democracy under attack
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An indelible stain on parliamentary lawmaking
Written By: - Date published: 2:50 pm, September 20th, 2010 - 11 comments
Andrew Geddis (Associate Professor of Law at Otago and writer at Pundit) is an expert on democratic theory. He has become required reading for politics junkies. His latest piece — a brutally honest analysis of the recent work of the Law and Order select committee — should be required reading for everybody.
The Shock Doctrine
Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, September 19th, 2010 - 23 comments
The ‘shock doctrine’ is how (capitalist) elites use moments of crisis to make power grabs while the normal checks are offline and/or the political opposition and media are swept up in a ‘unity’ mantra that prevents them acting to protect democracy. Last week, National used it to make us a dictatorship.
Do I stay or do I go?
Written By: - Date published: 8:32 pm, September 16th, 2010 - 105 comments
The Labour and Green parties’ activists are in uproar over their parliamentary wings’ decision to vote for the Gerry Brownlee Enabling Act. A lot of people are saying they won’t campaign for these parties and talking of voting for a minor party or independents. Is it time to damn them and leave them? No. We’re going to win our parties back.
More thoughts on the Gerry Brownlee Enabling Act
Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, September 16th, 2010 - 32 comments
The Gerry Brownlee Enabling Act is a Dictator’s Charter, and all we can do is hope Brownlee doesn’t abuse it. Even the Herald is against the unwarranted and excessive powers that have been conferred on one man with no meaningful checks or balances. This isn’t about Left or Right but too many on the Right seem happy with unfettered State power.
Brown to beat Banks, don’t tell Granny
Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, September 16th, 2010 - 11 comments
Two more Supercity polls. Brown ahead 29% v 17% in a Horizon poll. Herald’s Digipoll has it closer – 29.8% v 27.8%. Brown still ahead. Naturally, the Herald calls it too close to call. Looks like the Right’s plan for an Auckland coup is coming unstuck. Guess they’re lucky Labour and the Greens supported their nation-wide coup instead.
Labour grassroots revolt against Quake Act betrayal
Written By: - Date published: 7:51 am, September 16th, 2010 - 154 comments
Another broken Supercity promise
Written By: - Date published: 2:28 pm, August 28th, 2010 - 18 comments
Yet another broken promise on the Auckland Supercity, as ministers fail to consult on the directors of council-controlled organisations. Will The Herald stand by its earlier thundering editorial?
Sensible Sentencing Trust: a bunch of liars
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 am, August 28th, 2010 - 20 comments
The Sensible Sentencing Trust has lied about having Labour’s support.
Labour must come down on the trust like a ton of bricks for this bullsh*t.
Anything else is a betrayal of Labour’s members and their values.
How to be a lazy politician
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, August 17th, 2010 - 9 comments
When John Steinbeck said “No one wants advice – only corroboration†he could well have been describing the numerous working groups the Government has established in many areas of significant economic and social policy. Too lazy to spend its nine years in opposition developing a detailed policy prescription, National now picks groups to tell it what it wants to hear.
Armstrong slams National’s “disgraceful†arrogance
Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, August 7th, 2010 - 41 comments
Herald political editor John Armstrong has slammed National’s “arrogant” behaviour in Parliament saying it verges on “being a disgrace to itself and the institution”. This is incredibly strong language from a senior journalist. It is the result of a government which is undermining democratic accountability in Parliament by lying and obfuscating in answer to opposition questions.
Key gambles with Aucklanders’ future
Written By: - Date published: 11:51 am, July 27th, 2010 - 53 comments
John Key glibly admitted yesterday that the Supercity is “risky”. We’ve been saying it all along and the evidence is all that the Supercity will be expensive, unrepresentative, and unresponsive to local needs.
So, if it’s so risky, why the hell is Key doing it?
Yet more abuse of Urgency
Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, June 26th, 2010 - 20 comments
This week, the Government slammed through the Policing (Involvement in Local Authority Elections) Amendment Bill. It lets Police stand for local elections under the same rules as other public servants. It’s an issue that deserves to be debated. Instead, it was rushed through by this government in yet another shameful act of disregard for transparent government and active democracy.
Authoritarian Key
Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, June 22nd, 2010 - 28 comments
Once again the government is employing the power of the state against someone who has embarrassed them.
Perhaps when Key talks warmly about Singapore it’s the authoritarianism he likes.
The return of the Schmuck
Written By: - Date published: 10:18 am, June 14th, 2010 - 16 comments
National is trying again to pass a law specifically to allow Opua businessman Doug Schmuck to annex public land. Thousands protest the Supercity, ACC cuts, ACE cuts, the abolition of Ecan, the gutting of the ETS, water privatisation, and wage freezes – the Nats just ignore them. Then one businessman can get two ministers to try to pass a law just for him. What is going on here?
Our Water Our Vote
Written By: - Date published: 6:47 am, June 14th, 2010 - 31 comments
Sunday saw another big protest against the government. An estimated 3000 people turned out in Christchurch for the “Our Water Our Vote” rally to protest National’s attacks on Canterbury’s democracy and environment.
Nats’ smear machine steps up attack on Len Brown
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, June 13th, 2010 - 77 comments
The National Party smear machine is stepping up its attack on soon-to-be Auckland mayor Len Brown. Worried that Key’s handpicked candidate John Banks is falling behind, the right is resorting to smearing his left-wing rival. The National Party’s David Farrar is even suggesting a “cover-up” and “fraud” at the Manukau Council. Is panic setting in at the thought of losing Auckland?
Privatisation: Day Of Action
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, June 11th, 2010 - 22 comments
John Key continues to let his attack dog do his business, and take the heat. So on Saturday there’s some more heat with a big Day Of Action to fight Rodney’s latest nasty bill. The Greens, Labour and the Maori Party are all fighting this odorous piece of legislation that aims to allow privatisation of water, amongst other attacks on local democracy.
Protesters angry at Key’s attack on democracy
Written By: - Date published: 7:47 pm, June 9th, 2010 - 79 comments
The Press reports John Key was greeted by angry protesters at the South Island forum in Christchurch tonight. About 100 people waved placards protesting the undemocratic dismissal of the regional council by the Key government.
Creeping privatisation in local government
Written By: - Date published: 1:53 pm, June 2nd, 2010 - 5 comments
It’s an innocous looking bill but Rodney Hide’s Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill packs a wallop when you unpick it. Not only does it open the door for the privatisation of our water services, it positively ushers it in, takes off its coat and says ‘stay a spell, why don’t you?’, 35 years in fact.
For $200 mil, it better be really super
Written By: - Date published: 12:02 am, June 2nd, 2010 - 13 comments
Congratulations Aucklanders, you are about to become the owners of a supercity. It was forced on you with no referendum and the your concerns have been ignored. This is being done to suit business, not the needs of Aucklanders. Democracy just gets in the way. Rodney Hide said the set up cost would be “minuscule”. And it’s cost you just $200 million… so far.
SuperCity not Solved
Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, May 27th, 2010 - 9 comments
Rodney Hide’s new line is that he has listened to the people, democracy has triumphed, and the SuperShitty is all better now. It isn’t. We still have CCOs imposed by government. And the vast majority of submitters that wanted more powers for local boards have largely been ignored. Rodney still has no idea how much this SuperShitty is going to cost. But rates are going one way – up.
The Supercity & neoliberalism
Written By: - Date published: 12:23 pm, May 17th, 2010 - 8 comments
A passage from Matt McCarten’s article in the Sunday Herald summed up for me not only the approach of Rodney Hide in setting up his Super City but also the neo-liberal project that has been in vogue for the past quarter century. Democracy under the neo-liberal model is, as far as possible, to be a financial transaction.
Nats attack public service neutrality
Written By: - Date published: 12:55 am, May 13th, 2010 - 25 comments
I’ve been having a look at the new advice on the civil service code of conduct. It is a clear attempt by the Nats to make sure the civil service is ‘politically correct’ for their purposes. Perhaps they’re tired of getting official advice that says ‘don’t cut that, it’s good value for money’, ‘don’t fund that, it’s stupid’, and ‘don’t pass that law, it might cause more murders’.
ECan protest today
Written By: - Date published: 6:41 am, April 30th, 2010 - 23 comments
Live in Canterbury? Value democracy? What are you doing today after work? Come to the ECan protest, 5:30 pm @ ECan office 58 Kilmore St. Because Canterbury is only the beginning…
More Muldoonism
Written By: - Date published: 11:05 am, April 29th, 2010 - 15 comments
The government announced a package of measures for the aquaculture industry – including a power for Ministers “to amend regional coastal plans in exceptional circumstances where it is in significant regional or national interest”. The Minister can unilaterally decide what is in a region’s interests, irrespective of what the people of that region may say to the contrary.
This continues this authoritarian government’s assaults on voters ability to choose the own representation.
Labour to restore democracy in Canterbury
Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, April 28th, 2010 - 78 comments
Last month, the Government abolished the democratically-elected Canterbury Regional Council known as Environment Canterbury. Not only were the current elected officials booted out, Cantabarians were denied their right to elect the next council in the upcoming local body elections. Now, Labour has pledged to restore democracy to Canterbury.
Goff stands up for democracy in Auckland
Written By: - Date published: 11:34 am, April 27th, 2010 - 70 comments
Fresh from promising to restore the top tax rate that National is set to abolish and give the revenue to the poor, Phil Goff has outlined his vision for fixing National’s undemocratic Supercity. National and Act have ridden roughshod over Auckland democracy in the interests of their corporate allies. Phil Goff has made it clear that Labour will restore local democracy.
Send a JAFA to Wellington….
Written By: - Date published: 9:52 pm, April 26th, 2010 - 12 comments
To paraphrase Muldoon – send a JAFA to Wellington, and we can only increase the average intelligence of both parts of the country. Needless to say, TV news chose to focus on a minor story in Goffs speech. If a future mayor of Auckland, Brown, can sit at the cabinet table on decisions related to […]
Canterbury’s dictators
Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, April 23rd, 2010 - 91 comments
No Right Turn’s typically forthright take on the sacking of the ECan councillors and the makeup of the government’s appointed directors.
Tertiary education under attack
Written By: - Date published: 3:57 pm, April 12th, 2010 - 2 comments
Before the election National promised that they would “Ensure that institutions have greater autonomy”. What does greater autonomy look like, National style? It looks like yet another National attack on democratic governance.
Hide to speak at privatisation conference
Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, April 6th, 2010 - 23 comments
Last year, Rodney Hide said that John Key is a ‘do nothing’ prime minister, and his fellow ministers were lazy and didn’t pay attention what his was up to. Well, they might like to pay attention now: Hide is keynote speaker at a conference on local government later this month where water privatisation is the highlight of the agenda. Does Key support Hide’s push for water privatisation?
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