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Kate Wilkinson to stand down and Matthew Doocey may seek nomination
Written By: - Date published: 11:14 am, November 7th, 2013 - 37 comments
Kate Wilkinson has announced that she will stand down at the next election as the MP for Waimakariri and National candidate for Christchurch East, Matthew Doocey is said to be in the mix for the nomination and has not ruled this out. Shouldn’t he be focussing on helping the good people of Christchurch East?
Everything you wanted to know about the Chorus deal …
Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, November 6th, 2013 - 108 comments
The Chorus fibre roll out deal with the Government is one of those issues that promises to embarrass the Government deeply, more deeply than us lefties may think. Because amongst the ranks of this Government’s supporters are those who hold close to principles. They not be our principles but nevertheless from the view of the right are just as if not more important than ours. One of the most important is the sanctity of the market. This is why some on the right are distraught at the generosity being shown to one of our largest corporates.
Couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery
Written By: - Date published: 7:18 am, November 6th, 2013 - 99 comments
National was warned not to give the main ultrafast broadband contracts to Chorus. All it would do would restore and strengthen the monopoly that had kept internet prices too high (which Cunliffe has addressed). Of course, National ignored that. And now, once again, National finds itself in a corner, about to bailout out a large corporate that is using its market power to threaten its political agenda.
Gambling harm: “commercially sensitive”
Written By: - Date published: 5:40 pm, November 5th, 2013 - 23 comments
Are we to expect that next time a cigarette company wants to withhold the evidence that smoking will take 11 years off the life of every second smoker, they just need to do a dodgy deal with National to build a convention centre with added ciggie sale points right? Or the booze barons could build a convention centre / mega-bar and no papers will be allowed out on alcohol harm either presumably? At what point do the best interests of New Zealanders get to trump the best interests of foreign corporates?
Does Key want to nationalise Chorus Soviet style?
Written By: - Date published: 2:46 pm, November 5th, 2013 - 62 comments
The Commerce Commission has now decided that there should be a significant reduction in broadband costs although not as much as previously proposed. Chorus has responded by saying that it may not be able to complete the fibre outlay. John Key is suggesting that Chorus could be nationalised. And the right wing are in revolt. How has National been able to muck this issue up so badly?
It’s not just about cyber-culture, Judith
Written By: - Date published: 7:59 pm, November 4th, 2013 - 310 comments
The reports of the Roast Busters are chilling. Watching 3 News tonight was very upsetting. Reported responses by the police, John Key and Judith Collins are inadequate. Key & Collins seem to be shifting the focus to cyber-bullying and away from the brutality of the physical acts. [Update: Scuba Nurse – positive steps to make a difference]
Govt responsible for 7 NZ deaths
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 pm, November 4th, 2013 - 25 comments
National has agreed to lower the drink drive limit. Over 2 years ago they blocked a Labour amendment to do exactly the same thing. Their dithering has cost 7 New Zealand lives by their own measurements – 7 lives unfulfilled and families faced with unnecessary grief.
National: the party the insurance companies bought
Written By: - Date published: 6:47 am, November 4th, 2013 - 72 comments
National and the Insurance Council are in lock-step in their opposition to KiwiAssure. That’s no coincidence, the two are very closely linked. We know that the Insurance Council’s head was Bill English’s Chief Advisor. But the links go deeper. The insurers gave National a million dollars for its ACC privatisation policy in 2005, they colluded to keep the details secret.
Shedding the deadwood
Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, November 1st, 2013 - 48 comments
The resignation announcements of National MPs are coming thick and fast. It shows that National knows that it’s going to have fewer MPs are the next election. If it doesn’t want all its seats clogged with MPs that are going nowhere, they need to retire at the election. For the Left, it’s good confirmation that National knows its losing. It’s smart politics from National, though, and something Labour could emulate.
Is New York Mellon Corp Bank a Mum and Dad Investor?
Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, October 31st, 2013 - 40 comments
Well known mum and dad investor the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation has accumulated 8% 4% of Meridian Energy’s shares. And the Dominion Post editor has described the Government’s asset sales programme as “an unmitigated disaster – so disastrous it borders on economic vandalism”. Who feels a whole lot of “told you so” coming up?
Serious question: Treasury?
Written By: - Date published: 7:46 am, October 31st, 2013 - 86 comments
Why is Treasury providing the government with advice on spinning and disguising widespread changes to Education? In this way, NZ’s democracy is undermined, and changes are continually made that benefit the few and make life more difficult for the many. Government MO or renegade Treasury?
John Key admits National Government failed to properly monitor Solid Energy
Written By: - Date published: 1:26 pm, October 29th, 2013 - 31 comments
John Key has just admitted that Ministerial and Treasury oversight of Solid Energy was not up to scratch but suggests that external analysis would have provided a lot more accountability. Oddly enough I had always thought that it was the job of the relevant Ministers and their advisors to provide oversight. And he has hinted at the privatisation of TVNZ and NZ Post …
Outsourcing poverty: Paula Bennett’s shame
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, October 29th, 2013 - 51 comments
A charity is taking on the funding of the essential work on monitoring poverty, in the face of Paula Bennett, Bill English and John Key et al failing to do their job: a return to Dickensian & Edwardian times.
NSA: ‘full spectrum dominance’
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, October 28th, 2013 - 23 comments
Latest revelations about the NSA’s international surveillance show it is about “full spectrum dominance” of military, economic, business and political activities. The TICS Bill is the latest part of Key’s changes to NZ’s surveillance agencies, further enabling the US government dominance via NSA, especially in business & politics.
National’s civil war continues
Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, October 28th, 2013 - 140 comments
Matthew Hooton said this week that Cameron Slater should put up or shut up. Slater then promised explosive new revelations in the SST and the Herald today. As detailed by Karol in her post The Blame Game the revelations were, but I suspect not in the way that Slater had hoped for. Because he has succeeded beyond what I thought would be possible in converting a story about a a philandering mayor into a story of how forces on the right tried to usurp the democratic choice of Aucklanders.
What’s in a glance?
Written By: - Date published: 3:37 pm, October 26th, 2013 - 50 comments
David Jones QC argues Banks could not have signed a false declaration of election donations because he did not read it. But Banks’ campaign manager’s evidence was that Banks “glanced at it before signing it.” The Oxford dictionary defines “glance” as “take a quick or hurried look;” “read quickly or cursorily.” So Banks did read the donations return. It would have been hard to miss the $15,690 recorded as both a radio expense and an anonymous donation which he had personally solicited.
Mana Party and Maori Party to commence discussions
Written By: - Date published: 5:52 pm, October 25th, 2013 - 48 comments
The Maori Party has accepted an invitation extended by the Mana Party to enter into discussions on how they can work together on a kaupapa by kaupapa basis. Is this a further threat to National’s parliamentary majority?
Lucy Lawless to Steven Joyce: ‘U killed NZ film industry’
Written By: - Date published: 2:23 pm, October 25th, 2013 - 103 comments
NZ needs government legislation & financial support to maintain local screen productions. Steven Joyce makes some hollow noises about prioritising NZ-focused productions, while allowing the Auckland industry to decline. Lucy Lawless blames Joyce for NZ Film tax rebates & prioritising BIG Oil.
Government in trouble over Meridian Float
Written By: - Date published: 8:33 pm, October 23rd, 2013 - 34 comments
The Government has announced the results of the Meridian Share float and the results are all bad. The country will receive up to $1.1 billion less than the shares were worth in 2011 and overseas entities will own 13% of the shares. Remind me why we are selling the shares ?
SkyCity deal gets sleazier
Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, October 23rd, 2013 - 14 comments
It raised a few eyebrows when the Catholic Church appeared to back the SkyCity deal. Seamus Donegan appeared before the select committee for the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission, saying they couldn’t find a link between pokies and problem gambling. Turns out that Donegan’s submission was the opposite of the Commission’s real position, and he’s National MP Sam Lotu-Iiga’s electorate chair.
Fight you bastards fight
Written By: - Date published: 9:26 am, October 23rd, 2013 - 49 comments
At least one MP if not the whole of National’s caucus knew that the news concerning Len Brown and Bevan Chuang would break soon eight days before it did. Slater’s and Palino’s claims are becoming more and more difficult to believe. And in a comment yesterday Bad12 sums up why this is such bad news for National.
KiwiFund: nationalisation or competition?
Written By: - Date published: 8:05 pm, October 21st, 2013 - 61 comments
Winston Peters’ KiwiFund proposal would nationalise KiwiSaver. Russel Norman supports it, but in competition with private schemes. Cunliffe is open to negotiation. Key is dismissive, but says Peters is so untrustworthy he is likely to back down & form an alliance with National anyway.
National’s Civil War
Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, October 21st, 2013 - 171 comments
It is clear that there is significant concern within the National Party with the behaviour of Cameron Slater and there is worry that a New Zealand version of the Tea party is forming. There is an interesting battle developing between the civilised cautious wing of the Party and the Tea Party take no prisoners approach of Slater and Lusk. The future of the National Party is at stake …
The “cabbage boat” defence.
Written By: - Date published: 4:30 pm, October 18th, 2013 - 33 comments
It’s starting to look pretty shredded. Increasingly, it seems that John Banks has “got nothing to hide” – behind. The key question is what Banks knew when he signed a declaration recording known donations as anonymous. Paul Holmes did put the question directly to Banks on Q+A last year. He didn’t get a straight answer; Banks tried the cabbage boat defence.
Point of order, Mr Speaker!
Written By: - Date published: 3:06 pm, October 17th, 2013 - 35 comments
The Speaker’s ability to do his job is being questioned strongly after Metiria Turei was thrown out of the debating Chamber after calling the SkyCity deal “sleazy”. How can John Banks provide an impartial vote on the SkyCity Bill? It should be delayed! [Update: Video]
The fish rots from the head
Written By: - Date published: 8:12 pm, October 16th, 2013 - 91 comments
Today’s decision that John Banks will stand trial for signing a false donations return signals the beginning of the end of the Key government. Increasingly it resembles the last days of the Shipley government only worse, as corruption replaces shambles. The decision also puts the famous tea party conversation between Key and Banks, where they stitched up the deal to provide the present Government’s majority, into new perspective.
Dotcom on what Banks knew
Written By: - Date published: 12:59 pm, October 15th, 2013 - 27 comments
The District Court is hearing evidence today as to whether John Banks should stand trial for signing a donations return that he knew to be false. Kim Dotcom has given evidence – the Herald reports that when he agreed to give Banks a donation of $50,000, Banks asked for it to be split and to be made anonymous., so that if Banks helped DotCom in the future it would not be known that he had donated to him.
Angry Simon implodes on Campbell Live
Written By: - Date published: 8:32 pm, October 14th, 2013 - 239 comments
This must be one of the worst “interviews” given by an NZ cabinet minster tonight on Campbell Live. Simon Bridges all bluster, anger, spin and diversions, and fails to answer the real questions about the dangers of the deep sea drilling off NZ’s coast. The ugly face of John Key’s government. [Update: Youtube video of the interview]
EDS attacks Nick Smith’s Ruataniwha Dam process
Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, October 11th, 2013 - 19 comments
The Chair of the Environmental Defence Society has heavily criticised the Ruataniwha Dam process for requiring the voluntary sector to test the scientific evidence, for requiring the analysis of highly technical scientific evidence within a very short time period, and for not including a freshwater expert on the Board of Inquiry. He has described the process as being fundamentally flawed and has stated that the process appears to be designed to facilitate the granting of consents. There is something wrong going on here.
Hekia Parata needs new lawyers
Written By: - Date published: 1:46 pm, October 10th, 2013 - 29 comments
For the second time in less than 12 months the High Court has ruled a decision of Hekia Parata’s to be invalid. The latest decision to be invalidated was the decision to close Phillipstown School in Christchurch. It is clear that either Parata needs better advisors or John Key needs a new Minister of Education.
The Guardian on Dotcom, GCSB, Key & US power
Written By: - Date published: 9:37 am, October 10th, 2013 - 21 comments
An article in today’s UK Guardian highlights the role of Key’s, US-supporting, government in the GCSB, Dotcom, surveillance saga (and TPP). It is chilling & shows why we need to continue to campaign against NZ’s surveillance state legislation and for TPPA transparency.
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