Archive for November, 2010

Maori seats for Auckland?

Written By: - Date published: 3:10 pm, November 16th, 2010 - 8 comments

National’s handling of the Auckland SuperCity process was profoundly undemocratic in a multitude of ways.  Thank goodness, and the common sense of Aucklanders, that a “Labour Mayor from South Auckland” was elected to sort out at least some of the resulting mess.  Len Brown has pledged to hold talks on dedicated Maori seats on the Council.  It’s great to see that Brown is open to correcting National’s injustice on this matter.

17 dead in police chases

Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, November 16th, 2010 - 131 comments

In the last year, 17 people have been killed in police chases. Many more injured. They might be criminals but they don’t deserve to die. Yet the Police policy – chase anything that flees – is killing them. The carnage needs to end. The human and financial cost is unbearable. But the Police are determined to continue. The government needs to step in.

Too expensive to pump

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, November 16th, 2010 - 49 comments

The International Energy Agency’s annual World Energy Outlook forecasts that by 2035 oil will cost $200 a barrel in today’s dollars. That’s not $200 during a price spike, that’s $200 as the new normal. The world entered recession when the price went over $100 in a spike during 2008. A permanent price of $200 a barrel is simply unaffordable.

Criminal procedure bill

Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, November 16th, 2010 - 65 comments

Simon Power yesterday introduced the new “Criminal Procedure (Reform and Modernisation) Bill” to Parliament, touting it as “the biggest change to the criminal justice system in 50 years”.  It certainly is that.  It proposes doing away with trial by jury for a significant range of offences. It proposes allowing a trial to go ahead without the defendant present.  In other words, it looks like yet another attack on fundamental rights…

Open mike 16/11/2010

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 16th, 2010 - 74 comments

Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

Worse than I imagined

Written By: - Date published: 8:31 pm, November 15th, 2010 - 98 comments

We learn from rort-buster Pete Hodgson that Pansy Wong and her husband have been running private companies out of her taxpayer-funded electorate office. I don’t see how she can remain in Parliament now. Who set and enforced the standards that have seen so many ministers involved in rorts? There’s only one person to point the finger at: Key

Trading away our rights

Written By: - Date published: 3:38 pm, November 15th, 2010 - 34 comments

The dark side of the current much-heralded free trade talks is that New Zealand could end up letting foreign firms dictate how the country is run, from quarantine rules to local content laws, unless it learns the lessons of previous trade deals. A new book edited by Auckland academic Jane Kelsey, No Ordinary Deal, points out that free trade deals are now about far more than just tariffs.

The new economy: what do we want?

Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, November 15th, 2010 - 48 comments

We should treat the economy as a tool to serve our collective needs within the environment’s limits. Instead, we elevated it to the status of a god. Now, environmental degradation and resource exhaustion will leave us with no choice but to live within those limits. To do that, we need to build a system with two goals: fairness and sustainability.

Buttering up Russia

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, November 15th, 2010 - 30 comments

What’s so great about free trade negotiations with Russia? We export only $180 million a year to them, most of it butter. That’s 2% of our exports to the US and Japan and Key’s made no progress on their trade barriers. Rising  oil costs will soon make our butter uncompetitive vs Russian dairy farmers. Key got his photo op – but not with Obama.

Hard core drunk drivers

Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, November 15th, 2010 - 32 comments

The Key government doesn’t want to act on advice that would reduce deaths due to drunk drivers.  The latest tactic is an attempt to divert attention to the worst “hard core” offenders.  This is “ambulance at the bottom of the cliff” foolishness.  Why wait until we have problem drunk drivers and then try and pick up the pieces? Wouldn’t it be better to try and prevent people from becoming problem drivers in the first place?

Pansy’s future wilting

Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, November 15th, 2010 - 40 comments

Will Pansy Wong face criminal charges for fraudulently abusing her MP’s travel perk? Will she be forced to leave Parliament triggering a(nother) by-election and possibly even an extra early election? What will Lockwood Smith’s investigation turn up? Whatever comes, at least she isn’t a minister anymore but who will replace her?

Fabian Seminars – New Zealand’s economy needs a rethink

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 15th, 2010 - 12 comments

The next series of Fabian Seminars will feature financial journalist Bernard Hickey of interest.co.nz and Selwyn Pellett of the Productive Economy Council discussing the need for a complete rethink of our approach to economic policy. Bernard Hickey wrote recently in a post titled “The free market god doesn’t exist”: “I think New Zealand needs to […]

Open mike 15/11/2010

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 15th, 2010 - 128 comments

Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

Holmes not new Henry

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, November 14th, 2010 - 21 comments

TVNZ approached National media trainer and broadcast bigot Paul Holmes to replace failed National candidate and broadcast bigot on Breakfast. Holmes has apparently turned down the offer. Thank goodness. He’s unprofessional, open bias and panels with John Tamihere representing the Left have made Q+A unwatchable. Breakfast should aim higher.

Jeff Rubin on oil & the end of globalisation

Written By: - Date published: 4:29 pm, November 14th, 2010 - 29 comments

Economist Jeff Rubin explains that the peak oil crisis is the underlying cause of the global economic crisis and why the economy isn’t shaking itself out of recession as in the past. In the age of peak oil, trade advantages will be overwhelmed by transport costs. The winners will be self-sufficient countries with their own agricultural and manufacturing bases.

What was that squeak?

Written By: - Date published: 12:05 pm, November 14th, 2010 - 31 comments

According to Radio NZMr Dunne criticised the Labour Party’s approach to MMP politics and its relationship with the Green Party.”

I’m sure Labour are shaking in their boots from Mr Dunne’s criticism.

Perhaps “Mr 0.87%” should draw some focus here. He was marginally ahead of a joke last election. Literally. The Bill and Ben Party was polled just behind Mr Dunne. Let’s hope someone steps on that Tory squeek next election.

If you’re political, your opinion doesn’t count

Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, November 14th, 2010 - 57 comments

It’s disconcerting to see National and its blogging lackies running smear campaigns against anyone who has what they deem to be “political connections”. The government’s current strategy to deal to individual opposition is find a link to Labour or the Greens and dismiss the outspoken person on the basis of political bias. This tactic is […]

Heroes: Aung San Suu Kyi

Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, November 14th, 2010 - 9 comments

Aung San Suu Kyi is a Burmese opposition politician. In 1990 her National League for Democracy won the general election, electing her Prime Minister.   The results were “nullified”, and the military refused to hand over power.  Despite being under house arrest for most of the subsequent years, Aung San Suu Kyi has remained a symbol and a leader for her people.  She has just been released…

Open mike 14/11/2010

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 14th, 2010 - 39 comments

Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

As Nero Fiddles…

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, November 13th, 2010 - 74 comments

Climate change and a shoals of dirty little red herrings would seem to go together like salt and pepper or cheese and pickle.

Evidence vs. hysteria

Written By: - Date published: 1:13 pm, November 13th, 2010 - 35 comments

The international evidence is all against national standards.  The government’s own expert advisor wants to scrap the system and is warning of disaster.  Other  experts agree, citing the probable harm to children.  Against the evidence and the experts there is only the fanaticism (Tolley) and propaganda (DPF) of those who are quite happy to damage children for political ends.  With the welfare of our children at stake, who do you really believe?

Focused on what matters

Written By: - Date published: 11:51 am, November 13th, 2010 - 32 comments

John Key has been on holiday in Japan for the last few days ahead of APEC while the real international leaders are in Korea for the G20. Key is keen to have a ‘pull-aside’ with Obama but, now, disaster: the US has limited the number of Kiwi media that can cover the smiling and waving. Key has leaped into action.

Rugby World Cup Opening Ceremony

Written By: - Date published: 8:06 am, November 13th, 2010 - 35 comments

The NBR reported yesterday morning that Murray McCully had awarded the $8 million RWC Opening Ceremony contract to Aussie firm David Atkins Creative.  Over on Red Alert, Grant Robertson was rightly appalled. The story seems to be being largely retracted now, with McCully trying to distance his meddling hands from the affair and the NZRFU […]

Government cuts bite back

Written By: - Date published: 6:42 am, November 13th, 2010 - 26 comments

So our kiwifruit industry is in peril.  PSA may be here to stay, vines may start being burnt today, and a $1.36 billion industry is in trouble. Last year National sacked 54 front-line biosecurity staff, and slashed the budgets by millions. The PSA (Public Service Association) warned at the time that inevitably disease and pests […]

Open mike 13/11/2010

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 13th, 2010 - 25 comments

Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

David Suzuki and the Paradigm of Growth

Written By: - Date published: 10:50 pm, November 12th, 2010 - 27 comments

Dr David Suzuki has given the keynote speech at the Green Party Conference on Sustainable Economics. Here is a fantastic presentation of his, about why our obsession with economic growth is suicidal.  Watch it – it’s pretty powerful stuff.

Where is everybody?

Written By: - Date published: 2:22 pm, November 12th, 2010 - 13 comments

John Key got to Japan for his Apec meeting a couple of days ago, and he’s been telling the Japanese they need to drop their tariffs, and the US he’d like to have a chat with Obama on the sidelines of a meeting, any meeting, please…  But nobody else is there.  They’re all still at the G20, across the ditch in Korea. What’s John Key doing?

Now who’s the f*ckwit?

Written By: - Date published: 1:31 pm, November 12th, 2010 - 86 comments

Pansy Wong has been stood down resigned over her abuse of her ministerial status and perks for her husband’s private business dealings. I expected that Key act ‘relaxed’ and hope for this blow over. That he hasn’t indicates they’ve uncovered something more. Will we find out what it is, or will Key pull another Richard Worth on us? Updates coming.

House prices show double-dip

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, November 12th, 2010 - 14 comments

House prices are a good indication of how the economy is going. They rose rapidly in the 2000s, stalled in 2007, plummeted in 2008, and made a slight recovery in 2009. Now they’re heading down again. The median house price is over 16% below the peak in late 2007 and I reckon they’ve got a long down way to go yet.

Fired for using too much sauce

Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, November 12th, 2010 - 47 comments

The Nats are determined to push through more attacks on the rights of working New Zealanders. The latest stories of abuse of the Fire at Will law to emerge involve a chef who ‘who used too much sauce’ and a dairy worker who stood up for an abused immigrant worker. The Nats want all of us to be subject to Fire at Will. Our job is to fight back.

Wong done wrong, Key cringing

Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, November 12th, 2010 - 29 comments

We’re getting to the meat of the Pansy Wong affair. Stating her occupation when witnessing a form for her husband’s business deal was no major problem. But Wong’s flights were paid with her MP’s travel perk. That is a serious problem. The rules “expressly forbid MPs from using their private travel perk to pursue their own or their spouse’s private business interests”.