Written By: - Date published: 8:46 pm, April 19th, 2011 - 15 comments
Last night walking into the film screening in Auckland I was a bit apprehensive about how it would all be put together. Fortunately my fears were unfounded and the film did justice to the complex issues involved.
Written By: - Date published: 7:07 am, April 15th, 2011 - 62 comments
There are many significant changes to our legal and democratic rights that are going on under this National government. Each on its own might look like a small thing, but collectively they add up to a major erosion of our freedom.
Written By: - Date published: 9:23 am, March 30th, 2011 - 55 comments
Given the controversy surrounding the 2007 Urewera raids, the legal system should be bending over backwards to conduct a process that is above reproach. Instead, they are doing the exact opposite.
Written By: - Date published: 10:55 am, February 23rd, 2011 - 183 comments
The Welfare Working Group wants to get poor women to breed less by giving them free long-term contraception. Sure, this is all an ‘Overton window‘ exercise but eugenics? Seriously? Trying to stop one ‘undesirable’ strata of society from breeding is one step from forced sterilisations. Has the Right reverted 80 years?
Written By: - Date published: 7:51 am, February 17th, 2011 - 51 comments
Our wages are so low that we can’t keep paying “international prices” for basic necessities. GST off food is just tinkering at the edges. We need more radical action.
Written By: - Date published: 2:50 pm, February 7th, 2011 - 68 comments
Yesterday, Lhaws’ SST piece called for involuntary sterilisation and reproduction licences (ie. forced abortions). Pure fascism. Today, no uproar. Once, his stoush with some school kids was news. Now, he offers a eugenic ‘solution’ to the underclass and not a peep. He’s truly a has-been. He won’t have that SST column for long.
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, December 7th, 2010 - 25 comments
In a surprise to no-one, John Key has appointed 3 time election loser Hekia Parata to replace the latest of his corrupt ministers to walk the plank – Pansy Wong. I’m hoping Parata will be less of a disgrace than Wong. It wouldn’t be hard, she would just have to actually try to answer questions in the House and actually do something about the wage gaps.
Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, November 24th, 2010 - 50 comments
9/11 seems to have driven America crazy. Most Americans, I think, don’t realise how much their country has changed around them. But one very visible manifestation of the brave new world is getting right in the public’s faces, that is the new generation of airport security scanners. Dubbed “porno scanners” for the body images that they produce, they have finally provoked a reaction from the great American public.
Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, November 16th, 2010 - 65 comments
Simon Power yesterday introduced the new “Criminal Procedure (Reform and Modernisation) Bill” to Parliament, touting it as “the biggest change to the criminal justice system in 50 years”. It certainly is that. It proposes doing away with trial by jury for a significant range of offences. It proposes allowing a trial to go ahead without the defendant present. In other words, it looks like yet another attack on fundamental rights…
Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, October 29th, 2010 - 34 comments
It takes a lot to screw up a great country like New Zealand. It can’t be done overnight. But if you’re really negligent, anti-worker, and focused on hand outs to the rich, you can start to make things worse pretty quickly. Let’s look at the key measures of National’s performance, according to their own criteria:
Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, October 25th, 2010 - 142 comments
The Nats and their repeaters are trying to paint unions as some kind of public enemy. How can we be a public enemy when we are the public? Unions are just people. Unions exist to work for our rights. Rights like the eight hour working day, the origin of the celebration of Labour Day. If you enjoy decent conditions at work, if you’re enjoying your long weekend, why not thank a unionist!
Written By: - Date published: 5:06 pm, October 10th, 2010 - 11 comments
Today is 10 October 2010, a significant date for two serious reasons. And one silly one!
Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, October 4th, 2010 - 195 comments
New Zealand’s most infamous anti-Ambassador Paul Henry has shamed us all once again. On TVNZ’s Breakfast this morning, Henry asked John Key (at 6’30” into the interview) of our Governor General “Is he even a New Zealander” (Satyanand was born in NZ) and could the next GG be someone who “looks and sounds a bit […]
Written By: - Date published: 5:38 am, August 11th, 2010 - 44 comments
It just gets worse: “The Government has rejected a secret forum’s recommendation that 10 women who alleged sexual misconduct by police officers get reparation.” Sadly, I think this is just the Nats being cheap and unwilling to face their responsibilities. They don’t care about the victims of police abuse, they care about saving a few dollars to pay for tax cuts.
Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, August 1st, 2010 - 35 comments
The activities of the dishonorable Minister for Social Development and Employment Paula Bennett has been increasingly reminding me of the blogger Whaleoil. Consider the number of common points of obnoxious behaviour. The similarities are quite striking. The main difference is that one is a blogger opinionating on current affairs and the other is a minister of the crown with the responsibility for large numbers of dependent people.
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, July 1st, 2010 - 23 comments
So often, Parliamentary debates are pointless and pro forma. What a revelation, then, when Simon Power was so swayed by the Left’s MPs’ arguments that he hand-wrote an amendment to his Courts (Remote Participation) Bill guaranteeing defendants the right to choose to appear in person. A good day for rights. A good day for Parliament. Power for PM?
Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, June 27th, 2010 - 5 comments
An article in the Guardian puts gender politics into perspective, with 1,000 “honour killings” a year in India, according to one recent study. For those who think that the world has moved on – it hasn’t.
Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, June 22nd, 2010 - 48 comments
I’m not sorry about Russel Norman standing up to Chinese imperialism, I’m proud that he did. While I don’t personally have a lot of time for Norman, I very much respect his willingness to behave like an actual representative of the New Zealand people and voice his opposition to the immoral Chinese occupation and subjugation of […]
Written By: - Date published: 10:20 am, June 8th, 2010 - 24 comments
According to a new report: “New Zealand is a great place for children if their parents have a good income, live in a warm dry house and are well educated.” However if you’re not born into a privileged household, then death and disease “is worse than that of all but two [developed] countries, Mexico and Turkey.”
Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, June 1st, 2010 - 257 comments
Heavily-armed Israeli commandos have murdered at least 19 civilians in an unprovoked attack in international waters on a flotilla of ships trying to get aid to occupied Gaza. Reports indicate several times that many civilians are wounded. Details are sketchy because Israel has taken control of the ships and detained surviving the passengers and crew.
Written By: - Date published: 12:55 am, May 13th, 2010 - 25 comments
I’ve been having a look at the new advice on the civil service code of conduct. It is a clear attempt by the Nats to make sure the civil service is ‘politically correct’ for their purposes. Perhaps they’re tired of getting official advice that says ‘don’t cut that, it’s good value for money’, ‘don’t fund that, it’s stupid’, and ‘don’t pass that law, it might cause more murders’.
Written By: - Date published: 6:10 am, May 10th, 2010 - 46 comments
Congratulations John on your latest speech. We especially like the line “Let me be clear: there is no room for separatism in New Zealand.” Very masterly, clear and unequivocal. I know you meant what you said and weren’t just dog-whistling to the racist red-necks in the audience who’re feeling spooked by us signing up to […]
Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, April 11th, 2010 - 29 comments
The day after Zet’s post here on homophobic, imbalanced reporting by TV3’s Duncan Garner, Brian Edward’s wrote a scathing detailed deconstruction of Garner‘s repeatedly vicious coverage of Chris Carter. Edwards suggests Garner’s repeated attacks resemble a personal harassment campaign, a view Dim Post agrees with saying Garner’s obsession with Chris Carter has wandered into dark and […]
Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, March 25th, 2010 - 19 comments
Among the reports released by the Attorney General, three in particular make for interesting reading. They relate to three of National’s core policies — three strikes, automatic DNA testing, and “getting tough” on beneficiaries. The Attorney General finds that each of these policies is inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act.
Written By: - Date published: 1:01 pm, December 19th, 2009 - 17 comments
Back at the start of the month Marty G pointed out that Brash’s useless 2025 Taskforce looked like nothing so much as a pension scheme for retired Tory old boys. Marty wrote: No more jobs for Nats’ old mates So far, we’ve paid $400,000 to employ some rightwing old boys for a crap report that […]
Written By: - Date published: 3:50 pm, August 15th, 2009 - 26 comments
Call me old fashioned if you will, but I like the idea that reforms of government activity should be concieved and implemented by experts in the particular field in question. Which makes me wonder, why the hell has Tony Ryall appointed a financial guy, Murray Horn, to lead a ministerial review into the health system? […]
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, August 13th, 2009 - 37 comments
Remember the petition to state your opposition to Paula Bennett’s attack on our privacy rights. The idea is it will be tabled in Parliament next week. It’s a chance to take a symbolic stand against this bullying Key Government. You can download the pdf here or by clicking on the image and mail it freepost by […]
Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, August 7th, 2009 - 21 comments
As you know, when Natasha Fuller and Jennifer Johnston spoke up against the Key government’s cancelling of the Training Incentive Allowance, Paula Bennett tried to silence them by releasing their private information to the media. That was a flagrant breach of her fiduciary duties as minister and the Privacy Act, and a threat to free […]
Written By: - Date published: 9:16 am, July 31st, 2009 - 52 comments
Thundering from the pulpit is a fine old editorial tradition, and The Herald has often held forth on the rule of law. Starting with the basics: The law must be upheld… The law matters, as The Herald feels perfectly comfortable pointing out to those it feels need the advice: If the law is enforced impartially […]
Written By: - Date published: 5:50 am, July 30th, 2009 - 19 comments
That’s what Bennett is calling the Right’s attacks on the women she released confidential information about. As if she didn’t know that would happen. As if she didn’t know that releasing this information on what seems like large amounts of money when you don’t have the facts would send every knuckle-dragging redneck, reactionary in the […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:53 am, July 29th, 2009 - 33 comments
‘Beware’ that was Mary Wilson’s conclusion to her interview with Paula Bennett yesterday. The audio is here: Beware of Bully Bennett – Beware that if you voice any opposition to a government policy and the minister decides it has been going on too long or it’s too damaging, they will release confidental information on you. – […]
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