accountability

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The whiff of corruption follows McCully around

Written By: - Date published: 9:09 am, April 19th, 2016 - 89 comments

There is a clear conflict of interest in the Niue resort case.

Bowron on a tired government

Written By: - Date published: 2:53 pm, April 18th, 2016 - 349 comments

Jane Bowron writes in the Dominion Post: “Two things happened this week that could signal the beginning of the end of John Key and his government.”

What tax evasion robs us of – in NZ

Written By: - Date published: 7:07 am, April 18th, 2016 - 111 comments

Gareth Morgan estimates that NZ could be missing out on up to 25% of total income tax because the rich aren’t paying their fair share. What could a government do with an extra $7.5bn a year?

Only way to deal with tax evasion

Written By: - Date published: 7:38 am, April 16th, 2016 - 78 comments

Post everyone’s tax details publicly. Everyone.

Key’s deposit with company specialising in foreign trusts

Written By: - Date published: 4:40 pm, April 12th, 2016 - 66 comments

Well well well.

PM forced to release his tax details

Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, April 12th, 2016 - 46 comments

Not our PM, the UK’s David Cameron. Our PM is under pressure to do the same, but refuses. He claims that all his taxes are “beyond reporach”. But he has form (TranzRail shares) on lying about his financial affairs.

Key changed the law to extend NZ as a tax haven

Written By: - Date published: 6:51 am, April 11th, 2016 - 289 comments

John Key personally directed the 2011 law change that turned NZ into an attractive tax haven.

It’s part of a complicated context involving his failed plan to turn NZ into a “financial hub”.

Kiwis to be implicated by Panama papers

Written By: - Date published: 7:13 am, April 10th, 2016 - 120 comments

Yesterday The Nation interviewed the Centre for Public Integrity’s Peter Bale about the inevitability of New Zealanders being implicated by the Panama Papers.

Brownlee is dragging Canterbury down

Written By: - Date published: 11:34 am, April 8th, 2016 - 85 comments

The Christchurch rebuild gets its second fail grade from Treasury. And what of the rebuild work that has been done with failed reinforcing steel?

Panama vows action – NZ closes its eyes

Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, April 8th, 2016 - 18 comments

The cycle of corrupt money. 100% tax haven. And we’re being put to shame by Panama.

Obama calls for international tax reform – what will Key do now?

Written By: - Date published: 6:31 am, April 7th, 2016 - 122 comments

Key has made it clear that he doesn’t care that NZ is operating as an international tax haven. When The Greens called for action he called them “barking mad”. But last night President Obama called for international action on tax reform. What will Key do now?

What could be causing the ‘crisis of distrust’ in government?

Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, April 6th, 2016 - 43 comments

It’s a bit of a mystery really.

Nicky Hager opens new case against police

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, April 6th, 2016 - 31 comments

It sounds like the Police have a lot of questions to answer.

Panama Papers: NZ is a tax haven

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, April 5th, 2016 - 29 comments

The Panama Papers show that NZ operates a tax haven. Key’s denials don’t hold up, particularly in the light of at least two three prior warnings that his government has received.

NRT: Our fearmongering Prime Minister

Written By: - Date published: 10:53 am, April 4th, 2016 - 11 comments

I/S at No Right Turn on the “jihadi brides” lie. “This sort of shit is why we cannot trust our spies, or the Ministers who “oversee” them…”

Why are we paying Key’s legal expenses for him?

Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, March 23rd, 2016 - 81 comments

Key backed down on using taxpayer money for his payout to Ambrose – but he is still using it to cover his legal expenses in the case. Why?

Which hat John?

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, March 22nd, 2016 - 42 comments

The teapot payout shows that, while Key is keen on distinguishing between his various hats when he’s trying to dodge responsibility, he is just as keen on ignoring the differences if it lets him dip into public money.

Key settles Ambrose defamation case – with public money

Written By: - Date published: 2:21 pm, March 21st, 2016 - 68 comments

Key has made a payout in the Bradley Ambrose defamation case over the “teapot tapes”.

Dom Post – Key, Kitteridge and Finlayson can’t be trusted

Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, March 21st, 2016 - 88 comments

The weekend Dominion Post editorial doesn’t pull any punches.

A measure of justice for Nicky Hager

Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, March 19th, 2016 - 22 comments

The Police’s return yesterday of Nicky Hager’s data, equipment and belongings is – too little and too late – a measure of justice for Hager. But the process doesn’t end there, and open questions remain.

Nats refuse to apologise for targeting Muslim community

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, March 18th, 2016 - 33 comments

The Nats are refusing to aplogise to the Muslim community for the distress and offense caused by the “jihadi brides” lie. Apologies are for Key’s pet attack blogger, not for innocent communities that have been exploited for political gain.

Fear is a Man’s Best Friend

Written By: - Date published: 4:05 pm, March 17th, 2016 - 141 comments

It’s been an intense day or two for Andrew Little. But he’s still feeling better than John Key. Why? Because Key’s got the fear.

Leggett does a runner

Written By: - Date published: 5:58 pm, March 11th, 2016 - 16 comments

Porirua Mayor Nick Leggett says he will announce his decision about running for Mayor of Wellington at a launch later this month. It sounds like he has already made up his mind about what he is running for; the real question is what is he running from?

Nats think “pretty legal” is good enough…

Written By: - Date published: 7:47 am, March 10th, 2016 - 24 comments

… but the courts may beg to differ.

New report on GCSB spying powers

Written By: - Date published: 2:19 pm, March 9th, 2016 - 28 comments

A Government-ordered review of NZ’s spy agencies has just been released. Key wants Labour’s support for increased power to spy on Kiwis.

Health Ministry lost the plot and heads should roll

Written By: - Date published: 9:34 am, March 9th, 2016 - 23 comments

The Health Ministry committed to spending $18m that they didn’t have on upgrading their own offices, and tried to claw the money back from the underfunded DHBs trying to deliver health care to NZ. And that seems to be just fine with Minister Coleman.

Routine incompetence

Written By: - Date published: 7:12 am, March 8th, 2016 - 46 comments

Is this the least competent NZ government ever?

Auckland Council IT Blowout; Guest Post

Written By: - Date published: 6:26 pm, March 6th, 2016 - 62 comments

TS regular SaveNZ looks at the background to the massive cost overruns in the Auckland Council’s IT department. It’s not about the democratic processes of council; it’s because the Supercity was set up to fail.

Crowdfunding for Bradley Ambrose’s defamation case against John Key

Written By: - Date published: 11:26 am, March 4th, 2016 - 38 comments

Teapot tape cameraman Bradley Ambrose plans to take a defamation case against John Key. A crowdfunding campaign has been set up to help him raise the $38,000 required.

TPP submissions closing soon

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, March 3rd, 2016 - 7 comments

The current closing date for public submissions on the TPP is Friday March 11th. Labour’s David Clark is calling for an extension.

Supercity IT cost blowout

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, March 2nd, 2016 - 70 comments

The real costs of the Auckland IT merger are at least six times higher than National’s original $200 million estimate. This significantly alters the economic case that was made for the “supercity”. Was National’s estimate deliberately wrong, or was it just incompetent?