Author Archive

The lazy unemployed

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, May 23rd, 2011 - 22 comments

John Key reckons the unemployed need “a kick in the pants”.  Paula Bennett reckons the Nats’ harsh reforms mean that “the dream is over” for beneficiaries.  Meanwhile, back in the real world…

Jon Stewart v pompous twit

Written By: - Date published: 12:40 pm, May 22nd, 2011 - 9 comments

It’s just a pleasure to watch Jon Stewart at work.  Here he is deflating another pompous right wing twit.

Armstrong on the budget

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, May 22nd, 2011 - 13 comments

John Armstrong is highly critical of the sub-zero budget: “The Budget has displayed a degree of cynicism one would expect from a Government in its third term, not its first”…

Focus on children

Written By: - Date published: 5:35 pm, May 21st, 2011 - 84 comments

Despite some progress under the last Labour government, too many children have been allowed to slip through the gaps in this country.  And now of course, under a National government, it’s getting worse.  In her conference speech this evening Annette King renewed her promise that the next Labour government will put children at the centre of policy.

Stop me if you’ve already heard this one

Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, May 21st, 2011 - 12 comments

As I think you can tell from the budget speech, that Bill English is quite a funny guy…

Chief Treasury analyst interviewed

Written By: - Date published: 5:57 pm, May 19th, 2011 - 7 comments

In which we hear from the Treasury analyst behind the budget’s more than rosy growth predictions…

Postcard from the future

Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, May 19th, 2011 - 25 comments

An anonymous Sunday Star Times editorial last weekend (not on line) reads like a postcard from the future…

Pre-budget roundup

Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, May 19th, 2011 - 25 comments

So, today is Budget day.  The big stuff has all been pretty well signposted, tinkering with KiwiSaver, Working for Families, and student loan eligibility.  The devil will be in the details of all the cuts that get made to try and limit the damage in health and education.

Labour billboard campaign

Written By: - Date published: 1:08 pm, May 18th, 2011 - 89 comments

Labour have been running a competition to crowd source their billboard design.  Here is the winner, which (see Red Alert) will be going up around Wellington shortly.  It’s going to provoke some controversy.

Green budget ideas

Written By: - Date published: 6:21 am, May 18th, 2011 - 15 comments

It has been great to see Labour’s statements on how they would approach Budget 2011.  But, as is often the case at this stage of the electoral cycle, it is the Greens who are laying out their alternative budget ideas in the most detail.

Budget castles in the air

Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, May 17th, 2011 - 24 comments

Apparently the budget will forecast strong growth in GDP and wages, and a return to surplus within a few years.  Sounds good?  Well yes, but it is all based on purely hypothetical “projected growth”.  Wishful thinking from Treasury analysts with a three year record of being wrong wrong wrong.

James Hansen and other talks

Written By: - Date published: 3:04 pm, May 16th, 2011 - 47 comments

James Hansen was among the first to raise the alarm about climate change, and is sometimes called “the father of climate change science” for his trouble. He’s currently in New Zealand, and had an excellent interview last Saturday with Kim Hill on RNZ.  Click through for a schedule of his public lectures, and also two “Dark Ecologies” talks.

There Is An Alternative

Written By: - Date published: 7:18 am, May 16th, 2011 - 66 comments

The run up to the budget has all been about cuts.  How many?  How deep?  Like lemmings we’re accepting National’s framing, and marching even faster to our economic doom.  But, there is an alternative. Instead of slashing spending, we can raise government income. Here’s how.

Krugman: The unwisdom of elites

Written By: - Date published: 12:32 pm, May 15th, 2011 - 19 comments

Paul Krugman on the real reasons for the economic carnage.  Not social spending policies, but the daft economic policies of the right-wing “policy elites”.  Our focus should not be on slashing spending, but on National’s stupid, unaffordable tax cuts.

TV3 on the cost of living

Written By: - Date published: 9:35 am, May 14th, 2011 - 43 comments

Over the coming week Campbell Live will be highlighting the rising cost of living, falling wages, life on the pension, and so on.  In short, exactly the sort of stuff which should be front and centre of any budget, and any election campaign.

Beemer watch

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, May 14th, 2011 - 61 comments

What is going to happen to the “old” BMW limos when the government gets rid of them?  The franchise that just donated $50,000 to the Nats has said it wants its share of the “honey pot”.  I wonder if the Nats will oblige?

The Dear John Letter

Written By: - Date published: 2:02 pm, May 13th, 2011 - 36 comments

This letter is getting more media attention than it deserves, because its basically Brash regurgitating his 2025 task force stuff.  Key and the Nats have, quite rightly, ignored it once, and they’ll ignore it this time too.

Free speech hate speech

Written By: - Date published: 11:08 am, May 13th, 2011 - 49 comments

The free speech / hate speech boundary is always a difficult call.  I’m glad to live in a country that tries to err on the side of the former.  Even so, the latest bullshit from the “Right Wing Resistance” really rankles.

100% Clueless

Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, May 13th, 2011 - 86 comments

When confronted with the scientific evidence on the hollowness of our “100% Pure” slogan John Key, as usual, tried to attack the credibility of the source.  Key said “He’s one academic and, like lawyers, I could provide you others who would give a counter view”.   Now the source (Dr Mike Joy) has called the PM on his clueless claim.

Te Tai Tokerau by election 25th June

Written By: - Date published: 2:49 pm, May 12th, 2011 - 68 comments

We have a date for what promises to be a fascinating by election.  The pressure is on Hone Harawira…

Jon Stephenson replies to critics

Written By: - Date published: 11:49 am, May 12th, 2011 - 12 comments

PM John Key attacked journalist Jon Stephenson, calling him not credible over his claims on SAS links to the torture of prisoners in Afghanistan.  Now Stephenson has replied to his critics, in detail.

Cash for cars?

Written By: - Date published: 5:26 pm, May 11th, 2011 - 117 comments

A $50,000 donation from a BMW franchise to National?

This latest twist to the BMW saga has a real stench about it.

Our dirty water

Written By: - Date published: 11:54 am, May 11th, 2011 - 26 comments

John Key didn’t much like being confronted with the facts on our dirty water.  He tried to pretend that everything is just fine, when it isn’t.  No surprise to find this attitude mimicked in National’s policy on water.  They are trying to pretend that they’re doing something when they aren’t.

Canterbury tales

Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, May 11th, 2011 - 16 comments

In much of earthquake ravaged Christchurch life is still far from normal.  The PM’s Chief Science Advisor Sir Peter Gluckman has stressed the psychological challenges facing the people of the city.  If you live in earthquake damaged Canterbury or Christchurch, please share your stories here…

Brownlee flexing his CERA muscle

Written By: - Date published: 3:29 pm, May 10th, 2011 - 10 comments

Is the power of CERA going to Brownlee’s head a bit?  Seems he’s using it to intimidate Christchurch building owners.

How rude

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, May 10th, 2011 - 106 comments

What a lot of fuss about Titewhai Harawira and daughter heckling Tariana Turia.  Perhaps those expressing outrage at yesterday’s events would do well to reflect for a while on the source of the Harawiras’ anger.

Maori Party to stand against Hone

Written By: - Date published: 10:03 am, May 9th, 2011 - 83 comments

News this morning that (as predicted) the Maori Party will be standing a candidate against Hone Harawira if he forces a by election in Te Tai Tokerau.

Beyond the welfare stereotypes

Written By: - Date published: 6:58 am, May 9th, 2011 - 124 comments

An Australian report sets out some common myths about beneficiaries, and the facts that disprove them.  I have no doubt that a similar pattern of unjustified myths would be found here.  Starting with our PM.

Monbiot on the left

Written By: - Date published: 8:53 am, May 8th, 2011 - 62 comments

George Monbiot on the psychology of political debate (and why we’re all screwed).

Some are more equal than others

Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, May 7th, 2011 - 11 comments

Gordon Campbell demolishes the Nats’ hasty excuse that the blowout in Key’s diplomatic protection costs is due to a particular threat.  He also takes Judith Collins to task for her argument that the police should have an unlimited and unaccountable protection budget , or lives could be put at risk…

Lib Dems hammered

Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, May 7th, 2011 - 22 comments

Hard to feel sorry for Britain’s Liberal Democrat Party, who have just been hammered in local elections. Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas.

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.