Passchendaele – Absent with Leave, a Soldier’s Story
John Alexander (his real name, but not his full name) – commonly known as ‘Jack’ – was 25 when World…
Setting the Agenda
Political analysis and commentary shaping the progressive debate in Aotearoa New Zealand, focused on power, policy, and accountability.
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The Golden Path Mk.II: NZ First’s Quantum Superposition Of Solitude
Many moons ago – back when the notion of replacing Andrew Little with Jacinda Ardern was the sort of pie-in-the-sky idea dismissed by almost all serious commentators as almost assuredly fatal to both her party and her person, rather than some form of titanic/cthonic masterstroke capable of apparently singlehandedly reshaping the political landscape upon a whim – I sat down to pen a piece entitled “The Golden Path”.
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Talkin’ ‘Bout A Revolution – Or Not?
“THESE TALKS ARE ABOUT A CHANGE in the way this country is run. Both economically and socially.” That is how Winston Peters characterised the government formation negotiations currently drawing to a close in Wellington. But, what could his words possibly mean, in practical terms?
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Election Reflection
Let’s make the next decade about solutions, not about problems. Let’s apply more new thinking to what we are for, less to what we are against. It doesn’t matter who is Prime Minister. We can have a twenty-first century multi-party democracy, through which all good ideas can be placed on the table, and considered on their merits.
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The Hallelujah Song
In the absence of the Left’s uplifted voices, Winston will take what he can get from the Right. Better to deal with people who have never known that such transformational music exists, than be disappointed by Labour-Green politicians who no longer consider the Hallelujah Song worth singing.
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Open letter to Waikato DHB Member to Chair regarding handling of CEO’s expenses
I am concerned at your reported comments in the media – particularly those in the Waikato Times – where you are reported to have stated that you “have the full confidence of the Board”, in relation to the issues arising from the CEO’s expenses, As this issue was not raised with the full Board, there is no basis for you saying this, and it is not accurate.
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Galipolli or Mangatawhiri? – selective memory of war
It would be much more appropriate for New Zealand to scrap ANZAC DAY (25 April – dated for the landing at Gallipoli in World War I) and shift our national remembrance of war to 12 July – the day in 1863 that imperial troops crossed the Mangatawhiri River and the great war for New Zealand began.
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An Open Letter To Winston Peters
Kia ora Mr Peters,
With the counting of Special Votes, a clearer picture has emerged as to what voters in this country have chosen. The majority have voted against National and it’s allies.
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Observations on the 2017 Election campaign… (tekau)
At 2PM today (7 October 2017), the Electoral Commission announced the final vote results, including some 446,287 special votes cast (17% of total votes cast).
As a result, National has lost two seats and the Greens and Labour each pick up one seat in Parliament. The Green’s Golriz Ghahraman and Labour’s Angie Warren-Clark enter Parliament on the Party List.
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Once Upon a Time in Mainstream Media Fairytale Land…
You can feel mainstream media’s frustration with the news-vacuum created by the two week period necessary to count the approximately 384,072 (15% of total votes) Special Votes that were cast this election.