NZ Politics
‘Masterful’ Media Muck
It really is getting beyond a joke the way the press takes every opportunity to publish endless silly and pointless stories about Jacinda Ardern. Take this recent example from ‘A Newspaper’. The article is headed – Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is labelled ‘masterful’ by US Presidential candidate. Who could this be?
PM Defends Free Speech
Free Speech Coalition The government deserves praise for taking proactive and public steps against the Chinese Consulate’s attempt to interfere with speech at universities. Free Speech Coalition spokesperson Dr David Cumin says, “It would have been easy for the government to do nothing, for fear of offending a key
What About Democracy, Amy?
I never particularly liked Amy Adams. I never particularly disliked her either. I certainly never saw her as a future prime minister, although a few people clearly did, including Amy herself. Her resignation recently was a surprise, and was generally seen as her expectation that National, under Simon Bridges, will
A Defence of Our Current Abortion Laws
By Alex Eastwood-Williams Right Minds The government has announced that it plans to introduce reforms to New Zealand’s abortion law reforms. This is an emotive topic, and it’s not one I particularly want to write about, but I cannot in all good conscience remain silent on the
Breathtaking Arrogance from Amy Adams
Speaking with a clarity and intelligence that could make listeners regret she was not picked as National leader, Adams told RNZ that “if we learned anything from Brexit, it’s that referenda can be very bad ways to make complex, complicated decisions”. Thank goodness Amy Adams is leaving. What breathtaking
Winston Peters Comes Out to Play
Winston Peters says Andrew Little should not have been surprised by NZ First’s stance on the Abortion Law Reform Bill. “Peters said it has long been the party’s policy to seek a public mandate on conscience issues, and it was proper for the party to consider the matter
Official Cash Rate is 1%. Now What?
No one expected the OCR to drop to 1% on Wednesday. Adrian Orr seems to be determined to kickstart the economy by dropping the rate to – almost – as low as it can go. But if he thinks that this will cause the economy to suddenly rebound and everything will be
When Is a Letter from the Minister Not a Letter from the Minister?
No, this is not a trick question. The answer is when the minister determines that it is not – despite its being written on a Ministerial letterhead and signed the “Associate Minister of Transport“. Julie Anne Genter says that the letter is from the Green Party Transport spokesperson and therefore does
Face of the Day
Wrongly Wrongson over at The Daily Bog Blog has described what happened yesterday to NZ First MP Tracey Martin as… the coldest most spiteful political kneecapping in NZ history Oh my God, NZ First just did a drive by shooting of one of their own MPs and it was brutal.
Now They are Coming for Your Whitebait!
National party The popular Kiwi pastime of whitebaiting is at risk of being banned if the Minister of Conservation gets her way. National will oppose the second reading of the Indigenous Freshwater Fish Amendment Bill, as it will ultimately result in the prohibition of whitebaiting in New Zealand. The Bill’
Government Abandons Construction Industry
New Conservative party Government has demonstrated its contempt for developers and the construction industry in its handling of the Ihumatao protest. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has this morning tried to simplify this issue, suggesting it is about talks between Maori who are seeking a “for Maori by Maori solution.” She
Firearms Licence Owners Launch Class Action Against Government
This week the Fair and Reasonable campaign appointed one of New Zealand’s foremost litigators, Jack Hodder QC, to lead their class action against the government on behalf of responsible firearms licence holders. Along with their solicitors, Jack Hodder QC has identified several potential class actions. The Bill for the
Cracks Are Appearing in the CoL
This week has seen, at the very least, breakdowns in communication within the CoL, and at worst, deliberate sabotage – take your pick. Winston Peters’s last minute threat of dragging out the Abortion Reform Bill just before its first reading this Thursday, by suggesting NZ First might insist on a
Racism at Ihumatao
It should come as no surprise to anyone that there is a racist element to this dispute, but you may be surprised to find out that the racism was exhibited by a protester on the site who identifies as being Maori. Or not. Conversations about inverted racism are few and