonder, is he fed this rubbish, or does he dream it up all on his own?
Either way, another fail.
Also a fail by MsM who seem assume their man is always right.
Certainly shades of Winstone, don’t let the facts get in the way of a good sound bite.
Good to hear Sean Plunkett take it to him this morning re Police intakes;
hopefully these false-hoods will lead the TV News at 6:00.
Another own goal by Labour.
This is proving to be an enjoyable election to-date; keep up the good work Labour.
Insider, from the debate link you quoted that Phil said… “no other developed country in the world that I know of has a GST on healthy food like that”
From your own link (pre- the NZ 15% GST rate) it appears Phil is right – other countries don’t tax healthy food “like that”… i.e. as NZ does at the standard rate of 15% GST. Japan, for example taxes food at the full rate, but that rate is only 5%. Other countries that have higher GST on food than we do tax food at less than the usual rate.
So yeah other developed countries don’t tax healthy food as NZ does, at the standard rate, unless the standard rate is less than 15%. In the context of a debate it’s pretty hard to create a lie out of that statement.
BTW I find it interesting that our ‘pure’ GST system is the only one that lists an exemption for financial services. The neo-lib agenda-pushers have a lot to answer for.
This is the type of shit that keeps us from making rational decisions about the economy:-
It’s blatantly obvious that rail is dead in the water. Billions and billions of dollars have been thrown at it over the years in this country and it’s still on he slippery slope to oblivion.
It’s a big, long, rant that’s not based in any sort of logic, goes against the facts and some people actually agree with him. Thankfully more seem to be disagreeing with him.
I posted two comments but only one got past the moderators. The one linking to this post didn’t make it.
Ok, that post is now through. It just took few hours longer.
[lprent: Depends when one of us has a look at the queue. I suspect that I’m the same as the others. Queue checking happens when we have a break in our work. ]
Wasn’t talking about The Standard but the NZH. My second comment had got through the moderators before my first one (by several hours in fact) and so I had assumed that it had been binned. My reply to my comment was to acknowledge that it had now gone through.
That’s a good ad. Not voting Labour myself, but I think many to my right (and that’s almost everyone unfortunately), would be given pause to think if they were to watch it right through.
Why did they leave this calibre advertising until the bitter end?
As I have pointed out many times, with what is on the horizon and about to hit in a matter of months (maybe weeks) whoever DOESN’T get the poisoned chalice will probably be happy.
‘The following are 17 quotes about the coming global financial collapse that will make your hair stand up….
#1 Credit Suisse’s Fixed Income Research unit: “We seem to have entered the last days of the euro as we currently know it. That doesn’t make a break-up very likely, but it does mean some extraordinary things will almost certainly need to happen – probably by mid-January – to prevent the progressive closure of all the euro zone sovereign bond markets, potentially accompanied by escalating runs on even the strongest banks.”
#2 Willem Buiter, chief economist at Citigroup: “Time is running out fast. I think we have maybe a few months — it could be weeks, it could be days — before there is a material risk of a fundamentally unnecessary default by a country like Spain or Italy which would be a financial catastrophe dragging the European banking system and North America with it.”
#3 Jim Reid of Deutsche Bank: “If you don’t think Merkel’s tone will change then our investment advice is to dig a hole in the ground and hide.”
#4 David Rosenberg, a senior economist at Gluskin Sheff in Toronto: “Lenders are finding it difficult to finance their day-to-day operations with short-term funding. This is a lot like 2008 but with more twists.”
#5 Christian Stracke, the head of credit research for Pimco: “This is just a repeat of what we saw in 2008, when everyone wanted to see toxic assets off the banks’ balance sheets”
#6 Paul Krugman of the New York Times: “At this point I’d guess soaring rates on Italian debt leading to a gigantic bank run, both because of solvency fears about Italian banks given a default and because of fear that Italy will end up leaving the euro. This then leads to emergency bank closing, and once that happens, a decision to drop the euro and install the new lira. Next stop, France.”
#7 Paul Hickey of Bespoke Investment Group: “More and more, we are hearing anecdotal comments from individual and professionals that this is the most difficult environment they have ever experienced as the market is like a fish flopping around after being taken out of the water.”
#8 Bob Janjuah of Nomura International: “Germany appears to be adamant that full political and fiscal integration over the next decade (nothing substantive will happen over the short term, in my view) is the only option, and ECB monetisation is no longer possible. I really think it is that clear and simple. And if I am wrong, and the ECB does a U-turn and agrees to unlimited monetisation, I will simply wait for the inevitable knee-jerk rally to fade before reloading my short risk positions. Even if Germany and the ECB somehow agree to unlimited monetisation I believe it will do nothing to fix the insolvency and lack of growth in the eurozone. It will just result in a major destruction of the ECB‟s balance sheet which will force an ECB recap. At that point, I think Germany and its northern partners would walk away. Markets always want short, sharp, simple solutions.”
#9 Dan Akerson, CEO of General Motors: “The ’08 recession, which was a credit bubble that manifested itself through primarily the real estate market, that was a serious stress….This is much more serious.”
#10 Francesco Garzarelli of Goldman Sachs: “Pressures on Euro area sovereign bond markets have progressively intensified and spread like a wildfire.”
#11 Jim Rogers: “In 2002 it was bad, in 2008 it was worse and 2012 or 2013 is going to be worse still – be careful”
#12 Dr. Pippa Malmgren, the President and founder of Principalis Asset Management who once worked in the White House as an adviser to President Bush: “Market forces are increasingly determining what the options are and foreclosing on options policymakers thought they had. One option which is now under discussion involves permitting a country to temporarily leave the Euro, return to its native currency, devalue, commit to returning to the Euro at a better debt to GDP ratio, a better exchange rate and a better growth trajectory and yet not sacrifice its EU membership. I would like to say for the record that this is precisely the thought process that I expected to evolve,but when I proposed this possibility back in 2009, and again in September 2010, I had a 100% response from clients and others that this was “impossible” and many felt it was “ridiculous”. They may be right but this is the current state of the discussion. The Handelsblatt in Germany has reported this conversation, but wrongly assumes that the country that will exit is Germany. I think that Germany will have to exit if the Southern European states do not. Germany’s preference is to stay in the Euro and have the others drop out. The problem has been the Germans could not convince the others to walk away. But, now, market pressures are forcing someone to leave. Germany is pushing for that someone to be Italy. They hope that this would be a one off exception, not to be repeated by any other country. Obviously, though, if Italy leaves the Euro and reverts to Lira then the markets will immediately and forcefully attack Spain, Portugal and even whatever is left of the already savaged Greeks. These countries will not be able to compete against a devalued Greece or Italy when it come to tourism or even infrastructure. But, the principal target will be France. The three largest French banks have roughly 450 billion Euros of exposure to Italian debt. So, further sovereign defaults are certainly inevitable, but that is true under any scenario. Growth and austerity will not do the trick, as ZeroHedge rightly points out. Ultimately, I will not be at all surprised to see Europe’s banking system shut for days while the losses and payments issues are worked out. People forget that the term “bank holiday” was invented in the 1930’s when the banks were shut for exactly the same reason.”
#13 Daniel Clifton, a policy strategist with Strategas Research Partners on the potential for more downgrades of U.S. debt: “We would expect further downgrades, a first downgrade from Moody’s and Fitch and possibly a second downgrade from S&P.”
#14 Warren Buffett on the problems in the eurozone: “The system as presently designed has revealed a major flaw. And that flaw won’t be corrected just by words. Europe will either have to come closer together or there will have to be some other rearrangement because this system is not working”
#15 David Kostin, equity strategist for Goldman Sachs: “The wide range of possible outcomes on both the super committee process and the unstable political economy in Europe drives our view that investors should assume the worst while hoping for the best.”
#16 Mark Mobius, the head of the emerging markets desk at Templeton Asset Management: “There is definitely going to be another financial crisis around the corner”
#17 Gerald Celente, founder of The Trends Research Institute: “The whole system is going down. Pull your money out your Fidelity account, your Scwhab accout, and your ETFs.”
Assuming the polls are not rigged, NZers will get the quality of non-leadership they ask for. And will pay the price.
[lprent: And that looks like nothing to do with the post you dumped it into. Moved to OpenMike. Don’t make a habit of this. Eventually I’ll just trash and ban. ]
I completely agree and had a similar conversation with my father only the other night. The “poisoned chalice” was exactly the conclusion we both came to. Thanks for your post, puts it all nicely (all-be-it scarily) into perspective.
Funny thing with Cassandras like AFKTT and myself is that we don’t always agree on the detail but pick the trends. Unlike yourself and your father most people are too frightened by what is coming down the track so they go into denial and ignore it. And vote to stay at the party.
This years election is a poison chalice big time, given we have a government (and a large chunk of the opposition) whose world view does not include:
1. Climate change.
2. Peak oil.
3. The great financial contagion that will make the Great Depression look like childs play.
4. The creeping corporatisation of the world that will result in a “New Order” reminiscent of a previous going by the same name.
I am going to vote BUT I suspect that within my lifetime that I will be voting for a very different set up that will replace the current (whose credibility and authority is questionable now and getting worse).
National 51.5%
Labour 27%
Greens 9%
NZ First 4.4%
Act 2.6%
Maori 2.5%
Mana 1%
Conservatives 1%
Other 1%
Probably have the Maori party a bit high.
Electorates:
Possible swing seats
Auckland Central – Nikki Kaye retains
Christchurch Central – Brendon Burns retains and higher vote than last time
Epsom – Banks takes it. Just.
Maungakiekie – Sam Paseta Lotu-Inga will take it far more easily than last time
New Plymouth – Young increases his lead from 2008
Ohariu – Dunne retains. National will take the seat in 2014
Otaki – Guy increases his lead from 2008
Palmerston North – Lees-Galloway narrowly loses his seat and likely to be out of parliament
Waimakariri – Cosgrove will lose the seat. Expect to see Labour and Cosgrove do very well in Kaiapoi but Rangiora and Christchurch suburbs turning out for National and Kate Wilkinson
Waitakere – Bennett retains
Wellington Central – Robertson increases his support from 2008 and this electorate will have highest turnout.
West-Coast Tasman – Auchinvole to just retain the seat and as I suspect O’Connor won’t contest again the seat should become more assured for National.
Decreased support for National
Bay of Plenty
Rangitikei
Rodney
Increased support for National
Botany
Clutha-Southland
Coromandel
East Coast (expect this electorate to be a possible swing in 2014)
East Coast Bays
Hamilton East
Hamilton West
Hunua
Ilam
Invercargill
Kaikoura
Napier
Nelson
North Shore
Northcote
Northland
Pakuranga
Papakura
Rangitata
Rotorua
Selwyn
Tamaki
Taranaki-King Country
Taupo
Wairarapa
Waitaki
Whanganui
Whangarei
Decreased support for Labour
Dunedin North
Dunedin South
Hutt South
Mana
Manukau East
Manurewa
Mt Albert
New Lynn
Port Hills
Rimutaka – Hipkins support will plummet but will retain
Increased support for Labour
Christchurch East
Mangere (Taito Philip Field split some of the vote there in 2008)
Mt Roskill
Rongotai
Wigram and Maori electorates
Wigram – Labour to take this easily. Am disappointed National has not even tried for this seat.
Hauraki-Waikato – Mahuta increases her lead from 2008
Ikaroa-Rawhiti – Horomia retains with slight increase.
Tamaki Makaurau – Sharples wins again but the lead from 2008 is down considerably
Te Tai Hauauru – Turia takes it again with lower support and this electorate reverts back to Labour in 2014
Te Tai Tokerua – Harawira retains. Davis will be gone from parliament
Te Tai Tonga – Labour will retake this seat from Katene
Waiariki – Te Ururoa Flavell just retains this seat with what may be the smallest lead in any electorate.
“Ohariu – Dunne retains. National will take the seat in 2014”
What’s that based on? The idea that UF voters will all choose to vote National next election?
Dunne only beat Chauvel by 1,006 votes in 2008 (down from a majority of 7,702 in 2005). It’s not going to take much of a swing Labour’s way to collect the seat, especially if those who voted for Dunne previously choose to vote National instead – that would likely leave room for Chauvel to slip through.
My fingers are crossed this happens this year, though. Not in 2014. We can live without another three years of Dunne blocking meaningful law reform with regard to the War On Drugs.
“My fingers are crossed this happens this year, though. Not in 2014. We can live without another three years of Dunne blocking meaningful law reform with regard to the War On Drugs.”
Even without National at the helm and UF gone-burgers, I don’t think there’s going to be sufficient apetite in parliament to make much progress on drugs.
I think the polls are dodgy as they never count the undecided voters. And the Nats are getting quite shrill about votes being ‘crucial’ and bashing everyone in sight instead of being relaxed this week, so I expect they know something the TV poll munters don’t. And while I’m Greens all the way, some of their soft vote will go back to Aunty Labour on the day. Winston will get the pissed off grumpy git vote, there’s enough of those to get over the line. As for Maori, they’ll keep most of their seats but people see them as largely irrelevant for party vote, so 2% is about right.
Seriously, I think the maori party will do really well, people have a lot of respect for
them. Apart from Hone their party list is just extreme leftists, and I mean extreme, Skyes makes Bradford and Minto look like Bill Oreilly.
The obsequious gargoyle Farrar currently on RNZ is a travesty of ‘balance’ and more importantly an illustration of tory media swamping. As is his presence at the Herald and Stuff, fer crissakes he already has blogs and research outlets. What next a mandatory ‘free’ 24hr feed to each household?
It was not coincidence that Bomber Bradbury was expunged before the election.
Go Whangaz! The Keyster abandoned his planned rally in Whanganui this arvo because he didn’t get enough arselicking from the locals. 300 turned up to Majestic square to tell him to piss off and he took the hint.
Ha! Always good to see the fear in the opponents eyes, eh. It was a homegrown turnout apparently, some Labour supporters with hoardings, but just too many locals who might ask awkward questions about job losses for Key’s liking. So off he beetled.
I see the driver got a bollocking for having the temerity to talk to the press. Open and transparent my hairy arse.
Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, they’re showing us how it ought to be done. Their government is currently considering whether to join the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, the US-driven treaty designed to inflict American-style intellectual property laws (such as the hated s92A) on the rest of the world. But to do so, they require the permission of their Parliament. Which has just said that it will not even consider the matter unless all negotiation texts and advice on them are published:
Good on the Netherlands government for doing this, passing policy that hasn’t been seen, never mind vetted, by the populace is undemocratic and needs to be expunged from our political system. Now, will government/parliament do the same or will it roll over and do what the US tells them to?
russell norman just said on radio new zealand that john key asked mathew hooton if he would google how much he would get for selling the states assets.
wow!
The Smile and Wave party won’t have enough party vote to rule alone.
% of party vote mid to high 40%
The Greens and Labour combined will sit in the mid 40s%.
Labour low 30s% and Greens low teens.
Banks loses Epsom and ACT exits parliament
Dunne loses Ohariu and exits parliament
Maori Party gets 2 to 3 MPs
Mana Party gets 2 to 3 MPs.
Winston back or close to being back.
Something like perhaps:
Smile and Wave 46%
Labour 32%
Greens 12%
Winston First 4%
Maori 2%
Mana 2%
ACT 1% (won’t matter as exited from parliament)
Conservatives 1%
Something weird has happened with Epsom’s voting papers. Apparently ACT’s and National’s voting areas are more prominent. I suspect this will get a lot more attention. New Zealand’s electoral system needs to be scrupulously fair.
I do not believe it. ACT and National get the benefit of an empty line after their party vote line. Their names are clearer and easier to ascertain and the extra space suggests that they are somehow better.
Perhaps they did not want to rub shoulders with the others and insisted on having more space.
But this is appalling. The form gives them an advantage.
Easily proven if this is an anomaly review past voting papers from various electorates and see if this is consistent if it is then accept that this is merely a coincidence, and if so then file it under yet another example of poor reporting by the media, and not a media organisation looking for retribution for the tea and scone episode.
None of that explanation offered by the very sincere official explains the need for selectively spaced variances in the ballot.
I watched his explanantion half a dozen times. I am confident we all understand that the way the list is presented on the ballot has random elements and we are willing to submit to the whimsy of chaos, freely giving benefit of the doubt as to how the final order eventuated.
I am sure that is not in dispute by anyone.
Why there are physical spaces only under the two Parties in question, has not been answered.
Yes it has? The candidates are listed in alphabetical order on the right. The box for the party then goes next to the candidate standing in that seat.
If the independents running (Penny Bright and Matthew Goode) had parties they would be listed in those gaps. Every other candidate has a party hence no other gaps.
Every ballot in the country is laid out in exactly the same way.
Funny I had one today from Tim Groser. He was claiming credit for the New Lynn Train upgrade which is a bit of a hoot. David Cunliffe did all of the work on this. I hope Groser is paying for each call …
Brett, you’ve crossed to the other side! A question directed to left wing voters you have answered. Oh, Joy! Oh, Celebration! Kill the fatted calf! The prodigal has returned!
Predictions please. Someone asked me at work how best to split their votes tactically for labour, left, greens in Te tai Tonga to get the maximum impact. Any ideas?
They should give their electorate vote to the Labour candidate as the Labour candidate is in a fight with Rahui Katene for the seat. The party vote could be given to either the Greens or Labour depending which party they prefer. I don’t think it matters which of them gets given the vote.
They could vote the Mana party. With enough votes they may well bring in 1-2 other MPs beside Hone Harawira but there is a risk that Mana don’t get enough party votes for another MP and thus you could technically find the vote given to the National party. As wasted votes are given to those parties that have made it to parliament and distributed percentage wise.
Researchers say the public should be worried about how often politicians push through legislation under urgency with no good reason. (6′02″)
It was based on research conducted looking at use of urgency from FPP days to present (1987-2010). Urgency was used a lot under FPP, but declined between 1999-2008, and it was thought that MMP was a system that worked against such abuse. But since 2008 it has been used as much, if not more than FPP days.
Prof Elizabeth McLeay said that she had recommended changes to standing orders to prevent such abuses, but only some of the recommendatons are being implemented in the next term.
The 2008 election campaign had NACT billboards and politicians decrying the volume of Kiwis crossing the ditch and the likes of Espiner hammered Labour over it.
Move forward to this evening on Jim-I’m-a-close-friend-of-The-Penguin-and-the-Right-Mora. Who did he have on? None other than Farrar and what were Farrar and Mora talking about? The natural movement of people out of NZ. And then to rub salt in, Farrar was given a couple of minutes at the end of the programme to explain his, and the PM’s, preference for voting systems and dissing MMP.
The November 22-23 survey finds parties with the following Definite Voter party vote shares:
Latest horizon poll
ACT New Zealand
2.7%
Conservative Party of New Zealand
5.2%
Green Party
12.4%
Labour Party
28.6%
Mana Party
2.8%
Maori Party
1.1%
National Party
33.4%
New Zealand First Party
10.8%
United Future
0.9%
Other party
0.7%
Choose not to vote
0.0%
Don’t Know
1.3%
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The Government is investing $39.7 Million over four years to support the educational needs of Pacific learners and families in the regions hardest hit by COVID-19, with Auckland getting an immediate boost, Associate Minister of Education Jenny Salesa says. “Like all New Zealanders Pacific families want learners to do well ...
New Zealand’s goal of 100,000 kiwi by 2030 is being helped by an extra $19.7 million in funding to accelerate iwi and community efforts to protect kiwi, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced. “$19.7 million of Jobs for Nature funding is being invested in kiwi conservation activities including increased predator ...
Ensuring New Zealanders can get the best deal on their electricity takes a step in the right direction today with the South Island launch of the EnergyMate pilot run by the Electricity Retailers’ Association, says Minister of Energy and Resources, Dr Megan Woods. EnergyMate is an industry-led programme providing coaching ...
Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter announced today that the Government has reached its target of 50 percent on women on state sector board and committees – setting a new record level of women on state sector boards. “This Government is committed to having more women in leadership roles - ...
Transport Minister Phil Twyford released today the final Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS) 2021 which outlines the planned $48 billion investment in services and infrastructure over the next decade. “The final GPS supports our Government’s five-point plan for economic recovery by confirming our record investments in transport infrastructure ...
Three ambitious and cutting-edge research programmes that will lift New Zealand’s advanced energy technology research capability over seven years, have been supported by Government today, says Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods. The projects will each receive a share of $40.7 million investment from the Strategic Science Investment Fund. ...
The critical area for forensic examination known as Pit Bottom in Stone has been reached in what is a major milestone for the Pike River re-entry project, Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-entry Andrew Little announced. “The infrastructure located in Pit Bottom in Stone is of very significant interest in ...
The Government is working on how New Zealand’s retirement income policies and settings can best support Kiwis in light of the COVID-19 economic recovery, with the help of the Retirement Commissioner’s latest review, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said. “The Retirement Commissioner’s three-yearly review into New Zealand’s retirement ...
A new digital hub and development centre in Murupara will be instrumental in growing the region’s productivity, said Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau at the official opening of two community initiatives today. “I’m pleased to be here celebrating a significant milestone for two projects set to make a ...
PREFU shows economy doing better than forecast Unemployment to peak at 7.8%, down from 9.8% forecast in the Budget Year-to-June accounts show tax revenue, debt and OBEGAL better than forecast Global forecast downgraded as COVID-19 second waves and uncertainty grows Balanced plan to support critical public services, manage debt and ...
The Kāpiti Coast town of Ōtaki will receive $1.4 million in Government funding for two projects providing scores of jobs for locals while improving community facilities, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The Māoriland Charitable Trust will receive a $900,000 Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) grant to upgrade the ...
The Provincial Growth Fund will provide $11.88 million to fund fencing and waterway projects nationwide that will improve the environment and create jobs in their communities, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. “These projects will create more than 100 jobs nationwide with work starting within the next couple ...
As part of the COVID-19 recovery, the Government has strengthened its procurement rules to ensure its annual $42 billion spend creates more jobs, uses more sustainable construction practices and results in better outcomes for Māori and Pasifika, Government Ministers announced today. Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford says the $42 ...
The Government is supporting a major upgrade of Timaru’s iconic Theatre Royal and the construction of a new connected Heritage Facility museum and exhibition space with $11.6 million from the Government’s Infrastructure Fund, Jacinda Ardern announced today. “We heard the call from the community and the council. The Theatre Royal ...
Chrissy Montague (formerly Armstrong), barrister of Auckland has been appointed as a District Court Judge with Family Court jurisdiction to be based in Wellington, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Ms Montague commenced practice in Auckland in 1987 and went into general practice dealing with Wills, Estates, Trusts, Conveyancing, Relationship Property ...
A Proposal to provide for the development and operation of commercial film and video production facilities in areas of Christchurch has been given the go ahead. Hon Poto Williams, Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, has approved the Proposal, which was prepared and submitted by Regenerate Christchurch. Minister Williams ...
As part of the Government’s focus on building closer partnerships with Māori and enhancing the quality of, and access to, Māori medium education, a payment of $8 million will be made to Te Wānanga o Raukawa in partial recognition of its Waitangi Tribunal claim (WAI 2698), Associate Education Minister Kelvin ...
The Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage has announced a $19 million investment over four years in an important forest restoration project involving a partnership between the Department of Conservation, iwi/hapū, the Bay of Plenty and Waikato Regional Councils, community conservation groups and organisations such as Forest and Bird across the ...
New Zealand will be the first country in the world to require the financial sector to report on climate risks, the Minister for Climate Change James Shaw announced today. The changes build on the huge progress this Government has made to tackle the climate crisis. “Today is another step on ...
Economic activity across the Auckland region and the country bounced back to levels experienced under Alert Level 1 following Auckland’s move out of Alert Level 3, analysis in the Treasury’s latest Weekly Economic Update shows. The analysis of economic data since Auckland’s move out of Level 3 shows: Auckland card ...
Takiri mai te ata, ka ao, ka ao, ka awatea, tihei mauriora! Tātou katoa ngā iwi o Aotearoa, tēnā koutou! Tēnā tātou e whakanuia ana i te wiki nei, te wiki o te reo Māori Greeting to you all from Otepoti, Dunedin. This week is the Māori Language week and ...
More mental health and addiction services are available for young New Zealanders in Rotorua and Taupō, Wairarapa, South Canterbury, Dunedin and Southland from next month, Health Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter say. “The Government is serious about making sure New Zealanders struggling with mental health ...
The Manuherekia catchment in Central Otago is the third exemplar catchment to be targeted as part of the Government’s plan to clean up waterways by supporting community-led programmes. Environment Minister David Parker said the Manuherekia catchment is vitally important to the people of Central Otago. “The Manuherekia rises in the ...
The Government has agreed on a preferred design for the new Dunedin Hospital featuring two separate buildings, and has provided funding for the next stages of work. Minister of Health Chris Hipkins says Cabinet has approved in principle the detailed business case for the new hospital, giving people in ...
New Zealanders across the country are set to mark history as part of the Māori Language Week commemorations led by Te Taura Whiri i te reo Māori this year. Māori Development Minister, Nanaia Mahuta says the initiative will mark history for all the right reasons including making te reo Māori ...
More than 1000 teachers, support staff and school leaders have graduated from a programme designed to grow their capability to use te reo Māori in their teaching practice, as part of the Government’s plan to integrate te reo Māori into education, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. Being trialled ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio, says the Toloa Tertiary Scholarships which aims to encourage more Pacific student numbers participating and pursuing STEM-related studies in 2021, are now open. “These tertiary scholarships are administrated by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP), and are part of MPP’s overall Toloa ...
Four Bay of Plenty timber businesses will receive investments totalling nearly $22 million through the Provincial Growth Fund to boost the local economy and create jobs, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. Rotorua-based sawmill Red Stag Wood Solutions will receive a $15 million loan to develop an engineered ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced that New Zealand is exploring the viability of working with partners to conduct a search for the black box on the Gulf Livestock 1. “We know how much it would mean to the families of those on the ship to understand more about ...
The government has announced more border exemptions and visa changes to help get specialised workers in the country and fill labour shortages in key sectors. ...
The National Party leader tells Duncan Greive what conviction means to her, and why she thinks she gets a different treatment to Jacinda Ardern.The first time I saw Judith Collins at close quarters, she was moving through what was inelegantly billed as the “National stakeholder party” held at parliament last ...
Being in the midst of a global pandemic does funny things to you, finds Michelle Langstone as she gives in to an overwhelming urge to return to the Auckland amusement park of her youth. I don’t know if it’s nostalgia working, but my husband and I had an overwhelming urge ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Blair Williams, Associate Lecturer, School of Political Science and International Relations, Australian National University The grand final of Plate of Origin will air on on Channel Seven tonight. Like other blockbuster cooking shows (think MasterChef, My Kitchen Rules), Plate of Origin is ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union has released a list of questions that should be asked at tonight’s TVNZ leaders' debate – and at tonight’s separate finance debate in Queenstown. Questions for Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins: Is tax theft ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Barrett, Senior Lecturer in Taxation, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington The conservative tax policies proposed by Labour and National ahead of next month’s election are hard to distinguish in substance, with each party offering no more than a ...
Judith Collins says she'll be pointing out a "lack of follow-through" by the Labour leader while for Jacinda Ardern it is less about "sparring" than "directly communicating". ...
National wants to boost the capacity of managed isolation facilities by allowing private accommodation providers to join the government-controlled network and charge what they like. ...
National wants to boost the capacity of managed isolation facilities by allowing private accommodation providers to join the government-controlled network and charge what they like. ...
Covid-19 will not be going away any time soon and the National Party says we should team up with the private sector to let more workers and tourists in safely National have announced that, if elected, they will ramp up the private provision of quarantine to allow workers and long-term tourists ...
A joint statement by the national leaders of most New Zealand church denominations We urge the people of Aotearoa New Zealand to vote very cautiously in the two Referendums, because both decisions carry the risk of inflicting serious long-term damage on our ...
A celebration of 35 years working with whānau in the Heretaunga community was celebrated with a short history lesson, waiata and the cutting of the cake this morning. Iwi chair Ngahiwi Tomoana provided the history of the kaupapa Māori organisation which ...
Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell says 2019/20 was a good year for the co-op, with profit up, debt down and a strong milk price. The result, a profit of $659m, may have brought a cheer from the co-op’s farmer-suppliers and Hurrell deserves a cheer, too, for succeeding in turning around the ...
Three weeks ago, the NZ Parliament enacted new Water Laws. The WHO says 1.1 levels Nitrogen for rivers is OK. We are already at 0.6. The new Law (The Greens) wants 0.1 Nitrogen, this is impossible and absolutely ridiculous! ...
Too much news? Welcome to the only round-up you need.The election was supposed to be over by now. We were all supposed to be free but instead we’re back talking about fiscal holes and house prices. Bit of housekeeping: there’ll be no more yes, no, huh? in this column as ...
In a time of growing ideological conformity within the New Zealand media, a backlash from the public has seen media outlets seeking to proclaim themselves as the arbiters of truth. The New Zealand media industry, once renowned for impartial journalism, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Wynn, Lead Economist, CSIRO Futures, CSIRO Over the next few years, science and technology will have a vital role in supporting Australia’s economy as it strives to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. At Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, we’ve identified opportunities ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yun Jiang, Senior Research Officer, Australian National University Last month, the University of New South Wales came under harsh criticism after its media team deleted an article and tweet in which Elaine Pearson, the Australia director of Human Rights Watch, expressed concern ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Theodore E. (Ted) Zorn, Professor of Organisational Communication and Head of Massey Executive Development, Massey University When New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was named the “world’s most eloquent leader” last month it raised the question of just how important eloquence is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle Coffee is regularly in the news for its potential health benefits and drawbacks. A review of the research found drinking a few cups of coffee a day was associated with a lower ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bryan Fry, Associate Professor, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland Funnel webs are considered one of Australia’s most fearsome spiders, but their ability to kill humans is by accident rather than design, our new research shows. In findings published today, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Muir, Associate Professor in Mathematics Education, University of Tasmania Parents and carers were responsible for overseeing their children’s learning during the first wave of COVID restrictions in Australia. Many parents in Melbourne and some in regional Victoria will still be doing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marilyn Lake, Professorial Fellow in History, University of Melbourne Review: Vida: A Woman for Our Time, published by Penguin (Viking imprint) Australian women were not the first to win the right to vote in national elections. That world-historic distinction belongs to New ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s Election Live for September 22, bringing you the latest on election 2020 and other NZ news. The essential campaign dates are here. For all you need to know about the cannabis referendum click here. For the assisted dying referendum click here. Explore the parties’ pledges at Policy. I’m ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Country outside Auckland now at level one, previewing the first major leader debate, and another error found in National’s costings.The alert levels will shift down around the country this week, with most of the country moving back into level one. Our live ...
Our Seas Our Future (OSOF) is encouraged by the Green Party’s marine policy to protect and restore our seas and oceans, as outlined in its Thriving Oceans Plan. OSOF representative, Noel Jhinku, says that the policy recognises the need to address ...
In an extraordinary exchange during a recent press conference our Finance Minister, when asked why the Reserve Bank does not write off the Covid19 debt, said “it isn’t the way we manage monetary and fiscal policy”. He did not say that it is not technically ...
“ACT has a plan to lift the restrictions holding back the tourism sector and give operators the tax relief they need after being hammered by Covid,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “I’ve travelled from Northland to Southland talking to tourism ...
With voting set to begin in under two weeks, the Howick Youth Council’s interactive candidate forums have been the first successful community meetings held virtually in the Botany and Pakuranga electorates for the 2020 general election. The youth-led ...
New Zealand is already taking risks allowing Kiwis to return, so why not rich Americans, ACT says. A Southland tourism operator says it's a bold move, but won't get the industry back on its feet. ...
Wealthy people’s money grows at a faster rate than the economy, like a dam hoarding water while the city below grows thirsty. To conserve our way of life, we need to ensure wealth flows between the top and the bottom, writes Tax Justice's Louise Delaney Now both major parties have ...
We continue our week-long series on an extraordinary book of essays by Ghazaleh Golbakhsh with a memoir of the author from Golriz Ghahrman My friend Ghazaleh Golbakhsh is a film-maker, a writer, actor, Iranian, Kiwi, woman of colour, citizen of the world, and wild dreamer. Her new book of essays ...
Angela Merkel’s response to the latest refugee crisis only makes sense in an ideal world - in the real world it is dividing the EU and encouraging human traffickers, says Oliver Hartwich ...
While Covid-19 put the airline’s passenger business into a steep dive the airline’s cargo business has been climbing. It is now referred to as Air New Zealand’s green shoot.Mark Jennings reports. Aside from a massive one day sale of low priced domestic seats there’s not been a lot of good ...
Stephen Hoadley provides some context around US President Donald Trump's claimed successes in the Middle East On September 15, 2020, President Trump hosted leaders from Israel, UAE, and Bahrain at the White House. The event was the signing of agreements in which UAE and Bahrain normalised diplomatic relations with Israel. Trump characterised this ...
Kanyon Paul will wear the Warriors jersey in next month's NRL women's championship with the blessing of her late grandfather - who helped her make the decision to cross the Tasman to play. Kanyon Paul wasn’t meant to play for the Warriors women’s team this season. But her league-loving grandfather ...
The West Coast was promised $140 million from the provincial growth fund. David Williams asks how much has been spent The need is great, and it has been for years. The Pancake Rocks, at Dolomite Point, the foot of the Paparoa National Park, is a must-see natural attraction for tourists ...
On Saturday four parties that believe Covid-19 is being used by the government to impose social control put their differences aside to share a stage. Alex Braae went to Nelson to see where they were coming from. “If you question the government, you get called a conspiracy theorist. Why? And ...
One sudden gust of wind and traffic around New Zealand's biggest city goes into a chaotic meltdown. How long will it take to fix the Auckland Harbour Bridge and why can't it be faster? Over the weekend, we saw what happens when an unstoppable (gale) force meets a moveable object. It ...
Covid alert Levels 3 and 2.5 in Auckland impact credit card spending in Auckland, but our international online spend-up continues - plus Queensland hotels and apartments face empty summer ...
By Yanuarius Weya in Jayapura A pastor has been shot dead at the weekend allegedly by the Indonesian military, sparking protests by church groups and a call for an investigation. The pastor, Rev Yeremia Zanambani, was killed on Saturday in the Hitadipa district of Intan Jaya regency, Papua. He was ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Morrison government will tell its refocused clean energy agencies and the clean energy regulator to give priority to investment in five low emissions technologies and report how they are accelerating them. The technologies are ...
John Campbell hosts Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins on a crunch evening in the campaign. Here are 11 things Toby Manhire reckons you might see.Tonight at 7pm the 2020 election campaign will – with a bit of luck – spring into life. A triangle of Js will take the stage ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Maguire, Associate Professor in Human Rights and International Law, University of Newcastle The Jerusalem District Court has ruled Malka Leifer should be extradited to Australia. The former Melbourne headmistress faces 74 charges of child sexual abuse against three alleged victims. How ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex James, Associate professor, University of Canterbury New Zealand’s government today announced that after seven days of no new community cases linked to the Auckland cluster, most of the country will return to almost normal life, at alert level 1, from midnight. ...
A strong biblical element is emerging in the US presidential elections. First, fire: much of the northern West Coast is being blitzed by wild fires. Then, water: southern states, notably Alabama and Florida, have been battered and flooded by hurricanes. And now Americans wait for the plague, to exacerbate the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Varker, Senior research fellow, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne Can psychoactive drugs be used to treat mental health problems? The idea has been around for years, and recently received some attention in the media. Interest in the potential of drugs ...
Assemblies a way to re-engage non-voters As odd as it may seem to those who love democracy, around a third of New Zealanders will choose not to vote in the upcoming election, prompting calls for new ways of “voting” on important issues. Citizens' ...
While the Government’s decision to bring Auckland down to Alert Level 2 on Wednesday, 23 September at 11.59pm and the rest of the country to Alert Level 1 tonight at 11.59pm was anticipated, we are still preparing our members for the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Carter, Professor emeritus, The University of Queensland Culture has long been stratified as “high” or “low”, or perhaps “high” and “popular” to soften the blow. But what about the in-between? The word “middlebrow” emerged into English in the 1920s as an ...
As tertiary institutions round the halfway mark of semester two, The Spinoff spoke to students and their universities about how they’re adapting to the changes wrought by the pandemic. With New Zealand’s alert levels confirmed to be shifting down this week, we’re edging closer to something approaching normality. But what ...
Greenpeace has today launched a call for the incoming government to prioritise cameras on boats across the full commercial fishing fleet, and to complete implementation within their first term. To launch the campaign, Greenpeace teamed up with recreational ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne This week’s Newspoll, conducted September 16-19 from a sample of 2,068, gave the Coalition a 51-49 lead, a one-point gain for the Coalition since the previous Newspoll, three weeks ago. ...
The Māori Party is promising to establish an independent Māori Health Funding Authority, overseeing the distribution of $5 billion - if it makes up part of the new government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Allan Fels, Professorial Fellow, University of Melbourne It has been a long time since an Australian government turned its mind to policy concerning the news media — other than the removal of outdated ownership regulations. Now, thanks to the government’s intention to ...
From Auckland Business Chamber CEO, Michael Barnett: Auckland’s economic recovery remains hobbled for another two weeks at least with the order to stay in Level Two with no credit given to the show of compliance and vigilance to prevent new flare ...
A mystery Covid-19 case still under investigation has not stopped Auckland's move to Level 2, and the rest of New Zealand to Level 1, Jacinda Ardern has announced The Government has confirmed Auckland’s move down to Alert Level 2, and the rest of the country to Alert Level 1, despite ...
The deadline to register for a postal vote for the upcoming election and referendums has been extended by five days to give people more time to apply. Postal voting is available for people who cannot go to a voting place to vote in person, for example ...
Nau mai ki ngā Pepakati – te pakihere rokiroki o ngā pukapuka! Welcome to Papercuts – the podcast all about books! Sit back, relax and let Jenna, Kiran and Louisa tempt you with some awesome reads to add to your pile.The Papercuts gals are back to help you navigate the huge ...
Communities right across the region will benefit from further cycling initiatives with the announcement of this year’s Community Bike Fund recipients. Now in its fourth year, the fund is made available from Auckland Transport (AT) to support communities ...
The case of a person who tested positive almost a week after leaving managed isolation has highlighted the need to keep tracking those who have been through MIQ, writes Siouxsie Wiles. Over the weekend, the Ministry of Health reported a case of Covid-19 in Auckland that is not related to ...
The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards are today – screening live from midday on Vibe and SkyGo – but who are you putting your bets on? We took a look at the Neon and Sky catalogues to gain a little insight on how a show can maximise its chances.If you’re an entertainment ...
Monday 21st September, 2020, AUCKLAND: Drive Electric, the not-for-profit with one mission – making electric vehicle ownership in New Zealand mainstream, has today responded to the Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport , 2020/2021 ...
ACT's primary industries policy proposal says the party would repeal government's landmark climate change law, the Zero Carbon Act, along with the Emissions Trading Scheme. ...
The USA’s reputation among allies and partner countries has declined seriously, according to a poll by the US Pew Research Centre. Gauging attitudes in 13 countries, Pew reports the share of the public with a favourable view of the United States is as low as at any time it has ...
Open mike 24/11/2011 
There are a fair few misconceptions about conditions within New Zealand’s Quarantine Hotels. Madeline Grant’s misplaced accusations being one prominent example, though she is not alone. Today, I thought I’d share the inside word, so to speak. A friend of mine has recently returned to New Zealand from overseas, and ...1 hour ago
Last week, major newspapers carried a full-page ad as part of the campaign for a "No" vote to the referendum question about supporting the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill. The ad was authorised by the SAM NZ Coalition, which takes its name from a controversial American anti-cannabis group and includes ...2 hours ago
New Zealand has a serious homelessness problem, due to skyrocketing rents and a lack of state houses. One of the ways we stick a band-aid on it is to put people up in motels. Previously, they were charged full commercial rates, saddled with odious debt due to the government's failure ...3 hours ago
by Ani O’Brien In the absence of a better word with which to refer to the rabid activists who claim progressivism while demanding adherence to an increasingly prescriptive set of political beliefs, I call them “woke”. With its roots in Black American slang, the term originally denoted a person or ...16 hours ago
Over the weekend, the Ministry of Health reported a case of Covid-19 in Auckland that is not related to the current Auckland cluster. Before we start to panic, here’s how I think the case happened and how we can strengthen our current border controls. The new Covid-19 case is someone ...20 hours ago
Many New Zealanders take a strong interest in US politics, with the death of Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsberg being the latest example. Liam Hehir wonders if it very wise for New Zealanders to get so worked about it. Many politically engaged New Zealanders are now furiously ...23 hours ago
After stamping the Coronavirus out via strict lockdown between March and May, New Zealand went through a good three months without any community cases. Then a local outbreak in Auckland rather buggered things up last month. Auckland’s been in level 3 and level 2.5 for the past six weeks. ...23 hours ago
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... The tipping points at the heart of the climate crisis Many parts of the Earth’s climate system have been destabilised by ...1 day ago
In the absence of national public opinion polls, we have had to make do in recent weeks with other guides to voter intentions. Those guides, such as the Auckland Central poll, the incidence of google enquiries and the responses to Vote Compass questions, have suggested, not unexpectedly, that Labour is ...1 day ago
Crusher Collins - National Party leaderWe all know that the National Party is desperate to gain some traction during this election campaign and have been throwing pretty much everything at the Labour Party in order to try and undermine Jacinda Ardern and what the Coalition Government has achieved. But unfortunately ...1 day ago
Much of the commentariat’s reporting of the most recent GDP figure was misleading and unhelpful. The prize for the stupidest remark about the GDP figure for second quarter 2020 (2020Q2) released on Thursday (17 Sept) goes to Judith Collins, whose response to Grant Robertson’s comments indicated she did not ...2 days ago
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh goloing@gmail.com (19/09/2020) Che Guevara said that a true revolutionary is motivated by love i.e. love of the oppressed, the poor, the children dying from preventable illnesses. This phrase of his is true but has been used by reformists and their more hippy wing have taken advantage ...2 days ago
With the National Party this week announcing a new policy of tax cuts to spice up the election campagin. MyThinks went along to the launch and afterwards we spoke to the party’s finance spokesperson Paul “Golden Touch” Goldsmith. MT: Thanks for speaking to us Mr Goldsmith. PG: No. Thank you. ...3 days ago
Always to islanders danger Is what comes over the seas ‘Landfall in Unknown Seas’ (Allen Curnow)Six economic issues external to New Zealand, which will greatly impact upon us. 1. The Diminishing Global Dominance of the US. Since 1941 America has dominated the world economically and politically. Probably it could ...4 days ago
Dangerous Times: This will be the choice confronting those coming of age in the 2020s. Embrace Neoliberalism’s belief in racial and sexual equality; adopt its secular and scientific world view; and cultivate the technocratic, multicultural, global outlook required of those who keep the machinery of hyper-capitalism humming. Or, throw your ...4 days ago
Tax Justice UK, September 2020 Serious tax reform is on the political agenda for the first time in decades due to the coronavirus crisis. As this debate hots up it is important to understand what people think about public spending, wealth and tax. Tax Justice UK, along with Survation and ...4 days ago
Although I had the fortune of being a graduate student of some of the foremost US nuclear strategists of the day (1970s) and later rubbed shoulders with Air Force and Naval officers who were entrusted with parts of the US nuclear arsenal, I seldom get to write or speak about ...5 days ago
At the 2017 election, the New Zealand Labour Party promised a Fees Free Policy for tertiary students. Basically, it would make the first year of university education free in 2018, with a second year in 2021, and a third in 2024. It also promised to restore Post-Graduate access to the ...6 days ago
So the Greens co-leader James Shaw recently made a mistake. In his role as Associate Finance Minister approving funding for “shovel-ready” projects, he fought hard for a private “Green school” to get funding to expand their buildings and, therefore, their student capacity. There are many problems with what he did: ...1 week ago-1f82146fa0d95608c5d921931b8dd46e7f0c9b1b/537110292.jpg?format=1500w)
Windows 95 is famous for requiring the shutting down the system by clicking ‘start, like stopping your car by turning the ignition key on. Why are so many interfaces so user-unfriendly? The Covid app to register your entering premises can be so clumsy. Sometimes I have signed in, sat down ...2 weeks ago
If there was any doubt left, we can surely call it now. Time and date. End of. Finito. Perhaps you thought you saw a flickering eyelid or a finger move? You were wrong. Labour has given up on tax reform for the foreseeable future. One of the key remaining left/right ...2 weeks ago
The Green Party is calling for Waka Kotahi the NZ Transport Agency to convert a lane over the Auckland Harbour Bridge to bus-only and make buses free to use across the bridge until all lanes are back in operation. ...21 hours ago
It was another busy week out on the campaign trail, with Labour focused on jobs, training, and supporting Kiwi workers. As we continue to roll out our five-point plan for recovery, we’re investing in our people, businesses, communities and vital services, so we can keep our economy moving as we ...3 days ago
The expanded scheme will cover: People who have COVID-19 like symptoms and meet the Ministry of Health’s criteria, and need to self-isolate while awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test. People who are directed to self-isolate by a Medical Officer of Health or their delegate or on advice of their ...1 hour ago
The government has announced more border exemptions and visa changes to help get specialised workers in the country and fill labour shortages in key sectors. ...22 mins ago
The National Party leader tells Duncan Greive what conviction means to her, and why she thinks she gets a different treatment to Jacinda Ardern.The first time I saw Judith Collins at close quarters, she was moving through what was inelegantly billed as the “National stakeholder party” held at parliament last ...53 mins ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Blair Williams, Associate Lecturer, School of Political Science and International Relations, Australian National University The grand final of Plate of Origin will air on on Channel Seven tonight. Like other blockbuster cooking shows (think MasterChef, My Kitchen Rules), Plate of Origin is ...1 hour ago
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union has released a list of questions that should be asked at tonight’s TVNZ leaders' debate – and at tonight’s separate finance debate in Queenstown. Questions for Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins: Is tax theft ...1 hour ago
Covid-19 will not be going away any time soon and the National Party says we should team up with the private sector to let more workers and tourists in safely National have announced that, if elected, they will ramp up the private provision of quarantine to allow workers and long-term tourists ...2 hours ago
Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell says 2019/20 was a good year for the co-op, with profit up, debt down and a strong milk price. The result, a profit of $659m, may have brought a cheer from the co-op’s farmer-suppliers and Hurrell deserves a cheer, too, for succeeding in turning around the ...4 hours ago
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Neither Farrar nor the slithery one have any posts on last night’s debate. Could it be that they agree that Goff won handsomely but cannot bring themselves to say this?
It was that convincing a win I thought we would see a “Guyon Espinar is a member of the Labour Party” theme develop.
Curiously, Tim Watkin at Pundit, gives the debate to Key.
http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/final-tv-one-leaders-debate-my-first-impressions
To me Key didn’t show authority but a disdain for opposition, democratic debate and open discussion. This disdain to me is based in an authoritarian tendency (a feature of Key’s tenure in government).
So I’m curious as to what seemed very evident to me as weakness in Key, should be read as someone else s a strength? Maybe it dpends in how aware one is of body language and non-verbal communication? And Key’s was appalling in the debate. He looked like he had no patience with democratic process.
I quite liked this typo from Tim:
But Key kept is cool with a measured, clam performance.
Nice analogy – cold, hard, closed, slimy, lives in the darkness……
But seriously, for those who don’t already see through Key (yet), this debate won’t have changed anything imo. I don’t know how it’s even possible to penetrate the wall of lies, malicious innuendo, and misinformation that he puts up. To even seriously try in a debate like that would probably be counter-productive. I’ve never seen any politician use the strategy of telling so many lies, that meaningful discussion is impossible. It doesn’t seem like it should work. But sadly, it does, and did last night imo.
😆
Those people who see him as a “leader” will defend him no matter what he does.
Watkins: “It’s one of the things that a Prime Minister gains simply by going into work every day…”
lolz, since when has Key gone to work every day?
Pfft felix, he works 19 hours a day 7 days week, everyone knows that!
And does it all for free, donating all his miserly salary to a charity that he’s too modest to name!
Of course you saw a convincing win. You probably think Labour can win on Saturday.
Farrar was busy on Back Benches.
The TVNZ text poll favoured Key (about 2/3). I think most people will have seen what they wanted in the debate, I doubt it will have converted many votes.
Yes PG, that utterly scientific text poll was certainly a completely accurate representation of how NZ feels…
I don’t rate polls like that, I couldn’t be bothereds looking up the actual figures. I don’t know if text polls that cost have been analised, but people who respond could range from rich pricks who have money to waste to beneficiaries who have other people’s money to waste.
Most voters don’t watch debates or follow politics, they vote based on hard to explain inclinations towards a party or a leader.
::but people who respond could range from rich pricks who have money to waste to beneficiaries who have other people’s money to waste.””
Excuse me??
who the hell do you think you are?
this is why you are your stupid leader wont get back in
why dont you just give up trying and trolling and focus on getting a real job instead of this sort of crap
“…beneficiaries who have other people’s money to waste…”
You mean like Double-Dipton and Summer-Holiday Hide?
…forgot to mention Warner Brothers and all the other corporate beneficiaries.
75c a text,
give up almost half a litre of milk to push the propoganda of a media company, i think not
Yep kept me quiet I got better things to but with my money like formula for my 6 month old.
ahem… Freudian slip in there somewhere Pete?
No, I was referring to two extremes.
Some rich people waste money. Some beneficiaries waste money (many don’t).
In my opinion anyone who participates in text polls is wasting their money.
As a beneficiary yourself Pete, do you consider your benefit to be “other people’s money”, or your own?
why have you added a qualifier Pete? you said ‘beneficiaries’, now its ‘some beneficiaries’
realising your ad hominem attacks are unwarranted and ignorant?
No, not that Pete… That’s not how you spell analysed…
No you werre not
I have facebooked this comment and it is now in the process of showing the Dunedin people exactly what you really stand for.
o the power of the Internet 🙂
Well, the polls probably haven’t but the people who text into them certainly have 😈
Ah, and the bene bashing comes out from the UF representative.
“Most voters don’t watch debates or follow politics, they vote based on hard to explain inclinations towards a party or a leader.”
Code words for “sensible people vote UF”, I guess.
“to beneficiaries who have other people’s money to waste.”
WTH? Bang went any remote chance of my ever voting for UF… You nasty POS… You have joined the list of people on whom I wish beneficiary status, along with the silly bitch I was arguing with yesterday on FB, the married ‘lady’ who thinks all women with children and a broken relationship should starve with their kids or work at what she called a “gas station”…
And yet National cheerleader Tacy Watkins, gives the debate to Goff…. well kinda… she first says Goff scored the “knock-out punch” when he dropped in the question about National secretely planning to cut police numbers. But in Watkins’ final line she calls it “an even match”.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/campaign-trail/6023331/Goff-saves-best-till-last-in-TV-debates
National may win by a huge margin, but I just hope ACT and United Future are consigned to history…
Yes, that’s the consolation prize for this election.
Until they rebuild and start again A new party but the same old faces and backers.
PG, the Most common comment I read on the #leadersdebate & #oneness twitter feeds was you g people stating the poll was a farce cause none of them could afford or were prepared to spen the 75c to txt in. They seemed pretty clear in their belief that the poll played to the rich Nat supporters advantage.
But I keep forgetting, you like the nats are caught in that 19th century thinking…
Key’s body language was appalling. He rarely could look Goff in the eye and the dead eyes and downturned mouth when Goff was speaking was extremely defensive and closed. The hand wringing was also a sign of discomfort. Shifty and uncomfortable would how I’d describe Key.
And how many times did Key start his answers with “So, let me tell you what we’re doing” or similar? He’d learnt the script but where was the passion?
John Johannsen shamed Key on the STV lie – shame no-one picked him up on the others.
P.S. Clare Robinson’s face as JJ laid into Key was a beautiful television moment.
The post debate discussion was nonsensical, why did they bother, a 30 second sound bite was all they could fit it.
Yes it did seem strange to have the two commentators there only to give them a couple a minutes at the end but I guess the debate overran and they’re working within the constraints of commercial television.
Having said that, exposing Key telling porkies again and clarifying the problems with STV is far from non-sensical. More a very useful contribution to the democratic process.
They did have another go at 10:30 with a repeat of JJ indignation over Key/MMP v SM.
Don’t like the way though that JJ says that this election is really a setting up for 2014 saying that this one is lost for Labour. It ain’t over yet.
Anyone who recognised Key’s scolded petuant school boy act as “authority” has spent too much time in corporates. Those with organisational authority might behave like that, but it’s the behaviour of arrogant insecure two-faced liars and schemers. If any more proof was needed to see that Key has never intended to debate anything, last night was the grossest display. Key behaved like many people I’ve met professionally behave and that is the problem. They will see themselves and vote accordingly. This election may just be a measure of how far NZs people have become degraded.
Well said, uturn: I was astonished when I read that Key’s performance was seen as authoritative when what I mostly saw was the facial expression of the bitchy girl in one of those high school dramas. I am also interested in your suggestion that “This election may just be a measure of how far NZs people have become degraded.” Last night I watched Michael Sandel’s lecture on Rawls, which really showed up the limits of our current mode of debate. In such a small country, treating poverty & privation as something to we will get round to addressing when we can afford it rather than something immediate and compelling, is by itself evidence of degradation. Especially where it is accompanied by an enthusiastic interest in life-styles.
The real authority is John Armstrong. He saw John Key displaying gravitas! Bless my soul if I had one. Gravitas? John Key? Perhaps Armstrong writes in jest.
It’s Armstrong’s term for Key’s sullen face. He has no idea what gravitas actually means.
The idea that poverty is a concern only once we can afford it was also presented during the documentary on TV3 a few nights ago. It used 3/4 of the story to show what a mistake it is to interpret the economy as a thing which the people serve, rather than a by-product of the way people live, then promptly finished up by convincing viewers that solutions were all about saving money. Yep, seems that even when people stare the obvious in the face they have difficulty knowing what they’re looking at.
People have forgotten, and this is primarily the fault of the economists who have also forgotten, what the economy is and what it’s for. These days people see the economy as the movement of money and that it’s solely there to make a profit. Hence why the growth in GDP is seen as the be all, end all of the economy (increased movement of money), why we celebrate people who have lots of it (making a large profit), scorn those who don’t and then blame their circumstances upon them instead of questioning our socio-economic systems that actively create the poverty.
And so, we continue to claim growth at the hands of our GDP obcession, and ignore the Real economy, at our peril.
I still like Steve Keen’s line best, “economists don’t understand the economy, they understand A model of the economy”
That line Steve Keen is almost right. The bit that he got wrong is that economists don’t even have a model of the economy. What they have is a hypothesis of how they think the economy works (which they may or may not understand) that they’re not changing despite all the evidence that that is not how the economy works.
Nah, I think that’s exactly what he’s getting at, he says we may progress in economics, one funeral at a time. Their Model being their Hypothesis, or more specifically in my mind, their FAITH!
Have you all noticed this “so, let me just tell you” is how all Nats start each sentence, Nikki K was very pronounced with this on Backbenchers against Jacinda. All got the same coach eh!
Nah, Nikki has just been doing personal studies of John Key’s debate performances. Probably watches them two or three times a day to get the talking points down pat.
And Farrar has been very quiet like nothing for a few days on the Herald or Stuff. From what I saw of the debate last night Phil showed John up for the nasty psycopath he is. And now his police force have ‘collected all the evidence’ including the tea tape copies now how long for these to either go missing or get corrupted some how. I hope someone has a copy or 2 hidden away for insurance
What I saw was a very slimy sneering PM who had the slogans but not the actual coal face knowledge, Goff sucker lunched him on the police numbers issue and generally showed a much better grasp…. No surprises there.
Gluon finds a backbone on some issues finally and pinned Key down but too little to late methinks, just shows he can but never bothered till now.
Wouldnt a nat greens coalition with Act gone be fascinating, no asset sales and a toned down right wing approach…..bet they wouldn’t bleat about that but bang on about Winnie.
So what’s happened to this BIG story about Banks or Brash and the meth investigation?
What big story are you talking about?
Yep. I’m wondering about that one too Adrian. I think it is to do with… a drug investigation… a p lab… and a politician called John Banks who has been running an anti-drug campaign for years. The key word is “hypocrisy”.
So we have two police investigations we know of, where the police are being used (I assume willingly) in an effort to withhold information from the public that would do a lot of damage to the re-election chances of the National and ACT parties.
My estimation of the police has plummeted to an unprecedented level.
Ahh… so that was Banks.
Seems like The Sprout was teasing about the knowledge of the story but didn’t have the details or inclination to ‘leak’ it themselves.
Fuck how disgraceful… There is going to be riots when people get hold of all the info held back from them during this election… And just now on the news – the ACT ballot papers seem to be promoting National and ACT. How fast we have become a banana republic..
From the Telegraph this morning:
The FTSE 100 has fallen for eight consecutive days, shedding £104 billion from the value of the UK’s most valuable companies, as a disastrous auction of German 10-year bonds ignites contagion fears…
Wonder how much of Shonkeys portfolio looks risky? Does he really want to win an election? Could explain the missing Mr Niceguy persona.
John Key looking sheepish as people stare and point while he waits for is unemployment benefit interview.
Priceless.
“John Key looking sheepish as people stare and point while he waits for is unemployment benefit interview.”
Oh how wonderful that would be! (I had mine today, for my “re-application”, and discovered that they’ve changed the rules again (within the last 3-6 months, the WINZ woman said). It’s now a 3 stage process, with a week between each stage. That would be terrible for people who were starving… Luckily, I have saved the $$ I earned during the past 6 weeks…
If John Key ended up living here, in a boarding house maybe, and I spotted him at our ‘local’.. what a glorious mental picture!
This is how Rounini framed it succinctly on twitter…
“EZ in recession & even core sov bond markets seized; US investment & consumption down in Oct; China bus conditions at 32mt low.Perfect Storm”
Don Brash on RNZ trying to present himself as representing the left. Hilarious
Key is worried latte loving NZ will fall
apart when he fails to get re-elected.
Russia invasion plan uncovered, sell
our assets, banks to Australians so they
aren’t captured! Its the sensible thing to do.
Govt spending needs to come down, because the
private debt problem is so huge that shrinking
government debt will have some effect. Ding-Don,
it took Key three years to run it up, and
both parties say they will drop it back in no time,
so no wonder Key was downgraded when Don
says its a government debt problem.
Shit in shit out, NZ economy fails because
the right claim to competence on the economy
is never questioned by the media.
As a rule reporters place expensive microphones when politicians give speaches, and politicians and their handlers have a duty surely to return said property. As anyone who sits down in a cafe, the cleanliness, a clear empty table is a sign of a well run establishment. So reasonably, the PM would have known microphones were there, that he would be giving further speaches ‘after the chat’, and that reasonably any left over baggage remaining on the table should have been removed by him or his staff (if they also recognized the claim of privacy). The fact that the Police have been called, chills press freedom and is unjustice in my opinion. If Key is caught on camera looking at the package then he made a decision to not have it removed, that was consent in my opinion, as he would have been all to aware of the many miriad of packages left in his path (like background recorders to help the technicians to clean up the audio shit).
John Key was interviewed by Katherine on 9 to noon Yesterday. He seldom answered questions and rambled and hummed and hawed a lot. He is supposed to be the PM and have answers ready!
Phil Goff was interviewed by Katherine on 9 to noon today. He answered every question and placed hits on Key/National. He covered a lot of ground and packed in a huge amount of information. Most has been heard before but that is the nature of interviews at this time.
How come Name and mail have to be reentered for each comment?
they said the other day if you log in, it’s all good, and it is!
Thanks for, greatly appreciated 😎
and DTB nice to hear that there is an extreme load given what is at risk in a few days time. Best that people tick from an informed base.
Lynn had to turn off a couple of features so that the server could handle the present load. That was one of them.
I’ve asked that question as well, H. Apparently there is an issue somewhere, but I assume LP is a bit busy helping score the greatest upset in NZ political history to fix it. That’s fine by me!
Here is an interview I did with US War veteran and ex banker and senior editor of Veterans today Gordon Duff thanks to Vinny Eastwood, Auckland internet radio host:
http://aotearoaawiderperspective.wordpress.com/2011/11/24/interview-with-gordon-duff-from-veterans-today-about-john-key-and-what-he-will-do-to-new-zealand-for-his-banking-mates/
Thanks for doing this Travellerev. Bit of a coup I would say-congrats. Couldn’t hear the recording as my head phones just broke,blast, but I could see the value of your questioning from that one comment Gordon D. emailed you regarding “his tasking”, which sounds scarily ‘evil’.
So want the truth to come out about Key. I loathe lies.
He lost me when he seemed to say Angela Merkel was a communist.
On Election day are you allowed to blog or post on blogs about the election? or does that break some sort of electoral law.
Pretty much no. We turn all comments off.
This is a joke right? You cant mention the weather.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6023924/Weather-off-the-radar-on-Saturday
Unfortunately not, the country has gone full retard as it often does around elections.
An interesting thing about the weather, we just need to look out the window to see what it’s like. In contrast, we have no idea about how many people are voting on election day, and what way they are voting.
You can mention the weather but you can’t do so in relation to the election. You also cannot tweet about the election. Specifically, you can’t tweet in such a way as to look like you may be trying to influence the way anyone votes. I think blogs may be exempt but I can’t recall precisely – I suggest erring on the side of caution.
And that article is a load of bollocks. Report the weather and it’s forecast and then leave it to people to make up their own minds about when they go to the voting booth. They don’t need a weatherperson telling them.
You’re allowed to encourage people to vote, as long as it’s done in a non partisan way.
So it’s acceptable to say “all that sunny weather out there should help get people out to vote!”. But you’re not allowed to say “all that terrible rainy weather out there will be stopping people from voting”.
With the obsession about lies on here I thought you may be interested in another big lie – one from Phil Goff when he says that he said he knows of no other developed country that has GST on healthy food/fresh food and vegetables.
Well he must be lying becasue he’s obviously looked at the issue and missed the fact that plenty of countries tax food. Japan, one of our biggest trading partners and last time I looked a reasonably developed country, is like us in taxing food at the standard VAT rate.
Many do so at a reduced rate but they still tax it. http://www.worldtaxpayers.org/stat_vat.htm. only five countries -Australia, Canada, Mexico, Ireland, and the United Kingdom – apply a zero rate to certain food items.
If he didn’t actually know then it’s not a lie. Of course, he probably should have known and WTF is it about NZ that we constantly refer our decisions to what other countries do?
Just judging Goff by the low standard you and many other Standardistas have applied to Key. I wouldn’t go so far as saying his inability to accept he might be wrong on issues is a sign of sociopathy though.
Agreed on your latter point though. One of my big bugbears: ‘what will it do to our reputation?’ Answer: Sweet FA.
insider writes
Your worldtaxpayers site conveniently left out several states in the USA. California does not add on sales tax on many food items that a consumer purchases at a market.
Care to retract, insider?
California is not a country last time I looked, happy. Goff talked about countries, I listed countries, you went off on a tangent.
Totally correct “insider”
Just another example of Mr Goff ignoring the facts, and preferring a faulty [Towers?] sound-bite.
One has to wonder, is he fed this rubbish, or does he dream it up all on his own?
Either way, another fail.
Also a fail by MsM who seem assume their man is always right.
Certainly shades of Winstone, don’t let the facts get in the way of a good sound bite.
Good to hear Sean Plunkett take it to him this morning re Police intakes;
hopefully these false-hoods will lead the TV News at 6:00.
Another own goal by Labour.
This is proving to be an enjoyable election to-date; keep up the good work Labour.
Insider, from the debate link you quoted that Phil said…
“no other developed country in the world that I know of has a GST on healthy food like that”
From your own link (pre- the NZ 15% GST rate) it appears Phil is right – other countries don’t tax healthy food “like that”… i.e. as NZ does at the standard rate of 15% GST. Japan, for example taxes food at the full rate, but that rate is only 5%. Other countries that have higher GST on food than we do tax food at less than the usual rate.
So yeah other developed countries don’t tax healthy food as NZ does, at the standard rate, unless the standard rate is less than 15%. In the context of a debate it’s pretty hard to create a lie out of that statement.
BTW I find it interesting that our ‘pure’ GST system is the only one that lists an exemption for financial services. The neo-lib agenda-pushers have a lot to answer for.
if the weather is piss poor then its nationals fault.
vote labour.
This is the type of shit that keeps us from making rational decisions about the economy:-
It’s a big, long, rant that’s not based in any sort of logic, goes against the facts and some people actually agree with him. Thankfully more seem to be disagreeing with him.
I posted two comments but only one got past the moderators. The one linking to this post didn’t make it.
Ok, that post is now through. It just took few hours longer.
[lprent: Depends when one of us has a look at the queue. I suspect that I’m the same as the others. Queue checking happens when we have a break in our work. ]
Wasn’t talking about The Standard but the NZH. My second comment had got through the moderators before my first one (by several hours in fact) and so I had assumed that it had been binned. My reply to my comment was to acknowledge that it had now gone through.
This is way more helpful than anything else I’ve looked at.
Labour’s closing address. Get it on your networks, people!
Yes. Watched it VOR. Brilliant. On Facebook from lunchtime. Friday night TV.
Friendly yet full of past and future. Technically excellent production.
That’s a good ad. Not voting Labour myself, but I think many to my right (and that’s almost everyone unfortunately), would be given pause to think if they were to watch it right through.
Why did they leave this calibre advertising until the bitter end?
As I have pointed out many times, with what is on the horizon and about to hit in a matter of months (maybe weeks) whoever DOESN’T get the poisoned chalice will probably be happy.
‘The following are 17 quotes about the coming global financial collapse that will make your hair stand up….
#1 Credit Suisse’s Fixed Income Research unit: “We seem to have entered the last days of the euro as we currently know it. That doesn’t make a break-up very likely, but it does mean some extraordinary things will almost certainly need to happen – probably by mid-January – to prevent the progressive closure of all the euro zone sovereign bond markets, potentially accompanied by escalating runs on even the strongest banks.”
#2 Willem Buiter, chief economist at Citigroup: “Time is running out fast. I think we have maybe a few months — it could be weeks, it could be days — before there is a material risk of a fundamentally unnecessary default by a country like Spain or Italy which would be a financial catastrophe dragging the European banking system and North America with it.”
#3 Jim Reid of Deutsche Bank: “If you don’t think Merkel’s tone will change then our investment advice is to dig a hole in the ground and hide.”
#4 David Rosenberg, a senior economist at Gluskin Sheff in Toronto: “Lenders are finding it difficult to finance their day-to-day operations with short-term funding. This is a lot like 2008 but with more twists.”
#5 Christian Stracke, the head of credit research for Pimco: “This is just a repeat of what we saw in 2008, when everyone wanted to see toxic assets off the banks’ balance sheets”
#6 Paul Krugman of the New York Times: “At this point I’d guess soaring rates on Italian debt leading to a gigantic bank run, both because of solvency fears about Italian banks given a default and because of fear that Italy will end up leaving the euro. This then leads to emergency bank closing, and once that happens, a decision to drop the euro and install the new lira. Next stop, France.”
#7 Paul Hickey of Bespoke Investment Group: “More and more, we are hearing anecdotal comments from individual and professionals that this is the most difficult environment they have ever experienced as the market is like a fish flopping around after being taken out of the water.”
#8 Bob Janjuah of Nomura International: “Germany appears to be adamant that full political and fiscal integration over the next decade (nothing substantive will happen over the short term, in my view) is the only option, and ECB monetisation is no longer possible. I really think it is that clear and simple. And if I am wrong, and the ECB does a U-turn and agrees to unlimited monetisation, I will simply wait for the inevitable knee-jerk rally to fade before reloading my short risk positions. Even if Germany and the ECB somehow agree to unlimited monetisation I believe it will do nothing to fix the insolvency and lack of growth in the eurozone. It will just result in a major destruction of the ECB‟s balance sheet which will force an ECB recap. At that point, I think Germany and its northern partners would walk away. Markets always want short, sharp, simple solutions.”
#9 Dan Akerson, CEO of General Motors: “The ’08 recession, which was a credit bubble that manifested itself through primarily the real estate market, that was a serious stress….This is much more serious.”
#10 Francesco Garzarelli of Goldman Sachs: “Pressures on Euro area sovereign bond markets have progressively intensified and spread like a wildfire.”
#11 Jim Rogers: “In 2002 it was bad, in 2008 it was worse and 2012 or 2013 is going to be worse still – be careful”
#12 Dr. Pippa Malmgren, the President and founder of Principalis Asset Management who once worked in the White House as an adviser to President Bush: “Market forces are increasingly determining what the options are and foreclosing on options policymakers thought they had. One option which is now under discussion involves permitting a country to temporarily leave the Euro, return to its native currency, devalue, commit to returning to the Euro at a better debt to GDP ratio, a better exchange rate and a better growth trajectory and yet not sacrifice its EU membership. I would like to say for the record that this is precisely the thought process that I expected to evolve,but when I proposed this possibility back in 2009, and again in September 2010, I had a 100% response from clients and others that this was “impossible” and many felt it was “ridiculous”. They may be right but this is the current state of the discussion. The Handelsblatt in Germany has reported this conversation, but wrongly assumes that the country that will exit is Germany. I think that Germany will have to exit if the Southern European states do not. Germany’s preference is to stay in the Euro and have the others drop out. The problem has been the Germans could not convince the others to walk away. But, now, market pressures are forcing someone to leave. Germany is pushing for that someone to be Italy. They hope that this would be a one off exception, not to be repeated by any other country. Obviously, though, if Italy leaves the Euro and reverts to Lira then the markets will immediately and forcefully attack Spain, Portugal and even whatever is left of the already savaged Greeks. These countries will not be able to compete against a devalued Greece or Italy when it come to tourism or even infrastructure. But, the principal target will be France. The three largest French banks have roughly 450 billion Euros of exposure to Italian debt. So, further sovereign defaults are certainly inevitable, but that is true under any scenario. Growth and austerity will not do the trick, as ZeroHedge rightly points out. Ultimately, I will not be at all surprised to see Europe’s banking system shut for days while the losses and payments issues are worked out. People forget that the term “bank holiday” was invented in the 1930’s when the banks were shut for exactly the same reason.”
#13 Daniel Clifton, a policy strategist with Strategas Research Partners on the potential for more downgrades of U.S. debt: “We would expect further downgrades, a first downgrade from Moody’s and Fitch and possibly a second downgrade from S&P.”
#14 Warren Buffett on the problems in the eurozone: “The system as presently designed has revealed a major flaw. And that flaw won’t be corrected just by words. Europe will either have to come closer together or there will have to be some other rearrangement because this system is not working”
#15 David Kostin, equity strategist for Goldman Sachs: “The wide range of possible outcomes on both the super committee process and the unstable political economy in Europe drives our view that investors should assume the worst while hoping for the best.”
#16 Mark Mobius, the head of the emerging markets desk at Templeton Asset Management: “There is definitely going to be another financial crisis around the corner”
#17 Gerald Celente, founder of The Trends Research Institute: “The whole system is going down. Pull your money out your Fidelity account, your Scwhab accout, and your ETFs.”
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/17-quotes-about-the-coming-global-financial-collapse-that-will-make-your-hair-stand-up
Assuming the polls are not rigged, NZers will get the quality of non-leadership they ask for. And will pay the price.
[lprent: And that looks like nothing to do with the post you dumped it into. Moved to OpenMike. Don’t make a habit of this. Eventually I’ll just trash and ban. ]
I completely agree and had a similar conversation with my father only the other night. The “poisoned chalice” was exactly the conclusion we both came to. Thanks for your post, puts it all nicely (all-be-it scarily) into perspective.
Funny thing with Cassandras like AFKTT and myself is that we don’t always agree on the detail but pick the trends. Unlike yourself and your father most people are too frightened by what is coming down the track so they go into denial and ignore it. And vote to stay at the party.
This years election is a poison chalice big time, given we have a government (and a large chunk of the opposition) whose world view does not include:
1. Climate change.
2. Peak oil.
3. The great financial contagion that will make the Great Depression look like childs play.
4. The creeping corporatisation of the world that will result in a “New Order” reminiscent of a previous going by the same name.
I am going to vote BUT I suspect that within my lifetime that I will be voting for a very different set up that will replace the current (whose credibility and authority is questionable now and getting worse).
Good luck Saturday
I’m hoping for online voting with policies decided by referendum, resource use decided by vote and the total eradication of money.
Maybe the oncoming disaster is the reason that Key is so fearful and sullen?
Prediction time:
National 51.5%
Labour 27%
Greens 9%
NZ First 4.4%
Act 2.6%
Maori 2.5%
Mana 1%
Conservatives 1%
Other 1%
Probably have the Maori party a bit high.
Electorates:
Possible swing seats
Auckland Central – Nikki Kaye retains
Christchurch Central – Brendon Burns retains and higher vote than last time
Epsom – Banks takes it. Just.
Maungakiekie – Sam Paseta Lotu-Inga will take it far more easily than last time
New Plymouth – Young increases his lead from 2008
Ohariu – Dunne retains. National will take the seat in 2014
Otaki – Guy increases his lead from 2008
Palmerston North – Lees-Galloway narrowly loses his seat and likely to be out of parliament
Waimakariri – Cosgrove will lose the seat. Expect to see Labour and Cosgrove do very well in Kaiapoi but Rangiora and Christchurch suburbs turning out for National and Kate Wilkinson
Waitakere – Bennett retains
Wellington Central – Robertson increases his support from 2008 and this electorate will have highest turnout.
West-Coast Tasman – Auchinvole to just retain the seat and as I suspect O’Connor won’t contest again the seat should become more assured for National.
Decreased support for National
Bay of Plenty
Rangitikei
Rodney
Increased support for National
Botany
Clutha-Southland
Coromandel
East Coast (expect this electorate to be a possible swing in 2014)
East Coast Bays
Hamilton East
Hamilton West
Hunua
Ilam
Invercargill
Kaikoura
Napier
Nelson
North Shore
Northcote
Northland
Pakuranga
Papakura
Rangitata
Rotorua
Selwyn
Tamaki
Taranaki-King Country
Taupo
Wairarapa
Waitaki
Whanganui
Whangarei
Decreased support for Labour
Dunedin North
Dunedin South
Hutt South
Mana
Manukau East
Manurewa
Mt Albert
New Lynn
Port Hills
Rimutaka – Hipkins support will plummet but will retain
Increased support for Labour
Christchurch East
Mangere (Taito Philip Field split some of the vote there in 2008)
Mt Roskill
Rongotai
Wigram and Maori electorates
Wigram – Labour to take this easily. Am disappointed National has not even tried for this seat.
Hauraki-Waikato – Mahuta increases her lead from 2008
Ikaroa-Rawhiti – Horomia retains with slight increase.
Tamaki Makaurau – Sharples wins again but the lead from 2008 is down considerably
Te Tai Hauauru – Turia takes it again with lower support and this electorate reverts back to Labour in 2014
Te Tai Tokerua – Harawira retains. Davis will be gone from parliament
Te Tai Tonga – Labour will retake this seat from Katene
Waiariki – Te Ururoa Flavell just retains this seat with what may be the smallest lead in any electorate.
Your figures aren’t consistent gingercrush.
and?
and there’s therefore very little reason to read them. Or write them for that matter.
“Ohariu – Dunne retains. National will take the seat in 2014”
What’s that based on? The idea that UF voters will all choose to vote National next election?
Dunne only beat Chauvel by 1,006 votes in 2008 (down from a majority of 7,702 in 2005). It’s not going to take much of a swing Labour’s way to collect the seat, especially if those who voted for Dunne previously choose to vote National instead – that would likely leave room for Chauvel to slip through.
My fingers are crossed this happens this year, though. Not in 2014. We can live without another three years of Dunne blocking meaningful law reform with regard to the War On Drugs.
EDIT: Figures were wrong.
“My fingers are crossed this happens this year, though. Not in 2014. We can live without another three years of Dunne blocking meaningful law reform with regard to the War On Drugs.”
Even without National at the helm and UF gone-burgers, I don’t think there’s going to be sufficient apetite in parliament to make much progress on drugs.
National 51%
Labour 27%
Greens 9%
Maori 7%
NZfirst 3%
Act 1.5%
United 1 %
Mana .25%
Others .25%
Maori 7% and Mana 0.25%? You’re dreaming.
Meh, I’ll have a go to counter the utter bullshit above:
Nats 46%
Labour 34%
Greens 10%
Winston First 5%, just
United Future Gone
Act Gone
Conservatives 3%
Mana 2%
Maori 2%
Sookie:
Why the Maori party so low?
Because that’s what they’re polling?
Draco:
Yeash but she has Mana on the same, the Maori party will walk tasll and proud all over mana, because Mana is not really a party of Maori.
Conservatives at 3%?? We dont have that manyGlenn Becks do we??
Brett, the reason you’re confused is that everyone else is making predictions and you’re just saying what you’d like to see.
I think the polls are dodgy as they never count the undecided voters. And the Nats are getting quite shrill about votes being ‘crucial’ and bashing everyone in sight instead of being relaxed this week, so I expect they know something the TV poll munters don’t. And while I’m Greens all the way, some of their soft vote will go back to Aunty Labour on the day. Winston will get the pissed off grumpy git vote, there’s enough of those to get over the line. As for Maori, they’ll keep most of their seats but people see them as largely irrelevant for party vote, so 2% is about right.
Lanthanide:
haha. Bloody aussies.
Seriously, I think the maori party will do really well, people have a lot of respect for
them. Apart from Hone their party list is just extreme leftists, and I mean extreme, Skyes makes Bradford and Minto look like Bill Oreilly.
As a young New Zealander I think that the most important thing we can be doing this election is to vote for a zero carbon future.
Go to http://www.electwho.org.nz to find out what our politicians think about the number one issue that will affect our future.
Nga mihi nui
Lucy
The obsequious gargoyle Farrar currently on RNZ is a travesty of ‘balance’ and more importantly an illustration of tory media swamping. As is his presence at the Herald and Stuff, fer crissakes he already has blogs and research outlets. What next a mandatory ‘free’ 24hr feed to each household?
It was not coincidence that Bomber Bradbury was expunged before the election.
Go Whangaz! The Keyster abandoned his planned rally in Whanganui this arvo because he didn’t get enough arselicking from the locals. 300 turned up to Majestic square to tell him to piss off and he took the hint.
http://tvnz.co.nz/election-2011/key-heckled-goff-pressured-in-final-push-4568308
Excellent. ‘Megaphone man’ is obviously not on the endangered species list, unlike certain tory swine.
Ha! Always good to see the fear in the opponents eyes, eh. It was a homegrown turnout apparently, some Labour supporters with hoardings, but just too many locals who might ask awkward questions about job losses for Key’s liking. So off he beetled.
I see the driver got a bollocking for having the temerity to talk to the press. Open and transparent my hairy arse.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/campaign-trail/6029124/Keys-staff-gag-bus-driver
How it should be done
Good on the Netherlands government for doing this, passing policy that hasn’t been seen, never mind vetted, by the populace is undemocratic and needs to be expunged from our political system. Now, will government/parliament do the same or will it roll over and do what the US tells them to?
russell norman just said on radio new zealand that john key asked mathew hooton if he would google how much he would get for selling the states assets.
wow!
Just seen the news Tv1 and some old dude had a go @ Key about answering the question.and showing some respect,.
Key did a runner
Considering how many people would have been watching it
Apparently in Pram (Parapauaumu) he also copped it as well
Wanaganui – http://tvnz.co.nz/election-2011/key-heckled-goff-pressured-in-final-push-4568308
Key then twitted tweeted whatever–
He tweeted this afternoon that he arrived to a “warm welcome” in Bulls and Wanganui.
http://tvnz.co.nz/election-2011/key-heckled-goff-pressured-in-final-push-4568308
stop LYING
nothing worse than a liar Key
people have wizened up to you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8AjgWyxJAG
good kiwi hiphop for those who have a short memory of the last forty years
dedicated to gosman 🙂
speak truth to power and you will be stronger for it
link not working.
try this one
– i know i know, always check the link after posting, sorry folks
http://tvnz.co.nz/election-2011/asset-sales-ombudsman-blocks-release-papers-4568271
what the hell?????
The public have a right to know
Here is my rough prediction for Saturday.
The Smile and Wave party won’t have enough party vote to rule alone.
% of party vote mid to high 40%
The Greens and Labour combined will sit in the mid 40s%.
Labour low 30s% and Greens low teens.
Banks loses Epsom and ACT exits parliament
Dunne loses Ohariu and exits parliament
Maori Party gets 2 to 3 MPs
Mana Party gets 2 to 3 MPs.
Winston back or close to being back.
Something like perhaps:
Smile and Wave 46%
Labour 32%
Greens 12%
Winston First 4%
Maori 2%
Mana 2%
ACT 1% (won’t matter as exited from parliament)
Conservatives 1%
Something weird has happened with Epsom’s voting papers. Apparently ACT’s and National’s voting areas are more prominent. I suspect this will get a lot more attention. New Zealand’s electoral system needs to be scrupulously fair.
And here it is …
http://www.3news.co.nz/Early-voter-says-forms-are-biased/tabid/367/articleID/233954/Default.aspx
I do not believe it. ACT and National get the benefit of an empty line after their party vote line. Their names are clearer and easier to ascertain and the extra space suggests that they are somehow better.
Perhaps they did not want to rub shoulders with the others and insisted on having more space.
But this is appalling. The form gives them an advantage.
What is going on?
I will calm down now. It is because of section 150 of the Electoral Act 1993. It is all Penny Bright and Matthew Goode’s fault ; )
This is beyond appaling, its utterly terrible, criminal and unjust. What in the fuck is going on??
Mea culpa Salsy. Someone hand me a tinfoil hat please …
Easily proven if this is an anomaly review past voting papers from various electorates and see if this is consistent if it is then accept that this is merely a coincidence, and if so then file it under yet another example of poor reporting by the media, and not a media organisation looking for retribution for the tea and scone episode.
None of that explanation offered by the very sincere official explains the need for selectively spaced variances in the ballot.
I watched his explanantion half a dozen times. I am confident we all understand that the way the list is presented on the ballot has random elements and we are willing to submit to the whimsy of chaos, freely giving benefit of the doubt as to how the final order eventuated.
I am sure that is not in dispute by anyone.
Why there are physical spaces only under the two Parties in question, has not been answered.
Yes it has? The candidates are listed in alphabetical order on the right. The box for the party then goes next to the candidate standing in that seat.
If the independents running (Penny Bright and Matthew Goode) had parties they would be listed in those gaps. Every other candidate has a party hence no other gaps.
Every ballot in the country is laid out in exactly the same way.
I just had a phone call from that fucker Key…automated message. Invading my privacy. Anybody know his number? I need to return the call.
I had an unexpected landline call and was afraid it was Jonkey, so I didn’t get up to answer.
Funny I had one today from Tim Groser. He was claiming credit for the New Lynn Train upgrade which is a bit of a hoot. David Cunliffe did all of the work on this. I hope Groser is paying for each call …
I got one of them this evening. Initially I thought somebody was taking the piss. Initial reaction was merely confirmed.
i heard there was also a bunch of areas called after the debate , who is paying for all this ?
Tel-tech can be pricey to run short term projects on
Is the Electoral Commission going to have a busy week ahead?
Got a Key robocall earlier this evening.
Maori party will do way better than people think, I think.
Maybe. But 7%. LOL.
A question for left-wing/Labour voters. Do you think Labour has focused too much on asset sales at the expense of Labour’s other policies?
Of course they have gingercrush, its all been about assets.
Brett, you’ve crossed to the other side! A question directed to left wing voters you have answered. Oh, Joy! Oh, Celebration! Kill the fatted calf! The prodigal has returned!
Predictions please. Someone asked me at work how best to split their votes tactically for labour, left, greens in Te tai Tonga to get the maximum impact. Any ideas?
They should give their electorate vote to the Labour candidate as the Labour candidate is in a fight with Rahui Katene for the seat. The party vote could be given to either the Greens or Labour depending which party they prefer. I don’t think it matters which of them gets given the vote.
They could vote the Mana party. With enough votes they may well bring in 1-2 other MPs beside Hone Harawira but there is a risk that Mana don’t get enough party votes for another MP and thus you could technically find the vote given to the National party. As wasted votes are given to those parties that have made it to parliament and distributed percentage wise.
There was a very good report on Checkpoint this evening about the abuse of urgency by the government.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/20111124
It was based on research conducted looking at use of urgency from FPP days to present (1987-2010). Urgency was used a lot under FPP, but declined between 1999-2008, and it was thought that MMP was a system that worked against such abuse. But since 2008 it has been used as much, if not more than FPP days.
Prof Elizabeth McLeay said that she had recommended changes to standing orders to prevent such abuses, but only some of the recommendatons are being implemented in the next term.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1111/S00137/study-shows-parliaments-urgency-provisions-often-abused.htm
The 2008 election campaign had NACT billboards and politicians decrying the volume of Kiwis crossing the ditch and the likes of Espiner hammered Labour over it.
Move forward to this evening on Jim-I’m-a-close-friend-of-The-Penguin-and-the-Right-Mora. Who did he have on? None other than Farrar and what were Farrar and Mora talking about? The natural movement of people out of NZ. And then to rub salt in, Farrar was given a couple of minutes at the end of the programme to explain his, and the PM’s, preference for voting systems and dissing MMP.
The November 22-23 survey finds parties with the following Definite Voter party vote shares:
Latest horizon poll
ACT New Zealand
2.7%
Conservative Party of New Zealand
5.2%
Green Party
12.4%
Labour Party
28.6%
Mana Party
2.8%
Maori Party
1.1%
National Party
33.4%
New Zealand First Party
10.8%
United Future
0.9%
Other party
0.7%
Choose not to vote
0.0%
Don’t Know
1.3%
The Miami Model, a frightening video detailing the paramilitary style of policing on display at Occupy sites across the globe.
Ahdaf Soueif in Cairo: ‘By early evening it was clear that this was Revolution II’
“Eat a good breakfast. Take a rucksack with a gas mask and swimming goggles. Write your name on your arm. Write your details into a message on your mobile. And go to the Square.” The tweet appeared after three of the (at least) 38 people killed in the streets of Egypt over the last three days proved impossible to identify. It was picked up by the well-respected Egyptian daily al-Shorouk and published to #Tahrirsupplies – the hashtag that collates what you can bring in to the square if you want to help.