Sacked. No reason given
Key said put up or shut up.
The CTU and some gutsy workers are putting up.
Will Key have the guts to answer them?
IrishBill
Slippery old Ryall
Tony Ryall’s been running significant health-cuts under the radar for a while now.
But with the heat going on down south he’s breaking out the “spot check” story to show he’s in touch.
He’s a slippery old bugger…
The Carter question
Many in the media seem to want a nice quick expulsion of Chris Carter from the Labour party.
But it doesn’t work like that in a democratic organisation – if it did, it wouldn’t be democratic for long.
A few brief points about the attacks on workers
Having just watched the q + a interview with Council of Trade Unions President Helen Kelly and Alasdair Thompson from the EPMA (a must-watch, Kelly did a great job) I think there are a few things that need to be said:
Caption contest
Remember the billboards comparing Helen Clark to a series of dictators in 2008? Funny thing is she’d never had anything to do with a dictator. But at least one MP who will be voting for John Key’s attacks on workers did.
Little confirms New Plymouth candidacy
According to Stuff Andrew Little has confirmed his candidacy for the New Plymouth seat.
I’d say he stands a very good chance of winning and will be a real thorn in the side of the National Party.
Key, Unions and Pinochet
Over at Kiwipolitico Pablo has a good post tracing the ancestry of Key’s attack on unions to Pinochet.
Not that we should be surprised of course:
National and Act have both been influenced by that regime in the past. Especially when it comes to dealing to workers.
Key’s desperate spin
Key’s trying to spin his way out of taking responsibility for his attack on workers.
And he thinks union-bashing is the way to do it.
Perhaps he needs reminding that unions are just groups of workers who’re working together for a fair deal?
National’s donation spin
National is claiming its donations are strong but the numbers tell another story all together.
With an election possible within 12 months, National needs to scare up some cash – and quick.
Key’s dilemma
This weekend Key will start (literally) cashing in his political capital by trading off Kiwi workers’ rights for business backing.
But by pushing for these changes his backers risk the second-term National majority they need to get their hands on our assets.
It seems their bad habit of putting short-term profit ahead of long-term sustainable gains has carried over into the political sphere.
National’s attack on working Kiwis
With National’s donations flagging something was needed to loosen the purse-strings.
It seems they’ve decided giving business an early present of wage-lowering laws will do the trick.
And every working Kiwi will pay the price.
Just who does Business NZ represent?
Business New Zealand CEO Phil O’Reilly has come out against Clare Curran’s procurement bill despite the fact procurement legislation would benefit his members.
It makes you wonder just who exactly Business lobby groups represent.
Buying Kiwi made
Clare Curran is preparing a private members bill designed to make sure Kiwi Businesses get preference for government work.
It’s an idea that would see more jobs for Kiwi workers and help strengthen our economy but will business help push the government to back it?
Two term Key?
Colin James has had a look at the pros and cons of Key staying past a second term.
So why would our fair-weather prime minister want to stick around?
Tax cuts for the few, just plain cuts for the many
English is talking more cuts at a time where cutting could well push the economy into a downward spiral.
But he knows that better than most – he was a minister in the cabinet that did just that in the ’90s.
A July election?
First term governments don’t usually go early but this isn’t your average first term government.
Will the tories go early to lock in a second term?
And if they do will we get a blitzkrieg policy run if they win?
Xenophobia
John Key is claiming that we need to defend our shores against a coming wave of boat people by buying into a detention center in Timor.
I don’t know whether he’s trying to flank Winnie or whether he’s just shooting off at the mouth after being influenced by the Aussies but whatever the reason the idea is plainly racist.
Slow news day
“Len Brown’s Smackdown” screams the headline in Carolyne Meng-Yee’s story about Len Brown today – and the first para makes it sound even […]
Aussies mull ethical market signal
Australia is looking at quality mark for products from ethical supply chains.
We should too.
Authoritarian Key
Once again the government is employing the power of the state against someone who has embarrassed them.
Perhaps when Key talks warmly about Singapore it’s the authoritarianism he likes.
The more things change
Colin Espiner says MP’s shouldn’t protest but then gets some basic facts wrong trying to show why.
I guess he’s made a point. But not the one he meant to…
On the credit card play
I wasn’t going to comment on the credit card witchhunt as I think it’s prurient. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in favour […]
Cunliffe hits the mark
Just had a look at David Cunliffe on the Nation and was quite impressed.
Worth a look to see someone running a left economic argument well.
The Brash budget
Colin James makes a good point in his latest column which talks about the rightward shift this budget has created: Longer term, the […]
…and your children’s children
Let’s get this straight. Borrowing a billon dollars for tax cuts while cutting services is not centrist.
Even if tax cuts go to middle and low earners too.
Meanwhile the opposition is MIA.
So what’s the rabbit?
The Nats thought they could spin anything. Even more tax cuts for the rich.
But they were wrong.
What rabbit will they pull out of the fiscal hat now? And who will fall for the trick?
Closing the wage gap
Unions are closing the wage gap in the oil industry using collective action
Meanwhile the government is preparing to give rich individuals tax cuts and has been eroding the rights of workers.
Don’t be jealous, they’re better than you
Key has finally admitted his tax cuts are for the rich.
But that’s okay, he says, because the rich are so much more important than us.
Two senior journos, one side of the story
Two highly paid and highly experienced New Zealand Herald gallery journalists put their heads together for a budget story and what does the lucky reader get?
The world according to Bill English.
Pravda would be proud but most journalism tutors would be reaching for their red pen.
Caption Contest
Corrupt
It looks like Paula Bennett is getting desperate as the Privacy Commissioner’s report looms.
Perhaps it’s time someone explained to her that “personal responsibility” is more than just an attack line to use on beneficiaries.
Conscience and alcodollars
How does the government decide which are good drugs and which are bad?
And how much does it have to do with big money?
The privatisation push
National has announced the location for its first private prison on the same day we find out that they want their working group to look at privatising welfare. Private prisons were signaled by National. Privatising welfare was not. In both cases the victims will be a segment of society that this government and its supporters have actively vilified and the ones with the most to gain will be overseas corporations.
McVicar interview misses mark
Sensible Sentencing Trust’s Garth McVicar made a rare appearance on Russell Brown’s Media 7 the other night, demonstrating yet again what a charlatan he is. Brown had a chance to ask some good questions but let the opportunity slip away.
Scott on crime stats
I think they know full well what causes violent crime.
They just don’t care.
Audrey’s journalism fail
Like most on the left I’ve pretty much resigned myself to the Herald’s current bias toward National but today’s effort by Audrey Young is a new low altogether.
You see it’s not just that she writes up all of John and Paula’s lines it’s that she provides no balancing comment.