Political Animal's Blogosphere ranking

Oh, it seems Political Animal has a ranking by this Blog site:  NZ Blogosphere   and I am up by 11 places.

Well done that man!

#65 (+11) Political Animal : www.darrenrickard.blogspot.com
08/2007+ "NZ politics is dirty"
Darren Rickard : Right - ? : Auckland
nz28,652 * 3,533,881 : c.60 + 16 + 30 + 3 = 109 (+32)
[76,80,100+,new] [77,74,37,new]

My traffic has doubled over the last month so I might be winning some sort of prize when my ranking jumps into the stratosphere!

I am guessing traffic to Political Blog sites has increased rapidly over the last month or so and Winston Peters and a coming election will no doubt have something to do about it.

Thanks for reading. I would love to get more comments though.

Cheers,  Darren

Disclosure: Tranz Rail Shares

I have to say, given my passion for investing-some readers of Political Animal might know I write about investing and business on my Share Investor Blog -I like to dot the "I's" and cross the "T's" when it comes to disclosure.

John Key should have disclosed his Tranz Rail share holdings at the right time, whatever the size of the holding.

Having said that if I was questioned on the spot I couldn't accurately tell you the correct holdings of my portfolio.

The Tranz Rail holdings relate to historical holdings as well, with shares being bought and sold. I have done the same and my estimations on the spot would be even worse than my first scenario.

Key's total holdings were also complicated by the fact that there were shares held in his family trust as well.

Key hasn't benefited monetarily in any way over his Tranz Rail holdings, in fact he appears to have lost over $100,000 on the deal.

Cullen calling him a liar was rich, we know who has been lying and it isn't Key.

This fuss made by Labour brings Jeanette Fitzsimmons conflict of interest with her share holding in Windflow Technology back into focus. Her shares are probably held through a family trust, and her and the Prime Ministers advocating for wind technology, and changing laws to benefit that industry are a definite conflict.

Jeanette isn't clear about her holdings in Windflow Technologies.

It would be interesting to see what other ministers have conflicts of interest relating to financial interests. There will be many.

c Political Animal 2008

Share Investor: Free Market to Pollies: We dont want you!

A commentary on the current credit meltdown and the political left's involvement in it.

Share Investor: Free Market to Pollies: We don't want you!

Contrary to popular belief it isn't the so-called "free market" that is responsible for the financial collapse but meddling politicians of all colours but mostly the left.

Little do those of us know in New Zealand though that the Labour Party are also developing our own future Sub-Prime meltdown.

Helen Clark and Michael Cullen have had a heavy deleterious hand in their economic buffoonery approach to our current gloomy financial condition and for the past 9 years their sticky little socialist fingers are brown with taxpayer poo trying to extract every last dollar from our pockets.

It is set to get heavier and shittier if they are returned to office.

c Share Investor & Political Animal 2008

Priveleges Committee's light censure redefines Helen Clark's meaning of "trust"

The report into the Privileges Committee hearing into Owen Glenn's $100,000 donation to Winston Peters has just been released and it looks like Kiwis are going to be whitewashed by Labour and its political bed mates, again:

The privileges committee has recommended Winston Peters be censured for "knowingly providing false or misleading information on a return of pecuniary interests".

In its report the committee said it found no evidence that Mr Peters made an "honest attempt" to find out whether any donations had been received before making his return in February 2006, despite his knowledge of his arrangement with Mr Henry (Peters' lawyer Brian Henry) and the likelihood of donations being received towards his costs.

The report recommended that, within seven days of the House ordering him to do so, Peters be ordered to file amended returns for 2006, 2007 and 2008 to include "all debts, gifts and payments in kind that he has not previously registered".

The report went on to say that the majority of committee members believed Mr Peters "had some knowledge of the $100,000 donation".The report said a majority of committee members believed Mr Peters had committed "a contempt".

NZ Herald

It looks like Peters is going to get hit over the knuckles with a wet bus ticket even though the majority of the Privelges Committee believed Peters had "committed a contempt" because it doesn't appear he is going to suffer ANY substantial penalty for lying to Parliament about whether he got the donation and then lying to the committee, breaking electoral law by not declaring the Glenn donation, and compounding the whole sordid mess by making up stories as the saga unfolded.

The light finding is basically due to the representatives on the Privileges Committee from Labour ,The Maori Party and The Green Party not finding the compelling evidence furnished by Owen Glenn valid over the fabrications of Winston Peters and his lawyer Brian Henry.

Most Kiwis lay on Glenn's side because Winston's story is, well, made up.

It just goes to show when the Prime Minister said last week that "the election was going to be about trust", little did we know is that it excluded her from her own description because she clearly cannot be trusted.

Of course we know Helen Clark has lied over her own involvement in the Owen Glenn/Peters donation scandal so it is in her and her parties interest for the finding from the Privileges Committee to come down the way it has.

Gag me with a spoon, because I think I am going to be sick.

c Political Animal 2008

VIDEO: Roger Douglas takes out the trash

An excellent rundown by one of New Zealand's greatest finance ministers about how Labour's out of control spending has got us into trouble and what we have to do to get out of it.

Roger Douglas and his ACT party have the best economic policies of all the political parties running for the round house this year.

As in 1984 we need a massive change in the way we run the economy to lessen the cost to New Zealanders and stimulate an economy that has been taken up the backside for the last 20, especially the last 9 years of economic buffoonery from the good Dr of History, one Michael "Ive only got one ball" Cullen.

c Political Animal 2008

Head Prefect transfixed by Winston Peter's baubles

Helen Clark has stated today that the return of Winston Peters to his portfolios is "unlikely" but she is unwilling to sack him either.

This leaves him, her and us all in some sort of twilight zone type political no mans land, where Peters is neither here nor there but he still receives his taxpayer funded baubles.

Clark believes that the privileges committee hearing into his acceptance of $100,000 from Owen Glenn is "politically biased" and that National Party members had already made their minds up to Peter's guilt or otherwise:

The Prime Minister said the committee investigation had become politicised.

"This process has become so politicised, that it's clear that some MPs went into that committee having made up their mind before they had heard a single piece of evidence," she said.

"I think that members have to be very careful not to go beyond the evidence to draw conclusions which are fundamentally politically motivated."

Helen Clark said the process had been "tainted from the outset" and for that reason she was unlikely to be forced into a decision over Winston Peters this week.

NZ Herald

The Privileges Committee is of course made up in equal parts from the parties in the house so any perceived bias on Clark's part is effectively cancelled out by the committee members and their political affiliations.

What is very interesting is that Helen Clark will not make a decision to cut Peters completely free in the face of proven lies on Peter's part and 3 separate investigations into his donation history. 

Clark's position here looks bad . She looks every bit the possum caught in Winston Peters big brown political headlights and will not move in the face of political pressure from opposition parties, overwhelming public pressure to see Peters sacked and even from insiders within her own party.

Clark's part in the Owen Glenn donation saga is still up for question, she has lied and obfuscated the truth over this matter and it doesn't look like we are going to get anywhere near the truth at all.

The Privileges Committee is due to come out with their decision on Peters tonight and it would defy logic and all the evidence placed before it to come down in Peter's favour but the ironic thing is that because of political bias from Clark's representatives on the Committee, Peters is likely to walk free, when he should be in leg irons in Mt Eden Prison.

c Political Animal 2008

NZ First 2008 Election Policy

New Zealand First policy seems comprehensive and precise with a couple of OK ideas.

These policies should be taken with a grain of salt of course because the Party leader, Winston Peters has been lying to the New Zealand public for his whole political career so cannot be trusted to execute any of his parties policies.

• New Zealand First (introduction)
• ACC
• Arts
• Biosecurity
• Broadcasting & Communications
• Conservation
• Consumer Affairs
• Defence & Veterans' Affairs
• Direct Democracy
• Disability
• Economic Plan
• Education
• Employment
  1. Business Development
  2. Regional Development
  3. Industrial Relations
  4. Industrial Training
  5. Community Wage
• Energy
• Environment
• Family,Youth & Social
• Fisheries
• Foreign Affairs
• Foreign Investment & State Assets
• Health
• Housing
• Immigration
• Justice
• Law & Order
• Local Government
• Maori Affairs
• Resource Management Act
• Racing
• Rural
• Senior Citizens
• Superannuation
• Taxation
• The Treaty of Waitangi
• Tourism
• Trade
• Transport

c Political Animal 2008

Maori Party 2008 Election Policy

The racist Maori Party only have 3 policy releases on their website and they date back to 2005.

The less said about these knuckle draggers the better.

Friday, 15 July 2005	Sexual Orientation	Dr Pita Sharples, Co-Leader, Maori Party
Friday, 10 June 2005	Te Tiriti o Waitangi	The Maori Party
Tuesday, 10 May 2005	Our Kaupapa	The Maori Party

c Political Animal 2008

Green's 2008 Election Policy

Green Party policy is amongst the most dangerous and deleterious to the New Zealand way of life and our future well-being, of any party running the 2008 election race. Socially, economically and in every other way the Greens and what they stand for is on the fringe and for fringe dwellers.

These buggers are mad.

This is a list of all Green Party policy in summary form. For a list of their mad policy documents click here.

Accident Compensation Policy Summary
Agriculture and Rural Affairs - Policy Summary
Animal Welfare Policy Summary
Arts, Culture and Heritage Policy Summary
Children's Policy Summary
Climate Change Policy Summary - Kicking the Carbon Habit
Community and Voluntary Sector Policy Summary
Conservation - Policy Summary
Disability Policy Summary
Drug Law Reform - Policy Summary
Eco-Tax Reform Policy Summary
Economic Policy Summary - Thinking Beyond Tomorrow
Education Policy Summary: Children and Young People
Energy - Policy Summary
Environment - Policy Summary
Food - Policy Summary
Foreign Affairs Policy Summary
Gambling Policy Summary
Health Policy Summary
Housing Policy Summary
Human Rights - Policy Summary
Income Support Policy Summary
Industrial Relations Policy Summary
Information Technology Policy Summary
Justice Policy Summary
Research, Science and Technology - Policy Summary
Sea and Ocean Policy Summary
Security Services Policy Sumamry
Sexual Orientation - Policy Summary
Student Support Policy Summary
Tertiary Education Policy Summary
Tiriti o (Treaty of) Waitangi - Policy Summary
Tourism Policy Summary
Trade and Foreign Investment - Policy Summary
Transport Policy Summary - Smart Moves
Urban Policy Summary
Waste Free New Zealand - Policy Summary
Water - Policy Summary
Women's - Policy Summary
Work and Employment - Policy Summary
Youth Affairs Policy Summary

c Political Animal 2008

ACT Party 2008 Election Policy

The Act Party 2008 election policy is a favourite of mine. A focus on reigning in wasteful spending and returning it to those who earnt it in the first place will find favour with most New Zealanders.

Their policies will do the most of all the parties to restore the economy which is in a recession and will get worse without a dramnatic change of thinking.

The bonus of having Roger Douglas as finance spokesman gives ACT'S ideas even more validity.

ACT Policies, and the boost they will provide to...	Annual Growth	Average Weekly Pay
1) Government Waste Cut state spending to Australian levels. Benefit: Lower inflation. Lower interest rates. More money left for people who earn it.	1/2%	$50.00
2) Tax Cut and flatten rates. Benefit: More incentive for people with initiative to create wealth and jobs.	3/8%	$37.50
3) Local Government Limit to core activities. Benefit: Lower rates. Keep money for other things.	1/4%	$25.00
4) Public Service Close departments we don't need. Reduce bureaucracy. Return bureaucracy to non-political role. Limit cabinet to 12. Limit parliament to 100 MPs. Benefit: Millions saved for things we do need, good states servants freed up for more productive jobs, unbiased advice, better decisions sooner and fewer baubles of office.	1/4%	$25.00
5) Red Tape Get rid of nutty regulations. Appoint Minister of Regulatory Reform. Pass Regulatory Responsibility Act - to set checklist for good lawmaking. Benefit: The state no longer wastes productive people's time on pointless form filling. Firms cut free of red tape can focus on creating more wealth and more jobs. Politicians must consider national interest, so can't easily pass laws for cynical political reasons.	1/4%	$25.00
6) Resource Management Reform the Resource Management Act. Benefit: Good projects start and finish sooner.	1/4%	$25.00
7) Education Create a competitive market. Benefit: Kids learn faster. State funds parents, parents choose schools. Schools reward good teachers. Good teachers drive education - to please parents not bureaucrats.	1/4%	$25.00
8) Health Create competitive market. Benefit:Hospitals cure more patients, sooner. (State gives health policies to all. Paitents choose hospitals. Doctors, not bureaucrats drive healthcare.	1/4%	$25.00
9) Accident Compensation Create competitive market - as used to work well here. Benefit: Accident victims back sooner.	1/4%	$25.00
10) Welfare Create competitive market for sickness, invalid, and unemployment insurance. Benefit: Welfare recipients are back at work sooner. More generous support for those who can't work.	1/8%	$12.50
11) Immigration Welcome more good quality immigrants. Benefit: Industries get the skilled workers they need.	1/4%	$25.00
12) Labour Allow freedom of contract to make it easier to trail new workers and replace poor preformers. Benefit: Businesses run better with the right staff. Workers and company earn more. Contract protects both parties.	1/2%	$50.00
13) Privatisation Sell state businesses where private firms can serve customers better. Benefit: Happier customers. Lower prices. More product variety and choice.	1/4%	$25.00
14) Infrastructure Build better networks (eg. roads, water, electricity). Replace users charges with tolls which reward off-peak use. Benefit: Smoothing demand reduces bottleneck. No need to pay for more capacity. Better service for less money	1/4%	$25.00
15) Tariffs Cut remaining tariffs on imports. Strengthen bonds with the US.. Benefit: Cheaper imports, exporters who can't compete switch to fields where they can. US free trade deal would earn NZ $1b+ a year. More Kiwis exposed to US entrepreneurial skills.	1/8%	$12.50
16) Housing Free up more land for homes. Benefit: Cheaper sections. More people achieve Kiwi dream of owning home.	1/8%	$12.50
17) Law And Order Bring back private prisons - now best practice overseas. Let private firms free up cops for 'Zero Tolerance' policing. Speed up courts (eg. night courts) to reduce unfair delays. Benefit: More securer, more humane, cheaper prisons. Young taggers don't progress to worse crimes. People feel safer. More decisions sooner.	1/8%	$12.50
18) Climate Change Adopt saner policies. Low carbon tax better than carbon trading. Benefit: Don't hurt Kiwi families needlessly. (nations that cause 75% of emissions must lead.	3/8%	$37.50
19) Constitutional Framework Strengthen. Adopt Tax Payers Bill of Rights. Pass Regulatory Responsibilty Act - to set checklist for good law making. Return to privy council. Hold referendum of MMP voting system. Benefit: Makes democracy more democratic. States spending capped, taxes kept low. Hard to make bad laws like the Electoral Finance Act. Free access to best judicial minds from a population of 58 million. People get long-overdue say on how they like MMP.	1/8%	$12.50
20) Families At Risk Appoint mentors to teach parenting and life skills. Benefit: Less family violence. Fewer damaged children. Thriving families less drain on the taxpayers.	1/8%	$12.50
TOTAL TO BOOST NEW ZEALAND'S GROWTH RATE AND AVERAGE WEEKLY PAY	5%	$500.00