Political analysis and commentary shaping the progressive debate in Aotearoa New Zealand, focused on power, policy, and accountability.
The cannabis referendum campaign has so far been characterised by secrecy, misinformation and lack of a clear plan or known model to discuss. We’ve slipped backwards in some polls. But now there is a model designed to win the referendum. It’s called CHOISE, and it puts opportunity, investment and social equity centre-stage. CHOISE is a version of cannabis legalisation where everyone wins – and that makes the referendum winnable.
MEMO TO THE Prime Minister’s Office: Please tell Stephen Mills to stay off the radio. When the boss of Labour’s polling agency, UMR, comes across on RNZ’s Nine to Noon “Politics” slot (14/10/19) as considerably further to the right than both Kathryn Ryan and Matthew Hooton then, believe me, it’s time to tell your pollster, very politely, to stick to his stats.
It is neither ethically nor morally acceptable to be on the wrong side of the climate crisis. And New Zealanders see it as socially unacceptable.
So while the democratic principle of one (adult) person, one vote gives us the semblance of equal access to power, that power and wealth remain inaccessible and unjustly distributed, and no-one’s even talking about deconstructing the CCO system that castrates politicians, dwarfs their income, undermines their accountability to their voters, and short changes the workers on the ground.
Where were the in-depth pieces, regionally or nationally, about rates increases, service shortfalls, how Councils will deal with key issues such as water in the future and a myriad of other issues? There was virtually no analysis at all.
Over the past week or two, there’s been quite a bit of buzz about New Zealand First out there in the media.
The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa is delighted to announce that esteemed Palestinian scholar and member of the Palestine National Council, Dr Salman Abu Sitta, will be visiting New Zealand next week for two days – Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th October.
A MURDEROUS, ANTISEMITIC, terrorist attack, live-streamed, in chilling imitation of the Christchurch Massacres, has shocked and dismayed the German nation. Proof, if any was needed, that strict legal prohibitions against the iconography and language of far-right extremism confers no special protection against the deadly designs of its adherents.
WHY ARE RETURNING OFFICERS coming out so strongly for on-line voting?
THE MAORI NATIONALIST assault upon the historical meaning and reputation of Captain James Cook is entirely understandable. With his…