political parties

Medicinal Cannabis law reform

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:37 am, February 8th, 2017 - 30 comments

The Government is finally moving to adopt Labour policy and loosen requirements for the use of medicinal cannabis.

“We’ve got the vibe, they’ve got the shivers”

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:00 am, February 8th, 2017 - 3 comments

Green Party co-leader James Shaw’s 2017 Parliamentary Commencement Speech

The SOE sell down three years on

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:30 am, February 7th, 2017 - 78 comments

Some time in the next 12 months it is likely that the forgone dividend payments and loss in share value from the Power Company shares and Air NZ share sale will be greater than the amount received, only three years after the sale.

Labour Spokesperson for Family and Sexual Violence Poto Williams on Willie Jackson

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 3:07 pm, February 5th, 2017 - 311 comments

“As the Labour Party Spokesperson for Family and Sexual Violence, I am concerned that Willie Jackson is becoming a Labour Party candidate with a prominent ranking on the list.”

We need to talk about immigration

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:09 am, February 5th, 2017 - 189 comments

How does the left discuss the immigration debate so that it can counter the anti immigration sentiments fostered by the likes of Donald Trump, Theresa May and Malcolm Turnbull?

Smartest guy in the room

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:43 pm, February 4th, 2017 - 93 comments

The Government signed a deal with Peter Thiel that socialised the losses and allowed him to privatise the gains of the joint venture fund that the parties entered into.

A good week for Labour and Greens

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 12:27 pm, February 4th, 2017 - 25 comments

Following on from their joint “state of the nation” it’s been a good week for the political left in NZ. Here’s a roundup.

Bill’s big policy flop

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:38 pm, February 2nd, 2017 - 26 comments

Fair to say that Bill English’s “big” policy announcement today was a total flop.

Andrew Little well received in Dunedin

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:38 pm, February 2nd, 2017 - 51 comments

(Photo – Peter McIntosh the Otago Daily Times)

O’Connor and Jackson for Labour

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:35 am, February 2nd, 2017 - 71 comments

Like many, I have mixed feelings about these developments, but on balance I am in favour of the “broad church” approach

The Peter Thiel citizenship grant

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:16 am, February 2nd, 2017 - 78 comments

The Peter Thiel paper dump raise more questions than they answer and hints at ongoing communication with National ministers and that John Key approached Thiel to make the donation subsequently made to Key’s earthquake fund.

Labour gets serious about regional development

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:46 pm, February 1st, 2017 - 46 comments

Labour is serious about regional development. It is proposing a 10 year $200m package of regional initiatives. The first of these was just announced in Dunedin.

The Labour Green 2017 campaign launch

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:14 am, January 30th, 2017 - 33 comments

Yesterday’s joint Labour Green state of the nation event was effectively a campaign launch for the 2017 election. And it went well.

Andrew Little – State of the Nation speech

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:10 pm, January 29th, 2017 - 3 comments

The text of Andrew Little’s State of the Nation speech delivered today.

Labour Greens joint State of the Nation livestream and discussion

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:30 pm, January 29th, 2017 - 121 comments

Be part of the movement to change the Government. Sunday 2pm.

Updated with speeches

The cost of education

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 12:23 pm, January 28th, 2017 - 14 comments

National needs to do something to address spiraling education costs in both the secondary and tertiary sectors.

Labour and Greens joint State of the Nation speech Sunday 2pm

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:24 pm, January 27th, 2017 - 77 comments

Be part of the movement to change the Government.

Godzone for billionaires

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:59 am, January 26th, 2017 - 93 comments

Peter Thiel’s fast tracking of his citizenship application needs some explaining by the Government.

New Lynn should grab Greg Presland (damnit)

Written By: lprent - Date published: 7:49 am, January 26th, 2017 - 103 comments

Greg Presland has been daft enough put his hand up for Labour candidate in New Lynn. That would be unfortunate for this site. But my advice for Labour and New Lynn is to grab him. Media say that the leading candidates are him and Deborah Russell. Regardless of a her competence, a non-Auckland resident is a big ask in the era of MMP seats.

Privatised Education Strikes Again.

Written By: KJT - Date published: 11:59 am, January 25th, 2017 - 20 comments

The problems we have identified many times, with privatisation of essential services, continue.

Minimum wage increase doesn’t meet real costs (the CPI is broken)

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:02 am, January 25th, 2017 - 53 comments

Any increase in the minimum wage is better than nothing, but National’s increases have not kept pace with the real cost increases (notably housing) faced by low income earners. That is why we are seeing the rise of the working poor, and increases in homelessness and poverty.