CoveragePost
March 2, 2020
If there were any doubts about Jacinda Ardern’s ability to deliver the goods as a campaigner, then they were quashed by her masterful performance against Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday. Ardern made what is being reported as a “stunning attack” on the Australian Government, while standing alongside the Australian PM in a highly-orchestrated ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Jacinda Ardern’s masterful performance against Scott Morrison" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/03/02/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-jacinda-arderns-masterful-performance-against-scott-morrison/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Jacinda Ardern’s masterful performance against Scott Morrison">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 27, 2020
Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni described this year’s annual benefit increases of 3 per cent as “significant”, and “a way of sharing the wealth”. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also heralded them as the biggest increase to benefits in nine years, if National’s 2015 one-off adjustments are excluded. The details of this year’s annual increase in ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: “Significant” increases in benefits not necessarily enough" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/02/27/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-significant-increases-in-benefits-not-necessarily-enough/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: “Significant” increases in benefits not necessarily enough">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 27, 2020
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won power in 2017 on the basis of statements such as “My goal is to eradicate child poverty in New Zealand”. The Government’s progress on child poverty will be under scrutiny at this year’s general election, but progress is slow, and many are claiming not enough is being done to address this ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Is enough being done about child poverty?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/02/27/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-is-enough-being-done-about-child-poverty/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Is enough being done about child poverty?">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 20, 2020
Is the National Party off the hook over the Serious Fraud Office donations prosecution? That’s what the party is claiming, pointing out that no National official or MP has been charged. But of course, there was a National MP involved – albeit one no longer with the party – and he is being prosecuted. In ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: National’s embarrassing donation scandal" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/02/20/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-nationals-embarrassing-donation-scandal/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: National’s embarrassing donation scandal">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 19, 2020
A very concerning element of the current NZ First donations scandal is the role of lobbying and lobbyists close to the Government. The most recent story from RNZ’s Guyon Espiner and Kate Newton, revealed that lobbyist Doug Woolerton, who is also a trustee of the NZ First Foundation, had been advocating for law changes on ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: NZ’s latest political lobbying problems" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/02/19/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-nzs-latest-political-lobbying-problems/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: NZ’s latest political lobbying problems">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 17, 2020
NZ First is facing the boot at this year’s election, especially as it’s now embroiled in an unfolding donations scandal, which comes on top of low poll ratings. But what effect will the scandal have on NZ First’s government coalition colleagues? And is Labour and the Greens’ hands-off stance appropriate, or are they ethically compromised? ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Are Labour and the Greens behaving unethically over the donations scandal?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/02/17/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-are-labour-and-the-greens-behaving-unethically-over-the-donations-scandal/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Are Labour and the Greens behaving unethically over the donations scandal?">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 15, 2020
Does money buy policy in New Zealand politics and government? Based on the ongoing political finance scandal involving New Zealand First, which comes hot on the heels of the Serious Fraud Office charging four people in relation to donations to the National Party, New Zealanders have every reason to doubt the integrity of the electoral ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Is Government policy for sale in New Zealand?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/02/15/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-is-government-policy-for-sale-in-new-zealand/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Is Government policy for sale in New Zealand?">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 10, 2020
It is very telling that the biggest conflict around Waitangi Day this year was over whether National Party leader Simon Bridges should have given an overtly political speech on the Treaty Grounds on Tuesday. Regardless of the rights or wrongs of this, it illustrated how little conflict there was, but also just how depoliticised the ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The new depoliticised mood of Waitangi Day" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/02/10/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-the-new-depoliticised-mood-of-waitangi-day/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The new depoliticised mood of Waitangi Day">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 5, 2020
“We may never see his like again” wrote Richard Prebble following the death of Mike Moore in the weekend. Moore was certainly an extraordinary politician. He made some remarkable achievements, had an inimitable style, and was a mass of contradictions. Mike Moore’s place in New Zealand political history is complicated. He has been described by ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The extraordinary yet tragic political life of Mike Moore" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/02/05/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-the-extraordinary-yet-tragic-political-life-of-mike-moore/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The extraordinary yet tragic political life of Mike Moore">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 3, 2020
The National Party’s chance of taking power this year now hinges on Winston Peters’ downfall. Conversely, Peters’ options for staying in government mean sticking with a Labour coalition. This situation was clarified yesterday when National leader Simon Bridges announced he was ruling out forming any sort of government with New Zealand First. Bridges stated that ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The big implications of National ruling out NZ First" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/02/03/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-the-big-implications-of-national-ruling-out-nz-first/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The big implications of National ruling out NZ First">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 14, 2020
Jacinda Ardern and her colleagues know if they want to “stay in the club” of Western allies – as John Key once put it – they need to tow the line over escalating tensions in the Middle East. To criticise Donald Trump for his provocations in Iran and Iraq, would be to risk our country’s ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: What should NZ do in the escalating crisis in the Middle East?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/01/14/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-what-should-nz-do-in-the-escalating-crisis-in-the-middle-east/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: What should NZ do in the escalating crisis in the Middle East?">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 7, 2020
Are our politicians doing a good job? Are they on top of the urgent problems that need fixing? These are some of the big questions that have arisen from reflecting on the last year in politics, especially as we shift into an election year. Yesterday’s Political Roundup looked at the politicians who performed strongly in ... <a title="Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Are politicians delivering for New Zealanders?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/01/07/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-are-politicians-delivering-for-new-zealanders/" aria-label="Read more about Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Are politicians delivering for New Zealanders?">Read more</a>