Written By: - Date published: 4:32 pm, July 13th, 2020 - 39 comments
The Serious Fraud Office has commenced an investigation in relation to donations made in 2017 to the Labour Party.
UPDATE: The investigation may involve donations made at a ‘silent’ art auction, something that Labour was upfront about back in February.
Written By: - Date published: 12:51 pm, December 6th, 2017 - 58 comments
Surprise surprise – Bill English is still whining that 44.4% should really be counted as 50.1% – and other snippets from Parliament’s post election conference.
Written By: - Date published: 11:16 am, October 22nd, 2017 - 21 comments
Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, October 22nd, 2017 - 27 comments
Where this government ranks in terms of proportion of the vote compared to the historical record. Useful analysis.
Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, October 21st, 2017 - 25 comments
Vernon Small has the best account of the events of “D-Day”. Nat supporters are trying to pedal the myth that English lost a baubles bidding war because of his principles (hah!), the fact is it was all about policy match.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 20th, 2017 - 25 comments
If you missed it last night – Jacinda Ardern’s first speech as PM elect is everything that we could want and expect. But the take-home line of the drama belongs to Winston Peters.
Written By: - Date published: 6:58 pm, October 19th, 2017 - 416 comments
Winston Peters has announced that he will be going into coalition with Labour and Jacinda Ardern will be the next Prime Minister. Let the attacks from the right about how unfair it is that a minority party did not ascend into Government and how MMP needs to be reformed begin. For the rest of us – this is a time of hope…
Written By: - Date published: 5:24 pm, October 19th, 2017 - 54 comments
Lots of chatter going on at the moment. The Herald reports that NZF prefers Labour. Will it come down to the baubles in the end?
Livestream: http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/10/livestream-winston-peters-makes-announcement.html
Updated: He has arrived – join the livestreams. And…. Jacinda
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, October 19th, 2017 - 51 comments
The site will be down this afternoon for a few hours for scheduled maintenance.
Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, October 18th, 2017 - 8 comments
Lloyd Burr at Newshub rounded up 23 of Peters’ most quotable attacks on the Nats and their failed government. Add them to the collection of issues that Peters will have to disown if he goes wrong and picks Right.
Written By: - Date published: 4:56 pm, October 17th, 2017 - 28 comments
Vance: “Now not committing to the end of the week”
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, October 17th, 2017 - 12 comments
Beckett’s classic Waiting for Godot by the city’s oldest company, the Wellington Political Theatre, is a triumph.
Written By: - Date published: 5:05 pm, October 16th, 2017 - 19 comments
Spare a thought for our poor political reporters today.
Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, October 16th, 2017 - 30 comments
Maybe Peters learned from history and is not doomed to repeat it. If we get a Labour led government, what should be its top priorities in the first 100 days?
Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, October 15th, 2017 - 102 comments
Peters has the opportunity to put an end to this useless government (and turn National into “the opposition from hell”). I think he’s going to ’96 us, but I’d be happy to be proved wrong
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, October 14th, 2017 - 160 comments
Every morning, as the waiting for Winston to decide continues to fray my fragile psyche, I can look at myself in the mirror, contemplate my own frenzied speculative hopes for an Ardern Prime Ministership, and immediately think of a host of strong social-methodological reasons why all such speculation is futile.
Written By: - Date published: 7:40 am, October 12th, 2017 - 26 comments
It’s the last day of coalition talks (probably). Peters has certainly created big expectations of “change”, but what they will mean in practice is still anyone’s guess.
Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, October 11th, 2017 - 23 comments
Peters’ policy priorities are clearly anathema to National. Depending on the details Labour may be more accommodating, but it’s a risky path given signs that “the economy” is already flatlining.
Written By: - Date published: 6:15 am, October 11th, 2017 - 70 comments
Great news for all those who are enjoying the suspense!
Written By: - Date published: 11:18 am, October 10th, 2017 - 35 comments
Newsroom (Shane Cowlishaw) reports that the Nats were considering significant hikes to fuel taxes, described in a document that was supposed to be released before the election – but somehow wasn’t.
Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, October 9th, 2017 - 40 comments
Expect to see agendas on display, and egos, and reckons, and the occasional gleaned factoid. But don’t expect predictions to be any better than chance.
Written By: - Date published: 6:34 am, October 7th, 2017 - 35 comments
The right wing clobbering machine is already calling a possible Labour Green NZF a “coalition of losers”. Well under MMP a coalition of losers can be the winners. But however you cut it a coalition of liars will always be liars.
Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, October 6th, 2017 - 35 comments
The special vote count should be out at 2pm tomorrow. The mathematically plausible scenarios are either good, or very good, for the left.
Written By: - Date published: 11:28 am, October 5th, 2017 - 166 comments
Preliminary talks between NZF and National have concluded, talks between NZF and Labour are due this afternoon. (Image from Vernon Small)
Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, October 3rd, 2017 - 86 comments
I have very mixed feelings about a Labour Green NZF government. I certainly don’t think that Labour should “pay any price”. So I’m pleased to see Jacinda Ardern acknowledging the Greens.
Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, October 2nd, 2017 - 17 comments
The Nats are desperate to make big concessions for a coalition with the Greens. The establishment is lining up in The Herald to beg for this to happen. Promises to strengthen environmental and social policies in order to cling to power – but not for the last nine long years when it was simply the right thing to do…
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, September 30th, 2017 - 88 comments
You know that old saying about how generals always prepare to fight the last war? That’s National and their FPP election campaign (hello creepy joggers). There will be a certain poetic justice played out if Labour’s MMP campaign is the winner in the end.
Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, September 28th, 2017 - 24 comments
A significant and positive development late yesterday. Labour held firm on the Māori seats, and Peters has decided that a referendum is probably not a bottom line after all. This early progress bodes well for future negotiations.
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, September 27th, 2017 - 170 comments
Peters campaigned hard against the Nats, and for a change in government (check out the speech and video). To keep faith with democracy and with his party members he has to go with Labour Green (check out the feedback and polls). If Peters goes the other way NZF will implode.
Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, September 26th, 2017 - 27 comments
National have maintained their own vote but killed off all their political friends. Which is why their only route to power is now in the hands of an enemy, and why that enemy should be very wary of hitching his wagon to their fading star.
Written By: - Date published: 2:43 pm, September 25th, 2017 - 40 comments
The papers are full of the expected establishment hysteria today, trying to paint the election as a done deal for the Nats (I wonder what Peters will make of that?). Professor Richard Shaw: “Nobody’s won the election yet. The people who won the election are the people who form the government.”
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