Author Archive

A noose around students’ necks

Written By: - Date published: 9:35 am, October 22nd, 2010 - 27 comments

Every time I think John Key can’t get any more cynical and hypocritical in his messaging, he manages to take it to a new level.  Apparently spending money on the education system will create “a noose around the neck of young New Zealanders”…

Key’s economic bravado now reduced to whining

Written By: - Date published: 7:04 am, October 21st, 2010 - 25 comments

In three short years John Key and National have gone from economic bravado, to failure, to lies, excuses and whining.  As the economy languishes they will have nothing to offer except more lies and excuses.

This is a time for fresh thinking, both globally and locally.  But we won’t get it from National.

Got a spare Earth?

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, October 19th, 2010 - 34 comments

Does anyone have a spare Earth?  Or two — or three?  If so, could you please speak up, because humanity is going two need two Earth’s worth of resources by 2030.

Discontent within National

Written By: - Date published: 1:14 pm, October 18th, 2010 - 25 comments

The Sunday Star Times had an interesting piece quoting a National MP on growing discontent within the party.  Discontent at the public perception of National as a “one man band”, and the way that the party has been reduced to “The John Key Show”.  With National’s failure on the economy growing ever more evident, is the power of brand Key enough to carry the Nats to a win in 2011?

Conference roundup

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, October 18th, 2010 - 32 comments

Labour’s conference in the weekend seems to have gone well, and been well received by the media.  Here’s a roundup of headlines and comment.

Child friendly

Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, October 17th, 2010 - 58 comments

The Labour conference this weekend is expected to release new “policy directions”.  One of them is out already — and it’s good.  What could make more sense than putting children first?

Republic now!

Written By: - Date published: 11:31 am, October 16th, 2010 - 34 comments

Labour have pushed “the republic debate” firmly into the spotlight.  This is smart thinking. It’s a clear, logical policy with broad popular appeal.  It positions Labour as leaders, nation builders, on an issue where Key and the Nats have painted themselves into a conservative corner.

Killing the golden geese

Written By: - Date published: 9:26 am, October 16th, 2010 - 45 comments

National is developing an agenda for privatisation.  It’s crazy.  State owned assets are generating some rare bright spots in an otherwise dismal sea of poor economic news.  So why would any rational government sell ACC (or other state owned assets)?  Why would any rational government be cutting back on the Cullen Fund?  Why are the Nats determined to kill the golden geese?

Lessons for Labour?

Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, October 16th, 2010 - 53 comments

As the dust settles on the local body elections, what are the lessons for Labour?  Especially, of course, “the big one” in Auckland.  Len Brown, a “Labour Mayor from South Auckland”, beat Key’s anointed candidate for the right.  What lessons can Labour take away? How does this shape the 2011 election campaign?

A PM but not a leader

Written By: - Date published: 7:17 am, October 13th, 2010 - 92 comments

New Zealand is small country, far from anywhere, always on the edge of irrelevance.  To continue our proud heritage of principled and effective international contributions, to hold our heads up high on the world stage, New Zealand needs a leader.  But all we have is a PM.

Caption competition

Written By: - Date published: 4:44 pm, October 11th, 2010 - 37 comments

Be captivating…

Hide begging for his political life

Written By: - Date published: 3:02 pm, October 11th, 2010 - 74 comments

So Rodney Hide is reduced to publicly begging for his political life, asking National for an easy ride in Epsom.  It will be interesting to keep an eye on National’s response.  Especially with the name of defeated Auckland Mayoral candidate John Banks already being mentioned…

10/10/10

Written By: - Date published: 5:06 pm, October 10th, 2010 - 11 comments

Today is 10 October 2010, a significant date for two serious reasons.  And one silly one!

Election results – Brown Wins!

Written By: - Date published: 1:10 pm, October 9th, 2010 - 62 comments

There are various good online sources for following the local body election results.  Here’s a quick roundup.

Phil Goff – Evil SuperGenius?

Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, October 9th, 2010 - 22 comments

Is Phil Goff an Evil SuperGenius?  Is Labour still secretly running the country, controlling MPs, cabinet ministers and government departments?  Political sleuth David P Farrar makes a pretty strong case!  Or does he…

Paul Henry case now a diplomatic incident

Written By: - Date published: 12:52 am, October 8th, 2010 - 147 comments

Paul Henry’s racism on state funded television has now reached the level of a full fledged diplomatic incident.  The New Zealand High Commission in India has issued a press release apologising and stating that Henry’s views do not represent “the New Zealand Government or people”.  Fine words, but they need to be followed up with appropriate action.  Henry has to go.

Auckland electoral fraud case

Written By: - Date published: 3:35 pm, October 6th, 2010 - 89 comments

The alleged electoral roll fraud in Auckland has plenty of angles and dimensions for political junkies.  But the underlying issue is simple.  Electoral fraud of any kind is not OK, perpetrators should be found and prosecuted.  We have one of the most robust and respected democracies in the world.  Let’s keep it that way.

Banks desperate

Written By: - Date published: 12:54 pm, October 6th, 2010 - 60 comments

As it goes down to the wire in Auckland, John Banks’ desperation is on full display.  It’s not a pretty sight.  Banks seem to have nothing to offer but negative campaigning, personal attacks, and South Auckland dogwhistles.  He deserves to lose.

No rest for team Brown

Written By: - Date published: 12:52 pm, October 4th, 2010 - 19 comments

The weekend headlines make it seem like Brown has the Auckland Mayoral election all but won.  That’s an invitation to self-defeating complacency.  Team Brown needs to keep up the hard work — it ain’t over ’till it’s over.

Shamed by Kiribati

Written By: - Date published: 10:52 am, October 4th, 2010 - 19 comments

The tiny island nation of Kiribati puts the “developed” world to shame.

India: Ignorance at a distance

Written By: - Date published: 11:37 am, October 3rd, 2010 - 8 comments

It’s been pretty painful watching the media coverage of the Delhi games buildup over the last few weeks. What a lot of xenophobic nonsense we’ve been served up.

Banks and the South Auckland bashers

Written By: - Date published: 1:32 pm, October 2nd, 2010 - 27 comments

John Banks has made bashing South Auckland part of his campaign “strategy”.  That didn’t work out so well for Melissa Lee, and it won’t work out so well for others that are now trying the same tactic…

John Banks – another Melissa Lee

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, October 1st, 2010 - 74 comments

John Banks has been slagging off South Auckland.  Ooops.  That’s the same mistake that Melissa Lee made in the Mt Albert by election.  The same mistake deserves the same fate.  Banks cannot credibly operate as mayor of the SuperCity.

Anne Tolley is a fool

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 am, September 29th, 2010 - 67 comments

Anne Tolley, Minister for wrecking primary education, doesn’t have the first or faintest idea of what “national standards” are actually going to mean in practice.  She is “appalled” at the idea of labelling children as failures.  But that is exactly what the standards are designed to do.

Solo parent bashing

Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, September 28th, 2010 - 101 comments

Life isn’t hard enough already for solo parents, according to the Nats.  So they’re going to make it harder.

Denier dissected 2

Written By: - Date published: 3:30 pm, September 27th, 2010 - 38 comments

Christopher Monckton has been one of the “highest profile” climate change deniers.  But it looks like his days as poster pinup for the denier movement are well and truly over. He’s busted.

A suggestion for students

Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, September 27th, 2010 - 154 comments

The voluntary student union membership bill is based on a false premise, and a reflexive tory hatred for the word “union”.  I have a suggestion for students…

China rising

Written By: - Date published: 9:37 am, September 25th, 2010 - 37 comments

The idea of The Chinese Century has been around for a long time now.  But a couple of articles that caught my eye recently make me think that the start of that century is well and truly upon us.

Over promise under deliver

Written By: - Date published: 8:22 am, September 24th, 2010 - 22 comments

“I also want to pay a special acknowledgement to my friend and deputy, Bill English.  What a great job he is doing as Finance Minister. He’s delivered two Budgets that have steered New Zealand out of recession and put the economy firmly back on track to grow and create jobs”.  Or has he?…

Key ties himself to Hide

Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, September 23rd, 2010 - 36 comments

What is John Key thinking?  Why would he tie himself so firmly to the mast of the sinking ship that is Rodney Hide and ACT?

An indelible stain on parliamentary lawmaking

Written By: - Date published: 2:50 pm, September 20th, 2010 - 11 comments

Andrew Geddis (Associate Professor of Law at Otago and writer at Pundit) is an expert on democratic theory.  He has become required reading for politics junkies.  His latest piece — a brutally honest analysis of the recent work of the Law and Order select committee — should be required reading for everybody.

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