Author Archive
Reverse Robin hood
Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, August 15th, 2009 - 26 comments
John Key’s policy to get kids into sport turns out to be a transfer of dollars from low decile schools to high decile ones. When I say “policy” what I should say is “photo opportunity” as Key launched the scheme at a South Auckland school (ironically it will be South Auckland schools are most likely […]
A real recession policy
Written By: - Date published: 1:27 pm, August 6th, 2009 - 13 comments
Darien Fenton’s minimum redundancy bill has been drawn from the ballot and is likely to go before the house in the next two weeks. In my opinion implementing a minimum redundancy is one of the most significant ways we can reduce the effects of the recession on working Kiwis because it offers a buffer for […]
Flogging our future
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, August 6th, 2009 - 18 comments
Hot Topic has very interesting post up about how Act took a sudden interest in climate change denial after they received $100k from prominent climate change denier Alan Gibbs. As Gareth at HT points out: Hide’s repositioning coincided with a major donation to ACT by Alan Gibbs, a wealthy NZ businessman best known here for […]
Accountability
Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, August 2nd, 2009 - 49 comments
According to the Herald Paula Bennett has said she will apologise if the complaint to the privacy commissioner is upheld. I would have hoped that if a minister of the crown is found to have broken the law there would be a bit more accountability than an insincere “sorry”. Especially if that unlawful action has […]
Caption competition
Written By: - Date published: 4:44 pm, July 31st, 2009 - 75 comments
Just when we thought he couldn’t top the comic value of the cycleway…
Benefits, wages and anger
Written By: - Date published: 11:51 am, July 31st, 2009 - 69 comments
The recent furore about benefit levels has brought a lot of comments along the lines of ” I don’t get it why should they?” out of the woodwork along with a lot of hardluck stories from low wage earners such as this one from Phoenix on Colin Espiner’s blog: I am 6 months pregnant with […]
Fishy
Written By: - Date published: 9:11 pm, July 29th, 2009 - 38 comments
Here’s one of the solo mothers targeted by Bennett appearing on Checkpoint last evening. She’s angry and eloquent and clearly aware of the game that has been played. Talking about the attacks that have been made on her by talkback callers she says: It’s been really heartbreaking but they feel they have the right to […]
Bennett must resign
Written By: - Date published: 1:06 pm, July 28th, 2009 - 132 comments
I’m no expert in these things but Paula “bully” Bennett appears to have put herself in breach of the cabinet manual by disclosing private information about her critics’ personal finances for her own political gain. Cabinet Manual p 117: 8.60 The disclosure of information about an individual by Ministers is governed by both the Official […]
Bully Bennett
Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, July 28th, 2009 - 71 comments
Stunned. I’m simply stunned. After speaking out against Paula Bennett’s cuts to the Incentives Training Allowance two solo mothers have had their entire financial details publicly released by her. This is a disgraceful act of bullying which must surely breach the privacy act but it fits with the pattern we’re seeing from National of digging […]
Our traditional allies
Written By: - Date published: 6:53 pm, July 27th, 2009 - 67 comments
It seems the US want us to commit our elite SAS troops to Afghanistan. I’m not a big fan of the Taliban but I’m not a supporter of occupations either. Morally I think we can supply engineers and the like for reconstruction (assuming that’s what they do). But the SAS has only one purpose and […]
Quick question
Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, July 24th, 2009 - 26 comments
What does the Maori Party think of National’s plan to relax rules on foreign investment?
This is the secret agenda
Written By: - Date published: 10:13 pm, July 23rd, 2009 - 28 comments
Remember the mantra about John Key being a centrist? Doesn’t get much play nowadays does it? And it shouldn’t. Not with the government cutting spending while unemployment rises, dragging Brash and Rankin back from the grave, spending large on private schools, contracting out public services, tax cuts for the rich and the snouts-in-troughs sham that […]
Says it all really
Written By: - Date published: 3:21 pm, July 22nd, 2009 - 37 comments
You pricks decided what you were going to do and you’re not listening to me or anybody else. . . You people are not even interested in the people who are going to be living within the environment of a privatised prison. I actually hold you in f. . .king contempt From the select committee […]
It’s Brash
Written By: - Date published: 1:44 pm, July 21st, 2009 - 38 comments
The government has just confirmed Don Brash will head the “productivity” group. Expect a lot of talk about “labour market flexibility” and the like. We’ve been here once and it was shit. Now we’re going back for more.
Defending the indefensible
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, July 16th, 2009 - 44 comments
It was disappointing to hear Phil Goff defending the Fourth Labour Government on National Radio the other morning. This was a government whose policies put hundreds of thousands of Kiwis out of work, introduced regressive taxation through GST, began the firesale of our national assets and drove record numbers of our young people to suicide. […]
We can haz vision?
Written By: - Date published: 3:30 pm, July 14th, 2009 - 31 comments
According to NZPA John Key is going to deliver a big speech tomorrow in which he will “detail the problems and solutions for New Zealand’s economy”. I’m not holding my breath. As I said two weeks ago when he indicated he would announce a plan to stop job losses (he still hasn’t, perhaps this will […]
Sunday weirdness
Written By: - Date published: 1:38 pm, July 12th, 2009 - 57 comments
Cameron Slater has had a big media day today with the Herald on Sunday pointing out his role in the cyber-bullying of some young woman called Pearl Going and the Sunday Star Times doing a feature on the odd fellow. I don’t generally read Slater’s blog so I’d missed the business with Going but a […]
Get your house in order
Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, July 9th, 2009 - 72 comments
Here’s some advice I’d give Labour if I was Crosby Textor: You need three negative values you want associated with National (for example: arrogant, “out of touch”, corrupt ;)) You need three positive values you want associated with Labour (for example: democracy, justice, vision). Pick them using focus groups (for god’s sake don’t use UMR […]
The compensation that is and the compensation that is not
Written By: - Date published: 7:40 pm, July 7th, 2009 - 55 comments
Key has claimed the foreshore and seabed issue is not about compensation. Tariana’s answer? This has never been about money says Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia “I am astounded and disappointed that some critics of and commentators on the report of the ministerial review panel have chosen to highlight the possibility that compensation may become […]
Lovin’ it?
Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, July 2nd, 2009 - 39 comments
Stuff reports that McDonald’s is getting up to $16,000 of taxpayer money per person it recruits from the benefit. I doubt this per-person maximum is reached that often but it does seem that a lot of public money is going to the extremely profitable fast-food giant (and, presumably, its franchisees) every year. I’m all for […]
Jam tomorrow
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, July 1st, 2009 - 24 comments
I see John Key is promising new ideas to stop job-losses: We’ve got an economic strategy … and I intend over the next few weeks to spell out my thinking in that area It strikes me as another one of his vague PR-driven promises. Like the promise he made in March about the initiatives that […]
I call bullshit
Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, June 22nd, 2009 - 17 comments
I’d prefer not to wade into the David Garrett sexual harrassment fiasco, but having seen his pathetic blame-shifting in the media I’ve got to call bullshit on him. Both Garrett and his boss Rodney Hide have been downplaying the sexual harassment with the excuse that Garrett was an oil rig worker for ten years, so […]
F*ck tha police…
Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, June 16th, 2009 - 18 comments
…that seems to be National’s plan as it moves to cut 10% of the police vehicle fleet (why are so many of National’s cuts 10%?). Given the politicking National and its front-groups did on law and order last year you’d think that the last thing they’d do would be make it even harder for them […]
A disgrace
Written By: - Date published: 8:55 pm, June 13th, 2009 - 23 comments
I’m stunned by National. Their leader didn’t support his Mt Albert candidate by turning up tonight and now nobody will talk to the media. There’s being a poor loser and then there is this kind of behaviour. At the very least front up, concede and thank your supporters and the electorate. Lee is a disgrace. […]
Class war
Written By: - Date published: 12:58 pm, June 12th, 2009 - 71 comments
One of the particularly unpleasant parts of the last budget was the cutting of funding for night school classes in conjunction with the increase in private school funding. Apart from the grossly blatant transfer of taxpayers’ money from low and middle-income Kiwis to the rich the move represents the fact that this government has no […]
“From the Edge”
Written By: - Date published: 3:06 pm, June 10th, 2009 - 9 comments
Kevin Roberts has a new post up on his Herald blog, “From the Edge”. What a load of bloody waffle. To think in the 80’s and 90’s people used to take the man seriously. Mind you they took neo-liberalism seriously too. Perhaps Roberts is due a comeback along with all the other old tat.
First moves on Holidays Act reform
Written By: - Date published: 1:14 pm, June 7th, 2009 - 23 comments
Call me old-fashioned but the Worth scandal doesn’t really interest me much. In fact I’m of the opinion that Goff and others should just STFU about it now and let process take its course or risk having some of the unpleasantness of it rub off on the Labour brand by association. I’m much more interested […]
Worth stands down
Written By: - Date published: 9:53 am, June 3rd, 2009 - 11 comments
Richard Worth has stood down for “personal reasons”. Of course he will have been pushed. My guess is that the PM will say some nice things about him on the record while off the record Kevin Taylor will be making it very clear this is a decisive move from a strong Prime Minister who of […]
Here we go again
Written By: - Date published: 4:18 pm, May 28th, 2009 - 18 comments
In the 1990’s the National government of the day dealt with recession by cutting spending. The tragic result was to suck cash out of an already stalling economy and lengthen the recession. Tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of New Zealanders suffered unnecessarily. Today the National government met the current recession by cutting spending. So […]
The egalitarian dream
Written By: - Date published: 8:44 am, May 23rd, 2009 - 3 comments
It’s like a boomer epiphany. About 25 years too late.
Carter’s attack on SAFE a diversion
Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, May 19th, 2009 - 22 comments
So, Agriculture Minister David Carter finally creaks into action on the brutal and inhumane treatment of factory farmed pigs, then spends most of the press release attacking the animal rights group that brought the issue into the public light. He’s obviously covering for his abysmal performance on Sunday, where he had to admit he didn’t […]
- Free Speech Union Endorses Carter’s Copyright (Parody And Satire) Amendment Bill, But It Raises Qu...
We commend the Green Party’s Bill to protect the speech rights of creators, artists, and commentators who are regularly targets of censorship. We hope this represents the turning of a new leaf in their defence of all speech rights. ...2 weeks ago - A hīkoi dispatch from Ōtautahi
A thousand-strong crowd gathered in Ōtautahi today to show support for the Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi. Alex Casey was there. One of the most charming aspects of attending demonstrations in Ōtautahi’s city centre is that they happen right in the orbit of our many tourist trams, periodically forcing the crowd ...2 weeks ago - Submissions Open For The Employment Relations (Employee Remuneration Disclosure) Amendment Bill
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In 2016, Chris Parker, Tom Sainsbury, Kura Forrester and Brynley Stent surprised audiences with an orgy. Now they’re doing it all again, on a bigger, shinier stage. Eight years ago, four little-known comedians, two who had just met, ended their play thrusting, sweating and panting in an over-the-top orgy. There ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand Government Refuses NGO Calls To Back End To Secret WCPFC Compliance Processes
Accountability.Fish, a global non-governmental organisation dedicated to improving the transparency and accountability of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), has raised concerns for some time over the lack of transparency within the ...2 weeks ago
- Who are the New Zealanders who can’t afford nourishing food?
By calculating the weekly deficit in people’s budgets, a new report shows how those receiving benefits or working for minimum wage often can’t pay for food after the cost of fixed expenses. One in five working-age New Zealanders doesn’t earn enough to feed themselves and their family well, new ...2 weeks ago
- The Cost Of Silence: NZ’s Role In Standing Against Iran’s Repression
The piece highlights the recent execution of Jamshid Sharmahd by the Iranian government, discusses New Zealand's current approach (as well as that of other democracies) toward the regime's hostage-taking tactics, and suggests an alternative, more unified approach. ...2 weeks ago
- Horrific, heartbreaking, wrong: Who apologised, and how
Politicians and public sector bosses say sorry, but victims of state abuse have something to say, too, writes Toby Manhire in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Sorrow and substance ...2 weeks ago
- As te reo Māori grows, so does the search for trilingual interpreters
Deaf Māori face exclusion from their whānau and cultural heritage due to an extreme shortage of trilingual interpreters. Imagine being deaf and at the tangi of a loved one. You stand when everyone else stands, sit when everyone else sits, and stare at the lips of speakers, trying to catch ...2 weeks ago
- We have the ratings for Stuff’s ThreeNews. What story do they tell?
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The apologies seemed sincere, but amongst those listening there was disappointment that there is still no redress system; and a sense that unless the apology is followed by action the words will seem hollow. ...2 weeks ago
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Does a slightly dodgy gimmick make for a majorly shit music festival? As Lyric Waiwiri-Smith finds out, not necessarily. To have entered Auckland’s Mystery Festival on Saturday, you needed stamina, a fondness for drum and bass, break-neck-speed head bopping, a pair of jorts or those ruched Glassons short shorts and, ...2 weeks ago
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The research from Takatāpui, Rainbow, and MVPFAFF+ survivors also highlights the urgent need to end State control over children’s care decisions, advocating instead for empowering whānau with the necessary support and resources to provide appropriate ...2 weeks ago
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Government agency and political leaders will apologise today for decades of historic abuse in state care, writes Duncan Greive in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...2 weeks ago
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