Archive for March, 2014

Taxpayers Union – concentrating on the banal and ignoring the big issues

Written By: - Date published: 1:56 pm, March 3rd, 2014 - 45 comments

Mojo Mathers has been criticised by the Taxpayers Union for the travel costs associated with attending a recent interview in Masterton.  Attacking her for doing her job is completely mean spirited.  But the means of generating the story, where details are fed to the media and then the Taxpayer’s Union are offered up for comment, are of concern.  And surely there are bigger issues to worry about.

Open mike 03/03/2014

Written By: - Date published: 6:45 am, March 3rd, 2014 - 231 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 …

UK Labour goes OMOV

Written By: - Date published: 8:35 pm, March 2nd, 2014 - 9 comments

UK Labour’s special conference  yesterday changed the Party’s rules for leadership selection, and the basis for affiliate involvement. One-person-one-vote is the general rule, and block voting for leadership and selection by affiliates including unions is replaced by individual and intentional involvement.

A tale of two journalists

Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, March 2nd, 2014 - 111 comments

Trisha Dunleavy has outlined the problems a& challenges for public service TV in NZ. Contrasting tales of 2 TV journalists – Rachel Smalley & Patrick Gower – highlight the problems with NZ’s (currently) dominant infotainment approach to news.

The retirement age debate

Written By: - Date published: 7:33 am, March 2nd, 2014 - 164 comments

Labour’s current policy to gradually increase the age of retirement is a fiscally appropriate response to the pressures that will result from the baby boomer bulge in the population approaching retirement. But is it the right thing to do?

Open mike 02/03/2014

Written By: - Date published: 6:54 am, March 2nd, 2014 - 79 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 …

How to build better beggars

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, March 1st, 2014 - 35 comments

In the United States, the street beggars have great patter. Despite what South Park would have us believe, when you walk down the main street of a major city, you don’t get hordes of people shiftlessly shaking cups at you, asking for “change?” There are a few.  But far more often, there’s a story.  I […]

National misleads on child poverty

Written By: - Date published: 7:24 am, March 1st, 2014 - 30 comments

So under National Treasury has underestimated poverty significantly for the past five years.  And rather than acknowledging this immediately they have waited two months and presented a full court press of information when admitting the mistake.  And they still have ministers saying that poverty is not increasing in Aotearoa …

Open mike 01/03/2014

Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, March 1st, 2014 - 204 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 …