same old national

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The phantom phantom hospital waiting lists

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:46 pm, July 25th, 2016 - 28 comments

According to Health Minister Jonathan Coleman he is right, everyone else is wrong and there is no elective surgery hidden list in New Zealand.

How to wreck a busway

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:30 pm, July 19th, 2016 - 20 comments

The Government’s proposal to allow hybrid vehicles to use bus lanes is not only crazy but they did not talk to local authorities before doing so.

We truly are being run by a bunch of clowns

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:55 am, July 13th, 2016 - 29 comments

National is flailing around attempting to divert attention from its failure to do anything meaningful about the homeless crisis.

Judith Collins is losing a PR battle with a patched Gang Member*

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:30 am, July 8th, 2016 - 322 comments

*title borrowed from @shakingstick.

Helen Clark on Iraq

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:37 am, July 7th, 2016 - 41 comments

Thirteen years ago Helen Clark said despite intense pressure that the threshold for the use of force against Iraq had not been met. How right she was.

Social bonds negotiations collapse

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:39 am, July 6th, 2016 - 65 comments

The Governments attempt to incentivise the provision of social services by greed has failed with the first proposed social bond failing.

#Sheepgate – The Compensation payment for the claim that did not exist

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:22 am, July 4th, 2016 - 27 comments

The Nation has been doing some digging into #Sheepgate and last weekend broadcast its results. There were some findings that if confirmed should result in McCully’s cabinet career being ended. Not to mention a potential Privileges Hearing to decide if he has misled Parliament.

Panama papers: investors were advised how to avoid Government disclosure obligations

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:23 am, June 23rd, 2016 - 70 comments

Doubt has been cast on the utility of John Key’s claim that New Zealand is not a tax haven because there are disclosure treaties with the revelation that Mossack Fonseca’s primary New Zealand agent instructed clients to avoid investing in those countries.

When is a toll road not a toll road?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:36 am, June 22nd, 2016 - 37 comments

When it is a variable network pricing mechanism …

Pay up Compass

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:22 am, June 21st, 2016 - 39 comments

Not only has Compass being serving below quality food to hospital patients but it appears that they may not have paid some long term employees what they are entitled to.

National is missing Cameron Slater

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:05 am, June 15th, 2016 - 33 comments

The ham fisted attack on Hurimoana Dennis by Paula Bennett’s office must make National yearn for the heady days when Cameron Slater was in charge of their smears.

Where is Paula?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:00 am, June 11th, 2016 - 120 comments

In the middle of a housing crisis the Minister of Social Housing Paula Bennett is nowhere to be seen.

There is no housing crisis in New Zealand *

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:55 am, June 10th, 2016 - 52 comments

* according to Nick Smith and Paula Bennett.

If you still need to be persuaded about New Zealand’s homeless crisis …

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:52 am, June 9th, 2016 - 154 comments

Eleven year old TA is bright, dedicated but homeless. She has challenged John Key to try walking in her shoes.

The Sky City ghost jobs

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:39 am, June 8th, 2016 - 63 comments

Radio New Zealand has reported that the promised jobs relating to the construction of the Convention Centre are appearing. But in Thailand, not New Zealand. Updated with comment on the terms of the supplemental agreement.

Strategic Arse Elbow

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:46 am, June 2nd, 2016 - 135 comments

Today at about the same time the Government will turn the first sod of the city rail link and then announce more urban sprawl for Auckland. This is the most massive policy and programme contradiction in a lifetime.

Why is it that?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:49 am, June 1st, 2016 - 205 comments

Why is it that elements of the media always claim that any sort of cooperation between Labour and the Greens will be disastrous for both parties?

A scene from the National War Cabinet in September 2014

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:52 am, May 31st, 2016 - 38 comments

News broke this morning about a major mistake discovered in September 2014 during the height of an election campaign. But it was hidden from view until now. It makes you wonder how the news could have been hidden for so long.

Auckland’s housing crisis is just like Christchurch’s except …

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:20 am, May 29th, 2016 - 38 comments

Steven Joyce has claimed that Auckland’s housing crisis is like Christchurch’s. Has Auckland recently had two disastrous earthquakes?

John Key used to be ambitious about dealing with poverty in New Zealand

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:30 am, May 27th, 2016 - 23 comments

A read of John Key’s state of the nation speech from 2007 suggests that he was really ambitious to do something for the poor in New Zealand. And something weird is happening to his speeches on his website. They are disappearing.

The Government thinks that poverty is the fault of the poor, and some budget advisers

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:29 am, May 25th, 2016 - 121 comments

The Government is planning to change funding for budgeting services and to require providers to become “financial mentors” rather than “budgeting advisers” as if this will improve things.

Bennett admits she was wrong

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:01 am, May 25th, 2016 - 18 comments

Paula Bennett has basically apologised to Parliament for claiming that National would create 3,000 new social housing beds when all that it was doing is funding existing beds to make sure they did not disappear.

Apparently the housing crisis surge is a figment of our imagination

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:32 am, May 24th, 2016 - 51 comments

Nick Smith thinks that the recently developing housing crisis is a figment of our imagination.

In the middle of a housing crisis Housing Corp is selling state houses

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:31 am, May 20th, 2016 - 49 comments

John Campbell is covering the homeless crisis with stories that highlight the personal tragedies that are occurring and the complete indifference of the Government to their plight.

Government’s plan for housing crisis: tread water

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:42 am, May 18th, 2016 - 54 comments

The Government’s promised funding for 3,000 new beds for the homeless will not create any but will make sure that existing beds are kept available.

We have to have poverty so we can have a tax cut

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:50 am, May 16th, 2016 - 163 comments

Despite record Crown debt and a crisis in the social sector National is getting ready to campaign in 2017 promising a tax cut.

The unfortunate case of the Overseas Investment Office handling of the purchase of a Taranaki Farm

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:15 am, May 4th, 2016 - 39 comments

They say in politics that a news story is good for the opposition/bad for the Government if it hits the media cycle two days in a row. If it appears for a third or a fourth day then it is a crisis and urgent action is required. Louise Upston’s handling of the OIO is clearly a crisis.

Compass serves up very little tax

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:10 am, May 3rd, 2016 - 66 comments

Radio New Zealand has reported that Compass, supplier of our substandard hospital food, appears to be taking steps to minimise the tax it pays locally.

Labour’s strong week – National and land sales to foreigners

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:05 am, April 30th, 2016 - 63 comments

Labour had a strong week this week with the disclosure of individuals behind a Mossack Fonseca related entity had criminal convictions for environmental damage forcing the OIO to review its original decision. Grant Robertson has correctly called for a full inquiry into the circumstances relating to the Government stopping a review of the Foreign Trust regime. And Phil Twyford has persuaded the OAG to rule that Housing New Zealand’s handling of parts of the housing sale process were sub standard.

Key’s Blind Trust vs Our Blind Faith

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 4:19 pm, April 29th, 2016 - 29 comments

So Key’s lawyer reckons the PM directly requested that trust industry leaders lobby the Revenue Minister. On the other hand, PM DunnoKeyo reckons he did no such thing. That leaves some really big questions …

Mossack Fonseca bites National on the arse

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:19 am, April 29th, 2016 - 348 comments

John Key is facing some problems describing how a Mossack Fonseca company ended up owning a New Zealand farm and how after his lawyer asked the Government not to change the rules surrounding foreign trusts the Government moved to make sure that no rule change would occur.