Archive for March, 2014

Polity: The new TV polls

Written By: - Date published: 7:13 pm, March 31st, 2014 - 24 comments

The TV1 and TV3 polls yesterday show roughly the same situation, which also mirrors Polity’s poll of polls. National retains a smallish polling lead over the left bloc of around four points. But Winston Peters and New Zealand First are starting their surge toward the 5% threshold. If they cross that threshold it would complicate the post-election picture enormously.

NRT: Blowback

Written By: - Date published: 6:56 pm, March 31st, 2014 - 6 comments

“The vast scale of online surveillance revealed by Edward Snowden is changing how businesses store commercially sensitive data…”  “A survey of 1,000 business leaders from around the world has found that many are questioning their reliance on “cloud computing” in favour of more secure forms of data storage as the whistleblower’s revelations continue to reverberate.”

Highlighting the income gap

Written By: - Date published: 10:33 am, March 31st, 2014 - 84 comments

A high proportion of Kiwis know that there is too big an income inequality gap. Economic power & media discourse too often work to maintain such inequalities.  How can knowledge and understandings be changed via the media, social media and creative political action?

You’ll never walk alone

Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, March 31st, 2014 - 32 comments

Just spent a couple of hours in “The Goose” in Walthamstow watching Liverpool outclass Spurs 4-0 to go top of the Premier League table. Nobody gave them a chance at season’s start, but what a difference good strategy and management can make – belief, commitment, determination and the willingness to work for each other.

Open mike 31/03/2014

Written By: - Date published: 6:35 am, March 31st, 2014 - 173 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …

The trouble with political polls

Written By: - Date published: 6:31 pm, March 30th, 2014 - 189 comments

Two new polls are out suggesting National’s support is in the range of 46%.  Given that its support is historically over reported this is potentially cause for concern …

Climate change, peak oil and deconstructing motorways

Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, March 30th, 2014 - 62 comments

Three interrelated articles dealing with how far from Scientific Reality Republican Politicians are, how peak oil may just be around the corner and how deconstructing motorways can improve inner city areas.

Open mike 30/03/2014

Written By: - Date published: 6:55 am, March 30th, 2014 - 111 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …

Who is the Internet Party’s secret MP?

Written By: - Date published: 5:00 pm, March 29th, 2014 - 148 comments

Maybe this is one of those open political secrets – if you’re in the know, you already know, and it seems obvious. If you’re not, it’s a total mystery. Just who is the MP Kim Dotcom has ready and waiting to jump waka in 2014? I’ve got no idea, but I approach these things like […]

The extinction of Kauri

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, March 29th, 2014 - 36 comments

National has refused to continue funding research into Kauri Dieback disease.  But the discovery of the disease in the Coromandel has sparked a new sense of urgency.  And Nick Smith is busily trying to rewrite history.

Outing Nats’ smear machine

Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, March 29th, 2014 - 275 comments

Standardista, andy (the other one) nails it: “Two days, two articles, two different media outlets admitting that they know National use Slater/Farrar to smear and dissemble.”  Trotter raises questions about sources.

Open mike 29/03/2014

Written By: - Date published: 6:48 am, March 29th, 2014 - 146 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …

NRT: That was quick

Written By: - Date published: 4:16 pm, March 28th, 2014 - 5 comments

No Right Turn nails the political value of the Internet Party in this post. In itself it probably isn’t that politically useful. However it’s mere existence means that the net becomes a political issue. It forces the typically technophobic and illiterate pack of antiques called Members of Parliament to start dealing with issues arising from it. It moves them outside their comfort zone

Walking the talk – protests Sat 29 March

Written By: - Date published: 2:07 pm, March 28th, 2014 - 63 comments

Tomorrow Today: Support the important Day of Action across NZ against the TPPA – the TPPA is anti-democratic, pro-corporate & will make life harder for ordinary Kiwis; Support the NZEI demonstrations in Auckland & Wellington, for a living wage, for an excellent public education system, against poverty that undermines education. [Update: photos & reports]

NRT: Cash for honours

Written By: - Date published: 10:44 am, March 28th, 2014 - 17 comments

Yesterday No Right Turn did a post on how Graeme Douglas became Sir Graeme Douglas by looking at his donations donating heavily to the National party after being gonged. But this other post on the same overall subject was more interesting. It is no wonder that National wanted the more lucrative royal honours reinstated.

Polity: The Internet Party launch

Written By: - Date published: 10:33 am, March 28th, 2014 - 88 comments

Rob Salmond looks at the Internet Party’s launch and rather shallow vision. But is this politics?

“So the Internet Party had a good launch short term, but its longer term problems with policy and vision remain.”

Open mike 28/03/2014

Written By: - Date published: 6:45 am, March 28th, 2014 - 104 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …

LB: The Destruction of New Zealand’s Public Education System

Written By: - Date published: 3:11 pm, March 27th, 2014 - 21 comments

In 2008 New Zealand was internationally ranked in the top seven for educational achievement, and when you compared us with other countries that were also culturally diverse and were experiencing growing inequality we were extremely successful. A National led Government was elected and New Zealand’s public education system came under heavy attack… Hekia Parata continues this.

Mum and Dad investors are no longer a priority

Written By: - Date published: 3:05 pm, March 27th, 2014 - 13 comments

The Genesis Energy share float is imminent and Mum and Dad shareholders are no longer a priority.

30th anniversary of the Trades Hall bombing

Written By: - Date published: 12:10 pm, March 27th, 2014 - 24 comments

On this day in 1984 a suitcase bomb was left in the Wellington Trades Hall. At 5:19 it detonated, killing Ernie Abbott, the caretaker. The bomber has never been caught, despite a massive police investigation and a reward of $50,000 offered for information. We don’t even really know why the Trades Hall was targeted – […]

NRT: Gagging Kim Dotcom

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, March 27th, 2014 - 18 comments

No Right Turn put this up on tuesday. It is worth re-running it to note how a smear campaign operates at multiple layers.
“Since their botched raid on Kim Dotcom’s mansion last year, the New Zealand government has faced a PR problem over their handling of the case. And that has been hammered home at every opportunity by Dotcom himself, who turns out to be quite good at winning the hearts of ordinary kiwis. But now the government has a solution: gag him”

Polity: The Internet Party is born… temporarily

Written By: - Date published: 11:15 am, March 27th, 2014 - 14 comments

Rob Salmond’s view on the Internet Party launch today.
“Today is the day the Internet Party, which amusingly abbreviates to IP, will actually launch. More importantly, today marks 146 days until Kim Dotcom winds up the Internet Party because it isn’t polling near 5% and has no deals with others to secure itself an electorate seat.”

 

Open mike 27/03/2014

Written By: - Date published: 6:45 am, March 27th, 2014 - 47 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …

The Mein Kampf distraction

Written By: - Date published: 8:38 pm, March 26th, 2014 - 511 comments

Slater and TV3 have double teamed an attack on Kim Dotcom suggesting that he has Nazi tendencies the day before the launch of the Internet Party.  Is the main stream media being manipulated?

Op Ed: Press want to control political blogs?

Written By: - Date published: 3:02 pm, March 26th, 2014 - 41 comments

John Drinnan has written on the upcoming opening of Press Council membership to bloggers.  He offers some positives.  But I don’t see anything much in it for political bloggers.  It would mean being dominated by a flawed Mainstream Media – the very thing many blogs aim to critique independently.

Billy Bragg

Written By: - Date published: 11:42 am, March 26th, 2014 - 10 comments

I can’t think when the last time I’d been along to a gig or a concert was. Years probably. But Lyn dragged me (kicking and screaming) to the concert by Billy Bragg last night at the Powerstation in Auckland that was pretty damn good. These days I’m pretty portably connected so I don’t feel like I’ve left half of my brain behind when I head off on holiday or to a social event.  So I was watching for trolls while Billy was singing about them…

Polity: The buck stops with Hekia

Written By: - Date published: 9:59 am, March 26th, 2014 - 29 comments

Just when you think that Hekia Parata couldn’t make more of a shambolic mess of the Kohanga Reo review, it turns out that she could and did. Rob Salmond at Polity (and Audrey Young of the Herald) has a look at it.

Open mike 26/03/2014

Written By: - Date published: 6:55 am, March 26th, 2014 - 120 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …

NRT: I don’t see it either

Written By: - Date published: 2:49 pm, March 25th, 2014 - 49 comments

The “big” political news today (this being a non-sitting week when the politicians are on holiday, some of them literally) is that the Internet Party is in talks with Mana to form an electoral alliance (which presumably means a joint party list). Like pretty much everyone else, I’m boggled by this.

A tool for real democracy

Written By: - Date published: 2:36 pm, March 25th, 2014 - 4 comments

“Loomio is a user-friendly tool for collaborative decision-making” … because “Democracy isn’t just about politics – it’s people getting together and deciding how things should be”…

The struggle over gambling corruption

Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, March 25th, 2014 - 48 comments

There has been a long struggle by the Problem Gambling Foundation & others against SkyCity & the powerful and secretive Pokie Trusts.  The government has tended to support the trusts, while maintaining their distance from them.  The defunding of the PGF is the latest chapter in the struggle.