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ImperatorFish: Government Moves To End Boat People Crisis
Written By: - Date published: 2:28 pm, May 1st, 2012 - 24 comments
Scott at Imperator Fish has kindly given us permission to syndicate posts from his blog – the original of this post is here.
John Key comes up with a crisis.
Classy
Written By: - Date published: 10:49 am, April 30th, 2012 - 37 comments
What your ruling party got up to at its South Island Regional Conference. Michael Woddhouse, list MP and failed candidate for Dunedin South, speaking at a podium behind a toilet seat with Dunedin South MP Clare Curran’s face attached. It’s witty, too. That’s what I like about it.
Collins’ in pokies for convention centre deal – in 2001
Written By: - Date published: 6:55 am, April 26th, 2012 - 11 comments
The Herald’s revealed that, in 2001, Judith Collins, as chair of the Casino Control Authority, rubber-stamped a ‘pokies for convention centre’ deal with SkyCity. This triggered the then Labour Government limit the number of pokies by statute. Now, the Nats are doing another dirty deal with the cancer in Auckland’s heart but, thanks to Labour, they can’t do it on the quiet.
Choices, choices: Farrar seeks parental leave funding
Written By: - Date published: 7:27 am, April 13th, 2012 - 42 comments
Last week, David Farrar demanded to know where the government is getting $62m for youth mental health services… Actually he didn’t (they’re stealing it from other health funding) but he is demanding Labour explains where it would get $125m a year for extending paid parental leave. I guess he just really wants to make sure it’s feasible. Lets help him out with some options
Vetoing democracy
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, April 12th, 2012 - 47 comments
Parliament is supposed to be the sovereign body in our government. So, how come the Executive has an unchallengeable power to veto any legislation it chooses? As I/S explains, the roots of the financial veto go back to when Parliament was a servant of the Crown, but its legislative justification has been repealed. Time to drop the archaic, undemocratic financial veto.
Choices, choices: parental leave too expensive?
Written By: - Date published: 6:40 am, April 11th, 2012 - 190 comments
The Rightwhingers are saying extending parental leave is too expensive. We’re talking about a tiny sliver of government spending – 0.2% to be precise. And a tiny fraction of what the government is borrowing. If money is really so tight, there’s plenty of poor quality decisions that National could reverse first.
Grubby politics
Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, April 10th, 2012 - 8 comments
Cronyism. The politicisation of the public service. Internal power struggles. It’s all just grubby Nat politics as usual. Why do we put up with it?
Collins’ last stand
Written By: - Date published: 6:55 pm, April 2nd, 2012 - 46 comments
It looks like Collin’s has got herself into a bind with her defamation case and Key’s not gonna get her out.
And why would he? Her flailing offers an excellent distraction from the real PR damage of this dispute – the fact his government is only interested in looking after its mates.
Key people
Written By: - Date published: 10:02 pm, March 29th, 2012 - 50 comments
The people named as Bronwyn Pullar’s support team seem to be the same people that helped John Key into the National Party and then into the leadership.
Like they say – it’s not what you know…
ImperatorFish: A Political Appointment To The Law Commission?
Written By: - Date published: 9:38 am, March 14th, 2012 - 2 comments
Scott at Imperator Fish has kindly given us permission to syndicate posts from his blog – the original of this post is here.
National appointing one of their own as member without any proper consultation – will people take the Law Commission seriously any more?
Ministry of National Significance?
Written By: - Date published: 9:51 pm, March 13th, 2012 - 16 comments
The trailers for John Key’s Thursday speech are calling it for a ” new super-Ministry” under the command of Steven Joyce. Merger isn’t the issue – the policy direction is. If Joyce just stays focussed on roads of national significance, mines and oil wells of national significance, and casinos of national significance it will be another waste of time reshuffle. If it becomes genuinely high quality export focussed, then it may prove worthwhile. Fingers crossed.
NRT: Nats censoring the media
Written By: - Date published: 11:02 am, February 9th, 2012 - 9 comments
I/S at NoRightTurn writes – Fresh from his attempt to censor programmes likely to embarrass the government during the election, National’s hack on the NZ on Air board, Stephen McElrea, is now actually selecting the topics of political documentaries to receive NZ on Air funding. Its amazing how the topics chosen all just happen to align with the government’s political agenda.
Concerns Mount Over Absence Of Social Media Gaffes
Written By: - Date published: 9:52 pm, December 30th, 2011 - 1 comment
Scott at ImperatorFish is worried. A National Party MP’s colleagues have become increasingly concerned about his wellbeing, after he failed for two consecutive days to make a fool of himself on Twitter. Concerns were raised when colleagues of Tau Henare realised that they had not noticed a single social media brainfart from the list MP for over 48 hours.
State house evictions
Written By: - Date published: 5:50 pm, November 12th, 2011 - 54 comments
In 2005 Labour wrote to State House tenants with a warning “Don’t let National sell your house.” We were criticised for scaring people. Now Tamaki residents have got the real letters. And the boot. Same old National.
Ashcroft – the photo-op Key didn’t want
Written By: - Date published: 9:08 pm, October 26th, 2011 - 24 comments
Paddy Gower at TV3 reveals Lord Ashcroft, billionaire Tory donor and International Democratic Union treasurer, has come to talk to Key again. Just discussed politics generally, said Key. Politics yes, generally no. Ashcroft’s interests are now devoted to polling and blog communication, and he is very interested in our election. Having seen Cameron miss out on a majority, he’ll want to help Key to one here.
Nat minister: we don’t want success for other people
Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, October 17th, 2011 - 23 comments
Which National Cabinet Minister said to Allan Peachey “You want success for other people. You’re a very enriching person whereas the rest of us have all come from backgrounds where we look after ourselves”? It’s a pretty revealing quote. National’s ministers aren’t about the greater good. They’re in it for their own glory.
Wheelers: A typical working class tale…
Written By: - Date published: 12:10 pm, October 16th, 2011 - 6 comments
Over at Wheelers corner in the Manwatu there is this rather classic post about a conversation overheard in a cafe. It really does stand on its own as a tombstone to a departing MP.
Covert surveillance should not be allowed retrospectively
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, September 27th, 2011 - 55 comments
mickysavage at Waitakere News blog has an analysis of the legal and unconstitutional implications of the Nationals dubious plan to override the courts with poor kneejerk legislation. It is rather disturbing as the action appears to have more to do with electioneering than actual legal need.
NRT: A blank cheque
Written By: - Date published: 12:25 pm, September 24th, 2011 - 17 comments
No Right Turn points out the salient feature of National’s hysterical response to the Supreme Court’s decision on video surveillance. Reading the blank cheque that they are proposing indicates that the government has no understanding of what “the rule of law” means. It certainly does not include half-arsed measures like this.
No renewables for National
Written By: - Date published: 6:39 pm, September 4th, 2011 - 36 comments
The right sure won’t be able to criticise Labour about a lack of renewal in their list after National’s release of their party list. If you want an actual example of what a non-renewing list really looks like, I think we now have the definitive one. It looks a lot like their energy policy this week – lots of pious talk about renewables but really just mining the same old things that have been doing for generations.
Nats talk to locals in [insert region here]
Written By: - Date published: 6:32 am, August 25th, 2011 - 42 comments
John Hartevelt ran a piece yesterday about National’s paint by numbers press releases. The problem here is not with National MPs and candidates using the same words to describe their policies or government spin. It’s when they claim, in identical words, to have had information from the public when that isn’t true, it’s just a cookie-cutter line and a lie.
Nats rebel on privatisation
Written By: - Date published: 5:17 pm, August 13th, 2011 - 27 comments
English is under attack at the Nat conference over asset sales. The neolibs vultures treat the state as a carcass to pick clean. But old school conservatives believe in investing the nation. And business types know you don’t get rich by selling profitable assets. English has no good excuses. All he can offer is expensive measures that make selling even more unprofitable.
NRT: Brownlee’s excuse
Written By: - Date published: 11:23 am, August 10th, 2011 - 27 comments
I/S at NoRightTurn has John Key and Gerry Brownlee floundering to explain why Brownlee hired National Party crony Jenny Shipley and other members of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Review Panel at double the normal rate. Brownlee’s excuses are weak and nonsensical. It’s not good enough.
The Auckland Disease (var. North Shore)
Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, July 26th, 2011 - 27 comments
There is a long and sordid relationship between National governments and developers. Just how many favours have National done for developers over the years? Are the so-called ‘Roads of National Significance’, especially the Holiday Highway, just a continuation of this practice? Is it any coincidence that Nicky Hager’s Hollow Men are all Shore Boys?
Elitist watch: Wayne Mapp
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, July 11th, 2011 - 14 comments
Wayne ‘Tipple’ Mapp went to Crete recently with veterans to commemorate our heroic defeat there in World War 2. Naturally, the old fellas who risked their lives and lost their mates 60 years ago got pride of place, like their Australian counterparts, eh? Nope. Mapp stayed in 26K of luxury while the vets had to fend for themselves.
Curiouser and curiouser
Written By: - Date published: 7:38 am, June 13th, 2011 - 209 comments
It looks like the Labour party site was breached from National HQ.
Does this mean National are still laundering their dirty tricks though their pet bloggers?
All quiet at the Commerce Commission
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, May 5th, 2011 - 23 comments
Since Paula Redstock was pushed out of the Commerce Commission with a lot of the other brilliant staff, there has not been one cartel or monopoly abuse case prosecuted by the Commerce Commission. This is the very same Commission that was previously saving us millions of dollars each year and paying for itself with its court settlements.
Elitist Nats’ heads in the clouds
Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, May 5th, 2011 - 18 comments
Wayne Mapp revealed that Murray McCully’s air force flights to Vanuatu cost $65,000 in fuel alone and that he tried to stop McCully. Meanwhile, Key got a free helicopter ride from a photo-op but decided it was a bad look so he paid $2,000 for a 1 hour flight. Well, you and I paid $2,000. It’s always us lesser mortals who pay as Key and co bounce from cloud to cloud.
The emperor’s new clothes
Written By: - Date published: 7:38 am, April 20th, 2011 - 106 comments
Fancy suits for John.
User pays family court for us.
Reasons to vote against CERA
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, April 14th, 2011 - 77 comments
Update: bollocks. Clayton Cosgrove has announced Labour will vote for CERA “even though we have grave concerns”. He then spent 10 minutes whining how Brownlee had lied to Labour repeatedly during this process and wasn’t to be trusted. He warned Brownlee he would be accountable if CERA stuffs up. Brownlee responded “so will you”. Labour wonders why it is stuck in National’s shadow unable to get traction – It’s decisions like this one.
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