Author Archive

Greenie bashing session

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 11:09 am, October 3rd, 2012 - 38 comments

Greenie bashing season has just opened and that could see the end of Bennie bashing for the mean time. Over the last week two high profile and one low profile National politicians (Steven Joyce, Nick Smith & Colin king) have come out in the media with scathing comments attacking opponents to two high profile environmental cases currently before judges.

Joyce’s desperate shill for Bathurst mining

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 12:42 pm, September 28th, 2012 - 17 comments

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce has launched a broadside against the environmental opponents of the privately owned Denniston mine project. To do this Stephan Joyce has tried to draw a bow linking those who wish to stop the opening of the Dennistion mine, with the closing of the Spring Creek mine.

Social Democratic Economy: Part 2

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 4:25 pm, September 27th, 2012 - 32 comments

Draco gives his long awaited second part on his views on a social democratic economy.

..the present socio-economic system that we use, namely Free Market Capitalism, is a failure. When thinking about the economy and how it works I realised I had to go back to basics as almost everything that’s taught about economics in the mainstream theories is bollocks – most of its assumptions aren’t even close to being realistic.

Fight the ‘War on the Poor’: Opposing Bennett’s welfare reforms.

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 11:45 am, September 21st, 2012 - 52 comments

Grant Robertson, in the House yesterday speaking on Paula Bennett’s “Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill” – First Reading, gave an impassioned speech. He said many some great points about social obligations and a mutually beneficial social contract (between the state and beneficiaries. However, will the Labour Party’s policies match up to the rhetoric?

Asset Sales, Water & Maori claims – an ‘elegant solution’

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 10:48 am, September 18th, 2012 - 14 comments

It seems that whenever a matter arises that involves some claim of collective ownership or control by Maori, John Key comes up with what he describes as an ‘elegant solution’. If Key can come up with a string of such solutions I thought maybe I could give it a try. Therefore, this is my attempt at developing an ‘elegant solution’ to the matter of Maori claims to the ownership of water.

Money Week: avoid getting ripped off

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 2:35 pm, September 11th, 2012 - 23 comments

Since 2006, 66 New Zealand finance companies, funds and mortgage trusts have failed (closed, liquidation, receivership, moratorium, suspended). An estimated $3.5 billion has already been lost with another $8.6 billion still at risk.

Guest poster Adele shows the need  for a week of events and activities to raise awareness about how people can better manage their money (if they have any) and get help to do so – Money Week.

Children’s Commissioner’s report due

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 10:00 am, August 28th, 2012 - 91 comments

A guest post from Carol on the Children’s Commissioner’s Expert Advisory Group (EAG) report, to be released today. We need a sustainable destination, not a life raft. Update: The report is out.

Frankly Speaking: “John Banks: condition deteriorating”

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 3:05 pm, August 15th, 2012 - 18 comments

Frank Macskasy over at Frankly Speaking writes some very long posts that are often full of interesting information. This one does a good analysis of the recommendations from the Electoral Commission and various party positions on it. On the way through he has a good swipe at John Banks, who it would be safe to say, he considers to be political cabbage.

Darkhorse: The answers are simple the solutions are complex

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 10:55 am, August 13th, 2012 - 133 comments

Darkhorse writes amazingly insightful economic pieces on his ‘How Daft’ blog (the title gives you a clue as to what he thinks of the current state of affairs). The neoliberal experiment has been an abject failure by any rational measure. And there are alternatives. Darkhorse has given us permission to syndicate his posts, the originals are here.

Newsflash: Parker not secret reptilian shape-shifter

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 11:28 am, July 25th, 2012 - 49 comments

There’s been some talk around the ‘sphere about a speech where David Parker made comments that some (*cough* Chris ‘the Right’s favourite Leftie’ Trotter *cough*) thought meant he supported asset sales. That obviously caused confusion because Parker and Labour are clearly against asset sales. Now, someone’s taken the innovative step of asking Parker what he meant (spoiler: it’s not what Trotter thought).

An Auckland view on Labour’s changes

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 8:46 am, July 20th, 2012 - 75 comments

Here’s a guest post from an Auckland Labour Party member with a different take on the constitutional changes. It’s interesting and challenging. Good food for thought. – Let us consider Labour’s proposed constitutional reforms in its moment. New Zealand’s progressives continue to splinter, just as conservative variation contracts. As the progressives splinter, they are also […]

Questions on Labour leadership selection reform

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 9:31 am, July 12th, 2012 - 13 comments

Seeing coverage of the apparently unhurried steps towards Labour party members having a say in future leadership bids made me want to stop and ask some questions about whether they are telling the full story.

Why are the fish dying, King Salmon?

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 2:09 pm, June 14th, 2012 - 21 comments

No-one seems to know why the fish keep dying at King Salmon’s Waihinau farm in Pelorus Sound – or if they do they aren’t telling us. Maybe it had something to do with stuffing tens of thousands of these fish into an environment that is nothing like they have evolved to deal with. It is interesting that this has not been offered up as a potential cause.

Why we should save TVNZ7

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 10:19 am, May 16th, 2012 - 36 comments

TVNZ7, in its current form, will stop broadcasting on the 30th of June and will be changed to a plus one channel along the same lines as TV3 Plus One. Now I don’t know about you, but I could live without seeing another repeat of Come Dine with Me.

Teenage dreams

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 11:59 am, May 10th, 2012 - 56 comments

With the debate raging about free contraception for women and their teenage daughters, inevitably the conclusion is that irresponsible teenager girls are making poor decisions. Why do they get pregnant? That’s the easy part – teens not using contraception, of course. Why teenage pregnancy is an intractable problem is a much more complex question.