Author Archive

Botany & Titbits

Written By: - Date published: 1:26 pm, January 14th, 2011 - 28 comments

The New Citizen Party is going to contest Botany, and aims to get at least 6 MPs in the general election.  They will be the surprise force in Botany, with no-one knowing quite where to place them.

Also, Sandra Goudie is to retire.

Fight for Anzac and Waitangi

Written By: - Date published: 1:26 pm, January 12th, 2011 - 45 comments

This year, as last year, we miss out on both Anzac and Waitangi days as holidays.  And the Government refuses to do anything about it.  Phil Goff and the EPMU back all workers getting their rightful public holidays like any other year – but John Key apparently doesn’t think it’s do-able, that it needs “research”.

Rationality vs Electability

Written By: - Date published: 10:31 am, January 11th, 2011 - 38 comments

The Left have too long accepted the Right’s turf to fight their battles on. Instead of appealing to individualism, the Left need to make community the norm. But whilst avoiding their turf, we do need to use the Right’s preferred weapon – emotion. We must counter their offer of individual wealth for a few with collective happiness for all.

English Confident Voters Gullible

Written By: - Date published: 1:05 pm, January 10th, 2011 - 34 comments

Blinglish is confident that voters understand the economy and back the government’s (lack of) direction.  In fact he better hope that voters don’t understand the economy, or notice National’s lack of help to an economy shedding jobs and headed into double-dip recession, or he won’t get voted back in.

Unemployment – No Story Here

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, January 8th, 2011 - 65 comments

Youth unemployment is 19.8%, but is there much coverage of a shockingly high number?  That’s 1 in 5 young people Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEETs to the initiated); higher than the OECD average.

More Government Christmas Crackers

Written By: - Date published: 2:59 pm, December 23rd, 2010 - 2 comments

The government’s hoping-to-be-ignored Christmas announcements continue.  They’re shockingly cancelling payouts to care-giving relatives of disabled adults, diverting the dodgy PEDA funding and investigating the Auckland central rail tunnel. Look over there – there’s Santa!

Public Broadcasting Downer

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, December 23rd, 2010 - 4 comments

TV6 is lost, child-friendly TV is gone, to be replaced by a service for marketers to reach our youth.

Long live a slightly adulterated TV7, hopefully?  Please?

Straw Men

Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, December 22nd, 2010 - 11 comments

On ACC, National are running out their favourite tactic again – the Straw Man.

We see it regularly with every highly-paid “Working Group” they establish.  They choose the participants to make sure they get the ideas they want to implement, plus a bit more.  Then they cleave off the extra bits to look “moderate”.

More Christmas Surprises

Written By: - Date published: 3:15 pm, December 21st, 2010 - 38 comments

The disastrous experiment of competition for ACC from the 1990s is to be repeated.  Businesses will be allowed to chose a private firm to cover their workplace injuries.  Workers won’t get to choose their level of cover of course, they’re just the ones who get injured or killed – why should they have a say.

National cause of dire economy

Written By: - Date published: 2:20 pm, December 21st, 2010 - 13 comments

National still seem to be getting a lot of cover for their economic mismanagement from the Global Financial Crisis way back in 2007-2008.  But New Zealand’s failure to be “roaring out of recession”, as John Key promised, is no longer tied to the GFC.  It’s Bill English and National’s economic policies that mean that the government deficit is pushing the limits with no reward for average kiwis.

John Key: Celebrity

Written By: - Date published: 3:59 pm, December 16th, 2010 - 27 comments

Isn’t it great we’ve got that nice man John Key running the country?

He can’t sing, but he does entertain his fans so.  Last year he sang Snoopy’s Christmas for his fans, this year Santa Claus is Coming to Town.  He sure does know what it takes to be popular.  And he always does his best.

The “Choice” Mantra

Written By: - Date published: 2:47 pm, December 16th, 2010 - 37 comments

The Right often espouses the mantra of “choice”.  How we do better if we leave things up to the private sector, so we can all get what we want, instead of forcing us into the same solution.

Choice is great for ice-cream, but I don’t think it’s great for government services.

Government Spending Ideology

Written By: - Date published: 7:45 am, December 16th, 2010 - 29 comments

The Right always advocates for less government spending as a percentage of GDP. Those with ideological blinkers cannot see the high correlation between being a free and stable country and paying for it. The most successful nations are willing to invest in quality public services. Government spending is low in poor, unequal, and unstable countries.

Another Minister going…

Written By: - Date published: 2:02 pm, December 15th, 2010 - 31 comments

Wayne Mapp to retire “for personal and family reasons” at the 2011 election. Who’s going to be flown in to replace him?

Good Day to Bury News

Written By: - Date published: 11:18 am, December 14th, 2010 - 25 comments

So Pansy’s gone. That should mean we can breeze over the fact that thanks to National’s economic policies (or lack thereof) the economy’s gone to custard.  And thanks to National’s tax cuts for the rich, the government’s books are in the poo. We certainly won’t get to hear anything about the fact that our first […]

National Attacks Vulnerable Children

Written By: - Date published: 7:25 am, December 14th, 2010 - 22 comments

National are consistently attacking the vulnerable in society – those who cannot fight back and complain. This is where a lot of their cuts are aimed at – those who need it most. Be it in health, education or welfare.

And in several recent health and education National cuts have hurt the most vulnerable – our children.  Not just the massive ECE cuts of Tolley, but cuts hurting those at the bottom even more.

Spending Brown

Written By: - Date published: 2:41 pm, December 13th, 2010 - 49 comments

ACT, through Rodney (who’s so careful with the taxpayer’s money) and Jami-Lee Ross, are trying to make an issue with Len Brown’s spending.  I’m shocked…

Naff off Key

Written By: - Date published: 12:48 pm, December 13th, 2010 - 51 comments

So John Key predicts an unhappy New Year for Phil Goff who is at risk of being rolled…  Because the ShonKey DonKey knows so much about the Labour Party and the extra-secret hidden leadership battles that are certain to be going on, according to his own imagination.

Get on with running the country John, and get us out of a double-dip recession before you start speculating on things you know nothing about.

Labour Selections

Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, December 12th, 2010 - 19 comments

Today Labour choose their candidate for Manurewa to replace George Hawkins.  It’ll be a show of the party in good health, with 500 expected to turn up and vote on 7 candidates.

Next week there are 8 going for Te Atatu.

So in a week’s time we’ll know which 2 quality candidates will replace 2 over-inflated egos in 2011.  It looks good for the future health and direction of the party.

Ridiculous Urgency

Written By: - Date published: 11:50 pm, December 11th, 2010 - 31 comments

National, under the direction of Gerry Brownlee, continue to abuse parliamentary procedure and make bad law.  They tried to ram 12 bills through on Thursday, resulting in them sitting under urgency until Saturday night.  There is no proper oversight, no thinking through the possible problems with bills, and far too little chance for the public to have their say.  We have procedure for a reason…

Afternoon funny

Written By: - Date published: 2:39 pm, December 8th, 2010 - 7 comments

I saw this old American comic and the coincidence was just too bizarre.  I had to share.

This Government Doesn’t Trust You

Written By: - Date published: 10:34 am, December 8th, 2010 - 34 comments

You not only can expect to be spied on more after an overhaul of the SIS, but you sure as hell shouldn’t be allowed to know how they are going to do it.  It’s your freedom they’re protecting, so you should expect a reduction in liberty to achieve that.  And we certainly can’t be allowed […]

Women’s Affair Scrap

Written By: - Date published: 10:03 am, November 19th, 2010 - 11 comments

Minister for Minorities (Womens, Pacific, Ethnic and Assoc Maori Affairs – when she’s not busy with Courts or Disarmament) Georgina te Heuheu was caught out badly in parliament yesterday when reminded that she had previously called for her new portfolio of Women’s Affairs to be scrapped. She apparently couldn’t remember making the incredibly harsh call, […]

Rugby World Cup Opening Ceremony

Written By: - Date published: 8:06 am, November 13th, 2010 - 35 comments

The NBR reported yesterday morning that Murray McCully had awarded the $8 million RWC Opening Ceremony contract to Aussie firm David Atkins Creative.  Over on Red Alert, Grant Robertson was rightly appalled. The story seems to be being largely retracted now, with McCully trying to distance his meddling hands from the affair and the NZRFU […]

Government cuts bite back

Written By: - Date published: 6:42 am, November 13th, 2010 - 26 comments

So our kiwifruit industry is in peril.  PSA may be here to stay, vines may start being burnt today, and a $1.36 billion industry is in trouble. Last year National sacked 54 front-line biosecurity staff, and slashed the budgets by millions. The PSA (Public Service Association) warned at the time that inevitably disease and pests […]

David Suzuki and the Paradigm of Growth

Written By: - Date published: 10:50 pm, November 12th, 2010 - 27 comments

Dr David Suzuki has given the keynote speech at the Green Party Conference on Sustainable Economics. Here is a fantastic presentation of his, about why our obsession with economic growth is suicidal.  Watch it – it’s pretty powerful stuff.

Where is everybody?

Written By: - Date published: 2:22 pm, November 12th, 2010 - 13 comments

John Key got to Japan for his Apec meeting a couple of days ago, and he’s been telling the Japanese they need to drop their tariffs, and the US he’d like to have a chat with Obama on the sidelines of a meeting, any meeting, please…  But nobody else is there.  They’re all still at the G20, across the ditch in Korea. What’s John Key doing?

Captain Potty Mouth

Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, November 11th, 2010 - 27 comments

The PM’s Chief Press Secretary Kevin Taylor thinks he’s above those who are actually elected.  So much so he feels free to tell journalists that an elected Member, who represents the people of New Zealand who voted for him, is a “fuckwit” and that they can “quote him”. Or perhaps “Captain Panic Pants” will claim that it’s just the pressure getting to him.

Govt Attacks Right To Silence

Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, November 11th, 2010 - 12 comments

The Government is removing your Right to Silence in TWO Bills before the House.  The much-improved Search and Surveillance Bill, and the Alcohol Reform Bill.  Ripping up civil rights fought for over centuries that ensure a fair legal system, destroying a free press – all without much thought or care.

Efficient cars – possible now

Written By: - Date published: 12:58 pm, November 10th, 2010 - 70 comments

Incredibly efficient cars can be manufactured now… but they aren’t being made.

What would it take to kick-start what would be a major part of making our future sustainable?

Inequality Rises

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, November 10th, 2010 - 53 comments

Wages rose for the rich and fell for the poor this year, according to a Employers and Manufacturer’s Association survey. Managing Directors got a 3.7% rise from $190k to $197k, whilst the unskilled production workers beneath them saw their wages drop 6.5% or $2000 to $29.5k.

The recession, combined with this government, hurts the poor the hardest.