national
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- same old national (1,617)
National’s ICT failures.
Written By: - Date published: 10:55 pm, March 4th, 2014 - 23 comments
After having the past five and bit years with National’s negative policies about anything to do with new technologies, it is really nice to see some partially formed red-tinged morning ideas about how to encourage local usage of the net appearing on the sky’s horizon. National’s ICT strategy seems to see how uselessly slow they can do everything and how much they can slow down the development of ICT in NZ.
How short are memories?
Written By: - Date published: 11:39 pm, March 3rd, 2014 - 216 comments
John Key is attacking David Cunliffe for using a trust to obscure some donations – whilst repeating the word ‘tricky’ about Cunliffe as many times in one sound-bite as humanly possible. It’s an astonishingly brazen stone to throw given National’s glass house. Do no reporters remember John Key, Hollow Man, or anything about National’s funding […]
NRT: Treasury, National, and child poverty
Written By: - Date published: 2:18 pm, February 28th, 2014 - 10 comments
In many ways what is even more irritating about this screwup by treasury is that it isn’t likely to be the children living below the poverty line that has an impact. It is the large numbers of elderly that Treasury has now discovered getting worse off and falling into poverty. After all they have a vote. Whereas children don’t so the future accumulated costs of their poverty aren’t something that this government will concern itself about.
Tony Ryall standing down
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, February 27th, 2014 - 64 comments
Tony Ryall has announced that he will not seek re election at this year’s general election. He brings to ten the number of sitting National MPs who will not be contesting the election this year.
The Genesis share float has problems
Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, February 27th, 2014 - 17 comments
The Government has effectively conceded that the Genesis share float will not meet expectations and is softening New Zealand up to the prospect that only 30% of the shares may be sold. It makes you wonder why they are still going a head with the sale.
Polity: X more thoughts on poll bias
Written By: - Date published: 11:36 am, February 26th, 2014 - 26 comments
Whenever the media report on polls, they get accused of all manner of biases by the blinkered commentariat. Most of it is nonsense, of course. But some criticism of the polling methods themselves may have more merit that Rob Salmond first thought. While he is not yelling “fire” at this stage, he does think there may be smoke. Something that he did not think that three years ago.
On polls and things
Written By: - Date published: 9:16 am, February 25th, 2014 - 106 comments
The periodic agony and ecstasy attached to opinion poll results has kicked in with a pessimistic TVOne poll result being released on the weekend. But how accurate are they and are we in danger of damaging an election campaign by focussing too much on them?
David Cunliffe’s home
Written By: - Date published: 2:56 pm, February 20th, 2014 - 227 comments
National is now targeting David Cunliffe and his family. Metiria Turei was attacked for living in a castle and wearing designer jackets, and now David Cunliffe is being attacked for being wealthy. The criticisms miss the point. There is nothing inherently wrong with being wealthy. But there is everything wrong in setting fire to the ladder of social support after you have had the opportunity to climb it.
Polity: Key practices 56% truth inflation
Written By: - Date published: 3:48 pm, February 19th, 2014 - 21 comments
John Key makes up the figures during a session of parliament for the expected unemployment in coming years when he took office. The apparent reason is to make his governments piss-poor performance running the economy look better. Of course there is that problem that Rob Salmond can link to the December 2008 projections from the Treasury which show John Key to be lying (yet again).
Poverty on the agenda
Written By: - Date published: 10:26 am, February 19th, 2014 - 81 comments
The documentary ‘Mind the Gap’ and an interview with a UNICEF advocacy manager focus on poverty and inequality. Zombie “neoliberal” policies have increased poverty & inequality, damaging the futures of too many children. We will all benefit from good government policies underpinned by a commitment to collective approaches and responsibility.
LB: Greens’ Solar Sense and National’s Nonsense
Written By: - Date published: 4:00 pm, February 18th, 2014 - 28 comments
Local Bodies looks at some (very cool) solar installations and the Greens solar policy. We are now seeing a stark contrast between a Government desperate to support the status quo of increasing charges and large company profits, while the future focussed Greens are truly progressive in their thinking.
Easy Vote or Voter Intimidation?
Written By: - Date published: 9:19 pm, February 17th, 2014 - 123 comments
Good to see Labour has stood up against National’s “harder-to-vote” revisions to the Electoral Amendment Bill, especially making voters now have to state their name to get a voting paper. The reason for this is to allow scrutineers to more easily challenge a voter’s credentials, and is similar to voter intimidation practices in conservative States in the US. Expect National Party scrutineers questioning more voter credentials in the 2014 election.
Plausible deniability: Smoke & mirrors
Written By: - Date published: 12:56 pm, February 17th, 2014 - 79 comments
It’s puzzling why John Key diverted attention from who spied on Winston Peters, by implicating Cameron Slater. Following revelations about the 5 Eyes spying capabilities, & illegal surveillance of Kim Dotcom, there is much at stake for Key. Recapping some significant details in the surveillance saga.
National’s Herald shows its true colours
Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, February 17th, 2014 - 113 comments
The NZ Herald starts cuddling up even closer to the National party. I guess they have definitely dropped that shallow facade of being the “Newspaper of Record”. Mind you, it isn’t a good look when Paula Bennett, the minister meant to take care of children, cuddles up with the heartless hypocrite who laughs at dead children. National really must be worried about this election.
Fairfax quotes Government cheerleader
Written By: - Date published: 2:06 pm, February 16th, 2014 - 30 comments
Fairfax posted an article recently where three businessmen were interviewed on what they thought the political parties should be discussing this election year. The comments from the first interviewee were basically a John Key love in so I thought we should try and provide some balance …
John Key, Blogsters and the Dotcom leaks
Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, February 15th, 2014 - 170 comments
This week has seen how sophisticated the publicity campaign against Kim Dotcom has been. The surprising detail that a Herald Socialite columnist has published with political implications potentially represents a new tactic by National. And the confirmation that Key is regularly in contact with Cameron Slater shows how deep the relationship is between National and the Sewer is. And there was the use of, as Key calls them, blogsters to smear opposition MPs with hints of corruption. This is going to be an interesting year …
Rotten
Written By: - Date published: 4:24 pm, February 14th, 2014 - 270 comments
Stuff has an astounding interview with John Key where he reveals he has regular catch-ups with Cameron Slater.
We’ve always known that there were close ties between National and the abomination that is Whaleoil but now we know that the ties go right to the top.
NRT: Ticket clipping
Written By: - Date published: 4:53 pm, February 13th, 2014 - 29 comments
National’s charter schools are predicated on the idea that the public education system is doing a bad job. They’re (over-)funded to do things differently. So its more than a little odd that He Puna Marama Trust’s charter school is simply getting local state schools to do all their teaching for them. They just clip the ticket converting taxpayers money to private profit. Ridiculous corrupt NAct policy.
Dotcom’s extradition and the 2014 general election
Written By: - Date published: 11:51 am, February 12th, 2014 - 94 comments
In further news about Dotcom he has said that if the Internet Party has not reached 5% in the polls before the printing of the ballot papers he will endorse another party. An endorsement could be the difference between the left winning and losing the next election. And the Greens have raised the prospect of a Ministerial Veto of any extradition order.
NRT: National hates transparency
Written By: - Date published: 7:54 am, February 12th, 2014 - 56 comments
Yesterday Labour tried to put forward a Parliamentary motion calling on the government to release the draft text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement before signing it, on the simple democratic grounds that the public deserved to know what agreements were being made in our name. National refused to. The upshot: National hates transparency. It also hates democracy.
Local Bodies: First they ignore you
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, February 11th, 2014 - 13 comments
Local bodies writes on the way that National has been concentrating their personal attacks at the Greens. It is a pretty typical display by National in any election year. But you get the impression they’re going to seriously be dumpster diving for dirt this year – especially Judith Collins. National are getting desperate at their disappearing coalition partners. “First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win”
The politics of nastiness
Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, February 11th, 2014 - 163 comments
Is this election year going to be the most vicious in recent history? There’s always a bit of argy-bargy in politics, and sometimes it’s personal. Despite the best of intentions, it’s impossible for people’s families and backgrounds to never be part of the conversation, because often they themselves bring it up – whether it’s John […]
Key’s transparent gerrymander
Written By: - Date published: 8:12 pm, February 9th, 2014 - 101 comments
For John Key, MMP stands for “Manipulate Members of Parliament”. Senior journalists are beginning to call him on the games he’s playing, and good on them; gerrymander entered the New Zealand political lexicon at Key’s press conference this week. Key wants to push the issues away till closer to the election, when he’ll know what his polling is telling him – I hope the gallery don’t let him.
Play it again John
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, February 8th, 2014 - 39 comments
John Key has welcomed Tony Abbott’s confirmation that Australia would extend access to students under the Higher Education Loan Program to long-term New Zealand residents in Australia. But this policy was announced eight months ago.
NZ Herald watch – history repeats
Written By: - Date published: 10:50 am, February 7th, 2014 - 146 comments
The NZ Herald has a long history of opposing Maori resistance and supporting colonisation. It has always been right wing with a strong commercial focus & MO. Yesterday it censored news of Waitangi Day protests. Today an editorial spins in slippery style, for the Govt’s failing PowerCo sales.
Some thoughts on Waitangi Day
Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, February 6th, 2014 - 147 comments
Some thoughts on the nature of the Treaty of Waitangi and the need to continue with the treaty settlement process.
National’s policy working – under-employment at record high
Written By: - Date published: 6:06 pm, February 4th, 2014 - 37 comments
Roy Morgan survey reports New Zealand under-employment – those working part-time but looking for more work – has jumped to a record high 11.3% (up 2.7%). Simon Bridges’ policies to create precarious employment seem to be working.
Dear RadioNZ – the largest party does not necessarily win the election
Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, February 3rd, 2014 - 150 comments
Radio New Zealand this morning keeps saying that National could “win” the election but struggle to form a Government. This statement suggests that the Country’s foremost current affairs radio station may be struggling with the concept of MMP.
National’s election year strategy and designer jackets
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, February 2nd, 2014 - 111 comments
National’s attacks on Metiria Turei appear to me as being deliberate and programmed rather than an inconsequential argument on the cost of designer jackets.
The flag diversion
Written By: - Date published: 11:44 am, January 30th, 2014 - 119 comments
It appears that John Key is trying to divert attention away from this Government’s appalling record regarding child poverty and Labour’s Best Start and Paid Parental Leave by starting a discussion on what the Country’s flag should look like.
Media Watch: infotainment & “balance” – inequality
Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, January 30th, 2014 - 56 comments
The ratings/sales driven ethos of the corporate MSM skews the coverage of the election campaigns of parties of the “left” and the “right”. Focus on individuals, implying they represent large sections of the population. The left are leading the agenda on inequality.
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