Right-wing mayor candidates try to kneecap themselves
Vic Crone isn’t sure humans are causing climate change, Palino doesn’t think Auckland is all that super, and Mark Thomas just wants people not to vote for Goff… It’s hardly an enticing bunch.
Ben Clark
Labour Candidate for North Shore 2011
Lose yourself in the music
While we’re enjoying the popcorn at Williams vs Craig, there’s another enjoyable court case coming next year shortly before the election…
‘Living Rent’ and other UK stories
A Tory think tank proposes a massive house-building plan, with a ‘Living Rent’ to make it affordable; and Nick Clegg lifts the lid on the Tories in the last government.
#ParkUpForGovernment
Despite the large number of people with terrible stories about homelessness to the Labour/Greens/Maori Homelessness Inquiry, this Government of Housing Inaction still thinks the problem should be ignored and the Inquiry ‘not needed’.
Key: Kiwis are lazy drug users
John Key let the mask slip yesterday – as he said that we needed immigrant labour even for unskilled work because of the work ethic and drug use of New Zealand workers. That’s how he sees normal Kiwis, but actually maybe they just need proper pay & conditions.
Little’s Big Parliamentary ‘Member’
Andrew Little fully fronts up.
Key: Crisis? What me worry?
John Key is defending his handling of Auckland’s housing crisis on the grounds that Auckland’s prices have only risen as much under him as they did under Labour.
So the prices that he said were a crisis in 2007, have risen by as much again, and thus… no problem?
Third term and full of ideas…
You know National really have their finger on the pulse with their latest members bills. First was Nuk Korako showing why he’s 50 […]
She’s got to go
Paula Bennett’s leaked one too many times, as she tries to silence those who embarrass her. She needs to resign and take her authoritarian ways with her.
Migration
The refugee rise didn’t go far enough… but we need to stop importing cafe managers and retail supervisors and fuelling Auckland’s housing and transport problems.
Gender Pay Gap: Average Wage Graph telling
Now maybe it’s because I’m a bloke, but looking at this graph I couldn’t help but think: wouldn’t it be better to close the pay gap for women by increasing their wages rather than decreasing men’s?
Future Jobs
I’m going to get to reviewing Labour’s next 3 Future of Work papers, honest.
But in the meantime, I have something to share from Andrew McAfee.
Just a great Ted Talk on YouTube.
A thinking opposition
So the news on Labour’s first paper from its “Future of Work” Commission revolves around “ex-Labour member” Phil Quin noticing some missing quote marks and National making gleeful diversions from it. But of course what is actually important is the content.
Health and Safety
The CTU’s excellent campaign to get a stronger version of National’s post-Pike River Health and Safety law has produced this excellent video, and you can sign to support Iain Lees-Galloway’s amendments to improve the bill.
Guantanamo Diary
The Guardian has some amazing extracts from a diary that Guantánamo detainee Mohamedou Ould Slahi kept and gave to his lawyers. It’s the first book by a serving Guantanamo inmate.
Protecting our Freedom
UK PM David Cameron thinks freedom will be enhanced by monitoring everything – something we used to call totalitarianism. We need more encryption and to make sure the internet is built for the people, not the data-miners – be they our security agencies, criminal gangs, or facebook.
Jobs That Count
The Meatworkers Union today launch a campaign for Jobs That Count – to try to get better conditions for these marginalised workers who face it all – seasonal work, dangerous jobs, casual and zero hours contracts and anti-union pressure.
Why is it Len’s fault?
Various Tory voices, fresh from finding Len Brown guilty of needing a wee; now find he’s to blame for failing to get his visionary Central Rail Loop started on time, with its delayed start to 2018. But surely the blame lies not with him, but squarely with National and Key for refusing to pay their share until 2020.
Dodging the big decisions
Colin James has an excellent piece on the housing market. Simon Collins has a piece on the implications on young renters. Meanwhile, a number of other big problems are being ignored by National as well.
Charter Schools: F
So despite the vast amount more funding (5x more per pupil) to charter schools, 1 of the 5 first, Te Kura Hourua ki Whangaruru, is failing abysmally.
The Government has previously said that all their problems were fixed, or being fixed – but they clearly aren’t.
Prove It
So John Key reckons the decile 1 & 2 principals he talks to say that hardly any kids at their school need lunch. Campbell Live & Kids Can seem to only find school principals who say that lots of kids need lunch. So maybe John Key can name these mythical decile 1 & 2 schools that are doing so well. And then when he gets shown up again, maybe National can move to support Hone’s Food in Schools Bill.
Distract and Divert
Why do I want to know about Bronagh’s private 30th wedding anniversary gift to John Key? The PM is in trouble and trying to get fluff out to distract from his recent repeated lying, make people think more nicely of him. Presumably his superstitiousness played well in focus groups.
Children’s Plea
We all know that Child Poverty is one of New Zealand’s major problems. In an attempt to finally get a response from the […]
In defence of John Key
Click-bait, moi?
Distractify
While shepherding through horrendous housing changes and removing workers’ rights – and hiding from Dirty Politics – John Key needs a big “look over there!”
I’m backing Grant
We have 4 great Leftie contenders, who all want to take Aotearoa where we want it to go. Whomever wins, I’ll back them to the hilt. But I have a vote and a voice, and I’m backing Grant – here’s why.
I disagree
With Lynn, which according to the trolls should see me banned 😈
I think the Labour results show voters understand MMP, not that Labour doesn’t.
Child Poverty March
There was a great protest up Queen St today, as 1000-odd people (including me!) marched against child poverty, and government and societal inaction over it.
From Twitter
All your trashing the SFO connections. h/t DebsHancock
Look over there! Tax cuts!
So National are both so out of ideas and so desperate to take the spotlight off their Dirty Politics that they’re now promising tax cuts. Tax cuts straight after we have a panel of our most prominent economists warning that the ‘rock star’ economy is going to hit the rocks.
Policy Free Zone?
Cut Your Hair has some great analysis of who is the “policy free zone” that Key is claiming the left is…
Child Poverty in Aotearoa: Tackling Inequality
There’s a wee bit of irony in showing a program on inequality on expensive subscriber-only TV; but nonetheless there’s an excellent new series on Face TV (Sky 83).
John Banks must resign
It is untenable for someone to remain as an MP after being found guilty of electoral fraud. For the integrity of Parliament, John Banks must go: now.
Save the Poisons Helpline!
National are planning to merge a bunch of health helplines to save money. The 0800 POISON number could be scrapped leaving additional seconds or minutes until help is received in those most urgent of moments.
Labour membership greatest in 30 years
Moira Coatsworth recently announced that last year’s party membership was the greatest in 30 years – ie, it is higher than even before the 4th Labour Government did such damage to membership numbers. This is a sign of rude health. And it shows in the quality of new candidates being selected.
Save Invermay
We still don’t know why Joyce is pushing on with the move to shut Invermay, Dunedin’s impressive AgResearch centre, but it’s still not […]