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Politics

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

Categories under Politics

The difference between Simon Wilson and Mike Hosking

Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, October 3rd, 2022 - 47 comments

Wayne Brown’s mayoral campaign hit a really big pothole on the weekend when he was caught bad mouthing Herald reporter Simon Wilson.  His comments received a lot of support from the right on social media who made comments about Wilson similar to the comments the left make about Mike Hosking. Are these examples of the same phenomenon, political bias against critical commentators?

A few notes on how to get out of this mess

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, October 2nd, 2022 - 7 comments

“In an unstable complex system, small islands of coherence have the potential to change the whole system.” – Ilya Progogine.

Local Body Election voting options: Taranaki Regional Council and Urs Signer

Written By: - Date published: 12:50 pm, September 30th, 2022 - 57 comments

Urs Signer is standing for the Taranaki Regional Council, and is speaking a lot of sense about working with farmers, iwi and greenies for a Just Transition.

Even more proof that Conservatives are not good economic managers

Written By: - Date published: 11:44 am, September 29th, 2022 - 61 comments

There has been this carefully crafted illusion that conservative politicians are somehow better with the finances than progressive politicians.  Recent events in the United Kingdom suggest that this illusion is terribly misplaced.

Comrade Chris wants to solve Aotearoa’s housing crisis

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, September 28th, 2022 - 64 comments

Something unusual has happened.  Chris Bishop, or as we should now call him Comrade Chris, has come out fully in favour of a vast expansion of the provision of social housing for kiwis.

Putin and Protest

Written By: - Date published: 8:04 pm, September 27th, 2022 - 16 comments

Interesting to see how the Russian protest plays out over conscription. Odd things happen in gatherings with tyrants. Jan 6 was one. But Romania 1989 was one Putin will know well.

What is Paul Eagle doing?

Written By: - Date published: 12:33 pm, September 22nd, 2022 - 17 comments

Some concerning reports have emerged about Paul Eagle’s mayoral campaign. This week there have been reports that he snubbed a Labour Council candidate while endorsing a right wing candidate.  And that he has been working behind the scenes supporting a team of independents.

Tāme

Written By: - Date published: 10:29 am, September 22nd, 2022 - 18 comments

Tāme Iti’s pitch perfect, political performance art sets activist hearts aflutter.

Luxon’s mishandling of the Uffindell report

Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, September 21st, 2022 - 65 comments

The only word that I can think of is clusterfuck. I cannot understand how badly Christopher Luxon has handled the Maria Dew report into what Sam Uffindell may have done when he was a younger person.

We Need A Proper Constitution

Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, September 20th, 2022 - 41 comments

She’s in the ground and it’s time.

Has Uffindell been cleared?

Written By: - Date published: 9:12 am, September 19th, 2022 - 98 comments

It appears that the Dew report may clear Sam Uffindell and he may be returned to National’s caucus.

The right’s last desperate throw of the dice in Auckland

Written By: - Date published: 12:50 pm, September 16th, 2022 - 18 comments

Even though her name is on the ballot paper and people can vote for her National aligned Mayoral candidate Viv Beck has purported to withdraw from the Auckland Mayoral race.

What is This We Feel?

Written By: - Date published: 6:58 am, September 15th, 2022 - 52 comments

When Queen Elizabeth is buried it will be the last time we say goodbye to her. More than her.

The right is weirdly gleeful about the end of the mask mandate

Written By: - Date published: 6:59 am, September 14th, 2022 - 40 comments

National MPs and their supporters have been celebrating the removal of the mandate with weird levels of glee.

Who pays the cost of an extra day off?

Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, September 13th, 2022 - 50 comments

The Government has announced that we will all have a day off to commemorate the life of Queen Elisabeth.  Act has come out against it on the basis that we are in a cost of living crisis, even though the adverse effect on workers and the poor is essentially nil and even though there is analysis that suggests that holidays are good for the economy.

Re-Nationalise Electricity Generators Now

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, September 8th, 2022 - 60 comments

This COVID era is the decade in which the state is back, bigger and faster than ever before. But the one area this government won’t let the state expand again is the one area in which New Zealand is the most vulnerable: electricity generation. It needs to change.

Transition at the Limits of What People Can Cope With

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, September 7th, 2022 - 39 comments

Many European governments now face a perfect storm of threatened energy security, rising inflation, war-propelled refugee crisis, and climate objectives. New Zealand be warned.

Newshub’s incredibly bad gang take

Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, September 6th, 2022 - 55 comments

Yesterday the Government announced a slate of new powers designed to address gang violence.  Newshub chose that day to imply that Labour was soft on gangs because a gang member said on social media not to vote for National.

‘Training’ for an early grave

Written By: - Date published: 7:40 pm, September 4th, 2022 - 99 comments

We’re sending 120 troops to Britain to ‘train’ raw recruits for the Ukraine killing grounds. For the Defence Generals, it’s an overseas trip to aid retention. For the Ukrainian conscripts, it’s a prelude to early death. It is cynical and criminal: we should be arguing for the war to stop, not keep it going ”to the death of the last Ukrainian.”

National’s PR support springs into action

Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, September 2nd, 2022 - 52 comments

Yesterday National’s PR machine also known as Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB sprang into action to get the message out that National will not negotiate with Destiny Church over support.  Even though eight days previously Chris Luxon pointedly did not rule this out.

About the reversed GST Kiwisaver changes

Written By: - Date published: 8:51 pm, August 31st, 2022 - 63 comments

National’s attack on requiring banks to charge GST on the provision of Kiwisaver services the same as smaller services is deeply cynical when its attacks on Kiwisaver in the past are considered.

Viv Beck going full Trump backfires

Written By: - Date published: 10:48 am, August 31st, 2022 - 28 comments

Recent leaks and publicity have caused huge damage to Viv Beck’s campaign to become Auckland’s next mayor.  They also highlight the stark difference between the left and the right in terms of campaigning.

Govt public media reform performance makes AB’s look good

Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, August 31st, 2022 - 7 comments

The government’s reform of public broadcasting has made Ian Foster’s quest for rugby’s World Cup look like a cinch.
The way the Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media Bill is drafted, suggests worse calamities than the All Blacks loom for the public broadcasting sector, according to leading media critics.

Sharma keeps digging

Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, August 30th, 2022 - 33 comments

Last night a 4,761 word rant was published on Gaurav Sharma’s facebook page.  In it he details information which on the face of it may have breached confidentiality requirements. And the overwhelming effect of the allegations is Meh.

Mark Mitchell is Kim Hilled on National Radio

Written By: - Date published: 11:07 am, August 29th, 2022 - 35 comments

National should learn.  They should never send an MP into an interview with Kim Hill unless they are completely prepared.  As Mark Mitchell learned this morning.

Labour’s Ardern and Democrats’ Biden: Learnings

Written By: - Date published: 7:47 am, August 28th, 2022 - 47 comments

For those fishing around for a progressive playbook in this fractious world, Biden and Ardern are pretty similar. But Biden appears to be turning the fortunes of the Democrats around but Ardern is currently unrewarded. Is there anything to learn?

Labour poised to resolve housing supply crisis

Written By: - Date published: 12:25 pm, August 25th, 2022 - 89 comments

It is possible that within the next year New Zealand’s housing supply crisis will be resolved.

Selling your soul to the bishop for power

Written By: - Date published: 2:36 pm, August 24th, 2022 - 52 comments

This morning Christopher Luxon refused to rule out working with Freedoms New Zealand, the Brian Tamaki entity which has held mock trials, alleged senior Government figures should be tried for treason and have professed a desire to make the country ungovernable.

Crikey v Murdoch & News Corp

Written By: - Date published: 11:17 am, August 24th, 2022 - 5 comments

Australian news site Crikey has taken on Murdoch’s News Corp by reposting an article accusing the Murdoch family of being “Donald Trump’s unindicted co-conspirator” and then taking out advertisements in the New York Times inviting Lachlan Murdoch to sue them.

Who will be Wellington’s next Mayor?

Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, August 23rd, 2022 - 24 comments

The Wellington Mayoralty is shaping up to be a contest between the incumbent Andy Foster, Labour candidate Paul Eagle who will be a direct challenge to Foster’s support base and Tory Whanau who is standing on a policy basis strong on sustainability including the construction of a comprehensive connected bike network.

Labour’s “tenant tax” is neither a tax nor for tenants

Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, August 22nd, 2022 - 33 comments

National’s media spin team is at it again claiming that removing interest rate deductibility for landlords is a “tenant tax” when it is neither a new tax nor for tenants.