Explore the archive
Find articles and conversations by date, subject or search expression.
Searching: posts Sorted by: newest Results: 181–204 of 204
Post
When governments (of all flavours) make promises that they can't keep, they often downgrade those promises to the status of "aspirational" goals. John Key has plenty of these in his closet. Tax cuts North of $50. Catching up with Australia. A step change in the…
Post
It was interesting to see David Farrar leapt to a "they did it too" defence of the taxpayer-funded 'survey' that National MPs are sending to selected voters around the country. Farrar posts a survey from Pete Hodgson from last year that he alleges amounts to…
Post
Things really are getting desperate for the Right in the super-mayor race. Granny Herald launched yet another round of attacks on Len Brown last weekend but the public aren't buying it (maybe because fewer and fewer Aucklanders are bothering to read Granny's rants?). The business…
Post
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...
Post
Over at No Right Turn, I/S I filed an OIA request for specific information on the handling of Cabinet conflicts of interest in accordance with Cabinet Manual rules. The request has been declined. In the following post (reprinted) I/S sets out the Questions the government…
Post
John Key had a busy day playing rodeo-clown yesterday. Before having the Air Force fly him to Ohakune for the opening of 16 whole kilometres of cycleway (which, btw, was already in the works before the John Key Memorial Cycleway was a twinkle in Kevin…
Post
The Minister of Education Anne Tolley, and the Government, is facing a fair amount of (growing) opposition to the implementation of her National Standards. Yesterday the Minister addressed a Principals Conference in Queenstown. Her message was essentially that schools need to get on with the…
Post
Took years as Education Minister before Lockwood Smith was having to make his escape from angry mobs of students through toilet windows. After 18 months in the job, Tolley barely escaped lynching by 500 principals. Tolley told principals they should stop talking to the media…
Post
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...
Post
Enigma have for a long time one of my favorite sounds to listen to while programming from the early 90's onwards. There have been bug-hunting exercises where Enigma has literally been on my playlist all day. You can just queue all of their albums, knuckle…
Post
According to the NZ Herald: The boss of state-owned Kiwibank wants people to be compelled to join KiwiSaver, with individual contributions rising gradually over the next decade or two to reach 10 per cent of income. Kiwibank chief executive Sam Knowles: "There's still some argument…
Post
With respect to his intention to allow Brazillian oil giant Petrobras to drill offshore in the Raukumara Basin, John Key says: "By the time they ever start wanting to drill holes in that part of New Zealand then there will be strong environmental standards in…
Post
Got to wonder who's doing Tolley's political advice. First mistake: her office not being aware of a Parliamentary Library paper that came out weeks ago on National Standards. Second mistake: responding immediately when the Herald brought it to her attention. Should have said 'thanks, I'll…
Post
Pansy Wong in the House on Wednesday on the gender wage gap: "It was the case that the gap was between men and women was at 12% since 2001. After 18 months of the National Government the pay gap is now 11%." Um. No it…
Post
I really wonder sometimes about Bill English. He seems to think he has a licence to just make things up. Take his claim yesterday that our low national savings rate is due to the 'government paying for everything'. According to English, people don't need to…
Post
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...
Post
If you're at a loose end in or near Palmerston North tomorrow. This looks interesting and will help raise campaigning money for next years election. See some of Labours finest go head to head in a war of words. Featuring Palmerston North's own MP Iain…
Post
Paddy Gower has the scoop that EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little is planning to stand in New Plymouth. Labour high-flyer and union boss Andrew Little will launch his Parliamentary career by standing in the New Plymouth electorate. Nominations open today, and 3 News has learned…
Post
I was neutral in the debate on lowering the drinking age back in 1999. There were arguments on both sides. Some European countries manage a mature, responsible and family based attitude to alcohol that is much more healthy than a heavy handed regulatory framework. It…
Post
I guess the hardest part about being an actor is not looking like you're acting, and that's especially hard when you fluff your lines. Take John Key yesterday as he attempts to cover for the fact that most Kiwis will be worse off thanks to…
Post
The Olympics is by far the most expensive sporting event on Earth. Hosting them can be economically crippling: Sprinklers still keep the grass at Greece's Olympic softball stadium green. But four years after the 2004 Games, it sits unused in the middle of a vast,…
Post
So often, Parliamentary debates are pointless and pro forma. What a revelation, then, when Simon Power was so swayed by the Left's MPs' arguments that he hand-wrote an amendment to his Courts (Remote Participation) Bill guaranteeing defendants the right to choose to appear in person.…
Post
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...
Post
A reader sent us these images of an addressed 'survey' he received in the mail from Melissa Lee. It makes interesting reading. First, note the Parliamentary crest. These are your tax dollars at work. Probably the Nats using up the last of their taxpayer budget…