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Post Key leadership struggle goes mainstream
Written By: - Date published: 10:25 am, July 2nd, 2013 - 67 comments
The simmering leadership struggle in the National party doesn’t get a lot of attention in the mainstream media, but here’s an exception. Judith Collins will not be pleased.
Sharples packs it in
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 pm, July 1st, 2013 - 72 comments
Sharples has resigned as Maori Party co-leader. Leaving politics next year. Flavell will become co-leader, I guess. The government’s getting shaky. Sharples can stay on as a minister but will he? Will Flavell be willing to stick with the National coalition? Add Dunne’s anger over the emails, Key’s dismissive treatment of him at post-Cab Banks’ trial, and Labour’s ‘flat patch’… things are getting snappy.
National – idiots on education
Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, July 1st, 2013 - 35 comments
Hekia Parata seems to have noticed that we have a problem with trades education and apprenticeships in NZ. It’s a problem that is the making of National governments past and present, and they will need to completely rethink their blinkered approach to education in order to fix it.
National Party economics: make $2 billion, spend 5
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, June 29th, 2013 - 89 comments
The National Party are the good economic managers, right? So why are they spending money we don’t actually have yet?
Show us the money
Written By: - Date published: 11:22 am, June 29th, 2013 - 56 comments
National’s spend-up promises in Auckland look like panicky policy on the hoof. Where is all this money going to come from? Key says they’ll just write a cheque!
Poverty Watch 37
Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, June 29th, 2013 - Comments Off on Poverty Watch 37
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, a report from the English Children’s Commissioner on the 600,000 children driven into policy by their government’s policies, and check out the “Race to End Poverty”.
If you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear
Written By: - Date published: 7:34 am, June 26th, 2013 - 91 comments
Yesterday Key actually ran the classic justification for “police state” surveillance: if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear. This argument is bollocks. Here’s why…
Anemic recovery
Written By: - Date published: 7:49 am, June 24th, 2013 - 113 comments
Despite the heroic efforts of National’s spinsters the economic “recovery” remains anemic. We’re still behind 2007, and what recovery there is seems to be largely driven by another property bubble, and captured by a few. All National have managed is to hold us back for four years.
Poverty Watch 36
Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, June 22nd, 2013 - 7 comments
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, a debrief on The Vote: “Our kids – The problem’s not poverty, it’s parenting”. The results are encouraging!
Who benefits?
Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, June 21st, 2013 - 42 comments
The leaderless uprising in Brazil exposes unbearable inequalities in a dysfunctional post-growth world. Extravagant sports events and expensive stadium contrast with anti-public service austerity measures. Home building lags in Christchurch, while Key looks to asset sales to fund a stadium.
Networks of influence: Lobbyists
Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, June 19th, 2013 - 23 comments
The Speaker’s list of lobbyists has doubled over the last year. “Neoliberal” & corporate entities have the balance of power. Journalists & PR merchants get more influence than the marginalised, low income & politically disengaged. Social media is a means to counter such influence. [Update: Bunji, NRT]
Strike breaking Bill in trouble
Written By: - Date published: 3:24 pm, June 18th, 2013 - 28 comments
The Nats’ strike breaking Bill is in trouble, with the Employers & Manufacturers Association and Peter Dunne both stating their opposition. Let’s hope it’s another win for workers and for MMP.
All is not well in the VFX industry, Squires
Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, June 18th, 2013 - 50 comments
Many praise Jackson and Weta for the work it brings to NZ. However, a recent US-focused survey by Scott Squires, shows how subsidies, like that for the Hobbit, plus lack of unionisation are contributing to increasing exploitation, income insecurity and competition among skilled VFX workers internationally. [Update: Squires’ response]
Democracy under attack
Written By: - Date published: 7:20 am, June 17th, 2013 - 37 comments
This National government has an unprecedented contempt for democracy. The media keeps noticing pieces of the picture, but never seems to put them all together. Susan Edmunds’ piece in the Herald on Sunday is a rare and welcome exception.
Poverty Watch 35
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, June 15th, 2013 - 4 comments
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, a brief note about a coming episode of “The Vote” on the following topic: “Our kids – The problem’s not poverty, it’s parenting”.
Deep hypocrisy vs government for sale
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, June 14th, 2013 - 214 comments
While it was stupid of Labour MPs to muddy the waters, the real scandal goes unremarked.
Networks of influence: Key, Peter Thiel & the GCSB
Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, June 13th, 2013 - 70 comments
We don’t know how often John Key has met with Peter Thiel, co-founder of Palantir which developes cyber-intell systems like PRISM, & is now operating in NZ. Thiel’s involvement in NZ is extensive. He has been pursuing his “utopian” libertarian, cyber-focused agenda in NZ for a few years.
Spies and lies – can anyone trust Key?
Written By: - Date published: 6:52 am, June 13th, 2013 - 46 comments
The angles and implications of the GCSB / PRISM / Palantir story are multiplying at a frightening rate, and only a mug would trust anything coming out from the government about it. Key is openly contradicting himself on the GCSB law, it’s farcical.
Whistleblowers and services to journalism
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, June 10th, 2013 - 57 comments
Two leakers (one a true whistleblower), are in the news right now, both focused on the US-led surveillance society, operating in the interests of corporate power. And today, in relation to this, 2 journalists show the importance of the fourth estate to democracy. Kim Hill & Glenn Greenwald take a bow.
Positioning and reality
Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, June 10th, 2013 - 72 comments
There’s a lot of talk at the moment about whether Labour is too close to the Greens. Lately, we’ve seen spin coming out that Labour might be able to govern without the Greens, favouring NZF instead. Meanwhile, the Greens seem happy to talk about a future Greens-Labour government. National’s leaking to Peters and Peters is playing the race card. What’s going on?
The Greens: Party democracy and parliamentary politics
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, June 9th, 2013 - 106 comments
John Armstrong follows Lusk’s plan in attacking The Green Party’s democratic change to Conference remit procedures. Isaac Davison gives a more balanced account& points to preparation for a Labour-Green government. How much bottom-up democracy can there be in a top-down parliamentary system?
Poverty Watch 34
Written By: - Date published: 1:01 pm, June 8th, 2013 - 5 comments
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week we take a detailed look at the government’s response to the report on poverty from the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. The media reaction summarised last week is correct – the government response is a joke.
Slums for Auckland?
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, June 6th, 2013 - 28 comments
Housing Minister Nick Smith had ominous words for Auckland. Hands up all you Aucklanders who are keen to sacrifice quality housing?
OECD report leans left
Written By: - Date published: 11:56 am, June 5th, 2013 - 24 comments
Both sides of the political spectrum will draw some comfort from the recent OECD report on our economy, but overall the report is much better aligned with Labour / Green policy.
Christchurch schools for sale
Written By: - Date published: 10:32 am, June 4th, 2013 - 17 comments
Recently closed Christchurch schools, which according to the Nats don’t have the student base and/or are too quake damaged to keep running, are going to be sold off for purposes including – charter schools.
Stable government?
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, June 3rd, 2013 - 55 comments
There isn’t a single party in the government coalition that could be said to be stable.
Lusk papers 2 – selling out to America
Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, June 2nd, 2013 - 248 comments
Here’s the second of the Lusk papers that we were leaked, as was to be covered in today’s Sunday Star Times.
This paper confirms that a faction within National sees New Zealand as a vassal of America, and wants to see American influence (and American money) gain control over our politics.
The Lusk paper
Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, June 1st, 2013 - 130 comments
This is the first of the Lusk papers, as leaked to us a couple of days ago, and as currently being discussed on The Nation.
Poverty Watch 33
Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, June 1st, 2013 - 12 comments
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week we look a the reaction to the government’s response to the report on poverty from the Office of the Children’s Commissioner.
Hollow Men 2 ?
Written By: - Date published: 11:50 pm, May 31st, 2013 - 62 comments
There are three leaks in play this weekend, similar but different. Someone has taken a media shotgun to the Collins / Lusk faction. Hollow Men 2 ?
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