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Protocol
So Judith Collins has broken protocol to reveal "serious threats" to John Key after we find out his use of DPS as a vanity prop has cost us $800k. And yet when it comes to him spending our money to chopper to a golf club…
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Archives · 2011-05-01 to 2011-05-31 · Page 7
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Searching: posts Sorted by: newest Results: 181–210 of 226
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Open 06/05/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Obama comes up Trumps
Watch Obama do Donald Trump like a dinner at the White House Correspondents' party. Trump didn't like it. Crybaby.
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Anatomy of a lie
When the news of Hone Harawira's "support for Osama Bin Laden" broke in the Herald I was suspicious of it - there was no byline on the story and it wasn't on the front page. Surely such a revelation would be headline news and surely…
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$800,000 for PR props
Looks like John Key's need to look like a celebrity has cost the tax payer $800,000 - that's the blow out in cost for his DPS entourage, a cost that includes $30,000 for sending officers to Hawaii. So let's get this straight. $500k for the…
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Que CERA, CERA & n00b Shanks
Can't remember if we've posted these two videos readers have sent in: http://youtu.be/VgLyShghYxE http://youtu.be/rJdPkrpFXBM
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Youth jobs scheme
It's not often that the Nats do anything praiseworthy, so I like to take note when they get it right. Their new youth jobs scheme, even though it only partially reverses their previous cuts to youth training, is at least a step back in the…
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All quiet at the Commerce Commission
Since Paula Redstock was pushed out of the Commerce Commission with a lot of the other brilliant staff, there has not been one cartel or monopoly abuse case prosecuted by the Commerce Commission. This is the very same Commission that was saving us millions of…
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Elitist Nats’ heads in the clouds
Wayne Mapp revealed that Murray McCully's air force flights to Vanuatu cost $65,000 in fuel alone and that he tried to stop McCully. Meanwhile, Key got a free helicopter ride from a photo-op but decided it was a bad look so he paid $2,000 for…
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Key attacks another journalist
The Nats are obviously worried about public reaction to the recent revelations on the role of the SAS in Afghanistan. And as is usually the case when they feel threatened by a story, the Nats are striking out, trying to discredit or intimidate the source.…
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US Embassy: Political Objectivity of NZ Media Questioned
Here's an interesting Wikileaks cable on the 'objectivity' of the New Zealand msm, particularly the Herald. The cable relates to the period leading up to the last election. Most of it seems like a pretty fair appraisal to me, despite it perhaps being a little…
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Open mike 05/05/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Rights and privilege
Righto. I've just watched the debate between Harawira and Brash on Close Up and about five minutes fifty into the second part Brash had the gall to challenge Harawira on whether he believed everyone should have the same rights. The thing is rights in the…
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Fabians lecture
"Capital Gains Tax" with Craig Elliffe and Chye-ching Huang Venue: Owen Glenn Building, University of Auckland Time: May 5th, 6:30 PM Blurb: One reason we keep returning to capital gains tax is that the exemption for capital gains is the one, large, glaring exception to…
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Caption competition
credit: DAVID HALLETT/The Press
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Alan Grayson on Bin Laden
Alan Grayson lost his congress seat in the last election after a concerted attack from the right. His open letter on the death of Bin Laden shows why the US needs him back next time around. The End of Fear? About a year after 9/11,…
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Billboard fun
I'm sure you've all seen that Labour's trying to get a billboard campaign to go viral, but just in case you haven't, we wouldn't want you to miss out. The idea is to design a billboard for their Stop Asset Sales campaign, with the winner…
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Rodney’s golden handshake
Don Brash was clear that he wanted Rodney Hide to lose his portfolios and leave parliament. Until yesterday. Now Hide will stay on as a lame duck minister with nothing to do for seven months. Will pocket an extra $35,000 salary for his trouble. I…
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Freudian slip from Fox News
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Helen Clark calling the shots
After a turbulent fortnight in politics, Helen Clark's new look Green Party is now in place. Ex Labour leader Helen Clark, who resigned after losing the 2008 election, has re-emerged from the political wilderness with dramatic effect. Taking advantage of the Green's stagnation in the…
act don brash humour national national/act government rodney hide
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Russel’s mana
Sprout has already written about Phil Goff's blunder in ruling out the Mana Party. Now Russel Norman is jumping on the attack bandwagon: Dr Norman said "there might be a few votes" for the new party, but "maybe not a lot". "I mean, who wants…
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Own goal by National flunky
Cameron Slater has the inside word on Murray McCully's $75,000 trip to Vanuatu on a New Zealand Air Force plane that involved flying the 126-seater there and back to drop him and seven staff off, then there and back again the next day to pick…
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Open mike 04/05/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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McCully joins Flying Squad
With his RNZAF jaunts to photo-ops, John Key has set an example his ministers seem keen to follow. Having seen Key use Air Force helicopters to enjoy the V8s and do karaoke at the Parachute festival, Murray McCully has learnt that our Air Force is…
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Conservative majority in Canada
Stephen Harper's Conservatives have won majority government in the Canadian election with under 40% of the vote on a turnout of just over 58%. We will be able to get an idea of what a second term John Key government would be like as Harper…
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Tornado!
A tornado hit Albany in Auckland City. Ouch. I hope that there aren't any or even not too many injuries. I've just been looking at the weather outside across the harbor and saying that it was that weird warmish with the classic Auckland vertical river…
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NZMA position on health inequity
There is a very interesting "Positional Statement" from the New Zealand Medical Association on Health Inequity. It was published on the 4th of March, but it didn't get the coverage it deserved. The NZMA is considered by some a conservative organisation, with lots of wealthy…
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Key calls snap Election for June 4
Now if the sight of that headline made you feel a bit sick for a moment, you might want to ask yourself 'How well prepared would my party be if Key called a snap election?' The reason it might pay to ask is that it's…
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The same old answer
If Don Brash is the answer, what's the question? Best answer wins all the kudos they can eat.
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War Nerd on Al Qaeda
The best US blog is eXiledonline. They've done huge work to expose the Tea Party and its shady backers. Their insight into the class issues underlying economic crisis both raw and diamond-sharp. And one of their writers, Gary Brecher aka the War Nerd, covers conflicts…