David Macpherson – WHAT WOULD A DECENT MENTAL HEALTH POLICY LOOK LIKE?
Despite strong feedback from the public, political parties are still mostly shying clear from campaigning on mental health and suicide issues in the election campaign.
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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G20 meeting highlights the crisis of capitalism
The self-selected ‘cabal’ of ‘Caesars’ meeting at the G20 represented 85% of the world’s GDP, had limited political mandate to make decisions, and excluded most of the ‘Global South’. They embodied the world’s richest elites making decisions affecting the world’s poorest, behind closed doors.
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The left and the elections – don’t mourn, organise
As the election gets closer, everyone has an opinion on what needs to be done for their party to be successful.
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Drinking river water – Tourism NZ puts visitors at risk
The current Minister of Tourism is Paula Bennett. The same Minister who once advocated contraception for beneficiaries as some kind of ‘cure’ for sole-parenting. A major aspect of Tourism NZ’s advertising campaign involves the “100% Pure” theme – a claim largely ridiculed and dismissed by most New Zealanders as a bad-taste joke;
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PNG activist blogger Martyn Namorong protests online in defiance of gag order
“Gagged” PNG blogger Martyn Namorong is not the only one critical of the just-ended elections … News reports mentioned complaints of alleged irregularities … such as discrepancies in voter rolls, inadequate support for polling staff, and inefficient counting of results.
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NZ Initiative – Bulk Funding Schools
On 6 July, the “NZ Initiative” – a re-branded right-wing think-tank previously known as the NZ Business Roundtable – released a propaganda-piece entitled, ‘Amplifying Excellence: Promoting Transparency, Professionalism and Support in Schools’. The so-called “report” advocated more sly “free market” forces unleashed onto our constantly-changing education system.
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Open questions on Middle East policy for Gerry Brownlee and the National Party
Mr Brownlee – please demonstrate the National Government’s commitment and take action to end Israel’s impunity.
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The Boxer
At this point in the electoral cycle, Bill English should be staggering across the ring like a bloodied, punch-drunk boxer desperate for the salvation of the fight’s final bell. Instead he’s still up on his toes and trading punches with an opposition that seems incapable of laying a single glove on his up-tilted prime-ministerial chin.
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Is Barry Coates Serious? Are the Greens really willing to trigger a second election before Christmas?
HOW SERIOUSLY should New Zealanders take the words of Green MP Barry Coates? In a recent post to The Daily Blog he said: “The memorandum of understanding with Labour is the foundation for building the next government. However, if we were not part of the coalition, we would not accept a Labour-New Zealand First government and certainly not a National-New Zealand First government. Neither will be acceptable to the Greens.”
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On Why The Greens REALLY Tore Into NZ First Over The Weekend
I’ve taken awhile off commenting on a .. certain area of New Zealand Politics for personal reasons; but looking at my newsfeed for the past 24 hours, it’s pretty clear a number of things need to be said about the Green Party’s recent comments on New Zealand First.