NAB/BNZ pays tax – current account deficit shrinks!
What more can one say. Read it and weep for our country.
John A
Pup on the pull-aside
Two stories from today’s Dominion give a hint as to what might be muttered under their breath as Key and Obama pose for […]
Return of the Neanderthals
From Paul Krugman’s review of Skidelsky’s latest book on Keynes: “At research seminars, people don’t take Keynesian theorising seriously anymore; the audience starts […]
“What else can I do?”, asks Blinky Bill.
We told him here months ago – acknowledge what everybody knows: that he lives in Wellington with his family, and he should claim […]
Foreshore nomoreshore
Two chilling articles from last week’s Guardian Weekly just finished, both about the consequences of the world’s water getting warmer faster than expected. […]
Which one’s true, Bill?
According to the Speaker, Bill English MP’s “primary place of residence” is in Dipton because Bill has told him it is. But according […]
English lives where Lockwood says
Allowances for MPs accommodation are made according to the Speaker’s determinations. An MP’s “primary place of residence” is where the Speaker says it […]
Flippin’ Bill
According to the Companies Office, Bill English lives at an address in Karori in Wellington. This address is publicly available on the Companies […]
Roundtable dog-waggers come back!
Roger Kerr, official spokesman for the ACT-National-Roundtable government, today announced the formation of a Productivity Commission to be headed by Don Brash, a […]
Right headings, wrong policies
John Key’s speech on the economy, billed as the way to close the 30% wage gap with Australia, had six policy headings – […]
National Government’s “drum roll” for privatisation
Fran O’Sullivan had some interesting things to say in today’s Herald on Mark Weldon’s recent address to SOE board members, telling them to […]
Banks and tax avoidance
The appeal by the BNZ against the IRD assessment of $466 million for avoiding income tax has wound up in the High Court […]
Cash (for the rich) in Auckland’s attic?
The soften up for the next big fire-sale of Kiwi assets is well under way in Auckland, as Rogernomics morphs into Rodneynomics. On […]
Focussing on the things that matter – to the Aussie banks
What on earth is going on between the National Party and the banks? The week before last Key and English were waxing hot […]
Pontius John
How extraordinary of John Key to align himself with western history’s most notorious coward in his statement that he had “washed his hands” […]
Honest? John?
Richard Long, Fairfax’s in-house media adviser to the National Party, recycles an old line in today’s DomPost. Today it’s “honest John”. Two years […]
Why didn’t Goff out Worth earlier?
That’s the right-wing bloggers’ spin. It’s weak. By far the most interesting thing that emerged from this morning’s exchanges on the wireless was […]
Slippery
Mary Wilson interviews John Key on Checkpoint. Brilliant. Sean Plunket interviews Richard Prebble and Richard Griffin on Morning Report. Grubby old men. Time […]
Sprinters
David Farrar has a post on Kiwiblog listing the fastest risers to become Prime Minister. They are: John Key – 6 years David […]
No great expectations, but what a bleak house
Listening to Bill English’s budget speech, I was reminded of Dickens’ description of Scrooge: “The cold within him froze his features, nipped his pointed […]
Rodneytactics, Rogernomics and dog-whistle DonKey
The tactics used by Rodney Hide to ram through the Auckland SuperCity legislation without reference to a select committee or referendum should not […]
Kiwibob-each-way on Melissa’s video
Interesting comment on Melissa from Kiwiblog’s Farrar: There is also the issue of the video produced by her before the election, placed on […]
Melissa keeps on digging
Here’s Melissa Lee explaining on Checkpoint how her staff volunteered their time to produce a video for National Party list candidates: LEE: Well […]
Melissa’s election expenses returned?
An interesting story on TV3 last night about potential for conflict of interest relating to Asia Down Under, a broadcasting company owned by […]
Courage under fire
Last week Russel Norman, Wellington resident and Green candidate for Mt Albert, publicly labelled Aucklander David Shearer, Labour’s candidate, as “a grey machine […]
Worth mired in corruption again
(click the picture for the video) Why would Worth visit the Sandhu family to whom he was a stranger and who had nothing to do with […]
Herald: You’re too poor to exist
What’s missing here? Oh yeah. Half the population. Everyone on less than $25,000. According to The Herald if you’re not rich you don’t […]
A sheep in wolves’ clothing
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark when senior journalists like Fran O’Sullivan feel that they have to provide public relations advice […]
Anna Bligh wins Labor fifth term in Queensland
Queenslanders yesterday elected Labor under Anna Bligh to a fifth term in government. Anna Bligh now becomes the first woman to be elected as […]
Friday quiz – late edition
Imagine two incidents when a person is at home and they hear someone outside their house. In the first incident, they grab a […]
Friday quiz
Question 1. Which of these are ‘front-line’ staff and which are ‘back office’? a) the extra staff members for National and Maori Party […]
Job growth in the public sector!
There is one job area where it’s no expense spared for the taxpayer – public relations in the Beehive. Michelle Boag tells the […]
An empty shell
Question Time yesterday was extraordinary. There’s too much to quote it all: ministers attacking ACC, refusing to back the minimum wage for all […]
Thank God somebody’s awake at Granny Herald
Surprise, surprise, it’s Garth George. “The economic situation is without a doubt the most urgent of predicaments to be dealt with, but so […]
No ReStart for Fire at Will even if unfair
So much for all National’s fine words about probation periods and job creation. Today’s Dominion reports that ReStart will not be available for […]
He’ll make us ruch as well as thuck
One Aussie view of our election.