News
National Need NZ First to Form a Government
The National Party’s 29% poll is a disaster for Simon Bridges personally and for the 18 MPs who will lose their seats. It also means that the new National Party leader will only be able to become Prime Minister if a deal is done with New Zealand First. Before
National Is Bleeding Out, the Caucus Must Act
The latest UMR poll has leaked and it shows that National is haemorrhaging support. It is bleeding out, just like 2002, as I predicted in a series of podcasts. The National Party has dropped below 30 per cent in a UMR poll while Labour has reached as high as 55
COVID-19 Update: 1 May 2020
We are at Level 3 of New Zealand’s four-level COVID-19 alert system. New Zealand moved to Alert Level 3 at 11:59pm on Monday 27 April. We will stay in Alert Level 3 for two weeks, before Cabinet reviews how we are tracking and makes further decisions on 11
National Bleeding out in the Latest UMR Poll
The latest UMR poll has some dire news for National and Simon Bridges. The exact scenario that Chris Trotter and I discussed in last weeks podcast is now playing out in real life: The National Party has dropped below 30 per cent in a UMR poll while Labour has reached
Race Relations in the Media
News: If we’d shut down checkpoints there would’ve been protests – Police Commissioner Some iwi-led checkpoints causing tension as they continue through Alert Level 3 Iwi checkpoints might be polite, but that doesn’t make them legal Maori Party co-leader accuses National of inciting ‘racism’ over iwi checkpoints Driver
Hooton Says Government Megalomania Needs Nipping in the Bud
Many commenters have expressed dismay at the rapid expansion of the socialist state in New Zealand, and the government not wasting a crisis to drive through ideological changes to our economy. Matthew Hooton writes at the NZ Herald: There are early signs of megalomania in the Government’s economic response
Daily News Roundup – 1 May 2020
Economy, recovery, UBI Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): The List Candidate: Winston Peters and the Looming Covid-19 Depression Chris Trotter: If The Answer Is “Treasury”, Then Ask Another Question Matthew Hooton (Herald): Into the future — by committee (paywalled) Richard Harman (Politik): Years of pain, difficulty and frustration lie ahead Brian Fallow
Face of the Day
Captain Tom Moore has been promoted to Honorary Colonel by the Queen to mark his 100th birthday after the World War II veteran captured the hearts of the nation by raising £29 million for the NHS by doing laps of his garden.
COVID-19 Update: 30 April 2020
We are at Level 3 of New Zealand’s four-level COVID-19 alert system. New Zealand moved to Alert Level 3 at 11:59pm on Monday 27 April. We will stay in Alert Level 3 for two weeks, before Cabinet reviews how we are tracking and makes further decisions on 11
Daily News Roundup – 30 April 2020
Winston Peters is back, Ministry of Health proposed complete border shutdown Jane Patterson (RNZ): Winston Peters back on his podium with Covid-19 border closure bombshell Henry Cooke (Stuff): Peters takes on officialdom Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Winston Peters comes back with a splash Richard Harman (Politik): Reminding us that NZ
COVID-19 Update: 29 April 2020
We are at Level 3 of New Zealand’s four-level COVID-19 alert system. New Zealand moved to Alert Level 3 at 11:59pm on Monday 27 April. We will stay in Alert Level 3 for two weeks, before Cabinet reviews how we are tracking and makes further decisions on 11
Compare and Contrast
Yesterday saw the first post-COVID-19 parliament, and to kick it off there was a ministerial statement from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. We don’t need to torture you all with her speech. It was her usual speechify, sloganeering and fake news about how hard and early we went and how
Scott Morrison and Jacinda Ardern in a Video Conference with Benjamin Netanyahu
An interesting article floated through our tipline overnight. Apparently Jacinda Ardern participated in a conference call with other countries leaders, including Bibi Netanyahu. It can’t have been much of a secret because the Israeli PM published a video of it: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participated in a
By Dodging the Question Todd Muller Admits He’s Been Plotting
National’s caucus has become a colander. Caucus meetings are now leaking moments after they’ve finished. Simon Bridges is now answering more questions about his leadership than anything else and what I’ve been saying all along has been proven true. National’s caucus hasn’t seen their internal
Daily News Roundup – 29 April 2020
Pandemic preparedness, “eliminating” Covid-19, contact tracing Emma Russell (Herald): New Zealand ‘currently eliminated’ virus. So why are we still seeing new cases? (paywalled) Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Reinventing elimination shows PM has lost count Amelia Wade (Herald): Virus won’t be eliminated until there’s a vaccine, says PM Jo