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Politics

Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation

Categories under Politics

Should We Worry About Green and Maori Party Taxes?

Written By: - Date published: 7:47 am, July 30th, 2023 - 163 comments

We are the 99%

We need to recognise our risk to the capital flight risk of the 1%, but also recognise the benefit to the 99% of us.

Should Labour take GST off fresh food?

Written By: - Date published: 10:53 am, July 28th, 2023 - 87 comments

National’s Nicola Willis has claimed that Labour will soon announce policy to take GST off fresh fruit and vegetables.

Greens: Labour must deliver on No New Mines

Written By: - Date published: 7:33 pm, July 26th, 2023 - 25 comments

“The Green Party is disappointed tonight that the Government has voted down Eugenie Sage’s members’ bill to stop new mining on conservation land. The time is now for a government that takes conservation seriously.”

Politics is indeed a blood sport

Written By: - Date published: 3:36 pm, July 25th, 2023 - 56 comments

But should it be? Without acknowledging in any way its role in politicising Kiritapu Allan’s issues National has stated that politics is a blood sport.

Future Green Wins Will Be Hard

Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, July 25th, 2023 - 5 comments

It does not mean they are not worth trying; it means they will be fights against entrenched power.

Allan fired

Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, July 24th, 2023 - 162 comments

This does not help.

The Greens’ election campaign launch: game on

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, July 24th, 2023 - 66 comments

“No party who wants to work with us after 14th October should ever take our support for granted”

With the urgency of the climate crisis upon us, the Greens are finally willing to use the cross benches card.

Year of the Long Grind 2

Written By: - Date published: 10:49 am, July 22nd, 2023 - 26 comments

There will be no respite for any of us this year and National has no cure for it.

Laura norda rides again

Written By: - Date published: 9:47 am, July 22nd, 2023 - 57 comments

This week Labour has announced toughening up of the law dealing with 12 and 13 year olds and National has been playing politics with the shooting incident after earlier saying it was not a day to play politics.

Roger Douglas thinks Act has lost its way

Written By: - Date published: 9:09 am, July 20th, 2023 - 33 comments

Roger Douglas, who as Finance Minister under the fourth Labour Government caused major harm and the founder of the Act Party, has publicly declared that he has lost faith in the Act party and is now a swing voter.

Hoki Whenua Mai/Landback

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, July 18th, 2023 - 56 comments

The term landback appears to induce anxiety in some people, but whether one agrees with the details or not, there’s nothing in this Green Party policy to be afraid of.

Why a change of Government would be a bad thing – school lunches

Written By: - Date published: 12:14 pm, July 14th, 2023 - 63 comments

Act has declared its class prejudice by advocating for the cancellation of the free lunch in schools programme even though the benefits are clear and recognised and the programme helps poor kids’ nutrition and education.

How Hipkins Can Still Win

Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, July 13th, 2023 - 28 comments

Hipkins being himself is his election-winning attribute.

Hipkins’ tax gamble

Written By: - Date published: 6:25 pm, July 12th, 2023 - 92 comments

Chris Hipkins today stated that for any future Government he leads after the next election there will be no wealth or capital gains tax implemented. End of story.

Act’s dishonest Youth offending policy

Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, July 11th, 2023 - 56 comments

Act’s newly released policy that suggests all 17 year olds are dealt with in the Youth Court shows a concerning lack of understand how the Youth Justice system actually works.

Decoding the Doorstep: Insights from Canvassing Uxbridge and South Ruislip

Written By: - Date published: 3:22 am, July 10th, 2023 - 13 comments

Support for the Conservative and Unionist Party is collapsing, but this is turning to cynicism and rage rather than enthusiastic support for a Labour Government next year. There is a possibility that in 18 months’ time, UK Labour are in Government, but have lost the London Mayoralty.

NZ’s Mission in Vilnius – “to defeat Russia.” Really?

Written By: - Date published: 10:50 pm, July 9th, 2023 - 52 comments

The prime minister stated in his speech last week our objective in the war in Ukraine was to aid Ukraine “to defeat Russia.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing – that’s a declaration of nuclear World War III! Even the US neocons think its time to back off.

Prime Minister Hipkins on the Trade Price of Everything

Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, July 9th, 2023 - 2 comments

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins spoke this week on how the Government is acting to protect and advance the safety and security of New Zealand and New Zealanders while dealing with those countries that have most influence over us.

A government looking at the climate challenges, not with fear but with hope

Written By: - Date published: 6:10 am, July 9th, 2023 - 69 comments

James Shaw’s speech to the Greens’ AGM is showing us this is the party with the actual plan for how to get through the crisis.

The very strange election campaign

Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, July 8th, 2023 - 86 comments

With 98 days to go despite large parts of the electorate being very grumpy the polls are neck and neck and Labour can still win. This is what they have to do.

The Mind of Xi Jinping

Written By: - Date published: 12:08 pm, July 5th, 2023 - 17 comments

An excellent interview with a well-connected American who would like to see the US and China work together, and knows Xi Jinping well, provides some real insight as to why he is a serious leader. Interviewed today by Richard Harman, Tim Groser backs it up.

The Green Party’s Pledge to Renters

Written By: - Date published: 6:10 am, July 3rd, 2023 - 66 comments

“Right now, the rental market more closely resembles a game of monopoly than a public good – and it’s landlords who hold all the cards. This didn’t happen by accident. For decades, governments have made rules to prioritise those who own property and failed to protect people who rent.”

The very Kafkaesque attack on Kiritapu Allan

Written By: - Date published: 4:46 pm, July 2nd, 2023 - 54 comments

Being subject to allegations of inappropriate behaviour the detail of which has not been released by unnamed public servants must make Kiritapu Allan think that she is living in a Franz Kafka novel.

The Women’s Rights Party

Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, July 2nd, 2023 - 50 comments

“We are the only political party in New Zealand that puts women first”

Greens release rental stories collection

Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, June 30th, 2023 - 127 comments

“All four residents came down sick within the week and stayed sick until we moved out. Three of us could not move out until the end of the lease, which took two months. Two of the residents had throat swabs done, both coming back with lung infections of bacteria primarily found in the intestines.”

Proper Race Politics In Your Face

Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, June 28th, 2023 - 12 comments

Who has the better take on the Treaty of Waitangi? Julian Batchelor or Sir Apirana Ngata?

Sepuloni 1 Luxon 0

Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, June 28th, 2023 - 12 comments

Yesterday in Parliament National attempted to embarrass Carmel Sepuloni in question time by asking her detailed economic questions. But the attempt backfired.

NACT’s Law & Order Policies: Dog Whistle Or Proto-Fascism?

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, June 26th, 2023 - 22 comments

NACT’s Law & Order policies are a dog whistle and signs of proto-fascism.

National releases uncosted corrections policy

Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, June 26th, 2023 - 12 comments

National has released a hotch potch policy of changes to Criminal Justice that is uncosted and seeks to achieve that which is already in force or proposed.

Why selling Auckland Port Operations is a particularly silly thing to do

Written By: - Date published: 4:30 pm, June 25th, 2023 - 4 comments

It is a given that the right in power want to sell public assets off and the left want to retain those assets. And it appears that the right’s eyes are on Ports of Auckland.

Why Public Ownership Is Great

Written By: - Date published: 4:20 pm, June 25th, 2023 - 10 comments

In the absence of any political party stating clearly that public ownership of major infrastructure is a very good idea, here’s 10 good things public ownership of infrastructure does that private ownership doesn’t.