greens

The Greens & Dirty Politics

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 7:25 am, August 24th, 2014 - 20 comments

The NZ Herald poll made a certain amount of sense.  Sure they’ve probably over-estimated National’s current support as they always do (see DimPost’s poll work), but National down more than 5% and Labour not making traction in the wake of Dirty Politics shouldn’t be surprising. The media script is as always: Labour do something wrong, […]

Looking at the big policy picture

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 6:00 pm, August 22nd, 2014 - 11 comments

Despite John Key’s key message du jour, the parties of the Opposition are talking policy.

Valuing child care: beyond ‘show me the money!’

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:36 am, August 19th, 2014 - 10 comments

Simon Collins has published a very good article comparing various parties policies on social security.  As is the current trend, he doesn’t fully examine the deep and lasting contribution good child care & education make towards society & the economy.  It’s about material and social well-being.

Greens launch billion dollar plan to reduce child poverty

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:54 pm, August 17th, 2014 - 51 comments

Billion dollar family plan to reduce child poverty paid for by a change in top tax rate for high incomes to 40% at and above $140,000 per year. MPs will help with child poverty.

Was a crime committed when Slater accessed Labour’s computer system?

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:32 am, August 17th, 2014 - 46 comments

Occasionally erudite disagrees with one part of rocky’s analysis of the legality of Cameron Slater and Jason Ede’s accessing and copying the data from the Labour party’s computer. However he still thinks it is likely to be criminal.

Local Bodies: Greens Riding Above Stormy Seas

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:41 am, August 13th, 2014 - 10 comments

Dave Kennedy (bsprout) looks at the increasingly parlous current state of the smaller parties. He is also looking forward to the Green party campaign launch this weekend in Auckland. Updated with Green campaign launch details.

How Labour and the Greens win it from here

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:20 am, August 11th, 2014 - 81 comments

A great campaign launch from Labour on the weekend, a couple of bad weeks for National and suddenly there is a chance that David Cunliffe may be our next Prime Minister.  But how does he succeed and what can progressives do to help?

NRT: The Greens on transport

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:24 pm, August 7th, 2014 - 41 comments

There’s a strong element of planning for the future here: peak oil and climate change mean the days of cheap cars (and therefore of massive motorways) are numbered. But it also reflects the changes we’re seeing now. Road usage is already dropping, while Aucklanders are crying out for a better rail system so they can escape gridlock.

Our Friends in the North

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 6:31 pm, August 6th, 2014 - 225 comments

It’s been an interesting few days in the battle for Te Tai Tokerau. Never mind the bollocks, people. The question for Labour isn’t should we stand aside for Hone in the north or Mana/IP anywhere else. The question is ‘do we need ’em?’. The answer is looking more and more like no.

Tertiary education – a “public good”

Written By: karol - Date published: 11:00 am, August 5th, 2014 - 14 comments

The Green Party is launching their “election priority for students” at Auckland University today from 2-3pm in the Auckland University Quad.  Russel Norman and Metiria Turei announced a student Green Card for off peak public transport. Updated

TVNZ’s white male syndrome

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:46 am, July 26th, 2014 - 86 comments

The focus of criticism of Mike Hosking as moderator for the TVNZ Leaders has been on his blatant pro-Nat bias. Hosking’s also has a track record of sexism and put-downs of some of the least powerful people in society.  Are only white males eligible for the job?

Tales from the left ground

Written By: karol - Date published: 6:34 pm, July 17th, 2014 - 26 comments

I was uplifted by seeing Team Carmel Sepuloni out campaigning in Henderson today.  Marama Davidson has been out on the ground in Otara.  The Internet-Mana Party have gone on a Road Trip.  There’s been an on-going left campaign in Ohariu…. what are the tales from the left, campaigning on the ground?!

NRT: Election 2014: A clear choice on clean rivers

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:37 am, July 15th, 2014 - 6 comments

The National government’s policy for economic growth has been simple: pump up dairy production, export more low-value milk powder, and keep low-value farmers as the “backbone of the economy”. To achieve this, they have dismantled the protections for and then defiled our fresh water on an industrial scale. The Greens want to reverse that and thereby ensure a long-term future for both our farming and peoples. Updated.

Polity: National dropped 6% in 2008, 2011 campaigns

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:18 pm, July 7th, 2014 - 8 comments

At Rob Salmond’s briefing to Labour’s Congress over the weekend, he made a point about National’s performance in recent campaigns, which was later picked up in David Cunliffe’s speech.

National has dropped six percent each time. For those interested, here is the data that sits beneath this claim.

It is no wonder that John Key is worried when 3 months out from an election they are sitting on less than 50%, with dead and dying coalition partners.

Provincial councils not happy over roads.

Written By: lprent - Date published: 1:38 pm, June 30th, 2014 - 38 comments

National has been sucking billions of dollars out of the provincial road maintenance budgets to throw into “Roads of Significance only to National” since 2009. In the latest round, maintenance costs for roads mostly used by trucks will drop to an average of 52%, with the small populations of ratepayers expected to subsidize trucking firms. Is it any wonder that they’re looking at National’s token gesture  over the weekend with disdain and anger. Meanwhile the urban centres aren’t getting the public transport they need.