[text-blocks id=”act-party”] One person ACT probably doesn’t want to see return to the party in a Roger Douglas-style rise from the ashes is Donna Awatere-Huata, disgraced in a fraud scandal which cost ACT valuable time, energy and money from 2002 to 2005. From December 2002, ACT became embroiled in a drawn-out process to remove Awatere-Huata from Parliament, after fraud allegations against her surfaced. Finding that Awatere-Huata had deceived it, the caucus expelled Awatere-Huata in early 2003 and initiated a process to expel her from parliament altogether. Not only did Awatere-Huata’s fraud (she was convicted in August 2005) represent a severe...
[text-blocks id=”act-party”] What are the implications of Sir Roger Douglas’s return to ACT? Today, I look at the pros and cons of him returning to the party he co-founded in 1993/4. While I’m sure many ACT supporters were pleased to hear that he’s coming back to the fold, the strategy is certainly not without risk. The main advantage of Douglas coming back is his galvanising effect with core ACT supporters. In my dissertation, I examined how Douglas possessed an extraordinary capability to unify supporters of the neo-liberal economic reforms he introduced, but did not complete, during the Fourth Labour Government...
[text-blocks id=”act-party”] He’s back. If you’re reading this blog you have probably already read that Sir Roger Douglas, co-founder of ACT New Zealand (with Derek Quigley), is returning to the party fold by giving a speech to the Annual Conference on March 15. In this post, I look at how the story unfolded, while in subsequent posts I will discuss the implications and the conference itself. First, I want to acknowledge the several messages I’ve received wondering where my analysis of the story is. I’m a little annoyed with myself, as I had already my suspicions that Douglas would turn...
[text-blocks id=”act-party”] This from today’s ACTion! e-mail newsletter: Office Space Required in Newmarket – URGENTLY Can anyone help us find a new home in Newmarket as our current premises are due for demolition very soon. If you know of any office space for rental contact Margaret on…
[text-blocks id=”act-party”] I’ve noted before that ACT has many international connections – perhaps more than any other New Zealand party. Much of this stems from the work of Roger Douglas as Minister of Finance during the 1980s, after which Douglas was recruited as an international consultant on economic reform. Moreover, ACT has often been keen to look abroad for policy proposals, such as when it became keen on the “Wisconsin Works” work-for-the-dole scheme during the late 1990s. More recently, in 2006 Rodney Hide and Heather Roy travelled to Germany and Ireland to look at how the German Free Democrats (FDP)...
[text-blocks id=”act-party”] Populism seems to be on the rise again in New Zealand politics. Today we had Helen Clark declaring a virtual war on tagging with draconian, yet ineffective policies to deal with spray-paint vandalism. The chances of this sort of policy, which includes banning the sale of spray-paint to youths under 18, actually working hover slightly above nil. But it’s a popular policy to push to the electorate: 1. Tagging is a bane of the (mostly white) middle class. It gets people riled in a way that banging on about “sustainability” never will. Tagging is emotional, as it gets...
[text-blocks id=”act-party”] Rodney Hide gave his Waitangi Day speech to supporters in Epsom yesterday. There’s not a lot new in the speech itself, unfortunately. It begins with the usual weight loss advice which is getting a bit tired now: I had the great fortune to meet the President of Remuera Rackets Nigel Nathan who made it his job to get me fit to be MP for Epsom. That has been my Everest. It was a big challenge. The Club here has been fantastic in providing me with facilities and support, advice and encouragement. Two years on and I am 40kgs...