spin

Categories under spin

taxpayers union (26)
you couldn't make this shit up (828)

Spinning ‘social investment’

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:32 am, January 14th, 2017 - 54 comments

Bill English has co-opted the old term “social investment” to replace another old term “targeted welfare”. Simon Wilson (writing at The Spinoff) has bought into the spin and written a deeply confused piece about it.

Refreshing honesty from English

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 12:44 pm, January 13th, 2017 - 58 comments

English – “One of New Zealand’s benefits is because we’re a long way away and fairly small we don’t attract too much attention.” Nice contrast to the usual Nat hysterical style. I guess there’s no need for all that domestic spying apparatus then?

The Trump Dossier

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:30 am, January 12th, 2017 - 176 comments

Buzzfeed’s release of the Dossier suggesting that Russia has considerable leverage over Donald Trump has caused ructions the effects of which will be felt for months.

The great Taxpayers Union fraud and corruption discovery

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:39 am, January 11th, 2017 - 114 comments

The Taxpayer’s Union has shown a concerning inability to comprehend in its criticism of MFAT for supporting an aid initiative to address malnutrition in Africa.

NRT: Denying the obvious

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:57 am, January 11th, 2017 - 44 comments

I/S at No Right turn writes on Revenue Minister Collins’ denial of obvious tax avoidance.

Refining that dog whistle

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:30 am, January 10th, 2017 - 71 comments

Bill English has used a proposal for timing of his Waitangi speech to wrongly claim that he is being silenced. And most of the media bought it.

Wikileaks unravels

Written By: redfed - Date published: 8:00 am, January 8th, 2017 - 222 comments

In the space of a day Wikileaks managed to complain about another entity leaking information, threaten to dox pretty well every reporter, delete the tweet and then sound like Donald Trump.

The St Johns Industrial Dispute – #HealthyAmbosSaveLives

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:43 am, January 7th, 2017 - 51 comments

St Johns is one of the first organisations to use new Industrial powers brought in by the Government and is attempting to refuse to negotiate with First Union and is docking workers pay for wearing a campaign t-shirt.

The Centrelink fiasco

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:07 am, January 6th, 2017 - 29 comments

In Australia the Turnbull Government is implementing a policy that will demand in 12 months at least 200,000 Australians repay benefits they were entitled to because of faulty data mapping.

Some lighthearted banter

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:03 am, January 5th, 2017 - 155 comments

Peter Leitch has hired Michelle Boag to deal with publicity issues caused by his comment that Waiheke is a white man’s island. She has not helped.

The return of Kim Dotcom and the Internet Party and the NZ journalist seeking asylum in Russia

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:34 am, January 2nd, 2017 - 371 comments

In strange news Kim Dotcom is talking about resurrecting the Internet Party and claims have been made that a New Zealand journalist is seeking asylum in Russia. Update: I am satisfied the application is for real.

The Standard’s ten most popular posts of 2016

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:00 am, December 31st, 2016 - 8 comments

The Standard’s ten most popular posts of 2016.

Netanyahu accuses New Zealand of committing a declaration of war

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:49 pm, December 28th, 2016 - 126 comments

Israeli Prime Mininster Benjamin Netanyahu told Murray McCully that New Zealand supporting the rights of Palestinians in the homeland areas would be regarded as a declaration of war.

Pauline Hanson declares jihad on Vegemite

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:59 pm, December 27th, 2016 - 37 comments

Pauline Hanson is upset that vegemite has achieved Halaal status.

Facebook, fake news and Donald Trump’s election

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:33 am, December 26th, 2016 - 72 comments

Donald Trump’s success in the recent Presidential Election may have had a lot to do with very judicious use of targeted Facebook advertising and the proliferation of fake news stories.

Reason #3751 progressives should oppose Donald Trump presidency

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:09 am, December 23rd, 2016 - 26 comments

President Donald Trump reckons that the US must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability to make the world come to its senses regarding nukes.

Steven Joyce rewrites history

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:53 am, December 20th, 2016 - 62 comments

Steven Joyce believes that doing something is the same as not doing something.

“Social bonds” fail – blame the officials!

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 3:09 pm, December 16th, 2016 - 31 comments

A scapegoat for the failure of the Nats’ first “social bonds” programme has been found. Turns out it was the fault of government officials! Shocker!

Nats continue to have a quid each way on tax cuts

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 11:39 am, December 11th, 2016 - 15 comments

Tax cuts – the Nats are continuing to rule them both in and out for the election. Incoherence or deliberate strategy? Either way – Key got away with this kind of bullshit for 8 long years – are we going to let it continue?

The many and varied thoughts of John Key on the Mt Roskill By election

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:17 am, December 5th, 2016 - 26 comments

An analysis of things that John Key said about the Mt Roskill shows a series of contradictory positions were taken at various times of the campaign.

Clearing the decks

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:30 am, December 1st, 2016 - 127 comments

National is readying itself for the next election by getting rid of some MPs. And Nick Leggett has finally disclosed his true political colours.

Everyone has advice for Labour!

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:17 am, November 30th, 2016 - 148 comments

In which pundit r0b has a wee rant about media pundits. Yeah I know…

Everybody wants a recount

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:38 am, November 29th, 2016 - 100 comments

US President elect Donald Trump has expressed support for a widespread investigation of America’s electoral system

America’s broken democratic system

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:20 am, November 27th, 2016 - 92 comments

Through partisan control of the electoral system and continuing attempts to suppress votes America’s electoral system is in clear need of an overhaul.

Key interview – facts don’t matter

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:36 am, November 27th, 2016 - 25 comments

Lisa Owen interviewed Key on The Nation yesterday. As usual Key spent half his time denying facts and figures – in this case from Treasury and from his own government sources.

The Mount Roskill by-election and the strange case of the missing horse shoe

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:44 am, November 26th, 2016 - 47 comments

One News has reported on the strange case where a local Mt Roskill resident was threatened by someone describing themselves as Parmjeet Parmar’s right hand man, had a horse shoe thrown at him, complained to the police, but was subsequently told that the horse shoe had been destroyed.

Has Key abandoned Parmar in the Mt Roskill by election?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:49 am, November 23rd, 2016 - 50 comments

As National’s Mt Roskill by election campaign starts to implode John Key’s absence is becoming very noticeable.

Brownlee should stop vilifying scientists

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:53 am, November 22nd, 2016 - 21 comments

Gerry Brownlee has attacked a public servant firstly for not approached the Government for increased Geonet monitoring and then for raising the issue but not telling him personally.

Brownlee bullies GNS staff

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:15 am, November 21st, 2016 - 49 comments

Gerry Brownlee has chosen to respond to the cautious words of a public servant by publicly attacking him.

Netsafe finally gets its act together on the HDCA – sort of… and inadequately

Written By: lprent - Date published: 2:38 pm, November 20th, 2016 - 7 comments

Apparently today, Netsafe will start acting as the “Approved Agency” of the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015. This is an act that is meant to deal with some of the excessive online abuse and bullying. Unfortunately it doesn’t appear to me that Netsafe is currently capable of dealing with the task. Instead they look like incompetent monkeys.

Rewarding incompetence with a 4th term?

Written By: Natwatch - Date published: 8:26 am, November 20th, 2016 - 76 comments

Disaster response is about more than showing up for photos and cancelling a trip or two. National has made a mess of Christchurch and comprehensively failed to learn its lessons. They should in no way be rewarded with a 4th term.