liberation

NZ Politics Daily - 30 August 2013: Grant Robertson’s strong leadership appeal

The ‘Beltway’, ‘Bowen Triangle’, or ‘Thorndon Bubble’ - regardless of what you call the realm of the ‘political insiders’ in Wellington, it firmly favours Grant Robertson as the next leader of the Labour Party. Most notably, respected political journalist Vernon Small has come out decisively for Robertson in his column, Robertson best choice for Labour. Small looks at the strengths and weakness of both Robertson and Cunliffe, and concludes ‘On any cost-benefit analysis balance he is the party's best road to government in 2014’. Such journalistic endorsements are why Robertson’s opponents are trying to land him with the nickname ‘Beltway Grant’. [Read more below]

NZ Politics Daily - 29 August 2013

The main issues in NZ politics today are Labour's leadership, Fonterra, the Christchurch rebuild, industrial relations reform, the economy, and Nick Smith. [Read more below]

NZ Politics Daily - 28 August 2013: Cunliffe looks victorious

David Cunliffe looks victorious, in more ways than one. In the debate over who should become Labour’s new leader, the commentators continue to pick him as the most likely and suitable of the aspiring MPs. The problem is whether Cunliffe is already looking too victorious for his own good. The latest pundit to back him is Colin Espiner, who says Cunliffe ‘is by far their best – probably their only – chance of winning the next election’ – see: David Cunliffe is Labour's top dog. Espiner’s predicted outcome is ‘a leadership ticket of Cunliffe and Robertson’. This is in line with my prediction last week – see: Labour's new Cunliffe-Robertson combo. However, Espiner says he’d prefer to see Jacinda Arden as the deputy. Brian Rudman has also come out today to say Cunliffe ‘job ready’ and Labour’s obvious choice. [Read more below]

 

Images of the Labour leadership contest [updated]

This is an aggregation of some of the more interesting cartoons, photographs, graphics and other images originating from the Labour Party's leadership contest. It will be constantly updated during the three week campaign. [Read more below]

 

Murdoch - Waikato Times 31 August 2013

 

NZ Politics Daily - 27 August 2013

The main issue in NZ politics today is obviously the Labour Party leadership contest. [Read more below]

NZ Politics Daily - 26 August 2013: Labour's fascinating leadership contest

Labour’s leadership election is already proving to be a riveting process, and for the next three weeks there will be relentless focus on this contest. Already there’s a variety of fascinating analysis and commentary, raising all sorts of interesting issues and perspectives. But there’s also a sense that the contest could sink into a circus of superficiality rather than substance – or as John Key puts it today, ‘a reality TV show’. [Read more below]

 

Top tweets on David Cunliffe’s candidacy announcement

Below are some of the top tweets about David Cunliffe’s press conference announcing his Labour leadership candidacy. Please let me know if I’ve missed any good ones. [Read more below]

Top tweets about Grant Robertson and the gay (non) issue

Below are some of the top tweets about Grant Robertson and the gay (non) issue. Please let me know if I’ve missed any good ones – I’ll update at some stage. [Read more below]

NZ Politics Daily - 23 August 2013: Labour's new Cunliffe-Robertson combo

Labour’s new leadership is quickly shaping up to be a likely David Cunliffe and Grant Robertson combo, as leader and deputy, and there may be no real contest. Although various political journalists are surveying the leadership options and suggest a full Labour leadership contest will play out with a struggle between Cunliffe and Robertson, in reality the more likely scenario is that the two contenders will combine in as a formidable ‘unity ticket’, leaving a wider democratic contest essentially unnecessary, or at least uncompetitive. Certainly when leading political commentator John Armstrong comes out – as he has today – and declares that Cunliffe is the only real option for leader, then the discussion starts shifting into an inevitable consensus – see: The only option... it has to be the ambitious unpopular one. Armstrong is right to say that a Cunliffe-Robertson ‘ticket would be unbeatable’ and he makes a strong case for a Cunliffe-led unity leadership being on the cards. It is possible that before the end of the day – and certainly by the close of nominations on Monday – there may be an acceptance that the Cunliffe-Robertson unity ticket is the most powerful option available for Labour. [Read more below]

 

Images of David Shearer [updated]

Below are some of the interesting and important images from David Shearer's time as Labour leader (and before). I'll add some more tomorrow. [Read more below]

NZ Politics Daily - 22 August 2013

The main story in NZ politics today is David Shearer's resignation. Other important topics include the GCSB reforms, the Henry enquiry, the Snapper quota, the Meridian Energy sale, the Dairy crisis, and housing. [Read more below]

NZ Politics Daily - 21 August 2013

The main issues in NZ politics today were the GCSB reforms, the Snapper quota, the Meridian Energy float, the dairy industry crisis, housing loans, and the Privileges Committee enquiry. [Read more below]

NZ Politics Daily - 20 August 2013

The main issues in NZ politics today are Fonterra/dairy, the GCSB bill, and same-sex marriage. [Read more below]

NZ Politics Daily - 19 August 2013: A Marvellous GCSB debate

Last week’s ‘marvellous’ debate between John Campbell and John Key over the GCSB legislation is being widely heralded as one of the great media moments in New Zealand political history. If you haven’t already watched it, you can see the 18-minute spectacle here: John Key defends the GCSB bill. But for context, and to see the Prime Minister giving a very different performance a few days earlier, also watch Rebecca Wright’s 2-minute clip Key: NZers care more about snapper than GCSB. [Read more below].

 

Recent images of John Key - the insightful and interesting

 

The images below - including cartoons, artwork, graphics, and photos - offer some insightful, important or interesting views of the performance and politics of Prime Minister John Key over the last three months. [See more below] 

Herald Ministerial Report Card 10 August 2013

 

NZ Politics Daily - 15 August 2013

The main issues in NZ politics today are the Government's child abuse laws, Fonterra, GCSB, SkyCity, the environment, the ACC leak, and education. [Read more below]

Cartoons about the National Government's housing policies

National's stance on housing affordability is critiqued in a number of cartoons this week. [Read more below]

Mike Moreu - Nelson Mail 13 August 2013

NZ Politics Daily - 13 August 2013

The main issues in NZ politics today were Fonterra, the Government's housing policies, the National Party conference, the GCSB reforms, law and order, and the upcoming Meridian share float. [Read more below]

NZ Politics Daily - 12 August 2013

The main issues in NZ politics today are the National Party annual conference, proposed housing reforms, Fonterra, and the Tiwai Pt-Meridian deal. [Read more below]

NZ Politics Daily - 9 August 2013: The best of the week

The big political issues of the week have been the Fonterra contamination scandal (which I covered here) and the ongoing state surveillance of the media (covered here), but there have been plenty of other important political stories to round up. So below are some of the most important, interesting and insightful political items of the week. [Read more below]

 

NZ Politics Daily - 8 August 2013: The ideological basis of the 'Fonterror' scandal

Was the Fonterra milk scandal caused by New Zealand being ‘hostage to a blinkered devotion to laissez-faire market ideology’? That’s the suggestion being made by China’s state news agency, Xinhua – see the editorial published in China Daily: New Zealand needs to start building trust in the long-term. This is an important and highly critical analysis of New Zealand’s politics and economy. It’s important because it is indicative of the official Chinese state view on the Fonterra scandal. The column, possibly written by Chinese diplomats in Wellington, strongly criticises the New Zealand Government’s hands-off approach to industry and the economy, and berates the country for it’s opportunistic attitude to exporting, in which little attention is apparently given to quality. New Zealand’s ‘100 per cent pure’ branding also comes into question with the suggestion it has become a ‘festering sore’. For these reasons, the milk scandal is increasingly being labeled the ‘Fonterror’ scandal. [Read more below]

NZ Politics Daily - 7 August 2013

The main issues in NZ politics today are the Fonterra milk scandal, spying scandals, and Maori politics. [Read more below]

Top tweets about Fonterra's botulism milk scandal [updated]

This is a collection of some of the more interesting, important and amusing tweets about Fonterra's botulism milk scandal. [Read more below]

 

Cartoons about Fonterra's botulism milk scandal [updated AGAIN]

This is a collection of cartoons and images relating to Fonterra's botulism milk contamination scandal. More will be added. [Read more below]

Hodgson - Dominion Post 12 August 2013

NZ Politics Daily - 5 August 2013: The Bullying of the media

The Government and public servants are bullying journalists. That’s the impression you get from the two essential reads from the weekend – Colin Espiner’s Free press more important than GCSB and John Armstrong’s Govt betrayal on a monumental scale. Both columns deal with the controversies over state surveillance of the media. Espiner believes that the Government’s recent action ‘reveals a growing disregard for one of the cornerstones of Western democracy – a free press’, and that it’s ‘part of a wider effort by governments both here and abroad to exert greater control over what the public sees and hears about’. And it’s not only the current National Government, says Espiner: ‘contempt for journalists is endemic throughout the public service’. Similarly, Armstrong says that the recent surveillance of political journalist Andrea Vance, is not a mere ‘pin-prick on the fabric of democracy’ but instead, the ‘prevailing sound was of the democratic fabric being ripped asunder’. The ‘breach of trust’ is of ‘mega proportions’ and will have ongoing implications for journalist-politician relations. Today Brian Rudman joins the fray to say that the ‘Unleashing of the oppressive power of the state in trivial incidents should alarm all democrats’ – see: Big Brother’s agents keep bumbling on. [Read more below]

 

NZ Politics Daily - 2 August 2013: Debating Labour's 'racist' housing policy

The forgotten political issue of the week is the Labour Party’s bold and highly controversial new policy of banning non-residents from buying houses in New Zealand. This major policy announcement was quickly overshadowed by more sensational stories about state surveillance of the media, the Government’s GCSB reforms, and claims of terrorists in New Zealand. But the housing announcement by David Shearer is, nonetheless, incredibly polarising and has the potential to impact on debate right up until the next election. [Read more below]

Top tweets about Labour’s housing ‘foreigner ban’

Here's a collection of some of the more interesting tweets made following the Labour Party's announcement of its new policy to ban non-residents from purchasing houses. More tweets will be added - please let me know about any important ones that I've missed. [Read more below]

 

Nelson Mail 30 July 2013

Images of state surveillance of the media in NZ

This is a collection of recent cartoons relating to the scandals over surveillence of journalists such as Andrea Vance and Jon Stephenson by the Government and military. More will be added. [Read more below]

 

Marlborough Express 30 July 2013