Author Archive

Nats: Pay cuts for you, tax cuts for the rich

Written By: - Date published: 3:07 pm, September 30th, 2008 - 15 comments

Bill English has put out a press release whingeing about Helen Clark’s promise to lift wages for low-paid school support staff, and fearmongering that it might mean Michael Cullen will cancel his tax cuts. Presumably, English’s statement means National would cancel the planned pay increase to help fund its tax cuts for the rich. These […]

Nice

Written By: - Date published: 9:08 am, September 30th, 2008 - 45 comments

Friday fun

Written By: - Date published: 3:48 pm, September 26th, 2008 - 12 comments

A friend just sent me this Christian ska band performing “Jesus is my friend.” I think it goes without saying: Once I tried to run I tried to run and hide But Jesus came and found me And he touched me down inside He is like a Mountie He always gets his man And he’ll […]

Lockout lifted

Written By: - Date published: 5:47 pm, September 25th, 2008 - 27 comments

News just in: GO Wellington has lifted the lockout of its 300 bus drivers. The drivers say they are pleased the lockout is over and that they can go back to work but their campaign for a living wage will continue. This is a major backdown from GO Wellington, and confirms my suspicion that they’d […]

GO Wellington lockout: Day One

Written By: - Date published: 5:21 pm, September 25th, 2008 - 19 comments

A reader sent in this photo from the Wellington bus drivers’ picket line at the Kilbirnie bus depot. The workers are said to be staunch in their claims and are refusing to be intimidated by the company locking them out without pay. The Council of Trade Unions and the International Transport Workers’ Federation have now […]

John Key on honesty

Written By: - Date published: 4:09 pm, September 23rd, 2008 - 28 comments

At the height of the Peters affair when John Key was trying to make political capital out of the PM’s statement that she had known about the Glenn donation to NZ First since February, Paul Henry asked Key about his own honesty. Here’s the exchange: Henry: Do you promise you will never do that if […]

Damned by his own words

Written By: - Date published: 2:40 pm, September 23rd, 2008 - 53 comments

Michael Cullen’s office has just released a damning exchange between John Key and Richard Prebble that shows John Key not only fully understood the requirement for him to disclose potential conflicts of interests such as his shareholding in Tranzrail, but even used ownership of Tranzrail shares as a hypothetical example of the need to disclose […]

One News footage

Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, September 23rd, 2008 - 51 comments

For those who missed it, here’s the video from last night’s One News investigation into John Key’s TranzRail dealings. The first clip details Key’s abuse of his positition as an MP for personal financial gain, and the second clip has him lying about his shareholding, then quickly correcting himself when he realises he’s been busted.

Hand in the till

Written By: - Date published: 6:51 pm, September 22nd, 2008 - 189 comments

One News has just run the revelation that John Key lied to the public and to Parliament about the extent of his shareholding in Tranzrail while using his position to ask questions about the Government’s intentions for rail. More importantly, it seems he met with Rail America in his capacity as National’s transport spokesperson to […]

Franks and teh gays

Written By: - Date published: 5:47 pm, September 22nd, 2008 - 85 comments

National’s candidate for Wellington Central, Stephen Franks, is having a wee cry on his blog today over Agenda’s decision to air that embarrassing Youtube clip where he complains about “grumpy Christians and whining gays” and compares civil unions to marrying your dog. Apparently he’s been “cited out of context” by “the militant gay media” and […]

Roy Morgan has Winston on 5%

Written By: - Date published: 12:52 pm, September 19th, 2008 - 93 comments

If the latest Roy Morgan poll is to be believed, John Key’s big gamble of ruling Winston Peters out of any future coalition may well turn out to be one of the stupidest plays in New Zealand’s political history. According to the poll, NZ First has increased its hypothetical share of the vote to 5%, […]

Key on scrapping four weeks annual leave

Written By: - Date published: 11:15 am, September 18th, 2008 - 24 comments

Thanks to the wonders of Scoopit I’ve just come across this old TVNZ footage of John Key’s first day as National’s finance spokesman. It’s interesting to see where his economic priorities lay: The more things change, the more they stay the same, eh? [It’s worth noting that this isn’t some aberration limited to John Key […]

Poor

Written By: - Date published: 11:26 am, September 17th, 2008 - 39 comments

I’ve just come across Labour’s tragic new campaign website, Labour08.co.nz, and I’m of the firm opinion that someone needs to get their shit together very quickly. Let’s recap here. Labour, according to the polls, is anywhere from 6 to 18 points behind National. Even accounting for the quirks of MMP it’ll be a bloody hard […]

National Monopoly

Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, September 16th, 2008 - 14 comments

Just came across this on G.Blog. Pure gold: ps. Is that Winston in the bottom left corner?

Old battles

Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, September 16th, 2008 - 64 comments

When John Key responded to the PM’s announcement of the election date on Friday he stated: This election is not about the past. It’s not about the old political battles of the past 20 or 30 years. And I got to thinking, what exactly are these “old political battles of the past 20 or 30 […]

Election date to be announced

Written By: - Date published: 11:57 am, September 12th, 2008 - 75 comments

So, Helen Clark is expected to announce the election date at 12.30. $20 says it’s November 8. UPDATE: The 8th it is. I’ll be collecting my $20 off each of you in due course. Full text of the speech over the break: PM’s announcement on the 2008 General Election I have called this press conference […]

A new champion

Written By: - Date published: 11:16 am, September 12th, 2008 - 12 comments

Finally, from realestate.co.nz, we have an example of illiteracy to rival National’s billboards: I blame Labour’s failing education system. [Hat-tip: Matthew Pilott.]

Another leak

Written By: - Date published: 10:56 am, September 9th, 2008 - 58 comments

God, another leak from National, this time their research, science and technology policy. From Mallard’s press release: “Mr Key should not only be embarrassed, he should be very worried about the shambolic show he is running. Contrary to his desperate claims last week, I did not find any of these policies in any café. Or […]

National bleats about wages, still has no solutions

Written By: - Date published: 1:35 pm, September 5th, 2008 - 18 comments

The National Party are once again trying to make political capital over the Trans-Tasman wage gap, even though they created it in the first place and have no policy to fix it. Like I’ve pointed out a dozen times before: 1. Yes, we have a wage gap with Australia and it needs to close. 2. […]

Shambles

Written By: - Date published: 10:08 am, September 5th, 2008 - 29 comments

The leaks from within the National camp just keep on coming. Last night Trevor Mallard had the privilege of releasing National’s environment policy on 3 News thanks to a leak from the inside, destroying National’s planned policy launch on Saturday and exposing serious divisions within the party. From this leak we can tell there’s either […]

Roy Morgan shows Left ahead

Written By: - Date published: 5:14 pm, September 4th, 2008 - 89 comments

John Key’s impatience to get the election over and done with makes a lot more sense in light of today’s Roy Morgan poll. The poll has Labour up 4 to 38%, the Greens up to 8% and National down 3.5 to 44.5% – well out of their comfort zone given their lack of viable coalition […]

Beyond parody

Written By: - Date published: 1:15 pm, September 3rd, 2008 - 57 comments

National’s new billboard. It’s like when your Dad tries to rap.

It just gets worse

Written By: - Date published: 11:06 am, September 3rd, 2008 - 35 comments

Just when you thought National’s billboard campaign couldn’t possibly get any weaker, reports emerge that their next one will say: “Get youth into training, not into trouble” Honestly guys, just cut your losses and start again. [UPDATE: Apparently the first of this run is going up in Vivian Street today.]

Choosing a Righter Future

Written By: - Date published: 2:25 pm, September 2nd, 2008 - 19 comments

A couple more National Party billboards I whipped up in my lunch break. You know, when the original is so godawful it takes all the fun out of the parody. Step it up could you, National? Even Ansell’s better than this… (Click on the images for larger versions or here for more submitted by readers.)

Stark

Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, September 2nd, 2008 - 36 comments

John Key’s attempt to ride on Obama’s coattails has been rightly ridiculed in the New Zealand press, but the differences go much deeper than their respective speaking abilities or Key’s charisma deficit. As this quote from Obama in a recent piece in The Nation shows, when you look at whose interests they’re serving the contrast […]

Weak

Written By: - Date published: 3:35 pm, September 1st, 2008 - 101 comments

Perhaps I’ve overestimated the National Party’s PR machine. I mean I’ve seen them run their C/T strategy pretty well and, as much as I hate to admit it, Ansell’s billboards were pretty bloody good last time. But then I opened the PDF with their latest billboard on it. It’s busy, the message is confusing, and […]

On botox and pet grooming

Written By: - Date published: 3:38 pm, August 8th, 2008 - 41 comments

Pansy Wong’s supposed outrage over ACC “shelling out $750,000 for staff to indulge in day spas, manicures, and botox” has nothing to do with the organisation’s health and wellness programmes and everything to do with National’s attempts to prepare the scheme for privatisation. First off, her attack is utterly dishonest. ACC, like many large employers […]

Break-in

Written By: - Date published: 1:03 pm, August 7th, 2008 - 18 comments

This just in from Radio NZ: Police are investigating a break-in at the electorate office of a senior Labour MP, David Cunliffe, in Auckland. Nothing was taken in the burglary but Mr Cunliffe’s computer was apparently tampered with. Mr Cunliffe’s office has confirmed a complaint has been made to the police about the incident. Meanwhile, […]

English calls for own resignation

Written By: - Date published: 12:05 pm, August 7th, 2008 - 29 comments

A reader has alerted us to this article from the NZ Herald where Bill English explains why he should resign or be sacked over his recorded statements at the National Party conference. Have a read for yourself – the analogy with the events of the last few days is perfect: National Party deputy leader Bill […]

Rubbish

Written By: - Date published: 10:20 am, August 7th, 2008 - 26 comments

John Key’s claims that Labour has been digging through the rubbish outside his Helensville electorate office have been dismissed by Michael Cullen this morning as paranoia. However, CCTV footage revealed exclusively to The Standard suggests Mr Key might just be onto something. Remember John, it’s not paranoia if they’re really out to get you. [Seriously […]

Collins beats up on the sick, again

Written By: - Date published: 2:59 pm, August 6th, 2008 - 15 comments

The dreadful Judith Collins is once again peddling lies about sickness beneficiaries to try and soften the ground for National to throw our most sick and vulnerable citizens back into work if they ever regain power. In a press release this afternoon, Collins screams: “the latest figures showing that the number of people on the […]