Written By: - Date published: 8:18 am, October 24th, 2011 - 91 comments
The All Blacks have won and the cup has come back.
Congratulations to the ABs and everyone who supports them.
We Won!
Written By: - Date published: 11:07 am, October 22nd, 2011 - 25 comments
Mission accomplished. Meanwhile Cameron comes to urge Key to keep our troops in Afghanistan.
Written By: - Date published: 12:47 pm, October 21st, 2011 - 22 comments
+ Wouldn’t a Key endorsement of Banks be an admission that a Labour-led government is possible if ACT doesn’t make it?
+ Is the delay in Key’s endorsement because the Nats are worried that revelations will make Banks unelectable regardless and an endorsement will tarnish Brand Key by association?
+Is it true that ACT is seeking legal advice on removing Banks from the ballot?
Written By: - Date published: 5:40 pm, October 15th, 2011 - 13 comments
National’s election billboards focus on National’s “Brighter Future” plan. They’re not a plan, more like a wish-list for the tooth fairy. Bill board No 1 says “End the deficit sooner”. Sooner than what? This year’s budget? Not likely according to Brian Gaynor in today’s Herald. Pollyanna John promised a brighter future in 2008 – that hasn’t happened and the rerun may be wearing very thin.
Written By: - Date published: 1:11 pm, October 15th, 2011 - 38 comments
Will the protests around the world hit the brick wall of ingrained habits? Or will we manage to get over, around or beneath that particular barrier to progress?
Written By: - Date published: 3:35 pm, October 5th, 2011 - 10 comments
Three Labour MPs gave their valedictories last night; Lynn Pillay, Pete Hodgson, and Jim Anderton in that order. Jim’s career path in political employment was a bit roundabout, Lynn’s the shortest (she’ll kill me for that!), and Pete’s spell the longest. Most valedictories speak of past achievement. Unusually, Pete Hodgson focussed more on the future, so his valedictory became manifesto and challenge. Poverty and sustainability were the main themes – read more here.
Written By: - Date published: 5:40 pm, October 3rd, 2011 - 15 comments
Republicans have accused President Obama of waging class war by calling for tax increases on the rich. Warren Buffet goes straight to the result and declares the rich have won. There may be more battles to come however – Buffet is in favour of higher taxes on the rich in the interests of fairness. He should have been on the Tax Working Group.
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, October 1st, 2011 - 19 comments
Another in what looks like becoming a regular series.
Written By: - Date published: 3:58 pm, September 29th, 2011 - 19 comments
Asset sales are on the agenda before the election. Michael Fay, strangely, is leading a coalition of underbidders for the Crafar farms against a bid from China worth $300 million more. According to the Waikato Times, New Zealanders have forgotten Fay’s involvement in the toxic asset sales of the late 1980′s and early 1990′s under both Labour and National governments. That would be a pity.
Written By: - Date published: 3:56 pm, September 24th, 2011 - 6 comments
One of the criticisms levelled at MMP is that it means the tail wags the dog. But if it wasn’t for the Alliance, the Greens and New Zealand first, we wouldn’t have Kiwibank, home insulation, or the Gold Card. We wouldn’t have a competitive New Zealand-owned bank, healthy homes for families who need it, and opportunities for social interaction for seniors. I say thanks to those parties and to MMP.
Written By: - Date published: 8:43 pm, September 21st, 2011 - 10 comments
Professor Robert Wade of the London School of Economics and author of the acclaimed Governing the Market will speak on this topic in association with Victoria University School of Government at Lecture Theatre 2, Rutherford House, Wellington at 6pm on Thursday 22nd September. Read more for abstract. Register at www.fabians.org.nz.
Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, September 21st, 2011 - 70 comments
The Greens launched their economic policy today - I attended on behalf of the Fabian Society. Titled “100,000 green jobs for New Zealanders, it follows their plan to bring 100,000 children out of poverty by 2014. The focus was on leveraging green priorities, using direct government investment, changing the way state-owned companies work, and shifting the drivers for green jobs in the private sector.
Written By: - Date published: 4:15 pm, September 19th, 2011 - 15 comments
118 years to the day when NZ became the first country in the world to give women the vote. You can imagine how incredibly proud Kate and the sisterhood must have been. You can imagine them lifting their eyes to the future and seeing women standing shoulder to shoulder with their brothers, equal in political rights (and determined to …
Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, September 18th, 2011 - 27 comments
The horse bolted last weekend. Murray McCully has been hard at work on the stable door. But the rail passengers voted with their feet…
Written By: - Date published: 2:05 pm, September 5th, 2011 - 19 comments
Labour’s Charles Chauvel is campaigning hard in Ohariu, and would certainly bring a fresh approach and much more energy to representing the electorate. The polls are close, so close that John Key has had to come out to Ohariu’s small party launch to support Dunne. This may backfire – word is that many people in the electorate don’t like being told how to vote.
Written By: - Date published: 9:16 pm, September 3rd, 2011 - 8 comments
NZX is the big winner among listed companies this year according to Bloomberg – its share price is 56% up on the year. Why? Asset sales. No wonder Weldon is smiling – He owns more than 6 million NZX shares. At least one happy Dad, already. And just on his mate John Key’s promise.
Written By: - Date published: 5:10 pm, August 23rd, 2011 - 6 comments
“Courage my friends, tis never too late to build a better world” was Jack Layton’s motto. He led Canada’s NDP from 37 seats to 103 in this May’s election. They called him “le bon Jack”. He died of cancer yesterday. His last letter to Canadians ends: “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic.” He was an inspiring leader and will be missed.
Written By: - Date published: 11:11 am, August 23rd, 2011 - 3 comments
Sandra Grey from the Campaign for MMP and Kevin Hackwell from Forest and Bird will speak at a Fabian Society event this Thursday at 5:30. Sandra will outline the issues for the referendum and Kevin will give an account of the recent UK referendum on Alternative Vote. Venue is Connolly Hall behind the Cathedral in Hill Street, all are welcome.
Written By: - Date published: 10:42 pm, August 20th, 2011 - 48 comments
So we can safely predict this National govt will score it’s usual epic fail around youth unemployment. And we all know the reasons why this is such a critical issue, so I’m not going to re-hash them either. It’s just that both sides in this debate keep missing the crux of the matter… what is …
Written By: - Date published: 5:24 pm, August 18th, 2011 - 28 comments
Naomi Klein writes how the world’s leaders didn’t take action against those responsible for the financial market crash but would “all go home and force sacrifices on the most vulnerable… by firing public sector workers, scapegoating teachers, closing libraries, upping tuition fees, rolling back union contracts, creating rush privatisations of public assets and decreasing pensions – mix the cocktail for where you live.” Sounds familiar.
Written By: - Date published: 10:42 pm, August 15th, 2011 - 23 comments
At National’s conference John Key accused Labour of the “politics of envy”. Peter Goodfellow told delegates they had more money for this campaign than ever before. National’s coffers will be bulging because of their assets sales policy. Labour wanting to keep assets publicly owned for everyone’s benefit is not at all about envy.
Written By: - Date published: 12:28 am, August 6th, 2011 - 25 comments
BBC Radio 4 in the UK has a very interesting debate pitting followers of Keynes vs those of Hayek
Written By: - Date published: 6:25 pm, August 5th, 2011 - 12 comments
Written By: - Date published: 10:56 am, August 2nd, 2011 - 57 comments
The PSA is launching its election campaign this evening. Our big challenge is to break through the government’s narrative (now reaching mythic proportions) that NZ is sinking under debt the likes of Greece tooand the only solution is to cut public spending and sell assets. As the well informed readers of The Standard know, NZ’s …
Written By: - Date published: 7:52 pm, July 31st, 2011 - 14 comments
Geoff Simmons will speak on the importanceof Pharmac at a Fabian seminar today at St John’s Church at 5:30pm. Pharmac is also “on the table” in negotiations with the US in the Trans-Pacific Trade agreement. It is no secret that the US pharmaceutical industry would like to clip Pharmac’s wings; but our government’s approach is secret as they have refused to release draft negotiating texts. Geoff and Gareth Morgan have written to government arguing that a US free-trade deal isn’t worth it if Pharmac is sacrificed.
All are welcome to the free seminar.
Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, July 31st, 2011 - 46 comments
So Breivik has given us an eyes wide open gaze into the abyss. Chilling isn’t it? Much has been written in the last week about the political atrocity he committed, yet this article in the Sunday Star Times today is equally wrong. Here is why. Many years ago I recall listening to a BBC correspondent …
Written By: - Date published: 9:35 pm, July 23rd, 2011 - 27 comments
Charles Moore, Thatcher’s authorised biographer writes in today’s Telegraph: “It has taken me more than 30 years as a journalist to ask myself this question, but I find that I must: is the Left right after all? The Left argues that “the free market” is actually a set-up. The rich run a global system that allows them to accumulate capital and pay the lowest possible price for labour. The freedom that results applies only to them. The many simply have to work harder, in conditions that grow ever more insecure, to enrich the few. Democratic politics is actually in the pocket of those bankers, media barons and other moguls who run and own everything”. It’s worth a read.
Written By: - Date published: 3:54 pm, July 22nd, 2011 - 4 comments
I’ve long thought that the best commentary on the business pages in the Herald and DomPost comes from Alex, the Telegraph cartoonist. He documents the real priorities of the insiders running the rentier economy. News that the banks are offering a lot of hospitality to Treasury officials shows that there are a few Alex’s here.
Written By: - Date published: 11:42 am, July 22nd, 2011 - 98 comments
It has been long known that the name “Fox News” should really be known as “Faux News” because it doesn’t believe in reporting reality. It just makes crap up and spins everything to avoid dealing with reality. This video looks at their performance on climate change.
Written By: - Date published: 11:38 am, July 20th, 2011 - 16 comments
Stayed up to watch the Murdochs testifying before a House of Commons committee. They didn’t know a thing about phone hacking. They were let down by those under them. Rupert said it was “the most humble day of my life”. That would be right; Murdochs don’t do humble. It will be a totally new experience. The highest point of drama was the right hook administered by Rupert Murdoch’s latest wife Wendy Deng on the protestor who stuck a shaving-cream pie in Murdoch’s face. There were no smoking guns, but what we may have witnessed was the beginning of the end of the Murdoch dynastic dream. Good riddance.
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 14th, 2011 - 84 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
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