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.”
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.
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.
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…
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.
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?
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.
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!
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”.
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!
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…
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 […]
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?
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, June 28th, 2013 - 11 comments
1. This potato will not lie, prevaricate, or have convenient memory lapses.
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]
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.
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.
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…
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?
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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…
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.
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.”
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