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Politics

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

Categories under Politics

Toxic masculinity

Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, August 28th, 2019 - 153 comments

As the Amazon burns and the world looks on aghast as our lungs go up in flames Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has chosen to respond to an offer of help from the G7 by picking a fight with French leader Emmanuel Macron.

Missile test shows US bad faith on INF Treaty

Written By: - Date published: 4:43 pm, August 27th, 2019 - 9 comments

US’s recent test of an intermediate range missile shows that the reasons given for its withdrawal from the INF treaty were spurious. It also shows up the gullibility of our MFAT, who voted against a Russian proposal for dialogue late last year in the UN on the grounds that it was a “sidestep.”

Ross leaks again

Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, August 27th, 2019 - 46 comments

Jami Lee Ross has released details showing National avoided restrictions against overseas donations by a New Zealand incorporated company being used to make the donation.

National are lighting political dumpster fires while the Amazon burns

Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, August 27th, 2019 - 47 comments

New Zealand’s poster boys for late stage capitalism’s dying throes are fools of the highest order.

National tacks right

Written By: - Date published: 3:35 pm, August 26th, 2019 - 44 comments

National has released its economic policies for the next 12 months and they have a decidedly backward feeling about them.

China Becomes Fascist

Written By: - Date published: 12:52 pm, August 26th, 2019 - 42 comments

Those who see fascism emerging under Trump can observe the full modern version in action now in Hong Kong’s contest of protesters with the Chinese government.

The thoughts of Matt King on climate change

Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, August 26th, 2019 - 85 comments

National MP Matt King has been caught posting climate change denial material on his facebook page.

How To Get There 25/8/19

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, August 25th, 2019 - 70 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.  

100 Days of climate vigil

Written By: - Date published: 11:54 am, August 23rd, 2019 - 4 comments

Ollie Langridge doing the climate action mahi at parliament.

I agree with Heather

Written By: - Date published: 11:03 am, August 23rd, 2019 - 37 comments

Heather du Plessis Allan has concluded that National was responsible for leaking details about Winston Peters superannuation overpayment.  And believes that it was business as usual for National.

Protect Ihumātao hīkoi to Jacinda Ardern today

Written By: - Date published: 11:09 am, August 22nd, 2019 - 55 comments

Protect Ihumātao are taking the invitation to meet to the Prime Minister. The petition is live and can be signed during the hīkoi today. 

Labour and welfare

Written By: - Date published: 7:34 am, August 22nd, 2019 - 93 comments

Many of us wanted to believe that the Ardern-led compassion would apply to all New Zealanders, but Labour’s defence of highly punitive benefit sanctions tell us it doesn’t.

Talk is cheap Tamihere

Written By: - Date published: 5:13 am, August 22nd, 2019 - 56 comments

I am really not a fan of political candidates bullshitting. John Tamihere – candidate for Auckland city Mayor, is this kind of blowhard. He is the epitome of the kind of fool who seems to keep his brain mounted right next to his testicles to inform his mouth what to say. He released a transport policy fantasy… I’ll vote for Goff.

Police and computers: incompetent or just unbalanced?

Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, August 21st, 2019 - 23 comments

I’ve just been reading the decision by the IPCA on their botched and blatantly political searches on Nicky Hager. But there is a more serious problem. The police appear to be technically and legally incapable of enforcing our 2002 legislation about computer crimes. Perhaps a specialist office like the SFO who can garner the skills to deal with it – without political linkages being an issue.

The Government’s prison reforms

Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, August 20th, 2019 - 71 comments

The Government has announced policies designed to reduce Maori incarceration rates dramatically.

Fonterra failure and Government failure

Written By: - Date published: 7:38 am, August 19th, 2019 - 95 comments

Fonterra is dragging New Zealand down, faster and faster.  What is this Government going to do?

Smells Like Stale Male Spirit

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, August 18th, 2019 - 92 comments

We live in a rich and diverse society but this is not reflected in our local government.

How To Get There 18/8/19

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, August 18th, 2019 - 28 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.  

Labour reduces the number of cats getting stuck in trees every month

Written By: - Date published: 4:04 pm, August 17th, 2019 - 14 comments

Meanwhile, National signalled they need a hand with statistics, and the public gladly stepped up.

National still does not get MMP

Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, August 14th, 2019 - 62 comments

National has shown that it does not understand MMP by being overly concerned that some electorates may be slightly bigger or smaller than other electorates.

Do poor people and women exist in right wing economics land?

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, August 13th, 2019 - 125 comments

David Seymour has written a critique of Deborah Russel’s review of the hard right economic tome “Economics in one lesson”.  And totally missed the point of what she was saying.

Bridges emulates Trump

Written By: - Date published: 9:56 am, August 12th, 2019 - 30 comments

Simon Bridges has borrowed heavily from Donald Trump in releasing a press release saying that Ihumātao protesters should go home.

The sociopathology of sanctions

Written By: - Date published: 9:08 am, August 11th, 2019 - 206 comments

Autonomous sanctions imposed on Iran and Venezuela by the US are expressly designed to drive whole populations into poverty to bring about regime change. They are sociopathic. Based on its values, The National Party wants to make such sanctions New Zealand’s policy. Extraodinary!

 

How To Get There 11/8/19

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, August 11th, 2019 - 53 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.  

Dunedin South as Next Fox River Dump Disaster?

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, August 10th, 2019 - 75 comments

If we thought the devastation and mess caused by a flood ripping through the old dump at Fox Glacier village was bad, just wait until a decent storm punches through the old dump of New Zealand’s fifth largest city on its coastline. It’s getting close.

Don’t mention the fascism

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, August 10th, 2019 - 103 comments

We are frogs in the pot.

What is up with NZ First?

Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, August 9th, 2019 - 105 comments

New Zealand First’s late decision to promote a referendum concerning abortion has caught everyone including its spokesperson Tracy Martin by surprise and is the latest example of last minute changes of position.

Five days is a long time in politics

Written By: - Date published: 2:20 pm, August 6th, 2019 - 27 comments

Five days ago Simon Bridges predicted that unemployment had gone up.  The latest figures show that the unemployment rate is at its lowest rate for the past eleven years. Update: My enthusiasm was too high. It has been pointed out to me that the Bridges tweet was from last year. My apologies to Simon …

Simon Bridges wants a new Digital Media advisor

Written By: - Date published: 7:43 am, August 6th, 2019 - 21 comments

A slight rewrite of an ad currently on Parliament’s careers website.

Ihumātao: Today’s Nationwide Day of Action

Written By: - Date published: 12:59 am, August 6th, 2019 - 188 comments

After increased police presence and action at Ihumātao on Monday night, the call went out again for people to come to support the Protectors, and they did. More support can be offered at solidarity events being held across the country today.

Dear America Antifa is not the problem

Written By: - Date published: 12:19 pm, August 5th, 2019 - 52 comments

America has suffered two mass shootings of civilians in the past couple of days with at least one being committed by a white supremacist.  But the Republican Party is fixated on Antifa, a loose organisation that has been implicated in no mass shootigns.