In a column for The Spinoff yesterday, former National MP Chester Borrows lamented the cheap political rhetoric on crime and justice, including that of the current National Party leader. Here Simon Bridges responds. We’re not as far away from your prescription as you might think, he writes. Usually when I write a column in reply … Read more
After months of silence on Ihumātao, the government is considering a loan to Auckland Council to buy the occupied Fletcher-owned land, according to an RNZ report. What is the dispute over the land? Fletcher Residential bought a section of land in South Auckland in 2014 for $19m with plans to build a 480-house development. A … Read more
The 60 wise delegates of Botany chose their next National Party candidate last night, and they picked the man touted as a future leader to take on the blazing, unpredictable incumbent, Jami-Lee Ross. Toby Manhire was there to watch the anointment. As the sun disappeared over the fairways, upstairs at the Pakuranga Golf Club last … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: National releases discussion document on social services, new sea level rise research raises inundation fears, and updates from Wellington’s messy mayoralties. National has released a discussion document on social services, in order to shape their policy into the election. It’s the latest in a series of discussion documents … Read more
It’s surplus season again, and the two main parties are at each other’s throats about management of the national finances. But how unlike one another are they really? Put yourself to the test. There are undeniable differences in emphasis between the economic philosophies of Labour, National and the rest. For around five years, governments of … Read more
Speaker Trevor Mallard has announced a crackdown on parties using footage of their opponents in parliament for attack ads. What’s this all about? Electoral law expert Andrew Geddis explains. As the House was kicking off its business yesterday, Speaker Trevor Mallard opened things up by announcing a ruling on Standing Orders. A Labour Party MP … Read more
National’s new agriculture spokesperson finds himself in one of the party’s most important portfolios, at a time of dramatically increasing tensions in the sector. Will Todd Muller, a man regularly mentioned as a future leader contender, find common ground? Todd Muller’s obsession with politics began with an American encyclopaedia, which his parents bought from a … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Bridges sparks controversy with China state-TV interview, timeline of events around Labour staffer allegation, and Weta staff concerned about campaign launch. National leader Simon Bridges has been on something of a grand tour around China. In the process, he gave an interview to a state-owned television … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: National unveils their big economic discussion document, suicide toll leads to targeted support calls, and honey market faces worrying oversupply. National have unveiled a range of ideas around the economy that they’ll almost certainly campaign on at the next election. As with many discussion documents of this nature, … Read more
The government’s plan to avoid another ‘fiscal hole’ fiasco has an unlikely fan: the chief economist of the corporate think tank New Zealand Initiative. Eric Crampton explains what else it could do. Have you ever driven past one of those stores that mostly sells blinds but calls itself ‘Not Just Blinds’ and wondered whether they … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: National cries foul over parliamentary costing unit idea, Ngawha Prison heavily criticised in report, and fuel market study confirms prices are high. The government have announced a recommendation to create an official, independent parliamentary costing unit, reports the NZ Herald. The aim is to take policies of parties … Read more
The National leader says census data is so ropey we should halt the redrawing of electorate boundaries. Down that path lies a dangerous world of ‘alternative facts’, writes Andrew Geddis Let’s be clear – the 2018 census turned out to be a good, old-fashioned omnishambles. The just released report of an independent review into the … Read more
Jacinda Ardern announced the first part of the government’s cancer plan which is set to impact many in the regions. Not quite following? Here’s what you need to know. So, what’s the big news? The big news is that the government has announced that cancer patients in Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki and Northland will, for the … Read more
Annabelle Lee-Mather, Toby Manhire and Ben Thomas feast on the political morsels of the month. including the National Party conference and a challenge to Jacinda Ardern over Ihumātao. Plus: a new jingle. The Gone By Lunchtime team look at Simon Bridges’ efforts to firm up his leadership with just over a year to the election, … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Swine fever boosts meat export figures, SOUL whānau vote to stay put at Ihumātao, and National has another good poll. The threat of swine fever has also provided an opportunity for New Zealand meat farmers. The NZ Herald reports meat exports are up as a result of the disease … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: National launches major policy on cancer drug funding, popular support swells for Ihumātao protectors as govt steps in, and ski industry workers face snow drought. National have announced big plans for cancer drug funding if they win in 2020. At the party’s annual conference, leader Simon … Read more
The just completed party conference confirmed a widespread unity under Simon Bridges, while Jacinda Ardern is under more pressure than ever. If the cards fall benignly, it’s far from impossible, writes Liam Hehir At the conclusion of a solid 2019 conference, the National Party’s path to victory in 2020 has not changed – it remains … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Wounds caused by UN Migration Pact drama still fester, Middlemore sources concerned deadly flu cases contracted in hospital, and rat populations ballooning. It started off as little more than an obscure, non-binding agreement for the United Nations to mull over. It became a rallying call for … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Some win, some lose from National reshuffle, End of Life choice bill facing crucial vote tonight, and Luxon-ad supporter lobbies against predatory lending controls. In any reshuffle, for someone to move up, someone else has got to go down. So it has been with the National … Read more
In a surprise announcement, the shadow finance minister Amy Adams will leave parliament in 2020, and has stepped down from her frontbench roles with immediate effect. Alex Braae asks what happens now It could have all been so different for Amy Adams. True story: one of my first assignments at The Spinoff in 2018 was … Read more
Last night Newshub-Reid Research and Colmar Brunton both released opinion polls. Political pundits, in the middle of a poll drought, waited eagerly for what turned out to be wildly diverging results. Josie Adams talks to Colmar Brunton’s Jason Shoebridge about what happened. Last night’s polling results had little in common, with the only consistency across … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Two polls released showing bizarrely different scenarios, Murupara runs out of cash, and report finds racism embedded in the justice system. In the space of a single evening, two wildly different poll results came out. Each tells an entirely different story of the voting preferences of the … Read more
What is a beltway issue? In the Treasury data breach story, as so often, it seems to be a byword for ‘a political event which is embarrassing for the party that I like’, writes Danyl Mclauchlan Since last week’s release of the budget and the subsequent media feeding frenzy about the so-called Treasury hack – … Read more
Grant Robertson should apologise, and the Treasury secretary should offer his resignation, writes Danyl Mclauchlan Information Technology, or IT is not an ancient discipline, like politics or the law, but it has its own traditions and the most hallowed tradition of all, held sacred by engineers and other technical specialists the world over is to … Read more
Police have rebuffed the Treasury secretary’s complaint about purported hacking of Budget information. So what really happened, and has Simon Bridges been vindicated? Metaphors abound when it comes to claims of hacking. Yesterday, following suspicions that the National Party had accessed parts of the Treasury website thought to be secure, the head of the most … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: What to watch for on Budget day, education minister gets brutal heckling from teachers, and Wellington mayor throws support behind trackless trams. “Don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.” So goes the quote often attributed to former … Read more
There is no evidence of illegality on the part of the National Party, and they have succeeded in shining a light on parts of the Budget the government would prefer you didn’t reflect on, writes Brigitte Morten for RNZ One of the key advantages of being in government is that you get to largely set … Read more
A brief technical explanation about what the ‘hack’ amounted to would be a lot more useful than all the bluster and nebulous waffle we’ve heard so far, writes Danyl Mclauchlan. Treasury’s budget documents are – potentially – very valuable information. They might affect currency valuations, or bond prices, or company share prices, or any number … Read more
As Treasury says it’s registered thousands of attempts to hack its secure site and Simon Bridges accuses Grant Robertson of maliciously lying, the wellbeing budget is about to become the hell-fleeing budget for someone The press releases started rolling in at 10 on the dot yesterday morning: “National reveals Budget details.” At 1.30pm: “National reveals … Read more