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Pansy Wong has been stood down resigned over her abuse of her ministerial status and perks for her husband's private business dealings. I expected that Key act 'relaxed' and hope for this blow over. That he hasn't indicates they've uncovered something more. Stuff reports: "It…
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House prices are a pretty good indication of how the economy is going. They rose rapidly in the 2000s, stalled in 2007, plummeted in 2008, and made a slight recovery in 2009. But now they're heading downward. The median house price is over 16%, adjusted for…
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The Nats are determined to push through more attacks on the rights of working New Zealanders. The latest stories of abuse of the Fire at Will law to emerge involve a chef who 'who used too much sauce' and a dairy worker who stood up…
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Finally, we're getting to the meat of the Pansy Wong affair. Stating her occupation as a Minister when witnessing a form for her husband's business deal was no major problem. But Wong's flights for the deal were paid with her MP's travel perk. That is…
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The US Government has begun 'quantative easing', which is effectively creating new money out of thin air, to inflate away the value of its debt and lower its currency to make its industries more competitive. It's not the only country playing this 'beggar thy neighbour'…
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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 fascinating interview on Nine to Noon this morning - Kathryn Ryan with Jonathan Temm, President of the Law Society, on what the Society sees as the government's disturbing trend to pass laws that threaten the "rule of law" in New Zealand because they cut…
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Kris Fa'aofi is working seven days a week campaigning throughout Mana. Reports say he is being backed up by very energetic local members who have beaten all their targets for deliveries and canvassing. Hekia Parata seems to only turn up to act like a jerk…
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The PM's Chief Press Secretary Kevin Taylor thinks he's above those who are actually elected. So much so he feels free to tell journalists that an elected Member, who represents the people of New Zealand who voted for him, is a "fuckwit" and that they…
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The Nats have a long and dishonourable history of trying to gag those who would speak out against them. This includes multiple attacks on schools -- threats against principals and school boards who were exercising their rights to free speech, threats to sack dissenting boards,…
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Whilst the Search and Surveillance Bill has been massively scaled back in Select Committee, with most of the more egregious attacks on Civil Liberties removed, it does still remove the Right to Silence, an important part of our legal system for, ooo, centuries. As Russell…
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Matt McCarten, standing in Mana, is still writing the book on how to campaign. Last evening TV3 reported: McCarten takes over state house in by-election stunt The supporters of a Mana by-election candidate have taken over an empty state house as a protest at what…
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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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It's diplomacy time in the Asia-Pacific region. While Secretary Clinton came to New Zealand and Australia and President Obama to India and Indonesia, Prime Minister Cameron has gone to Beijing with a large delegation hoping to drum up business for Britain. Cameron's pre-visit publicity was…
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Yesterday, Jonathan Coleman was handed the job of doing the introductory speech on the Taxation (International Investment and Remedial Matters) Bill 2010. Coleman was reading from a prepared speech that someone had handed him, and it was the wrong speech for the wrong Bill. Coleman,…
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I read this interesting BBC article yesterday, showing how incredibly efficient cars are able to be made now, if society would grasp the nettle. We could be reducing our carbon footprints massively - particularly in a country with as high level of car ownership as…
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The latest Roy Morgan poll shows confidence in government plummeted during the Hobbit debacle. The poll was conducted over the two weeks between Peter Jackson suddenly claiming the Hobbit would go overseas and the Hobbit Enabling Act being rushed through Parliament. It shows confidence in…
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While the official unemployment rate (determined by survey and then seasonally-adjusted) continues to jump around like mad, the dole numbers are telling a consistent story. And it's not a good one. Every month this year has been worse than normal, either the monthly increase has…
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The Nats promised us that after the Budget 2010 tax cuts / rebalancing the "vast majority" would be better off. That was a lie. High income earners are better off. Over a million low income earners effectively got nothing. This lie is now well known.…
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Wages rose for the rich and fell for the poor this year, according to a Employers and Manufacturer's Association survey. Managing Directors got a 3.7% rise from $190k to $197k, whilst the unskilled production workers beneath them saw their wages drop 6.5% or $2000 to…
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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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Pansy Wong provides stiff competition in the race for most incompetent National minister. That's not to say she's as dangerous as a competent and wrong-headed Bill English, or the incompetent but determined Tolley. But women's rights risk demolition by neglect under her watch. After years…
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Kelvin Smythe is a long standing educationalist and the driving force behind the Developmental Network Magazine. Kelvin still comments on educational matters (ht: ianmac), but the magazine has become a blog, Networkonnet. His latest entry is an interesting read: Revolt in ministry There has been…
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I've never really understood the logic of paying CEOs multi-million dollar salaries. Can Telecom's $7m man, Paul Reynolds, for example, really be worth 100 skilled technicians? Is there no-one who is basically as good who would work for a million or two less? Now, research…
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Do you remember when John Key declared War on P a year ago? No, me neither. The action has been... underwhelming. The Police have been getting on with quietly doing a good job, to be sure, but when you grandiosely declare "War" on something, you…
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It's interesting to see the amount of anti-teacher information National is sending to Farrar and Slater. The depth of research involved in uncovering this stuff means it's clearly research unit work. The latest tidbit they've got their knickers in a twist about is a principal…
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I'm a nurse at a public hospital. Our social fund is looking a bit thin this year so we thought would invite school groups to come along to the hospital, charge $25 a head, and let them play around with the equipment like X-ray machines…
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Tax take is down due to reduced spending and the government's response is to urge "restraint" and keep cutting. These cuts will, of course, help fuel higher unemployment and further reduced spending, which will probably result in calls for further cuts. We'll also see asset…
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One of my harmless little hobbies is looking out for the markers as the media gradually begin to tun on John Key and his government. I posted one example a while back, the first time (as far as I know) that Key was referred to…