Federated Farmers want more urbanites
Federated Farmers pushed out a press release the other day calling for NZ to both have more population and to stop spreading urban areas out over farmland. MrSmith has a view on it.
Guest post
Secretive Haast-Hollyford Highway
A rather secretive bid in Central Otago/Westland for what amounts to a toll road cutting through a National Park. As with the as-yet-undecided tunnel and monorail proposals, this raises the question of whether Zealand is moving in the direction of selling its most public and protected land to private developers, for their private profit-generating schemes. It will have meetings to brief as many “key stakeholders” with a “significant interest” but will include “no public meetings”.
Our polytechnics are under threat
This year the government departed with a tradition of working closely with polytechnics to establish how best to spend taxpayers’ money and instead made our public institutions compete for taxpayers’ dollars to provide foundation courses. Institutions won money if they were the most competitive in terms of price, though all successful competitors had to meet minimum quality requirements – a true market approach to pricing. So, why is this problematic?
My Dad the bowler
My father remembers Labour Party meetings in our local town hall through the 70’s and 80’s. Staunchly Labour, Dad had many rousing discussions at the local pub with men of varied political persuasions – most of whom were his good friends. A heated debate on a Thursday night would often melt nicely into a friendly roll up at bowls on a Saturday.
A stronger mandate for the Labour leader?
A Labour Party member writes, praising Labour for the new democratic reforms, and calling for David Shearer to submit his leadership to the new Party selection process: “David Shearer, you need a mandate from this new organisation, not a prop-up from the shards of the old one. Give us this chance to really unite behind you, or your successor, and give you the backing you surely will have earned”.
Crays and Aussie Carrots
Damn, a kiwi recently moved to aussie explains what the attraction is and isn’t. Basically there is work there, the pay is better, and you can afford to eat out. But kiwi’s can take comfort that the food is crap – unless you go to a restaurant of course. Perhaps their politicians are better than their farmers.
One step too far
The minister for tertiary education, Stephen Joyce, may think he’s above the law but we don’t. He has told the New Zealand Herald “he would step in to force change at Auckland University” if necessary. What change does he want to force? He wants to determine what the university teaches. This threat shows the minister has little regard for New Zealand’s Education Act.
On Loyalty
The ABC club would have us believe that David Cunliffe has ‘openly undermined’ both David Shearer’s leadership and Phil Goff’s before him.
These attempts to rewrite history are amusing but factually inaccurate. We all know who undermined Phil Goff’s leadership and it wasn’t David Cunliffe.
Cunliffe Has Overplayed His Hand
At the end of this weekend’s Labour Annual Conference, delegates were happy. Speaking as a delegate, we had made the first and most important changes to the party in its history. But every night, after we got home and turned on the TV or visited a news website (or even some of the blogs), we didn’t see those stories we felt proud about. We saw Patrick Gower and Brook Sabin and Jessica Mutch sticking the camera in David Cunliffe’s face
#Labour2012 Voting for democracy
There’s a few remits on the floor at conference today that are going to be make or break for the future of the Labour party. They’re all about democratising the party which is something I think needs to happen if it’s going to survive and thrive.
Pagani to lead Labour to victory!
In a bold and exciting move Labour MP David Shearer stood down at today’s Labour conference and handed the reins to mild mannered media commentator Josie Pagani. Shearer said it became clear he had too much parliamentary experience for the role and the public was calling for someone ‘less like a politician’ than he was.
At conference, vote for a members’ democracy
The Labour Party conference this weekend is crucial for the democratic future of the party. A party member outlines his view on how to vote. His main point? In U.K. Labour you only need 20% of caucus to allow a vote on the leadership. That’s about right.
What will the new president do about Climate Change?
Voting starts. What will the new president do about Climate Change? For good or ill, America has a tradition of global leadership. When it comes to climate change America needs to lead more actively in the world – not from behind, but from the front. Will Obama be that president? Will Romney? Or will we have to wait another four more terrible years of rudderless inaction?
Is more people the answer for NZ?
The estimated population of New Zealand reached 4,444,444 on the 1st of November 2012. Nothing special other than a rare moment of symmetry in an otherwise random and chaotic world. It is an opportunity to ask a pretty basic question: what is the ideal population for New Zealand? We can’t keep growing our population forever, nor would it make us richer if we did so. When is enough enough?
Aotearoa to little America
As National cuts services, incomes, and pushes more Kiwi’s into the gutter, their real agenda it seems apart from creating an underclass is removing them from the Government tit, and after that supporting them with charity. Corporations see charity as tax free advertising, with the added bonus of being able to lobby & pressure the Government of the day.
Earthquake Red Flags
Two years on and the chief executive of the Canterbury District health board David Meates has started to see some worrying trends showing up in Christchurch/Canterbury. People are failing to take their meds. Binge drinking and other dangerous behaviours are on the increase. Government is adding to the problem, not fixing it.
Fran’s fracas
Well, Fran Mold has done it now. She’s got Shearer to go large (it is alleged) based on her man’s claim that there is a tape of Key talking to the GCSB in February about Dotcom. But no proof’s emerged. All Fran’s foul-up has done is give Key a breather and put Shearer on the ropes.You don’t get a bigger fuck-up than that as a spin doctor. I can’t imagine she’ll be around much longer.
Not more of the same
Draco T offers a radical formula for economic renewal.
Greenie bashing session
Greenie bashing season has just opened and that could see the end of Bennie bashing for the mean time. Over the last week two high profile and one low profile National politicians (Steven Joyce, Nick Smith & Colin king) have come out in the media with scathing comments attacking opponents to two high profile environmental cases currently before judges.
The modern religion
‘Business Business Business’ is the endless chant from the Nat’s business will be our savour, all business is good of-course. Bad businesses, well they will go out of business, generally because they cant compete or are poorly managed, but mostly not before they have stolen all your savings, which in the case of a good bad business you will never have any chance of recovering.
Joyce’s desperate shill for Bathurst mining
Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce has launched a broadside against the environmental opponents of the privately owned Denniston mine project. To do this Stephan Joyce has tried to draw a bow linking those who wish to stop the opening of the Dennistion mine, with the closing of the Spring Creek mine.
EPA seems fishy
MrSmith has been following National’s new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hearing considering an application by New Zealand King Salmon for a plan change and resource consents so it can create nine new fish farms in areas of the Marlborough Sounds where aquaculture is prohibited. It seems fishy and at odds with the stated intent of the EPA.
Social Democratic Economy: Part 2
Draco gives his long awaited second part on his views on a social democratic economy.
..the present socio-economic system that we use, namely Free Market Capitalism, is a failure. When thinking about the economy and how it works I realised I had to go back to basics as almost everything that’s taught about economics in the mainstream theories is bollocks – most of its assumptions aren’t even close to being realistic.
Bloggers and ripping off content
When does quoting media on a blog shift into ripping them off and why does the media still give airtime to one of the biggest thieves?
Queen of Thorns discusses…
Fight the ‘War on the Poor’: Opposing Bennett’s welfare reforms.
Grant Robertson, in the House yesterday speaking on Paula Bennett’s “Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill” – First Reading, gave an impassioned speech. He said many some great points about social obligations and a mutually beneficial social contract (between the state and beneficiaries. However, will the Labour Party’s policies match up to the rhetoric?
Planet Key, Planet Paula, and the War on the Poor
Over the last week, the government’s off-world set of distorted realities has come to the foreground: those of “Planet John Key” and “Planet Paula”. These worlds highlight the way Bennett’s latest welfare reforms wage war on the poor and undermine fairness and democracy.
Asset Sales, Water & Maori claims – an ‘elegant solution’
It seems that whenever a matter arises that involves some claim of collective ownership or control by Maori, John Key comes up with what he describes as an ‘elegant solution’. If Key can come up with a string of such solutions I thought maybe I could give it a try. Therefore, this is my attempt at developing an ‘elegant solution’ to the matter of Maori claims to the ownership of water.
Red zone ride
Guest poster Andy-Roo reflects on a ride through the Christchurch Red Zone, the social contract, and Gerry Brownlee…
Money Week: avoid getting ripped off
Since 2006, 66 New Zealand finance companies, funds and mortgage trusts have failed (closed, liquidation, receivership, moratorium, suspended). An estimated $3.5 billion has already been lost with another $8.6 billion still at risk.
Guest poster Adele shows the need for a week of events and activities to raise awareness about how people can better manage their money (if they have any) and get help to do so – Money Week.
I wonder who earned their Christmas bonus for coining the term “Breastapo”?
There’s been a lot of coverage of breastfeeding “controversies” in the last couple of months.
We’ve reposted Queen of Thorns’ take on it…
Children’s Commissioner’s report due
A guest post from Carol on the Children’s Commissioner’s Expert Advisory Group (EAG) report, to be released today. We need a sustainable destination, not a life raft. Update: The report is out.
CV replies to Whaleoil
Guest poster Colonial Viper replies to some typically loopy accusations from Whaleoil.
Frankly Speaking: “John Banks: condition deteriorating”
Frank Macskasy over at Frankly Speaking writes some very long posts that are often full of interesting information. This one does a good analysis of the recommendations from the Electoral Commission and various party positions on it. On the way through he has a good swipe at John Banks, who it would be safe to say, he considers to be political cabbage.
On Democracy
KJT defends the principle of Democracy against the same old arguments. Most of the objections apply to any system which allows the public a say in Government. As again we have the party in Government telling us, “We won the election. We can do whatever we want. A dictatorship.
Darkhorse: The answers are simple the solutions are complex
Darkhorse writes amazingly insightful economic pieces on his ‘How Daft’ blog (the title gives you a clue as to what he thinks of the current state of affairs). The neoliberal experiment has been an abject failure by any rational measure. And there are alternatives. Darkhorse has given us permission to syndicate his posts, the originals are here.
Just a domestic?
It’s been 16 years since Susan Snively’s ground-breaking report on the economic cost of domestic violence in New Zealand. In 1996 the prevalence rate of domestic violence was estimated at 1 in 7 people – 301,691, including 129,556 children – with an economic cost of $1.2 billion annually. In addition 40% of all homicides were the result of domestic disputes.