Kiwiblog

One wrong so 9/10 in 59 seconds. Quiz here.

A record – 10 out of 10 in 41 seconds. Quiz here.

Got 10/10 in 53 seconds in the Herald Politics quiz.

I bombed this week. Just 6/10. Quiz is here.

NZ Herald politics quiz is here.

The Herald politics quiz is here. Got 8/10 in 45 seconds.

This week’s Herald politics quiz is here. Got 9/10 in 48 seconds.

Herald quiz is here. Got 10/10 in 49 seconds.

Not easy this week. 65 seconds.

Got 9/10 in Herald quiz in 44 seconds. Muffed the Andrew Williams one.

The NZ Herald Politics Quiz is back. Despite my holiday, still got 10/10 in 33 seconds.

Herald has a post-election politics quiz.

Try this week’s Herald’s quiz.

Best yet – 10/10 in 39 seconds in the Herald Politics Quiz.

This week’s Herald Politics quiz is here.

Got 8/10 in 50 seconds.

10/10 in 46 seconds for the Herald Politics Quiz. Not bad as I am on holiday.

NZ Herald Politics quiz is here. Got 9/10 in 40 seconds.

Herald Politics quiz is here. 9/10 in 1 min 6 secs.

Sadly the Dom Post politics quiz seems to have died, but the NZ Herald now has one. It seems to be tougher – only got 6/10.

Unless they are hiding them very well, Stuff seems to have stopped their weekly NZ politics trivia quiz. So here’s a substitute one.

1. What is it that Phil Goff doesn’t want John Key to do with Prince William?

(a) Dance with him at the wedding
(b) Make him Governor-General
(c) Ask for his endorsement as best ever Kiwi PM
(d) Pose for photos with him during the Rugby World Cup
(e) Try to hook Steffi up with Prince Harry

2. What change has Steven Joyce proposed for student loans?

(a) That interest be charged at the rate of inflation, so they are interest-free in real terms rather than nominal terms
(b) That students aged over 55 can only use student loans for tuition fees and not for living costs
(c) That any graduates willing to work in Christchurch have 10% of their loan balance written off every year, for five years.
(d) That graduates be unable to leave to go overseas until they have paid off their student loan
(e) That students can use their student loans to buy shares in the four state owned power companies

3. How many seats did the latest political poll (TV3/Reid Research) predict National would get in an election based on their poll?

(a) 58
(b) 62
(c) 67
(d) 71
(e) 75

4. Former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley is a director of the China Construction Bank. In terms of market capitalisation, where does it rank in the world?

(a) 2nd
(b) 5th
(c) 9th
(d) 10th
(e) 20th

5. Which TV channel is to close next July?

(a) C4
(b) The Hitler History Channel
(c) Sky Sport 3
(d) TVNZ7
(e) Playboy TV

6. Which party voted against the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority bill?

(a) Progressive
(b) ACT
(c) Labour
(d) Green
(e) Maori Party

7. Rodney Hide announced the scrapping of various outdated regulations last week. How many did he scrap?

(a) 21
(b) 49
(c) 88
(d) 125
(e) 156

8. Which former journalist has been appointed Chair of Radio New Zealand?

(a) Richard Long
(b) Richard Griffin
(c) Paul Henry
(d) Tom Scott
(e) Linda Clark

9. What penalty could a court in future apply to someone convicted of downloading copyrighted material without paying for it?

(a) Forced to listen to Rebecca Black’s “Friday” for 48 hours non-stop
(b) Ban them from using the Internet for life
(c) Confiscate their computer
(d) Suspend their Internet account for six months
(e) Slow their connection speed to 56 Kb/s

10. Who has been dubbed the Minister of Twitter?

(a) Clare Curran
(b) Tau Henare
(c) Trevor Mallard
(d) Jacinda Ardern
(e) Chris Finlayson

Otago University Politics Lecturer Bryce Edwards has been producing a daily politics summary for the last two weeks. It must take him hours to do, and is hugely useful to political junkies.

He does a summary of the major issues with his commentary, and then provides links (or pdf copies in the e-mail version) to several dozen stories that have appeared on media on blogsites. They’re helpfully grouped together by topic.

I am already quite addicted to it. While I see most of the stories that Bryce compiles, there are always a few I have not seen. I recommend you check it out every day.

Yay it is back. 9/10 in 44 seconds. The Japanese question was a guess and I got it wrong.

Dear Stuff/Dom Post,

Parliament resumed last week. So where is our weekly politics trivia quiz?

If it does not appear soon, the suicide rate amongst political geeks may skyrocket.

They are here:

1 National will form a government after the November 26 election. (Note the dangerously specific date).

Agree, on date and outcome.

2 Botany will be a Clayton’s by-election and we don’t mean Cosgrove. National’s candidate will be anointed and Labour will hardly bother to campaign, preferring to keep its cash in the bank for the election.

Not so sure. By-elections can be un-predictable for a Government.

3 Judith Collins will become defence minister after the retirement of Wayne Mapp. Without tanks she could be a useful addition to our arsenal.

Very possible.

4 Mercurial NZ First leader Winston Peters will stand in an inner-Auckland seat to maximise coverage of his bid to return to Parliament. Possibly Epsom, but more likely Tamaki, where he can mobilise any remnants of Sir Robert Muldoon’s “Rob’s Mob” voters and cash in on sitting MP Allan Peachey’s low profile.

I think Tamaki is more likely than Epsom. His old seat of Hunua can’t be ruled out though. He won’t win an electorate though.

5 The Maori Party will not improve its current tally of five seats – a punt.

Probably not, unless Parekura retires then maybe pick that up.

6 MMP will survive the referendum, meaning a second one will not be necessary. But there will be a clamour to change some of the existing features of MMP.

I agree, unless the Government has its coalition partners disintegrate in 2011.

7 Labour president Andrew Little will not win New Plymouth, but will get into Parliament on the list.

I won’t make a prediction here on New Plymouth, except to observe that for Andrew to win he will need around 20% of National party voters to give him their electorate vote. I agree Andrew will be in Parliament regardless of the New Plymouth outcome.

8 Labour will campaign on a new top tax rate on income above $120,000 a year.

Yep – the starting rate may vary but will be at least $100k. The return of Cullen’s rich prick tax.

9 The Government’s popularity will drop mid-year as the rising cost of living, slow economic recovery and cuts in public spending usher in a mild winter of discontent.

It is inevitable that poll ratings of mid 50s will not translate into an election result.

10 Labour leader Phil Goff will survive till the election, but not long after.

By the end of 2012 there will be a new leader – David Cunliffe

11 Kris Faafoi’s majority in Mana will rebound in line with Labour’s traditional dominance in the seat.

I don’t think it will rebound as much as people think.

12 The Greens will beat their 6.72 per cent share of the vote from 2008 and bring in at least one fresh female face.

Probably yeah.

13 National will campaign on partial listings of minority stakes in some state assets including some of the bigger SOEs.

Hope so.

14 Steven Joyce will take over the education portfolio.

After the 2011 election, could well be.

15 The Maori Party will hold its nose and see the new foreshore and seabed law into force despite Hone Harawira’s opposition.

They’ll be irrelevant if they decide to stay with the status quo.

16 Georgina te Heu Heu and Sandra Goudie will signal an end to their political careers.

Would be surpised if either stand in 2011

17 This has been our hardest pick but on balance we think Rodney Hide will hold on to ACT’s Epsom lifeline – though we say so with our heart in our mouth given the signals from even Mr Hide’s Right-wing supporters that they are not convinced the souffle can rise twice.

I think he will, but it will depend on ACT having its shit together enough that people think they will get three or four MPs at least, who can work together.

18 Revenue Minister and UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne will finally realise his haircut is his biggest electoral liability and change it – or even admit it is a hairpiece.

Ha – never.

19 Another senior Labour MP will announce they are bailing out of politics at the next election – and unlike the retirement of George Hawkins and Pete Hodgson, this one will be a surprise.

Parekura would not be a surprise. Perhaps they mean Mallard?

20 John Key will come back from “kicking the tyres” during his Hawaiian holiday and declare himself “relaxed” about his chances in election year.

Of course.

I always admire Fairfax gallery staff for having the balls to make some predictions every year, and be judged on them. They have just self-scored their 2010 predictions and marked it as 128/100 – down from 145 in 2009 and 138 in 2008.

The story does not appear to be online, so no link, but here is the summary:

1. The Government will play follow- the-leader with Australia’s tax reform plans, putting business tax cuts at the top of its reform agenda. 4/10
2. There will be ructions in ACT and at least one of its MPs will signal an end to their political career. 10/10.
3. Hone Harawira will be trouble. 10/10.
4. Jim Anderton will not announce an end to his parliamentary career. 0/10.
5. Prime Minister John Key’s “elegant” solution to the foreshore and seabed issue will turn out to be another way to write the same law, with minor tweaks, that Labour passed. 10/10
6. The Government will signal partial asset sales will be part of its 2011 election campaign. 8/10
7. Chris Carter will be relieved of the Labour foreign affairs role and his frontbench seat. 10/10
8. Former Green MP Sue Bradford will run for the Auckland super- city council. 0/10.
9. 9 The national standards fight will end in a points victory to the Government over education unions. 8/10.
10. John Key will have a White House meeting with US President Barack Obama, but will make a second trip to Washington too. 5/10.
11. Labour will struggle to get its poll rating over 35 per cent, although Phil Goff will survive as leader. 10/10.
12. Two National MPs will announce their retirement from politics. 10/10.
13. The economic outlook and Budget deficit will keep improving, lowering the forecast debt mountain. 0/10.
14. John Key will reshuffle his ministers, or have a reshuffle forced on him. 8/10.
15. The Government will put a woman in a top advisory role. 10/10.
16. The Australia-New Zealand income gap will widen again. 10/10.
17. The Government will water down or even scrap the requirement for ACC to be fully funded by 2019. 0/10.
18. Labour’s Rick Barker will signal his retirement. 0/10.
19. The 2010 Budget will make Bill English’s 2009 effort look like a lolly scramble. 7/10.
20. John Key will admit, at least once, to not being “relaxed”. 8/10.

I thought they did very well with (2) and (7) as both were very specific and occured. Hopefully the full article will appear online as the commentary with the scoring is amusing.