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New Zealand drops down World corruption free index

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:14 am, January 28th, 2016 - 21 comments

New Zealand used to be rated as the least corrupt country in the world. Over the past couple of years we have dropped to second and now to fourth. The cynical way that the Government handles OIA requests is the main reason for this occurring.

Ratana – LIVE

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 3:05 pm, January 24th, 2016 - 46 comments

Te Reo Putake is live blogging the visits of politicians to Rātana pā during the weekend celebration of the life of church founder Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana. The shadow of the TPPA hangs over the weekend; how will our political leaders address this latest attack on Te Tiriti o Waitangi?

The myth of drug dependancy and poverty

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:39 am, January 2nd, 2016 - 306 comments

New research from Morgan Foundation suggests that poverty can be alleviated by increasing incomes and that the beneficiaries will be children of poor families not vendors of alcohol and cigarettes.

The great carbon credit swindle

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:47 am, January 2nd, 2016 - 56 comments

On December 17, 2015 the Government released a series reports suggesting that New Zealand is complying with Kyoto Protocol obligations. A dig into the reports confirms however that the compliance is in name only and is for spin purposes rather than a real attempt at addressing the world’s most pressing problem.

The media in 2015

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:25 pm, December 29th, 2015 - 88 comments

Some random musings on what happened in New Zealand’s media this year.

Treachery and silly season political snippets

Written By: BLiP - Date published: 7:41 am, December 23rd, 2015 - 61 comments

There’s still a few MPs “on duty”. Their function is to maintain the semblance of active government and to roll out a bunch of announcements they hope will escape full scrutiny.

What was National’s role in the police raid on Nicky Hager?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:35 am, December 18th, 2015 - 130 comments

Justice Clifford’s decision that the police raid of Nicky Hager’s home was illegal raises serious questions about what political pressure was applied on the police.

John Key is relaxed about COP21

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 3:09 pm, December 14th, 2015 - 34 comments

The Government has responded to the COP21 convention agreement with the suggestion that little will need to change. And John Key has put the likely annual cost of fulfilling our pledge at less than a tenth of the figure that Tim Groser has used.

CERT: the partial privatisation of the GCSB

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:00 am, December 13th, 2015 - 24 comments

A public private organisation with the acronym CERT was announced this week along with the new cyber security strategy. CERT’s role is to provide information to government so it can protect against cyber threats. Which is one of the roles of the GCSB.

Sua William Sio: COP21 and the Pacific Islands

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 8:00 am, December 12th, 2015 - 25 comments

Labour MP and associate spokesperson for Foreign Affairs (Pacific Climate Change) Sua William Sio describes the repercussions of a COP21 conference that does not agree to limiting global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees.

New Zealand wins fossil of the day award – again

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:52 am, December 11th, 2015 - 43 comments

For a small country New Zealand is certainly punching above its weight. It has been awarded a second fossil of the day award by the Climate Action Network.

Paula Bennett, Climate Change Minister?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:27 am, December 8th, 2015 - 68 comments

Despite having no scientific background, no relevant experience and no related portfolios Paula Bennett is the new Minister in charge of Climate Change Issues.

Key’s Xmas Reshuffle; UPDATE + bonus Winston Peters zinger!

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 7:24 am, December 7th, 2015 - 49 comments

John Key has announced that there will be a minor cabinet re-shuffle. Could this mark the return of Judith Collins? If so, what does this tell us about how the post-Key National Party will look?

#Sheepgate – but wait there’s more

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:39 am, December 4th, 2015 - 28 comments

At the same time that there is an Auditor General’s investigation into the appropriateness of the Government spend on the sheep farm in the middle of a Saudi desert the Government has announced a further spend of $2.6 million on a kit set abattoir. And the resumption of live exports by ship may be in the pipeline.

The great greenhouse gas research funding switcherooni

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:56 am, December 2nd, 2015 - 19 comments

John Key has announced an increase in funding on research into the reduction of agricultural emissions of greenhouse gasses of $20 million over four years or $5 million a year. Which is the amount the Government cut from this research two months ago.

Jarrod Gilbert 1 – Windmills 0

Written By: BLiP - Date published: 7:09 am, November 29th, 2015 - 22 comments

About time the Police got around to becoming a “very evidence based” service. Building great relationships with academia is a sensible way to start.

How many prospective state house tenants hate birds chirping?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:19 am, November 26th, 2015 - 46 comments

The answer is at least one.

Towards banana republic status

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:30 am, November 19th, 2015 - 43 comments

National has passed legislation with retrospective effect under urgency to change previous legislation also passed under urgency so that the law says what it thinks the law should have said, despite the existing law being abundantly clear.

A Government of spin redux

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:40 am, November 16th, 2015 - 26 comments

The Herald has withdrawn a story that reported on Government pressure on the ERO to rewrite a report after what appears to be pressure from the Government to do so.

A government of spin

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:00 am, November 14th, 2015 - 52 comments

Two recent articles suggest that this Government is more interested in spin and PR than in achieving good. And one of the articles previously posted in the Herald has mysteriously disappeared.

Power Corruption and Lies

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 1:04 pm, November 13th, 2015 - 78 comments

A National List MP has been snapped trying to heavy the Housing Ministry into funding a lift in her personal profile. Remember John Key’s ‘higher standards in Government’? Nick Smith’s Ministerial office apparently doesn’t care too much about about such trifles. Worse, the Housing Ministry has been caught trying to cover up for the Tories by redacting an OIA request. Here’s your Brighter Future, folks. Enjoy.

Social media disasters – Paula Bennett tweets

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:30 pm, November 12th, 2015 - 27 comments

The first of what may be an ongoing series of posts where social media interaction by Politicians ends in disaster.

New Zealand needs a new Speaker

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:00 pm, November 11th, 2015 - 85 comments

David Carter’s refusal to rule John Key’s “backing the rapists” comment out of order raises issues about his ability to properly do the job of speaker.

Is this our brighter future?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:30 am, November 3rd, 2015 - 44 comments

This morning’s media has reports of increased domestic violence being reported by beneficiaries and an increase of the time and resources the police are having to put into helping the mentally unwell. And record profits earned by the Australian banks.

We are paying for Key and Coleman to attend the World Cup

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 8:58 am, October 28th, 2015 - 207 comments

John Key and Jonathan Coleman are attending the World Cup on the taxpayer’s tab.

Kelvin Davis on the Christmas Island Detainees

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:45 am, October 25th, 2015 - 44 comments

Kelvin Davis’s recent visit to Christmas Island has revealed that New Zealand citizens are living in shocking conditions. And meanwhile John Key’s talk of giving the Australians a “blunt message” appears to have had negligible effect.

Paula Bennett and the social housing crisis

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:00 am, October 23rd, 2015 - 64 comments

Paula Bennett has uncovered the most significant risk that New Zealand faces. Or has she?

Future Auckland

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:35 am, October 19th, 2015 - 22 comments

There are rumours that National is looking to organise a new regional ticket, Future Auckland, to contest next year’s local body elections in Auckland.

Rugby or global leadership?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:30 am, October 18th, 2015 - 45 comments

John Key seems to prefer that New Zealand provides leadership in entertainment than in the areas that really matter.

CYF Review: Great work if you can get it

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:21 pm, October 13th, 2015 - 40 comments

Radio New Zealand has reported that Paul Rebstock, chair of the Government appointed committee engaged in the review of Child Youth and Family, is being paid $2,000 a day to perform her job. This is the equivalent to the daily pay of thirteen social workers.

What happened to Mike Sabin’s bill?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:08 am, October 10th, 2015 - 22 comments

In March of this year National recycled a private member’s bill that Mike Sabin originally championed. The bill if enacted would have permitted a Judge to draw an adverse inference from a defendant facing child sex abuse charges exercising the right to silence. The bill was in the list of private members bills released on […]