Archive for July, 2005

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  Repealing Section 59 - by frog

  
  
  
  Today is the last Members’ Day before the election, and MPs will be debating Sue B‘s Bill to repeal Section 59 of the Crimes Act. Back in June, when the Bill was drawn from the ballot, Sue B had this to say: The debate around Section 59 has been heated, with supporters saying the law [...] read more
  July 27, 2005 8:41 am - 37 Comments
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  Comments portal - by frog

  
  
  
  This page draws together facts and lists about the user comments posted on frogblog. Frog is proud of the thoughtful comments and healthy debate on this blog. You have to register and login to post comments. read more
  July 27, 2005 1:29 am - No Comments
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  A very good policy - by frog

  
  
  
  Labour’s tertiary education policy, released today, includes two very welcome measures. First, it will no longer charge interest on the student loans of graduates who live in New Zealand. Second, it will increase eligibility to student allowances to ensure that half of all students can access them. The first proposal is an especially encouraging policy. [...] read more
  July 26, 2005 5:03 pm - 11 Comments
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  Zimbabwe motion - by frog

  
  
  
  Parliament has just passed the following motion on Zimbabwe: That this House, noting with grave concern the oppression by the Government of Zimbabwe of its own people and its gross violation of human rights, calls upon New Zealand Cricket to abandon the proposed Black Caps tour to Zimbabwe, and urges the International Cricket Council to [...] read more
  July 26, 2005 2:38 pm - No Comments
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  Are the Greens radical? - by frog

  
  
  
  The Herald says the Greens’ challenge for the campaign is to: Convince people they are not radicals and that they have more to offer than environmental policy. Well, “radical” is quite a scary word, and is going to be used a lot by both National and Labour to demonise each other. When Kiwis think of [...] read more
  July 26, 2005 11:45 am - 5 Comments
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  Is Don Brash a radical? - by frog

  
  
  
  Certainly, Labour is going to try and convince Kiwis that Don Brash is, as John Campbell kept repeating last night, a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. If Labour can convince voters that Don Brash represents everything about the 1990s that they hated, then it will sail into a third term with whatever support flotilla it needs. [...] read more
  July 26, 2005 9:21 am - 14 Comments
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  In the gutter - by frog

  
  
  
  Colin James correctly notes that Don Brash is playing games in pretending to be offended by Labour’s attacks on his positions with respect Iraq and nuclear-free legislation. He writes: Don Brash feigns anger (or maybe is actually angry) at being misrepresented when his Iraq and nuclear policy words are quoted out of context. With hand [...] read more
  July 26, 2005 9:12 am - No Comments
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  Debates - by frog

  
  
  
  TV3 has announced that it will only invite six party leaders to its election debate, to be moderated by John Campbell. It will decide which six leaders to invite on the basis of the next TV3 opinion poll, due out in the next week or so. This will see the Progressives and either United or [...] read more
  July 26, 2005 9:11 am - 13 Comments
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  Lame excuse #555 - by frog

  
  
  
  So, Don Brash’s latest excuse for why it’s unfair that journalists are trying to pin him down on whether he’d have sent Kiwi troops to Iraq, and whether he plans to send them if he becomes Prime Minister? Well, because Helen Clark wasn’t expected to say in 1999 whether she planned to send combat troops [...] read more
  July 25, 2005 7:35 pm - 4 Comments
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  Game on… - by frog

  
  
  
  In announcing September 17 as the election date this afternoon, Prime Minister Helen Clark delivered an impressive speech outlining what she believes will be the contours of the campaign. She said: Our vision is for New Zealand to be the country of choice to live in because it is prosperous, fair, inclusive, safe, clean and [...] read more
  July 25, 2005 5:16 pm - 6 Comments
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  The final countdown? - by frog

  
  
  
  There have been murmurings around the place over the past week that today would be the day that the Prime Minister announces the election date. If she does so, she will be moving everyone from a phoney election campaign into a real election campaign. If the date is, as expected, September 17, that means there [...] read more
  July 25, 2005 11:29 am - 4 Comments
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  Token gesture - by frog

  
  
  
  As suspected, National’s full tertiary education policy does nothing to address the two key drivers of student debt: high fees and lack of access to student allowances. So, last week’s announcement of tax rebates on student loan interest repayment should be seen for what it is: a token gesture that does nothing to address the [...] read more
  July 25, 2005 10:59 am - 2 Comments
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  A sad day - by frog

  
  
  
  It’s with some sadness that Rod will travel to Christchurch International Airport this morning to “farewell” the Black Caps, headed for Namibia then Zimbabwe. Rod’s been urging the Government since April to do everything in its power to stop the Zimbabwe tour. Four months later, it has singularly failed to take up this challenge. The [...] read more
  July 25, 2005 9:51 am - No Comments
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  A mystery - by frog

  
  
  
  There’s a big photo of Mark Blumsky – National’s candidate for Wellington Central – on the front page of the Dominion Post this morning. His right eye and nose are badly bruised. He says he cannot remember what happened to him during four hours early on Saturday morning. However, he also says that he’s adamant [...] read more
  July 25, 2005 9:27 am - 13 Comments
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  What a crock of s*** - by frog

  
  
  
  So, David Carter is in a bit of trouble with residents of the Christchurch suburb Woolston for calling it “s**t country” in the Dominion Post last week. This has probably lost National a few votes. A couple of voters are quoted in the Press this morning, saying: He’s from s*** country himself; he’s a farmer [...] read more
  July 25, 2005 9:16 am - 2 Comments
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  “A narrow, inexperienced man” - by frog

  
  
  
  Some of the comments on frogblog in the past few days have had me wondering whether I have been a little hard on Don Brash with regards his position – or, lack thereof – when it comes to Iraq specifically and foreign policy more generally. While I condemned as a bridge too far Trevor Mallard’s [...] read more
  July 24, 2005 3:09 pm - 7 Comments
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  The Greens on super - by frog

  
  
  
  The Sunday Star-Times‘ business section has a useful feature this morning on the different parties’ superannuation policy. As super isn’t something one might usually associate with the Greens, I thought I’d reproduce what Rod had to say below: Superannuation spokesman Rod Donald believes the $2b going into the Super Fund each year should be invested [...] read more
  July 24, 2005 3:08 pm - 2 Comments
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  Fill ‘er up, thanks… - by frog

  
  
  
  The Sunday Star-Times has an interesting story today about the effect of soaring petrol prices are having on ordinary Kiwis. We’re now spending about $500 more a year on petrol, compared to three years ago. Petrol is now $1.35 a litre, compared to $1.06 a litre in July 2002. For someone with a Toyota Corolla, [...] read more
  July 24, 2005 1:38 pm - 3 Comments
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  Private lives - by frog

  
  
  
  It’s only when you see what MPs do, day in day out, that you realise how hard it must be on their families. Children are brought up hardly seeing one of their parents, and spouses spend much of their time flying solo. This obvious downside of being a parent/politician always makes me wonder why Helen [...] read more
  July 24, 2005 1:36 pm - No Comments
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  Trust him? - by frog

  
  
  
  Scoop has the TV3 clip of Don Brash’s equivocating on Iraq. I suspect it will get a lot of airtime between now and the election. What’s astonishing about it is that his performance just gets worse and worse the more you watch it. Here’s a transcript of the interview, as screened: TV3: Would you have [...] read more
  July 23, 2005 5:29 pm - 15 Comments