It’s been revealed that Banks took fifty thousand dollars for his campaign from Kim Dotcom. Given the subsequent furore around Dotcom, the would be slightly embarrassing in its own right but it’s been considerably exacerbated by the fact it came in two separate payments – as requested by Banks so he could keep the donation anonymous.
Remember way back when the government were changing the law to take rights off film workers and increase tax breaks for Warners? It was all about keeping Kiwi jobs they said.
Well it turns out that at the same time they were doing this they were also making promises to Peter Jackson that those Kiwi jobs would be given to imported workers.
If anything has marked John Key’s tenure as PM it’s his use of his personal brand to run his cabinet.
But what happens to his control as that brand runs out of steam?
Alistair Cameron is heavily tipped to become Labour’s Chief of Staff. That’s a change that would signal even bigger change to come.
Let’s hope that bigger change is done openly and with party members’ input.
Ports of Auckland has called for facilitated bargaining.
How might this play out?
Darien Fenton has a bill in the ballot designed to put public ports back on the OIA.
It’s about time – there’s been no accountability or transparency at our ports for too long.
It will be interesting to see the government’s response.
It looks like Collin’s has got herself into a bind with her defamation case and Key’s not gonna get her out.
And why would he? Her flailing offers an excellent distraction from the real PR damage of this dispute – the fact his government is only interested in looking after its mates.
While the PoAL dispute has been raging a thousand meatworkers are entering their fifth week of lockout at Talleys-owned AFFCO.
There’s a war on workers on across the country at the moment but you can help fight back.
The people named as Bronwyn Pullar’s support team seem to be the same people that helped John Key into the National Party and then into the leadership.
Like they say – it’s not what you know…
After months of attacking the media and bringing the weight of the state against a freelance cameraman, John Key is “turning the other cheek”.
What a jerk
Despite the court making them return to the bargaining table, PoAL Chair Richard Pearson seems to fail to understand some basic principles of employment law.
His comments on morning report suggest he’s either ignorant of some basic legal issues or still has no regard for good faith bargaining.
I’d suggest that either case indicates there’s a need for the council to step in and put some responsible adults in charge of this company.
The reshuffle announced yesterday effectively made Steven Joyce the new Minister of Labour.
Call me paranoid but I’m thinking that putting the Government’s bully-boy in charge of the rights of working Kiwis may not bode well for employment relations over the next few years.
It’s a bit rich that PoAL are claiming they’re “investigating” online privacy breaches now when it’s obvious they’ve been colluding with Cameron Slater for months.
It’s also interesting that the limited “no comment” comment PoAL has issued has been in Tony Gibson’s name rather than Richard Pearson’s.
Looks like Ports of Auckland have been unlawfully passing workers’ private information to Cameron Slater.
It’s just another example of the intimidation and thuggery the port management is becoming well known for.
POAL is on the backfoot industrially, legally, and in terms of public relations.
God only knows what kind of hubris made Gibson and his board think they could get away with attacking their workers like this.
It seems that no matter how many times these corporate ratbags get their arses handed to them by union members they just don’t seem to learn.
Felix recommended Denise Roche’s maiden speech and I can see why.
It’s good to see some strong left voices entering parliament.
Haven’t had time to watch many maiden speeches but of the few I saw Andrew Little’s was a stand out.
I’m sure we’ll be putting a few more up over the next few days.
I’ve heard that POAL has private detectives following union officials around and taking photos.
I’d imagine that’s where “scoops” like this are coming from.
…or is National’s “Ethnic Team” so tokinist it’s kinda racist in it’s own right?
I mean it’s not like there’s a facebook group for National’s Old White Men Team.
Oh wait, there is.
Labour’s contrition is starting to look like weakness.
Rather than reinforcing their opponents’ framing of issues they need to articulate their own progressive values with authority.
If they fail to do this the momentum gained by their new leader will be lost.
With the house due to sit in a couple of weeks John Key’s people will be weighing up their response to the POAL dispute.
My guess is they’ll base their decision on what they can get away with politically.
Whatever they do it’ll be no good for the port workers and certainly no good for Key’s goal of closing the wage gap with Australia.
Labour’s internal politics is public property while National get a free pass on theirs.
This imbalance of transparency and accountability seems weird given National are the ones wielding the real power.
More to the point, what does it mean for our democracy?
DPF has joined the chorus of overpaid righties calling for working people to have their pay cut.
That’s despite him being on a pretty good wicket himself.
What is it with the right and the politics of envy?
Katherine Rich attacks the waterside union in an opinion piece today.
But that’s not surprising given she’s being paid to speak on behalf of some of the biggest corporations in the world.
Anyone would think there’s some kind of connection between how strong unions are and how big a slice of the pie the rich can take for themselves…
Peter Dunne could stop the sale of our assets but he won’t.
Even though he didn’t campaign on selling them.
If he had it’s unlikely he’d have won his seat – let’s hope his constituents hold him accountable.
Funny how John Banks has got so much more out of his coalition deal with National than Peter Dunne did despite Dunne having more leverage than Banksie.
It’s almost like National wanted to pack all of their hard right policy into Act’s deal so they could employ it without dirtying themselves.
It’s been a funny kind of election and there’s a lot to ruminate on over the next few days.
Here’s a handful of random thoughts on the matter…
Keeping up brand Key means keeping the help in line.
Just pity the poor buggers that have to help hold that facade up.
Phil Goff broke news of the Nat’s plan to freeze police recruitment but keep it quiet until after the election.
That policy’s at odds with some fundamental Nat claims.
Update: A freeze on replacement cops would see hundreds fewer on the job after just one year.
The teapot fiasco has become an international story.
And it’s making us look like a banana republic.
Is this what John Key means when he says he’s “ambitious for New Zealand”?
Well it’s been quite the day of ironic Key hypocrisy lolz.
It’s also been a day that’s shown Russel Norman’s not much better.
David Farrar is encouraging his readers to put themselves in harm’s way by authorising and distributing a misleading election advertisement he’s created.
Of course he won’t take the risk himself – instead he’s hiding behind “personal opinion”.
Charges have been laid over the Pike River tragedy.
John Key has announced National’s IR policy and it’s all about cutting back workers negotiating power.
The message from Key is clear – big business might have made this recession but you’re the ones who are gonna pay for it.
A good interview from Andrew Little on the Nat’s failed attempt to smear him over facebook comments. Nice comments about David Farrar and strong support for the occupy movement. Good to see.
By the way, is it just me or is National’s obsession with opposition social media starting to look less like straight research and more like creepy stalking?
Word around the traps is Labour is working on a significant new wage policy. Good – like nearly every other deregulated market the labour market has been failing Kiwis for more than twenty years. It’s time to bring some balance back into the system. Let’s just hope Labour has the guts to make a proper job of it.
