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We have a Government

Written By: - Date published: 9:37 pm, October 19th, 2017 - 26 comments

NZ First have chosen to support Labour to form the next government of NZ and have secured a coalition deal. The Greens are in the process of making a decision about a Confidence and Supply deal before they make an announcement. Matthew Whitehead writes about what the options are and how Confidence and Supply agreements can work.

The next Prime Minister is …

Written By: - Date published: 6:58 pm, October 19th, 2017 - 416 comments

Winston Peters has announced that he will be going into coalition with Labour and Jacinda Ardern will be the next Prime Minister. Let the attacks from the right about how unfair it is that a minority party did not ascend into Government and how MMP needs to be reformed begin. For the rest of us – this is a time of hope…

Today is a win-win with Winston

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, October 19th, 2017 - 103 comments

It appears that Winston is about to announce the decision of the NZ First party about their coalition partner today. For those who seem to think that coalitions should be formed with rapidity, they simply shouldn’t. That is the path to making stupid decisions, and I am yet to hear a single good reason to do it.

Green Party makes important announcement …

Written By: - Date published: 2:47 pm, October 18th, 2017 - 36 comments

Breaking news from Parliament …

A letter to my middle-class, well meaning, professional, liberal friends and family

Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, October 18th, 2017 - 4 comments

A post about the responsibility to advocate for change in a visible way.

Peters’ greatest hits

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, October 18th, 2017 - 8 comments

Lloyd Burr at Newshub rounded up 23 of Peters’ most quotable attacks on the Nats and their failed government. Add them to the collection of issues that Peters will have to disown if he goes wrong and picks Right.

Another day

Written By: - Date published: 5:03 pm, October 17th, 2017 - 34 comments

Just watched the “waiting for Winston Peters”  live feed from Stuff. It sounds like the NZ First board know what they want and now there will be a bit more negotiation with both major parties to get closer to what the NZF board were after. They are heading back home leaving the politicians to finish up.
Updated: Winston in one-on-one talks with Bill and Jacinda last night. Looks like it is getting serious.

This is the day *

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, October 16th, 2017 - 120 comments

* but delays are possible.

The first 100 days of a Labour led government

Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, October 16th, 2017 - 30 comments

Maybe Peters learned from history and is not doomed to repeat it. If we get a Labour led government, what should be its top priorities in the first 100 days?

Nats – lousy at government – “brilliant” at opposition

Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, October 15th, 2017 - 102 comments

Peters has the opportunity to put an end to this useless government (and turn National into “the opposition from hell”). I think he’s going to ’96 us, but I’d be happy to be proved wrong

IMF: higher taxes for rich will cut inequality and won’t hurt growth

Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, October 14th, 2017 - 104 comments

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it now favours higher taxes on the rich and has demolished the myth this might adversely affect economic growth. The authoritative Washington-based think tank in its influential half-yearly monitor also argued for taxes on capital, suggesting a wealth and/or land taxes should be considered, something that will make Gareth […]

Every body wants to rule the world

Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, October 12th, 2017 - 195 comments

D day approaches. What will happen? Will we have a decaying toothless National Government moderated by coalition with New Zealand First or will we have something more exciting?

Last day of talks

Written By: - Date published: 7:40 am, October 12th, 2017 - 26 comments

It’s the last day of coalition talks (probably). Peters has certainly created big expectations of “change”, but what they will mean in practice is still anyone’s guess.

Green options

Written By: - Date published: 7:17 am, October 12th, 2017 - 12 comments

If the Greens prioritise change over power, then the whole ‘they have no leverage’ rhetoric becomes less important than the fact that the Greens are necessary to form government but still have choices in how they participate in that.

Guest post: Deconstructing yet another National has moral right to govern argument

Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, October 11th, 2017 - 41 comments

A guest post by Swordfish on the implausibility of the claims by Dr Claire Robinson’s odd claim that the 2017 election result was a win for the status quo.

Nats’ secret tax plan

Written By: - Date published: 11:18 am, October 10th, 2017 - 35 comments

Newsroom (Shane Cowlishaw) reports that the Nats were considering significant hikes to fuel taxes, described in a document that was supposed to be released before the election – but somehow wasn’t.

Can we please stop pretending that ACT is a political party

Written By: - Date published: 6:49 am, October 10th, 2017 - 35 comments

https://twitter.com/lyndonhood/status/890029332956983296

ACT was a political party once, but it died a long time ago.

Politics or Policy?

Written By: - Date published: 5:46 pm, October 9th, 2017 - 56 comments

Policy is everything, Winston Peters said today. This should not be a surprise. Before every election, he has refused to give any hint of Party support preference until after the vote. But he will have thought a lot about what he might want, as it has long been clear that his Party would decide the outcome. So what are his policies?

Donkey Dick Duncan

Written By: - Date published: 11:34 am, October 9th, 2017 - 318 comments

Gross political incompetence, not immigration, is what lies behind and beneath New Zealand’s infra-structure problems. Only a excited donkey’s dick waving in a stiff breeze might point accusingly towards immigrants and immigration as the problem.

Arrival

Written By: - Date published: 11:28 am, October 9th, 2017 - 61 comments

Incognito writes about the need for a new narrative in politics and how the Green movement is providing one that takes us beyond neoliberalism and unfettered capitalism.

The education mess

Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, October 9th, 2017 - 20 comments

The complete mess that National has made of our health system got plenty of airtime during the election campaign. While it received less coverage, the education system is a mess too.

Why Labour may form the next Government

Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, October 8th, 2017 - 173 comments

The prospects of a Labour led Government have improved dramatically following the release of the final election results.

And the final result is …

Written By: - Date published: 2:10 pm, October 7th, 2017 - 206 comments

The final election results have been announced with Labour and the Greens each picking up an extra seat.

Young on coalition options – an edge to Labour

Written By: - Date published: 7:57 am, October 7th, 2017 - 21 comments

Audrey Young on the coalition dance: “Labour would probably have an advantage because of the greater policy overlap”, “Keeping deputy leader Paula Bennett out of the first pro-forma courtesy meeting was an appalling decision by English that simply says he was desperate to please Peters at any cost”.

Coalition of liars

Written By: - Date published: 6:34 am, October 7th, 2017 - 35 comments

The right wing clobbering machine is already calling a possible Labour Green NZF a “coalition of losers”. Well under MMP a coalition of losers can be the winners. But however you cut it a coalition of liars will always be liars.

The Green Party’s coalition process

Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, October 6th, 2017 - 64 comments

Important in the Green’s coalition deal-making process is the party’s political positioning, and the internal processes that the party is obligated to follow. Both of those things reflect deeper values around policy and decision making. Here’s a look at what processes the Greens will follow in the coming weeks and who will be involved.

Ten Reasons for National to do another term

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, October 5th, 2017 - 28 comments

A tongue in cheek list of reasons why it may be best for National to form the next Government.

Gilbert calls out Nat “tribalists” who continued to back the lies

Written By: - Date published: 2:07 pm, October 4th, 2017 - 67 comments

Outspoken sociologist Dr Jarrod Gilbert on the “tribalists” who continued to back the Nats despite their brazen lies – “if Labour had made the same accusation against National and not a single economist supported it, would you have reacted the same way? No. Of course not. And that’s what defines you as a moron.”

ETS is useless, scrap it

Written By: - Date published: 9:11 am, October 4th, 2017 - 25 comments

I suspect that ETS has become a political football in the next parliament, but probably not part of a coalition agreement with either National or Labour. My guess is that both NZ First and the Greens will want it off the table unless it is agreed that it will go. That leaves them able to vote against further stupid patches being added to it.

Good call from Ardern

Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, October 3rd, 2017 - 86 comments

I have very mixed feelings about a Labour Green NZF government. I certainly don’t think that Labour should “pay any price”. So I’m pleased to see Jacinda Ardern acknowledging the Greens.

Uncertainty doesn’t bother “the market” at all

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, October 3rd, 2017 - 57 comments

There is no “strong and stable” government to “lead” us. Maximum uncertainty! No end in sight! According to received wisdom (and all those people in a self-interested rush to ordain the born-to-rule-party) the market should be panicking! In fact…