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In a moment of uncharacteristic political honesty, John Key has come clean on his ETS: Households will bear more than their fair share of increased energy costs when the next phase of the emissions trading scheme takes effect on Thursday, Prime Minister John Key has…
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Every night before they go to sleep, good little Labour and Green spin doctors pray for another headline involving Gerry Brownlee. The guy is something of a modern marvel - has there ever been a senior minister with such an utter tin ear for public…
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Ring any bells? Tom Tommorrow at Salon is a great satirical cartoonist, for more of his work have a look at This Modern World.
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John Key can flippantly deflect media scrutiny of his Government's unkind cuts to early childhood education by referring to the snip he himself has voluntarily undertaken, but many early childhood services are having to make hard decisions about how to deal with it all. Qualified…
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Anne Tolley can't stand to hear any criticism of National Standards, and she doesn't want you to hear it either. Audrey Young reports: Education Minister Anne Tolley is to complain to the Speaker Lockwood Smith over a Parliamentary Library research paper on national standards in…
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Judith "Crushless" Collins always has plenty of bluster but behind it all she has done precious little. 18 months after her spin doctors gave the media her moniker, Collins has yet to have a single car crushed (which is a stupid and wasteful policy any…
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Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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We learned yesterday that Newmont pays no royalties on the gold and silver it digs up at Martha mine. That's gold and silver that belongs to the New Zealand public and we get nothing for it. Now, that is the result of grandfathering of a previous…
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As appears to be its annual custom (2008, 2009, 2010) The Reader's Digest - huh??? - has commissioned a survey of the most and least trusted individuals and professions in NZ. The methodology as reported ("a representative sample of 500 New Zealand adults") seems to…
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In yesterday's news we heard that no charges were being brought after an Aboriginal man died in a Western Australian prison van, where he had a 4 hour ride without ventilation in 50degree plus temperatures that gave him 3rd degree burns. He had been provided…
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I have very mixed feelings about all this scrutiny of the spending of public figures. On the one hand it is clear that abuses of the system exist - major ones like the outlandish cases that were happening in the UK, or Bill English's Double…
accountability auckland supercity john banks len brown local body elections supercity
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Papers obtained by Radio New Zealand under the OIA (not yet online) show Treasury told the Government that investing $100 million in extra capital in Kiwibank would bring the Crown a healthy return. Not long after, Bill English and John Key started talking about selling…
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Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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I'm supportive of the government's move to end smoking in prisons. I think the real winners will actually be the two thirds of prisoners who smoke. They will be forced to break their addiction. I don't think there's any serious justification for concerns that banning smokes…
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Itching to get back into the markets, and having solved all New Zealand's economic and social woes in 18 short months, John Key has announced he is putting aside his Prime Ministierial duties to become the country's head trader in exotic animals. Speaking on Breakfast…
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Phil Goff's daughter, Sara Goff has been outed, apparently she arrived at a party in Australia with 4 Ecstasy tablets hidden in her bra. This is undoubtedly going to be used by the wing-nut mob as an excuse to destroy Goff's reputation. I mean, if…
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I'm not going sides in the dispute between Brian Edwards and Duncan Garner over Garner's targeting of Chris Carter. I think Edwards is wrong to attack Garner's general worthiness as a political editor, he is one of our best journos, and I think Garner is…
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Rule 1 of politics: Don't compare yourself to Jesus in any way. Didn't work for Lennon. Won't work for you. Rule 2 of politics: Don't keep talking about a negative issue once its reached a conclusion. Rule 3 of politics: If you're going to reduce…
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A few months ago Brian Edwards suggested that TV3's chief political reporter Duncan Garner was on a personal vendetta against Chris Carter, an observation also made on several occasions by Bomber Bradbury, Dimpost and The Standard. At the time Edwards invited Garner to refute the…
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National are still cruising in the polls, and no doubt feeling pretty confident about the next election. But ticking the blue box is easy - how firm is that support? We're seeing big protests against this government. Nearly 50,000 people signed a petition opposing opening…
activism community democracy election 2011 national/act government
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Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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The Government's privatisation by stealth agenda continues - from ACC to Whanau Ora to mining to PEDA to water. And the fight back is gathering strength.
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The Aussies are currently investigating the creation of an ethical quality mark which would be provided to products from supply chains free of labour, environment and animal exploitation. The recommendation is: A new Australian Ethical Quality Mark should be devised, with a budget allocation of…
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I was appalled to read about an increasing trend in 'honour killings' in India - prejudice at its most loathsome. A recent article the Guardian highlighted a recent case where a young husband and wife, and her young cousin were killed, 'each shot twice in…
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An interesting parallel between Kevin Rudd and the Key government's leadership style surfaced in our papers this weekend. On Saturday, Tracy Watkins had this to say in the DomPost: Dislike of the Australian leader seems to have reached legendary proportions in the three years since…
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Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Before the last election John Key promised the public service would be capped, because that's what Kiwis wanted. That promise is now lying in tatters as jobs in education and health are to be slashed. 3 News reports on State Services Minister Tony Ryall's announcement…
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Andy said in a comment It is possible to accept that there are issues with the science, in particular the Hockey Stick, and still be aware that continued emissions of greenhouse gas emissions may cause us problems. I was thinking about writing a response. But…
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Peter Sinclair in Crock of the week uses some old classic movie and TV footage to debunk the 'climategate' myth. Quite simply this hack of the e-mails hasn't changed any of the science of climate change and is as ineffectual as most of the anti-science…
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John Key and the Nats are an anti-education government. Everywhere you look education is under attack. Pre-schools: The Nats have slashed funding for preschools, a brutal blow to children and families. Many pre-schools are considering dropping out of the "20 Hours Free" scheme. Schools: National's…