Archive for August, 2009

Rodney and John roger Rodney

Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, August 26th, 2009 - 18 comments

Maori seats? Who cares eh? If democratic process is ignored to override the Maori, who cares? But what if it’s some nice Pakeha?   The Government is going to slice Rodney council in two. The North half goes to Kaipara. The other half goes into the Supercity.   The people of Rodney overwhelmingly don’t want […]

It’s not OK, resign

Written By: - Date published: 5:23 am, August 26th, 2009 - 75 comments

The judgment in the case of ‘high-profile political figure’ involved in a domestic violence dispute has come back. Cameron Slater has published parts of the judgment, which declines to issue a protection order because the couple are no longer together but does hold that his actions did “amount to domestic violence in the form of […]

If you believe in it, put something on the line

Written By: - Date published: 7:21 pm, August 25th, 2009 - 54 comments

It’s a strange day when you’re praising Tau Henare. But at least he’s standing up for Maori seats, unlike the pathetic display from Pita Sharples. Henare’s email brought to public attention Hide’s bullying threat to resign over the seats. Today, he kept up the fight having a go at Hide for his wag the dog tactics […]

Our Political Blogosphere

Written By: - Date published: 3:45 pm, August 25th, 2009 - 11 comments

Denis Welch educating the broader public about the New Zealand political blogosphere on RNZ’s 9 to Noon today with Lynn Freeman. A pretty fair synopsis and well worth a quick listen. (9:19 mins total)

The smiling snake bites

Written By: - Date published: 2:36 pm, August 25th, 2009 - 18 comments

The Herald editorial is pretty scathing of Key’s Government for rejecting Maori seats on the super-council but I have to take issue with this par: The Cabinet’s decision to reject Maori seats on the Super City Auckland Council is a retrograde step that undoes much that has been accomplished over the past nine months. What […]

Stopping family violence: must do better

Written By: - Date published: 2:24 pm, August 25th, 2009 - 21 comments

Shocking to see these figures: Almost a third of Kiwi women and one in five men will experience violence and abuse at the hands of their partners. The statistics are in a report made public today that will guide a crackdown on family violence. We need to get better at dealing with these issues. It’s […]

Snake oil

Written By: - Date published: 1:16 pm, August 25th, 2009 - 18 comments

I’m surprised that the Maori Party have rolled over so easily on the issue of Maori seats on the Auckland council. I will be even more surprised if the Maori people follow suit. Because they have every right to be angry. Remember what Key said of the Hikoi? The hikoi was sparked over the dumping […]

Healthcare – need or wealth?

Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, August 25th, 2009 - 44 comments

I don’t know if you’ve been following the healthcare debate in the States. Obama’s trying to bring in a plan that gets their ludicrously backward and complicated system part way towards the universal system every other developed country has. The Right’s going nuts. These next two clips prove that Jon Stewart is the smartest man […]

Don’t look for help from the bosses’ party

Written By: - Date published: 10:14 am, August 25th, 2009 - 21 comments

Red Alert continues to get better and better. Beaumont’s latest is one of those powerful stories that deserves to be told, and Red Alert provides the platform. I’m going to be cheeky and reproduce it in full: Today at a fleamarket in Panmure I spoke to a young couple with a young daughter.  The young man […]

Drinking Liberally Wgtn – Thursday

Written By: - Date published: 9:52 am, August 25th, 2009 - Comments Off on Drinking Liberally Wgtn – Thursday

Drinking Liberally is taking place again in Wellington this Thursday with guest David Shearer. He’ll be talking about his experiences overseas and on the campaign trail in Mt Albert, and how he intends to apply the lessons he has learned to his time in Parliament. When: 17:30, Thursday 27th August. Where: Southern Cross, Abel Smith […]

Ultra-fast broadband? Eventually, but not now

Written By: - Date published: 8:46 am, August 25th, 2009 - 17 comments

For what seems like the fiftieth time, we’re being told to expect an announcement from Steven Joyce on the shape of the Government’s ultra-fast broadband investment programme. It’s been nine months now and he hasn’t managed to produce anything solid, let alone get the legislative process underway. Before the election, we were told that $1.5 […]

Want local democracy? Too bad

Written By: - Date published: 8:55 pm, August 24th, 2009 - 45 comments

  Remember when John Key and Rodney Hide were saying that nothing was decided on the super-city, that the select committee would listen to the people and report back the changes they wanted? Well, not only did the people let the Government know time and again that they didn’t want any supercity, a majority of […]

Time for Key to show some backbone

Written By: - Date published: 4:06 pm, August 24th, 2009 - 63 comments

John Key thinks there’s no need to change the law in the wake of the smacking referendum, but he does think there’s a need for ‘increased safeguards’ to prevent parents who mete out ‘inconsequential’ smacks from being prosecuted. He’s also stated that he agrees with the result of the referendum, stating that it is ‘totally […]

Fisking Farrar

Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, August 24th, 2009 - 24 comments

I don’t know what it is about the word “Labour” that the right finds so hard to understand. David Farrar has a piece up today attacking the Labour Party for backing the Telecom lines engineers, who are members of the EPMU. The crux of his argument is that Labour should keep politics out of industrial […]

Herald calls win for Hide

Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, August 24th, 2009 - 43 comments

The Herald has an exclusive claiming that National will go with ACT and reject the Maori Party over the issue of Maori seats on the Auckland supercity council. The Herald doesn’t present any rock solid evidence to back up this claim but it’s pretty obvious that’s the way National will go. Creating Maori seats in […]

First they came for Spongebob

Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, August 24th, 2009 - 66 comments

One of the most powerful conservative Christian fundamentalist groups in America is Focus on the Family. This group has an impressive organisation, income, media presence and influence (summary). They also have an agenda which has been colourfully described as follows: Focus on the Family A christian organization based in Colorado Springs that was founded by […]

More than just a job

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 am, August 24th, 2009 - 76 comments

Recently, Bill English has been trying to make excuses for not doing anything about the spiralling numbers of unemployed. He says that the practically full employment* of recent years was a mirage and people who are becoming unemployed should know “their jobs were unsustainable“. It’s similar to what he was saying in 1999, when he […]

Playing catch up?

Written By: - Date published: 12:39 pm, August 23rd, 2009 - 18 comments

In the 1980s and early 1990s, during the Right’s neoliberal economic revolution, New Zealand’s economic output per person stalled – growing just 0.01% per year between 1984 and 1992 – and fell behind Australia’s economy, which grew 1.84% per person a year over the same period. Between 1999 and 2008, the New Zealand’s GDP per capita actually […]

Will Key go with Hide or Maori Party?

Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, August 23rd, 2009 - 12 comments

The issue of Maori seats on the supercity council has inevitably exposed the contradictions inherent in this government. The Maori party wants ’em. ACT won’t agree. Which way will Key go? With Hide. Why? Because Hide’s the only willing to hurt the government to get what he wants. Hide says he’ll resign as minister. It’s […]

Referendum results

Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, August 22nd, 2009 - 224 comments

I can’t say I’m all that surprised about the results of the ‘smacking’ referendum. As any good pollster will tell you, if you ask a leading question you’ll get the result you want. And that’s exactly what we got. Contrary to what the beating lobby is claiming today, all this referendum tells us is that […]

Are we this stupid?

Written By: - Date published: 12:15 pm, August 21st, 2009 - 94 comments

I got along to the Greens’ sold-out screening of The Age of the Stupid last night. It’s a powerful movie, perhaps a bit disjointed at the start but it builds to a conclusion that really hits home. You can’t watch it and not come away more determined to do your bit, and demand your government […]

When preening goes wrong

Written By: - Date published: 11:21 am, August 21st, 2009 - 14 comments

Tony Ryall had his chance in the big chair yesterday, sitting in for the Prime Minister in Question Time. A chance for self-promotion, naturally. So the first question was from Jackie Blue to Ryall on elective surgery numbers: Dr Jackie Blue: What reports has the Minister seen of the results for the 2008-09 year just […]

Hide would go for principles, Sharples would stay for baubles

Written By: - Date published: 10:05 am, August 21st, 2009 - 24 comments

Rodney Hide has said that having Maori seats on the Auckland Supercity council would go completely against his party’s principles. So, he would refuse to be the Minister of Local Government taking a Bill through the House that includes Maori seats on the Supercity. He would resign from his portfolios and vote against the legislation. […]

Well done National

Written By: - Date published: 9:13 am, August 21st, 2009 - 16 comments

The polls are still fine but National are looking a wee bit crispy round the edges right now. Nice Mr Key has a lot on his plate (hat tip).. Check out the rap sheet: – a recent humbling by election loss – a minister sacked (for reasons that we are not allowed to know) – […]

Tax reform mustn’t be a gift for the rich

Written By: - Date published: 5:25 am, August 21st, 2009 - 16 comments

Vernon Small’s pieces on tax in the Independent and Dom this week have been interesting. He provides a good overview of the issues around a land tax, capital gains tax, and raising GST. He points out that most economists argue we should tax things that can’t be taken away or avoided and things we want to discourage […]

Will Key fold?

Written By: - Date published: 5:56 pm, August 20th, 2009 - 76 comments

Interesting times for Key. Rodney is trying to wag the dog over Maori seats. He’s also trying it on over the “smacking referendum” (memo to Rodney, you can only throw your toys out of the cot once). The “No” vote organiser “sickos” are already planning their victory party, and already arguing about “the next step”. […]

Telecom’s profits first, NZ second

Written By: - Date published: 12:07 pm, August 20th, 2009 - 37 comments

You’ve heard about the Telecom dispute. But while a lot of the focus has been on what it means for the lines engineers involved, an equally important issue is what it means for the future of our country’s infrastructure. Because basically, this whole dispute is a sympton of Telecom’s attempts to increase its profits at […]

Pwned

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, August 20th, 2009 - 68 comments

This just in from a reader… Constituent: [On Obama’s healthcare policy] “Why are you supporting this Nazi policy?” Barney Frank: “On what planet do you spend most of your time?… You stand there with a picture of the president defaced to look like Hitler and compare the effort to increase healthcare to the Nazis … […]

Bridging the Big Ditch

Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, August 20th, 2009 - 22 comments

Mr Key is off in Australia this week promoting further measures to bind the two countries into a single economic market, and slash red tape on trade, investment and business, and to shape the two economies into a force that can team up to position themselves for the world after the global economic crisis.. Well […]

Keep it up, Chippie and co

Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, August 20th, 2009 - 27 comments

Good on Chris Hipkins. The other day, he wrote: “National won the last election quite comfortably. Kiwis are fair minded people and will be willing to give them a fair go at the job before they pass judgment. I expect that will be reflected in the opinion polls for most of the current parliamentary term. […]

Will National cave to threats from Hide?

Written By: - Date published: 10:31 pm, August 19th, 2009 - 85 comments

An email leaked to 3News suggests that Rodney Hide is holding the government to ransom over denying guaranteed Supercity representation for Maori. The email – reportedly from a senior National Party MP and sent to the whole caucus – reads, in part: Clearly we are at a crossroads. The ACT party has threatened to end […]