Search Results

  1. Polity: Shifting ground?

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 11:31 am, August 7th, 2014 -  19 comments
    Categories: colin craig, election 2014, Gerry Brownlee, grant robertson, national, Parliament, Steven Joyce
    Tags: , , ,

    Rob Salmond looks at the recent shifts in media opinion pieces. Perhaps the National strategy of getting the house to rise too early has backfired. It appears to be giving opposition parties more room to showcase their policy, more room for National to showcase its arrogance, and more time for the polls to close.

  2. ImperatorFish: A statement from the Israel Defence Force

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 8:00 am, August 5th, 2014 -  81 comments
    Categories: International, parody, Satire, war
    Tags: , , ,

    The indiscriminate and criminal slaughter of children and civilians of Gaza perpetrated by the fearlessly over-armed IDF must make every Israeli or fellow traveller armchair warrior grasp their groin in total excitement.

  3. Guest post – Gaza

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 9:00 am, August 2nd, 2014 -  124 comments
    Categories: war
    Tags:

    A guest post by Puddleglum on Gaza featuring a calm dismantling of Israel’s illogical defence of genocide.

  4. ImperatorFish: I did not order this – again

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 10:30 am, July 29th, 2014 -  3 comments
    Categories: Satire
    Tags:

    Scott reposts this Nick Smith classic.

  5. Local Bodies: Manipulated Data and the Art of Deception

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 12:28 pm, July 28th, 2014 -  7 comments
    Categories: brand key, crime, education, Environment, health, john key, national, poverty, same old national, science, spin
    Tags: ,

    The National led Government are desperate to present the good news stories to promote the success of the past six years of their governance. They have increased the budget and the numbers of their spin doctors to ensure that it is mainly positive messages that make into the public domain. The Government cleverly manipulates data to hide the extent of poverty the degradation of the environment and the success of our economy. Of course most of us who live in the real world know that National’s reality is a falsely constructed one.

  6. TVNZ’s white male syndrome

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 10:46 am, July 26th, 2014 -  86 comments
    Categories: broadcasting, democracy under attack, election 2014, greens, labour, national, patriarchy, tv
    Tags:

    The focus of criticism of Mike Hosking as moderator for the TVNZ Leaders has been on his blatant pro-Nat bias. Hosking’s also has a track record of sexism and put-downs of some of the least powerful people in society.  Are only white males eligible for the job?

  7. Why can’t John Key tell us how much Hauiti has ripped us off?

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 11:50 am, July 24th, 2014 -  30 comments
    Categories: john key, national, national/act government, same old national, slippery
    Tags:

    John Key claims to not know how much money Claudette Hauiti has spent on her credit card and suggests that a list demotion has persuaded her to stand down.  Surely he should ask.  If he doesn’t then the media should ask why not.  And was Hauiti persuaded or pushed into not standing again?

  8. Re-writing 2nd Wave Women’s Movement: Pat Rosier – h/t Hand Mirror

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 1:02 pm, July 19th, 2014 -  8 comments
    Categories: benefits, feminism, history, socialism, workers' rights
    Tags:

    A must read Hand Mirror post acknowledges the passing of Pat Rossier. She played a significant role in NZ’s 2nd wave Women’s Movement.  Misinformation about feminism fails to represent its diversity & socialist underpinnings. A full chronicle of the NZ 2nd wave is needed.

  9. NZ First conference – Saturday.

    Written By:  lprent -  Date published: 10:17 am, July 19th, 2014 -  70 comments
    Categories: nz first, winston peters
    Tags:

    At the Alexandra Park racecourse for the NZ First conference.Just listened to Paddy Gower in his interview with Winston Peters. The interesting bit was the questioning about Winston standing in East Coast Bays if Steven Joyce/John Key make a deal with the conservatives and Murray McCully stands aside. That will be interesting, and I suspect under those circumstances that he’d get a lot of votes.

  10. Polity: Poor pay more tax than rich in UK

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 7:55 am, July 19th, 2014 -  134 comments
    Categories: tax, uk politics
    Tags: , , ,

    The British public estimates the poor pay around 24% of their income in tax, while the rich pay around 35%. The truth is very different. Once you add up all taxes, the poorest actually pay around 43% of their income in tax, compared to only 35% for the rich. We have the same perceptual issues in NZ especially if you listen to the whining of Kiwiblog. Here the poorest pay the same tax rate as the rich, and the middle classes have the lower tax rate.

  11. Polity: Minimum wage rises do not cause unemployment

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 10:00 am, July 16th, 2014 -  48 comments
    Categories: Economy, minimum wage, wages
    Tags: , ,

    In the cartoon world of Economics 101, there is perfect supply, perfect competition, perfect demand, perfect information and prices for labour (and everything else) are set at their true market values. The real world is somewhat different.

  12. Dotcom – Who applied the political pressure?

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 8:46 am, July 16th, 2014 -  219 comments
    Categories: john key, national, national/act government, same old national, you couldn't make this shit up
    Tags: ,

    National is claiming that Immigration NZ’s decision to allow Kim Dotcom to stay was made without any political pressure being applied.  But it was the decision of the SIS to remove its block on Dotcom’s application that let the approval be granted.  Why did the SIS remove its block and who applied the political pressure?

  13. Polity: Judith Collins on crime

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 2:36 pm, July 14th, 2014 -  32 comments
    Categories: crime, Judith Collins, police
    Tags: ,

    Last week, new information became public about potential stat-juking by our Police. The practice of reclassifying crimes as “incidents” has the effect of artificially reducing the apparent crime rate. This practice occurred mainly in the Counties-Manukau police district, which operates in the electorate of then-Police Minister Judith Collins.  That is, of course, troubling on a number of levels.

    Updated.

  14. The real aims of National’s “Education” policy.

    Written By:  KJT -  Date published: 10:32 am, July 8th, 2014 -  149 comments
    Categories: business, class war, equality, jobs, national/act government, Privatisation, Public Private Partnerships, tax, Unions, workers' rights, you couldn't make this shit up
    Tags:

    If the aims of National/ACT’s education policy were, genuinely, to to improve the learning, education and career choices for our children, including the ones that are failing at present, they would not be following policies which have signally failed to achieve any of these goals, anywhere else they have been tried.

  15. David Cunliffe’s speech to the Labour Party congress

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 3:41 pm, July 6th, 2014 -  109 comments
    Categories: david cunliffe, election 2014, labour
    Tags:

    David Cunliffe’s speech to the Labour Party congress delivered today.

  16. “Hope and Wire”: Disaster & collaboration

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 3:09 pm, July 4th, 2014 -  10 comments
    Categories: christchurch earthquake, class war, disaster, socialism, tv
    Tags:

    Responses to TV3’s miniseries, Hope and Wire, based on the Christchurch quakes & aftermath, are mixed.  The opening episodes set up some universal themes: of wealth-seeking individualism versus community solidarity and collaboration.  Many in Christchurch are angry that their city, and it’s experiences, have been mis-represented.

  17. Labour plans to win

    Written By:  Mike Smith -  Date published: 1:11 pm, July 4th, 2014 -  122 comments
    Categories: uncategorized
    Tags:

    It’s true, Labour does have a plan to win this election. And the plan’s a good one. Campaign Manager David Talbot and Polity’s Rob Salmond presented it to members and media this morning at the Loaves and Fishes in Wellington, so it is out in the open. And it doesn’t depend on miracles.

  18. Bryan Gould: An impartial press

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 11:25 am, June 29th, 2014 -  34 comments
    Categories: accountability, david cunliffe, labour, making shit up, Media, news, Politics, spin, uk politics
    Tags: , , ,

    Ed Miliband is competent, has the support of his party, but has abysmal poll ratings. The right-wing British press has played a significant role. For instance a messy bacon sandwich. In New Zealand, we all know that the British press is notoriously biased and that our own press may have their own allegiances but are reasonably  impartial. Which is why there are some disturbing features about the press treatment of the supposed “scandal” (as it is regularly referred to) of Donghua Liu and David Cunliffe.

  19. The #teamkey personality cult

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 9:48 am, June 29th, 2014 -  120 comments
    Categories: election 2014, john key, national
    Tags:

    National has unveiled aspects of its 2014 campaign with John Key being a cult like figure and a slogan that makes it sound like National cares for ordinary New Zealanders.

  20. John Key - spy vs lie

    Irascible: The Herald and Key duck, scuttle and run as Donghua Liu story loses credibility

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 2:19 pm, June 28th, 2014 -  35 comments
    Categories: john key
    Tags: , , , ,

    It looks like the powers that be on the Herald’s editorial board are starting to realise that being a paid shill for the Key owned National Party is not as wise a move as they thought. Particularly as the realisation that the allegations fed from John Key and those around Donghua Liu are proving to be a quicksand that is sucking the already doubtful credibility of the paper as a crusading, principled record of fact away from it.

  21. Imperator Fish: My statement to the New Zealand Herald

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 2:35 pm, June 26th, 2014 -  14 comments
    Categories: humour, Satire
    Tags: , ,

    Scott Yorke writes a statement for Jared Savage at the NZ Herald to conceal while attacking Labour with. As we know Jared will treat this with his usual journalistic caution and therefore briefly read it before publishing. Some of it might be true!!! Labour should be able to prove a negative with no information. That works for that paragon of journalism Cameron Slater, so why should the NZ Herald miss out on the joys of getting headlines out of nothing being verified. In fact the only thing wrong is that the source isn’t National dirty tricks (John Key’s top drawer).

  22. Reverse ferret bites PM on arse.

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 2:46 pm, June 24th, 2014 -  83 comments
    Categories: john key, national, same old national
    Tags: , , , ,

    PM John Key has performed a backflip by now suggesting Donghua Liu should front up with evidence to support the NZ Herald’s unsubstantiated claim that he donated substantial sums to Labour. This is a world away from his previous position that it was up to Labour to show that no donation was made. It’s increasingly looking like it simply not true and the Herald has been played like a fiddle. And two, the fiddle planter is Cameron Slater, the PM’s bestie from way back.

  23. The spirit of ’35

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 10:32 am, June 24th, 2014 -  50 comments
    Categories: activism, benefits, capitalism, election 2014, greens, internet mana party, labour, poverty, welfare, workers' rights
    Tags:

    Jan Logie’s post: “Work  and Income – stories from hidden people” is a must read:  stories from a divisive society, under a callous government that benefits the few at the expense of too many. We can do much better than that.  Vote for change this election!

  24. Polity: Even non-coattail electorate deals can create unfair advantage

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 10:15 am, June 12th, 2014 -  21 comments
    Categories: elections, electoral systems, MMP
    Tags:

    What of the deals with true minnow parties, like United Future or ACT? If a party is only polling enough to get one seat anyway, does it matter to Parliament overall whether the small party wins an electorate or its client big party wins it instead? The answer is “possibly, yes,” because we can never be sure which party ultimately loses a seat to accommodate the new minnow party in a 120 seat parliament. Say a Epsom deal as a test case

  25. Paula Bennett now believes in education for solo parents

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 9:27 am, June 11th, 2014 -  70 comments
    Categories: benefits, budget 2014, labour, national, paula bennett, welfare
    Tags:

    Five years after making cuts to the training incentive allowance for solo parents wanting to educate themselves National is moving to provide some support and now realises that it makes long term sense to invest in education for solo parents. Could it be there is an election around the corner and National realises that it is vulnerable on issues relating to poverty and inequality?

  26. Paul Goldsmith and the bag of flour

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 1:34 pm, June 9th, 2014 -  34 comments
    Categories: act, election 2014, greens, labour, national
    Tags: , ,

    Yesterday TV3 on the Nation hosted a debate between the candidates for the Epsom seat. Unbelievably National’s Paul Goldsmith did not show up. Labour’s Michael Wood produced a bag of wholemeal flour and has promised to take this bag to every public event and to put it where Goldsmith should be every time he does not show up. I suspect we are going to see this particular bag of flour a lot …

  27. David Farrar badly needs night school

    Written By:  lprent -  Date published: 3:08 pm, June 6th, 2014 -  45 comments
    Categories: blogs, crime, David Farrar, education, electoral systems, john banks, john key, police, political education, you couldn't make this shit up
    Tags: , , ,

    In Kiwiblog this morning, David Farrar appeared to be running a 9th floor pre-pump for John Banks to resign. But I was rather incredulous when I read this “I don’t think the Judge has actually helped the Government by delaying the decision on entering a conviction. Now that it is the Judge’s role to care about the impact on the Government.”. Huh? DPF badly needs to go back to do some adult education. Perhaps to night school?

  28. Dotcom 2 Banks 0

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 8:06 am, June 6th, 2014 -  88 comments
    Categories: act, john banks, national, same old national
    Tags:

    Justice Wyllie’s written decision in the John Banks case makes compelling and damning reading.  Banks has been found guilty because he engineered a situation where a false return was produced and he signed it knowing of this defect. His continued presence in Parliament must be untenable.

  29. D Day for John Banks

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 7:58 am, June 5th, 2014 -  99 comments
    Categories: act, john banks, national, national/act government
    Tags: ,

    D Day for John Banks is today. Is he guilty of making a false declaration of his electoral expenses? Will he be convicted? And what are the political repercussions?

  30. NRT: Hoist by her own petard?

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 2:41 pm, June 3rd, 2014 -  20 comments
    Categories: internet, Judith Collins, making shit up, twitter
    Tags: , ,

    One should defend the right of a politician and anyone else to be a complete dork on the net. Even Judith Collins doesn’t need two years in jail for lying to a reporter about another reporter or tweeting bullying abusive rubbish. However many would see Collins’ tweets as “part of the cut and thrust between politicians and journalists”, and they’d be right. But the fact that they would be illegal under her law shows just how awful that law is

  31. Why does David Farrar hate Winston Peters so much?

    Written By:  geoff -  Date published: 8:37 pm, May 29th, 2014 -  207 comments
    Categories: David Farrar, winston peters
    Tags:

    David Farrar has quite a thing for Winston Peters…

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