Search Results

  1. ACT, the continuing implosion

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 6:27 am, September 27th, 2011 -  34 comments
    Categories: don brash, john banks, law and "order"
    Tags:

    On Sunday, Don Brash decided to muse on decriminalising cannabis. It’s not ACT policy, we’re meant to understand, it’s just the Party Leader making a speech and saying ‘this would be a good idea’. In classic Brash style, he hadn’t told John Banks, who gave Brash a public smacking on the idea. Now the question is: why would the people of Epsom vote for these two?

  2. Stand up for the rule of law

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 10:55 am, September 21st, 2011 -  44 comments
    Categories: democracy under attack, law and "order"
    Tags:

    Your Police knowingly acted illegally to spy on your fellow citizens. No-one’s saying those being surveilled are angels. It’s not about them. It’s about whether the agents of the State, who are ultimately meant to be your agents, should be allowed to act illegally. Should the ends justify the means or do we believe in the rule of law as the only way to constrain those with power from abusing it?

  3. Roy Morgan and Sue Bradford

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 6:03 pm, September 17th, 2011 -  115 comments
    Categories: election 2011, polls
    Tags: , , ,

    From the miscellaneous bits of news department – a particularly grim Roy Morgan poll, and the announcement that Sue Bradford is standing for Mana against Paula Bennett in Waitakere.

  4. Nice Mr Key

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 9:19 am, September 12th, 2011 -  30 comments
    Categories: brand key, john key, Media
    Tags: ,

    The Stuff interview of John Key in the weekend was better than your average puff piece.  Interesting that Key doesn’t even try to defend his record on its merits.

  5. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 12:43 pm, September 8th, 2011 -  36 comments
    Categories: defence, racism
    Tags:

    Nicky Hager’s Other People’s Wars and the Urewera ‘terror raids’ fiasco raise, once again, serious questions. Are the security agencies that are meant to protect our society from threats, themselves operating outside the law and democratic control? Not according to Key. And he knows because he got advice. From whom? Why the security agencies of course.

  6. Chose a brighter future?

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 1:19 pm, September 6th, 2011 -  63 comments
    Categories: class war, john key, poverty, welfare
    Tags: , , ,

    Once again recent headlines prompt me to ask if in 2008 we really chose a brighter future after all.

  7. Denis Tegg: Officials muzzled on peak oil

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 9:41 am, September 5th, 2011 -  45 comments
    Categories: energy
    Tags:

    Denis Tegg on National’s head in the sand Energy Strategy. All the official international warnings have been dismissed and the government has forced official to remove any reference to peak oil. The minister flatly refused to answer questions about the impact of peak oil on her fossil-fuel centred plan at the strategy launch.

  8. Suicide and community

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 1:13 pm, August 27th, 2011 -  67 comments
    Categories: health, jobs, poverty
    Tags: , ,

    Following the release of data by the Chief Coroner, suicide is once again getting some time in the headlines.  Coincidentally, news from Christchurch supports the suggestion that stronger communities reduce suicide rates.

  9. End slavery in NZ, create 2,500 Kiwi jobs

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 2:53 pm, August 7th, 2011 -  25 comments
    Categories: Conservation, exports, food, jobs, sustainability, workers' rights
    Tags:

    Next week, a report will reveal the abuse of 2,500 foreign workers used as virtual slaves on ships employed by kiwi fishing quota holders in our waters. By rights, we should have a world renowned fishing fleet. Instead, we let our potential go to waste and employ foreign slaveowners and human traffickers to do the work instead.

  10. NRT on MMP threshold

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 12:11 pm, July 29th, 2011 -  49 comments
    Categories: MMP
    Tags:

    I/S at No Right Turn looks at the arguments for lowering the MMP threshold instead, or as a trade off for, getting rid of the ‘win an electorate, win list MPs’ rule. The conservatives say that a low threshold would mean more parties and ‘instability’. I/S shows that’s not only mathematically false, it’s not a reason to deny people democratic representation.

  11. Turnaround is fair play

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 7:41 am, July 29th, 2011 -  30 comments
    Categories: elections, polls
    Tags:

    Some are linking Labour’s polling to National’s in 2002. Well, I think it’s worth remembering the other side of the 2002 polls. Labour’s support plunged 13% in the last month of the campaign from 50%+ support to the point where a Nat-led government was a real threat. Then, there was 1996, where Labour went from polling 4th to losing by a hair.

  12. Nats drop 5% in Roy Morgan, Left surges

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 8:28 pm, July 20th, 2011 -  110 comments
    Categories: polls
    Tags:

    TV1’s poll on Sunday was supposedly curtains for CGT, so what does it mean that the latest Roy Morgan has the Nats down 5% and the Left in striking range of an upset win? It means don’t draw instant conclusions linking one poll to one policy (although it must be tempting when you’ve spent $30K getting the numbers) – watch the trends.

  13. The problem is not in the schools

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 7:29 am, July 20th, 2011 -  90 comments
    Categories: class war, economy, education, employment
    Tags: ,

    According to a recent report, disadvantaged NZ youth are at the “bottom of OECD league”.  The report recommends various interventions in schools.  The recommendations completely miss the point, because the problem is not in the schools, the problem is in society.

  14. Key has cried wolf too often

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 7:06 am, July 13th, 2011 -  98 comments
    Categories: capital gains, john key, tax
    Tags: ,

    Key used to get away with spouting whatever kind of nonsense he liked.  Not any more.  His hysterical scaremongering on the subject of capital gains tax seems to have been a step too far.  The teflon is long gone, and Key has cried wolf too often.

  15. Exit, stage right

    Written By:  IrishBill -  Date published: 4:16 pm, July 9th, 2011 -  136 comments
    Categories: act
    Tags: , , ,

    It’s a big call, I know, but I’m pretty sure we’re seeing the end of the ACT party happening right before our eyes.

  16. Congratulations Hone Harawira, MP for Te Tai Tokerau

    Written By:  the sprout -  Date published: 8:21 pm, June 25th, 2011 -  165 comments
    Categories: by-election, hone harawira, mana, Maori seats
    Tags:

    Hone Harawira has won the by-election for Te Tai Tokerau, despite the best efforts of the msm, John Key’s endorsement of Kelvin Davis, dirty tricks from the Maori Party, and despite Labour’s typically ill-considered, hamfisted attempts to wipe out Mana at its first election.

    The best man won.

  17. Gamechanger?

    Written By:  Mike Smith -  Date published: 5:29 pm, June 20th, 2011 -  50 comments
    Categories: hone harawira, Kelvin Davis, mana-party, Maori Issues
    Tags:

    The Te Tai Tokerau by-election has the potential to be a game-changer. If it comes off for Kelvin on Saturday the result may shake up a few other predictions for the general election – another example of the wisdom of Harold Wilson’s famous remark that a week is a long time in politics. Now it’s down to who goes out on the day. After the battle of the hustings will come the battle of the explanations – they will be fascinating.

  18. The wrong man for the job

    Written By:  Zetetic -  Date published: 12:07 pm, June 19th, 2011 -  46 comments
    Categories: accountability, disaster, Gerry Brownlee, leadership
    Tags:

    I haven’t seen the full interview of Brownlee on the Nation. If the clips on the news were anything to go by, it was more of the same. No info for Christchurch residents. No empathy for them either. More haughty bullshit. More vague excuses for delays. More focused on himself than the people who need help. He needs to go.

  19. Nats plan lower wages for workers

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 12:30 pm, June 13th, 2011 -  18 comments
    Categories: election 2011, minimum wage, national, workers' rights
    Tags:

    So you support Maori being paid less than Pakeha for the same work? What about men being paid less than women? No, that would be discrimination, eh? Same work, same pay. So, what about paying a 17 year old less than a 18 year old for the same work? That’s what National is planning if we are stupid enough to give them a second term.

  20. ACC privatisation plans announced

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 10:00 am, June 2nd, 2011 -  41 comments
    Categories: ACC, privatisation
    Tags:

    National has announced plans to privatise ACC’s work account. Currently, they don’t have the numbers to get it through the House. ACT won’t vote for it because its not completely rabid and the Maori Party won’t vote for privatisation. So, this becomes another election issue: another bloody good reason to vote National out.

  21. Polls everywhere

    Written By:  r0b -  Date published: 9:29 am, May 30th, 2011 -  87 comments
    Categories: election 2011, polls
    Tags: ,

    Plenty of polls lately.  Do we really need so many?  Two released yesterday show some closing of the gap between National and Labour – but not nearly enough yet…

  22. The borrow and hope budget

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 10:00 am, May 19th, 2011 -  108 comments
    Categories: bill english, budget 2011, class war, Economy
    Tags:

    It’s only taken two and a half years of mismanagement and reckless tax cuts from to run the country  into a mountain of debt. How bad have they let things get, who will they make pay for their mistakes, and how rosy will the forecasts their plans hang on be? Rolling coverage through the day.

    Updates: Plans for privatisation are set out.  Families hit harder than expected.

  23. It’s official: Key reveals “inertia” strategy

    Written By:  Mike Smith -  Date published: 4:37 pm, May 18th, 2011 -  19 comments
    Categories: brand key, Economy
    Tags:

    Speaking to Audrey Young in today’s Herald, Prime Minister John Key stated “the one thing I’ve come to learn is that the single biggest driving factor in Kiwisaver is inertia”. This confirms what many in the community have been thinking, and a few in the business world have been saying, that inertia is also the single biggest driving factor in the National/ACT/Maori Party government’s economic policy.

  24. If only smiles were dollars

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 10:26 am, May 15th, 2011 -  38 comments
    Categories: budget 2011, debt / deficit, tax
    Tags: ,

    The minor party debate on Q+A was very interesting. Rahui Katene was self-contradictory and vague, like the Maori Party always is. Peter Dunne was pathetic. Roger Douglas slammed the government’s borrowing as did Russel Norman, who pointed out the other three had all voted for National’s debt-increasing tax cuts for the rich.

  25. Jackel’s week that was

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 8:11 pm, May 14th, 2011 -  2 comments
    Categories: blogs
    Tags:

    This week in The Jackel’s week that was: deepsea oil protests continue, Prince Charles against business as usual, child poverty, Libya, bees, onshore oil protests, US flooding, Nats prepare for cuts as we pay for their mistakes, ACC’s hardline savings come at a price, Wikileaks, and more!

  26. The Dear John Letter

    Written By:  r0b -  Date published: 2:02 pm, May 13th, 2011 -  36 comments
    Categories: class war, don brash, john key
    Tags: ,

    This letter is getting more media attention than it deserves, because its basically Brash regurgitating his 2025 task force stuff.  Key and the Nats have, quite rightly, ignored it once, and they’ll ignore it this time too.

  27. Te Tai Tokerau by election 25th June

    Written By:  r0b -  Date published: 2:49 pm, May 12th, 2011 -  68 comments
    Categories: by-election, labour, mana-party, Maori Issues, maori party
    Tags: ,

    We have a date for what promises to be a fascinating by election.  The pressure is on Hone Harawira…

  28. Harawira vs Davis vs ?

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 10:36 am, May 11th, 2011 -  38 comments
    Categories: by-election, labour, mana-party, maori party
    Tags: , ,

    Labour has decided to stand Kelvin Davis in the Te Tai Tokerau by-election. I wish they hadn’t. First, Davis strikes me as quality and you don’t tarnish quality by making it lose in front of a national audience. Look what happened to Melissa Lee, former National rising star. And Davis will lose, let’s be honest.

  29. Mallard/Pagani: Soft headed lefties

    Written By:  the sprout -  Date published: 8:42 am, May 7th, 2011 -  33 comments
    Categories: hone harawira, labour, mana-party, racism, rodney hide, Shane Jones, The Standard
    Tags: ,

    The semi-hysterical responses of some of the unreconstructed left and pseudo-left about some at the Standard supporting Hone Harawira and the Mana Party has really been quite revealing. They seem to think, with a clarity of logic Garth George would surely envy, that refusal to endorse a public burning of Harawira constitutes some kind of crazily misplaced […]

  30. Rights and privilege

    Written By:  IrishBill -  Date published: 8:53 pm, May 4th, 2011 -  218 comments
    Categories: class war
    Tags: ,

    Righto. I’ve just watched the debate between Harawira and Brash on Close Up and about five minutes fifty into the second part Brash had the gall to challenge Harawira on whether he believed everyone should have the same rights.

  31. Russel’s mana

    Written By:  IrishBill -  Date published: 7:35 am, May 4th, 2011 -  127 comments
    Categories: greens, mana, mana-party
    Tags:

    Russel Norman has followed John Key and Phil Goff in the attack on the Mana party.

    I’d hoped for better from him.

    Perhaps it’s time he reflected on his own mana.

    Update: it seems the Dom Post quotes might have been a fit of pique. Russel has posted the following on his facebook page:[more over the break]

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