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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 Cabinet reshuffle

Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, June 14th, 2022 - 64 comments

There was some drama yesterday in the Beehive where Kris Faafoi and Trevor Mallard announced that they will be resigning from Parliament and Jacinda Ardern took the opportunity to reshuffle the Cabinet.

BusinessNZ has been telling porkies about fair pay agreements

Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, June 13th, 2022 - 10 comments

BusinessNZ’s attempt to put New Zealand on the ILO naughty list because of fair pay agreements has failed.

 Gang Control Policy Is Back Big Time

Written By: - Date published: 6:08 pm, June 12th, 2022 - 16 comments

We are about to have a proper gang control  policy contest. It’s about time.

National’s anti gang policies and the Bill of Rights

Written By: - Date published: 4:09 pm, June 12th, 2022 - 33 comments

This weekend National threw out a few hunks of red meat to some of its more rabid supporters by going to its old favourite of gang bashing.

An appeal to Putin’s Apologists

Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, June 12th, 2022 - 121 comments

Guest with a life of anti-fascist and anti-war activism in their rear-view mirror, alarmingly finds at fifty that they are staring at the green shoots of fascism in their headlights.This is not where any progressive expected to be. But for the left, there is also no discounting fascist action by offering up the reasoning of the aggressor.

Ukraine as a Multi-Year war

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, June 12th, 2022 - 20 comments

The Russian war of aggression against the Ukraine is now three months old. Prepare for a very long grind.

The prospects of a snap election

Written By: - Date published: 2:18 pm, June 10th, 2022 - 85 comments

Various media and the National Party are speculating that there may be an early election.  What are the chances of one being called?

Truthiness or Ignorance*

Written By: - Date published: 10:09 am, June 10th, 2022 - 53 comments

The world is too complex and hostile, so why bother trying to learn and understand.

He Waka Eke Noa?

Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, June 10th, 2022 - 16 comments

The He Waka Eke Noa report recommends the introduction of farm-level split-gas levy on agricultural emissions. The anticipated savings are very small and reliant on Government proposals for the sector to reaching the Government target of 10% methane reduction.  Are we really all in this together?

National needs better lawyers

Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, June 8th, 2022 - 68 comments

Christopher Luxon this morning called for the police getting warrantless search powers for arms.  But the law already allows for warrantless searches where Arms Act violations are suspected.

Is Boris gone?

Written By: - Date published: 7:49 am, June 7th, 2022 - 17 comments

Reports from the UK suggest that Boris Johnson’s reign as Prime Minister may be over because it appears sufficient conservative MPs have a sufficient sense of morality to be outraged about Boris’s Covid lockdown busting ways.

Update:  he survived but over 40% of Conservative MPs voted to remove him.

China and the Pacific

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, June 5th, 2022 - 223 comments

National and it allies have this week attacked Nanaia Mahuta for not responding to China’s forays in the Pacific.  But they do not appreciate the quiet diplomatic work that Labour MPs have been doing in the background or the reasons why the Pacific rejected having a joint security arrangement with China.

Climate politics

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, June 2nd, 2022 - 5 comments

Quick quiz on which New Zealand politicians led well on climate action in the past 15 years. Which New Zealand town is in a climate emergency today? And how our focus and voting matters if we want to avert climate disaster.

Ardern is apparently to blame for National having racist supporters

Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, June 2nd, 2022 - 273 comments

Yesterday on Morning Report Chris Luxon pivoted from a question about National supporters expressing distaste for Te Ao Maori to blaming Jacinda Ardern for not burning up political capital on co governance.

National’s policies don’t add up

Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, May 31st, 2022 - 48 comments

In 21 tweets Clint Smith has set out why National’s tax cut policies and its rhetoric are absurd and how the media is doing us a disservice by not asking the hard questions like what will be cut and how the promised tax cuts will be paid for.

The problem with keyboard warriors and media commentators

Written By: - Date published: 8:29 am, May 29th, 2022 - 178 comments

Internationally Jacinda Ardern’s speech to the Harvard graduating class has been very well received.  But locally not so much.

Jacinda Ardern’s Harvard University Commencement speech

Written By: - Date published: 11:17 am, May 27th, 2022 - 51 comments

Video and transcript of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s speech at Harvard.

If not now then when?

Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, May 26th, 2022 - 47 comments

Yet another school shooting has occurred this time in Texas with 19 children and two teachers shot.  And this weekend the NRA is holding its annual Convention in Texas and Donald Trump is one of the guest speakers.

Wood announces boost to Coastal shipping

Written By: - Date published: 9:47 am, May 25th, 2022 - 36 comments

Transport Minister Michael Wood has announced funding to increase coastal shipping services in New Zealand in a move that will decrease highway congestion, reduce wear and tear on roads, improve employment, support regional development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Why Is New Zealand So Strong?

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, May 25th, 2022 - 36 comments

As New Zealand signs up to another alliance to shore up our economic security in the face of fast retreats in economic globalisation, it’s worth taking stock of why New Zealand’s economy is so strong.

How to get the progressive government we want

Written By: - Date published: 9:59 am, May 23rd, 2022 - 95 comments

What if instead of waiting for a new left wing party to arise, the left worked with the three progressive parties we already have in parliament?

The Australian Election

Written By: - Date published: 7:08 pm, May 21st, 2022 - 66 comments

Post for people to comment on developing news about the Australian election.

The terrorist ‘heroes’ of Mariupol

Written By: - Date published: 4:44 pm, May 21st, 2022 - 128 comments

The mass surrender of over 2000 members of  the extreme nationalist AZOV battalion in Mariupol is a major win in the fight against global race-based terrorism.  These extreme nationalists share the same ideology as the Christchurch and Buffalo assassins. Efforts to combat extremism have focused on the influence of social media on individuals. Insufficient attention is paid to organising centres such as AZOV.

The time that Roger Douglas was right

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, May 21st, 2022 - 39 comments

Roger Douglas may have caused New Zealand a lot of harm through his policies and actions but there was one occasion where if a policy he had helped to introduce had been retained New Zealand would be a much better place.

The Media and the Australian election

Written By: - Date published: 2:03 pm, May 20th, 2022 - 28 comments

I cannot understand why in Australia Scotty from Marketing still has a fighting chance of remaining as Prime Minister.  But the recent tightening in the polls suggests that this is a possibility.

The Goldilocks budget

Written By: - Date published: 9:25 am, May 20th, 2022 - 24 comments

How was the 2022 budget?  Was it the worst since Ruth Richardson’s mother of all budgets or the best since the first Labour Government gave everyone a Christmas bonus in 1935?

The politics of high inflation – can governments do anything?

Written By: - Date published: 10:46 am, May 19th, 2022 - 13 comments

It is clear that we will continue to face these economic challenges with tools that are ill-equipped to face the problems. Only a truly international response can create an economy that delivers for all.

Budget Day!

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, May 19th, 2022 - 50 comments

Today is budget day.  What surprises will Grant Robertson announce to address the country’s many and varied problems.  Will Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis be able to sound like they actually understand what is in the budget?  Stay tuned for 2 pm …

Has Business NZ been telling porkies?

Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, May 17th, 2022 - 18 comments

Business NZ has claimed that the proposed Fair Play legislation breaches International Labour Law and that the International Labour Organisation agrees with it. But its claims appear to be on the wrong side of what we could politely describe as the truth.

The Emissions Reduction Plan we voted for

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, May 17th, 2022 - 33 comments

what kind of climate action do we want?

The Auckland Mayoralty campaign

Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, May 15th, 2022 - 9 comments

The Auckland mayoralty campaign promises to be a fascinating contest between a right winger promising to spend $1.5 million on the campaign and wants to turn sprinklers on the homeless and Efeso Collins who promises to run an inclusive respectful campaign.