Author Archive
McCarten on religion and politics
Written By: - Date published: 1:11 pm, September 23rd, 2007 - Comments Off on McCarten on religion and politics
God has spoken this week. It’s clear that he doesn’t want Gordon Copeland, Brian Tamaki or Taito Phillip Field representing him on Earth. Here’s the full piece from the Herald.
Hillary Nutcracker
Written By: - Date published: 10:45 am, September 22nd, 2007 - Comments Off on Hillary Nutcracker
Here’s the product page (via Gizmodo)
Rickards charged with alleged misconduct
Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, September 22nd, 2007 - 1 comment
Last week John Key was calling on the government to force Rickards to go – interfer in an onoing employment matter and essentially require the payout of a large golden-handshake. At the time the PM refered to his comments as “reckless”. PRESENTER: Alright, what would you be doing right now, if you were the Prime […]
Superannuation
Written By: - Date published: 9:47 am, September 22nd, 2007 - 1 comment
Brian Gaynor writes in the Herald about what he calls “the worst economic decision of the last 40 years” – National’s scrapping of Labour’s compulsory Super scheme in 1975. Had it been allowed to continue, today it would be worth over $240 billion. Muldoon claimed that the scheme should be opposed because it was “socialist” […]
More on Hollow Men play
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, September 22nd, 2007 - 1 comment
The Herald has a bit more info on the stage adaptation of The Hollow Men. Strange how close Brash and Foreman’s answers are. I wonder if they’re still in regular contact. No surprise the book is full of half-truths Dr Brash, after all it was based on your correspondence. Brash: “The book on which the […]
The Hollow Men stage play
Written By: - Date published: 2:54 pm, September 21st, 2007 - 3 comments
Close Up last night did a quick preview of the stage adaptation of Nicky Hager’s The Hollow Men. I’ll write a review as soon as I’ve seen it. Don’s far from happy about his continued time in the spotlight and is sticking firmly to his story that his emails were “stolen” or “hacked” rather than […]
Congratulations Canada
Written By: - Date published: 1:47 pm, September 21st, 2007 - Comments Off on Congratulations Canada
TORONTO (AP) — The Canadian dollar reached parity with the U.S. dollar on Thursday for the first time since November 1976. Known as the loonie because of the bird pictured on the one-dollar coin, the Canadian dollar has been gaining ground on its American counterpart since hitting an all-time low of 61.79 U.S. cents on […]
CCDA to merge with National caucus
Written By: - Date published: 12:49 pm, September 21st, 2007 - 1 comment
Hi, my name’s Richard Worth and I’m a climate change denier.ÂÂ I’ve been clean for one day – since yesterday when my Party endorsed the Labour government’s climate change policy – but today I’m back to my old ways. Hat-tip Idoit/Savant from No Right Turn.
Subway cheese conspiracy
Written By: - Date published: 10:46 am, September 21st, 2007 - 1 comment
Some of you might remember an incident at Subway in Dunedin earlier this year. A young woman who worked there was fired in after management accused her of stealing a free staff drink after she shared it with her friend. They had her arrested and charged with theft. The news traveled widely, there was a […]
Espiner and climate change policy up a tree…
Written By: - Date published: 10:13 am, September 21st, 2007 - Comments Off on Espiner and climate change policy up a tree…
Colin Espiner seems to think the government’s done ok with its climate change policy: While I can’t confess to yet having had time to read every line in the stacks of documents the Government dumped on reporters today (I’d like to see a carbon audit of how much energy was expended in printing it for […]
Fleshing out the aspirations
Written By: - Date published: 5:25 pm, September 20th, 2007 - 2 comments
The big political news of the day was the government announcement of an emissions trading scheme. This scheme puts a price on carbon emissions and is intended to incentivise more efficient use of fuel and energy. The trading scheme’s the centrepiece of the climate change policy but there’s a lot around the edges. David Parker […]
Cameron least popular UK party leader
Written By: - Date published: 4:54 pm, September 20th, 2007 - Comments Off on Cameron least popular UK party leader
David Cameron is now Britain’s least popular party leader, according to the latest Guardian/ICM poll published today. It suggests Mr Cameron’s efforts to revive Conservative fortunes are suffering in the face of recovering respect for Labour as a party of government. I wonder if this is a sign of things to come for John Key […]
My gran decides she quite likes the gold card
Written By: - Date published: 12:11 pm, September 20th, 2007 - 2 comments
Garth George weighs in on the gold card today in the Herald. While the debate rages about the merits of Winston’s senior card and whether cheaper rinses and jetboat rides are worth all the fuss, I’m tempted to tell my gran what she’s been telling me for years: don’t look a gift-horse in the mouth […]
National MP Key on climate change
Written By: - Date published: 11:47 am, September 20th, 2007 - Comments Off on National MP Key on climate change
John Key was born in Auckland but moved to Christchurch when a child. He was educated at Burnside High School and then gained a B.Comm from the University of Canterbury. John launched his investment banking career in New Zealand in the mid 80s. After 10 years in the New Zealand market he headed offshore, working […]
National MP English on climate change
Written By: - Date published: 11:46 am, September 20th, 2007 - Comments Off on National MP English on climate change
Bill has been an MP since 1990 when he was elected to the former seat of Wallace in the rural heartland of the south of the South Island. Now renamed Clutha-Southland, the electorate is truly home to Bill English as it encompasses the town of Dipton where he was born in December 1961 and Winton […]
National MP Carter on climate change
Written By: - Date published: 11:46 am, September 20th, 2007 - Comments Off on National MP Carter on climate change
David was born in 1952, and attended St Bede’s College in Christchurch. He is one of six current Members of Parliament who attended St Bede’s College. He completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree at Lincoln University before embarking on a farming and business career. David currently farms a 2,500 stock unit farm on Banks […]
National MP Hayes on climate change
Written By: - Date published: 11:46 am, September 20th, 2007 - Comments Off on National MP Hayes on climate change
John has diverse experience of life and a successful career in the foreign service and business. He was concerned about the direction New Zealand was taking and decided to support Don Brash and the National team. He has been campaigning full time for National since October. After a period working as an economist John joined […]
National MP Connell on climate change
Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, September 20th, 2007 - 1 comment
Brian Connell, 46, is a farmer and former international business consultant. After graduating with a BA in History and Geography from Massey, and studying for a Diploma in Teaching, he became a primary, then a secondary school teacher for several years, following which he joined middle management in State Bank, in Victoria, Australia. Later he […]
Happy Suffrage Day!
Written By: - Date published: 3:39 pm, September 19th, 2007 - 5 comments
Another of New Zealand’s proud firsts: we were the first to give women the vote in national elections. Clearly as a society we’ve made huge progress in the last 114 years – New Zealand’s even now got a Ministry dedicated to furthering Women’s issues to help ensure that they stay on the agenda. It’s a […]
Piratical confluence
Written By: - Date published: 1:06 pm, September 19th, 2007 - 2 comments
Arrrrg, the starrrrs must be aligned. Not only is it international talk like a pirate day and a day of significance to Pastafarians worldwide but it’s also the day before the government announces its carbon emission trading scheme. Having not yet seen the scheme the Nats don’t really know what to say as evidenced by […]
Confirmed: Copeland’s pants on fire
Written By: - Date published: 12:19 pm, September 19th, 2007 - Comments Off on Confirmed: Copeland’s pants on fire
Ten Commandments? Nope. Never heard of them. Mr Copeland had insisted on Monday that he did not know what was going to be announced at yesterday’s press conference called by Destiny Church head Brian Tamaki to confirm the new political party. He also insisted in an interview with The Dominion Post that his Future NZ […]
Happy 70th, No 12 Fife Lane, Miramar
Written By: - Date published: 3:22 pm, September 18th, 2007 - 3 comments
Today marks the 70th anniversary of the opening of the Labour Government’s first state house by Michael Joseph Savage. The aim in 1937 was to build 5000 new homes a year in an effort to rid New Zealand of sub-standard housing. No mention of any of this over at Kiwiblog, where National Party blogger and […]
Shopping our way to carbon neutrality
Written By: - Date published: 11:18 am, September 18th, 2007 - Comments Off on Shopping our way to carbon neutrality
From The Guardian: It isn’t easy being green. You have to turn the thermostat down to a chilly 18C in winter, spend ages taping up draughty windows, eat nothing but muddy parsnips all through February and wear charity shop cast-offs instead of proper clothes. Oh, the horror. Not so fast, say today’s big high-street chains. […]
Two birds, one stone?
Written By: - Date published: 4:16 pm, September 17th, 2007 - 1 comment
An American doctoral student has found that there may be a silver lining when it comes to higher petrol prices – they might help people lose weight. Perhaps this is the policy solution to fighting climate change and obesity? 😉 Courtemanche’s study found that a US$1 rise in gas prices could reduce obesity by about […]
Personal politics
Written By: - Date published: 1:59 pm, September 17th, 2007 - 8 comments
Colin Espiner writes in the Press that “Prime Minister Helen Clark has become a polarising figure in New Zealand politics, but voters have yet to make up their minds about John Key, a new poll shows”. Hardly a surprise. As far as I can tell he’s keen to say as little as possible. Steve Braunias […]
Congratulations, you’ve come 2nd
Written By: - Date published: 1:59 pm, September 17th, 2007 - Comments Off on Congratulations, you’ve come 2nd
Your prize? A second interview in one day with failed National Party candidate-turned-broadcaster, Paul Henry.
National to sue Southpark creators
Written By: - Date published: 10:38 am, September 17th, 2007 - Comments Off on National to sue Southpark creators
UPDATE: Whew! Trey and Matt were evidently thinking ahead.
Lest we forget
Written By: - Date published: 5:45 pm, September 14th, 2007 - 1 comment
Earlier this week I posted on National’s attempted inoculation of the “nuclear issue”. Chris Trotter’s just written a related analysis of Key’s comments to the NZ/US Partnership Forum. In it Key states: “I have little interest in debates, either economic or political, that simply relitigate events of a quarter of a century ago… I realise […]
Prius schmius
Written By: - Date published: 11:18 am, September 14th, 2007 - Comments Off on Prius schmius
Feeling guilty after watching An Inconvenient Truth? Want to do your bit to help save the planet but don’t have the cash to buy a hybrid? (and too lazy to walk or ride a bike?). Perhaps you should consider becoming a “hypermiler”. The best of these guys can apparently get up to 25km per litre […]
“Ban water?” asks Jacqui Dean
Written By: - Date published: 6:25 pm, September 13th, 2007 - 4 comments
In her defense, I don’t remember there being a chemistry component to Play School.
Lockwood: feeling it or faking it?
Written By: - Date published: 3:52 pm, September 13th, 2007 - 4 comments
Ok. To celebrate The Standard’s one month anniversary, and to thank you for visiting dear reader, we’re going to run a competition. Forget Deal or No Deal. That’s for chumps. Today we’re launching New Zealand’s hottest online “gameshow” (we use the term liberally) – “Lockwood: feeling it or faking it?” It’s going to work like […]
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