Search Results

  1. What happened to the working class?

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 8:36 am, December 15th, 2013 -  175 comments
    Categories: accountability, activism, capitalism, class war, democratic participation, labour, mana, socialism, thinktank, uk politics, Unions
    Tags:

    In post WWII UK, working class people were gaining a stronger voice in public life.  Then came Thatcher and middle class capture of politics & the media.  Something similar happened in NZ.  How can those on low incomes and/or from the working classes gain a stronger voice in NZ politics?

  2. The party I will vote for ….

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 10:39 am, December 13th, 2013 -  157 comments
    Categories: benefits, child welfare, class war, cost of living, democratic participation, economy, education, employment, greens, infrastructure, local government, poverty, quality of life, sustainability, workers' rights
    Tags:

    … will be one that has effective policies to make a more equal, inclusive and democratic society, will seriously address the concerns of those least well-off, and not just pander to the concerns of people on (comfortable) middle incomes.Values in need of a slogan?

  3. Cameron Slater: So who pays who?

    Written By:  lprent -  Date published: 4:19 pm, December 12th, 2013 -  203 comments
    Categories: accountability, blogs, dpf, john key, national, Parliament, parliamentary spending, Politics, public services, rumour, scoundrels
    Tags: ,

    Looks like John Key’s communications boss Jason Ede has been busted supplying material for the most disgusting site in local politics – Whaleoil. It has long been suspected that he supplies material and possibly even writes for that site as part National’s dirty tricks team. Looks like we have some confirmation. So how much is the taxpayer paying for this public servant to blog and does he do it for his job? How much does Cameron Slater “demand” from the taxpayer to provide this service?

  4. Making sense of the (un)employment stats: Census 2013

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 11:22 am, December 12th, 2013 -  22 comments
    Categories: benefits, capitalism, jobs, paula bennett, same old national, unemployment
    Tags:

    A Statistics NZ Census quick stats page is both useful and puzzling. Nearly a 3rd of adults are not in the “labour force”, unemployment stats mask true unemployment, the young and low income women particularly are struggling, distorted occupation categories, and more….. [Update: Occupation categories]

  5. When the wolf cries boy

    Written By:  lprent -  Date published: 7:10 pm, December 6th, 2013 -  128 comments
    Categories: blogs, news, spin
    Tags: , ,

    Matthew Blomfield asked for a opportunity to refute some of the bull that has been stated about him and his defamation case against Cameron Slater. I’ve put it on the site because it seems fair that bloggers help fix the unfair damage that nutty bloggers like Cameron Slater can do to private individuals. Regardless of the outcome of this long-running court case, it is quite clear that Cameron Slater has used his blog to pursue someone’s vendetta far outside the realms of “journalism”.

  6. Time to end perception of degrees for sale

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 6:14 pm, December 4th, 2013 -  50 comments
    Categories: education, tertiary education
    Tags:

    The All Blacks do not give out honorary test caps to the chief financial officer of insurance sponsor AIG. Politicians no longer give seats in a House of Lords to their almsgivers and patrons. Perhaps it is time to question why our most prestigious universities give away honorary doctorates to significant benefactors. A couple of […]

  7. I think Judge Blackie got it right.

    Written By:  lprent -  Date published: 7:56 am, December 3rd, 2013 -  77 comments
    Categories: blogs, internet, law
    Tags:

    Cameron Slater simply isn’t a journalists arsewipe. For him to claim the legal privileges, protections and authority that the journalistic profession is just stupid. In the Blackie decision I think that the judge got it right, because one thing that the blogging community should not support is undeclared paid-for advertorial prosecution of individuals by blog operators. I suspect that is what the judge saw.

  8. Cameron Slater and the protection of journalistic sources

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 9:53 am, December 2nd, 2013 -  339 comments
    Categories: blogs
    Tags: ,

    Cameron Slater has been ordered in the District Court to advise on who an otherwise confidential source for a story is.  While at one level many would agree entirely with this decision there may be general considerations for the blogosphere which make this less than ideal.

  9. Battle weary & marginalised: state housing

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 9:37 am, November 28th, 2013 -  61 comments
    Categories: activism, class war, democracy under attack, greens, housing, labour, Left, mana, national, poverty, Privatisation, spin, sustainability
    Tags: ,

    The National government is destroying NZ’s state housing system.  Right of tenure removed,  a shift towards private provision of “social housing”,  housing campaigners marginalised, & Tracy Watkins crowing about the shift from the “welfare state”. Greens & Mana are for more state houses.  And Labour? [Update] Picket of (Nat) Party for the Rich Dec 8 Akl. NZH article.

  10. Boris Johnson thinks the super rich are a put upon minority

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 12:36 pm, November 26th, 2013 -  21 comments
    Categories: class war
    Tags:

    From the you have to be out of your freaking mind file comes this gem from England.  Boris Johnson thinks that the ultra wealthy are a put upon bullied minority just like the homeless and Irish travellers and ex-gang members and deserve our thanks and gratitude.

  11. Shhh! It’s the ‘P’ word.

    Written By:  Bill -  Date published: 5:01 pm, November 18th, 2013 -  340 comments
    Categories: capitalism, class, feminism, patriarchy, racism, religion, sexism, you couldn't make this shit up
    Tags: , ,

    You don’t have to be white and male and financially wealthy to assume a prominent position within systems of patriarchy, but it helps. And you don’t have to be financially strapped and black and female to feel the full weight of patriarchy always pressing down on you, but it helps.

  12. Sunday Reading

    Written By:  Bunji -  Date published: 9:26 am, November 17th, 2013 -  55 comments
    Categories: interweb
    Tags:

    My semi-regular Sunday piece of interesting, longer, deeper stories I found during the week. It’s also a chance for you to share what you found this week too. Those stimulating links you wanted to share, but just didn’t fit in anywhere. This week: science vs the internet, the UK public is wrong about everything, Russell Brand, feminism and austerity from a golden throne.

  13. Everything you wanted to know about the Chorus deal …

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 9:19 am, November 6th, 2013 -  108 comments
    Categories: capitalism, Economy, infrastructure, john key, national, same old national, telecommunications
    Tags:

    The Chorus fibre roll out deal with the Government is one of those issues that promises to embarrass the Government deeply, more deeply than us lefties may think.  Because amongst the ranks of this Government’s supporters are those who hold close to principles.  They not be our principles but nevertheless from the view of the right are just as if not more important than ours.  One of the most important is the sanctity of the market.  This is why some on the right are distraught at the generosity being shown to one of our largest corporates.

  14. ImperatorFish: Revolution!

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 9:17 pm, November 4th, 2013 -  10 comments
    Categories: Satire
    Tags:

    Scott thinks we should all join the nz taxpayers’ union. Comrades, he hasn’t seen such a fabulous undemocratic union since the Soviet one, so what could go wrong?

  15. David Cunliffe Speech to 2013 Labour Party Conference – Building a future for all

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 2:57 pm, November 2nd, 2013 -  142 comments
    Categories: david cunliffe, labour
    Tags:

    David Cunliffe’s speech notes for his speech to today’s Labour Party Conference

  16. NSA: ‘full spectrum dominance’

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 9:39 am, October 28th, 2013 -  23 comments
    Categories: accountability, capitalism, democracy under attack, internet, john key, national, slippery, Spying, telecommunications, uk politics, us politics, war
    Tags:

    Latest revelations about the NSA’s international surveillance show it is about “full spectrum dominance” of military, economic, business and political activities. The TICS Bill is the latest part of Key’s changes to NZ’s surveillance agencies, further enabling the US government dominance via NSA, especially in business & politics.

  17. National’s civil war continues

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 8:39 am, October 28th, 2013 -  140 comments
    Categories: blogs, national, spin, you couldn't make this shit up
    Tags: , ,

    Matthew Hooton said this week that Cameron Slater should put up or shut up.  Slater then promised explosive new revelations in the SST and the Herald today.  As detailed by Karol in her post The Blame Game the revelations were, but I suspect not in the way that Slater had hoped for.  Because he has succeeded beyond what I thought would be possible in converting a story about a a philandering mayor into a story of how forces on the right tried to usurp the democratic choice of Aucklanders.

  18. The Blame Game

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 7:51 am, October 27th, 2013 -  107 comments
    Categories: auckland supercity, democracy under attack, local body elections, spin, you couldn't make this shit up
    Tags: , , , ,

    And so it continues.  Inside the Palino-Wewege-Cook-Slater camp, every one is pointing the finger at everyone else and putting the blame elsewhere for the clumsily executed smear campaign against Len Brown.  Got to wonder who is in the shadows frantically pulling various levers?

  19. Is society collapse and inequality linked?

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 7:34 am, October 27th, 2013 -  61 comments
    Categories: capitalism, class war, wages
    Tags:

    US mathematician Peter Turchin believes that mathematics can predict events such as the recent constitutional crisis in America and has constructed a model based on social and economic data that he believes predicts periods of instability and disaster for nations.  This work shows the negative side of inequality and neatly compliments the work of Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett in the Spirit Level that showed the benefits of increased equality.

  20. Fight you bastards fight

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 9:26 am, October 23rd, 2013 -  49 comments
    Categories: bill english, election 2014, john key, Judith Collins, national, same old national
    Tags: ,

    At least one MP if not the whole of National’s caucus knew that the news concerning Len Brown and Bevan Chuang would break soon eight days before it did.  Slater’s and Palino’s claims are becoming more and more difficult to believe.  And in a comment yesterday Bad12 sums up why this is such bad news for National.

  21. Cam Slater: politely being called a lying arsehole

    Written By:  lprent -  Date published: 2:28 am, October 22nd, 2013 -  130 comments
    Categories: blogs
    Tags: , , , ,

    I’ve been trying to think of a way of expressing my complete and utter distaste for the arsehole of the local blogs and politics. But someone beat me to it. Hamish Price has been attacked in the usual way by Cameron Slater. Here is his facebook statement in response.

    This rings quite true to me from what I know of the people and timelines.

  22. National’s Civil War

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 11:59 am, October 21st, 2013 -  171 comments
    Categories: national
    Tags: , ,

    It is clear that there is significant concern within the National Party with the behaviour of Cameron Slater and there is worry that a New Zealand version of the Tea party is forming.  There is an interesting battle developing between the civilised cautious wing of the Party and the Tea Party take no prisoners approach of Slater and Lusk.  The future of the National Party is at stake …

  23. Tat Loo: Viper Pilot

    Written By:  Colonial Viper -  Date published: 12:40 pm, October 20th, 2013 -  333 comments
    Categories: labour
    Tags:

    You can get buried in the minutiae of policy detail, House speeches and daily news cycles, thinking that success there will win an election. Outside the Thorndon Bubble however, nothing is further from the truth. A reconnected Labour Party presenting gutsy alternatives using a narrative quite different to the old neoliberal consensus is starting to get serious voter attention. Now is the time to press ‘turbo boost’.

  24. Note to Labour leader: Rudimentary thoughts I

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 12:51 pm, October 18th, 2013 -  98 comments
    Categories: labour
    Tags:

    In a series of short opinion pieces The Black Rod examines the road to victory for Labour in 2014.

    “It may upset some Labour members who position themselves to the Left in the Labour camp, but in broad terms Labour should seek to target and capture the support of those who generally consider themselves centrist. And those who would consider themselves to be an intermittent Labour voter. This is the real ground to be captured in 2014.”

  25. In defence of Bevan Chuang

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 8:11 am, October 17th, 2013 -  283 comments
    Categories: blogs
    Tags: , , ,

    We have two politicians in trouble in New Zealand.  One is facing two years jail.  The other is facing opprobrium for inappropriate moral behaviour.  Of course the politician who breached the moral code is facing the most examination.  The character of the other woman has also been heavily scrutinised and commented on and she has gone into hiding.  Perhaps it is time that her wish for privacy is respected.

  26. Cunliffe stands strong for fair pay and your work rights

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 6:29 am, October 10th, 2013 -  139 comments
    Categories: jobs, minimum wage, wages, workers' rights
    Tags:

    David Cunliffe showed that he wasn’t just pandering for votes in the leadership race by reaffirming and strengthening his commitment to work rights at the CTU conference yesterday. When David is PM the minimum wage will rise to $15 an hour, the public service will set an example by paying the living wage, and the Nats’ attacks on rights will be reversed – no more Fire at Will, no more youth rates.

  27. ImperatorFish: Hear Me!

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 6:39 pm, September 30th, 2013 -  8 comments
    Categories: Media, the praiseworthy and the pitiful
    Tags: ,

    A Pundit’s call to listen. Gotta love Talking Heads. You know they’re important, or at least they certainly do…

  28. Matthew Hooton apologises … sort of …

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 8:52 am, September 30th, 2013 -  74 comments
    Categories: david cunliffe, Media, radio
    Tags:

    nine-to-noon-matthew-hooton1Matthew Hooton has issued a public apology to David Cunliffe for his comments last week.  It is a begrudging pale imitation of a proper apology and it is tucked behind NBR’s paywall but a backdown it is.  All ears will now be on Radio New Zealand today and if Hooton does appear then there will be interesting issues raised about balance.

  29. On national’s smear tactics

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 9:34 pm, September 25th, 2013 -  100 comments
    Categories: crosby textor, same old national, you couldn't make this shit up
    Tags:

    As Irish predicted, the Nats continued their desperate smear campaign today with the revelation that David Cunliffe doesn’t actually have a qualification he never actually claimed to have. Honestly, you couldn’t make this shit up.

  30. ImperatorFish: I did not order this

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 8:09 am, September 25th, 2013 -  11 comments
    Categories: Conservation, national, politicans
    Tags:

    Just to be clear: Nick Smith did not order the Big Brunch Fry-up, no matter what he might have said.

  31. National goes dirty

    Written By:  IrishBill -  Date published: 10:37 pm, September 24th, 2013 -  131 comments
    Categories: brand key, dpf, same old national
    Tags:

    It’s not been surprising to see National’s dirty tricks machine groan back to life over the last week to attack Cunliffe.

    And you’ll not be surprised to know more is due over the next few days.

    What is surprising is just how hamfistedly they’re doing it.

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