Written By: - Date published: 4:07 pm, January 11th, 2015 - 223 comments
You’d think that with all the WW1 commemorations going on at the moment it would make us more vigilant about our freedom and security, not sleep-walking towards another Holy Crusade (in the name of the God of Money and Father of Fossil Fuels), seduced by slick liars and the gods of commercialism and greed.
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, January 8th, 2015 - 596 comments
It is a shocking story to wake up to. A murderous act in a beautiful city. Condolences to those close to the people who were killed, and to the people of Paris and France. It is not a justification for the anti-democratic, invasive extensions to the surveillance state.
Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, December 22nd, 2014 - 33 comments
A new report shows that Steven Joyce’s MBIE fiefdom is failing miserably. Meanwhile the MBIE is under fire for the major cost blow out of the Sky City Casino deal – another deal with Joyce’s imprints all over it.
Written By: - Date published: 4:18 pm, December 11th, 2014 - 55 comments
New author Mandy Hager joins us with some reflections on having become a grandmother: “So that’s why I’m speaking out now, every opportunity I get. Not because I like the exposure (shudder), but because I love this tiny little person and I will fight for his future, come what may. It’s the right thing to do. …”
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, November 27th, 2014 - 6 comments
The stage was long ago reached where members of the US Government were told they should “wear their sponsors logo’s on their shirts”.
Written By: - Date published: 7:04 am, November 27th, 2014 - 13 comments
I/S at No Right Turn yesterday: “Yes, that’s right. An important bill with major human rights implications, and we have one day to speak up about it.” I/S supplies a submission guide to make it easy…
Written By: - Date published: 5:15 pm, November 8th, 2014 - 129 comments
Thousands of people protested and marched around the country against the secret and anti-democratic TPPA negotiations. Reports & pics. Updated
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, November 5th, 2014 - 102 comments
Metiria Turei delivered a very strong speech in response to Key’s ministerial statement on national security. I give her a standing ovation! Update #1: link to video of Turei’s speech. #2 -YT video Turei’s speech. Link to Kennedy Garham’s speech
Written By: - Date published: 11:49 am, October 21st, 2014 - 46 comments
When Gough Whitlam was PM of Austrialia, it was a time when people were looking forward to a more inclusive, caring, and egalitarian society: a time of hope. His PM-ship ended in controversy.
Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, October 19th, 2014 - 63 comments
Some journalists continue to try to fulfill the fourth estate ideal of pursuing truth & speaking truth to power. Others, with powerful links to corporate media & governments, work to suppress debate and democracy, often using threats, abusive nastiness & fear mongering.
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, October 18th, 2014 - 15 comments
I/S at No Right Turn on how “the TPPA would criminalise investigative journalism”.
Written By: - Date published: 1:02 pm, October 11th, 2014 - 33 comments
Fran O’Sullivan’s column in the Herald today clearly lays out why the issues surrounding Hanover Finance’s collapse should be investigated by the Police and not by a Government inquiry.
Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, October 6th, 2014 - 15 comments
With Chris Finlayson just announced as minister in charge of GCSB & SIS, I thought it appropriate to re-post something I published on The Standard back in July 2013: links 5 Eyes’ attorney generals, cyber-security, Dotcom, etc.
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, October 3rd, 2014 - 28 comments
A quiet shift in a dodgy Key govt-SkyCity deal: TVNZ land, sold to SkyCity for its convention centre, is to be used for a new hotel. Plus: non-mandated deal between Auckland Transport Authority & a US corporate – intense surveillance of Aucklanders’ diverse activities.
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, September 30th, 2014 - 71 comments
Cameron Slater has capitulated and ended his case against various media organisations. He faces the prospect of a significant award of costs against him. There is now no restriction on the media using the Rawshark dumps the media have been apparently provided with. So far nothing has been published. Why the delay?
Written By: - Date published: 2:01 pm, September 29th, 2014 - 75 comments
Some thoughts from a different angle on ‘what went wrong’, or maybe just saying stuff along the lines of what plenty of other people are thinking
Written By: - Date published: 5:32 pm, September 23rd, 2014 - 171 comments
No one should begrudge John Key and the National party the right to celebrate an impressive election victory. It is little consolation to those who opposed them that the win is very much a personal triumph for the Prime Minister rather than for the party and government he leads. As the tumult and the shouting […]
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, September 23rd, 2014 - 70 comments
Action Station has a full page ad in today’s NZ Herald, asking to clean up dirty politics. Dirty Politics is not any isolated attack politics or criticism of those in power. It is a relentless two track strategy, an orchestrated smear machine, aimed at moving politics rightwards & disengaging (left wing) voters. Update: Hager comments on the election.
Written By: - Date published: 2:57 pm, September 15th, 2014 - 143 comments
The email that alleges to show John key was in on a conspiracy, with Hollywood execs, to entrap Dotcom in NZ so they could extradite him to the US. Updated. Warners say the email is fake. But who was applying the “political pressure”? Updated: Cameron Slater is a techno idiot.
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, September 15th, 2014 - 14 comments
Under pressure from Glenn Greenwald’s revelations, John Key, using various smoke screens, is starting to reveal his complicity in working with the GCSB & its 5 Eyes partners, to extend the scope of their spying. Could the Southern Cross Cable Network not have known their systems had been tapped? Update: Statement by Southern Cross Cables
Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, September 15th, 2014 - 65 comments
John Key and National let the GCSB spend 12 months on plans to conduct our mass surveillance. Without telling us. And he intends to release the details now only for political considerations. Without Glenn Greenwald’s presence we probably would never have learned about this.
Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, September 13th, 2014 - 26 comments
Nicky Hager has exposed the two track strategy of the Whale Oil, Kiwiblog, Nat smear machine. Why is it allowed to continue?
Written By: - Date published: 5:00 pm, September 12th, 2014 - 73 comments
So much for any abatement of dirty politics…
Written By: - Date published: 11:08 am, September 10th, 2014 - 67 comments
The Slater application for an injunction against various media outlets has been settled by the media agreeing to not to use information that was not in the public interest, including but not limited to Mr Slater’s wife, children, medical information, the death of his mother and other inherently personal information regarding Mr Slater and his friends. The way is now clear for further stories on Dirty Politics.
Written By: - Date published: 9:11 pm, September 8th, 2014 - 32 comments
Nicky Hager’s talk at the University of Waikato was very well attended. It was livestreamed. A video of it is now available online,
Written By: - Date published: 10:54 am, September 8th, 2014 - 19 comments
Jason Ede’s disappearance from public view suggests a cover up in response to Hager’s Dirty Politics. The book implicates Ede (past PM staffer) in a coordinated black ops smear machine working with blogs like Whale Oil. Key may need to come clean soon about some of Ede’s activities.
Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, September 7th, 2014 - 89 comments
How long before “they” use control of the internet and media to bury adverse information, subvert democracy and vilify and silence those who disagree. “They” are doing it, NOW! A Government no longer has legitimacy, when they regard their own citizens as the enemy.
Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, September 7th, 2014 - 111 comments
In today’s Sunday Star Times, is an article on a Matthew Hooton & the VRWC (Vast Right Wing Conspiracy). Hooton criticises John Key, does a couple of mea culpas, but ultimately, airbrushes the whole disgusting mess of dirty politics. [Updated: comment from Bill]
Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, August 26th, 2014 - 37 comments
New Zealander of the Year, Dame Anne Salmond, on how dirty politics tarnished our democracy.
Written By: - Date published: 11:16 pm, August 25th, 2014 - 32 comments
Dirty Politics shows why we urgently need a revitalised public service broadcasting & online media. The domination by corporate media is poisoning democracy, providing openings for ruthless manipulators like Cameron Slater. An article by David Fisher provides some insights.
Written By: - Date published: 12:16 pm, August 24th, 2014 - 38 comments
A few simple questions on democracy.
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