labour party Archive

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  Greens could lead Government in Germany, and here… - by frog

  
  
  
  The Greens are now the largest opposition party in Germany, according to a poll commissioned by news magazine Stern. Support for the center-left environmentalist party has risen to 28 percent, seven points higher than in the previous survey. The Social Democrats (SPD), traditionally Germany’s largest center-left party, are polling at 23 percent. Add up the numbers! read more
  April 8, 2011 6:46 pm - 9 Comments
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  Cricket World Cup: Something for New Zealand to be proud of - by frog

  
  
  
  At least New Zealanders have something to bolster our spirits at the moment. New Zealand are the only non-Asian team left in the Cricket World Cup. How about that! South Africa gone (defeated by New Zealand), Australia gone, England gone, West Indies gone! We may have a Government that is clueless about the economy, has [...] read more
  March 27, 2011 7:40 pm - 1 Comment
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  Cellphone towers, health and democracy - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Hataitai I went to a hastily organised public meeting up the hill from my house last night about a proposed cellphone tower in Hataitai, Wellington. Vodafone want to put a cellphone tower on top of a street light pole among a bunch of houses near the school. Vodafone only notified two local residents, and they in [...] read more
  December 14, 2010 8:47 pm - 126 Comments
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  Labour’s eerily familiar water campaign - by frog

  
  
  
  They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I guess we should be flattered by this leaflet from Labour MP Brendon Burns which appeared at the Christchurch eco-show: Not only is the image of Mr Burns rafting the Hurunui River strangely similar to many of those from Russel’s Dirty Rivers Rafting Tour… …but [...] read more
  July 29, 2010 1:24 pm - 21 Comments
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  FPP: A perverse affront to democracy - by frog

  
  
  
  Today the Electoral Referendum Bill will have its First Reading in Parliament, so it is timely to recall how much of a perverse affront to democracy the First Past the Post (FPP) electoral system New Zealanders threw out in 1993 was. read more
  April 22, 2010 12:33 pm - 18 Comments
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  Privatisation in education legislation - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The word opposition doesn’t always describe Labour’s voting patterns. In fact, Labour have voted with National almost exactly as often as the Maori Party, even though Labour is the official opposition, and the Maori Party is actually part of the Government! [For the political junkies, Labour have voted with National 12 times at first readings, [...] read more
  March 19, 2010 2:46 pm - 18 Comments
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  Auckland Supercity – Rogernomics Round 2 - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  The Super (Monster?) City meetings we are hosting along with Labour are well under way, and we are getting good numbers attending.  What is coming through loudly and clearly is that people are angry and frustrated at the blatant attack on democracy and the underlying agenda of ‘Rogernomics Round 2’. Waiheke last Thursday attracted 40-odd [...] read more
  February 4, 2010 2:19 pm - 1 Comment
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  Labour culpable on RMA chainsaw massacre - by frog

  
  
  
  The chainsaws are warming up for the first of October, as National’s rushed RMA deforms come into effect even earlier than originally proposed. What irks me no end is Labour’s Phil Twyford grandstanding on the axing of tree protection, when he and his Labour Party voted in favour of the very RMA changes he is complaining about. read more
  September 10, 2009 2:27 pm - 69 Comments
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  From little things, big things grow… - by frog

  
  
  
  There was a recurring riff behind National’s opposition to two very different Bills on Members’ Day Wednesday. One commonality was that both Bills were voted down by National, Act and United Future, and supported by Greens, Labour, Progressives and Maori Parties. But the riff I want to highlight is the idea that the problem is [...] read more
  June 19, 2009 11:33 am - 7 Comments
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  Seeing the forest and the trees - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  RadioNZ reported this morning that forest plantings in NZ are at their lowest level since World War II. The report shows that just 1000 hectares of new forest was established during 2008 – down from 2400ha in 2007. New planting peaked at 100,000ha in 1992. Deforestation (not replanting forest after harvesting or converting forest to [...] read more
  May 21, 2009 3:30 pm - 5 Comments
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  Labour MIA at the Maori representation hui - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  The hui at Orakei Marae today was excellent. Ngati Whaatua put out the call for Maori in Tamaki Makaurau to gather to consider what should be done next to oppose the government’s rejection of guaranteed Maori seats on the new Auckland unitary council. They have decided to hold a hikoi on 25 May, the 31st [...] read more
  April 15, 2009 4:01 pm - 246 Comments
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  Labour’s disrespect for open government - by frog

  
  
  
  After voters got a chance to know in time for the election Labour has finally declared it has taken $100,000 from a company called Resource Finance Ltd, which is registered at the same address as the infamous Vela Fishing Ltd. There are still no declarations from National or the other parties, including United Future, although [...] read more
  November 11, 2008 8:34 am - 7 Comments
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  The ideas are free and plentiful – you just need to ask - by frog

  
  
  
  An interesting discussion from the Otago Daily Times’ Dene Mackenzie – who was lunching with Jeanette and Australian Green Leader Bob Brown yesterday: Senator Brown said the injection of new ideas in politics around the world was coming from the Greens and there was never a time when the Greens were more needed than 2008 [...] read more
  November 6, 2008 9:26 pm - 9 Comments
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  A ship leaving a sinking rat? - by frog

  
  
  
  Russel’s reiteration of the Greens long-standing position on the Winston Peters scandals – that the Greens would probably not be able to sit at a cabinet table with Peters unless everything was cleared up – seems to have got a lot more media coverage this time around than previously. And Helen Clark seems to have [...] read more
  November 4, 2008 10:11 am - 7 Comments
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  You’re free to pay - by frog

  
  
  
  Brian Rudman seems to have found a Labour Party candidate who agrees with Green policy All power to Viv Goldsmith, Labour’s candidate in East Coast Bays, for speaking out against the fiction that school fees are “donations”… Ms Goldsmith, a teacher herself, says she mails off her request for fees to the minister each time [...] read more
  October 31, 2008 1:33 pm - 13 Comments
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  When political attacks go bad - by frog

  
  
  
  As I suggested yesterday negative campaigning is all a matter of degree.  Every party and politician does it to some extent in order to differentiate themselves from others.  But that doesn’t mean that it should become a prevalent or widespread practice, and where possible it is better if negative campaigning can focus on specific policies [...] read more
  October 30, 2008 9:59 am - 7 Comments
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  Accountancy and accountability - by frog

  
  
  
  Did everyone enjoy the brief interlude in the election campaign where we got to talk about issues other than Winston Peters and his unusual accountancy systems?  (Maybe Jim Bolger was on to something when he made him treasurer, given his ability to run a party on no declared donations.) Interestingly Winston’s $80,000 donation from the [...] read more
  October 29, 2008 3:49 pm - 7 Comments
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  Attack ads - by frog

  
  
  
  The increasing emergence of US style attack campaigning in recent years (John and John, Taxathon etc) is disappointing. Mr Carson, who came up with Labour’s “Keep it Kiwi” and “This one’s about trust” campaigns, says the key to advertising a political party is to pit yourself against your opposition. In the commercial world, you want [...] read more
  October 29, 2008 11:54 am - 4 Comments
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  Dunne adds his head to the National monster - by frog

  
  
  
  United Future has followed the Greens in assessing the two old parties policy platforms and letting voters know before the election which one it will be supporting.  It’s a bit harder to tell from it’s media release exactly what policies it based  this decision on, but I guess we know from past practice one issue [...] read more
  October 27, 2008 9:17 am - 39 Comments
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  Big Norm - by frog

  
  
  
  Russel got under the collars of a few Labour Party stalwarts when he walked into Parliament and suggested that he and the Greens were from the political lineage of Mickey Joseph Savage. Savage, a fellow immigrant from Australia, knew that having a right means having a chance, it means having a roof to shelter under [...] read more
  October 21, 2008 4:22 pm - 4 Comments