political parties

Let’s play blame the public servant

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:55 am, July 4th, 2014 - 50 comments

John Key has announced an inquiry into how the ambiguity in New Zealand’s position relating to the Malaysian diplomat was created. And he has already blamed the Public Servant involved while refusing to criticise Murray McCully. Clearly we now have a situation where instead of there being Ministerial Responsibility for the performance of their Department the Government is now entitled to attack a public servant in an attempt to divert political blame.

NRT: National standards for pollution

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:30 pm, July 3rd, 2014 - 15 comments

Today the government announced the final version of its national standards for freshwater. They’re trying desperately to pretend that these will improve water quality, but nothing could be further from the truth. This is not a “balance” between the economy and the environment. It is destroying the environment for the profit of a few. And I’d like to see political parties making clear statements that these “bottom lines” will be improved, to outlaw pollution and make our rivers safe to swim in.

McCully is in trouble

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:56 am, July 3rd, 2014 - 151 comments

Murray McCully’s Ministerial career must be close to being finished. The ineptitude required to allow a diplomat to use diplomatic immunity when clearly Malaysia was completely indifferent to this happening is considerable. And McCully, who is known as a control freak, claims to have no idea what was happening within his Ministry.

“Why did you not ask?” – Apologies & culture

Written By: karol - Date published: 7:00 pm, July 2nd, 2014 - 56 comments

In its handling of the case of the Malaysian diplomat accused of attempted rape in NZ, the government has marginalised the concerns and sensitivities of the victim. Their own arse covering was given a higher priority. Jan Logie argued for the victim in the House today – government MP’s attacked her for it. [Update#2: the survivor of the attempted rape, spoke to Jan Logie]

Phil Goff: Contemporary China Research Centre

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 6:25 pm, July 2nd, 2014 - 9 comments

It isn’t that often that we put up speeches by politicians. They’re usually aimed at the general public and don’t really get into the guts of the issues in the way that our activist commenters like to argue at – they tend to be political and in this site preaching to the converted. However this speech by Phil Goff is exceptional. It was made at a centre looking at China, and looks at the benefits and risks of our current and future relationships with that country. Worth reading

Labour will end the farce of “voluntary” school donations

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 1:40 pm, July 2nd, 2014 - 188 comments

Labour’s latest education policy announcement is fair, practical, and an answer to my (childhood) prayers.

Was John Key telling the truth about the Malaysian Diplomat?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 5:34 pm, July 1st, 2014 - 209 comments

John Key has claimed that New Zealand asked Malaysia to waive diplomatic immunity for the Diplomat charged with breaking and entering and assault with intent to rape. But news is breaking that Malaysia was willing to waive diplomatic immunity but decided to take up New Zealand’s offer to invoke diplomatic immunity. So who is right? And if the offer was made why did John Key say otherwise?

Update: From a McCully email it appears Malaysia thought that refusing to waive immunity would be acceptable to New Zealand. Details of the “informal communications” need to be released so that we can judge for ourselves what was actually discussed and agreed to.

Rachel who?

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:30 pm, July 1st, 2014 - 69 comments

A guest post from Rachel Jones, who is number 25 of Labour’s list as well as the Labour candidate for the Tauranga seat.

Mallard’s moa idea is not going to fly

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:38 pm, July 1st, 2014 - 97 comments

Trevor Mallard’s comments today about Moas is obviously tongue in cheek but have succeeded in engaging social median in a way that the designers of #TeamKey can only dream of.

Polity: Brownlee burns $100,000 or $5 million, take your pick

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:04 am, July 1st, 2014 - 27 comments

The Government has almost finished a $100,000 project to strengthen a bridge it will now tear down and replace as part of its new roading package. The $3m to $5m cost to replace the bridge, with construction due to start next year, was a “massive investment while there’s other more pressing priorities in the region”. Who would have thought that pork-barrel road projects had such poor cost/benefit reasoning behind them. Heckuva job, Gerry. OIA time

Provincial councils not happy over roads.

Written By: lprent - Date published: 1:38 pm, June 30th, 2014 - 38 comments

National has been sucking billions of dollars out of the provincial road maintenance budgets to throw into “Roads of Significance only to National” since 2009. In the latest round, maintenance costs for roads mostly used by trucks will drop to an average of 52%, with the small populations of ratepayers expected to subsidize trucking firms. Is it any wonder that they’re looking at National’s token gesture over the weekend with disdain and anger. Meanwhile the urban centres aren’t getting the public transport they need.

Local Bodies: Let’s Bring Our Banking Home!

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:45 am, June 30th, 2014 - 76 comments

In the 1980s and early 90s the wisdom of the day dictated that our Kiwi banks were unsustainable. The buyout by Aussie banks saw huge profits and dividends head across the ditch. Russel Norman revealed an unhealthy relationship between our Reserve Bank and Westpac in an ongoing relationship that hadn’t been tendered for. This will now be tendered for and now there is a possibility for kiwi bank to win the tender. It’s about time we restored some real competition and brought more of our banking home!

Polity: ROPS – Roads of Political Significance

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:51 am, June 30th, 2014 - 131 comments

National’s announcement yesterday of $212 million for 14 roading projects around regional New Zealand hits a lot of bad notes. I think it is a strategic mistake. New Zealanders are not used to pork-barreling as naked as this. All but two of the projects are in National-held areas, and those other two are on National’s target list in September. And some are complete clunkers. For instance Nick Smith rerouting SH6 from the rich houses on to the kids going to schools

Bryan Gould: An impartial press

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:25 am, June 29th, 2014 - 34 comments

Ed Miliband is competent, has the support of his party, but has abysmal poll ratings. The right-wing British press has played a significant role. For instance a messy bacon sandwich. In New Zealand, we all know that the British press is notoriously biased and that our own press may have their own allegiances but are reasonably impartial. Which is why there are some disturbing features about the press treatment of the supposed “scandal” (as it is regularly referred to) of Donghua Liu and David Cunliffe.

The #teamkey personality cult

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:48 am, June 29th, 2014 - 120 comments

National has unveiled aspects of its 2014 campaign with John Key being a cult like figure and a slogan that makes it sound like National cares for ordinary New Zealanders.

It’s the season of books & posters: write your own

Written By: karol - Date published: 7:27 am, June 29th, 2014 - 7 comments

It seems to be the season of books and faux movie posters. Mary-Ellen O’Connor has published a Nats’ cook book. Proceeds of the sales will apparently be donated to the “centre left”.

Local Bodies: Pay Equity, Rod Donald Was Right in 2004

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:44 pm, June 28th, 2014 - 3 comments

In 2004 Green Party Co-Leader Rod Donald made a speech about the Public Finance (State Sector Management) Bill. Ten years later the State Sector is still not an equitable employer. Pakeha men have done considerably better over the ten years than any other demographic and this is despite the fact that for many years now females have been out performing males academically. Women still earn less relative to their qualifications than men. There is some hope that a future Green/Labour coalition may finally address the issue.

NRT: Fixing Christchurch

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:53 am, June 28th, 2014 - 5 comments

Labour has announced another part of its package to fix Christchurch: an immediate crash home-building plan. The market has failed, so the government has to step in. Its that simple. As for why the market has failed, there’s the ongoing insurance problems of course, but perhaps this also has something to do with it. Living costs in ChCh are exceeding wages and the construction industry is pocketing the difference. Labour is also changing the rules about exploiting overseas labour.

The reality is we’re pretty relaxed about fixing Christchurch

Written By: James Dann - Date published: 9:53 am, June 28th, 2014 - 28 comments

For so many of the people in this still-broken city, they feel that this is a journey which they have been left to walk alone. Too often they find themselves fighting against the state, rather than working with them. One gets the impression that for all the visits and photo ops, Key just doesn’t get the situation down here.

The people respond to the Herald Editorial on Donghua Liu

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:53 am, June 27th, 2014 - 66 comments

Further to lprent’s post this morning there is an avalanche of responses on the Herald website to its Donghua Liu editorial. People are obviously furious and the anger is palpable. And there is a trade me sale of John Key’s book with a very funny series of questions and answers

NZ Herald: Be journalists, check before ‘reporting’

Written By: lprent - Date published: 9:50 am, June 27th, 2014 - 62 comments

There is a self-serving anonymously authored editorial in the NZ Herald this morning “Editorial: Cries of bias will not stop reporting”. Well for a start the problem isn’t with the Herald reporting. The journalism on the story has been performed by amateur journalists and facilitated by incompetent editors who didn’t check the story. This probably including whoever wrote this pathetic editorial. It appears to have been an abrupt change from their usual competent style of journalism. Of course the question has to be asked about what caused this change?

Dear John Armstrong

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 6:45 pm, June 26th, 2014 - 82 comments

A dear John letter to Herald Columnist John Armstrong.

John Key: the mumbo-jumbo man

Written By: lprent - Date published: 1:12 pm, June 26th, 2014 - 52 comments

I think that this poster from the Greens about the debate on the maui dolphin says it all about the shallowness of National and its leader. The guy is simpleminded fool and generally a dickhead. Rather than understanding an issue and dealing it, he prefers to act like a mumbo-jumbo clown.

Polity: Labour’s fiscal plan: B+

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:30 pm, June 25th, 2014 - 20 comments

I’m a glass half-full kind of a guy, so I want to start by emphasising the parts of Labour’s just-released fiscal plan that I like. The good: commitment to paying off government debt during economic good times, tax rate changes are welcome, and targeting tax avoidance by large multinationals. Bad: the top tax rate is still too low, and no need to signal second term tax cuts. Overall I would give this package a B+.

Labour’s alternative budget

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:00 pm, June 25th, 2014 - 139 comments

Labour has announced details of its alternative budget with the headline a change in the top tax rate to 36 cents in the dollar for the top 2% of taxpayers.

CTU: Labour’s financial plan will make life fairer for working Kiwis

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:56 pm, June 25th, 2014 - 8 comments

Labour’s Fiscal Plan shows a clear and positive difference from National. Those who earn over over 150,000 will pay more tax and applying tax to trusts to combat tax avoidance, are welcome steps to reducing inequality and the unfairness of the tax system. It’s a relief to see more effort in stopping the billions of dollars of tax evasion. Labour’s commitment to funding the real costs of Health and Education, taking account of rising costs and the changing population, forces National to front up and say what it is going to do to prevent our public services from deteriorating further.

Key and Herald embarrassed as Liu statement changes

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:19 pm, June 25th, 2014 - 113 comments

The Herald has now published details of a further statement from Donghua Liu which directly contradicts previous claims. So what did it do to ensure the accuracy of the original claims and why did it print those allegations without verification? And who is the mysterious person who prepared a statement that with the benefit of hindsight was clearly inaccurate?

Smith plans sale of trees to fund DOC

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:24 am, June 25th, 2014 - 135 comments

Nick Smith is proposing to introduce under urgency legislation which will allow the removal of felled trees from conservation areas on the West Coast. The sense of cynical politics involved in this measure is strong …

Tales from the underbelly of John Key’s NZ

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:59 am, June 25th, 2014 - 114 comments

The underbelly of John Key’s “rockstar economy” is mostly kept in the shadows, but every so often more tales emerge from the growing numbers of homeless. Vote left & vote the bastards out, this election!

Reverse ferret bites PM on arse.

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 2:46 pm, June 24th, 2014 - 83 comments

PM John Key has performed a backflip by now suggesting Donghua Liu should front up with evidence to support the NZ Herald’s unsubstantiated claim that he donated substantial sums to Labour. This is a world away from his previous position that it was up to Labour to show that no donation was made. It’s increasingly looking like it simply not true and the Herald has been played like a fiddle. And two, the fiddle planter is Cameron Slater, the PM’s bestie from way back.

The spirit of ’35

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:32 am, June 24th, 2014 - 50 comments

Jan Logie’s post: “Work and Income – stories from hidden people” is a must read: stories from a divisive society, under a callous government that benefits the few at the expense of too many. We can do much better than that. Vote for change this election!