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The Rena. A Neo-Liberal failure. Nearly three weeks ago now a container vessel grounded on Astrolabe reef near Tauranga, New Zealand. Shipping accidents like the Rena are entirely at the door of Neo-Liberal economics. The foreseeable results of Globalisation, de-regulation, the endless search for…
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- thanks to the reader who sent this in (don't know if you want to be named)
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I/S looks at two dividing lines between left and right that may help your choice in a month's time. The first is Afghanistan. Labour has promised to bring the SAS home within 90 days. National won't commit to withdrawing. The second is water: National wants…
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The meeting of European Finance Ministers set for Wednesday that was supposed to put in place the framework for the Euro support has been cancelled. Certainty appears ever more elusive. According to Wolfgang Muenchau in the Financial Times, in any case the proposed plan depends…
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It was meant to be so easy. With high polling and several possible support partners, National would breeze into a second term thanks to Brand Key. The man himself would carried around the country by crowds of adoring locals. It would be more coronation than…
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The PREFU paints a pretty dismal picture of the economy, as many commentators were quick to point out. Here's Duncan Garner: Pre-election fiscal update paints bleak picture The Government has opened the books today in what's called the pre-election update to give all the parties…
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There's a tired old line trotted about by those who dislike MMP and that whole proportionality thing it guarantees: "it gives minor parties too much power". You usually see it used to disparage law changes like the repeal of section 59 (which only 113 MPs…
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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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The Pre-Election Fiscal and Economic Update is out. It shows that National has broken its promises on the economy once again. Five months ago, they were promising growth would hit 4% in the year to March 2013, which starts on April 1 next year. Now,…
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Pamphlets are circling highlighting past comments made by Mr Banks, including anti-homosexuality and racist ideas. Right-wing bloggers say it's all part of nasty campaign tactics by Labour. "waa, waa, waa" said Farrar and Slater "it's mean to quote a man's words when he's trying to…
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Thierry Dusautoir thoroughly deserved the player of the year at the IRB awards last night. And how well he took it - with praise for the All Blacks, addressed to Richie McCaw, and with words from the heart spoken to his team. We all saw…
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"If you are under an illusion that class warfare is non-existent in our society, then look no further. Today an incredulous Deborah Hill Cone took aim at the Occupy Movement. She cunningly opens her piece with a suggestion that “I'd have thought Aotea Square was…
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National's new online ad campaign shows a roadworker with a stop sign, supposedly representing Labour (he has a red hat and red swandry so you get the point) and another roadworker with a go sign meant to represent National (although his sign is green ...…
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A while back I wrote a post on the similarities between the austerity measures in Britain and in NZ, and the all too predictable outcome of economic stagnation and increasing hardship in both countries. No surprise of course to find a similar analysis of the…
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There was a really good article on slave fishing in the latest Sunday Star Times. You won't find much praise for Talley's on this site because of the anti-union tactics they employ in their factories. But, fair dues, they harvest their fish with Kiwi crews…
Environment ETS food human rights sustainability workers' rights
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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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The first leaders debate took place on Native Affairs tonight. Key and Goff were interviewed by Julian Wilcox. Key was lacklustre - if New Zealanders were finding it tough to make ends meet it was all down to global circumstance, nothing to do with him.…
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David Cameron has cancelled his planned trip to Japan and New Zealand. He is facing a backbench revolt over European Union membership at the same time as he is trying to intervene in the crucial financial summit trying to sort out problems in the Euro…
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Act president Chris Simmons on Don Brash's sudden trip to Europe: Brash's skills were in economic management, not in "glad-handing rugby players and tickertape parades" which he would happily leave to Prime Minister John Key. John Banks: "I'm going to do the photo opportunity with…
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As more oil leaks from the Rena, National's beginning to leak too. I've just been hearing about their latest internal polling, and it ain't pretty. As the earlier Horizon poll suggested, the Rena has been an inflection point for National and the masses of soft…
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Finally the cup comes back to good old NZ! You beauty! That said, well done the French. It was a much more exciting and tense game than most expected and I don't think there was anyone watching who wasn't on the edge of their seat…
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Labour Day celebrates the successful struggle for an eight-hour working day. Its a story that goes back to 1840, when London born carpenter Samuel Parnell arrived in NZ, landing at Petone beach. A fellow passenger asked Parnell to build him a shop, and Parnell's response…
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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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Now for the final - ABs vs France 9:00 pm at Eden Park - may the best team win. Even we non-rugby fans will have something to celebrate, in just a few hours it will all be over! [whew ... that was close ... imagine…
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The Occupation movement in most locations seems to be staying true to its ideals. Decision making is a participatory (not a representative) democratic process. That has advantages, it's inclusive and egalitarian. It also has disadvantages, there's no strong leadership. The movement is often accused of…
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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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Bill English: "a change in the credit ratings could push interest rates up ... about 0.1 percent." Nek minnit: Since the double downgrade, interest rates on new government bonds have risen by 0.2 per cent for bonds maturing in 2015 and 0.4 per cent for…
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I’m not sure where the call for solidarity action on O15 came from. But from scanning through the OWS pages, it didn’t emanate from there. (How could it when no-one speaks for OWS?) From what I can gather, the pre-planning for the occupations in New…
activism community democracy democratic participation political education Politics
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New Zealand's economy, Christchurch, Pike River, Rena - all terrible disasters to befall our country and our Government. It's a massive challenge to respond well to such crises, and nobody really expects a magic wand, but we do have a right to expect some kind of…