national/act government

Categories under national/act government

honeymoon (4)

Who do you think you’re fooling, Kate?

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 7:46 am, August 28th, 2009 - 12 comments

“I’m not going to resign” – Kate Wilkinson It’s one of the truisms of politics that when you’re a minister and you say you’re not resigning, it’s only a matter of time until you are. Kate Wilkinson’s behaviour has been almost universally disgraceful- the Kiwisaver debacle, her vitriol during the Shawn Tan affair, refusing the let […]

Transport: on the wrong track

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 2:30 pm, August 27th, 2009 - 53 comments

The government’s 3-year transport spending plan is out. Where’s all the cash going? Surprise, surpise it’s state highways. We’re going to spend $1.5 billion a year on state highways and just $300 million on public transport. Meanwhile, oil’s above $US70 a barrel and staying there, petrol is pushing $1.70 a litre – the highest it’s […]

Collins’ smear backfires

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 11:30 am, August 27th, 2009 - 10 comments

Excellent piece by Patrick Gower in the Herald today on Judith Collins’ attempt to smear Corrections Association president Beven Hanlon. Collins has leaked part of an OIA (which she’s so far refused to release to Labour) which she says shows “union bosses” are “living a jet-set lifestyle” on the taxpayer after they received $127,000 in […]

Rodney and John roger Rodney

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 8:54 am, August 26th, 2009 - 18 comments

Maori seats? Who cares eh? If democratic process is ignored to override the Maori, who cares? But what if it’s some nice Pakeha? The Government is going to slice Rodney council in two. The North half goes to Kaipara. The other half goes into the Supercity. The people of Rodney overwhelmingly don’t want […]

The smiling snake bites

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 2:36 pm, August 25th, 2009 - 18 comments

The Herald editorial is pretty scathing of Key’s Government for rejecting Maori seats on the super-council but I have to take issue with this par: The Cabinet’s decision to reject Maori seats on the Super City Auckland Council is a retrograde step that undoes much that has been accomplished over the past nine months. What […]

Snake oil

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 1:16 pm, August 25th, 2009 - 18 comments

I’m surprised that the Maori Party have rolled over so easily on the issue of Maori seats on the Auckland council. I will be even more surprised if the Maori people follow suit. Because they have every right to be angry. Remember what Key said of the Hikoi? The hikoi was sparked over the dumping […]

Will Key go with Hide or Maori Party?

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 9:40 am, August 23rd, 2009 - 12 comments

The issue of Maori seats on the supercity council has inevitably exposed the contradictions inherent in this government. The Maori party wants ’em. ACT won’t agree. Which way will Key go? With Hide. Why? Because Hide’s the only willing to hurt the government to get what he wants. Hide says he’ll resign as minister. It’s […]

Well done National

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 9:13 am, August 21st, 2009 - 16 comments

The polls are still fine but National are looking a wee bit crispy round the edges right now. Nice Mr Key has a lot on his plate (hat tip).. Check out the rap sheet: – a recent humbling by election loss – a minister sacked (for reasons that we are not allowed to know) – […]

Will National cave to threats from Hide?

Written By: all_your_base - Date published: 10:31 pm, August 19th, 2009 - 85 comments

An email leaked to 3News suggests that Rodney Hide is holding the government to ransom over denying guaranteed Supercity representation for Maori. The email – reportedly from a senior National Party MP and sent to the whole caucus – reads, in part: Clearly we are at a crossroads. The ACT party has threatened to end […]

A question of trusts

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 1:17 pm, August 18th, 2009 - 52 comments

Here is Bill English in the cocktail tapes talking about Working for Families: “the reality is if we had been the government, with the surpluses they had, we would have done something similar, like Working for Families… there’s a set of inevitable problems, it’s like physics… If you give people cash [that abates as income […]

Subsidizing polluting industries costs taxpayers directly

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:45 am, August 18th, 2009 - 34 comments

An excellent post from Idiot Savant (reproduced with permission) on the cost to taxpayers of subsidizing polluting industries. I haven’t noticed the mainstream media reporting this critical aspect of the governments climate change proposals. Too hard for them to grasp perhaps? Climate change: An illustration How unfair is the government’s plan to cap the price […]

It’s Labour’s fault it didn’t rain!

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 12:00 pm, August 14th, 2009 - 33 comments

One of Bill English’s favourite lines is that New Zealand entered recession ahead of the rest of the world ‘due to Labour’s mismanagement of the economy’ and that’s why his government is unable to get off its arse now. Pity that Agriculture Minister David Carter had to go and spoil the lie for him: “Agriculture […]

New Zealand’s global shame

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 4:01 pm, August 13th, 2009 - 67 comments

Well, there goes our clean, green image. After Key announced the pathetic 10-20% emissions reduction target, we were declared ‘fossil of the day’ by environmental groups attending the Copenhagen climate change conference. Here’s Eco, talking about the failure of New Zealand and other developed countries:”The New Zealand target completes a rather dismal Annex I picture. The […]

Kate’s CEO talkfest

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 11:00 am, August 12th, 2009 - 22 comments

The Minister of Labour, Kate Wilkinson, is holding a meeting today with 25 top CEOs on the number of New Zealanders who are killed every year at work. The fact it’s being billed as an example of ‘partnership’ shows a lot about this Government’s worldview, because she’s specifically excluded any representation from the workers who’re […]

Those who do not learn

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 4:20 pm, August 11th, 2009 - 15 comments

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. National has learned nothing from the failure of the neoliberal policies of the late 80s / early 90s (when gaps in growth and income opened up with Australia). So they are gearing up to repeat them: [English] and other ministers’ utter single-mindedness of […]

Holding Bennett to account

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 2:18 pm, August 11th, 2009 - 59 comments

NZPA reports: Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff has confirmed she will investigate Social Development Minister Paula Bennett after the release of details of two mothers’ income. Good. John Key has made it clear he won’t hold his ministers to account for abusing their power, now it’s up to the Privacy Commisioner to do his job for […]

Someone give Rodney a Smack

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 9:46 am, August 10th, 2009 - 37 comments

Rodney Hide is increasingly becoming an embarrassment to the government. The perception that he has created is that he will back to the hilt any cranky right wing idea if he believes that there is political support. And MMP means that minor parties do not need significant support, an incensed small group of extremists will […]

Time for tory charity?

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 5:41 am, August 10th, 2009 - 22 comments

Following the success of TV3’s ‘Big Night In’ Telethon which raised over $2 million for KidsCan, I was thinking there are others that could benefit from some charity. You know, the recession is biting and even people who have been used to living well are now having to couple with dramatic cuts to their incomes. […]

John Key ‘may’ be able to understand it?

Written By: lprent - Date published: 11:00 am, August 6th, 2009 - 11 comments

John Key has recently acted like a jerk to a young mother worried about what climate change is going to mean for her future and that of her child. Essentially he said that she should stick to what she knew. Bearing in mind the complete lack of understanding that both John Key and his NACT […]

The lies keep coming

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 10:15 am, August 5th, 2009 - 15 comments

Read this: Hon Phil Goff: What analysis did Treasury do on the cost-effectiveness of the national cycleway scheme in producing jobs, and is he prepared to provide the Treasury analysis, oral and written, to members of this Parliament; if not, why not? Hon JOHN KEY: Rigorous analysis was done. Having read that, do you believe […]

Worth the Bill

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 7:05 am, August 5th, 2009 - 35 comments

What would you call it when you collect $900 a week by false pretenses? What would you call it when you tell the Electoral Commission and Ministerial Services that you live somewhere other than where you, your partner and your children actually live and work? And if you did those things while holding an office presumably subject […]

One of these things is not like the other VI

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 7:44 am, August 4th, 2009 - 48 comments

One of these things is not like the other One of these things is not quite the same. Can you guess which one is not like the other Can you tell me before I finish the game?

What goes around…

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 5:10 am, August 3rd, 2009 - 53 comments

Paula Bennett appears to have broken the law in releasing private information on members of the public who were critical of National’s “ambitious” cutting of the Training Incentive Allowance. Bennett says she did this to “round out the story”. John Key is “comfortable” with this abuse of power, so presumably now the law doesn’t matter, […]

Double standards

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 1:52 pm, August 2nd, 2009 - 45 comments

Paula Bennett has claimed nearly $22,000 in six months for her Wellington accommodation. That’s more, just for a second home Bennett uses maybe half the time, than Natahsa Fuller whose personal details she illegally released in a effort to embarrass her into silence gets in total to raise her three daughters – two of whom have chronic medical conditions. […]

Get ready for more over-promise, under-deliver

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 4:39 pm, August 1st, 2009 - 15 comments

Tomorrow John Key will be announcing policies on youth unemployment. Looks like rehashing of the already announced Youth Guarantee and probably something more. Whatever Key comes up with it will be tinkering around the edges. The Nats aren’t willing to spend any money and they don’t have any big ideas. If the cycleway, the tax-cuts, […]

Snouts in the trough

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 1:50 pm, August 1st, 2009 - 161 comments

NZPA reports: Taxpayers are contributing nearly $1000 a week to allow deputy prime minister Bill English to live in his own million-dollar Wellington home. According to the title, the Karori home was bought by Mr English and his wife, Mary, for $800,000 in 2003. However, in March this year the title was transferred to Mrs […]

Brash speech confirms National’s secret agenda

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 5:04 pm, July 30th, 2009 - 79 comments

This is simply stunning. Don Brash, our new productivity tsar, has just released a speech where he proves he hasn’t changed a bit from the nasty, bigoted far right radical of the Douglas-Richardson era. It’s a typically long and long-winded speech, but in the first two paragraphs he shows how unsuited he is to fill […]

Comfortable with bullying

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 10:55 am, July 30th, 2009 - 96 comments

John Key is “comfortable” with his Minister Paul Bennett releasing private information (in breach of the Cabinet Manual, Privacy Commission guidelines, and the Privacy Act). This was a move designed solely to harass and bully two individuals that Bennett wanted to silence. How could that Nice Mr Key be comfortable with such a gross abuse […]

Substance matters

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:30 am, July 30th, 2009 - 32 comments

Last night, our positive and ambitious National/Act government: Voted against Green MP Metiria Turei’s bill to protect the 111 Maui dolphins left. Voted against Labour MP Maryan Street’s bill to ban the importation of goods made by slave labour. Indicated they will vote against Maori Party MP Rahui Katene’s bill to institute Matariki as a […]

Horrific and ugly

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 5:50 am, July 30th, 2009 - 19 comments

That’s what Bennett is calling the Right’s attacks on the women she released confidential information about. As if she didn’t know that would happen. As if she didn’t know that releasing this information on what seems like large amounts of money when you don’t have the facts would send every knuckle-dragging redneck, reactionary in the […]

Apologists

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 3:00 pm, July 29th, 2009 - 58 comments

Picture this: Anchor “and now we go live to whatsherface outside the High Court in Christchurch to tell us the latest in the Weatherston trial” Whatsherface “the prosecution is saying that Weatherston committed a grave breach of the Crimes Act but, look, I know of this other guy who killed someone and he was never […]