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Politics

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

Categories under Politics

Shattering

Written By: - Date published: 9:08 pm, February 25th, 2020 - 9 comments

When things fall apart, the disintegration can reach such a speed that it’s hard to keep an eye on everything that’s happening. Is liberalism on the cusp?

Postal voting – essentially dead

Written By: - Date published: 7:41 am, February 25th, 2020 - 62 comments

Stuff has an article up about last years local body elections in Auckland. As usual  the interesting parts are at the end. But I have to reiterate – online voting isn’t the answer. As a programmer, I’d just call it stupid and dangerous.

The Wave Crashing In…

Written By: - Date published: 6:02 pm, February 23rd, 2020 - 67 comments

The race to win the most support from Democratic and Independent voters in the Democratic Primaries is over bar the shouting, but…

The real cause of New Zealand’s failing housing system

Written By: - Date published: 3:16 pm, February 23rd, 2020 - 139 comments

Simon Wilson has set out in a Herald article historical data which suggests that the cause of the housing crisis can be dated back to decisions made generations ago.  But Steven Joyce thinks that the cure is actually the cause of the problem.

How To Get There 23/02/20

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, February 23rd, 2020 - 5 comments

Welcome to TS’s Sunday think piece. It’s a blank sheet, a tabula rasa, waiting for your thoughts on the future and How To Get There.  

To Kill Democracy…

Written By: - Date published: 2:12 pm, February 22nd, 2020 - 12 comments

If major Democratic Party donors and ‘big business’ lobbyists wanted to monkeywrench democracy in the US, then here’s how they could go about it.

WTAF NZ First?

Written By: - Date published: 6:44 am, February 22nd, 2020 - 148 comments

It has been reported that NZ First will oppose the Green’s attempt to make the country’s car fleet more sustainable and that it may hold up proposed gun law changes designed to address the problems clearly shown by the Christchurch massacre.

Sustainable NZ not so sustainable after all

Written By: - Date published: 2:42 pm, February 21st, 2020 - 23 comments

It appears that National’s dream of an alternative Green party that would drive the real Green Party below the threshold is in tatters with news that Sustainable NZ is on the skids.

Pure clear water

Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, February 21st, 2020 - 44 comments

It’s probably time to notice why Jones’ Provincial Growth Fund had to step in and provide several million of funding to patch up the water supply emergency in Northland.

Moana Jackson on Bob Jones

Written By: - Date published: 9:56 am, February 20th, 2020 - 71 comments

“You cannot have free speech, if you make some people less free”

National has nothing to be afraid of

Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, February 20th, 2020 - 54 comments

National has absolutely nothing to worry about the prosecution of four people for carving up a donation to the National Party.

SFO: The National Party Four are Named

Written By: - Date published: 3:20 pm, February 19th, 2020 - 107 comments

Name suppression has been lifted for the four National Party associates charged by the SFO.

National’s donation reporting problem

Written By: - Date published: 7:19 am, February 19th, 2020 - 25 comments

National’s recent donations returns suggest that a large total of their donations are made in the under $15,000 category, the benefit of which is that the donor’s identity does not have to be disclosed.  Update: The four accused have been named.

Green Party call for national discussion on political party funding and donations reform

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, February 19th, 2020 - 61 comments

It’s clear that Parliament is incapable of meaningful reforms to itself, as some political parties have a vested interest in the status quo, a citizens’ assembly would remove bias around these important decisions.

– NZ Green Party

BREAKING NEWS: Simon Bridges Calls on Simon Bridges to Stand Down

Written By: - Date published: 6:30 pm, February 18th, 2020 - 5 comments

BREAKING NEWS: Simon Bridges calls on the leader of the opposition to stand down while the SFO case is before the courts.

Back in the U.S.S.A.

Written By: - Date published: 3:58 pm, February 18th, 2020 - 31 comments

The onslaught launched against Trump from sections of corporate media and liberal institutions will look as nothing next to the unified onslaught that will be unleashed against a President Sanders.

National received two dodgy $100,000 donations

Written By: - Date published: 7:25 am, February 18th, 2020 - 46 comments

The SFO charges laid in the District Court reveal that it investigated not one but two dodgy $100,000 donations to National.

National’s big economic policy announcement

Written By: - Date published: 1:42 pm, February 17th, 2020 - 83 comments

Simon Bridges has claimed that the average wage earner in the country pays almost 33c in the dollar in taxes. Spoiler alert, they do not.

National is not counting its chickens for granted

Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, February 17th, 2020 - 27 comments

National will announce today  that tax cuts will be a major policy plank for the next election.

How To Get There 16/02/20

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, February 16th, 2020 - 11 comments

Welcome to TS’s Sunday think piece. It’s a blank sheet, a tabula rasa, waiting for your thoughts on the future and How To Get There.  

What was Winston thinking?

Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, February 15th, 2020 - 120 comments

It has been revealed that NZ First acquired photographs of its former President and two reporters emerged on the Whaleoil mark 2 site, raising the concerning possibility that Simon Lusk may be involved in helping NZ First.

China: Guns, Germs, and Steel

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, February 14th, 2020 - 34 comments

The coronavirus outbreak that exploded three weeks ago in the central Chinese city of Wuhan has prompted the most severe Chinese government actions in three decades.

The problem with opinion polls

Written By: - Date published: 7:38 am, February 14th, 2020 - 77 comments

This week the Reid Research Poll predicted a Labour Green government and the Colmar Brunton poll predicted a National ACT government.  Which one will be proved correct?

Fact checking National

Written By: - Date published: 8:51 am, February 13th, 2020 - 14 comments

Simon Bridges has claimed that a GDP growth Jacinda Ardern used was wrong even though it was the figure released by Statistics NZ.  

Bridges’ many and varied positions on coalition with NZ First

Written By: - Date published: 12:48 pm, February 12th, 2020 - 18 comments

In the past 10 days Simon Bridges has said that National will not go into coalition with NZ First after the next election, to it could consider coalition in the future, to there is no way it will ever go into coalition with NZ First.

Will the last remaining National MP please turn off the lights

Written By: - Date published: 1:35 pm, February 11th, 2020 - 58 comments

Three more National MPs have joined the ranks of those leaving Parliament this year.

Will DPF condemn National for hiding the identity of its donors?

Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, February 11th, 2020 - 59 comments

David Farrar has called for the suspension of Winston Peters from Cabinet for reasons which would also justify the suspension of Simon Bridges from the National Party.

This result could lead to the break up of the United Kingdom

Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, February 10th, 2020 - 13 comments

Originally posted onNick Kelly’s blog

Nick is a Director of Piko Consulting and works as a Political Adviser in The House of Lords. 

Listening to the results being reported while driving on that California freeway, I recall thinking ‘this result could lead to the break up of the United Kingdom’. On hearing that both Northern Ireland and Scotland had voted to stay part of the EU, in contrast to the rest of the country, it was hard to imagine that this would not become a significant issue.

The end of petrol driven cars

Written By: - Date published: 1:57 pm, February 9th, 2020 - 36 comments

Boris Johnson’s UK Government has announced that by 2035 there will be no more petrol or diesel cars entering the UK fleet.  Is it time for the New Zealand government to announce the same thing?

How To Get There 09/02/20

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, February 9th, 2020 - 39 comments

Welcome to TS’s Sunday think piece. It’s a blank sheet, a tabula rasa, waiting for your thoughts on the future and How To Get There.  

Will Bernie Sanders unseat Donald Trump?

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, February 8th, 2020 - 52 comments

It will take a full renewal of democracy in the United States.  So how does Bernie beat Trump?