Phil Goff Archive

  • Jeanette Fitzsimons

    An open letter to Phil Goff, on reading Friday’s Herald - by Jeanette Fitzsimons



    Dear Phil, I am deeply disappointed you are letting Nick Smith’s electioneering define the Labour party, and apologising for that definition. It is hard to see how Labour will ever have an independent identity if it leaps to deny sensible policy whenever National attacks it. Even using their term, “nanny state” fails politics 101 – never repeat your opponent’s terms of abuse. read more
    September 12, 2009 5:17 pm - 180 Comments
  • frog

    Dazed and confused by referendum - by frog



    It seems I’m not the only one confused about the meaning of the question in the forthcoming referendum: Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand? I initially wondered if it was asking whether I should get the bash if I don’t look after the tadpoles properly. [...] read more
    June 18, 2009 9:44 am - 255 Comments
  • frog

    Giving preferential trading rights to the USA - by frog



    I see a looming preferential trade deal with the United States is enough for Matthew Hooten to declare Phil Goff New Zealander of the year.  High praise indeed.  Although US trade deals don’t seem to have worked out quite so well for the much bigger economy of Australia (bigger than New Zealand that is, not [...] read more
    September 23, 2008 12:39 pm - 14 Comments
  • frog

    The freedom to sing - by frog



    There are gangs other than the type we fuss about here in New Zealand.  Such as for instance the Mafia. The Mafia does not stereotypically wear patches so they are harder to use as an easy target for the type of ‘tough on law and order‘ talk Chester Burrows, Michael Laws and Phil Goff enjoy. [...] read more
    September 15, 2008 1:28 pm - 2 Comments
  • frog

    Better dressed gangs - by frog



    It looks like, with an election campaign now officially underway, the government is more open to copying South Australia and considering banning gangs.  There are fairly limited details about which gangs it might choose ban although the implication is that they are the browner variety with patches, rather than the whiter ones that sail yachts.  [...] read more
    September 15, 2008 9:24 am - 56 Comments
  • frog

    China FTA still unseen but ready to sign - by frog



    The media is reporting that New Zealand and China will be ready to sign a free trade agreement in April. It seems the Prime Minister and Trade Minister Phil Goff have already booked their tickets to Beijing and packed their ceremonial pens. There is one particularly interesting quote from the Newsroom story [offline]: She [the [...] read more
    February 26, 2008 8:23 am - 9 Comments
  • frog

    Business as usual - by frog



    Minister of Trade Phil Goff, like the rest of the government, is currently concerned about climate change; seems it might be rather costly. ‘Stern estimating it at as much as 20 per cent of global GDP – as well as the obvious, potentially catastrophic, environmental costs.’ Luckily Goff doesn’t need to worry too much because [...] read more
    December 10, 2007 1:34 pm - 20 Comments