national/act government

Categories under national/act government

The myth of drug dependancy and poverty

Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, January 2nd, 2016 - 306 comments

New research from Morgan Foundation suggests that poverty can be alleviated by increasing incomes and that the beneficiaries will be children of poor families not vendors of alcohol and cigarettes.

Protection of National Security Information

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, December 15th, 2015 - 10 comments

At the heart of the project is the tension between national interests and individual rights. Questions about how to balance these interests are not new, but they have been brought into sharp focus by recent international events.

Paula Bennett, Climate Change Minister?

Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, December 8th, 2015 - 68 comments

Despite having no scientific background, no relevant experience and no related portfolios Paula Bennett is the new Minister in charge of Climate Change Issues.

Key’s Xmas Reshuffle; UPDATE + bonus Winston Peters zinger!

Written By: - Date published: 7:24 am, December 7th, 2015 - 49 comments

John Key has announced that there will be a minor cabinet re-shuffle. Could this mark the return of Judith Collins? If so, what does this tell us about how the post-Key National Party will look?

TPPA national day of action

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, November 13th, 2015 - 26 comments

Saturday November 14 is a national day of action against the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement.  Details of all protests are set out in the post.

Making the Opposition the Enemy –

Written By: - Date published: 1:00 am, November 13th, 2015 - 18 comments

It takes fortitude to admit you are wrong. That’s right, not weakness but, strength, courage, resilience, grit, determination, endurance, guts, and staying power.  When you won’t admit you are wrong you end up having to justify wrong decisions. That takes time and energy (and money) away from what actually needs to be done for the greater good. John Key won’t admit he is wrong. Because of this he has to keep going down several paths of “wrongness”, and because he is Prime MInister, he is taking us all with him.  Some people think he does admit he made mistakes. But when you examine the few instances closer (if you can find them), it looks like something else.

Is this our brighter future?

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, November 3rd, 2015 - 44 comments

This morning’s media has reports of increased domestic violence being reported by beneficiaries and an increase of the time and resources the police are having to put into helping the mentally unwell.  And record profits earned by the Australian banks.

Were people smugglers paid money to take refuges away from New Zealand?

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, October 30th, 2015 - 34 comments

Amnesty International has published a report “By Hook or by Crook: Australia’s Abuse of Asylum-Seekers at Sea” which has rightfully been described as a damning indictment of Australia’s handling of the refugee crisis. But New Zealand benefitted from payments of money to people smugglers.  What did the Government know?

CYF Review: Great work if you can get it

Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, October 13th, 2015 - 40 comments

Radio New Zealand has reported that Paul Rebstock, chair of the Government appointed committee engaged in the review of Child Youth and Family, is being paid $2,000 a day to perform her job.  This is the equivalent to the daily pay of thirteen social workers.

TPPA agreement reached

Written By: - Date published: 7:28 am, October 6th, 2015 - 163 comments

The TPPA has been agreed to. Dairy access improvement is minimal, there will be a cost hit on Pharmac and every industry but Tobacco will be able to access the investor state dispute resolution procedure.

Key pinches Labour’s Kermadec Sanctuary Policy

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, September 30th, 2015 - 88 comments

National’s announced intention to create a marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands looks remarkably like Labour’s policy from the last election. And why did John Key not tell his caucus beforehand?

The political machinations of the flag debate

Written By: - Date published: 7:23 am, September 25th, 2015 - 276 comments

The Green’s agreement with National to allow for Red Peak to be a referendum candidate potentially helps John Key out of a major difficulty and raises issues about the state of the Labour-Green relationship.

The strip mining of Housing Corp is accelerated

Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, September 17th, 2015 - 33 comments

Not only is Housing Corp planning to pay a $118 million dividend to the Crown this year but hidden away in its accounts is the payment of a further capital contribution of $336 million.  Talk about strip mining …

This Government’s priorities

Written By: - Date published: 7:52 am, September 16th, 2015 - 37 comments

In recent news it has been stated that the Government has let Serco off fines totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars while at the same time it is sneaking through retrospective changes to the law to deny thousands of beneficiaries money they are otherwise entitled to.

Warner Bros – corporate welfare beneficiary

Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, September 9th, 2015 - 63 comments

Figures have been released showing that Warner Bros were paid NZ $191 million in tax rebates to create the Hobbit Trilogy.  The films were very profitable.  Why is corporate welfare for profitable activity tolerated?

Imagine if National had not sold the shares in our companies 2015 version

Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, August 30th, 2015 - 55 comments

The latest financial reports for the privatised companies suggests that the New Zealand Government has lost in the past twelve months $470 million in dividends it would have received had it held onto the shares.

Government braces for expected worm farm mini golf fatality onslaught

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, August 21st, 2015 - 50 comments

Apparently worm farms and mini golf ranges are dangerous places.  And worm farmers playing mini golf are in grave peril.

Climate change – New Zealand not even a fast follower

Written By: - Date published: 10:14 am, August 13th, 2015 - 48 comments

Recent analysis of different Governments’ greenhouse gas reduction pledges for the Paris Conference suggests that New Zealand’s is behind that of Windmill hating Tony Abbott’s Australia.

250 to 300 Job Losses at Unitec in Auckland

Written By: - Date published: 10:23 am, August 8th, 2015 - 84 comments

Under Unitec’s new vision students will be known as Customers. Student services will be outsourced (overseas)

Aspiration statement
To be a world leader in contemporary applied learning and an agent of positive economic and social change
.

#Sheepgate – Key’s cheerleaders are sent in

Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, August 7th, 2015 - 62 comments

John Armstrong thinks that National has bested Labour over #sheepgate because Key keeps saying it is all Labour’s fault.  And Hosking thinks the payment has a good business case despite the payment having not achieved the result that was being sought,

John Key – Snake Oil Salesman

Written By: - Date published: 12:33 pm, July 30th, 2015 - 42 comments

John Key has tried to suggest that we have nothing to worry about planned changes to Pharmac caused by TPP.  But a recent further release by Wikileaks on the effects of the Trans Pacific Partnership on State Owned Enterprises makes you wonder if the implications of TPP on Pharmac are as limited as he says.

National’s week from hell

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, July 26th, 2015 - 43 comments

This was the week from hell for National when they experienced the Serco fiasco, news that they responded to a suggestion they close a failing Charter School by giving it more money, the Judicial spanking of their undermining of the Problem Gambling Foundation and the ruling that their legislation removing the rights of some prisoners to vote was a breach of the country’s human rights.

Paula Bennett feeds raw meat to the base about Social Housing waiting lists

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, July 26th, 2015 - 65 comments

Paula Bennett wants us to believe that people on Housing Corporation’s waiting lists are choosy.

Failing Charter School punished by increase in funding

Written By: - Date published: 1:33 pm, July 24th, 2015 - 33 comments

The Friday afternoon bad news dump is on with news that Education Minister was recommended to close a poorly performing charter school.  She has elected not to do so and to instead give the school extra money.

Serco, Lotu-Iiga and the death of Nick Evans

Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, July 23rd, 2015 - 69 comments

Nick Evans was alleged to have been dropped from a height while being supervised in a Serco run prison.  He was transferred to another prison and shortly after this died from injuries apparently inflicted from the dropping.  Yet there is no police investigation and Minister in charge Lotu-Iiga says the allegations are “unproven” without making the most basic of inquiries.

The Fighting Foreign Corporate Control Bill

Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, July 22nd, 2015 - 49 comments

With support from Labour, the Greens and the Maori Party NZ First is promoting the Fighting Foreign Corporate Control Bill. The support of one more MP will be sufficient to sent the Bill to select committee for consideration.

National Debt cracks the ton

Written By: - Date published: 12:20 pm, July 20th, 2015 - 62 comments

The Crown has reached an unfortunate milestone and national debt now exceeds $100 billion.

Will New Zealand social housing soon subsidise Australian social housing?

Written By: - Date published: 2:56 pm, June 29th, 2015 - 58 comments

John Key’s interview on Morning Report this morning suggests that National does not know what it is doing with its social housing policy.  Are we approaching a situation where profits from New Zealand social housing is going to underwrite the cost of Australian social housing?

An open letter to Andrew Little

Written By: - Date published: 6:08 pm, June 26th, 2015 - 433 comments

A respectful open letter to Andrew Little with suggestions for how to win the next election!

#Sheepgate – did National ask the Saudi Sheep Farmer to sue NZ?

Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, June 24th, 2015 - 42 comments

It seems crazy but it appears that National may have asked the Saudi sheep farmer to sue New Zealand.  And John Key seems to be relaxed about facilitation payments aka bribes.

#Sheepgate – it was the official’s fault

Written By: - Date published: 1:51 pm, June 11th, 2015 - 48 comments

National is appearing to be changing tack and trying to now blame a junior official rather than the Labour Party for the failure to complete the Gulf Free Trade Agreement.  And the promised release of the relevant cabinet papers proving it was all Labour’s fault has still not occurred.