same old national

Categories under same old national

No categories

The magical disappearing surplus

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:36 am, April 11th, 2015 - 67 comments

John Key and National have staked a huge amount of their credibility on returning the country’s books to surplus this financial year. Looks like they are going to fail.

Dollar Parity

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:19 am, April 7th, 2015 - 309 comments

As New Zealand’s dollar approaches parity with Australia’s a responsible Government should be pondering the implications and acting in the country’s best interests. No such luck in Aotearoa …

Then they came for Child Youth and Family

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:05 am, April 2nd, 2015 - 162 comments

The Government has appointed Paula Restock to head an expert panel tasked to review Child Youth and Family. Even now the intent appears clear, outsource functions and cut costs. But if they were determined to improve matters they should reduce child poverty.

LocalBodies: Northland speaks and National still isn’t listening

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:22 pm, March 29th, 2015 - 25 comments

Steven Joyce is adamant that Northland was unique and what it really needed was improved infrastructure such as roads and broadband. Joyce has a narrow, blinkered view of the world. Sadly the election defeat didn’t remove his blinkers or open his eyes to look at Northlands real needs.

Some random thoughts on the Northland result

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:51 am, March 29th, 2015 - 62 comments

Winston Peters’ win in Northland yesterday was based on turnout that was significantly higher than turnout for any other recent by election. And occurred in no small part because of some adept handling of messaging of support by Andrew Little.

Caption Contest: Northland Special

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 10:00 am, March 25th, 2015 - 46 comments

A tale of two no surprises disclosures

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:30 am, March 24th, 2015 - 34 comments

Anne Tolley was told about the prosecution of Beverley Sepuloni under the no surprises policy nearly a month before the news became public. Release of this information makes you wonder why we cannot be told the date that the Government was told about Mike Sabin’s difficulties.

GCSB spied on foreign communications to help Groser’s WTO bid

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:32 am, March 23rd, 2015 - 133 comments

More embarrassment for the Government as it is revealed that the GCSB spied on internet communications involving diplomats competing with Tim Groser in his bid to be elected as the Director General of the World Trade Organisation.

National wants to take away our right to silence

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:30 am, March 20th, 2015 - 109 comments

A bill designed by Mike Sabin has resurfaced this week. The intention is to take away the right to silence by allowing a Court to draw an adverse inference if someone choses to say nothing when facing certain charges. This proposal needs debate.

Collins confirms Dirty Politics

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 4:00 pm, March 19th, 2015 - 57 comments

Video from last night in Parliament where Judith Collins essentially confirmed the veracity of the information contained in Dirty Politics. And David Cunliffe had the most exquisite put down of an opponent I have seen in a long time.

Who said it? Shane Reti vs. Aaron Gilmore

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 12:00 pm, March 19th, 2015 - 45 comments

All these National backbenchers with delusions of grandeur sound the same to me …

Two views on Titirangi’s Kauri

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:24 pm, March 15th, 2015 - 24 comments

Rodney Hide has published a column about the ancient Titirangi Kauri which predictably argues that land owners should do what they want. But John Roughan has argued to the contrary in an article that will make you wonder if he is actually a greenie at heart.

Polity: Pork bridges

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 3:28 pm, March 9th, 2015 - 40 comments

A sudden enthusiasm for local infrastructure projects on the eve of a tight by-election. What a remarkable coincidence! I wonder whether the cost/benefit ratios on these bridges are up to scratch? Last year National bribed people in the general election. OIA time

Key’s credibility and the Snowden leaks

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:03 am, March 8th, 2015 - 71 comments

The Sunday Star Times has reported on the set up and reach of the Waihopai Spy Base. Key’s statement that the GCSB does not have the physical capability to conduct mass surveillance appears to be not true.

Why are we going to war?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:20 am, March 4th, 2015 - 125 comments

National’s justification for going to war against ISIS suffers from two fundamental problems, it is supporting an Iraqi regime that is corrupt and working against the best interests of all of its people, and there is no plan to convert Iraq into a sustainable state.

Local Bodies: A Luddite Led National Government

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:01 pm, March 3rd, 2015 - 25 comments

The development of new knowledge and technology is growing at a faster rate than ever before and successful businesses generally have to remain at the cutting edge of their industries to survive. But National likes the obsolete extractive industries from early last century.

Politician salary rises and the minimum wage increase

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:30 am, February 27th, 2015 - 106 comments

John Key has yet again asked the Remuneration Authority to limit the increase in MPs pay. And yet again they have said that the law required them to make the decision they did. So MPs get a hefty raise at the same time that the minimum wage is raised slightly. And the media report Key’s comments sympathetically. He is the Prime Minister. If anyone can change the law he is the person best placed.

Polity: Excluded middle

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:59 pm, February 25th, 2015 - 24 comments

National counterattack line on Iraq is now out and about, courtesy of National’s tester and parrot of lines – National pollster David Farrar at Kiwiblog. It consists of two contradictory lines about Labour. Also neither line is true. But they are just there for the ‘journalists’ to mindlessly repeat in the evening news.

National hypocrisy about the gay pride parade

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:00 pm, February 23rd, 2015 - 86 comments

National engages in Auckland’s Gay Pride parade by sending two MPs who voted against marriage equality and an Auckland Councillor who on Facebook calls a young man who pointed this out as a “little c*ck”. Way to blow relations with the gay and lesbian community. Update: And Linda Cooper has apologised, sort of …

Bain’s compensation claim

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:00 am, February 20th, 2015 - 293 comments

Amy Adams announced yesterday that $600,000 worth of legal reports about the Bain claim for compensation were going to be junked. Judith Collins has some explaining to do.

Novopay cost us $45 million

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:56 am, February 19th, 2015 - 102 comments

It was announced yesterday that Novopay has cost the country $45 million more than intended. The Ministry of Education has accepted some responsibility but in terms of ultimate responsibility the Ministers involved, English, Parata and Foss should be held to blame.

The house always wins

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:01 am, February 16th, 2015 - 23 comments

The flaws in the process whereby SkyCity promised a free convention centre in consideration of legislative changes are now clear to see. Through an act of brinkmanship SkyCity has embarassed the Government and caused it political damage. And it has achieved a return for investors, the legislative changes will be the same despite there now being a smaller cheaper convention centre.

Third termitis

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:44 am, February 15th, 2015 - 69 comments

The John Key led National Government is showing signs of third termitis. Symptoms are a confusion of the national interest with National Party political interests, a willingness to sell state houses and pay the proceeds to large corporates when even your best friends are saying don’t, a staleness and inability to handle issues properly and being completely bereft of new ideas to improve the country. The condition is almost inevitably terminal.

Paula Bennett and beneficiaries should be given the benefit of the doubt

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:00 am, February 13th, 2015 - 33 comments

A staffer in Paula Bennett’s ministerial office has apparently mistakenly withdrawn cash from the Ministerial credit card. The money has been paid back and no harm caused and no further action should be necessary. If only Bennett extended to beneficiaries the same tolerance of predictable mistakes.

Key is in reverse gear about Sky City

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 5:30 pm, February 12th, 2015 - 103 comments

The focus group results are in and John Key is backing off from the Government injecting further money into the SkyCity convention centre.

Sky City’s playing us for suckers

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 8:14 pm, February 10th, 2015 - 87 comments

Sky City crying too poor to build a bigger casino – give us a break, please! Casino expert Sudhir Kale estimated the extra pokies gained by Sky to be worth $35million over figures used by government. That’s for year upon year to 2048. It could cover any casino upgrade in four years. Either Joyce and Key are being played for suckers, or they are playing the rest of us for suckers. The deal stinks.

The SkyCity Deal

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:11 pm, February 10th, 2015 - 76 comments

Eighteen months ago Stephen Joyce said about the Sky City Convention Centre deal that anything not written down was not happening. It appears that he was wrong as John Key softens us up for more public money being spent on a private convention centre.

The War Club Family

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 7:35 pm, February 8th, 2015 - 73 comments

There’s a fascinating article in the latest New Statesman titled “An Empire that speaks English: the right’s dream of a new world order.” Suddenly UK Foreign Minister Philip Hammond’s recent visit here makes sense. So does John Key’s references to sending troops to Iraq on behalf of the “club” or the “family” – he’s at the heart of the Empire.

Tino Rangatiratanga

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:51 am, February 8th, 2015 - 309 comments

It has been claimed that Andrew Little has advocated for Maori to have law making powers. What he has done is reflect on a recent Waitangi Tribunal decision which concluded that Maori never ceded sovereignty to the Crown and properly concluded that this is an issue that needs to be considered.

Police told the Government about Sabin’s problems

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:30 am, February 7th, 2015 - 218 comments

Police Commissioner Mike Bush has essentially confirmed that under the no surprises policy the Police told either Anne Tolley or Michael Woodhouse or both about the Police investigation into Mike Sabin. The issue will be when they were told. If this occurred before the time that Labour told the Prime Minister’s office about Sabin’s difficulties the veracity of what John Key has told us will have to be questioned.

The Sabin issue timeline

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:08 pm, February 3rd, 2015 - 277 comments

An analysis of the timeline and a reading of Cameron Slater’s comments concerning Mike Sabin raises real questions about the veracity of what Key has been saying to the media. Update: It appears that David Garrett and Rodney Hide have expressed views wondering if Key’s statement about when he was told is actually correct. Update: And Matthew Hooton suggests that the Police may have advised the Government of the invesigation.