David Farrar: Shearer says Ginny Andersen divorced from reality

The Herald reports:

A former Labour leader believes Labour MP Ginny Andersen's claims about Mark Mitchell's past as a private security contractor are “divorced from reality” and encouraged her to speak with the police Minister to better understand the nature of the work.

Mike Butler: Is prepaid power more expensive?

A claim from Labour’s Energy spokesperson David Shearer that power companies are unfairly targeting the poorest New Zealanders by charging them the highest electricity rates turns out to be untrue. Shearer wrote: "New figures obtained by Labour show those on pre-pay electricity plans - paying electricity bills in advance - pay up to 60 per cent more than those paying a regular power bill".

Therefore today, property owners throughout New Zealand would have fielded calls from distraught tenants demanding that the pre-power meter should be removed.

Lindsay Mitchell: Shearer on "hand-outs"

Ex Labour leader, David Shearer has made some surprising comments in a column published in the NZ Herald today.

Despite sponsoring a private members bill to feed children in decile 1-3 schools he obviously has major misgivings about it.

Since my Food in Schools Bill - to provide food to lower-decile schools - was drawn out of the Parliamentary ballot in October, I've been rethinking this course of action.

Mike Butler: Sparks fly in electricity fight

A proposal from Labour leader David Shearer and Green co-leader Russel Norman, announced on Thursday, to bring down power prices, is the latest round in a tit-for-tat political struggle started by the National-led government’s policy of selling assets to keep the ship of state afloat. Labour had joined the Green Party in collecting 320,000 signatures to oppose the part-privatisation of electricity generating companies, and then 400,000 pre-registered for the Mighty River Power float, with 400,000 trumping 320,000.

Mike Butler: Waitangi up close and personal

The melodramas of Waitangi Day 2013 are fading fast, thankfully, but since I was there to witness this year’s storm in a Tiriti-cup, I can offer some observations. For instance, why should a prime minister, any prime minister, feel obligated to spend 1hr40mins to travel 861km to Waitangi, perhaps stay overnight, and spend another 1hr40mins traveling 1km from the Copthorne or the Kingsgate to face all manner of insults from the ragtag bunch of revellers at the rickety Te Tiriti o Waitangi marae?