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Politics

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

Categories under Politics

About the $7.5 billion surplus

Written By: - Date published: 8:43 am, October 9th, 2019 - 37 comments

The announcement of a $7.5 billion surplus for the last fiscal year combined with a $5.5 billion surplus the year before proves once and for all that Steven Joyce’s claim of a $11.5 billion deficit in Labour’s costings was bollocks.

$7.5 billion surplus

Written By: - Date published: 2:08 pm, October 8th, 2019 - 101 comments

The Government has announced a $7.5 billion dollar surplus.  Is it time to start spending?

Will online voting solve the turnout problem

Written By: - Date published: 12:52 pm, October 8th, 2019 - 38 comments

Auckland Council voting returns are very low. But is the problem voter apathy or is our postal system not up to scratch? And will digital voting be a panacea?

Rates, debt, growth and PPP

Written By: - Date published: 9:38 am, October 8th, 2019 - 33 comments

Stuff had an interesting piece looking at rates, taxes and local infrastructure “Rates are much lower than you think, and they’re responsible for miserable growth in cities”. They just missed out one crucial factor. The way that PPP debates often block infrastructure. Interesting that got missed..

How To Get There 6/10/19

Written By: - Date published: 1:31 pm, October 6th, 2019 - 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.  

NRT: Climate Change: Join the rebellion

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, October 5th, 2019 - 50 comments

“there’s more than one way to protest, and as the climate crisis bites, then continued government inaction is likely to push people towards more confrontational styles of protest.” Extinction Rebellion’s Wellington day of action is on Monday.

National’s plans to torment poor people leaked

Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, October 4th, 2019 - 110 comments

National’s plans to torment poor people for political gain have been leaked.

C&R candidate says something really offensive and stupid

Written By: - Date published: 2:08 pm, October 3rd, 2019 - 21 comments

A Whau Community and Resident Local Board candidate has apologised for using racist slurs against a minority group and accusing them of engaging in widespread fraud. But despite his apology an C&R spokesperson has doubled down on his original statements.

Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick on fire

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, October 2nd, 2019 - 100 comments

“The political status quo is unfit to confront the climate crisis”

Parliamentary TV – should we shut it?

Written By: - Date published: 8:44 am, September 30th, 2019 - 51 comments

Occasionally, this site puts up a video from parliament. Probably happens a few times per month at best.  Not a whole lot of interest. It is put up for the public to observe parliament when required. While it’d be fun to make clips mocking National politicians – why should the public pay to provide feedstock for juveniles to do that? Either have and follow the simple rules similar to every other content provider or shut down parliamentary TV.

The Government’s Economic Development Plan

Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, September 30th, 2019 - 15 comments

Last week the government launched its Economic Development Plan, arguably late but with lots of useful initiatives.

How To Get There 29/9/19

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, September 29th, 2019 - 26 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.  

Another world is possible

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, September 28th, 2019 - 55 comments

Yesterday’s New Zealand Climate Strike numbers reached a tipping point of climate action going mainstream.

Still not sure what anything National says means?

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, September 28th, 2019 - 13 comments

Gerry Brownlee clarifies.

National’s faux outrage

Written By: - Date published: 8:35 am, September 27th, 2019 - 33 comments

The National Party has described as “censorship at the extreme” a rule in Parliament’s standing orders the latest version of which was enacted under the last National Government. Updated with Simon Bridges opposing the relaxation of the rule in 2017

Strike for Climate today

Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, September 27th, 2019 - 55 comments

Countrywide events for today’s Strike for Climate.

Local government: who to vote for?

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, September 27th, 2019 - 1 comment

Resources for progressive voters, on candidates in the 2019 local body elections.

How to vote in STV

Written By: - Date published: 12:15 pm, September 26th, 2019 - 21 comments

An example Single Transferable Vote ballot

It’s local voting time again, and more councils are using STV- while the Electoral Commission will tell you how to rank candidates, they won’t tell you how to vote effectively. Should you leave candidates off your list if you know what relative order they would go in?

Unrelentingly negative

Written By: - Date published: 11:19 am, September 26th, 2019 - 29 comments

National has chosen to attack Jacinda Ardern on her trip to New York for doing too much and not enough at the same time.  It seems to be a pattern.

Civilian offers a bleak look at our future.

Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, September 26th, 2019 - 13 comments

The Civilian ‘reports’ in “Trump repeatedly asked Ardern if New Zealand gives asylum very often”. Oh shit! We need to reverse National’s large donation policy and proactively and preemptively pass a law against bolthole refugees.

The Greens on the need for rental law changes

Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, September 26th, 2019 - 11 comments

Marama Davidson: renting has to be a valid way of life.

Robot creep

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, September 26th, 2019 - 23 comments

Tech is cute, right?

BoJo cornered

Written By: - Date published: 1:03 am, September 25th, 2019 - 75 comments

Lady Hale and the UK Supreme Court have torpedoed Boris Johnson’s cunning plan to prorogue Parliament. His request to the Queen was “unlawful, void, and of no effect.” Her Maj will not be pleased. Johnson is now boxed in – ask for an extension to Brexit, or resign.

 

Fairy tales of eternal economic growth

Written By: - Date published: 8:13 am, September 24th, 2019 - 67 comments

Greta Thunberg has spoken at the UN Climate Change summit and has warned the world that it is stealing the dreams and hopes of young people through its failure to address climate change.

Lying : the preferred denier behavior

Written By: - Date published: 3:45 pm, September 22nd, 2019 - 26 comments

In a striking example of the typical climate change denier, the “Australian Young Coal Coalition” released a photo bemoaning the mess left by friday’s climate change strike rally in Hyde Park. Pity that it was a lying fake. Being put out by climate change deniers, of course it was just a lie. That is all […]

How To Get There 22/9/19

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, September 22nd, 2019 - 12 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.  

National’s rhetoric problem

Written By: - Date published: 7:48 am, September 21st, 2019 - 19 comments

National has displayed a concerning level of rhetoric this week involving a misrepresentation of the GDP figures and the attacking of a board appointee who cannot respond.

The climate action momentum

Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, September 21st, 2019 - 33 comments

The global School Strikes this week and the upcoming International Rebellions are part of a large wave of change that gives us a chance at preventing the worst of climate disaster. 

Where is the Government on oil reliance?

Written By: - Date published: 7:57 am, September 19th, 2019 - 14 comments

Even though New Zealand is one of the most oil-reliant countries on earth, the Government has a disturbing lack of a plan for security of supply.

No Right Turn: Against facial recognition

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, September 19th, 2019 - 21 comments

“we should be outlawing this intrusive technology and the tracking it enables and entails.”

Ihumaatao must be returned to mana whenua says Kiingitanga

Written By: - Date published: 1:51 pm, September 18th, 2019 - 149 comments

“Mana whenua agree they want their land returned, so they can make decisions about its future.”