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Colin Espiner's back with his first blog of the year. It's so much fun having him back. In his first outing, he comes up with four suggestions for government action in the year ahead. Since the government doesn't seem to have any other ideas, let's…
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Phil Twyford has been organizing a series of meetings about the impending Auckland super-city 3rd bill. The date for submissions to the select committee closes on Feb 12. Write a submission and maybe go to Wellington and give Rodney hell - that is if he…
auckland supercity community democracy democracy under attack
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If Telecom were an SOE there would be cries to privatise it. These repeated crashes of XT simply aren't good enough. Just the latest in a litany of failures since it was sold. Fact is, we should haven't sold Telecom in the first place. Just needed…
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Steven Joyce has announced plans for a motorway from Puhoi to Wellsford at a cost of $2 billion ($1.4 billion in today's money). The route is used by just 15,000 cars a day (and that has been falling the last few years) and is estimated…
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Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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We've had a few posts about the lack of action from the government - but over on Bernard Hickey's blog he's spotted progess being made on the topic of outsourcing: Treasury and the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) said they had asked outside companies to…
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I really thought the rumour that the minimum wage would only rise by 25c had been put out by the government to make their eventual 50c or 75c decision look generous. But for a change they've surprised me. This is the first time in a…
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Today my partner Lyn Collie will be at the world premiere at Festival International du Film Documentaire Oceanien in Tahiti of the documentary that she has been producing part-time all the time I've known her. My congratulations to both her, the director Briar March, and…
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Fran O'Sullivan has a piece pointing out the vested interests of senior Nats regarding tax reform: "More than two-thirds of the National line-up have beneficial interests in trusts (entities that the Inland Revenue believes are responsible for a $300 million hole in tax revenues at the…
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Before they were swept along by the latest incarnation of US Right anti-intellectualism, National used to have some smart people. One of the last to go was Simon Upton. You might not always or even often agree with the man but at least he is…
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The Government is set to announce its decision on the annual adjustment to the minimum wage today. So what's it going to be? The three main positions out there are: Business lobby: Hold increase down to 50c an hour ($13 an hour). Unions: Step-change of…
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Leading US economist and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman sees a 30-40% chance of the US re-rentering recession this year, and the conditions that would cause that would almost certianly be replicated in other countries, including New Zealand, with the same result. More evidence that a…
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Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Today John Key admitted his mistake in two Ministerial portfolio appointments, as two long overdue changes were announced. 1) Chopper Tolley has rightfully been shuffled out of the Tertiary Education portfolio, which goes to Steven Joyce. Tolley's record has been appalling, most infamously taking a…
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I'm getting a bit sick of commentary suggesting Republican Scott Brown's victory in the Massachusetts Senate race was a thumbs down for Obama's universal health care package. It wasn't. Health care was not an issue in the Massachusetts senate election. Why? Because in 2006 state-wide…
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Rahui Katene is worried that people who can't afford stomach staplings here (which supposedly cures diabetes, although the evidence is mixed) are getting unsafe surgeries done overseas. The problem is the private health industry. A private stomach stapling costs $28,000. Well beyond the reach of…
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I can't work out how to embed audio alone, so here's a YouTube of Andrew Campbell and Matthew Hooton on the Key Government. Both agree that this government has done little and doesn't appear to have a plan. Campbell sums up Key's record: "The NDU…
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Tariana Turia got her stomach stapled to tackle her diabetes and it seems to have worked. She wants more people to get the operation. If stomach stapling is a cost-effective way to treat diabetes and will prevent the need for other medical care I think…
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Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Phew, that was quick. Yesterday John Kingi writes to us about Club Physical promoting homophobic myths. I publish his email. The same day a 300 member Facebook group pops up, and John's on NewstalkZB and GayNZ. Today, Club Physical's apologising. A lot of the righties complained that we shouldn't…
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It was clear that the Herald had decided how Ratana would play this year: eveyone loves Key, Goff gets the cold shoulder. It didn't matter what actually happened, that was going to be the Herald's narrative: Ratana pats Key on the back Labour gets icy…
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Marty did some really excellent work last week on the Tax Working Group's proposed tax reforms last week, which Zetetic summed up as 'tax cuts for tax cheats'. I think Marty convincingly showed that slashing the top tax rates with all the benefits going to the rich…
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Gerry Brownlee is defending the $45 million tax break the Government gave the makers of Avatar to do most of their special effects work here. "Attracting large budget film productions here offers wider benefits to the economy, including increased opportunities for New Zealanders as well…
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Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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A reader, John, writes: "I'm a member of Club Physical and I was disgusted to see that in their latest E-newsletter (below) sent out to all their members via email address, they are promoting an article from a fringe website that claims eating soy "makes kids…
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I don't think the SAS should be in Afghanistan. That said, there are good reasons why the activities of the SAS on deployment are meant to be kept secret. Both the media and John Key have behaved incredibly irresponsibly. Do the publishing of pictures and…
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Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Last week: "Prime Minister John Key said the Government's major theme in 2010 would be improving New Zealand's economy" Today: "He said his almost exclusive focus this year was to improve educational standards in the country" Next week: An unrelenting focus on whatever you want…
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This is how Health Minister Tony Ryall announced the Government would be appealing the court decision to try to get out of paying people for caring for disabled children: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -…