spin

Categories under spin

The NZ Herald – advancing Auckland backwards

Written By: - Date published: 10:52 am, May 1st, 2013 - 32 comments

To the Herald the Fourth Estate must be a greenfield development on the outer margins of Auckland: a Dickensian space, hiding the poor from the upper middle-classes. The Herald lacks critical balance & equal weighting for diverse views: it scaremongers about the Akl Unitary Plan & undermines public transport.

Networks of influence: (dis)Advantage NZ

Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, April 30th, 2013 - 21 comments

An Advantage New Zealand conference at SkyCity is the centre of major PR for John Key-backed, big oil exploration in NZ. While promoting and backing each others’ destructive profiteering, and endangering NZ’s environment, they are nurturing their networks of influence over expensive dinners and on the golf course.

It’s not us: it’s the big banks

Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, April 29th, 2013 - 31 comments

MSM articles show the big Aussie banks are making record profits, Kiwis can save, and Adam Smith worshiping think tanks are not to be trusted. Cunliffe & Norman said it a while back – NAct policies and government spending cuts are not the answer.

Economic apocalypse – not

Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, April 29th, 2013 - 15 comments

National and their proxies have claimed that Labour / Green NZ Power announcement has crashed the stock market and wiped out savings. Lies lies lies. Here’s the data.

Meanwhile: US, intellectual property, GCSB

Written By: - Date published: 11:29 am, April 26th, 2013 - 18 comments

In his meetings with Ian Fletcher, Key’s main aims and activities are hidden in plain sight. They connect with US-led initiatives around digital copyright, intellectual property and commerce.  Recently there have been some worrying developments in the bigger picture: GCSB, ACTA, TPPA, SOPA, CISPA.

‘That politician got amnesia again’

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, April 26th, 2013 - 21 comments

Today’s anonymous Dominion Post editorial points to the beginning of John Key’s fall from grace.  It centres on Key’s personal qualities, continues to support the MSM’s support of personality politics, glosses over the serious issues masked by Key’s (alleged) amnesia, and uses a false equivalence with Helen Clark.

“He Toki Huna New Zealand In Afghanistan” – Maori TV

Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, April 25th, 2013 - 34 comments

Last night Maori TV screened an excellent documentary of, by and about excellent Kiwi journalism: He Toki Huna New Zealand in Afghanistan (by Kay Ellmers and Annie Goldson). Now available for viewing on Maori TV’s website.  Must see viewing.

The “socialist” vs capitalist PR war: NZ Power

Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, April 21st, 2013 - 123 comments

The Key government and its allies are playing the “red scare” gambit, the Greens get to the heart of the reason for NZ Power, Parker goes Third Way, while Bernard Hickey and Matt McCarten weigh in to support the (alleged) “socialist” NZ Power policy. Bomber Bradbury adds some words of caution. [updated title]

Nonsensical Sentencing Trust plays the Obi-Wan card

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, April 20th, 2013 - 14 comments

The Sensible Sentencing Trust does not support vigilantism.  From a certain point of view.

Reaction to NZ power

Written By: - Date published: 7:09 am, April 20th, 2013 - 98 comments

The Labour / Green electricity proposals picked up very significant support from Vector CEO Simon Mackenzie. Other analysts and commentators have weighed in with support, while some of the reaction from the business community has been (like the Nats) bordering on the unhinged.

Classic Nat press releases

Written By: - Date published: 4:28 pm, April 18th, 2013 - 23 comments

The best that the Nats can come up with in response to the Labour / Green electricity reforms is juvenile posturing about Stalinist extremism and “comrades Norman and Shearer”. This from the National Party that brought you cancelled democratic elections, harsh punishments for protestors, and increased powers to spy on the people. Oh, the irony.

Weapons of mass distraction

Written By: - Date published: 6:32 pm, April 15th, 2013 - 111 comments

I knew John Key was getting desperate, but really?

Weapons of Mass Destruction?

How stupid does he think we are?

The 3D printer peril!

Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, April 12th, 2013 - 108 comments

3D printers. Maurice Williamson thinks your family is at risk!

Key’s Nixon moment

Written By: - Date published: 6:15 am, April 11th, 2013 - 55 comments

Nixon famously said: “When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal”. John Key would have you believe the same thing, that when his agency, the GCSB, has been breaking the law, the problem lies with the law. No – the problem lies with the GCSB and its oversight. Watergate here we come…

Rennie: Key vetoed the shortlist?

Written By: - Date published: 2:58 pm, April 4th, 2013 - 115 comments

Rennie now says it was ultimately Key’s decision to scrap the original shortlist for head of the GCSB.  Has Key misled the House and the country, or has he successfully employed the science of obfuscation?

Spinning the job market

Written By: - Date published: 9:43 am, March 27th, 2013 - 11 comments

Audrey Young and Simon Collins should get danger money for spinning this hard on jobs. But at least they’re trying, the best that Key can manage is some waffle about a “fluid market”…

This is rape culture: Steubenville verdict

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, March 19th, 2013 - 60 comments

Rape culture is a culture in which rape and sexual violence are common, and in which prevalent attitudes, norms, practices, and media normalize, excuse, tolerate, or even condone rape. (Thanks, Wiki!)

And if you want a really clear example of it, look no further than Steubenville, Ohio.

Mallard wtf?

Written By: - Date published: 7:52 am, February 4th, 2013 - 88 comments

Is an absurd public endorsement by someone as politically damaged as Trevor Mallard actually an endorsement or is Trevor trying to undermine his leader? That’s a question I’m asking myself after reading Audrey Young’s piece on the caucus vote today.

McVicar’s homophobia

Written By: - Date published: 9:49 am, January 20th, 2013 - 90 comments

Garth McVicar’s submission on Louisa Wall’s marriage ammendment bill has been published.

And suprise, suprise, Garth blames teh Gayz for all of society’s ills.

What a little creep.

The enemy is still not your friend

Written By: - Date published: 10:37 am, December 8th, 2012 - 95 comments

It’s pretty clear: the Greens have managed to hold on to the massive gain they made during the last election campaign, largely at Labour’s expense as it imploded. Labour’s back to its pre-campaign level, at National’s expense. Lab+Green=Nat or thereabouts but the Left needs a good 5% more from the Right to feel confident. So, this is not the time to be listening to John Armstrong’s advice.

Who in the House is for beneficiaries?

Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, December 5th, 2012 - 64 comments

Yesterday Jacinda Ardern questioned Paula Bennett on WINZ paying for beneficiaries to travel to Aussie to get jobs. Did she highlight the government’s poor record on jobs, or inadvertently trigger more MSM bennie-bashing? Do any MPs raise their voices strongly beneficiaries?

Doing Shearer’s job for him

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, November 27th, 2012 - 54 comments

I’m tired of watching Labour flounder over how it will build $300K homes in Auckland. The answer’s simple: they’ll mostly be apartments, units, and townhouses. Not much land cost. Reduced build cost per dwelling. Check out Trade Me, houses for sale in Auckland, 2 bedrooms+, priced $250-$300K. There’s hundreds (but not enough). Clearly, it can be done.

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi: how is gay babby formed?

Written By: - Date published: 7:20 pm, November 23rd, 2012 - 83 comments

As the Government Administration Committee hears submissions on the Marriage Equality Bill, one committee member is doing his best to make the whole thing a clear illustration of how pathetic homophobes are.

A note to a media commentator

Written By: - Date published: 2:51 am, November 17th, 2012 - 53 comments

I finally got around to listening to Gavin Ellis making a complete dork of himself on Radio NZ talking about authors on this site being “manipulated”. Hah! Anyone trying to manipulate them is likely to wind up being made into a pretzel. I wouldn’t care to try it myself. So does Gavin Ellis = a bit of an idiot. Or more charitably, has he actually bothered to think about this issue?

Collins folds

Written By: - Date published: 5:41 pm, November 14th, 2012 - 18 comments

And so Collins’ “defamation” case against Mallard and Little ends, not with a bang, but a whimper.

Oops – doubled up posting with Eddie – read both posts!

Nonsense

Written By: - Date published: 12:31 pm, November 13th, 2012 - 70 comments

NZ Herald: ‘David Shearer is brushing off a crescendo of calls for him to step down by left-leaning bloggers and commentators, saying it is “nonsense” and should be ignored.’

Hypocrisy and bad spin

Written By: - Date published: 12:19 pm, November 8th, 2012 - 44 comments

NActUF use a lot of finely-honed, diversionary and distorting spin.  However, when debating 2 Private Members’ Bills yesterday, government MPs couldn’t even be bothered trying too hard; the hypocrisy was glaring and the spin clumsy – showing clearly the differences between left & right wing principles.

Not in the public interest

Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, November 3rd, 2012 - 89 comments

Some prominent “journalists” are working to undermine Labour and a possible Labour-Green government: one that could turn against the neoliberal scam that such “journalists” feed off. The left should take heart – the time has come to support the “public interest”, as outlined by Nicky Hager.

I don’t think I’ll be taking his advice

Written By: - Date published: 7:50 am, November 2nd, 2012 - 133 comments

On the back of Duncan Garner’s scathing piece on David Shearer, David Farrar endorses Grant Robertson for leader. Yeah, because his last recommendation’s worked out so well. Call me cynical, but I just don’t think National’s pollster has the Left’s interests at heart. No, I don’t think people will be looking to the Right for advice on who should lead Labour again.

Labour party cheerleader employed by National party cheerleader

Written By: - Date published: 5:57 pm, November 1st, 2012 - 54 comments

NBR is reporting that prominent Labour party booster Josie Pagani will be the new leftwing commentator for the truth

The newpaper edited by prominent National Party booster Cameron Slater.

Whaleoil and his toilet paper

Written By: - Date published: 5:05 pm, October 31st, 2012 - 205 comments

The New Zealand Truth has been going down the toilet for a long time. But they may have found their perfect editor. Cameron Slater aka “Whaleoil” has apparently been made editor of it. A bombastic bullyboy with fetish for inaccuracy is exactly the right fit for the role. And it gets a real deadbeat away from the taxpayers purse.

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