Author Archive

It’s 2014 and we have a job to do

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, January 1st, 2014 - 252 comments

In 2014 the New Zealand Left must have more on its agenda than “win power”.  We should want to create a better New Zealand, and doing that is about so much more than economic policy (which is also, obviously, important).  It has to touch everything.  And it’s going to take people working in different areas on different parts of the plan to make it all happen.

What the Waitakere Myth says about pundits’ attitudes to the working class

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, November 13th, 2013 - 99 comments

I finally found the words, in a comment at The Standard, to explain something I’ve been feeling for years about the Waitakere Man thesis: I keep thinking about how to express this exact idea: that the whole Waitakere Man myth says way more about Chris Trotter and Josie Pagani’s attitudes towards the working class than […]

Fuck off, Bob Jones: and advertisers? Be warned

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, October 22nd, 2013 - 94 comments

Bob Jones has produced another disgusting “opinion piece”, and the New Zealand Herald has once again been disgusting enough to publish it. I completely understand that a lot of people don’t have the spoons for taking on yet another awful triggery misogynist piece of shit produced by an awful misogynist piece of shit.  On this […]

Why I will never be a paid political commentator

Written By: - Date published: 4:00 pm, October 12th, 2013 - 114 comments

my little pony friendship is magic haters gonna hate

It’s time I face up to a harsh reality, folks.  I’m just never going to be taken seriously as a political commentator.

Have National’s asset sales officially cost more than they’ll earn?

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, September 22nd, 2013 - 51 comments

In a previous post at The Standard I did a wee bit of math and came to the conclusion that National has already made $5.26 billion worth of spending promises out of the Future Investment Fund, the not-actually-a-fund chunk of cash they plan to make from selling taxpayer-built infrastructure to their mates. Things have developed. […]

Latest poll is good/bad for Labour/National/Winston

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, July 23rd, 2013 - 32 comments

The latest poll results are [fantastic/terrible]!

Conscience exceptions are for people with a conscience

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 pm, July 14th, 2013 - 63 comments

The ability of doctors to refuse to provide proper healthcare if God says it’s bad is again in the spotlight, with a Blenheim GP refusing to prescribe the Pill to a patient because he decided she needed to have babies, and her views on the matter don’t mean shit.  But are we seriously going to label that as an act of “conscience”?

ManBan!

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, July 6th, 2013 - 221 comments

Would it kill our journalists to add just the tiniest bit of fact into their Labour-scandal-obsessed feeding frenzy?

National Party economics: make $2 billion, spend 5

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, June 29th, 2013 - 89 comments

The National Party are the good economic managers, right?  So why are they spending money we don’t actually have yet?

Badass prochoice hero of the day: Wendy Davis

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, June 26th, 2013 - 18 comments

Today in Texas, a small victory was won for reproductive rights, thanks to this kickass senator.

Family First and Dr Miriam Grossman are still lying about sex ed

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, June 19th, 2013 - 23 comments

How to put on a condom

The conservatives are back, telling lies and trying to ignore the fact that humans enjoy sex and teenagers have minds of their own – and they’re getting media pickup.  Don’t fall for it!

#voteWTF – Wednesday 19 June, 8:30pm, TV3

Written By: - Date published: 5:00 pm, June 16th, 2013 - 26 comments

On this coming Wednesday’s episode of The Vote – our monthly break from the awfulness that I hear is 3rd Degree – a very angry-making important moot is to be discussed: Our kids – The problem’s not poverty, it’s parenting. Do you agree? I first heard of this on Twitter, was informed of this, and […]

Greens attack stupid spending, rattle Key

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, June 16th, 2013 - 54 comments

The NZ Transport Agency’s “Drive Social” programme looks like one gigantic waste of money, and the Greens are hammering it.  Key’s response?  “They just want everyone to cycle everywhere.”  Is he looking a little tired to anyone else?

Review: Fighting to Choose by Alison McCulloch

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, May 8th, 2013 - 61 comments

Abortion has a long and dramatic history in NZ, but it’s not a history we talk about, or remember.  And remembering that history is vital to our continuing push for reproductive rights today.  That’s where Alison McCulloch comes in, with a new, brilliant, history of the struggle so far.

Nonsensical Sentencing Trust plays the Obi-Wan card

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, April 20th, 2013 - 14 comments

The Sensible Sentencing Trust does not support vigilantism.  From a certain point of view.

Councillor Bruce Wilson: racist and incompetent

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 pm, April 6th, 2013 - 60 comments

Councillor Bruce Wilson thinks it’s a “joke” to say we should sterilise Maaori women who smoke.  If you don’t think he should resign for his racism, let’s consider if he should resign for being too ignorant to function.

New Zealand First: hates sex work, loves rape culture

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, March 28th, 2013 - 346 comments

New Zealand First is fronting a forum on sex work in South Auckland, and its spokesperson is concerned about underage sex workers.  What could possibly go wrong?

When Paula Bennett is positive about a group of beneficiaries, be suspicious

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, March 26th, 2013 - 47 comments

Paula Bennett has found one group of beneficiaries who she doesn’t think are bludging scum!  Surely this is a feelgood story, and not a workaround tactic to bash other beneficiaries, right?  Bueller?

Another day, another bullshit Family First/Curia poll

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 pm, March 23rd, 2013 - 187 comments

Oh look, once again Family First’s rhetoric fails to match its reality.

This is rape culture: Steubenville verdict

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, March 19th, 2013 - 60 comments

Rape culture is a culture in which rape and sexual violence are common, and in which prevalent attitudes, norms, practices, and media normalize, excuse, tolerate, or even condone rape. (Thanks, Wiki!)

And if you want a really clear example of it, look no further than Steubenville, Ohio.

Gender and the census

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, March 4th, 2013 - 102 comments

Census 2013 logo

The 2013 Census is pretty limited in its treatment of gender. Unfortunately, there’s no practical way to make your feelings heard this time around.

Stand back! The English language is evolving! GAY evolving!

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, March 2nd, 2013 - 42 comments

Family First’s arguments against basic human rights continue to be absurd – now apparently we’re all going to forget what “husband” and “wife” mean.

Greens announce non-racist policy; 3News decides to make it racist

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, March 1st, 2013 - 49 comments

Yet again, Patrick Gower digs deep to find a story where there really isn’t one.

Leaked: draft blueprint for future recruitment to ACC sensitive claims unit

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, February 20th, 2013 - 10 comments

An accidentally-mis-addressed email from ACC’s HR department reveals much-needed changes are going to be made to their sensitive claims unit.

A living wage: living with dignity edition

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, February 12th, 2013 - 49 comments

The concept of a living wage is one that just makes good sense to me.  A wage should be enough to live on, right?  Because it’s a wage?  Because what’s the point if it doesn’t?

Marriage equality and polygamy

Written By: - Date published: 5:00 pm, January 24th, 2013 - 34 comments

Another day, another bigot trying to derail the marriage equality conversation by bringing up polygamy.  Just ignore them, people.  Because we’re winning this one.

Deja vu all over again: Labour in 2014 edition

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, January 13th, 2013 - 104 comments

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again here:  a Labour victory in 2014 isn’t necessarily better than a National victory in 2014.

David Shearer isn’t Jesus? No sh*t, Sherlock

Written By: - Date published: 6:37 pm, January 9th, 2013 - 100 comments

I know I criticise David Shearer a lot, but if I sound bitter it’s just because I totally thought he would turn out to be Jesus.

Why the February vote could be very bad for Labour

Written By: - Date published: 6:55 pm, January 7th, 2013 - 300 comments

Going on previous form, Camp Shearer seem to think a successful caucus vote in February will silence all criticism of his parliamentary leadership of the Labour Party.  Boy, are you all wrong.

The only poll that matters is on election day

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, December 5th, 2012 - 103 comments

So, recent polls have shown a minor upward blip for Labour.  A minor downward blip for National.  Ergo, David Shearer must immediately appear on TV to extrapolate why and make big sexy claims about how The Gap Is Narrowing and We Will Clearly Return To The Treasury Benches In 2015 2014. Any time in the next month […]

The privilege of real-name blogging

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 pm, November 27th, 2012 - 112 comments

Brian Edwards is the latest to wade into the “anonymous bloggers” debate.  I’ve previously posted about the reasons people use pseudonyms, and my personal “justifications” for arguing that a pseudonym does not automatically render a person’s statements worthless. But there’s the other side to it, the side I glossed over in that post:  the privilege of real-name blogging. […]

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