Search Results

  1. Everything is waffle

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 1:40 pm, March 8th, 2011 -  158 comments
    Categories: labour, Politics
    Tags:

    There isn’t just one hard truth to NZ politics at the moment. The second is equally unpopular with people, but if it doesn’t offer a clear way forward it at least suggests a fixable problem. At the same time, it’s not the kind of thing Labour/the Left want to have bandied about too publicly in an election year.

  2. Cometh the Hour

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 9:19 pm, March 7th, 2011 -  53 comments
    Categories: Deep stuff, disaster, heritage, history, housing, sustainability
    Tags: ,

    ChrisH submitted this incredibly knowledgeable and well-researched post on the rebuilding of Christchurch a few days ago. The announcement that large parts now lower-lying eastern suburbs will be abandoned lends more strength to his call for a visionary urban plan for the new, more resilient Christchurch. And Phil Goff has the history to present it.

  3. For God’s sake, be straight with us

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 1:50 pm, March 7th, 2011 -  115 comments
    Categories: disaster, Gerry Brownlee, john key, spin
    Tags: ,

    John Key and Gerry Brownlee made extremely foolish comments attacking the coronal staff trying to identify the dead and about knocking down all the historic buildings. Now, they’re lying about those statements. This crisis is too big for this childish bullshit. John, you need to be a real leader, not a naughty schoolboy lying to cover your mistakes.

  4. Farrar fluffs food figures

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 11:28 am, March 7th, 2011 -  51 comments
    Categories: dpf, Economy, food, spin, wages
    Tags:

    I thought that with a devastating earthquake, a record oil/food price spike, an unemployment tsunami, and a double-dip recession that the Nats’ apologists might have realised it was time for honest discussion of the issues and solutions. Instead, they’re still trying to bury our heads in the sand.

  5. Truly Stranded

    Written By:  lprent -  Date published: 11:30 am, March 4th, 2011 -  21 comments
    Categories: blogs, humour, Satire
    Tags: , , ,

    One of the names that the self-inflated blogs who consider themselves to be the “taste police” give us is the unimaginative juvenile name of The Stranded. Typically this is when they are writing a silly post trying to tell us why we should think like them (I guess everyone is entitled to a unrealistic dream). Anyway I thought I’d give them some real bad taste to moan about in a Friday Fun post (warning – written in the Cactus Kate style).

  6. The art of political prediction

    Written By:  r0b -  Date published: 9:12 am, March 2nd, 2011 -  21 comments
    Categories: open mike
    Tags:

    Make enough predictions and some of them will turn out to be true.  Here are two fine examples of the art of political prediction which reach completely opposite conclusions.  Take your pick…

  7. Some personal reflections on the quake

    Written By:  r0b -  Date published: 7:20 am, February 28th, 2011 -  57 comments
    Categories: broadcasting, disaster, public services
    Tags: , ,

    There’s been lots of good stuff written on the quake, I’m not going to try to add to it in any systematic way.  These are just a few random personal reflections from inside the disaster zone, big picture and small, all that I can put my head around writing tonight.

  8. The quake: media coverage and leadership

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 12:49 pm, February 26th, 2011 -  140 comments
    Categories: disaster, leadership, Media
    Tags:

    Apart from Radio New Zealand, which is doing an excellent job as our public broadcaster, and The Press, the media’s coverage of the quake has disappointed. Supplying needed information has been a secondary priority behind the morbid running death count and Facebook-derived stories of the dead. Also: a response to Armstrong’s quake-article.

  9. The Domino recessions

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 11:21 am, February 25th, 2011 -  67 comments
    Categories: energy
    Tags: , ,

    I read a book a while back that was set in the near future after what it called the ‘Domino recessions’ – successive oil shocks had created a series of economic and political crises, each one before the world had recovered from the previous recession. As the second oil shock in three years hits, that scenario looks to be coming to true.

  10. Key out of touch on food & poverty

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 10:52 am, February 20th, 2011 -  67 comments
    Categories: brand key, class war, food, john key, poverty
    Tags:

    Hunger and malnutrition are stalking New Zealand families. Hundreds of thousands are just one shock – whether an illness, or a large bill – from not being able to afford basic food. This is not good enough in our land of plenty. Multi-millionaire John Key doesn’t empathise. To him poverty is a moral failing but he’s seriously out of touch.

  11. Greens right on Gillard

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 10:00 am, February 15th, 2011 -  147 comments
    Categories: greens, Parliament
    Tags:

    It seems odd at first, blocking our closest friend’s leader from speaking in our Parliament, but the Greens were right to look at the higher principle. The debating chamber is where our sovereign assembly meets, it is not a place for foreigners to come, at the government of the day’s invitation, and lecture our elected representatives. I think the NBR put it best..

  12. In Defence of the Nanny State

    Written By:  Bunji -  Date published: 3:41 pm, February 8th, 2011 -  63 comments
    Categories: Social issues
    Tags:

    I get frustrated with the right claiming “Nanny State” on everything (except when it’s them banning cell-phones when driving etc).  So it was with interest I read famous philosopher Alain de Botton’s piece on the BBC yesterday: In defence of the nanny state.

  13. Hickey on the tax bludgers

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 9:00 am, February 6th, 2011 -  62 comments
    Categories: labour, phil goff, tax
    Tags:

    Bernard Hickey looks at the tax bludgers. Labour’s plans to introduce a higher new top tax rate would raise needed tax from those who can most afford it. But it would also foster more tax bludging by the rich. Rather than throw the baby out with the bathwater by abolishing the top rate, we need to eliminate the avenues for bludging.

  14. Bloody Klowns

    Written By:  Bill -  Date published: 9:13 am, February 5th, 2011 -  80 comments
    Categories: business, class war, employment
    Tags: ,

    Ever been in a job where you thought you were underpayed and overworked? Ever voiced those feelings to your workmates? Either on the job, or during ‘smoko’, over the telephone or through some other electronic medium?

    A Burger King employee in Dunedin has. And now, astonishingly,  faces the possibility of being fired for serious misconduct.

  15. Big Gay Nowt

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 10:26 am, February 4th, 2011 -  75 comments
    Categories: gay rights, john key, spin
    Tags:

    It’s almost Big Gay Out time again which also means it’s time for some new images of John Key dancing with drag queens and cuddling up to lines of shirtless hunks. I know I’m supposed to admire the fact that a National party PM would take time out of his busy schedule to be seen with us homos but it’s all PR. Key’s record is true blue anti-gay.

  16. Mind the Wealth Gap

    Written By:  Bunji -  Date published: 2:41 pm, February 3rd, 2011 -  2 comments
    Categories: equality, humour
    Tags: ,

    The Onion, PARIS—At a press conference Tuesday, the World Heritage Committee officially recognized the Gap Between Rich and Poor as the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” describing the global wealth divide as the “most colossal and enduring of mankind’s creations.”

  17. Greens state of the planet

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 10:30 am, January 31st, 2011 -  78 comments
    Categories: Economy, Environment, greens, russel norman
    Tags:

    Russel Norman followed Phil Goff and John Key’s state of the nation speeches with the annual Greens state of the planet address. The capital gains tax initiative grabbed headlines but there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface. As we face myriad economic and environmental problems, the Greens have the real answers.

  18. 6 quick reasons why asset sales suck

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 6:00 pm, January 26th, 2011 -  83 comments
    Categories: election 2011, privatisation
    Tags:

    While we’re all eagerly awaiting Tracy Waktins et al’s reviews of John Key’s controversial decision to wear a mauve tie in his state of the nation speech, I thought I would look at some of the reasons why asset sales are such a stupid idea.

  19. Don’t abandon Pike River recovery

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 10:44 am, January 26th, 2011 -  21 comments
    Categories: families, Mining, workers' rights
    Tags: ,

    Good news for families of the Pike River miners. The Police have shown them video proving their mens bodies are still intact. It raises questions about the government’s actions. Why was this footage previously withheld? Why were the Nats spinning that there was nothing left to recover? And why was the recovery really abandoned so hastily?

  20. Minimum wage crunch time

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 11:37 pm, January 25th, 2011 -  56 comments
    Categories: john key, wages
    Tags:

    John Key says that he can’t increase the minimum wage by a decent amount. The excuse this time round is that a decent increase will destroy jobs. Well, let’s check that out a little bit. Is it really true that lifting the minimum wages destroys jobs? If it is, do the benefits outweigh the gains? And what about the cost of letting wages fall?

  21. Why are Turia & Sharples cuddling up to Key?

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 9:53 am, January 25th, 2011 -  22 comments
    Categories: maori party, national
    Tags: , ,

    At this stage in the electoral cycle, government support parties are usually looking to try to differentiate themselves from the main governing party. They need to do this to show they still hold true to their own values and have a separate identity that is worth voting for. The Maori Party is doing to opposite.

  22. Toe the line or hit the road – the new political norm

    Written By:  IrishBill -  Date published: 4:46 pm, January 22nd, 2011 -  31 comments
    Categories: Politics
    Tags: ,

    Fran O’Sullivan makes a good point in today’s Herald about the new political taboo of speaking out against leadership.

    While we agree that it’s a Bad Thing, I doubt we agree about how it’s come about.

  23. Nats’ Botany Selections

    Written By:  Bunji -  Date published: 1:45 pm, January 21st, 2011 -  60 comments
    Categories: by-election, national
    Tags: ,

    The National Party head office have culled the eight people they don’t like and left five to contest Botany.

    It’s Maggie Barry vs Jami-Lee Ross and three others.

  24. Hone’s motives grow murkier

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 10:37 am, January 21st, 2011 -  17 comments
    Categories: maori party
    Tags: , , , ,

    Why did Hone Harawira pick a fight if he wasn’t prepared to see it out? One News last night had him saying he wants to stay with the Maori Party. Patrick Gower reckons Hone’s assault on the leadership is all about building cred to take over next year but Hone’s saying he would support Te Ururoa Flavell for male co-leader. Curiouser and curiouser.

  25. Benefit numbers continue to climb

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 6:30 am, January 20th, 2011 -  43 comments
    Categories: benefits, jobs
    Tags: , , ,

    Remember back when Labour was in power and the Right had this myth that dole numbers had only dropped because Labour had moved people to other benefits? It wasn’t true but that didn’t stop John Key saying it during one of the 2008 debates as he promised to get more people into work. Now, 2 years later, 83,879 more Kiwis are on benefits.

  26. 1951

    Written By:  lprent -  Date published: 11:45 am, January 19th, 2011 -  74 comments
    Categories: democracy under attack, film, law and "order", Media, Politics, Unions, video
    Tags:

    In 1951, New Zealand temporarily became a police state. Civil liberties were curtailed, freedom of speech denied, and the Government used force against its own citizens. This film tells the story of the infamous lockout of waterside workers and the nationwide strike which followed. The film won Best Documentary and John Bates was named Best Director, Documentary, at the 2002 New Zealand Television Awards.

  27. Maori Party MPs turn on Hone

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 9:56 am, January 19th, 2011 -  101 comments
    Categories: maori party
    Tags:

    On Sunday and Monday, Hone Harawira gave very cogent and candid assessments of where the Maori Party has gone wrong by losing connection with its ideals and base. By the standards of mainstream parties it was extraordinarly blunt and appeared to be a challenge to Tariana Turia. But the Maori Party can be and should be different, eh? Seems not. Hone’s four fellow MPs have laid a complaint against him.

  28. Will 2011 be a rerun of 2008?

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 12:20 pm, January 12th, 2011 -  22 comments
    Categories: Economy
    Tags: , ,

    This post from the Oil Drum looks at how peak oil and the economy interact. From 2004 to 2008 oil prices rose and rose with demand. But high prices bought nearly no new oil to the market because it isn’t there. The prices broke the global economy, destroying demand. Now, prices are rising again and the weakened economies will topple much easier.

  29. Labour’s greatest challenge for 2011?

    Written By:  Campbell -  Date published: 12:04 pm, January 9th, 2011 -  59 comments
    Categories: election 2011, john key, labour, national, phil goff
    Tags:

    The Sunday Star-Times has produced an interesting article on the role of emotion in people’s voter choices leading into this year’s General Election. While the results are not great news for Labour supporters, it’s the first poll of its kind to be made public in NZ. There’s a lot of controversy over whether we ought […]

  30. Ministerial review: the economy

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 10:37 am, December 27th, 2010 -  36 comments
    Categories: Economy, national/act government
    Tags: , ,

    The idea of this little group-effort series of posts is to look at the major areas of government activity and have an objective look at how National is doing – both against their own promises and things that we hold important. Let’s start with the economy, the direct responsibility of Finance Minister Bill English and Economic Development Minister Gerry Brownlee.

  31. Farrar joins call for SOE reform

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 7:00 am, December 24th, 2010 -  95 comments
    Categories: assets, business, dpf
    Tags: , ,

    Say you run a large company. Say the manager of a division in your company chose do a deal that improves the division’s own profitability instead of one that would have made the division less profitable but the company as a whole more profitable. You would be angry. So why are the people who run our SOEs required to act like that?

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