Open mike 17/02/2015
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Date published: 6:45 am, February 17th, 2015 - 272 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Hide vs anonymous editorial on Sabin
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Date published: 12:44 pm, February 16th, 2015 - 51 comments
Rodney Hide vs The Herald’s anonymous apologist on National’s mishandling of Sabin, and what it means for our democracy.
The house always wins
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Date published: 11:01 am, February 16th, 2015 - 23 comments
The flaws in the process whereby SkyCity promised a free convention centre in consideration of legislative changes are now clear to see. Through an act of brinkmanship SkyCity has embarassed the Government and caused it political damage. And it has achieved a return for investors, the legislative changes will be the same despite there now being a smaller cheaper convention centre.
Key runs from poverty protestors
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Date published: 10:19 am, February 16th, 2015 - 226 comments
The PM running from a yacht club when confronted with protestors against poverty. Pretty fair summary of where this country is at.
The SkySore
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Date published: 9:02 am, February 16th, 2015 - 14 comments
Dave Armstrong at The Dom Post has written a very funny piece on the SkyCity fiasco, and in the process coined the immortal phrase “The SkySore”.
Open Mike 16/02/2015
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Date published: 6:30 am, February 16th, 2015 - 197 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
An eyesore for Auckland
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Date published: 3:28 pm, February 15th, 2015 - 77 comments
Steven Joyce has announced (because Key likes to stay clear of bad news) that SkyCity will not be seeking public funding for its convention center. So looks like it will be Key’s “eyesore”.
Third termitis
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Date published: 9:44 am, February 15th, 2015 - 69 comments
The John Key led National Government is showing signs of third termitis. Symptoms are a confusion of the national interest with National Party political interests, a willingness to sell state houses and pay the proceeds to large corporates when even your best friends are saying don’t, a staleness and inability to handle issues properly and being completely bereft of new ideas to improve the country. The condition is almost inevitably terminal.
The truth about The Standard
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Date published: 7:50 am, February 15th, 2015 - 258 comments
There are some persistent lies and a lot of nonsense written about this blog. The truth is really simple…
Open mike 15/02/2015
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Date published: 7:30 am, February 15th, 2015 - 145 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Aussies & US mount opposition to TPPA – but in NZ we just keep nodding
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Date published: 2:56 pm, February 14th, 2015 - 47 comments
So much to sell, so little time… When this Government is finished selling, we will have sold our right to make laws for ourselves too. Be under no doubt, if the effect of bringing in a law for the health and well being of Kiwis will cost a corporate millions of dollars, part of their lobbying after the TPP, will be threatening to sue the taxpayers of NZ and watch such a Bill slip into obscurity. And those corporates wielding that power? Most will never pay a cent of tax into the coffers of NZ taxpayers.
Global divestment day
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Date published: 7:27 am, February 14th, 2015 - 7 comments
“We are demanding institutions do what is necessary to avert the climate crisis by divesting from fossil fuels. Together, we are making fossil fuels history.”
Mission Accomplished
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Date published: 7:19 am, February 14th, 2015 - 55 comments
“You gotta hand it to John Key: the timing is perfect. On a slow-news Friday at a time when the media is falling over itself to hype the cricket world cup, the last veil drops to reveal al Jaafari and his request for assistance.”
Open mike 14/02/2015
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Date published: 7:15 am, February 14th, 2015 - 149 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Weekend social 13/02/2015
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Date published: 2:35 pm, February 13th, 2015 - 60 comments
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no aggro, why can’t we all just get along?
NRT: “Close to corruption”
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Date published: 2:32 pm, February 13th, 2015 - 29 comments
I/S at No Right Turn adds some detail to Matthew Hooton’s extraordinary piece at the NBR.
Paula Bennett and beneficiaries should be given the benefit of the doubt
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Date published: 10:00 am, February 13th, 2015 - 33 comments
A staffer in Paula Bennett’s ministerial office has apparently mistakenly withdrawn cash from the Ministerial credit card. The money has been paid back and no harm caused and no further action should be necessary. If only Bennett extended to beneficiaries the same tolerance of predictable mistakes.
War HUH!
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Date published: 8:18 am, February 13th, 2015 - 417 comments
NZ is again being asked to go to war in Iraq. The Clark Labour Government said no a decade ago, but in 2015 there may be a compelling reason to join the fight; this time it’s the right thing to do. New Standard author te reo putake puts the case for NZ entering the battle against ISIS.
The drought
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Date published: 7:43 am, February 13th, 2015 - 37 comments
Drought has been declared for a huge region of the South Island. Weather extremes are going to be the new normal – why aren’t we adapting?
Open mike 13/02/2015
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Date published: 6:45 am, February 13th, 2015 - 150 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Key is in reverse gear about Sky City
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Date published: 5:30 pm, February 12th, 2015 - 103 comments
The focus group results are in and John Key is backing off from the Government injecting further money into the SkyCity convention centre.
Labour takes a stand against zero-hour contracts
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Date published: 5:00 pm, February 12th, 2015 - 92 comments
Zero-hour contracts are the perfect illustration of when “flexibility” in employment relations goes all one way.
Another week another banking scandal
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Date published: 9:33 am, February 12th, 2015 - 91 comments
Another big tax evasion scandal with links to NZ. Don’t expect the government to spend any time looking in to this.
If only Key was as passionate about climate change
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Date published: 8:18 am, February 12th, 2015 - 43 comments
John Key gave a somewhat rousing speech about how New Zealand would not stand back when dealing with the ISIS tyranny. It made me wonder why he is not passionate about dealing with a problem that has the potential of wrecking much of the world’s environment and making much of it it uninhabitable.
Open mike 12/02/2015
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Date published: 6:30 am, February 12th, 2015 - 220 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Revolutionary Spain, Revolutionary Syria, and the Bastards We Vote For.
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Date published: 3:36 pm, February 11th, 2015 - 63 comments
It seems that just as the 30’s offered the chance to turn dreams into reality, Syria is offering that chance up to ‘the left’ today. Suddenly, for me, the recent travel bans and the passport confiscation laws etc make sense since we are potentially looking at an international influx of non-nutters and non- psychopaths as happened during the Spanish Revolution of the 30s.
Say NO to the $140m SkyCity bailout
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Date published: 12:32 pm, February 11th, 2015 - 86 comments
The Labour Party is organising a petition against the $140 million bailout SkyCity is demanding – and John Key is insisting we have to pay to prevent getting an “eyesore” of a convention centr
Salvation Army – State of the Nation
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Date published: 9:42 am, February 11th, 2015 - 18 comments
This morning the Salvation Army released their state of the nation report – A Mountain All Can Climb. It is mixed news, and most coverage has focused on the impact of the housing crisis.
Open mike 11/02/2015
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Date published: 6:35 am, February 11th, 2015 - 244 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Sky City’s playing us for suckers
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Date published: 8:14 pm, February 10th, 2015 - 87 comments
Sky City crying too poor to build a bigger casino – give us a break, please! Casino expert Sudhir Kale estimated the extra pokies gained by Sky to be worth $35million over figures used by government. That’s for year upon year to 2048. It could cover any casino upgrade in four years. Either Joyce and Key are being played for suckers, or they are playing the rest of us for suckers. The deal stinks.
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