Archive for August, 2012

Joint Statement on Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement

Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, August 22nd, 2012 - 74 comments

A press release that is well worth reprinting verbatim.  The Green parties of NZ, Australia and Canada speak out about the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).

The wheels coming off

Written By: - Date published: 10:40 am, August 22nd, 2012 - 46 comments

The Nats are admitting the wheels are coming of their asset sales programme. Solid Energy’s revenue is in free-fall. So is AirNZ’s. Nobody can predict the impact the water rights issue will have on the power companies. And Meridian is playing chicken with its main customer, the country’s largest energy consumer.

Joyce’s latest list

Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, August 22nd, 2012 - 39 comments

You have to remember sometimes that Steven Joyce’s introduction to politics was as a campaign strategist. That explains why he is still obsessed with style over substance. He’s released the second of six glossy publications from his new Mobie super-ministry. Like the previous one – like the decision to form the super-ministry – there’s no meat behind it: the point is merely to appear busy.

Petrol hits record

Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, August 22nd, 2012 - 210 comments

Z has set a new record for petrol prices with 91 up to $2.23. The others are expected to follow. We are in a new oil shock due to peak oil. The once unimaginable $2 a litre is now the low price. Ironically, the high dollar that is killing our exporters is protecting us from much higher petrol prices. So why is our government investing $12 billion on deepening our oil addiction?

Open mike 22/08/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 22nd, 2012 - 208 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…

On decile ratings of schools

Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, August 21st, 2012 - 20 comments

Decile ratings of schools are to be dropped from ERO reports because they are “confusing” and “unfair” and lead to “white flight”. Unlike, say, ropey national standards data. Uh huh.

Towards a metric for Prime Ministerial decision-making

Written By: - Date published: 10:37 am, August 21st, 2012 - 72 comments

So, a pre-planned trip to watch a son’s baseball and a week’s holiday in the States is more important than attending 2 soldiers’ funerals. But attending 3 soldiers’ funerals outranks attending the Pacific Island Forum attended by the region’s leaders. A question for the reader: how many Little League games beats a pull aside with Julia Gillard on boat people?

Gear change Labour

Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, August 21st, 2012 - 56 comments

It was standing room only in Auckland last night with over 200 people packed into the Polish Society clubrooms to hear David Parker deliver a very positive message on Labour’s economic policy. Labour’s Auckland organisation  is also getting into good shape. And there is more to come. Watch this space.

10 Jacks are as good as their master

Written By: - Date published: 6:43 am, August 21st, 2012 - 128 comments

Compare the latest figures on CEO pay to the median income of New Zealanders and to the minimum wage. The average CEO gets 10 times the pay of a full-time minimum wage worker or the income of the typical Kiwi. The gap is growing. The CEO pay increase was 26 times the median income increase, 56 times what a full-time minimum wage earner got. Does anyone think this is a recipe for a happy and successful New Zealand?

Open mike 21/08/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 21st, 2012 - 118 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…

Losing a generation

Written By: - Date published: 12:19 pm, August 20th, 2012 - 59 comments

There are just short of 630,000 people aged 20-29. A net 33,000 of them have left for Australia under National – 13,000 in the last year. That’s twice the rate of emigration under Labour. There’s also twice as many unemployed in this age group – 46,000. That’s 1 in 8 of our youngest generation of workers either leaving for Aussie or unemployed under National.

15 Ethical “Fails” Under National!

Written By: - Date published: 12:01 pm, August 20th, 2012 - 37 comments

Reprinted with permission from Dave Kennedy (bsprout) at Local Bodies – a very depressing list.

Structural discrimination

Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, August 20th, 2012 - 9 comments

Structural discrimination is alive and well in NZ. It makes nonsense of all the right-wing “one law for all” and beneficiary bashing rhetoric.

Another dark day for NZ in Afghanistan

Written By: - Date published: 7:48 am, August 20th, 2012 - 220 comments

3 New Zealand soldiers have been killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. 5 dead in a fortnight. That’s a big cost. All in the same area of Bamiyan Province. John Key has used American chickenhawk language saying “we won’t cut and run”. Actually, we’re leaving in 2013 anyway. The question is whether its worth the cost of hanging around another year.

Three more Kiwi deaths in Afghanistan

Written By: - Date published: 7:36 am, August 20th, 2012 - 84 comments

The media is reporting that three more Kiwi soldiers have been killed in a bomb attack in Afghanistan.

Our hearts go out to their family and friends.

Open mike 20/08/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 20th, 2012 - 88 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…

NZ vs Ecuador

Written By: - Date published: 10:41 am, August 19th, 2012 - 183 comments

Ecuador is giving us lessons in sovereign independence.

Open mike 19/08/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 19th, 2012 - 172 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…

David Shearer’s second e-newsletter

Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, August 18th, 2012 - 47 comments

Last week David Shearer announced he would be writing a weekly newsletter to members and supporters.

It’s a good idea and a step toward letting people get to know where Labour is coming from. Here’s the second edition.

We’re also happy to publish any similar e-letters from other opposition leaders. Just send them to our email address (see our contact page)

Advice to Labour: Fair, inclusive, positive

Written By: - Date published: 10:09 am, August 18th, 2012 - 69 comments

Hey Labour – here’s three words for you. Fair, inclusive, positive. You’ll win the next election, and the two after that.

The optics of the thing

Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, August 18th, 2012 - 39 comments

When he was Don Brash’s campaign manager, Steven Joyce used to talk about the ‘optics’ being what matters. Well, let’s consider the optics of a fat, bald old man personally insulting three good-looking young journalists every time they ask him sensible questions. If I were Joyce’s media minder, I would have had my head in my hands throughout Joyce’s appearance on The Nation this morning.

CV replies to Whaleoil

Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, August 18th, 2012 - 143 comments

Guest poster Colonial Viper replies to some typically loopy accusations from Whaleoil.

Would you buy shares in…

Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, August 18th, 2012 - 42 comments

Mighty River, when its water use rights are in doubt? Meridian, when its deal with its largest customer is in question? Solid Energy, when it is reviewing all its operations due to the high dollar? Genesis, when Meridian could flood the market with cheap power if its deal with Rio Tinto falls through, and a future government is likely to sharply increase the cost of its emissions from Huntly?

Open mike 18/08/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 18th, 2012 - 178 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…

Drug testing beneficiaries; yeah that’s the problem

Written By: - Date published: 2:49 pm, August 17th, 2012 - 66 comments

I could hardly believe my ears this morning when I heard about Paula Bennett’s plan to drug test beneficiaries and cut their benefits if they fail.  Yeah that’s the problem that’s preventing people from finding work.  Drugs.  Not the 6.8 percent unemployment rate (and it’s higher in the provinces).   It’s hard to imagine a […]

Weekend social 17/08/2012

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, August 17th, 2012 - 21 comments

Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no aggro, why can’t we all just get along?

Bennett, a disgrace to her office

Written By: - Date published: 1:15 pm, August 17th, 2012 - 25 comments

You can’t really understand and fix a problem unless you have some reference points to measure progress against. So, when Paula Bennett’s Green Paper on poverty said that 20% of children live in poverty, people said ‘wow, what are you policies to reduce this and how much will they reduce it by’. But Bennett has no policies to reduce poverty, so she’s resorted to zen-like wavering over whether we can and should measure poverty.

Greens put pokies deal on ice

Written By: - Date published: 10:38 am, August 17th, 2012 - 3 comments

The Greens’ successful call for an Auditor General’s probe into the Government’s pokies-for-convention-centre deal with SkyCity has stalled the negiotations – despite the Nats’ claims it wouldn’t derail their attempt to sell our gambling law. No meetings have been held since the A-G’s investigation began two months ago. With any luck, it’ll push out the legislative timeline past the 2014 election.

Labour’s plan a real alternative to Nats’ failure

Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, August 17th, 2012 - 33 comments

Labour’s hands on approach to economic management focused on boosting manufacturing stands in stark contrast to National’s failed record of big promises and no delivery. Manufacturing is our largest employer. It has lost 25,500 jobs under National. National has been pushing mining for four years. It employs 6,000 people, up just 600 under National.

To the Back Teeth. And Beyond

Written By: - Date published: 9:44 am, August 17th, 2012 - 141 comments

Pagani wrote it. Robertson cleared it. And Shearer uttered it. To summarise; those living by sickness entitlements are probably dodgy b’stards. Nice. Before I go on, I should be clear that this post isn’t some insightful fiction. This is the reality of getting by with a sickness benefit.

Zero tolerance for privacy breaches

Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, August 17th, 2012 - 22 comments

Collins can’t credibly call for zero tolerance on privacy breaches while working alongside a Minister who has not only breached privacy, but is unrepentant, and boasting that she might do it again.  Bennett has breached the Privacy Act – what is she doing still in cabinet? The Nats have no credibility while she remains.