Search Results

  1. Granny Herald opening eyes?

    Written By:  Bunji -  Date published: 11:43 am, October 25th, 2010 -  10 comments
    Categories: labour, newspapers
    Tags: ,

    There was an excellent piece in the Saturday Herald by John Armstrong.  A large 2-page spread, fairly prominent in the paper, and not critical of Labour.  Not fulsome praise; just great, unbiased reporting.

    Now admittedly I shouldn’t get excited by such things, but the steadily slipping standards of New Zealand’s papers, combined with a media love-in with National at the last election, leaves good quality newspaper  journalism a sight to behold.

  2. They do both start with P

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 10:58 am, October 24th, 2010 -  8 comments
    Categories: law and "order"
    Tags: , ,

    “They are blue – to match other uniforms in the justice sector such as police.” These words from the Police Minister are very difficult to misconstrue. The choice of colour was deliberate and in case everyone has forgotten, the uniforms were olive to make the clear distinction of Prison Officers from Police. The Government is blurring the distinction.

  3. Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 12:00 am, October 22nd, 2010 -  30 comments
    Categories: Economy, national
    Tags: , ,

    Things are quickly turning to custard for National. The economy is going south fast and Key’s Teflon-coating is so damaged the mainstream media is openly saying we deserve better than a ‘smile and wave’ PM. The Nats’ strategy – try to convince us nothing is wrong – is really bad. It makes them look either duplicitous or out of touch.

  4. Why Russell Brown is wrong

    Written By:  IrishBill -  Date published: 10:58 pm, October 21st, 2010 -  69 comments
    Categories: business, capitalism
    Tags:

    Russell Brown’s anti-union take on the Hobbit dispute has been cited by righties all over the internet as “evidence” the union is wrong.

    So let’s take a look at what he’s saying and how it matches up with employment law, industrial relations and all the rest of that good stuff.

  5. Selling assets to finance current account deficit = good?

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 2:00 pm, October 20th, 2010 -  58 comments
    Categories: overseas investment
    Tags: ,

    I’m generally a fan of Gareth Morgan, but boy his facts are wrong in yesterday’s Herald, leading  him to really bad conclusions. Basically, Morgan argues that we have to let foreigners buy our assets because we use that money to buy more imports than we export, which we won’t be able to do if we block asset sales. Why is that a bad thing?

  6. Owning our future

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 7:20 am, October 18th, 2010 -  139 comments
    Categories: assets, labour, overseas investment
    Tags:

    It’s great to hear Phil Goff announce that a Labour government won’t let overseas interests to own more than 25% of monopolistic companies, like ports and airports, and farmland. In the new world economy we’re moving into, a global scramble for vital natural resources like farmland, we need to keep the foundations of our economy in Kiwi hands.

  7. What should National do?

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 2:20 pm, October 14th, 2010 -  36 comments
    Categories: Deep stuff, labour, national
    Tags:

    What should Labour do?  One of our regular commenters steps up and answers the question.  What more can we add?  And, my challenge to the right wingers, can you come up with a similarly broad, coherent and principled summary of what you think National stands for?  What should National do?

  8. Phil Goff – Evil SuperGenius?

    Written By:  r0b -  Date published: 8:36 am, October 9th, 2010 -  22 comments
    Categories: dpf, humour
    Tags: , ,

    Is Phil Goff an Evil SuperGenius?  Is Labour still secretly running the country, controlling MPs, cabinet ministers and government departments?  Political sleuth David P Farrar makes a pretty strong case!  Or does he…

  9. Yet more of Paul Henry’s racism, proudly brought to you by TVNZ

    Written By:  the sprout -  Date published: 6:28 am, October 7th, 2010 -  52 comments
    Categories: Ethics, Media, racism, tv
    Tags: , ,

    More anti-Indian racism from Paul Henry… and Paul Henry being racist about hispanics (you can tune out through the middle, but listen to the first and last few minutes) We’re paying this guy $300,000+ a year for this. This is what TVNZ condones in continuing to employ Henry, despite it going against TVNZ and BSA standards. It’s typcial […]

  10. Auckland electoral fraud case

    Written By:  r0b -  Date published: 3:35 pm, October 6th, 2010 -  89 comments
    Categories: accountability, auckland supercity, dpf, local government
    Tags:

    The alleged electoral roll fraud in Auckland has plenty of angles and dimensions for political junkies.  But the underlying issue is simple.  Electoral fraud of any kind is not OK, perpetrators should be found and prosecuted.  We have one of the most robust and respected democracies in the world.  Let’s keep it that way.

  11. Banks desperate

    Written By:  r0b -  Date published: 12:54 pm, October 6th, 2010 -  60 comments
    Categories: auckland supercity, democratic participation, john banks, local government
    Tags: , , ,

    As it goes down to the wire in Auckland, John Banks’ desperation is on full display.  It’s not a pretty sight.  Banks seem to have nothing to offer but negative campaigning, personal attacks, and South Auckland dogwhistles.  He deserves to lose.

  12. Paul Henry: “It’s so appropriate coz she’s Indian”

    Written By:  the sprout -  Date published: 7:24 am, October 6th, 2010 -  50 comments
    Categories: accountability, International, Media, racism, tv
    Tags: , , ,

    In case you were wondering why Breakfast Bigot Paul Henry has to go – here’s another great example of his work. Watch it all if you can. Maybe this alone wouldn’t be enough for dismissal if it was an uncharacteristic rarity, but it’s characteristic and commonplace for Paul Henry. I don’t want this person representing my […]

  13. Extremist NZ Actors Equity demands outrageous fortune

    Written By:  the sprout -  Date published: 8:24 am, October 3rd, 2010 -  17 comments
    Categories: boycott, film, Media, tv, Unions, workers' rights
    Tags:

    Wondering who Actors’ Equity are and what they do? Well here’s a video from AE explaining just that. Actors’ Equity also have a good website that lays out their position in Peter Jackson’s Das Hobbitski fiasco. It’s been funny watching the msm contort itself while struggling with its rarely conflicting predilections for both celebrities and […]

  14. Some advice for Actors Equity

    Written By:  IrishBill -  Date published: 11:45 am, October 2nd, 2010 -  32 comments
    Categories: Media, Unions
    Tags:

    The Hobbit dispute is being run to a very familiar playbook.

    Let’s have a look at the employers’ tactics and what the union can do to counter them.

  15. The tax cut fizzer

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 9:05 am, October 1st, 2010 -  79 comments
    Categories: gst, tax
    Tags:

    For a long, time National and the Right have tried to convince us that all we need is tax cuts. You can understand why: their other policies are deeply unpopular, cutting taxes is a roundabout way of cutting public services, which they hate, and tax cuts deliver the most to their wealthy base. So will we see any actual benefits from the great tax swindle?

  16. Jackson’s employment law fibs

    Written By:  IrishBill -  Date published: 7:59 am, September 29th, 2010 -  18 comments
    Categories: employment, workers' rights
    Tags: ,

    Peter Jackson and others film industry employers are claiming they can’t employ their workers as employees.

    That claim is simply untrue.

    So what’s the real reason for their reluctance to employee people on proper agreements?

  17. English spins on GST with no traction

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 10:49 am, September 28th, 2010 -  40 comments
    Categories: bill english, Economy, spin
    Tags:

    It’s worth having a look at Bill English’s performance on Q+A the other day. What’s telling, to my mind, is that English can’t present a real vision or even any spin-free information. Why not? Because his tax swindle is about taking from us and giving to the elite, and he can’t just come and say that.

  18. Re: Chauvel on CERRA

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 1:44 pm, September 24th, 2010 -  18 comments
    Categories: democracy under attack, labour, law and "order", Parliament
    Tags: ,

    A few days ago Charles Chauvel wrote a piece on Red Alert on why Labour voted for CERRA. I have two big problems with it. 1) Labour may have won concessions that improved CERRA but they didn’t get the key one. 2) There’s a dangerous mindset in the position that Labour had to vote for dictatorship or get pilloried in the media and lose votes.

  19. The next ACT

    Written By:  IrishBill -  Date published: 1:04 pm, September 22nd, 2010 -  52 comments
    Categories: act
    Tags: , , ,

    Key is strongly backing Hide.

    That might be because he doesn’t want to deal with the ideologues who would replace him. Or it might be because Hide knows where the skeletons are buried.

    Either way Key’s going to find it harder and harder to distance himself from the mess.

  20. Digested Read – Spirit Level 2: Health

    Written By:  Bunji -  Date published: 12:00 pm, September 18th, 2010 -  63 comments
    Categories: equality
    Tags:

    The second of 6 in a series summarising the argument of The Spirit Level. This post examines how inequality affects mental and physical health.

  21. Amongst the rubble: a look at the Christchurch earthquake from the bottom up

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 11:18 am, September 18th, 2010 -  16 comments
    Categories: capitalism, class war
    Tags: , ,

    First posted on the excellent Beyond Resistance blog: While the dust settles and Christchurch recovers from the 7.1 earthquake, people have begun to pick up the pieces and get on with their lives. But for many working class people this is not so easy. Those most affected by ‘natural disasters’ are those already on the margins of despair.

  22. Do I stay or do I go?

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 8:32 pm, September 16th, 2010 -  105 comments
    Categories: accountability, activism, democracy under attack, greens, labour
    Tags: , , ,

    The Labour and Green parties’ activists are in uproar over their parliamentary wings’ decision to vote for the Gerry Brownlee Enabling Act. A lot of people are saying they won’t campaign for these parties and talking of voting for a minor party or independents. Is it time to damn them and leave them? No. We’re going to win our parties back.

  23. Quake shows GDP doesn’t equal wealth

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 9:46 am, September 14th, 2010 -  14 comments
    Categories: Economy
    Tags:

    Treasury has released its preliminary report on the economic impact of the Christchurch earthquake. GDP will be down up to 0.8% this quarter but after rebuilding net GDP for the next two years ends up 0.8% higher than it would have. Great! Let’s knock down Hamilton too and get a GDP boost! Actually, we’re just seeing the limits of GDP as a measure of wealth.

  24. Natural Dairy NZ & Chinese neo-mercantilism

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 10:23 am, September 13th, 2010 -  65 comments
    Categories: Economy, farming, food, International, overseas investment
    Tags: ,

    To have power and independence, any country needs a solid economic base. That’s even more true of superpowers/empires. To secure their economic sovereignty they need the raw materials and markets of less powerful countries. They reinforce their economic sovereignty by taking others’. China does it by buying up whole supply chains.

  25. The economics of the Christchurch earthquake

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 1:00 pm, September 7th, 2010 -  30 comments
    Categories: Economy
    Tags:

    There’s been some frankly bizarre talk about the earthquake being an economic boon for the country. I guess the Right is just desperate for anything to improve the economy under National. So, I thought it would be worthwhile going through the economic ramifications of the earthquake from the immediate effects to long term.

  26. Paula’s forever blowing bubbles

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 11:16 pm, September 6th, 2010 -  15 comments
    Categories: benefits, jobs, spin, unemployment
    Tags: ,

    It’s been nearly two years now of Paula Bennett declaring that the unemployment crisis is over. Yesterday, she put out a press release titled ‘More than 6,000 beneficiaries find jobs in August‘. Wow, 6,000 in a month, pretty good. But Bennett must have been hoping we wouldn’t read beyond the title. The fact is that 900 more people went on the dole than came off it. The total number of beneficiaries just keeps climbing.

  27. Youz iz racists. Nah, only jokez!

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 4:20 pm, September 5th, 2010 -  30 comments
    Categories: national/act government
    Tags: ,

    John Key says Maurice Williamson was just joking when he called us racists for not wanting to sell more of our country into foreign ownership.

    Does he really expect us to believe that? Why compound an insult with a lie?

    And since when would it be OK for Williamson to jokingly call us racists?

  28. Sensible Sentencing Trust: a bunch of liars

    Written By:  IrishBill -  Date published: 12:30 am, August 28th, 2010 -  20 comments
    Categories: democracy under attack, labour
    Tags:

    The Sensible Sentencing Trust has lied about having Labour’s support.

    Labour must come down on the trust like a ton of bricks for this bullsh*t.

    Anything else is a betrayal of Labour’s members and their values.

  29. Key slippery on crime

    Written By:  Marty G -  Date published: 11:07 am, August 26th, 2010 -  22 comments
    Categories: crime, john key
    Tags:

    Yesterday, Key was boasting that his goverment had brought down robberies and burglaries in Manukau. But it’s just more numbers games. In reality, the crime rate in Counties Manukau rose 6.9% in 2009. That’s twice the already awful 3.5% nationwide increase. I’m not against the government saying it has brought down crime. I just wish that it was true.

  30. Sacked 90 day worker wins justice

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 1:50 pm, August 25th, 2010 -  17 comments
    Categories: Unions, workers' rights
    Tags: , , , , ,

    Heather Smith, the pharmacy worker who was sacked unfairly under the 90 day fire at will law and featured in a recent advert for the campaign has won a CTU-backed case against her employer in the Employment Court.

  31. Crime and punishment

    Written By:  r0b -  Date published: 9:40 am, August 23rd, 2010 -  25 comments
    Categories: capitalism, crime
    Tags:

    White collar crime is on the increase in NZ. The government talks tough and postures about crime in its other forms, how will it respond to white collar crime?

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