Author Archive

Should Right-wing newspapers just shut up?

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 1:12 pm, November 2nd, 2014 - 75 comments

In the spirit of Philip Matthews…

The future of work, income

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:22 am, November 1st, 2014 - 188 comments

Automation is changing everything – faster than we think…

EEO Commissioner blasts employment law changes

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:33 am, November 1st, 2014 - 43 comments

Workers have lost the statutory right to meal breaks and smokos. Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) Commissioner Jackie Blue – who happens to be an ex Nat MP – pulls no punches in setting out the consequences.

Leadership carnage! Crisis! Farce! Civil war!

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:29 am, October 31st, 2014 - 112 comments

Last night I attended the Dunedin meeting of the Labour leadership traveling roadshow. Carnage! Crisis! Farce! Civil war!

Lowly science

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 5:42 pm, October 30th, 2014 - 15 comments

I’m sure it’s true, but…

Key’s “high ethical standards”

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:52 am, October 30th, 2014 - 55 comments

Key’s “high ethical standards” were on display in Parliament again yesterday. So many questions. (And a bonus note – apparently Key knows the identity of Rawshark.)

Labour day – thank a unionist

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:00 am, October 27th, 2014 - 72 comments

Today is a day to celebrate the rights hard won by workers and unions, past and present. There’s a reason it’s called “Labour Day” not “Free Market Day”…

Poverty and the need to belong

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:03 am, October 25th, 2014 - 37 comments

I’ve read a couple of thought-provoking accounts of poverty lately. There are common themes – issues that the political right, which can only see “the poor” as separate from “us”, will never understand and acknowledge.

Hager vs police – suppressing debate

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 6:46 am, October 24th, 2014 - 71 comments

The police and Hager are in the process of initiating legal proceedings against each other. The police action against Hager was and is designed to intimidate, to suppress debate. Rod Oram calls shame on dirty politics and the people who perpetrate it.

Measuring poverty

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:38 am, October 22nd, 2014 - 40 comments

The National government has always been selective about what it likes to measure, and so far refused to measure poverty. Under questioning on Morning Report this morning Key finally made a commitment to do so. We must hold him to it.

Parker on cults and colours

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:31 am, October 22nd, 2014 - 152 comments

David Parker is reported in The Herald this morning with some comments which seem likely to provoke a strong response! His email pitch to party members also arrived today…

Dirty politics aftermath: Slater

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:07 am, October 21st, 2014 - 30 comments

Pete George has an interesting summary of recent discussion on Slater’s blog in the aftermath of dirty politics. Is Slater about to turn on Key?

Hypocrisy and the cost of crime

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:54 am, October 21st, 2014 - 58 comments

The Government canned a report on the costs of various kinds of economic crime. RNZ obtained a copy under the OIA, and we can see why the Nats would never have wanted it released…

New Blog: On The Left

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 12:42 pm, October 20th, 2014 - 44 comments

“OTL was born when a couple of lefty comms people got together for coffee and decided that the NZ blogosphere was lacking an accessible, well-written, interesting and above all fun group blog which provided a space for discussing and propagating left-wing ideas.”

Strategic voting

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 6:44 am, October 20th, 2014 - 196 comments

It’s all very well taking the moral high ground on strategic voting, but the nice guys are finishing last. Enough already, time for the Left to use the same tactics as the Nats.

No point in state houses

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:32 am, October 18th, 2014 - 75 comments

There’s no point in state houses. Not according to the Nats anyway. Unbelievable.

Responding to our greatest threat

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:02 am, October 17th, 2014 - 23 comments

moe-climate-change

Right and Righter

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:05 am, October 17th, 2014 - 34 comments

Hosking, Henry, National and SkyCity – it’s all so cozy…

Off to war

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:00 am, October 16th, 2014 - 70 comments

Broken promise. Lies. War. The Herald willing to believe anything to defend Brand Key. Just another day in NZ politics.

Official advice on poverty

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:01 am, October 15th, 2014 - 53 comments

An excellent piece by Brent Edwards on Morning Report today, looking at official advice to the government on poverty. Underneath the politicised process the answer is as obvious as ever.

The final field

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:18 am, October 15th, 2014 - 61 comments

Well, the list of Labour leadership contenders has defied the predictions of the pundits (myself included). Here’s my 2c on the final field.

The housing dream

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 2:06 pm, October 14th, 2014 - 23 comments

The “Kiwi dream” is over – the housing crisis just gets worse and worse.

Terrorism and thoughtcrime

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 6:54 am, October 13th, 2014 - 51 comments

Key is considering bringing in thoughtcrime. Guilt by association. Detaining people because they may commit a crime.

Donations still rolling in for Hager

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:42 am, October 11th, 2014 - 16 comments

Assisted no doubt by attempts to have the fund shut down, donations are still rolling in for Nicky Hager’s defence.

Who is trying to shut down Hager defence fund?

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:02 am, October 10th, 2014 - 191 comments

The Hager defence fund stands at over ~~$41,000~~ ~~$43,000~~ $44,000 and still climbing. But some mean-spirited wingnuts are trying to have it shut down…

The terrorism card

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:35 am, October 9th, 2014 - 46 comments

Terrorism is whatever John Key wants it to be.

Cause of poverty and inequality found!

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:06 am, October 8th, 2014 - 36 comments

Good news citizens! The National government has revealed unto us today the cause of poverty and inequality.

How far will the harassment of Hager go?

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:16 am, October 7th, 2014 - 241 comments

Hager has said that he will go to prison rather than reveal the identity of the Rawshark / Whaledump hacker.

Two tier strategy on spying

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:54 am, October 7th, 2014 - 30 comments

Key ditching responsibility for the GCSB and SIS, and adopting the newly created title of Minister for National Security and Intelligence, is another example of the dirty politics two tier strategy.

Starving the universities

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:02 am, October 6th, 2014 - 52 comments

NZ’s universities are falling down the world rankings. This should come as no surprise, because National have systematically cut funding to the tertiary sector. How stupid do you have to be to deliberately run down our universities?

Dirty attacks on academic

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:59 am, October 3rd, 2014 - 10 comments

Another dirty hit, this time on an Otago academic. It features most of the regular cast of Dirty Politics, and stars Jordan Williams of the “Taxpayers’ Union” (aka a front for right-wing spin and political attacks).