Author Archive

Goff’s speech

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 12:12 pm, November 27th, 2009 - 110 comments

Phil Goff’s speech on ‘nationhood’ was always going to be seen as an attempt to pull a Brash, regardless of what it actually said. The narrative was set from the start, and it’s fair to suspect that Goff’s people knew that and thought they’d take the risk anyway. You don’t make a speech on the […]

Brash report tipped to be toxic

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 11:19 am, November 26th, 2009 - 35 comments

Jenni McManus reports in The Independent [offline]: The first report from the 2025 Taskforce is due on Monday and the word is its recommendations are likely to be toxic to the Government. Taskforce chairman Don Brash this week refused to reveal what it contains but The Independent understands its recommendations are light years away from […]

Maori Party meltdown

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:39 am, November 26th, 2009 - 12 comments

How long can the Maori Party survive before it collapses under the weight of its own contradictions? The idea of a single party to represent all Maori has always been a fallacy. When the Maori Party first appeared, I wished it well as a left-wing fellow traveller but since then, because of its impossible goal […]

Sharples and the Maori Party revolt

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 3:40 pm, November 25th, 2009 - 9 comments

Via Newsroom [offline], Pita Sharples has confirmed reports of an internal revolt within the Maori Party over its support for National’s ETS. The Maori Party will honour its deal to back National’s emissions trading scheme despite many in the party being opposed to much of the ETS bill, co-leader Pita Sharples has said in a […]

Armstrong on Calamity Nick

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 11:59 am, November 25th, 2009 - 10 comments

Wrapped in a bit of fluff, John Armstrong has some pretty damning things to say about Nick Smith today: He can be headstrong. He can be unpredictable. He can sometimes be the veritable bull in the china shop. He is prone to saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. His cockiness can land him […]

Employers ripping off job ops money

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 10:02 am, November 25th, 2009 - 3 comments

National has only come up with one employment policy to counter the recession. No, not the cycleway – ‘job ops‘. It works like this: employers get given $5,000 for employing a young person in an entry-level role. To qualify, the must be new and would not exist if the Job Ops subsidy was not available, […]

Key’s busy day

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 8:09 am, November 25th, 2009 - 14 comments

Ha! But seriously, I doubt that Key changes his own oil.

Shane Jones on National’s ETS

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 5:20 pm, November 24th, 2009 - 12 comments

Not all ETSs are created equal

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 2:32 pm, November 24th, 2009 - 34 comments

On his blog, Colin Espiner writes: “it’s also extremely ironic to hear Labour wringing its hands about the impact of the ETS when…HELLO…Labour passed the Emissions Trading Scheme!!!” Oh dear. That’s like saying ‘Labour is opposed to National’s ACC policy but Labour had an ACC policy of its own, hello!!!’ Labour isn’t (and I really […]

Harawira and Katene to cross the floor?

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 8:15 am, November 24th, 2009 - 14 comments

National wants to get its shambolic ETS through the House this week. It’s not quite clear what the hurry is; there’s no actual reason why it should be passed before the Copenhagen meeting in December, it’s just an artificial deadline that National have set themselves. We already know the ETS will cost taxpayers hundreds […]

Goff gets it right, as Key goes off the rails

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 3:30 pm, November 22nd, 2009 - 24 comments

Phil Goff has managed to defy the critics and make himself relevant. His speech on ACC and his criticisms of National’s backroom deals with the Maori Party got praise and draw a contrast between Labour and Key’s government, with Labour on the right side of popular opinion. It’s a nice piece of timing too. The […]

Big brother is yarning to your boss

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 1:29 pm, November 22nd, 2009 - 13 comments

The Sunday Star Times reports that police have been passing private information about staff members onto Air New Zealand via the official information act. According to the story a flight attendant was picked up over the legal limit on the way to work, went home and then called in to say she wouldn’t be at […]

Trade trumps human rights for Key

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:33 pm, November 21st, 2009 - 15 comments

What a strange little editorial in the Herald today. It’s a typical spin piece that tries to frame John Key’s shoddy behaviour in not meeting the Dalai Lama, despite his promise that he would, as a good thing. The title shows just how willing, desperate even, some are to interpret everything Key does positively – “At […]

How much astroturf can you buy for $500,000?

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 8:00 am, November 20th, 2009 - 77 comments

Tomorrow the Christian Right are holding a self-styled ‘March for Democracy’ that’s been bankrolled to the tune of $500,000 by Auckland property developer Colin Craig. I’m sure you’ll have seen the TV ads, the newpaper full-pagers and the slick PR campaign. They’re even paying for free buses to and from the event. With that kind […]

Bludging farmers

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 3:51 pm, November 19th, 2009 - 55 comments

The Fed Farmers have used Goff’s speech on monetary policy to have another whinge about beneficiaries, who they reckon are somehow to blame for the high dollar that’s crippling our exporters. Weird, I know, but then that’s the Feds for you. The dogwhistle term they’re using is ‘government spending’, but thanks to a recent admission […]

F**k, an end to profanity?

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:59 am, November 19th, 2009 - 29 comments

A reader alerted us to this petition that was presented by National’s Paul Hutchison to Parliament on Tuesday: Petition of Nathan James Ngatai and 1050 others Requesting that the House of Representatives ensure that legislation is passed to make public displays of nudity and profanity illegal in our nation. So, um, better get your fill […]

What matters

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:01 am, November 19th, 2009 - 27 comments

Did you see Brain Rudman’s article in the Herald yesterday? The quote says it all: It just reminds you what an absurd debate this is. Still at least we’re not arguing over whether ‘working dogs’ should be microchipped any more.

Teh New Zelaand Herlad

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 1:40 pm, November 18th, 2009 - 13 comments

Have you noticed how many spelling mistakes there are in the Herald these days? James at Editing the Herald has: I’ve had quite a few emails over the past few days with spelling or grammar errors from either the print edition or the website, peaking, of course, with the misspelling of ‘Barak’ Obama’s name in […]

Nats could lose, but can Labour win?

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:59 am, November 18th, 2009 - 29 comments

If you had told me a year ago that, just a third of a way through its term, this government would have lost a minister in secret circumstances, had a minister openly acknowledge that the Prime Minister “doesn’t do anything”, muddled its way through legislative debacle after debacle of policies that over-promise and under-deliver, and […]

PHARMAC on the altar of free trade

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 7:36 am, November 18th, 2009 - 25 comments

Yesterday John Key indicated that he might be willing to dismantle PHARMAC if it gets us a better free trade deal with the US*. We’re lucky to have a few great institutions in New Zealand that deliver for everyone at a lower cost than other countries – ACC is one, PHARMAC is another. both are […]

Climate Change cowardice hurting NZ’s image abroad

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 12:00 pm, November 13th, 2009 - 37 comments

One of the UK’s most influential newspapers, The Guardian, carries a stinging attack under the title New Zealand was a friend to Middle Earth, but it’s no friend of the earth. It damns us for our abject failure to live up to the clean, green image we sell ourselves on. Here are the main points: […]

Poll shows Kiwis prefer MMP

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 12:54 pm, November 12th, 2009 - 25 comments

NZPA reports on a new poll from UMR which shows Kiwis don’t want to dump MMP for a less proportional electoral system. The survey used the proposed wording of the referendum and found 48 percent in favour of keeping MMP and only 40 percent in favour of changing the system. Interestingly, when people were told […]

Politicisation of ACC continues

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 12:15 pm, November 11th, 2009 - 4 comments

Frogblog has another example of the continuing politicisation of the public service under National. I meant to post on this a while back, but you may have seen these ads in your local paper recently: Not only is the ACC’s message in this ad contrary to the Woodhouse principles it was founded on, but there’s […]

Rules don’t apply to Key’s ministers

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:30 am, November 11th, 2009 - 38 comments

Another day, another minister breaking the rules. On the Dental Artistry website, Rodney Hide has written: ‘Thanks for the fantastic job! I was so sick of having my teeth break and wear away, and with the job I’m in it’s important to look presentable. I didn’t do this lightly, but it’s the best thing I’ve […]

Yeah, nah, too far

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 12:46 pm, November 10th, 2009 - 81 comments

We all use language sometimes that’s too stong and we regret. Hone Harawira apologised today over his choice of words in the “white motherf**kers” email. Unfortunately, he followed that up by saying Phil Goff “should be lined up against the wall and shot” over the foreshore and seabed law. It looks to me like his […]

Half Key’s Cabinet at the trough

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 10:59 am, November 10th, 2009 - 26 comments

The Dompost reveals that more ministers have been using their MP’s privilege to work around the standard John Key claimed to have set on ministers taking their spouses travelling internationally with taxpayer money. Judith Collins, Simon Power, Wayne Mapp, and Anne Tolley join the previously known list – Rodney Hide, Peter Dunne, Phil Heatley, and […]

Hide repays, what about the others?

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 10:14 am, November 9th, 2009 - 20 comments

Earlier this year, John Key stated: “I’ve told [my ministers] if they want to take their partner, they can do it, but they pay for it’. It emerged last week that Rodney Hide, Peter Dunne, David Carter, Phil Heatley and, it is thought, Maurice Williamson and Judith Collins had used taxpayer funds to pay for their spouses’ […]

‘Let’s wait & see’ – do-nothing PM

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 8:49 pm, November 8th, 2009 - 27 comments

If you think that John Key gets a lot of soft coverage, John Armstrong explained why yesterday: Key’s soaring popularity has made him virtually untouchable Now, you and I might see a certain circularity to that logic – after all, anyone given constantly positive coverage is going to be popular. Thankfully, some journalists choose to […]

McCarten on capitalism

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 11:25 am, November 8th, 2009 - 32 comments

Matt McCarten’s Herald column this week is a call for every working New Zealander to go and see Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story. I haven’t managed to catch it yet, but judging by McCarten’s review Moore’s latest will be a must-see: Some of the points he raises – such as workers having representation on […]

Government MPs’ travel woes

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 12:45 pm, November 6th, 2009 - 65 comments

Not content with living in a fantasy world, Rodney Hide had to spend taxpayer money to visit Disney World as well. OK, actually it was Universal Studios but it looks increasingly like Hide’s $50,000 trip kindly paid for by you and me was actually nothing more than a world tour with his girlfriend. Sure, they […]

Over-promise, under-deliver

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 10:30 am, November 6th, 2009 - 5 comments

If there’s been a motto of this government, it’s the one above. We’ve been promised the world – tax cuts, better public services, higher wages, more growth, less regulation, lower crime, better education, lower carbon emissions – and none of it has been delivered or looks likely to be delivered at any time by this […]