Political analysis and commentary shaping the progressive debate in Aotearoa New Zealand, focused on power, policy, and accountability.
It all boils down to this: The timeline of latest revelations suggests National Party MPs placed their want to GET their opponents – the Ardern Government – ahead of concerns that Covid-19 was potentially un-contained and again infecting New Zealanders. Is this a step too far for the Todd Muller-led party?
The events of the past few days: the appalling failure of our neoliberalised state sector to keep our borders secure from the threat of the Covis-19 virus; ought to produce the same reaction from its defenders as a person who, having jumped off a roof, mysteriously finds himself failing to float gently to the ground.
Phrased another way: I have no reason to doubt that Bloomfield et co, and even the hapless David Clark *genuinely* believed they were in possession of the facts. That procedures were being followed. That we *were* in possession of what we said we were, doing what we said we were doing, things working basically as they almost ideally should.
MUCH WILL BE WRITTEN about Heather Simpson’s plans for the New Zealand health system.
Associate Professor Tarcisius Kabutaulaka accuses a small group of people of “selfishly and disrespectfully desecrating” this “sacred place of learning” for the Pacific which celebrated a half century two years ago.
IT’S DOUBTFUL whether many of those applauding the current US protests grasp fully the enormity of what is happening there.
Despite the rush to return to the economy of pre-Covid-19, statues are not the only edifices we should seek to dismantle.
Quoting Matt McCarten last Friday, Chris Trotter posits that “we should have stayed” in the Labour Party in 1989, after neo-liberal policies swept through the party like a coronavirus. This is all very well to say, but I think Matt/Chris might by now have forgotten what it was like then.
I am slightly surprised that Todd Muller’s big speech as leader of the National Party, is summed up by the Herald as:
Murderous and destructive Israeli Occupation regime From 26 May to 9 June, inclusive, Israel committed 41 Gaza ceasefire violations, 14…