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Partially Privatised Power Companies Chief Executives’ salaries surge

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, November 5th, 2014 - 13 comments

Chief executive remuneration packages in the privatised power companies have surged post float.

Housing policy shambles

Written By: - Date published: 7:43 am, November 5th, 2014 - 30 comments

National’s sale of state housing assets and other aspects of housing policy is stupid at all levels. Which is probably why they are confused themselves about it.

About climate change …

Written By: - Date published: 1:11 pm, November 3rd, 2014 - 162 comments

The IPCC has released a further report refining previous research and announcing with practical certainty that climate change is happening because of the production of greenhouse gasses.  It proposes that we stop burning fossil fuels, and change the electricity generation system so that by 2050 the vast bulk of the world’s power is produced by renewable means.  The diagnosis is clear as are the remedies.  And meanwhile Tim Groser thinks the Greens are to blame for the recent drop in the milk price …

The exciting sexy selloff of our State housing

Written By: - Date published: 8:18 am, November 1st, 2014 - 78 comments

Paula Bennett thinks that selling off much of the country’s housing stock is exciting and sexy and that the market and a group of charities will be able to resolve the country’s housing issues.

There is no child poverty in New Zealand

Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, October 29th, 2014 - 64 comments

A recently published UNICEF report on levels of child poverty amongst developed economies suggests that despite our rockstar economy and our brighter future child poverty levels in New Zealand have stagnated since 2008 while in Australia meaningful changes have been made.

NRT: Cronyism in Christchurch II

Written By: - Date published: 6:39 pm, October 28th, 2014 - 18 comments

Back in August, National announced they were handing a $284 million contract to build a new convention centre in Christchurch to a consortium which included the Speaker’s brother. From the outside, it looks like cronyism, if not outright corruption…

National losing the middle?

Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, October 28th, 2014 - 133 comments

In its first term, National was very careful to be incremental – Key hung to the middle, chipping away carefully at workers’ rights without doing anything dramatic. Having gained the public’s trust by continuing (outside the House) to be a clown they’d like to have a drink with, they went with one big hit with […]

Collective bargaining? Yeah right …

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, October 26th, 2014 - 11 comments

JAmooches continues their analysis of the effects of the Employment Relations Amendment Bill. Today the focus is on the provisions that negate the requirement for the parties to act in good faith bargaining, in particular for being able to conclude collective agreements.

NRT: Political interference at Maori Television

Written By: - Date published: 5:04 pm, October 24th, 2014 - 11 comments

A government-owned television channel arranges an interview with a former opposition MP, but the government-appointed CEO spikes it. Something from Russia or Cuba maybe? No – according to Hone Harawira its happening right here in New Zealand. National’s specially appointed CEO Paora Maxwell apparently personally doing the gagging of a previously independent Native Affairs show.

Dirty politics and dirty cyclists

Written By: - Date published: 10:18 am, October 22nd, 2014 - 32 comments

Jason Ede has resurfaced at Teamtalk, a company with significant links to the National Party and a managing director with unusual views about cyclists.

NRT: National’s failure on housing

Written By: - Date published: 1:54 pm, October 21st, 2014 - 25 comments

A year ago National rammed through special housing areas promising 9000 homes consented in the first year under it. Over the last year they have managed to build 5 and consented 294. Nick Smith fails maths yet again. This year 13,000 – yeah right!

The 4th estate & its pretenders

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.

No point in state houses

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, October 18th, 2014 - 75 comments

There’s no point in state houses. Not according to the Nats anyway. Unbelievable.

Hiding the government’s failure on poverty

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, October 17th, 2014 - 81 comments

Thanks to Radio New Zealand, we now know that National got no real plan to address poverty, but also that they really, really don’t want to be honest about it.

Right and Righter

Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, October 17th, 2014 - 34 comments

Hosking, Henry, National and SkyCity – it’s all so cozy…

OIA: Rotten

Written By: - Date published: 5:42 pm, October 16th, 2014 - 70 comments

As story after story comes out, it shows how much contempt for transparency and the law this government has, and how little  it intends to be held to account.

Nats illegally gaming the OIA process

Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, October 16th, 2014 - 75 comments

It is clear to anyone who has read Dirty Politics that the National government illegally games the OIA process for political gain. Now we have Key’s confirmation of the fact.

Official advice on poverty

Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, October 15th, 2014 - 53 comments

An excellent piece by Brent Edwards on Morning Report today, looking at official advice to the government on poverty. Underneath the politicised process the answer is as obvious as ever.

ImperatorFish: A useful terror threat tool

Written By: - Date published: 4:53 pm, October 14th, 2014 - 7 comments

Scott examines our threat level.

Progressive social media

Written By: - Date published: 9:27 am, October 10th, 2014 - 70 comments

Now that the dust is settling on the 2014 general election it is a good time for progressives to review our and our opponents’ use of social media and what can be done better.  And how do we respond effectively to the approach of the right which is now thanks to Nicky Hager painstakingly clear.

NRT: We don’t need new laws to fight terrorism

Written By: - Date published: 2:14 pm, October 8th, 2014 - 10 comments

John Key has been busy lying about the need for yet more ‘anti-terrorism’ laws. How many do the police and security forces need? As NRT points out, are they just too lazy to use the ones they already have? Or is this just because John Key wants to get his own plastic sword? Surely we pay him enough to buy his own?

Cause of poverty and inequality found!

Written By: - Date published: 8:06 am, October 8th, 2014 - 36 comments

Good news citizens! The National government has revealed unto us today the cause of poverty and inequality.

NRT: A surprise policy

Written By: - Date published: 7:12 pm, October 7th, 2014 - 32 comments

Remember National’s social housing policy? The one they campaigned on? The one that talked about how much money they were spending and was all about upgrading and investing in state houses? Somehow, post-election, its transmogrified into selling off a third of the state housing stock. John Key lying to voters as usual eh?

About those other police complaints …

Written By: - Date published: 6:51 pm, October 6th, 2014 - 52 comments

Police action in obtaining a warrant to search Nicky Hager’s home in politically charged circumstances raises issues why in other politically charged incidents no similar action has been undertaken.

Polity: National’s new ministry: Key fires himself!

Written By: - Date published: 12:53 pm, October 6th, 2014 - 36 comments

Key has basically fired himself from most of his Security and Intelligence responsibilities. This is a big change.

The long reach of “5 Eyes”: re-post

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.

Starving the universities

Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, October 6th, 2014 - 52 comments

NZ’s universities are falling down the world rankings. This should come as no surprise, because National have systematically cut funding to the tertiary sector. How stupid do you have to be to deliberately run down our universities?

Unaffordable housing & the culture of greed

Written By: - Date published: 11:17 am, October 4th, 2014 - 47 comments

Rental housing remains unaffordable for many.  The problem is the greed of investors & speculators,  supported by a culture in which housing investment is seen as a way to individual prosperity.

Final election results due out today

Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, October 4th, 2014 - 109 comments

The final election results are expected to be announced today and I would not be surprised if there is a change in the makeup of Parliament.

First they sold Auckland, then the rest of NZ…?

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.

New Zealand’s brighter future

Written By: - Date published: 4:00 pm, October 2nd, 2014 - 139 comments

The early election has meant that National has avoided the bad news of the collapse in international milk prices during the campaign period.  And the Reserve Bank has finally taken action to drive down the value of New Zealand’s currency.  It may be that the brighter future promised by National is not going to be so bright.

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