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Positioning and reality
Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, June 10th, 2013 - 72 comments
There’s a lot of talk at the moment about whether Labour is too close to the Greens. Lately, we’ve seen spin coming out that Labour might be able to govern without the Greens, favouring NZF instead. Meanwhile, the Greens seem happy to talk about a future Greens-Labour government. National’s leaking to Peters and Peters is playing the race card. What’s going on?
The Greens: Party democracy and parliamentary politics
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, June 9th, 2013 - 106 comments
John Armstrong follows Lusk’s plan in attacking The Green Party’s democratic change to Conference remit procedures. Isaac Davison gives a more balanced account& points to preparation for a Labour-Green government. How much bottom-up democracy can there be in a top-down parliamentary system?
The policing of women’s bodies
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, June 6th, 2013 - 116 comments
(Socialist) feminism seems to be on the rise internationally, exposing how threats to “old boys” corporate-aligned power are countered by policing women’s bodies. Sue Bradford highlights the contradiction between Owen Glenn’s paternalistic corporate capitalism and the feminist-aligned participants in his Inquiry. Jan Logie addresses the gender pay gap.
OECD report leans left
Written By: - Date published: 11:56 am, June 5th, 2013 - 24 comments
Both sides of the political spectrum will draw some comfort from the recent OECD report on our economy, but overall the report is much better aligned with Labour / Green policy.
Charter schools have no future
Written By: - Date published: 8:50 am, June 5th, 2013 - 68 comments
The charter schools legislation passed its final reading last night. Labour and the Greens declare that charter schools have no future in this country…
The National government’s divided society
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, June 2nd, 2013 - 14 comments
A Fairfax poll shows an NZ divided by income inequalities & political allegiances. Little unemployment for National voters & more for opposition voters: a precariat with a high proportion of Maori & Pacific people. The right time for Russel Norman’s speech and blockupy?
Green Party for democracy
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, May 31st, 2013 - 34 comments
Yesterday in Question Time, Green MP Holly Walker challenged to government’s anti-democratic rush to enable the government to over-ride local councils on housing. Today Russel Norman challenges the Key government’s anti-democratic processes. This weekend there is a democratic Green Party conference.
Election narratives
Written By: - Date published: 11:11 am, May 27th, 2013 - 123 comments
National has set out its narrative for the 2014 election. Time for the Left to do the same.
Back to the future: John Key’s Dickensian values
Written By: - Date published: 9:13 am, May 27th, 2013 - 161 comments
John Key has been shamed by Hone Harawira’s “feed the kids” private members Bill. Key’s approach to child hunger is a sly use of Dickensian-type PPPs & charities to absolve the government of responsibility, while falsely presenting a caring face.
How far right is John Key’s “centre”?
Written By: - Date published: 10:17 pm, May 26th, 2013 - 69 comments
Once again the MSM reports John Key’s assessment of his party’s place on the political spectrum without any critique. The NZ Herald has repeated Key’s line about his government being “centre right” and the Greens being “far left”. Key’s government’s continuing abuse of democracy is a long way from the centre of the “right”.
Marama Davidson: a promising Green candidate
Written By: - Date published: 7:43 pm, May 26th, 2013 - 12 comments
The Green candidate for the Ikaroa-Rahiti by-election, Marama Davidson is someone to watch. However, Labour’s Meka Whaitiri is the front runner and a very strong candidate. Mana’s Te Hamua Nikora and the Maori Party’s Na Raihania also have the opportunity to make their mark.
The ThinThread of GCSB surveillance
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, May 25th, 2013 - 11 comments
A surveillance device, Thin Thread, was probably sent from the US to NZ’s GCSB in 2000-2001 for testing. ThinThread collects local meta data, and can pass it on to foreign agencies. This raises fresh calls for an inquiry into GCSB activities.
The shameless Nick Smith
Written By: - Date published: 10:43 am, May 24th, 2013 - 31 comments
Nick Smith has a long history of slippery dealings. He apologises but accepts no blame, then is resurrected: contempt of court, a defamation case, the Pullar-ACC “conflict of interest”, bad faith negotiations with Auckland Council, the Denniston Plateau deal. Yesterday on RNZ, Smith exposed the government’s agenda on mining conservation land.
High interest in Ikaroa-Rawhiti
Written By: - Date published: 3:37 pm, May 23rd, 2013 - 22 comments
Labour will hold three selection meetings in the very large electorate, in Seaview, in Tolaga Bay, and the final one in Napier on Sunday. Labour has a very strong slate of six high-calibre candidates. New members are flocking to the party, and with over 500 electorate members having a say this time the meetings will be full on as well as full. All Party members can attend; anyone can register to get the result.
Judith Collins, MMP, “consensus” & democracy
Written By: - Date published: 6:33 pm, May 14th, 2013 - 69 comments
Holly Walker dragged out of Judith Collins that the government will not implement the Electoral Commission’s recommendations for MMP. Collins argues there is no “consensus” between all political parties on possible changes. The Greens say National has not kept the promise of changes, out of self interest.
This is what corporate dictatorship looks like
Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, May 14th, 2013 - 32 comments
The compensation part of Joyce’s and Key’s dirty, undemocratic SkyCity deal, could legally be over-turned by a future government, as proposed by the Greens. However, the TPPA could weaken NZ’s parliamentary sovereignty and open the government to claims by secret private offshore tribunals. Opposition needs to step up!
Someone is lying about MRP float
Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, May 5th, 2013 - 78 comments
The “market specialists” say that the loony left have scared of all the Mum and Dad investors. The “investment sources” say the Mums and Dads are signing up in droves. I’m so confused! Why oh why would those nice “market specialists” be lying to us about the effects of the Labour / Green electricity policy? I just can’t work it out…
It’s all in the “game”
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, May 4th, 2013 - 192 comments
Supporters of the sale of the powercos, portray the Labour-Green NZ Power policy in terms of political strategy and game-play. They focus on the “market”, risk, profits & “fat cat hatred”. They avoid dealing with the guts of the issue: fuel poverty, income inequality & damaged lives.
Key goes negative
Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, May 2nd, 2013 - 156 comments
John Key has gone hard negative, with his rants about North Korea and communism, and now an attack on the Greens. Negative is where you go when you don’t have a positive story to tell the electorate. I wonder if the Nats’ internal polling has got Key spooked…
Power profits and the consumer
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 pm, April 22nd, 2013 - 16 comments
New Zealand’s energy pricing over the last twenty years was thoroughly canvassed by Dr Geoff Bertram last year in a paper presented to the Fabian Society as part of its “Light-handed Regulation” series. In the light of the Labour/Greens’ announcement last week about NZ Power his paper is well worth a read.
The “socialist” vs capitalist PR war: NZ Power
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, April 21st, 2013 - 123 comments
The Key government and its allies are playing the “red scare” gambit, the Greens get to the heart of the reason for NZ Power, Parker goes Third Way, while Bernard Hickey and Matt McCarten weigh in to support the (alleged) “socialist” NZ Power policy. Bomber Bradbury adds some words of caution. [updated title]
Do the lights ever go out on Planet Key?
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 pm, April 19th, 2013 - 33 comments
John Key says that the Labour-Green Power policy is “barking mad” and will take people back to the power cuts of the 1970s. Another John Key brainfade, or just being “clueless”? I look at power cuts and fuel poverty since the 1990s.
ImperatorFish: Yes, Steven, this is just like North Korea
Written By: - Date published: 2:25 pm, April 19th, 2013 - 7 comments
Scott earnestly compares Labour & the Greens’ NZ Power to the North Korean model.
The disconnected: the future of the left?
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, April 18th, 2013 - 42 comments
The current direction of Key’s government, and the challenging circumstances of the 21st century create a need for urgent attention to the form of a new left politics; one that embraces the working class, trade union solidarity, gender, diversity & the emerging “precariat”.
NZ Power
Written By: - Date published: 12:02 pm, April 18th, 2013 - 223 comments
At noon today Labour and the Greens jointly announced new energy policies. “NZ Power” is big and it’s bold. It will completely restructure the way the electricity sector is run, and result in lower power prices for both domestic and business consumers.
The Greens, electricity & sustainability
Written By: - Date published: 2:15 pm, April 16th, 2013 - 48 comments
The Greens and Labour are planning a joint announcement on their policies on power prices. Both parties want to bring down costs of electricity. The policies of the two parties will also have some differences. How will it mesh with Green Party policies on sustainability?
Labour’s electricity reforms will be bold
Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, April 16th, 2013 - 59 comments
A joint Labour / Green announcement on plans for the electricity sector will be made on Thursday. My prediction is that the plan will be bold.
Getting there
Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, April 5th, 2013 - 32 comments
So, the trend in the Roy Morgans continues, ever so painfully slowly to move in the Left’s favour. Since Labour recovered from its election disaster level to 30+, the Left’s support has risen at a bit under 0.2% per month, the Right vice versa. Lab+Green now outpolls National as often as not. But ‘if these trends continue’ is the most dangerous phrase in politics.
Pokies and corruption?
Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, March 31st, 2013 - 61 comments
Significant International Affairs files, relating to dodgy Pokies’ trusts, going missing, SkyCity convention centre deals made through flawed government processes. No corruption in NZ, just governance through sloppy processes? Cui bono?
Mining & the sly dismantling of conservation protections
Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, March 28th, 2013 - 32 comments
Cuts to DOC, the Crown Minerals (Permitting and Crown Land) Bill [3rd reading today], permits allowing the exploration for minerals on Schedule 4 land: here is the stealthy NAct MO in action, to undermine the strong public protests against Schedule 4 mining. [Update: the Bill is #6 on today’s Final Order Paper]
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