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In the comments section today George pointed out the numbers on the bailout: That’s a $400 loss per taxpayer. Or an average $48,500 gain (including 8.5% return) for SCF investors. Meanwhile. teachers are being refused flu shots because they cost too much. I get slightly…
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The government is canning its already too-small and ill-directed Community Max programme. $40 million was a pathetic amount that created, at best, just 3,000 temporary jobs when quarter of a million Kiwis are jobless, 68,000 of them aged 15-24. The government didn't bother to put…
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National's big election promise in 2008 was to close the wage gap with Australia. They're failing, as our wages fall behind theirs under National's economic mismanagement and employer-centric policies. But there are some who are doing better than others in the pay stakes: Union members.…
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South Canterbury Finance is on the brink of collapse. The plan appears to be for the government to purchase the bad loans from the company at twice their book value, giving SCF the cash it needs to get back on its feet. That's a dumb…
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According to John Key, teachers who want to maintain reasonably class sizes and free flu vaccines are disconnected from the real world. That would be the real world of hanging out with the Queen and spending $1.5bn on finance companies I guess. What a dick.
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The Herald's top story today screams "Strikers' Helpless Victims" and carries the story of a couple whose child has had elective surgery delayed because of industrial action. Oh those dastardly unionists. Problem is the couple don't seem to have anything bad to say about the…
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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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Self-styled 'Jokemeister-in-chief' John Key has been selected from a host of eager clowns, buffoons, and slapstick artists (known as the National Party) to perform for Queen Elizabeth the Second for a weekend next month. A clearly excited Key announced his selection. "This is the ultimate…
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As has seemed likely for some time now, secondary teachers have decided to strike: Secondary school teachers have voted overwhelmingly to strike after rejecting the Government's latest pay offer. Thousands of Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) members last week voted for strike action after earlier…
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Number of recorded offences in the 2008 calander year: 431,383 Number of recorded offences in the 2009 calander year: 451,405 Number of unsolved crimes in Judith Collin's first year as minister: 235,787, up 5,000 Number of cars crushed: 0
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The Search and Surveillance Bill that was thrown back for re-drafting last year has very quietly come back. And as awful as it was last time (not many Bills are sent back), this time it's little different. The idea of the Bill was perfectly valid…
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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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American politics terrifies me. The more observant Americans have been, for some time now, seriously asking whether the country is sliding into fascism. The seriously dangerous Tea Party movement (and its insane anti-Obama lies) is gaining momentum. Demagogues have way too much power. Now we…
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The site has now been reconfigured to be a multi-site system. This will allow us to start setting up child sites for more specialized topics in the future. It should allow us to keep expanding our range of posts with the ever increasing number of…
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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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Back in March The Herald had some strong words to say about the 'council-controlled organisations' that will be running Auckland: Editorial: Deny power to Super City's faceless panels From right to left, from John Banks and Michael Barnett to Len Brown and Mike Lee, Auckland's…
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After that National Party Presidential Election thing blew up in your face (you know, where you had the audacity to tell members not to vote for Goodfellow, and they basically shat on you), I thought you might have faced reality, and made a quiet retreat.…
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An excellent post by Bryan Walker at Hot Topic reproduced with permission. There may be conflicting reports as to whether renewable energy can replace fossil fuels in time to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and there are still plenty of people in positions of authority,…
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200 odd years of capitalism has thrown up countless working class heroes. Most got buried in obscurity in life and by a collective amnesia in death. The education system of 'our betters' is partly to blame. It taught and teaches us of the establishment heroes,…
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A week after Australia went to the polls the outcome is still unclear. However, the way the cards are falling I'd put my money on Julia Gillard remaining Prime Minister and Labor retaining power. The current seat count is: 72 - Labour 72 - Coalition…
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Just had a listen to Key's post-cab press conference. I'm no big city journo but seeing the weak, misdirected reforms on drinking I would have asked: Did the PM declare his conflict of interest when the alcohol reforms were debated at Cabinet? Aren't these exactly…
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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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Two days ago I posted on the shame of the Labour party co-hosting the cowards of the Sensible Sentencing Trust at parliament. I based this post on a media release from the trust. It turns out that this wasn't true, as Labour MP Clayton Cosgrove…
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Defence Minister Wayne Mapp must be desperate for publicity. He's attacked the latest version of Medal of Honour, a first person shooter game. The game is set in Afghanistan and features American commandos fighting the Taliban. According to Mr Mapp, Medal of Honour "undermines the…
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What Will Fix Child Poverty? The Fabian Society's next lecture is on Monday in Auckland. Susan St John on behalf of the Child Poverty Action Group, and Sue Bradford of the Alternative Welfare Working Group will look at one of the most important symptoms of…
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The Employment Relations Act Amendment (2) Bill hasn't had its first reading yet, so we can't has had its first reading so you can now bombard the Select Committee with what a load of #&@! it is for a little while longer until the 13th…
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According to OIA papers released to the NZ Herald, Key's plan to extend the 90 day "fire at will" law is an ACT party takeover of government policy. Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson recommended against the plan. She was overruled by Cabinet in response to…
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There have been 6000 published* posts, 192 thousand comments, and many millions of page views. I'd guess that this multiple-author blog has a wee bit of an audience. Of course I tend to see the site in a different light. More important to me in…
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At what point, I wonder, will National figure out that they're in a hole over "national standards" and finally stop digging? Stuff reports: Letters scathing of National Standards The parents in charge of 48 different school boards have written to the Government at a rate…
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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...