political parties

Sheepgate: Government celebrates finding that McCully is not corrupt

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 6:01 pm, November 2nd, 2016 - 58 comments

The Auditor General’s report into Sheepgate has been released and there has to be questions about the accuracy of what Murray McCully has told Parliament and his ability to fullfil his role as a Minister.

Kiwibank is being privatised by stealth

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:37 am, November 2nd, 2016 - 31 comments

Kiwibank is selling 47% of its shareholding to the New Zealand Super Fund and to the Accident Compensation Corporation. The Government gets a cheque for $200 million which will improve the appearance of its books. Financial sleight of hand?

David Cunliffe announces his retirement from politics

Written By: advantage - Date published: 12:00 pm, November 1st, 2016 - 335 comments

David Cunliffe has announced that he will not be standing for Parliament at the next election.

Nats backsliding on tax haven law changes

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:54 am, November 1st, 2016 - 20 comments

The Nats are backsliding on implementing the law changes brought on by the Panama Papers revelations. If European regulators blacklist us the consequences will be catastrophic.

Conservative, honky males in suits

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 9:43 am, October 31st, 2016 - 23 comments

As a government National is no friend to women, and as a party National has structural problems with selecting and supporting women. Stacey Kirk in the SST writes on National’s lack of female depth.

Labour’s Auckland light rail announcement

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:38 am, October 31st, 2016 - 87 comments

National is criticising Labour for releasing policy during an election campaign.

Labour wants light rail for Auckland!

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:31 pm, October 30th, 2016 - 58 comments

Andrew Little has just announced that Labour in Government will accelerate the implementation of light rail in the Auckland Istmus.

Workers’ rights – the Uber ruling

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:26 am, October 30th, 2016 - 34 comments

Recent decision in the UK is a victory for workers and their rights.

New Green MP Barry Coates on his first weeks in Parliament

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:00 am, October 25th, 2016 - 11 comments

Barry Coates is the new incoming Green Party MP following the resignation of Kevin Hague. Here is his report on his first weeks in parliament, along with his maiden speech.

Workers, unions and the Labour party

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 9:16 am, October 23rd, 2016 - 198 comments

Convincing workers not to organise in their own best interests is one of the great successes of right-wing politics.

Darren Watson 2 John Key 0

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:03 am, October 21st, 2016 - 140 comments

The Court of Appeal has ruled that Darren Watson’s Planet Key song should not have been banned during the 2014 election campaign.

Key could still win and here’s why

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:00 am, October 19th, 2016 - 163 comments

Deep into its third term and despite its many transgressions National still remains relatively popular. What gives?

One Billion Dollars

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 1:57 pm, October 18th, 2016 - 6 comments

Treasury papers just released show National’s Housing Infrastructure Fund to be everything you expected it to be: a quickly cobbled together headline.

There goes the surplus

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:00 am, October 18th, 2016 - 58 comments

The media last week reported extensively an operating surplus of $1.8 billion dollars. But they missed the not so good news that the value of ACC’s assets took a $5.1 billion hit, the Super Fund lost $2 billion, the Crown’s liability under the ETS increased by $1.5 billion and net Crown debt increased by $1.3 billion.

‘Too busy’

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 12:16 pm, October 17th, 2016 - 61 comments

National ministers have a habit of not wanting to turn up to the ‘hard’ questions, but Paula Bennett has been severely caught out by RNZ

Poverty is too difficult in Key’s New Zealand

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 8:59 am, October 17th, 2016 - 47 comments

Key is out of touch. But not so out of touch that he doesn’t know about the poverty crisis in NZ. The denial and evasions are deliberate.

There is no surplus

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 12:30 pm, October 14th, 2016 - 125 comments

In Year Eight of this National government, the idea of a budget surplus is a joke. They’ve promised it for nearly a decade. They’ve fiddled the books. The truth is, there is no surplus.

Housing Corp is running out of money

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:42 am, October 13th, 2016 - 38 comments

Housing Corporation is forecast to run out of money by next February if urgent action is not taken.

I see a poverty of ideas and a poverty of Government responsibility

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:35 am, October 13th, 2016 - 210 comments

Judith Collins yesterday said that child poverty is the fault of parents and not the fault of her Government.

Government announces watered down version of Labour’s Kiwibuild policy

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:04 am, October 12th, 2016 - 82 comments

National is borrowing another Labour-Green policy and has announced a lite version of Labour’s Kiwibuild policy.

The crime spike

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:30 am, October 12th, 2016 - 24 comments

Who would have thought that a surge in homelessness would result in a spike in crime, and that a dramatic increase in the number of people with no or compromised housing situations would cause an increase in burglaries, robberies and assaults.

Racist Nats Attack Chinese Grannies Shock!

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 9:00 am, October 12th, 2016 - 67 comments

National have slammed the door shut on the parents of already settled migrants who wish to move to NZ to complete the family unit. Minister Michael Woodhouse accuses elderly Asians of bludging off the NZ taxpayer. You won’t believe the howls of outrage from the right!

Cross-Party Inquiry into Homelessness releases report – Government must act

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:11 pm, October 10th, 2016 - 82 comments

Labour, the Green Party and the Māori Party are have released their Ending Homelessness in New Zealand report and are calling on the Government to immediately adopt the 20 recommendations.

Utopians and pragmatists

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:43 am, October 10th, 2016 - 32 comments

Nick Leggett places himself in the “pragmatic” part of the Labour Party spectrum and derides others as being “utopian” and not interested in winning. But given the recent election result for the Mayoralty is he right?

Local Government results good for Labour and terrible for National

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:18 am, October 9th, 2016 - 80 comments

In Auckland, Christchurch and in mayoral races throughout the country Labour and Progressives had a very good day while National and its proxies must be wondering what they did wrong.

Water and cultural values

Written By: weka - Date published: 7:30 am, October 8th, 2016 - 60 comments

Day one of the International Days of Prayer and Action with Standing Rock. Here’s a post on NZ’s relationship with water, and whether water is a resource or a taonga.

The Chief Prison Inspector’s report on Serco and MECF

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:30 am, October 7th, 2016 - 46 comments

The Chief Prison Inspector’s report on Mount Eden Corrections Facility has now been released and has presented a damning judgment on Serco’s management of the prison.

Campaigning South Auckland style

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:00 am, October 7th, 2016 - 8 comments

The South has responded to the Matafai West Auckland effort from yesterday. Sua William Sio says that South Auckland is the Gateway to the nation and the land of the young, beautiful and gifted. Judging by this video he may be right.

Something to go to in Auckland tonight

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:33 am, October 6th, 2016 - Comments Off on Something to go to in Auckland tonight

Labour Party Senior Vice President candidate Eva Hartshorn-Sanders will be holding a meet the candidate event at Galbraith’s Alehouse between 5:30 and 7:30 tonight. SVP plays a very important role in the party, so it’s well worth checking out the candidates if you get the chance.