Archive for October, 2012

Small government

Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, October 26th, 2012 - 54 comments

Cuts have consequences.

Combine that with a culture where ministers are never held accountable for anything, and you have a recipe for bungling incompetence.

This National government is a very small government indeed.

Open mike 26/10/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 26th, 2012 - 140 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…

Sexist NZ

Written By: - Date published: 2:29 pm, October 25th, 2012 - 10 comments

Two recent posts from NRT on aspects of sexism in NZ, and a scathing reply to Business NZ from Sue Moroney.

Maori Party too little too late

Written By: - Date published: 11:21 am, October 25th, 2012 - 9 comments

The Maori Party has pulled its support for the latest weakening of the ETS. As usual Peter Dunne will be personally responsible for propping up the worst of the Nats’ agenda.

Business NZ threatens members will violate human rights over PPL

Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, October 25th, 2012 - 19 comments

Here’s Business NZ’s shill on extending paid parental leave: “Employers who have been forced to bear considerable replacement costs, or to find those amongst their other employees willing to provide cover, may well think hard before again employing a woman of child-bearing age”. 1) that makes no sense 2) it’s illegal under the Human Rights Act.

Time for Greg O’Connor to resign

Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, October 25th, 2012 - 52 comments

All Police are tainted by the illegal, unethical actions of the few, which the Police Association under Greg O’Connor endorses, defends, and tries to cover-up. O’Connor’s latest outrages are dismissing a report into systemic sexism and sexual abuse by Police as a “ritual humiliation” and justifying Police laying false prosecutions.

Government failing on jobs, education

Written By: - Date published: 7:29 am, October 25th, 2012 - 46 comments

A TV3 poll shows that 49% to 46% of people believe National is failing to build its promised “brighter future”. The two big weaknesses: jobs and education. By nearly 2 to 1 margins, people believe that National is failing to provide full employment (it says something that this isn’t actually a National Party goal) and failing to provide the best education system possible.

Open mike 25/10/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 25th, 2012 - 52 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…

Well past time to be “concerned”!

Written By: - Date published: 4:59 pm, October 24th, 2012 - 50 comments

Despite an apparently never-ending parade of security stuff-ups at WINZ, Paula Bennet is “not concerned”. What exactly is her job then?

ImperatorFish: Hacker Accesses PM’s Brain

Written By: - Date published: 2:02 pm, October 24th, 2012 - 11 comments

Security experts were being rushed to the ninth floor of the Beehive this morning, after a malicious hacker accessed the Prime Minister’s brain. Experts began to suspect a breach of security, after large amounts of data stored in John Key’s brain disappeared.

Shifting ground: PPL

Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, October 24th, 2012 - 27 comments

The government is vulnerable around Sue Moroney’s Paid Parental Leave Bill.  The Nats don’t want it to pass, but they risk losing support from women.  A government veto of an entire Bill is on experimental ground, and Bill English has shifted his reasons for not supporting the Bill. Updates: BusinessNZ submission

Drinking Liberally – Hamilton

Written By: - Date published: 10:55 am, October 24th, 2012 - 14 comments

Drinking Liberally

Great to see Drinking Liberally starting up again in New Zealand. And in a new city, Hamilton. There’s nothing to stop people getting Drinking Liberally started up in other cities again. It’s pretty much just a matter of finding a venue, maybe organising a speaker, setting up a Facebook page, and asking your friendly Leftwing hub blog to tell everyone about it.

The false economy of sprawl

Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, October 24th, 2012 - 95 comments

Housing is too expensive. It has been driven up by ‘investors’ in pursuit of a safe, hands-off, tax-free return. 8% of the people own about 40% of the houses. That’s the problem – over-allocation of savings from the upper-middle class into housing pushing prices up, out of reach of the middle and working class, who become their tenants. The Nats’ solution: more sprawl.

Nats get desperate on asset sales

Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, October 24th, 2012 - 64 comments

The Nats have decided to try to lean on the judiciary to get asset sales handled the way they want. The Judge is ‘Red Ron’. The Court shouldn’t try to decide water rights at a level of general principle. The Maori Council mustn’t get legal aid. The case should be kicked straight up to the Supreme Court and settled before March. It’s not working. It’s not going to work. And the costs are mounting. Updated

Open mike 24/10/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 24th, 2012 - 89 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…

Browser wars: The battle for NZ

Written By: - Date published: 4:20 pm, October 23rd, 2012 - 40 comments

Please chant in unison. “I hate Internet Explorer”….

Well it looks like that opinion has finally penetrated from web developers out to the general public in NZ. IE is no longer the top browser here or worldwide.

It is a slow day suitable for a mindless topic 😈

Mighty River sale on hold

Written By: - Date published: 2:32 pm, October 23rd, 2012 - 28 comments

As expected, the High Court advised today that the government should hold off sale of Mighty River Power. The government is complying.

Charter schools shoot themselves in both feet

Written By: - Date published: 2:03 pm, October 23rd, 2012 - 16 comments

Evidence of the supposed success of charter schools in New York is doing the rounds. Unfortunately for the right-wing ideologues, charter schools shoot themselves in both feet when they use “relaxed” assessment standards and other methods of artificially “boosting” their results.

Obama v Romney 3

Written By: - Date published: 11:56 am, October 23rd, 2012 - 11 comments

The third and final debate kicks off in about 2 hours. As always, check out The Guardian live blog.

And now, some good news

Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, October 23rd, 2012 - 8 comments

Union members are the ones who win decent wages and conditions for everyone. And the good news is union membership is increasing, despite rising unemployment.

Imperatorfish: Discipline

Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, October 23rd, 2012 - 17 comments

Labour MP Shane Jones appeared on TVNZ’s Q&A show over the weekend to debate with Gareth Hughes over plans for a Ross Sea marine reserve. Despite not being Labour’s spokesperson on conservation or fisheries. Labour hasn’t actually determined its position on the issue. So why did Jones appear at all? Did he get clearance from David Shearer before appearing?

Open mike 23/10/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 23rd, 2012 - 61 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…

Supernumerary

Written By: - Date published: 3:50 pm, October 22nd, 2012 - 100 comments

I’ve been thinking about what you might call a ‘good problem’ for the Left.. but it leads me to a ‘problem problem’. OK, so let’s say we win the next election – as the Left must do and should do given how unpopular the Nats’ policies are and, for the last year, how inept their political management has been. How do you share the economic portfolios out?

Adventures in the slave trade

Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, October 22nd, 2012 - 74 comments

Slavery was abolished in the 19th century, wasn’t it? From wage-slavery to human-trafficking, modern day forms of slavery have many faces, all in the interests of profits for the few.  What are these different faces, and what impact do they have on the lives of ordinary people?

Tax fraud, benefit fraud, proportional response

Written By: - Date published: 8:50 am, October 22nd, 2012 - 38 comments

A Victoria University study shows that tax evasion is costing the country at least 25 times what welfare fraud is costing, while welfare fraud is punished more harshly in court.

Open mike 22/10/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 22nd, 2012 - 110 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…

Rant: Why reconnect to broadcast?

Written By: - Date published: 3:40 pm, October 21st, 2012 - 59 comments

We moved out of the rental back into my old apartment in a flurry of concrete dust from polishing concrete and cursing from fitting storage two months ago. But I still haven’t bothered with connecting up broadcast TV. Why would I want to bother? Broadcast TV is largely mindless and endlessly frustrating. These days there are better alternatives than video stores.

Whatever happened to the 40 hour week?

Written By: - Date published: 10:54 am, October 21st, 2012 - 122 comments

While Labour Day commemorates the 40 hour week, 13% of Kiwis are working more than 50 hours per week, and ANZ are predicting unemployment to rise to 7%… couldn’t we distribute that work a bit better?

Sunday Reading

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, October 21st, 2012 - 5 comments

My regular Sunday piece of interesting, longer, deeper stories I found during the week. It’s also a chance for you to share what you found this week too. This week: plutocrats, the New World Order, benefits and solving slavery and extinction.

Open mike 21/10/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 21st, 2012 - 96 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…

ImperatorFish: Labour Blamed For Robot Army Attack

Written By: - Date published: 2:13 pm, October 20th, 2012 - 13 comments

Questions were again raised about the leadership of David Shearer today, after a giant robot army descended from the skies and laid waste to most of the North Island. As the horde of killer machines spread fire and death in all directions, there was no news from the Labour Party leader about how he would deal with the crisis. Critics of Labour say that Shearer’s inaction is further evidence that he is unfit to lead the party.