Author Archive

Choices, Choices

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 1:37 pm, April 7th, 2011 - 25 comments

Begging the question

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 8:45 am, March 25th, 2011 - 43 comments

Yesterday, John Armstrong wrote “Goff’s management of the crisis has already begged a major question.” Apart from making me wonder if the question was ‘is it OK for the Minister of Police to leak stories about ongoing police investigations for political gain’, Armstrong’s misuse of ‘begging the question’ reminded me of this song.

Back to corned beef & frozen peas for Brash

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 12:57 pm, March 23rd, 2011 - 10 comments

Turia’s learning the price of loyalty. Her Whanau Ora is getting cuts. Key knows she’ll roll over and vote for any budget to keep her seat in the limo. Hide’s 2025 Taskforce is for the chop too. Key says it’s not worth the money. Never was. 300K down the drain. Brash off the gravy train; back to corned beef and peas. Bet Key’s silly cycleway won’t be cut.

Key pledges: a photo-op a week for Chch

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 12:05 am, March 14th, 2011 - 83 comments

Stung by Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee’s admission that the eastern suburbs were neglected after the Christchurch Earthquake, John Key is redoubling his efforts: “For the first few days, I stuck my head down and got on with designing the emergency benefit policy but, winter’s approaching, so the people need me to return to my strengths.”

English on Working for Families

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 9:34 pm, March 2nd, 2011 - 81 comments

English on Working for Families cuts: “around 1,000 families earning over $100,000 receive WFF, and payments to those families total only $1.1 million …  Taking higher-income families out of WFF saves very little money …
In this uncertain economic climate, we want to give all families certainty about their incomes”

Nats impose media ban on selves

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 9:15 am, February 18th, 2011 - 11 comments

In a surprise move, John Key has announced the National Party is imposing a media ban on itself until the BMW limo affair dies down. “We got the idea from the Maori Party. Every time they open their mouths over Hone Harawira, things get worse. Shut their mouths and the issue goes away. Brilliant. There’s so much we can learn from our Maori friends”

Lies make BMW story worse

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 8:27 pm, February 16th, 2011 - 37 comments

Key says he didn’t know about the BMW purchase. Funny cause on Tuesday, English was taking responsibility: “we could go out and buy second-hand cars but one way or another cars need to be maintained”. The Nats try to blame Labour but the contract Labour signed says replacing the cars was optional without penalty.

Tackling the big issues

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 9:53 am, February 12th, 2011 - 60 comments

Key: So, Gillard’s coming. Are we talking about a single economic zone?
Groser: Umm. No. Mobile roaming charges.
Key: Christ, Tim. We’re really racking up wins for Kiwi exporters here, aren’t we?
Captain Panicpants: Your numbers with women are down over Hurley. They say you sounded disloyal and they empathise with Bronagh.
Key: Shit now that’s serious. Call the missus. We’ll do something cutsie and distracting.

Michael Lhaws’ irrelevancy proven

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 2:50 pm, February 7th, 2011 - 68 comments

Yesterday, Lhaws’ SST piece called for involuntary sterilisation and reproduction licences (ie. forced abortions). Pure fascism.  Today, no uproar. Once, his stoush with some school kids was news. Now, he offers a eugenic ‘solution’ to the underclass and not a peep. He’s truly a has-been. He won’t have that SST column for long.

Useless ministers wasting our money

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 10:40 am, February 3rd, 2011 - 5 comments

Crushless Collins’ double-bunking money saver costing $2.6m.

Shock! Paying someone else to build and operate our schools won’t save money.

Nat-appointed public service chiefs paid to air-commute. Pay cuts for frontline.

Key smiles at launch of new science ministry, waves in $3m of science funding cuts.

It ain’t easy being green

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 12:38 pm, January 31st, 2011 - 13 comments

At his ‘Blue-Green’ conference Nick Smith talked up the Nats’ environmental credentials. Proclaimed a marine reserve … where commercial fishing will still be allowed. And pushed new air quality standards from 2013 to 2020. That will cost 635 lives and a million sick days. Smith says it will save $506m. Guess the ‘Green’ in ‘Blue-Green’ is money after all.

There when it counts

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 12:12 pm, January 21st, 2011 - 49 comments

Herald, 21 December. Paula Bennett details the hideous abuse of a 9-year-old girl found shortly before by police. Says: “As soon as this case was brought to my attention I started demanding answers.” “I hope to God justice comes.” Today revealed, the child’s mother and teacher each separately wrote to John Key months before. Letters were transferred to… Paula Bennett.

Front on Pike River

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 9:57 am, January 14th, 2011 - 75 comments

Sad news for Coasters. Recovery of bodies at Pike River abandoned. Key promised ‘whatever it takes’ to get them out. He’s breaking his word. He should front up and justify it. Instead, he’s hiding from the media.

How bad’s the poll?

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 9:12 pm, January 8th, 2011 - 59 comments

Farrar and Slater are trying to knee-cap a poll in the SST tomorrow. They know the numbers because Key’s office told them. Obviously jittered. Slater says it has NZF at 8.9%. Movement of ipredict stocks suggest its bad news for Nats and Labour. If Nats are in mid-40s then they’re in danger territory. Very hard for them to find a majority.