Author Archive
Impossible to refuse an inquiry
Written By: - Date published: 12:55 pm, March 24th, 2017 - 67 comments
Bill English should stop being evasive and just get on with an inquiry into the fiasco outlined in Hit and Run. The latest developments make any other outcome ridiculous. The longer English delays the worse he looks.
NZ is number one – for domestic violence
Written By: - Date published: 9:47 am, March 23rd, 2017 - 96 comments
It’s great that the government is planning some action on this shameful situation. It’s a pity that they are treating the consequences, not the underlying social problems that contribute so much to the causes, and it’s a pity that it’s taken so long.
Oil prospecting on the shores of Lake Te Anau?
Written By: - Date published: 3:10 pm, March 22nd, 2017 - 22 comments
The Nats are buying another fight with NZ’s nature lovers. Last time they tried something like this 50,000 marched in Auckland and they were forced to back down.
Reid poll
Written By: - Date published: 10:26 am, March 22nd, 2017 - 67 comments
The latest Newshub / Reid poll shows nothing dramatic on the party preference, but has talking points for both left and right on the (largely nonsense) preferred PM question.
Classy
Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, March 21st, 2017 - 24 comments
National’s ill advised attacks on Jacinda Ardern have shriveled in the sunlight, leaving only their reliably suggestible lunatic fringe / Mathew Hooton. The more they rant, the classier she looks.
“Dumbing down a generation”
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, March 21st, 2017 - 137 comments
An excellent piece by Simon Collins in the weekend Herald. NZ’s educational scores in international comparisons are locked in a downward spiral. National’s ideology has failed, while we ignore successful models.
What are we America now?
Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, March 20th, 2017 - 58 comments
Last night ONE News had an important exclusive on Syrian-born Kiwis who say they are being subjected to “intrusive and unnecessary searches” at our border, including demands to pass over social media passwords. This needs an investigation, and if some officers are crossing the line, it needs to be dealt with quickly.
Fix our tax law!
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, March 20th, 2017 - 128 comments
Multinationals exploit our tax laws to pay no tax in NZ. Matt Nippert has been doing great work on this, and his latest this weekend on Apple is a powerful example. Planned changes to our laws don’t go far enough. We need to fix this. What’s the downside? What’s the delay?
Nats’ attack on Ardern – Day 3
Written By: - Date published: 9:51 am, March 18th, 2017 - 68 comments
They were still digging themselves deeper yesterday. The latest attack tells us more about National than it does about Ardern.
Reducing substance abuse – what actually works
Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, March 18th, 2017 - 66 comments
If, instead of macho posturing (like the “War on P”), we wanted to actually tackle substance abuse, we would be looking at what actually works. Interesting case study in Iceland.
Mixed result in Netherlands
Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, March 17th, 2017 - 18 comments
I guess it’s good that some parts of the world are going nuts at a slower rate than others?
Nats’ attack on Ardern backfires
Written By: - Date published: 7:04 am, March 17th, 2017 - 34 comments
National’s nasty, obvious, hamfisted attack on Jacinda Ardern has backfired on them big time.
Parata overrules Bennett – consent not taught in schools
Written By: - Date published: 12:38 pm, March 16th, 2017 - 33 comments
In the followup to the rape culture protests, Hekia Parata has overruled Paula Bennett, and consent will not be taught in schools.
“All show and no substance”
Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, March 16th, 2017 - 147 comments
The attack on Ardern as “all show and no substance” is a curious one for a party that was led for so many years by John Key.
Free market efficiency in health – not
Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, March 15th, 2017 - 37 comments
The idea of free market efficiency is not nearly as powerful or universal as its (often fanatical) proponents would have us believe. The sorry state of the USA’s health system is yet another compelling example of its limitations.
Call to teach consent in schools
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, March 14th, 2017 - 127 comments
Yesterday evening saw a well attended rally at Parliament to protest rape culture in NZ, and call for the teaching of consent in schools.
English flogging National’s one-trick pony
Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, March 13th, 2017 - 73 comments
Never mind the record debt, the dropped contributions to the Cullen fund, the housing crisis, rising poverty, the deteriorating health system, the costs of quake rebuilds, the filthy water, the need to prepare for climate change – never mind all that, have an election bribe!
Climate change, weather bombs, and the infrastructure that we need
Written By: - Date published: 10:23 am, March 12th, 2017 - 62 comments
The effects of climate change are here, now, playing out in the flooded north. We should be preparing, we should be hardening critical infrastructure like Auckland’s fresh water supply. Instead of building – you know – more roads.
Community groups abandon Smith’s water forum
Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, March 11th, 2017 - 14 comments
Will Nick Smith get the message and set in place a realistic consultation process and safe standards, or will he persist with a plan so bad that no one wants to be associated with it?
TOP climate change policy
Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, March 10th, 2017 - 21 comments
Morgan’s TOP climate change policy is out, and it commits to “net zero carbon emissions by 2050”. There’s lots to like…
Racist campaigns and attack ads
Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, March 10th, 2017 - 32 comments
A couple of racist groups seem to be hawking their wares recently. Unfortunately this may herald the start of a dirty election, dragged down by well funded and unaccountable pressure groups.
Roads not health
Written By: - Date published: 9:38 am, March 9th, 2017 - 98 comments
A new coalition protests health under-funding, while the cost of the holiday highway blows out. Our government has its priorities all screwed up.
Household debt
Written By: - Date published: 11:47 am, March 8th, 2017 - 93 comments
The IMF warns that our household debt is far too high, as desperate tenants start raiding the Kiwisaver accounts to pay the rent.
The gender pay gap – grandstanding but no action
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, March 8th, 2017 - 73 comments
A new report has some really interesting findings on the gender pay gap. Paula Bennett engaged in a bit of grandstanding, but it rings completely hollow given National’s history on the issue.
Happy International Women’s Day.
Swimmable standards that aren’t for all of our rivers except most of them
Written By: - Date published: 8:10 am, March 5th, 2017 - 21 comments
Swimmable standards that aren’t, for all of our rivers except most of them, sometime maybe not now. Nat policy at its finest.
English puts super back on the line
Written By: - Date published: 1:41 pm, March 4th, 2017 - 93 comments
In what was apparently a pretty dire interview on The Nation this morning, Bill English dropped one bombshell, possible changes in superannuation. For the record I think English is right on this. For a change.
The social damage wrought by homes as commoditites
Written By: - Date published: 7:04 am, March 4th, 2017 - 82 comments
A recent UN report highlights the waste of treating homes as commodities. It should sound awfully familiar in the NZ context.
Coalition building – deft politics from Little
Written By: - Date published: 9:45 am, March 3rd, 2017 - 87 comments
Helen Clark wrote the book on MMP coalition government, shoring up alliances on the left and the right. Looks like Andrew Little has read the book. Labour + Green + NZF = government.
Free speech vs hate speech
Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, March 2nd, 2017 - 154 comments
Auckland Uni is in a difficult position – a classic dilemma with two important principles at stake.
Great reaction to Jacinda move
Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, March 2nd, 2017 - 72 comments
The (presumed) move to Jacinda Ardern as deputy leader has been very well received.
Two editorials on immigration
Written By: - Date published: 11:35 am, March 1st, 2017 - 29 comments
Two very contrasting opinion pieces on racism, housing, jobs, and the immigration debate.
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