Posts Tagged ‘matthew hooton’

The importance of party unity

Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, October 7th, 2020 - 83 comments

If a party wants to become Government there are a few characteristics that is has to have.  Fiscal competence is one, unity is another.  National currently has neither.  

Muller is floundering

Written By: - Date published: 9:39 pm, June 30th, 2020 - 47 comments

Todd Muller had a bad day yesterday with adverse confidential National polling leaked to the media and with Grant Robertson and Winston Peters showing in the house that Muller’s denial that he had proposed opening up the border with China was simply not correct.

Judith Collins – dirty politics hypocrite.

Written By: - Date published: 1:31 pm, June 28th, 2020 - 19 comments

I’ve just been reading Andrea Vance’s review of Judith Collin’s released biography. One thing that usually infuriates me is whining arseholes. I have always thought Judith Collins has always been one of them. Vindictive, small-minded, and ignorant. She whines even through a review that merely quotes her.

The current National party.

Written By: - Date published: 3:06 pm, May 24th, 2020 - 62 comments

The change of leadership inside of National is essentially meaningless. All it seems to have started is exposing the kind of internecine factional warfare that is lurking below their party surface. I can’t see the inexperienced National team, even with Amy Adams back in it, being able to make the kinds of long-term decisions required in a modern world.

Matthew’s Magic Numbers

Written By: - Date published: 7:15 pm, April 15th, 2020 - 43 comments

Matthew Hooton has tweeted a series of numbers. They add up to good news for the Government.

UPDATE: Curia Polling reckons it’s even better for Labour!

The end of partisan politics?

Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, April 8th, 2020 - 71 comments

Throughout the world there is an increasing consensus emerging that the free market approach is failing and principled intelligent leadership from governments provide the optimum result.

The weasel accurately dissects National.

Written By: - Date published: 2:05 pm, July 26th, 2019 - 36 comments

Matthew Hooton has a piece on National’s chances in the next election this morning entitled as “National stumbling to defeat”. Personally I think he is a PR weasel who is on the border to dirty politics. But he did cover the salient points that will be on the mind of the National party conference. 

National refuses to rule out coalition with Destiny

Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, June 11th, 2019 - 124 comments

Brian Tamaki, recent victim of self/God?-inflicted burns. Don't be like Brian.

On the day that Brian Tamaki engaged in some rabid right wing dog whistling and talked about a clash of cultures Simon Bridges has refused to rule out working with Destiny Church’s Coalition New Zealand party.

The Green’s electoral law reform petition

Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, March 4th, 2019 - 389 comments

The Green Party’s launching of a petition to seek changes to the electoral system has met with some Trumpian style rhetoric from the right.

Sheepgate the final chapter

Written By: - Date published: 7:38 am, February 12th, 2019 - 44 comments

The final chapter of the Saudi Sheepgate saga has now been written with David Parker pulling the pin on the deal and saving the country $1 million.

COP24

Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, December 17th, 2018 - 23 comments

Nearly 200 nations agreed to the accord in Poland over the weekend. And the goal is to seek to limit global temperature rises to below two degrees Celsius.

Another reminder that climate change is happening

Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, October 12th, 2018 - 63 comments

Hurricane Michael is exactly the sort of weather event that climate change scientists predicted would occur because of climate change.

Is Tova O’Brien really a closet leftie?

Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, August 16th, 2018 - 76 comments

Matthew Hooton has claimed that Tova O’Brien is an extreme left-wing, anti-National Party journalist intent in bringing Simon Bridges down.  Hyperbole much?

Pollwatch: 5th August, 2018

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, August 6th, 2018 - 40 comments

The most likely result from Colmar Brunton's 5th august poll as a pie chart: 7 Greens, 51 Labour, 6 NZF, 1 ACT, and 55 National MPs.

The Return of the Pollwatch: Are Labour getting a baby bump? Are National in decline? Are the Greens in existential danger? And do all the previous questions have the same answer?

Government with a plan

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, July 22nd, 2018 - 46 comments

Labour and New Zealand First Ministers under the first term of the sixth Labour government sitting in the Cabinet office.

The polls are great. Top work. But I’m getting worried about the entropy of this government already. Matthew Hooten and Karl Marx agree with me.

Is Matthew Hooton becoming a socialist?

Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, July 20th, 2018 - 41 comments

Occasional Standard reader Matthew Hooton has written a cogent column on industrial relations in which he realises and accepts that wages for ordinary workers are too low.

The Stuart Nash fundraiser

Written By: - Date published: 2:33 pm, June 23rd, 2018 - 9 comments

Stuart Nash this week withdrew from a fundraiser organised for him by Matthew Hooton.

Who gives a hooton about climate change?

Written By: - Date published: 11:47 am, June 10th, 2018 - 125 comments

Matthew Hooton and Fran O’Sullivan have claimed that the Government’s decision to ban off shore petroleum exploration is “Orwellian”, part of an attempt to divert attention from other issues, bad for the environment and bad for jobs. Are they right?

So there was sewage leaking into Middlemore hospital’s walls

Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, May 4th, 2018 - 87 comments

In further horror news about our health system the leaks of sewage into the walls of Middlemore Hospital has been confirmed and its discovery occurred in 2010. And in 2015 the chair of cash strapped Canterbury DHB signed a Ministry of Health drafted letter saying it did not need further funding despite an urgent need for further funds.

Steven Joyce threatens to sue Matthew Hooton and the NBR

Written By: - Date published: 5:22 pm, March 5th, 2018 - 76 comments

Matthew Hooton has been sacked as a contributor to the NBR and Steven Joyce has threatened to sue him and the NBR over claims that Joyce is not popular in caucus and should be sacked.

NZ First: We could and should be doing better

Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, October 20th, 2017 - 15 comments

NZ First chose to be inside Cabinet in a full coalition. I’d rather expected that they would choose to be in a confidence and supply agreement as they did with Labour back in 2005. That they decided to take the risk despite their previous experience with National is a stunning level of trust. But they work well with Labour.

Helen Clark burns Matthew Hooton

Written By: - Date published: 6:20 pm, August 1st, 2017 - 65 comments

Matthew Hooton has been incinerated by a former leader of the Labour Party.

National’s Dirty Politics Machine Attacks Complainant

Written By: - Date published: 6:43 am, June 28th, 2017 - 85 comments

Upon what basis do they feel confident in suggesting to the public that Barclay’s – alleged – victim had been so unprofessional and out-of-control as to be accusing Barclay of being a drug dealer?

Classy

Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, March 21st, 2017 - 24 comments

National’s ill advised attacks on Jacinda Ardern have shriveled in the sunlight, leaving only their reliably suggestible lunatic fringe / Mathew Hooton. The more they rant, the classier she looks.

So sheepgate was Key’s fault

Written By: - Date published: 10:45 am, November 7th, 2016 - 66 comments

According to Fran O’Sullivan the cause of Sheepgate was Key’s decision to abandon leadership of a business mission in 2010. As to the subsequent scandal – Watkin and Hooton voice the anger we should all be feeling.

McCully and the Auditor General’s report on #sheepgate

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, August 27th, 2016 - 17 comments

It has been over a year since the Auditor General announced an inquiry into the circumstances around Sheepgate.  Why has it taken so long?

#Sheepgate – The Compensation payment for the claim that did not exist

Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, July 4th, 2016 - 27 comments

The Nation has been doing some digging into #Sheepgate and last weekend broadcast its results.  There were some findings that if confirmed should result in McCully’s cabinet career being ended. Not to mention a potential Privileges Hearing to decide if he has misled Parliament.

Matthew Hooton and the Radio New Zealand post

Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, May 15th, 2016 - 192 comments

Radio New Zealand recently published a piece penned by well known supporter of the right Matthew Hooton.  What has happened to the concept of balance?

Memo from Crosby Textor: Murray McCully and the Hagaman donation

Written By: - Date published: 2:01 pm, April 24th, 2016 - 35 comments

The Standard has obtained a copy of a Crosby Textor memo concerning risks posed by Murray McCully’s handling of issues surrounding the awarding of the contract for the Niue resort.

A tale of two States of the Nation speeches

Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, February 2nd, 2016 - 6 comments

The State of the Nation speeches provide an interesting start to the political year.  John Key’s speech borrowed Labour Green policy that until now the Government has consistently derided and tried to present it as a “kickstart” while Andrew Little’s tertiary education policy announcement has received almost universal support and National is struggling to work out what attack lines to use.

Nats positioning for 2017

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, November 28th, 2015 - 48 comments

Nothing Matthew Hooton says can be taken at face value, but perhaps there are rumblings within National about 2017.

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