Search Results

  1. Tale of two Irelands

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 9:41 am, February 20th, 2014 -  42 comments
    Categories: bill english, Economy, john key, treasury
    Tags: , , ,

    Tracey recounts the rise and fall of the `financial genius` John Key’s pet financial hub for NZ to emulate the paragon economies that tried it. Like Ireland – the home of the jobless and deserted housing projects.

    Fortunately he was somehow prevented from stuffing NZ in this way. However he did put in some legislation of dubious value to allow NZ to be used as a haven for hot money fleeing taxes…

  2. Russel Norman to Colin Craig – Bring it on

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 7:28 am, February 18th, 2014 -  121 comments
    Categories: conservative party, greens, russel norman
    Tags:

    Colin Craig has threatened Russel Norman with defamation proceedings unless he apologises for saying that Craig prefers women to be in the kitchen and gays should be in the closet.  Norman has refused to apologise.  At the risk of being thrown out of the Lawyers’ union shouldn’t they debate these issues publicly and let the public decide rather than fight it out in Court?

  3. 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.

  4. Dotcom snoopers: The “dirty, disgusting, despicable game”

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 4:19 pm, February 14th, 2014 -  73 comments
    Categories: blogs, brand key, john key, slippery, spin, Spying, uncategorized
    Tags:

    So, the PM is hinting that his tips about Winston Peters visiting Kim Dotcom 3 times, came from Cameron Slater.  But then, who was Slater’s informant? Key admits to on-going contact with Slater. [Update: transcript of John Key stand up vid, Stuff – Update 2: transcript edited; 3 News]

  5. LB: Rich Schools, Poor Schools

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 3:33 pm, February 14th, 2014 -  6 comments
    Categories: education, schools
    Tags: ,

    Local bodies makes points about the changes in the school system over the years. The nett effect over decades has been to force the inter-generational inequality that a good school system is meant to prevent. The type of school system that this government favours appears to be designed to remove the opportunities for those whose parents aren’t lucky. Is it time to start again?

  6. Herding Cats: Leadership, authoritarianism and Nationals “education”? policy

    Written By:  KJT -  Date published: 12:05 pm, February 14th, 2014 -  79 comments
    Categories: child welfare, education, Privatisation, schools, Unions
    Tags:

    Not the bright young man who has to be paid a million dollars to come to work. The new broom,  who fixes what ain’t broke, cost cuts, asset strips, takes his share options, and leaves.
    Just what schools need. More of this approach.

  7. Is John Key a shape shifting reptilian?

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 3:03 pm, February 12th, 2014 -  55 comments
    Categories: john key, Satire
    Tags:

    Recent allegations have surfaced suggesting that John Key is a shape shifting reptilian and the Labour Party is doing a deal with Ymir, King of the Frost Giants regarding the electorate of Ginnungagap in an attempt to win the 2014 election.  Is it just me or is politics getting really weird?

  8. Damien Grant thinks tax fraudsters are more worthy than beneficiary fraudsters

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 9:30 am, February 9th, 2014 -  238 comments
    Categories: benefits, class war, poverty, tax
    Tags:

    Damien Grant has argued in the latest Herald that those convicted of tax evasion should be treated more leniently than those convicted of beneficiary fraud even though an average tax fraud case resulting in jail may involve eleven times as much money.  Obviously wealthy people are somehow better …

  9. Sea Shepherd v the Institute of Cretinous Research

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 11:55 am, February 4th, 2014 -  31 comments
    Categories: Conservation, Environment, uncategorized
    Tags: , , ,

    The Sea Shepherd fleet and the Japanese Whaling fleet are again engaged in battle on the south seas over the right to kill whales.  The Institute for Cetacean Research’s spokesperson Glenn Inwood has claimed that the Sea Shepherd is totally in the wrong and the Japanese are completely within their rights.  But how credible is this?

  10. rnz logo

    Dear RadioNZ – the largest party does not necessarily win the election

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 9:06 am, February 3rd, 2014 -  150 comments
    Categories: election 2014, greens, labour, national, Politics
    Tags:

    Radio New Zealand this morning keeps saying that National could “win” the election but struggle to form a Government.  This statement suggests that the Country’s foremost current affairs radio station may be struggling with the concept of MMP.

  11. What do you value?

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 10:16 pm, January 30th, 2014 -  54 comments
    Categories: Deep stuff
    Tags: ,

    Tim Watkins has written a piece on Labour’s Best Start policy.

    Down in the comments were the most incredible remarks I have read in support of the policies.

  12. Opposing the PM’s statement

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 8:49 pm, January 28th, 2014 -  18 comments
    Categories: benefits, capitalism, child welfare, class war, david cunliffe, education, equality, greens, hone harawira, housing, jobs, labour, mana, poverty, russel norman, sustainability, vision, welfare, workers' rights
    Tags:

    The PMs’ statement todaywas a bit of a fizzer: lacking ideas, a lot of waffle.  Some opposition speeches were more inspiring, & laid out some real alternatives: like the speeches from Cunliffe (on fire), Norman (inspiring), Ardern (animated) & Harawira (real people; real struggles).

  13. Trickleup

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 9:39 am, January 26th, 2014 -  207 comments
    Categories: benefits, capitalism, class, class war, david cunliffe, Economy, minimum wage
    Tags: ,

    There has been an abundance of research showing that communities and societies function better when their resources are shared around.  But the need to persuade ordinary people that this is so is the most important thing to achieve.  Because without popular support attempts to change the current system are bound to fail.

  14. Socioecomonic status and educational outcomes (and the ignorance of DPF)

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 7:50 am, January 25th, 2014 -  49 comments
    Categories: dpf, education, poverty
    Tags: , , ,

    It would suit the right-wing of politics to ignore the profound impact of poverty on education. Nat blogger DPF ran the line just yesterday. His bombastic and ignorant conclusion is based on a trivially superficial reading of Hattie’s work.

  15. Polity: The truth about the gap between the rich and the rest

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 1:31 pm, January 24th, 2014 -  61 comments
    Categories: Economy, john key, national, same old national, spin, treasury, wages, you couldn't make this shit up
    Tags: , , ,

    John Key was careful in his speech. He and his government have helped themselves and their affluent mates while screwing everyone else. It is pretty clear who has been getting the benefits – since 2010 just the households with at least a hundred thousand dollars income. The bigger the household income, the more National helps. John Key – a liar with numbers.

  16. Isolating change: the poverty of education

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 11:24 am, January 24th, 2014 -  60 comments
    Categories: child welfare, class war, david cunliffe, education, election 2014, equality, greens, Hekia parata, john key, labour, Metiria Turei, same old national
    Tags:

    John Key presented one great idea in isolation instead of a full election agenda: a desperate attempt to stop the growing discontents with his government.  He failed to address underlying problems.  Cunliffe will outline a broader political agenda.  Turei addresses poverty & income inequalities.

  17. Herald massaging a message

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 5:19 pm, January 23rd, 2014 -  23 comments
    Categories: act, articles, auckland supercity, len brown, local government, Media, national, national/act government, rodney hide
    Tags: ,

    The Herald continues its tabloid-style vendetta against Len Brown by serving up non-news in a shock-horror frame to make the mayor look bad. With a combination of the delicate removal/rewriting of what was said and a a senile loss of memory about the chains imposed on Auckland by National, Act and Rodney Hide – the Granny Herald continues its downward slide into irrelevance.

  18. Spot the difference! Stating the nation

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 10:19 am, January 23rd, 2014 -  97 comments
    Categories: child welfare, class, climate change, cost of living, david cunliffe, democratic participation, economy, education, election 2014, equality, greens, john key, labour, poverty, russel norman, same old national, sustainability
    Tags:

    [Updated] Speeches: Key (today ZB Transcript). PM’s speech – untruths, misdirections & corporatisation of education – comment added. Cunliffe on Monday, on greater opportunities for all Kiwis. Metiria Turei’s speech, Sunday – will talk education, environment. Peters responds to Key. Greens response – education. Cunliffe’s Stand-up – audio.

  19. Polity: Some evidence about welfare

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 7:44 am, January 22nd, 2014 -  106 comments
    Categories: benefits, child welfare, crime, paula bennett, Social issues, welfare
    Tags: , ,

    This post by polity certainly adds some grist to the debate on unconditional basic income (UBI) and kids. It looks at the example provided by the Cherokee in a natural quasi-experiment in North Carolina on how kids grow up. Being generous and acting early pays off.

  20. Scoop and Whaleoil, a tale of two websites

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 6:50 am, January 18th, 2014 -  134 comments
    Categories: blogs, Media
    Tags: ,

    Kim Dotcom has previously caused havoc amongst the ranks of ACT and National and now has caused significant disruption to the proudly independent Scoop media organisation.  And Cameron Slater has jumped on the bandwagon claiming that the payment of money was an anathema to any political blogsite because it distorted their independence.  The sense of irony is strong here …

  21. There is science, and then there are dickheads

    Written By:  lprent -  Date published: 9:19 am, January 17th, 2014 -  153 comments
    Categories: climate change, global warming, rodney hide, science
    Tags:

    Over the last three centuries science has established a pretty robust technique for overturning consensus and examining the weirder areas of science. You have to publish. Waving an untestable vague idea of cause and effect around based on wordplay is something that is better left to politicians, con artists, and religionists. Waving his dick around like Rodney Hide did on Sunday merely proves that he doesn’t think with his brain.

  22. NRT: Dirty dairying and moral culpability

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 11:00 am, January 16th, 2014 -  30 comments
    Categories: Economy, Environment, farming, sustainability
    Tags:

    There seems to be a divide in kiwi farming at present. On one side those just after a quick buck based on dirtying the cheap resource of water held in common. On the other generational family farmers. The result is a classic tragedy of the commons problem that we will be paying to clean up for many generations.

  23. The Internet Party

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 3:01 pm, January 15th, 2014 -  304 comments
    Categories: uncategorized
    Tags: ,

    Kim Dotcom’s Internet Party appears to be ready to take off.  And if the rumours are true he has some heavyweight advisers and a strategy that may threaten National more than any other party.

  24. Paula Bennett wastes taxpayers money on drug testing

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 8:45 am, January 13th, 2014 -  108 comments
    Categories: benefits, class war, national, national/act government, paula bennett, same old national, welfare
    Tags:

    The first results of Paula Bennett’s drug testing of beneficiaries has been released.  Only 0.27% of the 8,000 beneficiaries required to be tested either failed or refused to take the test.  The testing is a colossal waste of money but is performing an important political role by making the Government look like it is being tough on beneficiaries.

  25. ImperatorFish: Unity!

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 11:59 am, January 12th, 2014 -  22 comments
    Categories: humour, parody, Satire
    Tags:

    In which ImperatorFish vows to turn over a new leaf and despite the outrageous and completely unfair barbs aimed in his direction. He will NOT respond to the wrong thinking arseholes! Afterall this is election year.

    It is nice that he has included the “pond slime over at The Standard” in this vow.

  26. Its not easy being Green

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 12:39 pm, January 11th, 2014 -  175 comments
    Categories: climate change, greens, labour, Left, national
    Tags:

    There is an important debate for both Labour and the Greens to have about the level of cooperation they should display this year.  Some commentators have suggested that the Greens will be sidelined and that the battle will be between Labour and National but this is MMP and every vote counts.  The goal for progressives has to be to increase the overall left vote.

  27. Garth George’s best column … ever

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 9:01 am, January 6th, 2014 -  117 comments
    Categories: capitalism, class war, poverty
    Tags:

    Garth George’s latest newspaper column has a progressive prescription for the abolishing of poverty, some marxist analysis, a heavy criticism of Australian Banks and a conclusion that laissez-faire capitalism has to go.  I never thought he was a radical …

  28. Josie Pagani replies

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 2:20 pm, January 3rd, 2014 -  127 comments
    Categories: blogs, labour
    Tags: ,

    Josie Pagani objected to mickysavage’s post objecting to her post at Pundit, and wanted to publish this as a right of reply. That is something that doesn’t exist on this or any blog. After all there is always another site to put content up on. However the ongoing debate going on here about how the left and the labour movement should operate and communicate (from many different angles) makes it of interest.

  29. Forty Christmases

    Written By:  RedLogix -  Date published: 11:20 pm, December 25th, 2013 -  49 comments
    Categories: Economy, Left, quality of life, Social issues
    Tags: ,

    Exactly 40 years ago to the day I was having a white Christmas – on the summit of Mr Fyfe overlooking Kaikoura. Today I celebrate another Christmas, high on another mountain, in another part of the world – with a light dusting of very dry, very icy snow drifting on the wind. The decades in […]

  30. How has the year been for you?

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 9:42 am, December 18th, 2013 -  145 comments
    Categories: class war, cost of living, poverty, same old national, welfare, workers' rights
    Tags:

    The government &  many of its cheerleaders are joining in a re-vitalised chorus of a brighter future right around the corner of “Christmas cheer”. Many Kiwis are struggling with the realities of poverty.  How was your year on the inequality scale?

  31. Chorus insider trading?

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 8:40 am, December 17th, 2013 -  35 comments
    Categories: capitalism, class war, john key, telecommunications
    Tags: ,

    The Government appears to be softening us up for a financial contribution to Chorus in the realm of $250 million so that it can do what it has a contractual obligation to do anyway.  And TUANZ thinks that some insider trading is going on with Chorus’s shares.

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.