Yes, but accountability yadda yadda.

By the way, Blackwater has rebranded itself as Xe Services now

Yes, I know. I'm not letting them get away with it that…

Also, I have to say, drawing the Weimar analogy a bit further, the pervasive disenchantment with established democratic institutions. On one hand, the Tea Party and Occupy movements are positive in that…

Sort of. The Alliance was a real mishmash, and in the end that did them no good. Mana does not need to divest from strong Green affiliation, even though I think they are most likely very Green sympathetic. They'd…

In other words, Mana is a worthy successor to the Alliance. And unlike the Maori Party, Mana allows non-Maori into its ranks…

I don't know. If they do, they are fucking idiots. Indeed, I think Mana would do very well from any such announcement. In fact, I think Mana have quite a bright future anyway. It would be amazing to…

Doesn't the Maori Party also support it so iwi can buy assets?

Key made a reasoned case in yesterday's Sky/Prime show that they'd probably go for similar arrangements as this term (to moderate the risk of losing support in key areas, in exchange for policy 'concessions' to minor parties).

But oh how…

I'd be reasonably happy with that outcome. They'd have to actually…

Seriously? putting a cross on a piece of paper once every three years is the only way to achieve political change?

Now who's being naive?

Peter Tashkoff's Reform Party seemed to be going that way too initially. But more recently it's been MIA, and it's not on the Electoral Commission register.

The Maori Party (or NZ First) could enter a coalition on the basis that there are no asset sales. Though I don't know what the Maori Party position on this will be.

The best outcome is that National…

A party to the right of National can carry the can for policy in that direction. The move ensures that the Nats aren't the most rightward, as Ben says.

Well it just went to A Cuppa Tea Party to try to ensure their return. And they are happy to make concessions for confidence and supply so your doubts could be pie/sky. After…

No, but governing isn't the only effective thing you can do if the race is close enough. A resurgent left, diminishing the right's majority, could temper everything that…

I am interested in what are these "critical outcomes", critical outcomes of or from what?

For leaning left, I still can't see past the minor Parties doing it without Labour IF one wants the Left to govern. As a minor Party maybe getting a concession for…

Voters will also draw their own conclusions...

wafer thin willpower

Not necessarily. The main effect, if not the intent – which it might be anyway – is that MMP requires governments be coalitions because parliament its given primacy over any single party.

That was a deliberate…

Voting for the properly presented approved political parties…

Steve Barnes says:
November 8, 2011 at 5:49 pm

If it becomes necessary to sell any state assets, as the Prime Minister would have us believe, surely the better way would be to issue shares, to so called Mum…

In terms of historical performance, the SOEs have been a good investment – Treasury reckons they have returned 17.5 per cent a year during the past five years. From a financial perspective, selling state…

Thanks for the insult, I shall treasure it like an old sock.
Voting is the only way to achieve political change, unless you are advocating revolution and I, for une, will be sticking to good ol' democracy and be ignoring the management…

Then I suggest you vote Labour, or Green and by doing so, oppose them.
the results speak all too well for themselves.
The results will be there to be counted after you vote.
What is it with you about this defeatist shit.

They are if they are not properly opposed, yes. That involves political parties and broader movements being smart, communicating effectively and rallying support for as long as it takes. The people who say that hasn't been happening aren't dumb either, and sadly…

You really believe that? It's a central part of their fairytale economic projections. Renewed concern from credible sources.

Forest & Bird is calling on the government to honour the promise it made last year to let all New Zealanders have a…

Now who’s being politically naive? That was a deliberate ploy. National never had any intention to mine in National Parks, they put the idea out there and then backed off, claiming…

The best recent NZ example is the government's backdown over mining national parks. How do you think that happened?

As did Charles Chauvel do his best in the 2 days they had with support of the Party, and the link was to highlight his persistence that made the best of the Surveillance Bill. There is proof of that and much to be found…

a majority government can do as they please

Not if they are competently opposed.

The opposition did
Labour were accused of "wasting the public's money via filibustering ( being a final resort ) when the abuse of urgency was in full swing. Although some may say…

Speaking of Paypal, the other co-founder, Peter Thiel, had his 2c on innovation – that energy policy is largely stuck…

likes

A weakened middle class is an insecure and…

One needs only need to experience the operation of Employment Law in NZ to see how the situation is stacked against "working people"..

It is quite amazing…

Agree totally. If only it had been done in 2008-9. Fingers crossed for early 2012…

Yes, objectively speaking, a Tory government is, by whatever quantum one chooses, worse than a Labour-led government. However, is a single-term Labour-led government is only marginally better than one more term of a Key-led* National-led government?…

OK, a clever little sneer. I can’t say much in response for legal reasons.

I’ve been involved in a matter that has had serious personal financial legal and career repercussions. I am not at liberty to speak of it.…

I can see where you’re coming from, but what if by some freak of politics the National candidate wins the seat…

What’s that? Anticipatory schadenfreude?

Because you’ll bloody need it, along with all the political help you can muster.

Actually, I really hope it doesn’t come to that. Are you hoping…

While I'd rank Dalziel and Cosgrove somewhat ahead of Dyson and Burns in dealing with the grubby issues that Keir's raised, I'm hardly going to let my contempt…

Good point and well done Labour.

Then kudos to them, but what has that meant in policy for the broader party?

Rather than Goff giving his bloody stupid and dogwhistling…

The Labour Party has generally preferred to try and get things done, instead of making stands on principle.

Take…

To quote William Congreve’s ‘The Mourning Bride’:

“Heav’n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn’d,
Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman scorn’d.”

There seems to have been no…

What's the point of voting agains…

In this country? Actually, no. We only arrived in 2003. But yeah,
Ruthanasia yadda yadda yadda.

I've made my feelings about tory pollies very clear on this forum on a number of occasions. I don't want them in power.

But.…

un under-harnessed tactic

http://msn.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10765223&ref=rss

Hold that Pirate thought – if only Winsotn was standing in Epsom – I could give him both votes. x 3.

Impatient? Much?

Our core policies are simple and few; we aim to substantially reform copyright law and the patent system, keep government transparent and accountable, and ensure that citizens’ rights to privacy are respected.
Ahrrr me hearties
Not that stupid really.

????

Come on Rich, you can’t be serious? You don’t remember the last time National held the reins?
Employment contracts act.
Part Privatisation of ACC.
Benefit cuts.
Bailing out BNZ.
(ironically with the same $650 million as benefit cuts, the poor bailed out the banks)…

Fool me once, shame on you.

Fool me through several electoral cycles, implementing lite-blue policies when in power, and when out of power consistently failing to sort yourselves out internally, shame on....?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrHUD2XmLN4

No.

Chicken/Egg.

Or, for more than one term, you hope? While I view with dread a National-led government for the next three years, a Labour-led government (which is an extremely unlikely prospect even when I am most inebriated) that would come to power would show…

hot crumpet burning his cheeks with shame

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3jIE3b-bhY

And

Indeed, you could argue it’s quite symptomatic.

And

I imagine that list positions had been pre-promised to aging hacks in return for not rolling Goff during the…

Like borer all holding hands, hoping the house doesn't fall down.

It’s not the electorates, it’s the list positions.

One thing Labour could have done to prepare itself for 2014 is to promote fresh, new talent up the list. It didn’t.

The fact that it may now lose…

Trevor Mallard has taken personal responsibility for Goff’s unpreparedness on fiscal details at last week’s Press debate, which led to all the “Show me the money” stuff.

A series of assumptions about electoral seats is needed before the party vote figures can be applied to the final make-up of Parliament.

But today's poll confirms several well-regarded Labour MPs may lose their spots in Parliament…

And if you're confident that Act won't…

Yeah, that too. Voting Green could easily be argued as hugely against my own…

You're too kind, m'dear.

Can you explain what you mean by "marginal seat"?

Under MMP the party vote determines the overall numbers except for the rare examples like Epsom or Ohariu where a minor party is either in or out from the…

Depends on your electorate.
If you are in a marginal seat your electorate vote really counts so I would say vote labour. If you are in a safe…

The Greens seem to be the go-to party for those who support Labour's policies but not the actual caucus itself. Also, a double-digit Green vote would be…

For reasons that may be considered in some circles as equal, but opposite, I concur. The only 'whatever the future' PR campaign I'm buying is…

Unless, of course, you're in Epsom, in which case you should vote National, if you want a Labour government.

ETA: Electorate vote…

This election is MMP. It's fairly unlikely that the Greens will drop below 5%, or that Winston will get any seats. So a vote for the Greens vs a vote for Labour makes no difference in the overall left/right outcome.

That's the good…

Dunne too. Campbell is coloured by his Greens involvement as Bryce Edwards by the Alliance.

However I've heard from someone centrally involved in the Labour-Greens negotiations in those earlier elections that 'shafted' would be a polite way of putting it.

The Greens have been out of real power for 12 years. Helen Clark spurned the Greens after the 2005 election, and chose to go with Peters instead.

Peters had the numbers and the Greens --…

http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2011/11/08/gordon-campbell-on-some-possible-options-for-the-greens/

Morgan says in your linked article:

The ideal would be for KiwiSaver to be required only of those whose current wealth indicates insufficient resources to fund an adequate replacement in retirement for their current lifestyle.

Yeah, I realized on the weekend that what I suddenly liked about Labour was that they were finally promoting policies which have been part of…

Eh? Can you please quote what you're responding to.

Yes, there's a lot of minor horse trading that would have to go on. Perhaps Dunne might actually come…

which as we've noted here before is up to their full party membership to approve. Seems likely to be restricted to a few specific areas like their current working arrangement over insulation, with maybe an associate Minister position thrown in depending…

But I think the likely kingmakers…

MMP's party vote is *not* the same. Voting say Green or Mana rather than Labour does not automatically produce a win for the Nats, just as voting for…

An entirely reasonable question, if only the cameras were on you!

+1

I would vote for a party whose members wore capes and their underwaer on the outside.

sound advice at any time.

On an entirely different matter, I'd not recommend reading Cathy Odgers piece on Jacinda Ahern. It's odious, even by her low standards.

Rod Donald's time then.

The first two terms of the Clark government particularly. I am aware of some of the snideness of Labour, I'm also…

No, it's going to be a party we have never heard of appearing at the last moment…

The outcome of this election does make a huge difference, which is why the abject muppetry…

I can't see it being National either......in fact, of the two, in a crunch, I would trust…

Real economic growth of 2.3% is forecast for the year ending March 2012 and an average – growth rate of 2.9% per year is forecast for the years ended March 2012 to March 2016. The unemployment…

You know something, Linger, I think this is not a good time to be all “whatevers” about the Electoral Act being fucked around with under extreme urgency simply…

Shallow.

No.

What period were they talking? The ideological composition of the Greens has certainly changed this year – but that hasn't stopped any of the snideness from some Labour MPs.

At the risk of raising matters best left in the past, my sources tell me that the Green/Labour relationship often worked well and that not all the difficulties were because of Labour.

Linger said:

What’s the worst example you can think of…

Then you should have little trouble getting them lot, as friends, to reverse the eating away of democracy that is to Labour's detriment. They would have to go on a…

As did Goebbels?
A lot of my friends are journalists, none of which are slackers.
Journalism has little to to with editorial policy.

In many countries, that’s a requirement (the US senate doesn’t even curtail debate at all without a 60% supermajority – hence that many votes are needed to pass any contentious…

They is just telling it how it is.

If you show a talent for being a slacker you become a journalist – you are not scared of anything – nothing drives you and you don't drive anything -…

Because anybody who lived through that last time they got a second term already knows?.
It bothers me that so many young people and recent immigrants are backing National in ignorance of history and that the…

Proof of National's systematic abuse of urgency

Childish.
There are more than two parties running for election.
No SHIT, Sherlock

All politics is now a foggy blur – I can see no evil or good in anybody or anything.

As I don't want…

There are more than two parties running for election.

That statement tells us more about you than me.

Too true and it was this tactic that made Labour look ineffective as an opposition, what the hell could Labour do in such circumstances? It would have been up to the Speaker…

How else can you see it?
Under Labour the country was fairer and productivity was good. The balance of payments was good and the surplus was there for hard time ahead.
Under National that…

You can’t reasonably do a “plague on both your houses” on this.
Urgency…

You can't have it both ways Sacha, haters and wreckers sounds all too familiar, you only have to look at the right's frothing about Labour at the moment. If the Labour Party was such a lousy opposition then…

I did it they didn't work out on several occasions – I can't be bothered with them at present – they are troubled and not representative of much.

It is not…

That's just laughably tribal. Previous oppositions have done better and everyone can see that. And as for any spite, it's a two-way street – "haters and…

And that reason is they just didn't have the numbers, not enough people voted for an effective opposition and Maori turned their back on Labour for spiteful reasons. When National rams bills through the house…

Some strategic Cnut decided the voters – and the campaigning Nats – would wait for the figures until a time of the party's choosing. There's a word for that.

The left's Gordon Campbell certainly agrees.

Any points Phil Goff may have won in the television debate a few days ago went west during last night’s public debate in Christchurch – which,…

The labour line was “It is not a beauty contest; we are going to focus on policy – not one man”.

In the first televised debate Goff attacked Key personally and the focus was on Key not on policy.

When the emphasis did shift to…

What's the point of lecturing "those people" for poor budgeting if they try to join the rat…

I am flattered, if you like it, pass it on.

"The Right Hon Harry Ratbag Esq will be our DJ on the night.," says the official communique.

Goddamn otherfuckers.

Oh bummer. :( I hadn't seen him in a while but my friend caught up with him recently. She said he was good. I think I even still have a pair of his Doc Martins. We were the same size, or maybe I wore thick socks,…

You should not have to "earn a living", living is yours by right.
As to the human flourishing, what is that? is it the ability to leave the planet and spread the…

I remind some of “US” that voting for them will not make you rich like them but it will make you as resentful as them.

To my mind you've added a few too many verses o the meaning…

That's weird. My devices all see the HTML 5 version fine.

My son – 4 at the time – had a very clear position on the Iraq war almost a decade ago. It was no doubt coloured by my beliefs, but…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88rNfOYf1rU