THE GAME Archive

Mum in the House: an inevitable decision? - by Holly Walker

We have made a big decision in our household this week: Dave has extended his parental leave until after the election. Our original plan was to have three months’ parental leave each and for Dave to go back to work part time at the end of April, when Esther would be six months old. I […] read more
April 4, 2014 9:15 am - 1 Comment
NZ Inc. & the NZ Constitution – unsanctioned Parliamentary visits to China - by Kennedy Graham

This coming week, I am part of a New Zealand delegation attending the 130th meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Europe. The delegation is composed of one National, one Labour and one Green MP. It is an annual visit by a NZ delegation, where issues of interest to 163 national parliaments are discussed. It is, […] read more
March 14, 2014 1:26 pm - 4 Comments
Mum in the House – it’s getting easier - by Holly Walker

Three weeks into our experiment combining parenting and Parliament and I am pleased to report that it is getting easier. read more
February 18, 2014 10:36 am - 2 Comments
We can make history in 2014 - by Gareth Hughes

” A Green government will invest in our people, will protect our environment and will build an economy which works for everyone.” read more
February 12, 2014 7:34 pm - 11 Comments
Aspiring Northland - by David Clendon

Finance Minister Bill English got it half right when he said recently that models of government intervention that had been applied in the Far North over the last thirty years had “disempowered them rather than helped them”. Mr English told the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee that there had been a culture and a climate […] read more
February 3, 2014 10:37 am - 29 Comments
First day back at parliament - by Russel Norman

Parliament’s back this week, and as is tradition for the first day of the year, party leaders had the chance to outline our priorities for the year and our greater vision for the country. I used my time to talk about this year’s election, which I see as a turning point in our history. The […] read more
January 29, 2014 6:22 pm - 10 Comments
Swimming on the Wellington waterfront - by Eugenie Sage

Wellington’s waterfront dive platform is an inspired piece of inner-city architecture that draws huge crowds on a hot day. Where else in the world can brave jumpers thrill onlookers in the middle of a city? The big problem – and this is quite a basic one – is that the harbour water below is highly […] read more
January 29, 2014 10:15 am - 2 Comments
Mum in the House - by Holly Walker

Today is a big day for me on a personal level – it’s my first full day back in the House after taking parental leave to welcome my baby girl Esther into the world. She is 16 weeks old. read more
January 28, 2014 4:09 pm - 3 Comments
My 2013 Best Efforts from a Biased Participant - by Catherine Delahunty

Tired of the conventional list of dubious political achievements? Join me in constructing your own from an openly biased rather than faux-neutral list of successes. 1, Big ups to Jan Logie and Lee Rhiannon (Aussie Green MP) for confronting the Sri Lankan Government on human rights the week before CHOGM in Sri Lanka! 2. Congratulations […] read more
December 16, 2013 11:02 am - 4 Comments
Keeping more of Meridian in public ownership - by Russel Norman

Yesterday, I announced a new plan that will keep more of Meridian Energy in public ownership. Purchasers in the Meridian sale are paying for it in two instalments. They paid $1 in October and, in May 2015, they will be required to pay a second instalment of 50 cents, at which point their instalments receipts […] read more
December 9, 2013 10:25 am - 6 Comments
Reflections on leafleting for the Citizen’s Initiated Referendum - by Denise Roche

I was one of those thousands of people who spent a lot of my spare time last year collecting signatures to trigger the referendum on the sale of our state owned assets. Now that the voting papers have been delivered to people’s letterboxes I’m not wanting to see all that work wasted so have spent […] read more
November 26, 2013 3:23 pm - 5 Comments
We’re doing fine, it’s the world that’s at fault – climate change, Philippines, and Mr Groser - by Kennedy Graham

The latest global storm, Typhoon Haiyan over the Philippines, is the strongest on record to make landfall. The statement by the chief Philippine climate negotiator, Yeb Sano, at the 19th annual UN negotiations in Warsaw, is perhaps the most eloquent cry of pain on behalf of humanity yet uttered. Mr Sano, whose family has been […] read more
November 19, 2013 9:02 am - 18 Comments
Youth MP finds his voice - by Mojo Mathers

At Youth Parliament earlier this year, I was represented by Auckland student Dean Buckley. Dean is a stand out role model and I was so proud to have him as my youth MP. While he was here in Wellington, he was followed by a film crew from Attitude Pictures who were documenting his experience. Dean’s […] read more
October 23, 2013 3:06 pm - No Comments
Point of order - by Metiria Turei

Yesterday in Parliament I asked Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce about the SkyCity deal, and whether the Government would delay the bill in the House until after John Banks’ court case was resolved. As some of you may have seen or heard, it was pretty interesting. Not just because of Steven Joyce’s answers and the […] read more
October 18, 2013 5:26 pm - 27 Comments
Two smart measures to make our Reserve Bank fit for purpose - by Russel Norman

The Treasury released papers last week recommending that the Reserve Bank move towards a committee structure for making future decisions on the Official Cash Rate (OCR). New Zealand is now alone in relying on a single person – the Reserve Bank Governor – to set the OCR. No other country in the developed world leaves […] read more
October 10, 2013 12:40 pm - 4 Comments
It is time to change Parliament’s prayer - by Gareth Hughes

It’s important that New Zealanders are able to have a say on the way our Parliament starts each Parliamentary day. It is symbolic for the country, and everybody should be able to contribute to shaping that symbolism. read more
October 3, 2013 1:20 pm - 20 Comments
Syria – the Urgent Debate that wasn’t - by Kennedy Graham

I blogged last week about the constitutional shortcomings New Zealand faces in debating issues of foreign policy and international relations. The Government has committed only to a ministerial statement in the House after a NZ policy-decision has been taken in response to the US request for support for a military strike against Syria. This compares […] read more
September 9, 2013 1:46 pm - 25 Comments
A table for one? - by Kevin Hague

After yesterday’s blog post about the lack of response from the Minister of Health to my written questions it was a nice surprise this morning to see my inbox brimming with responses. Well, sort of. These responses would be funny if they weren’t so sad. The first thing you need to know in order to […] read more
September 4, 2013 9:12 pm - 10 Comments
Syria, the UN, and parliamentary democracy: Are we up to scratch, down here? - by Kennedy Graham

The game-changer in the Syrian crisis is not the US soliloquy whether a unilateral strike is to be or not to be. That is a normal phenomenon of the past half-century. It is the impressive working of parliamentary democracy in the United Kingdom. That is not. Last week, the British Parliament was recalled to debate […] read more
September 4, 2013 9:28 am - 30 Comments
The final report on the Lobbying Disclosure Bill - by Holly Walker

This week the Government Administration Select Committee presented the final report on the Lobbying Disclosure Bill – my Member’s Bill to set-up a lobbying disclosure regime in New Zealand. The original aim of this bill was to bring a measure of transparency and public disclosure to lobbying activity in New Zealand, and to enhance trust […] read more
August 23, 2013 3:52 pm - 4 Comments
Disability issues and the media - by Mojo Mathers

As someone with a disability who has to deal with the media on a regular basis, I found the latest report by the Convention Coalition Monitoring Group very interesting. The time period the report covered was 2012. Note: The full report is available by clicking here: It looks at how the media in New Zealand […] read more
August 9, 2013 12:23 pm - 3 Comments
Are you one of the 70,000 who just got un-enrolled? - by Holly Walker

The Electoral Commission have just had to remove 70,000 New Zealanders from the electoral roll, after the election packs they sent out for the local body elections later in the year were returned, saying ‘gone – no forwarding address’. This was part of the checks to make sure that everyone who’s eligible is correctly enrolled […] read more
July 30, 2013 1:59 pm - 7 Comments
Impatiently waiting for a real response to election inquiry - by Holly Walker

This week the Government released their formal response to the select committee inquiry into the last election. I have to say I was pretty disappointed with what was released. Justice Minister Judith Collins has had the select committee report for three months, but rather than present anything substantive, the Minister has instead fobbed off making […] read more
July 26, 2013 3:43 pm - 1 Comment
Afghanistan mon amour: Defamation case spotlights Defence PR spin - by Kennedy Graham

Two years ago award winning New Zealand journalist Jon Stephenson wrote an in-depth article for Metro Magazine about New Zealand’s role in the war in Afghanistan. The article, Eyes Wide Shut, described the w ay NZ Special Forces handed detainees over to other coalition forces who then sent the prisoners to facilities known to have […] read more
July 23, 2013 1:37 pm - 1 Comment
Day two of Youth Parliament - by Holly Walker

Yesterday was a pretty exciting day in the world of Youth Parliament, but today might have been even better… The Youth MPs finally got to experience the House, with Question Time, a legislative debate on the mock bill to increase youth participation in elections, a general debate, and notices of motion. Question Time was amazing […] read more
July 17, 2013 9:52 pm - No Comments
Day one of Youth Parliament - by Holly Walker

Youth Parliament officially started today, with 121 Youth MPs and 20 members of the Youth Press Gallery arriving in Wellington for Youth Parliament – including the 14 wonderful Green Youth MPs. After a pōwhiri and official photo, the serious business started after lunch when I and MPs from other parties briefed the Youth MPs on […] read more
July 16, 2013 6:13 pm - No Comments
Adopt an MP - by Gareth Hughes

It’s fair to say MPs and politicians around the world don’t have a good rap for their tech or Internet knowledge. But actually, we’re in the twenty first century, and it’s ‘no longer OK to not know how the Internet works’ read more
July 12, 2013 11:59 am - 7 Comments
The Rule of Law - by Jan Logie

The Law Society in its report to the UN review of human rights in New Zealand (UPR) identified 14 separate pieces of legislation, 11 in the last two years, that undermine our rule of law and fundamental human rights. 5 laws that remove the courts’ constitutional role of judicial review • NZ Public Health and […] read more
June 26, 2013 10:16 am - 7 Comments
Electoral reform in the constitutional review - by Holly Walker

This week the deadline for submissions on the Constitutional Conversation was extended by a month, so now we’ve got until July 31st to submit. This is a great chance for all of us to have a say on how we want our country to be run, as well as to share our values and aspirations […] read more
June 21, 2013 4:52 pm - 10 Comments
Who gets the access to parliament - by Holly Walker

Yesterday, the Speaker released an updated list of the lobbyists that have swipe-card access to parliament. This list has more than doubled in the past year, which is a clear demonstration of the growing influence of lobbyists. Those on the list include three former ministerial staffers (two from John Key’s office and one from Steven […] read more
June 18, 2013 3:39 pm - 10 Comments
The Privileges Committee Report and ‘parliamentary protections’ - by Kennedy Graham

Thinking through the deep stuff: The Privileges Committee Report and ‘parliamentary protections’ Every now and then we MPs are challenged to think. Yesterday was such a moment – actually, for the preceding 12 months, on and off. In 2005-06, an issue arose in the House in which a cabinet minister made comments about a Kiwi […] read more
June 13, 2013 8:18 pm - 36 Comments
Counting down to Youth Parliament - by Holly Walker

In just over a month, parliament and the press gallery will be taken over by 16-18 year olds for Youth Parliament. We’ve previously blogged about the fantastic Green Youth MPs. This amazing experience includes question time, debating a mock bill in the debating chamber and considering a range of specialised issues in their select committees. […] read more
June 7, 2013 10:32 am - 1 Comment
Searching for a consensus on climate change: seeking a genuine dialogue with National, Part I - by Kennedy Graham

Friday, 7 June, is the day I am convening the Conference on Climate Change in the NZ Parliament. It is being held in the Legislative Council Chamber – the elegant upper chamber that has been mostly empty since the Upper House was abolished in 1951. It is the second conference of the kind – the […] read more
June 6, 2013 7:52 pm - 7 Comments
Health Budget predictions and alternatives - by Kevin Hague

As I write this I am preparing to go into Parliament to hear the Budget, and no doubt to see Government Ministers crowing about “more money than ever before” spent on Health, and ‘brave new’ programmes for this and that. I only get the Budget documents once I’m actually in Parliament, and have to frantically […] read more
May 16, 2013 1:09 pm - 3 Comments
Topics announced for Youth Parliament 2013 - by Holly Walker

It’s Youth Week, with events happening around the country celebrating all that it is to be young and encouraging young people to live like legends. As a part of Youth Week, Youth Affairs Minister Nikki Kaye has today made an announcement on this year’s Youth Parliament, including releasing the issues that the Youth MPs will […] read more
May 9, 2013 3:43 pm - No Comments
Introducing our Green Youth MPs - by frog

Danielle Lusk – Metiria Turei Age: 16 School: Buller High School, Westport Tell us a bit about yourself: Hello there, I’m a keen adventuress, I love the outdoors, it’s pretty mean. It is my intention to become a white water kayaking guide, because who wouldn’t want to work, live and breathe the outdoors! My main […] read more
May 1, 2013 9:02 am - 119 Comments
Pacific Parliamentary Forum - by Jan Logie

Parliament has been blessed with the presence of political leaders from all around the Pacific for the last few days. We had some great debates and discussions. I just want to gloat about one – the motion to liberalise trade was voted down in favour of an amended motion in support of sustainable development. The […] read more
April 22, 2013 12:23 pm - 2 Comments
Marriage Equality: Difference of world views - by Kevin Hague

The debate over Louisa Wall’s marriage equality bill has been raging for almost a year now, and I have received thousands of emails and letters, as well as having read many thousands of submissions during the Select Committee process I thought the contrast between those in favour and those opposed was striking, and have blogged […] read more
April 12, 2013 12:32 pm - 30 Comments
Will Auckland’s housing price bubble be different this time round? - by Russel Norman

Maybe. Yesterday, the Reserve Bank signalled enough concern about rising house prices in Auckland that they spooked commentators with the possibility of early rises in the Official Cash Rate (OCR) and a more certain resolve to use complementary tools, like loan-to-value ratios. I have more hope following this statement that the Reserve Bank has learned […] read more
April 10, 2013 10:25 am - 13 Comments
Open letter to the Speaker re: Question Time - by Russel Norman

Rt Hon David Carter Speaker of the House of Representatives Parliament Buildings Wellington 20 March 2013 Dear David After sitting through another chaotic question time I feel compelled to write this open letter to you as Speaker. I strongly urge you to revert to the set of rules that Lockwood Smith had developed over the […] read more
March 21, 2013 9:24 am - 12 Comments