Archive for June, 2013

ImperatorFish: Patrick Gower put on notice by colleagues

Written By: - Date published: 2:51 pm, June 30th, 2013 - 25 comments

Gower told 3 News last night that he was not concerned about questions surrounding his leadership, or the failure of 3 News to move ahead of One News in the ratings. “Look, I’m confident I’ll still be here for the 2014 election,” Gower said. “Nobody in the team has said anything to me about any trouble.”

Sunday Reading

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, June 30th, 2013 - 3 comments

My semi-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. Those stimulating links you wanted to share, but just didn’t fit in anywhere.  This week: Prism, sick leave, female voters, and weeing during a filibuster.

1938 7

Written By: - Date published: 7:33 am, June 30th, 2013 - 1 comment

A Sunday feature – each week a random section scanned from a copy of The Standard, September 15th, 1938. Find out more here.

Open mike 30/06/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 30th, 2013 - 166 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…

Congratulations Meka Whaitiri

Written By: - Date published: 9:51 pm, June 29th, 2013 - 12 comments

Labour has a strong new addition to its caucus – Meka Whaitiri beat two strong candidate fields, first in her selection and then in today’s by-election. Her percentage of the votes cast was higher than Parekura’s in his first go in 1999 – I’m picking he knew what he was doing when he encouraged her to put her name forward.

National Party economics: make $2 billion, spend 5

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, June 29th, 2013 - 89 comments

The National Party are the good economic managers, right?  So why are they spending money we don’t actually have yet?

Your country needs you

Written By: - Date published: 1:15 pm, June 29th, 2013 - 76 comments

Slippery John Key continues with the theft of the common weal, while the Kiwis with the least powerful voices are being neglected. Labour MPs, it’s time to get over your personality politics, your divisions and careerist maneuverings, and step up.

Show us the money

Written By: - Date published: 11:22 am, June 29th, 2013 - 56 comments

National’s spend-up promises in Auckland look like panicky policy on the hoof. Where is all this money going to come from? Key says they’ll just write a cheque!

Poverty Watch 37

Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, June 29th, 2013 - Comments Off on Poverty Watch 37

Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, a report from the English Children’s Commissioner on the 600,000 children driven into policy by their government’s policies, and check out the “Race to End Poverty”.

Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election

Written By: - Date published: 6:02 am, June 29th, 2013 - 83 comments

Comments on this post have now been enabled for a discussion of the outcome!

Open mike 29/06/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 29th, 2013 - 157 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…

John Key re-announces Len’s plan

Written By: - Date published: 3:57 pm, June 28th, 2013 - 42 comments

So John Key has today re-announced the Auckland plan, albeit delayed. So the Central Rail Link is on.  There’ll be a 2nd Harbour crossing that’s tunnels. Combine it with Christchurch and Key’s spent about $10 billion this week.  Bill English will be having a heart attack… but then, it’s all spending in the distant future […]

Weekend social 28/06/2013

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, June 28th, 2013 - 18 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?

ImperatorFish: Five reasons why this potato is better than John Key

Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, June 28th, 2013 - 11 comments

1. This potato will not lie, prevaricate, or have convenient memory lapses.

Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election round-up

Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, June 28th, 2013 - 15 comments

Four contenders with excellent track records. Some important issues for the electorate have been highlighted, especially related to poverty, jobs, education, and affordable housing. Some commentators claim tomorrow’s by-election will be a test of this or that party’s strength.[update: RNZ interviews]

Dame Anne Salmond on NZ

Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, June 28th, 2013 - 96 comments

Distinguished Professor, noted historian and author, and New Zealander of the Year Dame Anne Salmond had a powerful piece in The Herald yesterday. Here are some extracts, but you should go and read the full article.

No one wants Key’s convention center

Written By: - Date published: 7:22 am, June 28th, 2013 - 72 comments

Key’s grubby little deal on the Sky City convention center is about as popular as halitosis. Public opinion is against it, and so is the Auckland City Council. But Key will carry on regardless, because he is much too arrogant to back down.

Open mike 28/06/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 28th, 2013 - 125 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: An apology from the Law Society to John Key

Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, June 27th, 2013 - 20 comments

Dear Prime Minister, It appears that we may have made a terrible mistake. We made a detailed submission outlining our concerns about your government’s plans to increase the powers of the GCSB. But it looks like we were wrong. You have told Parliament and the media that you disagree with us. You haven’t said why, but we now accept that you know better than us. What use is all our combined wisdom when arrayed against your everyman common-sense?

A lost generation – industry training is failing

Written By: - Date published: 1:17 pm, June 27th, 2013 - 51 comments

If your child wants to be a teacher, a lawyer, a nurse, an artist, an actor, a writer, an engineer, an architect or a historian to give some examples, you go to University or Polytech and get the full training you need to at least be qualified.  However if they want to be a builder, a plumber, an electrician, an arborist, a plasterer, a mechanic, an upholsterer, a bus driver, a train driver, a bicycle mechanic or a welder then you have to hope like hell they fall into the training one way or another.

“Women of Influence” awards: from the left or the right?

Written By: - Date published: 12:11 pm, June 27th, 2013 - 11 comments

There’s something to be said for Fairfax and Westpac’s launch of the Women of Influence NZ awards. Many women do not receive social recognition, or a fair financial reward, for their valuable contributions to society. The Fairfax-Westpac, right-leaning, individualistic awards foreground money, profits, leadership and business.

Obama acts – at last

Written By: - Date published: 7:24 am, June 27th, 2013 - 96 comments

The Tea Party / Republican Party in Congress are a bunch of anti-science crazies who will never agree to any action to tackle climate change. But Obama doesn’t need them. And it looks like he has finally decided to act.

Open mike 27/06/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 27th, 2013 - 122 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…

Rudd ousts Gillard

Written By: - Date published: 9:57 pm, June 26th, 2013 - 76 comments

Kevin Rudd is PM of Australia again after defeating Julia Gillard 57 votes to 45.

Badass prochoice hero of the day: Wendy Davis

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, June 26th, 2013 - 18 comments

Today in Texas, a small victory was won for reproductive rights, thanks to this kickass senator.

Huge Nat u-turn on City Rail Link

Written By: - Date published: 12:44 pm, June 26th, 2013 - 64 comments

It’s a massive win for the Greens, for Labour, and Auckland. National has caved to the pressure from local government, from business, and from its political opponents. With the polls so close National couldn’t afford to go into 2014 opposing the CRL when Aucklanders want it and the opposition is mobilising it as an issue, including the Greens’ ‘re:connect’ campaign.

Polls and the search for meaning

Written By: - Date published: 12:08 pm, June 26th, 2013 - 80 comments

Imagine if, five times in 18 months, I stuck my head out the window on a random day, made a guess of the temperature that was 95% likely to be 3 degrees or less too high or too low and, then, extrapolated climate change data from my results. You would laugh at me: too much chance and margin of error, not enough data points. Still, that doesn’t stop the Herald.

If you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear

Written By: - Date published: 7:34 am, June 26th, 2013 - 91 comments

Yesterday Key actually ran the classic justification for “police state” surveillance: if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear. This argument is bollocks. Here’s why…

Open mike 26/06/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 26th, 2013 - 231 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…

Unspeakable

Written By: - Date published: 9:26 pm, June 25th, 2013 - 4 comments

Just in case you don’t know, Danyl’s book, Unspeakable Secrets of the Aro Valley, is now available for pre-order.

Personally I’m in awe of anyone that can manage to write a whole goddamn novel, especially a good one. And I reckon this will be a good one. I’ve got mine ordered – you should too.

Someone to blame…

Written By: - Date published: 3:59 pm, June 25th, 2013 - 11 comments

“If an information technology project costing more than $10 million goes off the rails, the buck will now stop with Government chief information officer (GCIO) and Internal Affairs boss Colin MacDonald.”