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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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A little over a week ago, Parliament unanimously made Gerry Browlee dictator. Apparently, this was necessary to save Christchurch. But are Dictator Gerry and Bob 'the Rebuilder' (wonder how long it took Kevin Taylor to come up with that one) actually delivering for the people…
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Nick Smith is not satisfied with making us pay through the nose for a road that makes no economic sense. Nope, he's now going to force it on us extra fast, with less chance for us to tell him what we think of it. Transmission…
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With Garrett likely to resign from parliament, Key is sending a strong signal that he wants Hide to remain as ACT leader: From stuff: I've found him to be a very effective minister so there's no reason for me to sack him because there are…
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Stuff reports that McCully is continuing his autocratic ways. McCully always knows best, he doesn't need to listen to advice, or see if there's anyone else out there who can do a better job, or cheaper. So no need to tender contracts. He knows what…
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EXiled Online put me on to an article from Canada's MacLean's magazine titled 'Third World America' which begins: In February, the board of commissioners of Ohio’s Ashtabula County faced a scene familiar to local governments across America: a budget shortfall. They began to cut spending…
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John Banks has gone big on billboards in his campaign for mayor. So I thought I'd show some that I'd like to see...
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John Key has tried to use the mess that is the ACT fiasco to take a clumsy swing at MMP: I think it will increase the likelihood that people will vote MMP out," he said. I'm wondering whether the public might say 'look, very small…
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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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Jeremy Harris has created a facebook group calling for the End of the Reign of Gerry Brownlee. It'd be great to get this law repealed. I know I'm uncomfortable with any power in Gerry's hands; the thought of him having the right to re-write pretty…
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The government was told that lowering the drink-drive limit would save 33 lives and $238 million a year. They ignored it. Why? I reckon the only money they were worried about was donations from the booze barons. Reminds me of the water quality regulations. Government…
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Twice in a fortnight, we have had the unedifying spectacle of media running a false story based on a video on Cameron Slater’s Whaleoil blog. First it was the fake video that purported to show Jim Anderton saying only an earthquake could make him lose…
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Garth McVicar is head of the Sensible Sentencing Trust. He stands for tougher sentencing and zero tolerance for criminals. David Garrett has a conviction for assault, lied to a Court in order to escape a conviction for stealing the identity of a dead baby in order…
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On Thursday, our new dictator Gerry Brownlee decreed by Order in Council that the following Acts of Parliament were amended: the Building Act, the Local Government Act, the Resource Management Act, various pieces of transport legislation, and the Civil Defence Act (the Social Security Regulations…
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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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According to the ODT government MP's are going to be travelling around the country trying to convince New Zealanders that their plan to cut taxes for the rich isn't actually a plan to cut taxes for the rich at all. Presumably they're going to be…
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Andrew Geddis (Associate Professor of Law at Otago and writer at Pundit) is an expert on democratic theory. He has become required reading for politics junkies. His latest piece -- a brutally honest analysis of the recent work of the Law and Order select committee…
democracy under attack dpf national Parliament political education
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Rodney Hide kept David Garrett's disgusting secrets from us while running a hypocritical 'tough on crime' line. John Key says that's fine and he backs Hide. He doesn't care that one of his ministers has been exposed as a lair and a cheat, again. He…
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A UMR poll just out asked 750 Kiwis: “Do you think that all employees should have the right to appeal if they think they have been unfairly dismissed, even if their dismissal was during the first 90 days of their employment? The response was: Yes…
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John Key told Breakfast this morning that he supports the teachers and junior doctors' claims for a pay rise 'but we simply don't have the money'. This is the same John Key who is borrowing half a billion dollars this year for tax cuts for…
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Scanning the morning headlines and two caught my eye in The Herald. First: Embattled Hide clings to leadership Epsom MP Rodney Hide continues to cling to his leadership of embattled Act as a party insider and political opponents called for him to step down over…
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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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Having a List MP leave the party is not a new situation for ACT. In 2003, Donna Awatere-Huata was evicted from the caucus and let her membership lapse after the fraud that would later see her sent to jail were revealed. After being kicked out…
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Some people are passionate local government finances. Really, really, really embarrassingly passionate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMgyi57s-A4 Best parts are when (holding back tears, Beck-style) he says he won't apologise for his tone and when he says "If nominated tonight, I can guarantee with 100% certainty that what you are…
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Periodically I have a look at the stats captured for the site. This time I thought I'd show you some of them for the last three months. I've picked out what browser and operating systems people have been using. This is measured in visits, so…
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Naomi Kline's Shock Doctrine: the Rise of Disaster Capitalism was written in the wake of September 11 and Hurricane Katrina. It looks at how (capitalist) elites use moments of crisis to make power grabs while the normal checks are offline and/or the political opposition and…
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Remember Glenn Beck's "Rally to restore honour"? Depressed about America apparently spiralling out of control into political insanity? Me too! But now, at last, someone speaks up for the 70 to 80% of Americans who aren't crazy. A beacon of hope in a troubled world!…
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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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Kris Fa'afoi will be Labour's candidate for Mana. There were four candidates - all very high quality -all spoke well and the selection panel would not have had an easy choice to make. There was a very large turnout and plenty of support for Kris…
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Now Garrett has resigned from the party things are really going to get interesting. As far as I can see there are a few ways this can play out. 1) Garrett stays as an independent and Hide stays leader of ACT - I'm picking this…