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What kind of government would National lead?

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 12:45 pm, September 8th, 2014 - 112 comments
Categories: act, colin craig, conservative party, election 2014, john key, maori party, MMP, national, nz first, peter dunne, united future
Tags: act, coalition deals, colin craig, conservatives, five-headed monster, jamie whyte, winston

The choice for NZ voters is becoming clearer in the last days of the 2014 election. The irony is that after John Key’s scaremongering, our options are a three-headed coalition of natural allies versus a five-or-six headed hydra of extremists and sworn enemies.
NRT: Sensationalising the status quo

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:41 pm, September 4th, 2014 - 55 comments
Categories: election 2014, Media, national, Politics, same old national, tv, you couldn't make this shit up
Tags: no right turn, Patrick Gower, tv3

Pity the political reporter. Committed to horse-race style reporting and desperate for an ‘angle’. Patrick Gower on 3 News last night was desperately talking up how “complicated’ National’s… current arrangements are?? Use your brain Paddy…
Labour policy

Written By: lprent - Date published: 11:46 am, August 25th, 2014 - 24 comments
Categories: labour, Satire
Tags: labour policies, policy

Because of the technical illiteracy of the political committee that appears to have run the development of the Labour website, their extensive list of policies tends to be unreachable. I eventually found the useful page and I’m giving their website a hand using The Standard’s search engine optimization.
The Credibility Stakes: John Key vs Nicky Hager

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 2:12 pm, August 15th, 2014 - 58 comments
Categories: john key
Tags: BLip, dirty politics, john armstrong, nicky hager

BLip comments on John Armstrong’s article yesterday. Then he updates his “Honest Man” list about John Key and his limited understanding of the truth.
Local Bodies: Greens Riding Above Stormy Seas

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:41 am, August 13th, 2014 - 10 comments
Categories: conservative party, election 2014, greens, internet party, labour, maori party, national, nz first
Tags: local bodies

Dave Kennedy (bsprout) looks at the increasingly parlous current state of the smaller parties. He is also looking forward to the Green party campaign launch this weekend in Auckland. Updated with Green campaign launch details.
The right’s lack of diversity

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 12:00 pm, August 12th, 2014 - 46 comments
Categories: act, conservative party, election 2014, national, nz first, united future
Tags:

On the right there’s one big party who have the lion’s share of the vote, and a smattering of odd little parties at the kids’ table fighting for scraps and key electorates. It’s one of the reasons National continues to poll so highly: if you’re a rightwing voter, you don’t have any other viable options.
Roads ‘n’ rules

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:18 am, August 12th, 2014 - 20 comments
Categories: community democracy, democratic participation, election 2014, equality, poverty
Tags:

The Kumeu candidates debate last night covered topics ranging from the very local, to the global: local roads and round-a-bouts, through the internet, poverty, health, jobs and education, to climate change, the TPPA, and the GCSB. Roads and rules were a recurring theme. [updated: stuff video; links to Green Party speeches]
The bottomless Labour-Green divide

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 12:00 pm, August 11th, 2014 - 82 comments
Categories: election 2014, greens, internet mana party, labour, Left, Media, MMP
Tags:

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

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:51 am, August 9th, 2014 - 132 comments
Categories: farming, john key, national, overseas investment
Tags: Lochinver station

Just over six weeks to go until the next election and we have our first major campaign issue. Not what some young people said about John Key but foreign ownership of our land.
Local Bodies: National and the Poverty Deniers

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:11 pm, August 8th, 2014 - 24 comments
Categories: greens, national, poverty, same old national
Tags: local bodies

Poverty deniers are also adamant that the ‘relative’ poverty that may exist has been flatlining for some time and the best way of stopping poverty is just getting people into work. They ignore the fact that 40% of children living in poverty have at least one parent in full-time employment.
Positive Policy on Youth Employment

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 6:09 pm, August 4th, 2014 - 8 comments
Categories: david cunliffe, election 2014, employment, grant robertson, labour
Tags:

Other than fixing child poverty, there’s probably no more important policy than this. Labour will commit $183 million to a comprehensive Youth Employment Package designed to reach 24,000 young New Zealanders.
Epsom’s “choice” – first crook, now nutter

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 9:34 pm, July 31st, 2014 - 207 comments
Categories: uncategorized
Tags:

John Key says he wants to “give Epsom voters a choice.” Some choice. First a crook, now a nutter. Colin Craig was a bridge too far for Key, but Jamie Whyte sounds just as bad. I think this reliance on the unwanted parties will hurt Key; it’s beginning to feel like 1984 and 1990, where the governing party betrayed the voters’ choice. Covert or overt, before the election or after, it’s still a rort. People don’t like it.
Latest Roy Morgan poll

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 3:04 pm, July 31st, 2014 - 196 comments
Categories: polls
Tags: roy morgan, Roy Morgan poll

The latest Roy Morgan poll records a significant swing to the left with National now on 46%, Labour 30% and the Greens 12%. One poll only and obviously more work needs to be done but …
TVNZ’s white male syndrome

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:46 am, July 26th, 2014 - 86 comments
Categories: broadcasting, democracy under attack, election 2014, greens, labour, national, patriarchy, tv
Tags:

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

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:30 am, July 22nd, 2014 - 30 comments
Categories: election 2014, polls
Tags: polity

The overall strength of the status quo bloc at around 54%, and the strength of the change bloc a little under 46%. The picture ain’t pretty.
Conservative idiots

Written By: lprent - Date published: 2:04 pm, July 20th, 2014 - 65 comments
Categories: colin craig, conservative party, Politics, referendum
Tags:

The Conservatives have made a complete cockup of their “bottom line” for making a deal with National about going into government. They want to make referendums legally binding on the government. It is something that no rational government in NZ would agree with because it is impossible from several different criteria. Andrew Geddis points out that it is pretty well impossible without changing the legal basis of our government. I just think that the questions for our referendums have been complete crap.
NZ First conference – Sunday.

Written By: lprent - Date published: 11:03 am, July 20th, 2014 - 40 comments
Categories: nz first
Tags: conference

It is a shorter day today. More organisational.

Leading up to Winston Peters speech later today where he is promising about 9 policy announcements.

Campaign slogan “It’s common sense”

Updated: 14:46
Re-writing 2nd Wave Women’s Movement: Pat Rosier – h/t Hand Mirror

Written By: karol - Date published: 1:02 pm, July 19th, 2014 - 8 comments
Categories: benefits, feminism, history, socialism, workers' rights
Tags:

A must read Hand Mirror post acknowledges the passing of Pat Rossier. She played a significant role in NZ’s 2nd wave Women’s Movement. Misinformation about feminism fails to represent its diversity & socialist underpinnings. A full chronicle of the NZ 2nd wave is needed.
NZ First conference – the kingmakers?

Written By: lprent - Date published: 4:48 pm, July 15th, 2014 - 50 comments
Categories: act, colin craig, conservative party, election funding, mana-party, maori party, MMP, national, nz first, peter dunne, Politics, same old national, united future, winston peters
Tags: coalition blues, colin james, michael wood, virginia anderson, voting

It looks like I’ll be able to head to the NZ First conference at Alexandra Park racecourse on the weekend as media. This election the position of NZ First party members is probably going to be crucial for any coalition that forms. In this rather long post I explain my (and other peoples) thinking on possible coalition results for National after the election. They aren’t good because they really depend on a political group that National has been denigrating for quite a while.
Jon Stephenson vs NZDF retrial

Written By: lprent - Date published: 11:20 am, July 11th, 2014 - 9 comments
Categories: making shit up, Media, military
Tags: afghanistan, defamation, jon stephenson, journalism, nzdf

The NZ Defense Force have been defending themselves in a defamation case against some grossly inaccurate claims that they made about reporter Jon Stephenson back in 2011 (and that John Key recklessly and foolishly chimed in on). They have been forced to concede that their claims were inaccurate. But a hung jury about how defamatory the claims were is causing it to proceeding to second trial. It looks like legal maneuvering by the NZDF has failed. My view is that the NZDF are being completely stupid about owning up to their screwup.
Polity: The ENV debate: Some more data

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:27 am, July 11th, 2014 - 14 comments
Categories: David Farrar, election 2011, election 2014, elections, john key, national, same old national, Steven Joyce
Tags: polity, turnout

Rob Salmond presents the David Farrar / Steven Joyce / John Key argument that 2011 non voters are a National-leaning bunch. Then he shows that a better look at their own data undermines their claim. This matters because it helps us understand which bloc has more to gain from voter mobilization efforts in 2014. This means the left has a lot more to gain than the right from mobilization in 2014.
Local Bodies: Pay Equity, Rod Donald Was Right in 2004

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:44 pm, June 28th, 2014 - 3 comments
Categories: Economy, education, employment, greens, labour, public services
Tags: jackie blue, local bodies, pay equity, rob donald

In 2004 Green Party Co-Leader Rod Donald made a speech about the Public Finance (State Sector Management) Bill. Ten years later the State Sector is still not an equitable employer. Pakeha men have done considerably better over the ten years than any other demographic and this is despite the fact that for many years now females have been out performing males academically. Women still earn less relative to their qualifications than men. There is some hope that a future Green/Labour coalition may finally address the issue.
It takes a child to raise a country – so Tick for Kids

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 11:00 am, June 20th, 2014 - 80 comments
Categories: child welfare, election 2014
Tags: tick 4 kids

Overshadowed by the political smears that have dominated the past few days, the Tick for Kids campaign has been launched to put our children at the centre of the election campaign.
Local Bodies: National’s Campaign Strategy Stinks

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:58 am, June 20th, 2014 - 25 comments
Categories: corruption, david cunliffe, education, election 2014, Environment, greens, john key, Mining, Minister for Photo-ops, national, same old national
Tags: 100% pure new zealand, dirty tricks, hollow men, inequality, local bodies, nicky hager, rivers, smears

We all know from reading Nicky Hager’s The Hollow Men (or watching the documentary) that the National Party actually advocates for a small section of society. Their policies rarely support most New Zealanders and after each period of a National led Government we have costly messes like leaky buildings and dead miners as the aftermath. This isn’t to say that Labour shouldn’t take responsibility for not repealing dodgy legislation, but National has always stood for less regulation, fewer protections for workers and the environment and an upward flow of money to the already rich.
TPP – the expensive vanity project of NZ diplomacy

Written By: lprent - Date published: 10:32 am, June 13th, 2014 - 51 comments
Categories: Economy, International, labour, Left, national, phil goff, Politics, spin, trade
Tags: tpp, wayne mapp

Wayne Mapp is worried about the possibility of Labour backing away from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). If National and MFAT would like support from the free-trade advocates inside Labour, then I’d suggest that they get off their padded arses and provide some solid information not only to us, but also to the public. But all I have heard so far is some psuedo-religious Randian rants about free-trade that are about as convincing to business people as statements about the imminent arrival of the Rapture.
Paula Bennett now believes in education for solo parents

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:27 am, June 11th, 2014 - 70 comments
Categories: benefits, budget 2014, labour, national, paula bennett, welfare
Tags:

Five years after making cuts to the training incentive allowance for solo parents wanting to educate themselves National is moving to provide some support and now realises that it makes long term sense to invest in education for solo parents. Could it be there is an election around the corner and National realises that it is vulnerable on issues relating to poverty and inequality?
The coat-tail rule and democracy

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 5:00 pm, May 30th, 2014 - 136 comments
Categories: democratic participation, mana, Media, MMP, nz first
Tags:

Allow me to fly in the face of an accepted truth in NZ politics by saying this: there is absolutely nothing undemocratic about the MMP “coat-tail” rules.
Some thoughts on Internet Mana and Laila Harre

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:02 am, May 29th, 2014 - 262 comments
Categories: internet party
Tags: hone harawira, kim dotcom

Some thoughts on the implications of the Internet Mana announcement and the anticipated selection of Laila Harre as the Internet Party leader. Like everything else concerning Kim Dotcom nothing is simple.
So what happened here? PPL vote

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:38 pm, May 28th, 2014 - 32 comments
Categories: labour, maori party, national, workers' rights
Tags:

There has been some questioning of the vote for the second reading of the Paid Parental Bill tonight. Sue Moroney claims the Maori Party were planning to vote for it. The Nat whip cast the Maori Party votes AGAINST the Bill. [Update: One News; NZ Herald]
Kiwipolitico: The housing problem isn’t a housing problem; it’s a regional development problem

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 3:07 pm, May 28th, 2014 - 41 comments
Categories: Economy, housing
Tags: kiwipolitico, regional development, xenophobia

The national median house price is $415,000, a figure skewed substantially upwards by the extraordinary cost of housing in Auckland. But you can buy a three bedroom house a for a lot less outside the urban areas. There just aren’t jobs to go with them. The chart shows income and employment growth by region. The growth is just not there. Correct that, and it might correct the supply in the urban centres.
Mana Party Internet Party partnership

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:29 am, May 27th, 2014 - 113 comments
Categories: election 2014, internet party, mana-party
Tags:

Mana has announced a formal partnership agreement with the Internet Party. Both parties will retain their separate existence but submit a joint list for the election. The Internet Party will contest as yet unnamed general electorate seats.