Some posts from the last year

As an centre-right person it is no surprise I have supported most of what the Government has done. But that doesn’t mean there have not been issues where I disagree with them, or support something from other parties, or give an opinion that isn’t helpful to the Government. I’ve had a quick look through the archives, and below are a surprising large number of links:

• I say National is the under-dog for 2014
• I call for Cabinet to be reduced from 20 to 12
• I call for significant caucus rejuvenation for 2014
• I labelled the National MPs blog “the greatest cure for insomnia ever invented” and a typical post as “so mind numbingly boring, that I only subject my eyeballs to them around twice a year, as they start bleeding as I read about some organic carrot farm they have opened“
• I blog in favour of Labour MP David Clark’s Mondayisation bill
• I praise Winston for his scrutiny of Whanua Ora
• I call for more funding of the Ombudsmen
• I blog in favour of removing the one seat threshold for MMP
• I say we should be ashamed of the slavery on our seas, and blog on this several times calling for the Govt to take action
• I support Trevor Mallard’s call for significant SOPs to be provided in advance to the opposition
• I supported the call for a full independent inquiry into the ACC Pullar issue
• I expose Vic Uni’s attempts to scam the PBRF system
• I said that taxpayer funding should not be used for Judith Collins lawsuit (it wasn’t)
• I label the first three months of 2012 as National’s Quartus Horribillis
• I mock the claim Murray McCully is not a micro-manager, saying “If Murray isn’t a micro-manager, then Grace Quek is a virgin“
• I submit to the MMP review for lowering the 5% threshold to 4%. My submission disagrees with National’s submission on almost every issue.
• I give Green MP Julie-Anne Genter a guest post on Roads of National Significance
• I support Charles Chauvel and Law Commission on a three warning approach to cannabis
• I pronounce the ACT Party dead
• I criticise John Banks for his lobbying on behalf of Kim Dotcom, knowing he was a likely donor.
• I blog in support of the Meatworkers Union over a proposed employment contract from Talleys
• I support Labour MP Su’a William Sio over comments he made
• I support David Shearer’s call for cross-party talks on superannuation and lifting the age to 67.
• I actively campaign against the Government’s proposal to raise the alcohol purchase age for off licenses.
• I call National’s stance on superannuation as fiscally not credible, and could damage them in 2014
• I criticise the handling of the Budget announcement on class sizes
• I support Labour’s criticism of the Housing NZ call centre
• I profile the 7th Labour Government and predict Jacinda Ardern will be the Prime Minister of it
• I call on the Govt to set up a royal commission on retirement savings
• I support some of Labour MP Iain Lees-Galloway’s alcohol law amendments on advertising
• I blog support for Labour MP Maryan Street’s euthansia bill
• I say the proposed constitutional reforms for Labour should result in a stronger party for them.
• I praise the appointment of Tim Barnett as Labour Party General Secretary
• I say it is not good that John Banks signed a donation return saying he did not know who his donors were, when he was involved in personally receiving two of the donations.
• I blog on how opposition MPs have made a positive difference with their private members bills
• I support the partial opening of Parliament up to the OIA
• I again say National should support David Clark’s Mondayisation bill
• I called on the Govt to delay the partial asset sales, to wait for the Waitangi Tribunal Report
• I criticise National for not getting more members bills into the ballot
• I blog several times in favour of Labour MP Louisa Wall’s marriage bill
• I slam the decision to delay the Ecan elections as “wrong”
• I praise Winston for his motion recognising Nancy Wake’s 100th birthday
• I praise Labour’s policy on reading recovery
• I say there is “no excuse for a mistake of this magnitude” on the incorrect info re a possible merger of Shirley and Chch Boys High Schools
• I criticise the Government for not supporting greater protection of the Ross Sea
• I support introducing a PMs question time to Parliament, to allow greater questioning of the PM
• I say there should be an inquiry into how NZ authorities deal with extradition requests
• In relation to the Chch schools announcement I say “I’m staggered by that degree of insensitivity and stupidity” and that “almost everything about the announcement was flawed”
• I publish staff numbers for ministerial offices
• I say the Govt should repeal Section 6A, not amend it
• I again label the Ecan decision inexplicable and ” wrong in principle and it’s wrong politically”
• I blog in support of Clare Curran’s amendment to the Patents Act, and against the Govt SOP, saying I hope ACT and United Future vote against National on this issue
• I say there must be a full inquiry into the MSD data breach and encourage donations to Keith Ng for his work
• I support Kevin Hague’s adoption reform bill
• I agree with Phil Goff on the pay rise for the MFAT CEO
• I support Gareth Hughes’ copyright bill to allow parody and satire as fair use
• I call for the Govt to hold an inquiry into the GCSB, modify the Chch schools proposal and change their stance on ECan elections
• I support Sue Moroney’s amendment to have calorie information on alcohol
• I say heads must roll over the MSD data breach
• I criticise National for the bill which would ban drug sniffer dogs from schools
• I blog Audrey Young’s ratings of National Ministers and comment they “have been a bit generous to a couple of Ministers”
• I blog against a National MPs members bill
• I criticise the Govt’s cellphone in car ban
• I credit Winston for his handling of the Horan allegations
• I say the Govt should not subsidise fibre with copper
• I praise aspects of the Greens ICT discussion paper
• I later say “I’m quite dismayed [with] the Government’s response to the Commerce Commission’s draft copper pricing determination” and “To be blunt the Government should shut the hell up on the Commerce Commission’s draft determination.”

I will use this post as a reference point for the next idiot who states that I always agree with National and never criticize them.