Author Archive

Maui embarrassment

Written By: - Date published: 2:37 pm, September 19th, 2016 - 15 comments

The government didn’t make much of a show of Conservation Week – which was probably for the best the Conservation stories coming out weren’t exactly positive for it.  US wanting us to do more on dolphins, the Kermadec sanctuary, fish dumping…

Conservation Week

Written By: - Date published: 8:10 am, September 17th, 2016 - 21 comments

It’s Conservation Week.  We should all go and enjoy the great outdoors this weekend… but be careful of the polluted rivers and the wallabies.  But at least we’ll be pest-free by 3300…

Rockstar! Is it?

Written By: - Date published: 12:58 pm, September 16th, 2016 - 181 comments

National is very proud of the latest GDP-growth figures (third highest in OECD!), but are they helping you?  And are they what they appear?

Stop the Sanctions!

Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, September 16th, 2016 - 131 comments

Auckland Action Against Poverty is trying to get a sanction on sole mothers removed.

Maori Party to make a stand?

Written By: - Date published: 2:45 pm, September 15th, 2016 - 113 comments

The Maori Party are threatening to pull out of their confidence & supply agreement with National.  This would leave National with a Hair-thin majority in the House. The Kermadec Sanctuary, if handled with competence instead of arrogance, should have been a massive win for National.

Right-wing mayor candidates try to kneecap themselves

Written By: - Date published: 7:07 am, September 15th, 2016 - 82 comments

Vic Crone isn’t sure humans are causing climate change, Palino doesn’t think Auckland is all that super, and Mark Thomas just wants people not to vote for Goff…  It’s hardly an enticing bunch.

Lose yourself in the music

Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, September 11th, 2016 - 25 comments

While we’re enjoying the popcorn at Williams vs Craig, there’s another enjoyable court case coming next year shortly before the election…

‘Living Rent’ and other UK stories

Written By: - Date published: 9:53 am, September 8th, 2016 - 4 comments

A Tory think tank proposes a massive house-building plan, with a ‘Living Rent’ to make it affordable; and Nick Clegg lifts the lid on the Tories in the last government.

#ParkUpForGovernment

Written By: - Date published: 8:24 am, September 7th, 2016 - 10 comments

Despite the large number of people with terrible stories about homelessness to the Labour/Greens/Maori Homelessness Inquiry, this Government of Housing Inaction still thinks the problem should be ignored and the Inquiry ‘not needed’.

Key: Kiwis are lazy drug users

Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, September 6th, 2016 - 197 comments

John Key let the mask slip yesterday – as he said that we needed immigrant labour even for unskilled work because of the work ethic and drug use of New Zealand workers.  That’s how he sees normal Kiwis, but actually maybe they just need proper pay & conditions.

Little’s Big Parliamentary ‘Member’

Written By: - Date published: 11:18 pm, September 5th, 2016 - 32 comments

Andrew Little fully fronts up.

Key: Crisis? What me worry?

Written By: - Date published: 8:10 am, August 30th, 2016 - 34 comments

John Key is defending his handling of Auckland’s housing crisis on the grounds that Auckland’s prices have only risen as much under him as they did under Labour.

So the prices that he said were a crisis in 2007, have risen by as much again, and thus… no problem?

Third term and full of ideas…

Written By: - Date published: 8:22 am, August 26th, 2016 - 59 comments

You know National really have their finger on the pulse with their latest members bills. First was Nuk Korako showing why he’s 50 on the list with a bill that seems to not actually affect anything.  There don’t seem to be any Airports that have local Councils force them to advertise their lost luggage auctions […]

She’s got to go

Written By: - Date published: 9:07 pm, June 14th, 2016 - 98 comments

Paula Bennett’s leaked one too many times, as she tries to silence those who embarrass her.  She needs to resign and take her authoritarian ways with her.

Migration

Written By: - Date published: 7:17 am, June 14th, 2016 - 32 comments

The refugee rise didn’t go far enough… but we need to stop importing cafe managers and retail supervisors and fuelling Auckland’s housing and transport problems.

Gender Pay Gap: Average Wage Graph telling

Written By: - Date published: 10:38 am, January 15th, 2016 - 76 comments

Now maybe it’s because I’m a bloke, but looking at this graph I couldn’t help but think: wouldn’t it be better to close the pay gap for women by increasing their wages rather than decreasing men’s?

Future Jobs

Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, September 29th, 2015 - 14 comments

I’m going to get to reviewing Labour’s next 3 Future of Work papers, honest.

But in the meantime, I have something to share from Andrew McAfee.

Just a great Ted Talk on YouTube.

A thinking opposition

Written By: - Date published: 7:36 am, August 1st, 2015 - 56 comments

So the news on Labour’s first paper from its “Future of Work” Commission revolves around “ex-Labour member” Phil Quin noticing some missing quote marks and National making gleeful diversions from it. But of course what is actually important is the content.

Health and Safety

Written By: - Date published: 2:20 pm, July 24th, 2015 - 2 comments

The CTU’s excellent campaign to get a stronger version of National’s post-Pike River Health and Safety law has produced this excellent video, and you can sign to support Iain Lees-Galloway’s amendments to improve the bill.

Guantanamo Diary

Written By: - Date published: 11:10 pm, January 21st, 2015 - 4 comments

The Guardian has some amazing extracts from a diary that Guantánamo detainee Mohamedou Ould Slahi kept and gave to his lawyers. It’s the first book by a serving Guantanamo inmate.

Protecting our Freedom

Written By: - Date published: 1:27 pm, January 19th, 2015 - 7 comments

UK PM David Cameron thinks freedom will be enhanced by monitoring everything – something we used to call totalitarianism. We need more encryption and to make sure the internet is built for the people, not the data-miners – be they our security agencies, criminal gangs, or facebook.

Jobs That Count

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, December 17th, 2014 - 20 comments

The Meatworkers Union today launch a campaign for Jobs That Count – to try to get better conditions for these marginalised workers who face it all – seasonal work, dangerous jobs, casual and zero hours contracts and anti-union pressure.

Why is it Len’s fault?

Written By: - Date published: 10:45 pm, December 10th, 2014 - 36 comments

Various Tory voices, fresh from finding Len Brown guilty of needing a wee; now find he’s to blame for failing to get his visionary Central Rail Loop started on time, with its delayed start to 2018. But surely the blame lies not with him, but squarely with National and Key for refusing to pay their share until 2020.

Dodging the big decisions

Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, December 10th, 2014 - 18 comments

Colin James has an excellent piece on the housing market. Simon Collins has a piece on the implications on young renters. Meanwhile, a number of other big problems are being ignored by National as well.

Charter Schools: F

Written By: - Date published: 7:52 am, December 4th, 2014 - 45 comments

So despite the vast amount more funding (5x more per pupil) to charter schools, 1 of the 5 first, Te Kura Hourua ki Whangaruru, is failing abysmally.

The Government has previously said that all their problems were fixed, or being fixed – but they clearly aren’t.

Prove It

Written By: - Date published: 9:51 pm, December 3rd, 2014 - 28 comments

So John Key reckons the decile 1 & 2 principals he talks to say that hardly any kids at their school need lunch. Campbell Live & Kids Can seem to only find school principals who say that lots of kids need lunch. So maybe John Key can name these mythical decile 1 & 2 schools that are doing so well. And then when he gets shown up again, maybe National can move to support Hone’s Food in Schools Bill.

Distract and Divert

Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, December 3rd, 2014 - 16 comments

Why do I want to know about Bronagh’s private 30th wedding anniversary gift to John Key? The PM is in trouble and trying to get fluff out to distract from his recent repeated lying, make people think more nicely of him. Presumably his superstitiousness played well in focus groups.

Children’s Plea

Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, November 21st, 2014 - 24 comments

We all know that Child Poverty is one of New Zealand’s major problems. In an attempt to finally get a response from the National government to the problem ex-Family Court judge Graeme MacCormick has issued a “Children’s Plea” to get the government to do something serious in their next budget. You can sign it here. […]

In defence of John Key

Written By: - Date published: 9:09 am, November 18th, 2014 - 158 comments

Click-bait, moi?

Distractify

Written By: - Date published: 7:07 am, October 29th, 2014 - 28 comments

While shepherding through horrendous housing changes and removing workers’ rights – and hiding from Dirty Politics – John Key needs a big “look over there!”

I’m backing Grant

Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, October 26th, 2014 - 175 comments

We have 4 great Leftie contenders, who all want to take Aotearoa where we want it to go. Whomever wins, I’ll back them to the hilt. But I have a vote and a voice, and I’m backing Grant – here’s why.

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