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  1. Labour Conference 2012 policy remits

    Written By:  lprent -  Date published: 10:38 am, November 18th, 2012 -  27 comments
    Categories: labour
    Tags:

    The policy remits this morning. There isn’t a lot of time. However they are prioritized

  2. Leaders under pressure

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 11:58 am, November 10th, 2012 -  42 comments
    Categories: david shearer, john key, leadership
    Tags: ,

    Both John Key and David Shearer have had a bit of a pasting in the media lately. Shearer’s problems are solvable – Key’s are not…

  3. Poverty Watch 11

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 9:38 am, November 10th, 2012 -  5 comments
    Categories: national, poverty
    Tags:

    Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, another doctor warns us about poverty and disease in NZ, Peter Dunne betrays his pledge to back measures that reduce poverty, and inequality in New York exposed by hurricane Sandy.

  4. Shearer Says

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 4:18 pm, November 9th, 2012 -  65 comments
    Categories: david shearer, labour
    Tags:

    David Shearer’s weekly e-newsletter, this week on jobs and the Pike River report.

    We’re happy to post similar newsletters from other opposition leaders – our email is on our contact page.

  5. A lesson for the Secretary of Education

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 11:27 am, November 2nd, 2012 -  50 comments
    Categories: class war, education, poverty
    Tags: , , , ,

    Buried in Audrey Young’s puff piece on Secretary of Education Lesley Longstone is an interesting insight into Longstone’s thinking on poverty and education. Longstone tries to downplay the link. Ignorance, or overt right-wing agenda?

  6. World class education

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 10:41 am, October 31st, 2012 -  34 comments
    Categories: class war, education, Maori Issues, poverty, schools
    Tags: , ,

    The Secretary for Education has drawn the wrong conclusions from data on educational performance, and a bunch of commentators (including a particularly egregious anonymous editorial in The Herald) have been quick to follow. We certainly have a world class education system. The fact that not every child can take advantage of it is our real failing and our shame.

  7. The rhythms of life

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 9:10 am, October 28th, 2012 -  18 comments
    Categories: babies, capitalism, child welfare, climate change, david cunliffe, ETS, families, Gerry Brownlee, workers' rights
    Tags: ,

    On Planet Key natural body processes are ignored, and nature has been tamed into a golf course. It’s a place where mothers don’t lactate or have a heightened sensitivity to their babies’ cries; a place disconnected from the chaotic consequences of climate change.

  8. Nats get desperate on asset sales

    Written By:  Zetetic -  Date published: 7:44 am, October 24th, 2012 -  64 comments
    Categories: energy, privatisation
    Tags:

    The Nats have decided to try to lean on the judiciary to get asset sales handled the way they want. The Judge is ‘Red Ron’. The Court shouldn’t try to decide water rights at a level of general principle. The Maori Council mustn’t get legal aid. The case should be kicked straight up to the Supreme Court and settled before March. It’s not working. It’s not going to work. And the costs are mounting. Updated

  9. Mighty River sale on hold

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 2:32 pm, October 23rd, 2012 -  28 comments
    Categories: infrastructure, Maori Issues, privatisation, Privatisation, water
    Tags: , , ,

    As expected, the High Court advised today that the government should hold off sale of Mighty River Power. The government is complying.

  10. National Day of action against Bennett’s welfare reforms

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 7:00 am, October 5th, 2012 -  128 comments
    Categories: activism, benefits, child welfare, class, class war, employment, equality, jobs, poverty, welfare
    Tags: ,

    Today there have been protests around NZ, against Paula Bennett’s punitive welfare reforms.

    Updates: Include ODT article link and extract, photos of Henderson protest, and links to several news articles.

  11. Shane Jones: now pimping for Sealords

    Written By:  lprent -  Date published: 11:34 am, October 3rd, 2012 -  26 comments
    Categories: labour, making shit up, parody, politicans, Satire, Shane Jones, the praiseworthy and the pitiful
    Tags:

    As Shane Jones makes a complete dick of himself in public yet again in a traditional display of Labour party backbench egotism. I’m left shaking my head at the apparent complete inability of the Labour caucus to settle down to the task of being an effective opposition.

  12. Poverty Watch 4

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 9:32 am, September 22nd, 2012 -  7 comments
    Categories: national, poverty
    Tags:

    Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, a new Labour Bill, an Otago University study, and Live Below the Line.

  13. Sham consultation begins

    Written By:  Zetetic -  Date published: 8:18 am, September 18th, 2012 -  13 comments
    Categories: privatisation, treaty settlements, water
    Tags:

    The Nats are beginning their sham consultation with a handful of tame ‘Iwi Leaders’ today. The hui will be by invitation and will not include the Maori Council, which iwi have appointed to lead for them on the water rights issue. Of course, National doesn’t want a real debate. It won’t genuinely discuss shares plus. This is a fake process. And it will all end up in court next year.

  14. If they didn’t want to sell it, we would all own it

    Written By:  Mike Smith -  Date published: 11:30 am, September 5th, 2012 -  85 comments
    Categories: act, Maori Issues, national, privatisation
    Tags:

    The National/Act government wants to sell essential public infrastructure assets that we all own, and that returns a public dividend, to a few of its mates. It’s private appropriation of public assets that causes the problem. Take that away and the problem becomes different, and resolution much easier.

  15. Know when to run

    Written By:  Mike Smith -  Date published: 8:17 pm, September 3rd, 2012 -  21 comments
    Categories: election funding, john key, Judith Collins, privatisation, Steven Joyce
    Tags:

    Key has gone for a gamble again; but not the gamble some of the pundits were expecting. On the asset sales, he’s chosen flight over fight. But the real problem the asset sales face now isn’t Maori action, it’s the state of the economy.

  16. Nats’ heartland says asset sales don’t add up

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 8:33 am, September 3rd, 2012 -  82 comments
    Categories: privatisation
    Tags:

    Last week, TVNZ covered a MYOB poll that showed 50% of small business owners disagreed with asset sales and 21% supported it. That’s 2.5 to 1 of ones of National’s core votes opposed to its flagship policy. They oppose asset sales for a simple reason: the numbers don’t add up. They wouldn’t sell high profit […]

  17. Government in turmoil over spending cap

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 9:39 am, August 31st, 2012 -  20 comments
    Categories: act, economy, election 2011, election 2014, national, Parliament
    Tags: ,

    Conflict between support parties. The government without the majority needed for legislation. The Nats’ economic plans in turmoil. Thank goodness the country is in such safe, steady hands.

  18. Know when to fold ’em

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 1:34 pm, August 26th, 2012 -  26 comments
    Categories: privatisation, treaty settlements, water
    Tags:

    National’s asset sales programme is in crisis. Key has three options on asset sales – plow ahead, cut a deal with iwi, or call it quits. The smart thing to do, for the good of the country and for National’s own good, remains to drop the policy altogether. But they won’t. Instead, they’ll play the race card. But that old joker isn’t the trump it once was.

  19. Tribunal calls for asset sale delay

    Written By:  Mike Smith -  Date published: 4:30 pm, August 24th, 2012 -  63 comments
    Categories: bill english, cartoons, john key, Maori Issues, Privatisation
    Tags:

    Waitangi Tribunal says Government must halt asset sales until Treaty issues sorted, and Tom Scott gives a progress report. National’s wheels are coming off.

  20. Frankly Speaking: “John Banks: condition deteriorating”

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 3:05 pm, August 15th, 2012 -  18 comments
    Categories: act, conservative party, dpf, election 2014, electoral commission, electoral systems, greens, john banks, mana, maori party, MMP, national, nz first, political parties, Politics, united future
    Tags:

    Frank Macskasy over at Frankly Speaking writes some very long posts that are often full of interesting information. This one does a good analysis of the recommendations from the Electoral Commission and various party positions on it. On the way through he has a good swipe at John Banks, who it would be safe to say, he considers to be political cabbage.

  21. Why I’m In – a response to the disillusioned

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 7:39 am, August 10th, 2012 -  143 comments
    Categories: activism, Deep stuff, labour
    Tags:

    A somewhat meandering and personal response to the disillusioned, prompted by Scott Yorke’s recent “Why I’m Out”.

  22. Postcards from the “brighter” future

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 9:36 am, August 6th, 2012 -  11 comments
    Categories: class war, national
    Tags: , ,

    Hey John – where’s our “Brighter Future”? Hey National voters – was this what you voted for?

  23. The illusion of consultation

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 9:40 am, August 4th, 2012 -  22 comments
    Categories: Maori Issues, national, Privatisation, water
    Tags: , , , ,

    For some reason the Nats are in a hurry to complete their privatisation programme within two years.  Anyone in any doubt as to how the process of consultation with Maori will play out might be informed by some recent history.

  24. The luxury of an ethical opposition

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 11:05 am, August 2nd, 2012 -  38 comments
    Categories: Maori Issues, national, Privatisation, water
    Tags: , , , ,

    Although Key’s privatisation programme has hit plenty of problems with Maori water rights, his job is made a whole lot easier by the luxury of an ethical main opposition party.

  25. Key’s rock and hard place

    Written By:  Zetetic -  Date published: 7:15 am, July 31st, 2012 -  17 comments
    Categories: privatisation, treaty settlements, water
    Tags:

    Does Key respect the Waitangi Tribunal’s call for a temporary halt to asset sales and its likely call for a further delay when it presents its full findings in September? If he does, he looks weak, gives the Keep Our Assets petition more time. If he doesn’t, he picks a fight with Maori, resulting in court injunctions, again delaying the sales, hurting the sale price, making him look weak.

  26. Waitangi Tribunal: Asset sales should stop

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 3:58 pm, July 30th, 2012 -  70 comments
    Categories: Maori Issues, Privatisation
    Tags: , ,

    The Waitangi Tribunal has recommended that asset sales should stop.

    Will update as reaction emerges.

  27. An Auckland view on Labour’s changes

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 8:46 am, July 20th, 2012 -  75 comments
    Categories: david shearer, labour, Left
    Tags:

    Here’s a guest post from an Auckland Labour Party member with a different take on the constitutional changes. It’s interesting and challenging. Good food for thought. – Let us consider Labour’s proposed constitutional reforms in its moment. New Zealand’s progressives continue to splinter, just as conservative variation contracts. As the progressives splinter, they are also […]

  28. Two face

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 7:28 am, July 20th, 2012 -  76 comments
    Categories: john key, privatisation, treaty settlements, water
    Tags:

  29. What does Key’s promise mean?

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 6:11 pm, July 19th, 2012 -  49 comments
    Categories: john key, Maori Issues, maori party, water
    Tags: ,

    Key is already qualifying a promise he’s made on Maori water rights.  Does the promise mean anything at all?

  30. “Opportunistic”

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 8:23 am, July 18th, 2012 -  47 comments
    Categories: capitalism, john key, Maori Issues, water
    Tags: ,

    I don’t know which is stranger, a currency-trading capitalist denigrating people for maximising their economic opportunities, or claims dating back to The Treaty being passed off as somehow superficial.

  31. Cute with semantics on water

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 7:22 am, July 13th, 2012 -  82 comments
    Categories: business, national, Privatisation, water
    Tags:

    John Key has been running round repeating that no one owns water. He’s just being cute with semantics. What is the effective difference between owning water, and owning water rights?

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