Author Archive
Slippery old Ryall
Written By: - Date published: 10:22 pm, August 12th, 2010 - 26 comments
Tony Ryall’s been running significant health-cuts under the radar for a while now.
But with the heat going on down south he’s breaking out the “spot check” story to show he’s in touch.
He’s a slippery old bugger…
The Carter question
Written By: - Date published: 9:38 am, August 8th, 2010 - 75 comments
Many in the media seem to want a nice quick expulsion of Chris Carter from the Labour party.
But it doesn’t work like that in a democratic organisation – if it did, it wouldn’t be democratic for long.
A few brief points about the attacks on workers
Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, July 25th, 2010 - 86 comments
Having just watched the q + a interview with Council of Trade Unions President Helen Kelly and Alasdair Thompson from the EPMA (a must-watch, Kelly did a great job) I think there are a few things that need to be said:
Caption contest
Written By: - Date published: 7:21 pm, July 21st, 2010 - 40 comments
Remember the billboards comparing Helen Clark to a series of dictators in 2008? Funny thing is she’d never had anything to do with a dictator. But at least one MP who will be voting for John Key’s attacks on workers did.
Little confirms New Plymouth candidacy
Written By: - Date published: 11:19 am, July 21st, 2010 - 33 comments
According to Stuff Andrew Little has confirmed his candidacy for the New Plymouth seat.
I’d say he stands a very good chance of winning and will be a real thorn in the side of the National Party.
Key, Unions and Pinochet
Written By: - Date published: 10:13 pm, July 19th, 2010 - 105 comments
Over at Kiwipolitico Pablo has a good post tracing the ancestry of Key’s attack on unions to Pinochet.
Not that we should be surprised of course:
National and Act have both been influenced by that regime in the past. Especially when it comes to dealing to workers.
Key’s desperate spin
Written By: - Date published: 3:10 pm, July 18th, 2010 - 70 comments
Key’s trying to spin his way out of taking responsibility for his attack on workers.
And he thinks union-bashing is the way to do it.
Perhaps he needs reminding that unions are just groups of workers who’re working together for a fair deal?
National’s donation spin
Written By: - Date published: 2:03 pm, July 17th, 2010 - 30 comments
National is claiming its donations are strong but the numbers tell another story all together.
With an election possible within 12 months, National needs to scare up some cash – and quick.
Key’s dilemma
Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, July 17th, 2010 - 23 comments
This weekend Key will start (literally) cashing in his political capital by trading off Kiwi workers’ rights for business backing.
But by pushing for these changes his backers risk the second-term National majority they need to get their hands on our assets.
It seems their bad habit of putting short-term profit ahead of long-term sustainable gains has carried over into the political sphere.
National’s attack on working Kiwis
Written By: - Date published: 6:56 pm, July 15th, 2010 - 248 comments
With National’s donations flagging something was needed to loosen the purse-strings.
It seems they’ve decided giving business an early present of wage-lowering laws will do the trick.
And every working Kiwi will pay the price.
Just who does Business NZ represent?
Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, July 15th, 2010 - 31 comments
Business New Zealand CEO Phil O’Reilly has come out against Clare Curran’s procurement bill despite the fact procurement legislation would benefit his members.
It makes you wonder just who exactly Business lobby groups represent.
Buying Kiwi made
Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, July 14th, 2010 - 24 comments
Clare Curran is preparing a private members bill designed to make sure Kiwi Businesses get preference for government work.
It’s an idea that would see more jobs for Kiwi workers and help strengthen our economy but will business help push the government to back it?
Two term Key?
Written By: - Date published: 8:39 pm, July 13th, 2010 - 47 comments
Colin James has had a look at the pros and cons of Key staying past a second term.
So why would our fair-weather prime minister want to stick around?
Tax cuts for the few, just plain cuts for the many
Written By: - Date published: 7:57 am, July 13th, 2010 - 10 comments
English is talking more cuts at a time where cutting could well push the economy into a downward spiral.
But he knows that better than most – he was a minister in the cabinet that did just that in the ’90s.
A July election?
Written By: - Date published: 6:54 am, July 8th, 2010 - 24 comments
First term governments don’t usually go early but this isn’t your average first term government.
Will the tories go early to lock in a second term?
And if they do will we get a blitzkrieg policy run if they win?
Xenophobia
Written By: - Date published: 7:41 am, July 7th, 2010 - 81 comments
John Key is claiming that we need to defend our shores against a coming wave of boat people by buying into a detention center in Timor.
I don’t know whether he’s trying to flank Winnie or whether he’s just shooting off at the mouth after being influenced by the Aussies but whatever the reason the idea is plainly racist.
Slow news day
Written By: - Date published: 2:33 pm, July 4th, 2010 - 9 comments
“Len Brown’s Smackdown” screams the headline in Carolyne Meng-Yee’s story about Len Brown today – and the first para makes it sound even worse: A split has emerged within Manukau Mayor Len Brown’s campaign team over his controversial “Maori gesture”. A split? This sounds serious! Turns out it’s not. Rather it’s just the media making […]
Aussies mull ethical market signal
Written By: - Date published: 11:25 am, June 27th, 2010 - 10 comments
Australia is looking at quality mark for products from ethical supply chains.
We should too.
Authoritarian Key
Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, June 22nd, 2010 - 28 comments
Once again the government is employing the power of the state against someone who has embarrassed them.
Perhaps when Key talks warmly about Singapore it’s the authoritarianism he likes.
The more things change
Written By: - Date published: 6:32 pm, June 21st, 2010 - 33 comments
Colin Espiner says MP’s shouldn’t protest but then gets some basic facts wrong trying to show why.
I guess he’s made a point. But not the one he meant to…
On the credit card play
Written By: - Date published: 1:44 pm, June 10th, 2010 - 134 comments
I wasn’t going to comment on the credit card witchhunt as I think it’s prurient. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in favour of transparency and frugality but I really don’t need to know that Shane Jones might have rented a porno or that Carter charged a bottle of wine for this or that. After […]
Cunliffe hits the mark
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, June 1st, 2010 - 27 comments
Just had a look at David Cunliffe on the Nation and was quite impressed.
Worth a look to see someone running a left economic argument well.
The Brash budget
Written By: - Date published: 2:46 pm, May 22nd, 2010 - 17 comments
Colin James makes a good point in his latest column which talks about the rightward shift this budget has created: Longer term, the Budget points to smaller government. Core spending is projected to fall from 35 per cent of GDP now to 28 per cent in the early 2020s. The last National leader to talk […]
…and your children’s children
Written By: - Date published: 8:09 pm, May 20th, 2010 - 70 comments
Let’s get this straight. Borrowing a billon dollars for tax cuts while cutting services is not centrist.
Even if tax cuts go to middle and low earners too.
Meanwhile the opposition is MIA.
So what’s the rabbit?
Written By: - Date published: 8:32 pm, May 19th, 2010 - 53 comments
The Nats thought they could spin anything. Even more tax cuts for the rich.
But they were wrong.
What rabbit will they pull out of the fiscal hat now? And who will fall for the trick?
Closing the wage gap
Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, May 19th, 2010 - 5 comments
Unions are closing the wage gap in the oil industry using collective action
Meanwhile the government is preparing to give rich individuals tax cuts and has been eroding the rights of workers.
Don’t be jealous, they’re better than you
Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, May 18th, 2010 - 185 comments
Key has finally admitted his tax cuts are for the rich.
But that’s okay, he says, because the rich are so much more important than us.
Two senior journos, one side of the story
Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, May 15th, 2010 - 23 comments
Two highly paid and highly experienced New Zealand Herald gallery journalists put their heads together for a budget story and what does the lucky reader get?
The world according to Bill English.
Pravda would be proud but most journalism tutors would be reaching for their red pen.
Corrupt
Written By: - Date published: 9:33 pm, April 29th, 2010 - 148 comments
It looks like Paula Bennett is getting desperate as the Privacy Commissioner’s report looms.
Perhaps it’s time someone explained to her that “personal responsibility” is more than just an attack line to use on beneficiaries.
Conscience and alcodollars
Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, April 28th, 2010 - 37 comments
How does the government decide which are good drugs and which are bad?
And how much does it have to do with big money?
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