Author Archive
Rules are for you, not for big money
Written By: - Date published: 6:51 pm, October 14th, 2010 - 17 comments
In the US banks that turned mortgages into “complex financial instruments” that were so complex nobody knows who owns what are foreclosing on homeowners.
That’s despite the banks having failed to prove they have a right to. And the justice system is backing the big money. It’s gangster capitalism at its finest.
Congressman Alan Grayson explains…
Congratulations to Len Brown
Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, October 9th, 2010 - 121 comments
It’s official, Len Brown is the first ever super city mayor. My congratulations to him and to his team who have worked so hard to get this result. It’s a great victory for the people. The Right thought they had stitched up Auckland very nicely with their undemocratic supercity but the people have rejected them […]
A couple of points about the Hobbit dispute
Written By: - Date published: 9:26 pm, October 4th, 2010 - 62 comments
Actors Equity have the Aussie actors’ minimum standards up on their site and they look pretty minimal.
So what’s all the fuss about and why is John Key suddenly interested in getting involved in an industrial dispute?
After all he’s previously claimed it’s “not appropriate” for the government to intervene in other disputes.
Quick thoughts on Henry’s “apology”
Written By: - Date published: 6:46 pm, October 4th, 2010 - 30 comments
So he’s apologised to the Governor General personally but not to the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who he has described as not looking like New Zealanders? WTF does it matter whether or not he’s a royalist? Did he make some kind of anti-royal comment I missed? Is he actually apologising for what he […]
Big ups to Helen Kelly and a question for the lawyers out there
Written By: - Date published: 12:17 pm, October 3rd, 2010 - 15 comments
Helen Kelly has brought the two parties in the hobbit dispute together.
That’s a job well done and a big step in settling this dispute.
But there is still the broader issue of independent contracting being used to circumvent employment law and whether it could be fixed by legislation.
Some advice for Actors Equity
Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, October 2nd, 2010 - 32 comments
The Hobbit dispute is being run to a very familiar playbook.
Let’s have a look at the employers’ tactics and what the union can do to counter them.
Nats back Jackson over Kiwi workers
Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, September 30th, 2010 - 112 comments
Arts Minister Chris Finlayson has backed the Hobbit producers’ refusal to negotiate with Kiwi workers.
He’s citing a Crown Law opinion that backs Jackson’s claim he can’t negotiate with workers collectively.
But he’s deliberately asked a very narrow question to get the answer he wants – an answer he’s using to back foreign big business over the rights of Kiwi workers.
Jackson’s employment law fibs
Written By: - Date published: 7:59 am, September 29th, 2010 - 18 comments
Peter Jackson and others film industry employers are claiming they can’t employ their workers as employees.
That claim is simply untrue.
So what’s the real reason for their reluctance to employee people on proper agreements?
MEAA fisks Jackson tirade
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 pm, September 27th, 2010 - 53 comments
The MEAA has responded to Peter Jacksons Tirade.
And it looks like he’s not been very straight-up about how the situation got to this.
Key’s bunker of spin
Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, September 27th, 2010 - 23 comments
According to NBR Key is locked down in a bunker of spin that separates him from his party and his caucus.
And it seems like that’s holding the hard right policy back for now.
But things will change in a second term.
Union boycotts Jackson
Written By: - Date published: 7:51 am, September 27th, 2010 - 99 comments
Film workers in New Zealand have been exploited for years
Now their union is standing up for them.
And Sir Peter Jackson is throwing a tantrum about it.
Vote fraud fallout
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, September 26th, 2010 - 35 comments
It looks like a Labour candidate may be involved in electoral fraud.
If this is the case the party says it will come down on them hard.
But it may also have to take a look at how local body candidates get on the Labour ticket.
Key and Shirtcliffe conspire against MMP
Written By: - Date published: 1:57 pm, September 26th, 2010 - 62 comments
Leaked notes from a meeting between Peter Shirtcliffe and Wayne Eagleson have revealed backroom dealings to kill off MMP.
We shouldn’t be surprised that the party of big business and the big-business-backed anti-MMP lobby would be colluding.
After all, it’s in all of their interests to take power from the voters and put it back in the hands of the elite.
The next ACT
Written By: - Date published: 1:04 pm, September 22nd, 2010 - 52 comments
Key is strongly backing Hide.
That might be because he doesn’t want to deal with the ideologues who would replace him. Or it might be because Hide knows where the skeletons are buried.
Either way Key’s going to find it harder and harder to distance himself from the mess.
Key’s clumsy opportunism
Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, September 22nd, 2010 - 41 comments
John Key has tried to use the ACT fiasco to take a clumsy swing at MMP.
I guess he reckons it’s just too hard to rip voters off when you have to chase a party vote.
National’s dodgy tax campaign
Written By: - Date published: 8:31 pm, September 20th, 2010 - 56 comments
According to the ODT government MP’s are going to be travelling around the country trying to convince New Zealanders that their plan to cut taxes for the rich isn’t actually a plan to cut taxes for the rich at all.
Some thoughts on ACT
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, September 18th, 2010 - 81 comments
One way or another ACT’s troubles are going to ripple through the entire political discourse.
So what’s likely to happen with Garrett?
And what does it mean for everyone else?
Hide’s dilemma
Written By: - Date published: 6:31 pm, September 15th, 2010 - 102 comments
Rodney Hide can either ditch Garrett and likely lose his leadership.
Or he can back him and likely kill off Act.
It’s a classic individual versus collective dilemma.
Farmers see light on OCR
Written By: - Date published: 10:35 am, September 15th, 2010 - 7 comments
The feds want the OCR frozen.
But that’s not a sustainable answer for exporters.
It’s time to look at better ways of controlling inflation.
The contradictions of charity
Written By: - Date published: 1:44 pm, September 14th, 2010 - 24 comments
Continental Philosopher Slavoj Zizek talks about ethical buying and charity and the contradictions they entail. I’m not sure I agree with him (I often don’t) but it’s certainly worth thinking about.
Garrett convicted for assault
Written By: - Date published: 8:33 pm, September 13th, 2010 - 40 comments
It seems Act MP and wannabe tough guy David Garrett has a conviction for assault.
I guess you don’t have to dig too far beneath the skin of these Sensible Sentencing Trust types to find their inner thug.
Request for Information
Written By: - Date published: 6:46 pm, September 13th, 2010 - 9 comments
Teachers are striking on Wednesday.
But there’s not a lot of information about why.
That’s an information void the government will fill if the PPTA doesn’t.
A belated farewell
Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, September 13th, 2010 - 12 comments
I meant to post on Sean Plunket’s last day with Morning report last week but better late than never I suppose. Plunket is one of those rare things in the media – an interviewer who can cut through the well polished lines and get a politician to say something they didn’t want to. And that […]
More attacks on workers coming?
Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, September 10th, 2010 - 12 comments
There seems to be confusing in National’s camp about further attacks on workers rights.
Unfortunately this tallies with rumours they’re planning big changes in a second term.
Cutting through the bullshit
Written By: - Date published: 11:12 pm, September 2nd, 2010 - 24 comments
Over the next few weeks the nats and other vested interests will try to muddy the waters over the SCF bailout.
This sophistry is designed to distract from the massive transfer of wealth from the many to the few.
And why shouldn’t they try this tactic? It worked for asset sales two and a half decades ago.
The many bail out the few
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 pm, August 31st, 2010 - 52 comments
Funny how quickly John Key and Bill English found that spare $1.7bn for wealthy investors after all that talk about how we should be tightening our belts.
It’s shows exactly where their priorities are.
Diconnected Key
Written By: - Date published: 7:28 am, August 31st, 2010 - 36 comments
According to John Key, teachers who want to maintain reasonably class sizes and free flu vaccines are disconnected from the real world. That would be the real world of hanging out with the Queen and spending $1.5bn on finance companies I guess. What a dick.
Lousy propaganda from the Herald
Written By: - Date published: 7:23 am, August 31st, 2010 - 9 comments
The Herald’s top story today screams “Strikers’ Helpless Victims”.
But it turns out that staff have been suspended.
I guess that doesn’t fit the Herald’s class war perspective.
Sensible Sentencing Trust: a bunch of liars
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 am, August 28th, 2010 - 20 comments
The Sensible Sentencing Trust has lied about having Labour’s support.
Labour must come down on the trust like a ton of bricks for this bullsh*t.
Anything else is a betrayal of Labour’s members and their values.
Note to Labour: show some spine
Written By: - Date published: 7:57 pm, August 26th, 2010 - 89 comments
Labour co-hosted the Sensible Sentencing Trust’s parliamentary conference.
That’s disgraceful pandering to disgraceful people.
It’s time Labour showed some spine and offered an alternative to the SST’s cowardly “lock ’em up” posturing.
Sacked. No reason given
Written By: - Date published: 6:37 pm, August 16th, 2010 - 68 comments
Key said put up or shut up.
The CTU and some gutsy workers are putting up.
Will Key have the guts to answer them?
- Auckland housing hearings halt until certainty returns
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- Master Plumbers Support Government Plans To Cut Red Tape
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- The Unity Books children’s book review roundup for Autumn
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- Menstruation through four generationsThere are so many options for menstrual care products available on the supermarket shelves these days, but that wasn’t always the case. Alex Casey spoke to five people from different generations about what period care was like for them. We’ve come a long way when it comes to attitudes to ...2 weeks ago
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- Comments About Ethnic ‘priority’ For Surgical Waitlists Ruled Misleading And DiscriminatoryComments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. The Authority has upheld a complaint ...2 weeks ago
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