Search Results

1. 

   Is Bill English’s ‘big data’, Big Brother & privatisation of govt?

   Written By:  karol -  Date published: 11:00 am, June 30th, 2014 -  135 comments
   Categories: benefits, bill english, business, capitalism, child welfare, class war, democratic participation, election 2014, families, john key, poverty, privatisation, slippery
   Tags:

   Bill English has stated that a third term Key government would majorly reform the government’s budgeting & spending.  It’s a major move towards privatisation of public services, & full spectrum digitally-enhanced monitoring of individuals’ lives: especially those of the already demonised and harassed single mothers on benefits.

2. 

   John Key: a tale of two ‘truths’

   Written By:  karol -  Date published: 9:08 am, June 23rd, 2014 -  34 comments
   Categories: accountability, activism, capitalism, democratic participation, election 2014, john key, making shit up, poverty, slippery, spin, Spying, telecommunications, us politics
   Tags:

   John Key claimed he didn’t know about the big shift in the US-NZ surveillance relationship in 2009.  Now he claims he always likes to be fully briefed on intelligence matters. Robert David Steele points the way from  such anti-democratic governance & misinformation, to an open source everything revolution.

3. 

   Turn out and vote National out

   Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 8:00 am, June 21st, 2014 -  110 comments
   Categories: corruption, david cunliffe, election 2014, national, public services, same old national
   Tags: coat-tailing, Donghua Liu, muck-raking, whaleoil

   At the last election, the high non-vote spoke to one important truth – many voters saw no reason to turn out. The media had told them that National would win by a landslide and they either didn’t mind or thought that one vote wouldn’t make any difference. This election is radically different. It is rapidly becoming clear that we are losing control of our country.  Vote on September 20, and vote against this Government.
4. 

   Herald loses perspective

   Written By:  Bunji -  Date published: 3:36 pm, June 18th, 2014 -  74 comments
   Categories: david cunliffe, newspapers
   Tags: Donghua Liu, nz herald

   So apparently forgetting about signing a form letter for a constituent 11 years ago is a resignable offence now.

   Update: Key memory lapses

5. 

   Spy law changes & telcos exposé

   Written By:  karol -  Date published: 9:28 am, June 7th, 2014 -  13 comments
   Categories: accountability, capitalism, Spying, telecommunications
   Tags:

   Vodafone has made public the extent of the use of spying via their systems, done by state agencies in several countries including NZ.  NZ state agencies have revealed the amount of warrants issued prior to the passing of the GCSB and TICS laws late last year.

6. 

   Spying on the left: 20th century “dirt files”

   Written By:  karol -  Date published: 9:43 pm, June 1st, 2014 -  56 comments
   Categories: accountability, class war, democracy under attack, labour, socialism, Spying
   Tags:

   Secret files have been released, that document the spying of Labour/left politicians in the early-to-mid 20th century: Savage, Fraser, Nash, Sutch, Sir Dove Meyer Robinson.  The NZ establishment has a long history of treating the left as a threat. [Update: “Dunne over” by spy review]

7. 

   Something to go to in Wellington

   Written By:  lprent -  Date published: 2:30 pm, May 27th, 2014 -  4 comments
   Categories: uncategorized
   Tags:

   Anyone interested in issues such as asset sales, corporate tax avoidance, GCSB surveillance and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement would be well advised to head along to see Murray Horton this Wednesday.

   I’d go, but I am just leaving the windy freezing city with a almost excellent public transport system

8. 

   Still an honest man?

   Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 10:14 am, May 26th, 2014 -  31 comments
   Categories: john key
   Tags: BLip

   BLip has been maintaining for quite a while, a little list of Honest John’s statements that aren’t exactly true. One iteration of this list “An Honest Man” is still one of the most popular posts here with many page views on a daily basis – more than a year after it was posted. Looks like someone has made a video of a few of the times when some of these were made. There is also a more recent BLip list of the words of our favourite lying politician.

9. 

   The political beliefs of political reporters

   Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 1:57 pm, May 25th, 2014 -  61 comments
   Categories: democracy under attack, democratic participation, john key, Media, national
   Tags: mike hosking, paul henry

   Television New Zealand is requiring political reporters to divulge political affiliation, membership and other political party activity.  And John Key attacks TV3’s Linda Clark for allegedly helping the Labour Party.  Yet Mike Hosking and Paul Henry are free to trumpet right wing spin lines.  See the problem?

    

10. 

    Key-Fletcher nexus: anti-democratic ‘Intelligence communities’

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 11:36 am, May 23rd, 2014 -  47 comments
    Categories: accountability, democracy under attack, john key, slippery, Spying, telecommunications, us politics
    Tags: GCSB, ian fletcher

    Campbell Live pointed to a massive, integrated shift in NZ governance under John Key’s watch. This enhances the power of international trade and commerce, incorporating the GCSB the US, & 5 Eyes . At the centre of this shift, is the murky relationship between John Key & Ian Fletcher.

11. 

    Death by remote drone

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 1:32 pm, May 22nd, 2014 -  202 comments
    Categories: john key, national, war
    Tags: edward snowden

    John Key has not received any advice about the legality of drone killing and is totally comfortable with the extra judicial killing of civilians by remote drone.

12. 

    The smoke & mirrors of the surveillance-military-economic-complex

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 2:22 pm, May 21st, 2014 -  29 comments
    Categories: accountability, afghanistan, democracy under attack, greens, john key, labour, same old national, Spying, trade, uk politics
    Tags: drones, GCSB, obama, Surveillance state

    There are a range of issues, which are part of a GCSB-intelligence-surveillance-military-complex. Some significant elements seem to be posing as diversions from other parts of the complex, and the way all parts hang together. What will he offer Obama to advance NZ’s position in the TPPA?

13. 

    Tilting at windmills

    Written By:  geoff -  Date published: 7:30 am, May 21st, 2014 -  11 comments
    Categories: uncategorized
    Tags: If only this was satire, The John Key space-time continuum

    !!BREAKING NEWS!! John Key is locked in a fierce battle with….a previous government.

14. 

    Are John Key’s pants on fire?

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 7:14 am, May 21st, 2014 -  142 comments
    Categories: uncategorized
    Tags:

    John Key’s suggestion that he had no involvement in Ian Fletcher’s appointment as head of the GCSB apart from giving approval to the State Services Commission recommendation is appearing to be less and less likely as is his claim that he knew nothing about the Dotcom Mansion raid until shortly before it occurred.

15. 

    Campbell Live: Fletcher, Key, Clapper et al

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 7:23 pm, May 20th, 2014 -  208 comments
    Categories: accountability, john key, Spying
    Tags: GCSB, ian fletcher, kim dotcom

    Campbell Live broadcast a special on the GCSB.  It is presented information never before made public. Campbell pointed to how a major shift in NZ and 5 Eyes’ approach to intelligence. Whose interest is the GCSB operating in?  Why has John Key mislead us, or at least, fudged the details? Updated.

16. 

    Marama Davidson: candidate for Tāmaki Makaurau

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 10:11 am, May 17th, 2014 -  40 comments
    Categories: activism, child abuse, child welfare, community democracy, election 2014, families, greens, housing, internet, Maori Issues, Maori seats, poverty, Spying, sustainability
    Tags:

    Marama Davidson, is on the Green Party list & is a candidate for the Tāmaki Makaurau seat.  Davidson is a really promising up-coming politician.  She is committed to working for people, communities, the environment, democratic process, & strongly supports wahine, Māori & young people.

17. 

    “Collect it all”, “exploit it all”: 5 Eyes economic surveillance

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 9:10 pm, May 15th, 2014 -  54 comments
    Categories: accountability, capitalism, democracy under attack, john key, slippery, Spying, us politics
    Tags:

    Glenn Greenwald, interviewed on Democracy Now, outlines the extent of the NSA-led 5 Eyes surveillance systems. It is a leap from sci fi into our daily lives. Economic surveillance dominates.  John Key & Ian Fletcher have some questions to answer – have they misled us? [Update: documents link]

18. 

    NRT: The Greens’ “internet bill of rights”

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 10:55 pm, April 23rd, 2014 -  2 comments
    Categories: greens, internet
    Tags: no right turn

    No Right Turn is critical of the implementation aspects of the Greens’ internet bill of rights. Looking at his points about its flaws, it does appear that it has few real teeth. “…if you want to outlaw ISPS shaping customer traffic for anti-competitive reasons” … “then amend the Telecommunications Act to outlaw it. It wouldn’t sound as great as an “internet bill of rights”, but it would do the job better, and with more certainty of the outcome. Trying to use a general law to do it, without checking the underlying policy details, doesn’t just risk failure – it also comes across as lazy.”

19. 

    From slum-house to mega-man: Mana-TIP connections

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 1:17 pm, April 12th, 2014 -  405 comments
    Categories: election 2014, internet, mana-party, poverty, Spying, telecommunications, us politics
    Tags: kim dotcom, The Internet Party

    There’s a lot of media attention on the negotiations between Mana & The Internet Party (TIP).  Mana aims to link with some other parties. Some high profile people are scheduled to speak to Mana.  Is Dotcom’s focus on his poor childhood genuine or a PR strategy? [Update#2: Sunday, NZ Herald – green light for negotiations]

20. 

    Winning song urges Key to leave politics

    Written By:  susannact -  Date published: 10:30 am, April 7th, 2014 -  7 comments
    Categories: bill english, david cunliffe, john key, peter dunne, Satire
    Tags: colin craig, jamie whyte, kim dotcom, matt mccarten

    Tracy Whatshite, Cadet Reporter, attended the “Bellies” (held at Bellamy’s) and found out who the winners were in this year’s competition for the Best Political Song of 2014. She spoke with the judge Frankie Stevens.

    “Competition was particularly intense this year and the top entries included some old favourites, but also some surprizing new comers,” he said.

21. 

    Stand up for fairness in & for NZ – TPPA, March 29

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 11:02 am, March 13th, 2014 -  6 comments
    Categories: activism, class war, democratic participation, privatisation, quality of life, Spying, trade, us politics
    Tags: intellectual property, TPPA

    International, cronyist, corporate capitalism skews democratic processes in NZ, making it harder for the majority of battling Kiwis to get a fair go – harder to ensure all New Zealanders live in a society that works for them. The TPPA is a power-play between the US and other powerful countries.  There’s nothing in it for NZ. National Day of action March 29th, 2014.

22. 

    Five Eyes, One Network

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 12:32 pm, March 12th, 2014 -  60 comments
    Categories: accountability, democracy under attack, john key, slippery, Spying, us politics
    Tags: GCSB, nsa

    Edward Snowden revelations indicate that the US NSA pressured the NZ government to make last year’s hasty changes to the GCSB and TICS laws, to enable mass surveillance.  John Key sometimes denies he knows of visits to NZ by the NSA’s Gen Keith Alexander – but Key would have to approve the visits.

23. 

    NRT: Did the NSA write John Key’s spy bill?

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 1:20 pm, March 11th, 2014 -  16 comments
    Categories: Europe, International, john key, Spying, us politics
    Tags: edward snowden, GCSB, no right turn, nsa

    NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden gave evidence to the European Parliament last week about the NSA and mass-surveillance. The most interesting revelation? The NSA’s use of lawyers to subvert other countries limits on surveillance – including our own. So what did GCSB receive “legal guidance” on? What about the careful loopholes in the new Act

24. 

    A digital bill of rights

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 2:27 pm, March 10th, 2014 -  10 comments
    Categories: uncategorized
    Tags:

    Labour has announced its intention to enact a digital Bill of Rights which will protect basic rights such as the right to access to the Internet, protection from unwarranted mass surveillance, protection from having your personal information onsold and the prevention of hate speech.

25. 

    Dinner money

    Written By:  Zetetic -  Date published: 3:38 pm, March 9th, 2014 -  60 comments
    Categories: accountability
    Tags: corruption, john key

    The reason we know about John Key’s Antoine’s dinner donations was that they were grouped into a single donation that had to be declared.

    But what about all the other dinners where each seat is considered a separate donation?

26. 

    Filibustering

    Written By:  geoff -  Date published: 2:51 pm, March 9th, 2014 -  14 comments
    Categories: spin
    Tags: john key

    On the odd occasion when the media has picked up on the magnitude of a big issue, eg GCSB, Key was under the spotlight and he was sweating…

27. 

    LB: Government Spin and Hidden Secrets

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 4:24 pm, March 8th, 2014 -  34 comments
    Categories: Economy, education, employment, Environment, national
    Tags: child poverty, local bodies

    This National led Government has seriously mismanaged things and is desperate to hide the true effects of its governance over the last five years. I half suspect many of the retiring National MPs are jumping ship because they don’t want to be around when the proverbial hits the fan. National have carefully constructed showy facades that hide flimsy realities

28. 

    National’s ICT failures.

    Written By:  lprent -  Date published: 10:55 pm, March 4th, 2014 -  23 comments
    Categories: labour, national, same old national, Steven Joyce, telecommunications
    Tags: amy adams, clare curran, ICT

    After having the past five and bit years with National’s negative policies about anything to do with new technologies, it is really nice to see some partially formed red-tinged morning ideas about how to encourage local usage of the net appearing on the sky’s horizon.  National’s ICT strategy seems to see how uselessly slow they can do everything and how much they can slow down the development of ICT in NZ.

29. 

    The surveillance state online

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 2:06 pm, February 25th, 2014 -  9 comments
    Categories: accountability, blogs, internet, spin, Spying
    Tags:

    The leaks by Edward Snowden show many ways state surveillance agencies can workaround the legal requirements placed on them.  Selwyn Manning explained about the “Two Hop” surveillance of online targets.  On Intercept Glenn Greenwald explains the information about the use of “online covert operations”. [Update Andrea Vance on NZ spy tactics]

30. 

    NRT: So much for Parliamentary oversight

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 1:23 pm, February 24th, 2014 -  13 comments
    Categories: john key, Spying
    Tags: 5 eyes, GCSB, nsa, Parliament

    When Parliament in its select committee oversight role asks the GCSB about whether it is obeying the Public Finance Act, or whether it has formal NSA moles in its organisation, then suddenly its an “operational matter” which they can’t answer. The natural conclusion: they do and there are – because if either allegation was false, they’d just deny it. Looks like John Key’s assurances about greater parliamentary oversight over the GCSB are a lie.

31. 

    Plausible deniability: Smoke & mirrors

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 12:56 pm, February 17th, 2014 -  79 comments
    Categories: democracy under attack, john key, national, russel norman, slippery, Spying, winston peters
    Tags:

    It’s puzzling why John Key diverted attention from who spied on Winston Peters, by implicating Cameron Slater.  Following revelations about the 5 Eyes spying capabilities, & illegal surveillance of Kim Dotcom, there is much at stake for Key. Recapping some significant details in the surveillance saga.