Author Archive

Granny sez: look over here!

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 8:40 am, February 4th, 2010 - 76 comments

Does anyone else think it’s a coincidence that Granny Herald has tried to start a meaningless debate over the national flag – ’11 of 18 Order of NZ members support change!’ wow-wee – just as the wheels come off a flagship National policy? Nah. Me neither.

Not a good look

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 7:24 am, February 4th, 2010 - 22 comments

So, John Key and Pita Sharples put Hone Harawira in charge of deciding which flag will fly to represent Maori on government buildings on Waitangi Day. Only four options are put up: the New Zealand flag, the New Zealand ensign, the 1835 United Tribes flag, and Tino Rangatiratanga. It was always pretty obvious what the result […]

Do little still do nothing

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 10:27 am, February 3rd, 2010 - 32 comments

Welcome back, John Armstrong. In your piece today you wrote about John Key’s emergency efforts to cover for Anne Tolley’s disasterious handling of national standards: “It is effectively the first of what is likely to be a series of initiatives this year to bury the overstated claims that he has been a “do little” prime […]

Penny-wise, pound foolish in Afghanistan

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:07 am, February 1st, 2010 - 7 comments

Foreign Minister Murray McCully is refusing to contribute any New Zealand money to a fund that will buy-off the Taliban’s foot soldiers. The so-called ‘ten dollar Taliban’ are often not ideological but motivated by Taliban cash. By giving them more lucrative and less dangerous options, the Karzi government and its international supporters hope to deprive […]

Goff on Q+A

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 7:49 am, February 1st, 2010 - 38 comments

A good appearance from Phil Goff on the first Q+A of the year. I liked this part especially: Guyon Espiner: You spoke in your speech a lot about tax as well, and again you returned to that equity and fairness argument, and I want to quote from that, you said “too many people on good incomes […]

Government by knee-jerk

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 1:56 pm, January 31st, 2010 - 22 comments

John Key has told us that his government’s unrelenting focus this year will be the economy. He has also said his government will focus unrelentingly on education. Already, it has relented to focus on increasing the maximum penalty for animal cruelty from three years to five. Of course what happened with the massacre of those […]

Nats’ polling

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 12:55 pm, January 31st, 2010 - 9 comments

Fran O’Sullivan wrote about how she was called by David Farrar’s Curia, National’s polling company, recently. What she was asked is revealing. She was asked to rate the National front bench plus Steven Joyce and Murray McCully. I’ve never heard of this been done before, asking for people’s views on individual ministers. It suggests an […]

Key, the ABs, & the election date

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 2:02 pm, January 30th, 2010 - 74 comments

I’ve been talking with some people about when John Key will call the next election. Two common points emerge: 1) it will be after the 2011 Budget. A government doesn’t risk the right to lay down a budget lightly. It won’t want to be campaigning while trying to write and sell a budget either. So […]

The many. Not the few

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 2:16 pm, January 28th, 2010 - 104 comments

Phil Goff has just delivered his first major speech of the year to state what Labour stands for and where it is going. I have to say, I’m impressed. You really should read it. It sets out a clear agenda for Labour and that agenda is firmly rooted in Labour’s deepest principles – decent pay […]

Minimum wage: what will it be?

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:56 am, January 27th, 2010 - 93 comments

The Government is set to announce its decision on the annual adjustment to the minimum wage today. So what’s it going to be? The three main positions out there are: Business lobby: Hold increase down to 50c an hour ($13 an hour). Unions: Step-change of $2.50 an hour ($15 an hour). Labour: $1.25 increase this […]

The danger of pre-writing your narrative

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 1:53 pm, January 25th, 2010 - 27 comments

It was clear that the Herald had decided how Ratana would play this year: eveyone loves Key, Goff gets the cold shoulder. It didn’t matter what actually happened, that was going to be the Herald’s narrative: Ratana pats Key on the back Labour gets icy reception at Ratana You would think those headlines had been […]

Labour needs to be firm on tax

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 12:48 pm, January 25th, 2010 - 34 comments

Marty did some really excellent work last week on the Tax Working Group’s proposed tax reforms last week, which Zetetic summed up as ‘tax cuts for tax cheats’. I think Marty convincingly showed that slashing the top tax rates with all the benefits going to the rich and paying for it by putting the cost on poor […]

Subsidising Pandora’s box-office

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 11:46 am, January 25th, 2010 - 43 comments

Gerry Brownlee is defending the $45 million tax break the Government gave the makers of Avatar to do most of their special effects work here. “Attracting large budget film productions here offers wider benefits to the economy, including increased opportunities for New Zealanders as well as tourism benefits from having New Zealand locations shown to […]

The SAS, the media, and Key

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 11:53 am, January 24th, 2010 - 50 comments

I don’t think the SAS should be in Afghanistan. That said, there are good reasons why the activities of the SAS on deployment are meant to be kept secret. Both the media and John Key have behaved incredibly irresponsibly. Do the publishing of pictures and the name of Willi Apiata after he apparently took part […]

Key committed to [insert your priority here]

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 1:57 pm, January 23rd, 2010 - 31 comments

Last week: “Prime Minister John Key said the Government’s major theme in 2010 would be improving New Zealand’s economy” Today: “He said his almost exclusive focus this year was to improve educational standards in the country” Next week: An unrelenting focus on whatever you want him to pretend to care about today I guess he can […]

Cowardly

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 1:05 pm, January 23rd, 2010 - 25 comments

This is how Health Minister Tony Ryall announced the Government would be appealing the court decision to try to get out of paying people for caring for disabled children: – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Better support for family caregivers recommended Press […]

The sharpest edge of the recession

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 11:38 am, January 22nd, 2010 - 68 comments

“2500 people waited up to seven hours to apply for one of 150 jobs at a new South Auckland supermarket”* OK, maybe 16 applicants per job isn’t beyond the norm when you’re advertising one at a time but when you’re advertising 150? Think about it, that means there are 2,500 jobless Kiwis just within the […]

Franklin & Papakura want out, Hide says ‘no way’

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:56 am, January 20th, 2010 - 10 comments

The people of Franklin and Papakura, who overwhelming oppose becoming part of the National/ACT government’s Supercity experiment, have been denied their request to keep their own councils. Instead, Papakura will be forced into the Supercity while Franklin will be carved up between the Supercity, Waikato Council, and Hauraki Council. The people of Franklin and the rest […]

Kiwis back fairer minimum wage

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 11:35 am, January 18th, 2010 - 132 comments

Traditionally, the minimum wage was set at around 60-67% of the average wage. During the Muldoon era and the 1990s, National let the minimum wage stagnate, with inflation eating away at its value. It declined to as low as 34% of the average wage under Muldoon and 41% under Bolger. Both the 4th and 5th Labour […]

Coddington: exposing secret agendas = bad, attacking sex victims = meh

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 3:17 pm, January 17th, 2010 - 29 comments

Deborah Coddington, former ACT MP and author of the filthy racist article “Asian Angst: Is it time to send some back?” that killed North & South’s reputation, waffles on about ‘snitches’ in her Herald on Sunday article. Coddington says snitching – informing the public or the authorities when someone is doing something bad or illegal in secret […]

Too far, Fran

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 10:36 am, January 16th, 2010 - 42 comments

Despite almost never agreeing with Fran O’Sullivan, I have respect for her. She comes from the ACT-right and her pieces reflect that but she argues honestly and intelligently, the latter in particular being in short supply in this country’s political discourse. So, I’m a bit saddened by her piece this morning: If Wellington was devastated […]

Covering for ‘Vacation John’

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 3:00 pm, January 15th, 2010 - 69 comments

Both David Farrar and Cameron Slater have posts up attacking a comment by roger nome in one of our comment threads, and it shows they are worried about Key’s image as a do nothing ‘Minister for Overseas Holidays’. On the surface level, it’s kind of cute that Farrar and Slater are obviously reading through our […]

Dumb and dumber on the dole

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 1:49 pm, January 15th, 2010 - 13 comments

So, Tariana Turia has (eventually) come out against Paula Bennett’s pointless policy of making people on the unemployment benefit reapply after a year. Of course, Turia is for work-for-the-dole, which is just as stupid. Looks like there will be a show-down, a fight between the two dumbest welfare policies. I predict that Turia will meekly back down, […]

Over-promise, under-deliver on health

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 10:35 am, January 15th, 2010 - 7 comments

Last year, Tony Ryall announced health reforms (ironically, an additional layer of beaurcracy) that he claimed would save $700 million over five years, about 1% of the health budget. Now, Labour has revealed, that estimate is at the high end of a range and the low-end is just $350 million. Worse, this isn’t even an official government figure, […]

Helping Haiti

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 6:31 am, January 15th, 2010 - 9 comments

The enormity of the disaster that has hit Haiti is becoming more apparent by the hour. It is thought that tens of thousands, if not 100,000, are dead and many more are injured, trapped, or homeless. It is estimated that 60% of buildings in the capital, Port-au-Prince, have been destroyed. All infrastructure is heavily damaged. The government, already weak, has […]

The ‘whaling plan’

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 10:01 am, January 14th, 2010 - 47 comments

Govt drafts deal to end whaling in Antarctica – Herald Key plan to end Southern Ocean whaling – Stuff That sounds like a real break-through, I thought. What could this deal/plan be? I watched the full press conference here: “New Zealand has been working very hard to try and find [please, people, the phrase is […]

Bully Brownlee forces SOE CEO to withdraw critical blog

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 11:26 am, January 12th, 2010 - 55 comments

Powershop is a subsidiary of Meridian Energy, an SOE. It is the most highly rated power retailer by its customers, with 92% satisfaction. On the Powershop website, there’s a blog. On this blog, the CEO of Powershop, Ari Sargent, wrote a post on the Government’s proposed electricity sector reforms. It’s insightful, adroit, politically neutral, and scathing […]

John Key, Minister for Overseas Holidays

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 5:41 am, January 11th, 2010 - 85 comments

Happy new year! If you’re lucky enough to be on a bit of a break overseas say ‘Hi’ to Prime Minister John Key for me, since it’s out of the country where he’s likely to be. It’s no surprise Rodney Hide thinks John Key doesn’t do anything. Key has been out of the country for almost […]

Summer service

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 8:50 am, December 26th, 2009 - 5 comments

So politics is winding down for the year. Hopefully you’ll be getting away with your family and friends for some time in the sun. Our posting will probably ease off for the next few weeks but we thought it would be fun to fill some of the gap by re-running some of our favourite posts […]

$400 mln xmas gift for banks

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 10:30 am, December 24th, 2009 - 21 comments

The banks, who tried to rip us off to the tune of $2.6 billion, have agreed to pay us $2.2 billion. I don’t get it. We’ve spent tens of millions so far on court cases to get our money. We’ve won every case. The judgments have been damning of the banks. So, why did the IRD agree […]

How it works

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 8:48 am, December 24th, 2009 - 13 comments

a) Paula Bennett gives a story to Colin Espiner about beneficiary and, apparently, scoundrel Darryl Harris. The release of the information is a clear breach of the Privacy Act. Espiner is clearly being used as a tool for softening the public for beneficiary bashing. Espiner runs the story, without challenging or even remarking upon the leak or the […]