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With the Government's most useless Minister, Pansy Wong, gone under a cloud of corruption and replaced by a new MP who has been labeled by some as a future Nat leader, we might have hoped that the Women's Affairs portfolio would get some decent treatment…
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Last week I wrote about Christchurch rentals as a potential flash point for conflict in the aftermath of the quake. Mayor Bob Parker has now expressed his concerns in the strongest possible language: Rent hikes 'looting by another name' - Parker Landlords who hiked rents…
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Speech: Hone Harawira Marine and Coastal Area Bill - Second ReadingHone Harawira, Te Reo Motuhake o Te Tai Tokerau Tuesday 8 March 2011 Tena koe Mr Speaker, and may I please begin my first formal speech in parliament as Te Reo Motuhake o Te Tai…
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The Labour Party’s Christchurch electorate MPs - Clayton Cosgrove (Waimakariri), Ruth Dyson (Port Hills), Lianne Dalziel (Christchurch East) and Brendon Burns (Christchurch Central) - are today starting a regular bulletin designed to keep people in their electorates and media informed about what is happening at…
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Facing a housing shortage in Auckland now and a massive rebuilding programme in Christchurch to come, the Government has announced the biggest public building initiative since World War 2. Thousands of unemployed young people will be paid to train as apprentices in building trades and…
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The Reserve Bank has this morning slashed interest rates by 0.5%. This is good news for mortgage-owners as the major banks have dropped their floating rates by the same amount. It is less good news for drivers as this will continue the slide of the…
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So it seems that we're to have a visit from Prince William. As might be expected from a PM who restored our archaic "honours" system, John Key has been positively gushing at the prospect: Prince William will address the thousands of people expected at next…
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National selected a Welfare Working Group that would give them the benefit recommendations that they wanted - a little to the right of Genghis Khan - but even they could see how much quality Early Childhood Education is needed, devoting a part of their report 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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Update: since I wrote this post last night, Key and Brownlee's double act has continued, with Brownlee making up an excuse for Key's comment that 10,000 houses will be bowled. Brownlee claimed the number came from an EQC aerial survey at about the same time…
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There was a good piece in the last Herald on Sunday about the cost of living. The Nats know they are very vulnerable on this fundamental issue. They've been pedalling the lie that "the vast majority" of us are better off since their tax swindle.…
class war cost of living dpf economy making shit up national
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Last week, John Key said that, due to the earthquakes, "from June to June, my guess is that we’ve lost $12 billion in GDP". Later, he said it was $15b over 4 years due to the quakes. Now, Treasury says most of that $15b is…
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I/S at No Right Turn has done more excellent work. He's revealed the official advice Kate Wilkinson was given on the minimum wage. The advice says there is a trade-off between jobs and the minimum wage, but even an increase to $15 an hour would…
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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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Apart from the first post a short while after the earthquake happened, I've not written about it. Partly because I've been busy with other stuff but also because I've been waiting and hoping for the government to do what governments (left or right) do in…
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Update: the Stuff article failed to mention the vital fact that Mateparae is stepping down from the GCSB before becoming G-G. It says "Prime Minister John Key said there was no conflict of interest with Mateparae remaining on at GCSB". But the Herald explains he'll…
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QoT guest post There isn't just one hard truth to NZ politics at the moment. The second is equally unpopular with people, but if it doesn't offer a clear way forward it at least suggests a fixable problem. At the same time, it's not the…
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Worth: gone. Wong: gone. Mapp: going. John Carter: going. Te Heuheu: probably going. Sharples, Hide, Dunne: facing de-election. Lockwood Smith: going mid-next term. Key: gone in 3 years, tops. More with limited lives due to corruption/abuses/incompetence (Heatley, English, Bennett). Why did Power really leave a…
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The United Chinese Press newspaper is potentially facing prosecution under the Electoral Act after it ran adverts on the day of the Botany by-election supporting New Citizens' Party candidate Paul Young. The paper, the party, and the bidders for the Crafar Farms all appear to…
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Today Parliament sits in full for the first time since the second earthquake. There's lots to attend to: the government is required to explain the state of national emergency, change the census law, create a one-off provincial holiday, and alter the law on school zoning.…
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TVNZ7, and New Zealand public service television as a whole, looks to be coming to an end in June next year. TVNZ has been told their only responsibility is to return to the government a 9% return on investment per annum; their response is that…
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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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Well it does look increasingly as if the Government’s response to the earthquake is going to be somewhere between disaster capitalism and total shortsightedness, if they really are intent on axing the Auckland rail tunnel to pay for urban renewal in Christchurch. If so, this…
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More bad news for Gerry Brownlee today. No Right Turn has had confirmation that Gerry Brownlee makes his 'policy' up as he goes without seeking competent advice. This must be more than slightly terrifying to the people of Christchurch because Brownlee is their dictator by…
accountability democracy under attack Gerry Brownlee making shit up Politics
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I can't believe what I'm seeing from John Key and Gerry Brownlee. They've made extremely foolish comments attacking the coronal staff trying to identify the dead and about knocking down all the historic buildings. Now, they're trying to re-invent their own statements. This crisis is…
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I thought that with a devastating earthquake, a record oil/food price spike, an unemployment tsunami, and a double-dip recession that the Nats' apologists might have realised it was time for honest discussion of the issues and solutions. Instead, they're still trying to bury our heads…
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You know things are bad when the AA is saying that high petrol prices are here to stay and there needs to be more investment in public transport. Global supply and demand is so tight that tiny disruptions are causing massive spikes. What if Saudi…
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The government has a fair bit on its plate right now. There's the aftermath of the Christchurch quake and planning for the recovery. I think we all know about that. There's also the hammering that ordinary folk are getting from the cost of living. I…
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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...