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Politics

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

Categories under Politics

How the Covid era changes us

Written By: - Date published: 3:42 pm, February 3rd, 2022 - 45 comments

With Prime Minister announcing effectively the beginning of the end of state control of COVID, the question that has to be asked is how will the end of COVID change us all?

How New Zealand Reconnects With the World

Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, February 3rd, 2022 - 113 comments

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced a phased reopening of the country’s border.  Update:  video of the speech is added.

And what have they done anyway?

Written By: - Date published: 7:41 am, February 2nd, 2022 - 107 comments

With Ardern getting a good-old media beat-down, remember here’s how to change a country for good like no one else but Labour can.

The problem with and the benefits of MIQ

Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, February 1st, 2022 - 93 comments

It may not be apparent from the wall to wall sound emanating from the opposition and from the media but this Government’s Covid response has been exceptionally good and way better than that of pretty well every other major country in the world.

Women’s human rights and the vulnerability of pregnant women

Written By: - Date published: 12:57 pm, January 31st, 2022 - 211 comments

While social and mainstream media hash out the details of Charlotte Bellis’ situation, her case points to the gross inequity that women still face even in countries like New Zealand.

Light Rail: The State Is Back

Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, January 31st, 2022 - 30 comments

The light rail route and mode decision this week shows something new. It’s in the nature of the state itself.

Go well Jacinda

Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, January 30th, 2022 - 40 comments

Worrying news emerged this morning with a report that Jacinda Ardern is a close contact of an Omicron case on an Air New Zealand flight.

Going cold turkey on Spotify

Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, January 29th, 2022 - 166 comments

Neil Young’s decision to withdraw his music from Spotify because of its insistence on highlighting self declared idiot Joe Rogan has seen a number of people either cancelling their subscriptions or considering alternatives.

How far has National really fallen?

Written By: - Date published: 12:01 pm, January 28th, 2022 - 16 comments

Because I love accurate comparisons and because the media typically do a shit job of looking at political polls, I decided that a look backwards to a comparable poll in the last parliament, Colmar Brunton early Feb 2019. National has lost support to Act but the overall conservative vote has minimal change. The Greens haven’t died. Labour looks very likely to lead the parliament.

About the latest Colmar Brunton poll

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, January 28th, 2022 - 52 comments

The latest Colmar Brunton (now Kantar) poll has now been released and some of the commentary and analysis is pretty ordinary.

Labour has overseen massive inequality increase – Bernard Hickey

Written By: - Date published: 1:14 pm, January 27th, 2022 - 154 comments

The Government’s Covid 19 response, mainly via Reserve Bank measures, has enabled a mind-boggling increase in inequality, according to influential financial commentator Bernard Hickey. Covid response has saved multiple lives, but its refusal to simultaneously address inequality via taxes raises uncomfortable questions about how a leftist government has overseen a once-in-a-generation shift in wealth

The importance of proper mask wearing

Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, January 27th, 2022 - 55 comments

With an Omicron surge appearing to be inevitable the importance of proper mask wearing has never been more important.

Weird stuff Jacinda Ardern has been accused of

Written By: - Date published: 9:25 am, January 25th, 2022 - 212 comments

It appears that social media allegations against Jacinda Ardern are becoming more and more extreme.

Prisoners of the Narrative #1

Written By: - Date published: 4:30 pm, January 23rd, 2022 - Comments Off on Prisoners of the Narrative #1

Robert Ayson’s advocacy of a sanctions regime for New Zealand in case of a  Russian invasion of Ukraine is a bad idea based on poor intelligence.The “Russian invasion” narrative was always a beat-up, and there is no support from major players in Europe for sanctions such as removal from the SWIFT payment system. Russia’s claim for border security is reasonable and essential for peace.

The problem with middle of the road politicians

Written By: - Date published: 11:38 am, January 23rd, 2022 - 21 comments

Joe Biden is struggling to get his agenda passed by the American Legislature.  Because of two Senators, one with significant coal interests and the other Senator more willing to protect the rights of a minority of Senators to hold up legislation than the rights of a minority of Americans to vote.

Omicron is coming

Written By: - Date published: 10:54 am, January 21st, 2022 - 113 comments

So far the country has fought back and eliminated the original Covid infection, won a couple of skirmishes and then and fought and quelled the Delta incursion.  But it looks like Omicron is coming …

Let’s help Tonga

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, January 19th, 2022 - 12 comments

In 2010 the poor but proud Island Nation raised $705,000 to donate to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Fund.  If New Zealanders were to reciprocate their generosity we would donate over $30 million.  It is time for us to return the favour.

Blinken and Blind-Sided?

Written By: - Date published: 2:54 pm, January 16th, 2022 - 17 comments

Russian peacekeepers are already leaving Kazakhstan having nipped the ‘colour revolution’ in the bud. Blinken clearly didn’t have a clue when he said Russians never leave the house. Russian intelligence was superb. Now we wait for Russia’s response to US likely refusal to pull back from its borders. One thing I’d bet on – no invasion of Ukraine.

The Department of Earthly Gifts

Written By: - Date published: 1:11 pm, January 16th, 2022 - 151 comments

Where western minds are busy arguing if indigenous knowledge is science, botanist and first nations woman Robin Wall Kimmerer exemplifies how to do both at the same time.

What about those neat capital gains on housing, eh?

Written By: - Date published: 12:48 pm, January 14th, 2022 - 184 comments

Labour are doing the things about the housing crisis they said they would. It’s not working.

More Anarchy in the UK

Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, January 14th, 2022 - 20 comments

Boris Johnson’s reign as UK Prime Minister may be terminal after news of a Downing Street party held during lockdown was leaked to the press.

Is it time for the Greens to go their own way?

Written By: - Date published: 1:18 pm, January 11th, 2022 - 122 comments

Climate, ecology, welfare, housing – we are now at the point for the Greens to go ‘fuck it, time to go back to our radical roots’.

 

What does Luxon do about Hipango?

Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, January 11th, 2022 - 49 comments

Harete Hipango is in the news again, this time for posing with a group of anti vaxxers and posting a photo and making some pretty way out there comments on social media.

It’s Time.

Written By: - Date published: 2:46 pm, January 10th, 2022 - 324 comments

In seven or eight days from now, the dutiful lackeys of the NZ government and the public health dept they direct, are set to come after every child in NZ between the ages of 5 and 12 with injections of m-RNA to hand.

Unwanted guests?

Written By: - Date published: 10:40 pm, January 8th, 2022 - 22 comments

When I heard US Secretary of State Blinken’s take-away line from his D.C. press conference on RNZ’s news bulletin today on events in Kazakhstan  ‘I think one lesson in recent history is that once Russians are in your house, it’s sometimes very difficult to get them to leave’ I wondered what the Iraqis would think.

Book Review Helen Kelly: her life

Written By: - Date published: 7:05 pm, January 8th, 2022 - 12 comments

The Helen Kelly biography by Rebacca Macfie provides a clear and intense overview of what has happened to New Zealand society over the past 40 years from a time of high union membership and equality to now where unions struggle and inequality is significant.

Australia’s Omicron problem

Written By: - Date published: 9:44 am, January 6th, 2022 - 132 comments

Mike Hosking Covid Australia

With over 61,000 new Covid cases reported yesterday Australia is in the midst of an infection surge that it has not seen before.  What lessons can New Zealand learn from Australia’s handling of the pandemic?

A few random predictions for 2022

Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, January 1st, 2022 - 117 comments

A few random predictions for 2022.

New Zealand 2 Covid 0 so far …

Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, December 30th, 2021 - 280 comments

But Omicron may be loose.

On the death of Joan Didion

Written By: - Date published: 6:58 am, December 29th, 2021 - 5 comments

We need to remember Joan Didion, who died December 23rd, as perhaps the best defensive pessimist we’ve ever had. She nailed the feet of her times down to the floor to make sure it talked and wept all its pain out. It’s not enough to call Joan Didion just a pessimist, because she wrote hard […]

What Starts off in Support of Alabama’s Miners …

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, December 28th, 2021 - 2 comments

What Starts off in Support of Alabama’s Miners turns into a homily from Beau on the power of getting community change going when and only when you have the organisational power to pull it off month after month after month.