Author Archive
Votes before lives for Key
Written By: - Date published: 5:47 pm, January 2nd, 2011 - 33 comments
OIA papers show Key blocked lowering the drink-drive level fearing an anti-‘PC’ backlash. Officials warned “Drivers with a blood-alcohol content of [80mg], who are legally entitled to drive, are significantly impaired”. But Key’s office was worried about votes. So Joyce kicked for touch – commissioned 2 years of research. While we wait, more lives are lost.
A very Tory Xmas
Written By: - Date published: 9:56 pm, December 21st, 2010 - 30 comments
‘Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the House,
Nats announced policies, they’re usually scared to espouse.
Journos on holiday, Key out of reach on his Hawaiian vacation,
It was the time to let slip, their plan for ACC privatisation.
Richlister calls for huge benefit increase
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, December 21st, 2010 - 25 comments
Mark Hotchin is expected to become a campaigner for beneficiaries if cleared of serious fraud allegations. His assets frozen, the SFO has given him a 1K a week allowance. Not enough for the basics: private school, hire car, mortgage on mansion. A family of 7 needs 360K a year, he says. Not being a hypocrite, he’ll be wanting more for beneficiary families too – eh?
Armstrong on soap opera politics
Written By: - Date published: 9:27 am, December 18th, 2010 - 9 comments
Armstrong makes a powerful attack on the media’s “increasing appetite for personality-based politics at the expense of more serious discussion about policy”. If only Armstrong were one of half a dozen political editors who shape the media discourse. To be fair, Armstrong hardly writes about soap opera stuff. Some of his junior colleagues should follow suit.
Nats’ ideology: outsourcing NZ
Written By: - Date published: 9:54 am, December 15th, 2010 - 29 comments
3 under the radar stories yesterday. All linked by ideology. Kiwirail to buy 300 wagons from China because its cheaper than building them here. Not allowed to consider wider economic gains. Collins outsources her new prison to a multi-national with a history of prisoner abuse. English wants more ‘value’ from public assets. Value for whom? The likes of Serco?
Guest post: Beware Food Police!
Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, December 10th, 2010 - 51 comments
To arms! To arms! The Food Police are coming! Remember how I led you in the battle to get junk food back into schools? It was a near-run thing. If we hadn’t acted, the days of the 12 year-old who can’t climb a flight of stairs without wheezing and going red in the face might have been numbered. Now, National has hypocritically betrayed us.
$6K bill for Key’s kowtowing to Warners
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, December 10th, 2010 - 18 comments
OIA papers show how the Nats prostrated themselves for Warners. $6K was spent treating the movie execs like foreign dignitaries – ministerial cars, customs ‘facilitation’. Nats wanted to “present an image of an effective government that is worth working with“. All they showed was they had fallen for Warners’ hollow threats. Cost us $33 million.
Collins to Police: keep on killing
Written By: - Date published: 1:18 pm, December 7th, 2010 - 40 comments
19 dead in Police chases in 12 months. You’re more likely to be killed in a police chase than by being shot. Most of the dead were being chased for minor traffic offences. What a waste of life. Collins’ response: harsher sentences. Cause tougher sentences has brought down crime so far, eh? Nats have no ideas. The death toll mounts.
Another handout for bludgers?
Written By: - Date published: 9:40 pm, December 5th, 2010 - 47 comments
Warners bludge $30 mil out of us. Kiwifruit growers get a blank cheque while other firms go under. Farmers have their hands out cause it hasn’t rained. Rich finance investors get us to cover their losses. Now, a $10K a night resort wants us to pay for some royals to stay there. Apparently, it’ll be great value for money – that’s what corporate bludgers always say.
Wong & Carter: Key’s corrupt little piggies
Written By: - Date published: 11:17 pm, November 28th, 2010 - 12 comments
Wong briefly came out of hiding to answer questions from Parliamentary Services on her abuse of flight perks. Back in hiding now. Key’s still telling her not to talk. But surely she can tell journos what she told the invesigators. Will the report on her corruption be the worst problem for the Nats this week? Or will corrupt David Carter overshadow it?
Where in the world is Wong?
Written By: - Date published: 7:13 am, November 24th, 2010 - 61 comments
Two Friday’s ago, corrupt Nat Pansy Wong resigns as minister. Key tells her not to talk to media. As if she can’t remember her own overseas trips. Gives her a week’s leave. Wong disappears. Week’s up – no Wong. Where is she? Mallard’s heard she’s overseas. Fundraising for the Nats. Is she using her travel perk?
A miss as good as a mile
Written By: - Date published: 3:45 pm, November 22nd, 2010 - 26 comments
Key talking on Breaskfast about Mana: “we slashed the majority from 6,155 to 1,080. So by any measure, you’ve got to take that as a win.” Apart from the one measure that counts. Eh John?
Of course, this is also the dude who reckons that sitting “pretty much next to” Obama for a few minutes is a foreign policy achievement.
Who’s disrespecting whom?
Written By: - Date published: 7:42 pm, November 18th, 2010 - 38 comments
Mana locals rallied loudly against Key and Parata today. Key says “we treat them with respect even if they don’t treat us with respect”. Nah. McCarten talking to a guy who opposes him was respectful. Key could’ve shown respect by taking time to defend his record: wages down, no jobs, rising crime, service cuts. He didn’t. No respect.
Hollow man on the world stage
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 pm, November 16th, 2010 - 24 comments
Judged by his own terms, what has John Key actually achieved on trade? He talked big about Japan’s trade barriers – no-one paid him any attention. Russian FTA talks were announced – it’ll be worth just $27 million. Key’s meeting with ‘good mate’ Obama – actually sitting “pretty much next to” him during a play. And still no White House invite.
17 dead in police chases
Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, November 16th, 2010 - 131 comments
In the last year, 17 people have been killed in police chases. Many more injured. They might be criminals but they don’t deserve to die. Yet the Police policy – chase anything that flees – is killing them. The carnage needs to end. The human and financial cost is unbearable. But the Police are determined to continue. The government needs to step in.
Something rotten in the state of health
Written By: - Date published: 12:58 pm, November 5th, 2010 - 14 comments
Losing one District Health Board Chief Executive, Ken Whelan, who resigned because he refused to carry out any more of National’s cuts to health services looks bad. Losing three of the health systems’ top 22 managers in three months – Whelan, Director General of Health Stephen McKernan, and Auckland DHB CEO Pat Snedden – looks like a purge.
NZ gets a shake-down
Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, October 31st, 2010 - 15 comments
From 1999 t0 2009, the economy grew by $8 billion a year. It’s so bad now the Prime Minister hands over $33 million and our sovereignty as soon as foreign capital says ‘boo’. Which international corporate will shake us down next? Maybe if the Nats had a plan for the economy. Then we could stand on our own feet. But they’re asleep at the wheel.
Friday fun: in praise of public transport
Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, October 29th, 2010 - 3 comments
Another 5-second film. Joyce might want his holiday highway Road of Personal Significance but has he considered the benefits of buses for crime fighting?
And Glenn Beck loses it after some web comic guys launch their self-published book on Amazon and beat him out of first place.
Two conflicts don’t make a right
Written By: - Date published: 8:37 pm, October 24th, 2010 - 12 comments
Former ACT MP Deborah Coddington isn’t a journo anymore. Shot her reputation with the infamous ‘Asian Angst’ piece. Just does opinion pieces now. Strange, then, to see her by-line on 2 Herald articles attempting to vindicate disgraced conflict of interest judge Bill Wilson. Turns out her husband was Wilson’s lawyer.
I’m confused
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, October 20th, 2010 - 32 comments
Trying to get my head around the economic arguments going on. Hearing contradictory things. Who’s telling the truth? ls Labour’s new overseas investment policy Stalinism that will ruin the economy, as Key claimed on Monday and Tuesday? Or is the same as the existing law, as Key claimed on Monday and Tuesday?
More ACT identity theft?
Written By: - Date published: 3:30 pm, October 13th, 2010 - 20 comments
In recent days, David Garrett has been spotted hanging around Parliament. Now, The Standard has acquired a picture of ACT’s new MP, ‘Hilary Calvert’, arriving at Parliament. It raises further identity theft questions within the party.
Evidence suggests that the real Calvert was brain-dead at least two weeks ago.
Ambitious for New Zealand
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, October 12th, 2010 - 18 comments
Don’t need to add much to these Herald headlines:
‘Tight-fisted Key deals blow to Brown’s rail plan‘. Do Nothing strikes again.
‘30 homes on offer in flagship Govt scheme‘. Thinking big. Genuine commitment.
‘CV error made by ‘somebody else’‘. For Nats, it’s always someone else’s fault.
Are we going to get a Breakfast that looks like New Zealand?
Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, October 11th, 2010 - 24 comments
Last time I saw Breakfast I saw it was overwhelmingly pakeha, middle-class, and blonde.
Just wondering, now that Henry’s gone, if we’re going to get a Breakfast that looks like real New Zealand.
New ‘no darkies’ party to form
Written By: - Date published: 12:40 pm, October 10th, 2010 - 45 comments
Paul ‘dickshit’ Henry, Maurice ‘no shi’ite’ Williamson, John ‘I wish South Aucklanders hadn’t voted’ Banks, Melissa ‘South Aucklanders are all crims’ Lee, Paul ‘cheekie darkie’ Holmes, and Michael ‘brown slug’ Laws have joined forces to create a new political party for ‘real New Zealanders’ standing up to ‘the Brown-skinned elite’.
Disaster tourism
Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, October 8th, 2010 - 28 comments
The Christchurch earthquake required the suspension of democracy nationwide for 18 months. But Key had time to take a week in Hawaii. And the Social Development Minister is able to go off on a ‘study’ holiday in the US. And Gerry Brownlee, who needed all those powers to rush through laws, has spare time to intervene in The Hobbit dispute.
Little Mr Key, the spider & the sunny day
Written By: - Date published: 7:25 pm, October 7th, 2010 - 13 comments
Had a crack at writing my kid a story. What do you reckon?
Once upon a time there was a little man called John Key. He told everyone that if they trusted him he would lead them to a brighter future. Some of the people said he was lying to get power. More people said that they liked that nice man, Mr Key, and wanted the brighter future he promised…
Gerry’s vision for New Zealand
Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, October 7th, 2010 - 9 comments
A tailings dam in Hungary has burst. Toxic sludge over 16 square miles has killed four. If the sludge, laden with heavy metals and radioactive elements, makes it into waterways including the Danube the disaster will magnify. If Brownlee had his way, our countryside would be covered in tailings dams as miners plunder our national parks.
Quick question
Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, October 1st, 2010 - 41 comments
Why does our Minister of Tourism always take his holidays overseas?
Best. campaign. ad. ever.
Written By: - Date published: 2:36 pm, September 30th, 2010 - 22 comments
Do you watch 5 second films?
If not, you’re wasting your life.
Now, waste some more. In five second increments.
Pattern recognition
Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, September 30th, 2010 - 23 comments
John Key tells a businesswoman he “would love to see wages drop“. National makes sub-inflation minimum wage increase. National makes no effort to bring unemployment back down. Unemployment chokes wage rises. National attacks unions, the biggest driver of wage rises. Wage gap with Australia widens National opposes pay increases for teachers, medical techs, doctors,… National […]
Govt ignored advice to save lives with lower drink-drive limit
Written By: - Date published: 12:22 pm, September 21st, 2010 - 29 comments
The government was told that lowering the drink-drive limit would save 33 lives and $238 million a year. They ignored it. Why? I reckon the only money they were worried about was donations from the booze barons. These idiots don’t bother with basic cost vs benefit analyses. It’s all about pay-offs for their mates. And donation kickbacks.
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