Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, July 10th, 2015 - 42 comments
The treasury release of budget policy advice suggests that John Key’s claim that changes to Kiwisaver would not have any effect on participation numbers was, ahem, erroneous.
Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, July 9th, 2015 - 20 comments
The Canterbury Rebuild grinds on with news that CERA is to be replaced by a new entity dubbed Regenerate Canterbury. But is a name change all that is required?
Written By: - Date published: 8:55 am, July 9th, 2015 - 50 comments
Happy 99th birthday to the Labour Party!
Written By: - Date published: 5:00 am, July 6th, 2015 - 302 comments
Update: the No vote is predicted to win a resounding victory with 61% support of the total valid vote.
Written By: - Date published: 8:43 am, July 5th, 2015 - 197 comments
Another Herald Gossip Columnist has managed to land herself in hot water this week.
Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, July 3rd, 2015 - 76 comments
The Press Council has ruled that Rachel Glucina and the Herald breached the requirement of independence contained in the Press Council’s principles.
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, July 2nd, 2015 - 16 comments
Radio New Zealand has reported on sources claiming that New Zealand First Deputy Leader Tracy Martin will this week be replaced as deputy by Ron Mark.
Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, July 2nd, 2015 - 58 comments
Rio Tinto has delayed the signing of an electricity supply agreement with Meridian Energy by a month giving rise to the possibility that more corporate welfare will be demanded from the Government.
Written By: - Date published: 1:58 pm, July 1st, 2015 - 36 comments
The cyber bullying legislation is a cynical piece of law which allows National to claim that it has left dirty politics behind.
Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, June 30th, 2015 - 89 comments
Native Affairs reporter Ruwani Perera and cameraman Jacob Bryant have been arrested by Israeli forces for being part of a peace flotilla wanting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. If Murray McCully wants to achieve peace in the Middle East he could start by demanding that they be released and that the delivery of aid to Gaza be allowed.
Written By: - Date published: 2:56 pm, June 29th, 2015 - 58 comments
John Key’s interview on Morning Report this morning suggests that National does not know what it is doing with its social housing policy. Are we approaching a situation where profits from New Zealand social housing is going to underwrite the cost of Australian social housing?
Written By: - Date published: 1:40 pm, June 28th, 2015 - 69 comments
Auckland Council’s budget which should have been passed on a pro forma vote succeeded this week by the narrowest of margins with a transport levy that Sky City pays the same amount as a Piha resident and where the share of rates that business pays continues to decrease. Time to rethink supercity?
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, June 28th, 2015 - 55 comments
Following on from New Zealand, Ireland and many other states the United States Supreme Court has recently ruled that banning same sex marriages is a breach of the 14th amendment’s right to life and liberty. It makes you wonder when Australia is going to institute change.
Written By: - Date published: 2:04 pm, June 25th, 2015 - 22 comments
Every day with the release of more information there are more and more questions arising over sheepgate. Update: and none of the questions were answered today in Parliament. At least not properly. Video is inserted.
Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, June 25th, 2015 - 36 comments
A Dutch Court has ordered the Dutch Government to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25% within five years and has stated that developed countries should take the lead in doing so. It makes you wonder if a similar case could be conducted in New Zealand. Update: Greenpeace protesters have erected a large banner on Parliament which sums up the Government’s approach very well.
Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, June 24th, 2015 - 42 comments
It seems crazy but it appears that National may have asked the Saudi sheep farmer to sue New Zealand. And John Key seems to be relaxed about facilitation payments aka bribes.
Written By: - Date published: 1:49 pm, June 23rd, 2015 - 43 comments
It appears that shortly after a meeting between the Minister of Maori of Affairs Te Ururoa Flavell and head of Maori TV Paora Maxwell occurred a potentially embarrassing planned televised debate concerning Whanau Ora was cancelled. Of course the timing is completely accidental and Flavell had nothing to do with it …
Written By: - Date published: 8:50 am, June 20th, 2015 - 106 comments
In the land of the free and the brave the NRA is trying to say that the way to stop incidents such as the Charleston Church massacre is to have more guns. And the right are trying to dispute the reality that the incident was caused by racism.
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, June 19th, 2015 - 25 comments
Donald Trump has attracted adverse comment for using Neil Young’s song “keep on rocking in the free world” during his campaign launch. There are a number of other examples, both local and in the US, where right wing candidates have misappropriated progressive musicians’ music for campaign purposes.
Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, June 18th, 2015 - 18 comments
The Sheepgate cabinet papers have now been released and show no sign of a legal dispute between the Saudi Sheep farmer and the Government, let alone one that required a payment of $4 million dollars. And there are concerning reports that three quarters of the ewes on the “model farm” have died.
Written By: - Date published: 7:59 am, June 16th, 2015 - 20 comments
The Herald has reported that, contrary to John Key’s assurances that the Government did not have to do so, one of the pieces of land set aside for the Government’s affordable housing partnership with private developers has already been offered to iwi under right of first refusal.
Written By: - Date published: 7:51 am, June 15th, 2015 - 60 comments
Ngati Whatua and Waikato-Tainui have announced that they will seek a declaration from the High Court on their rights to participate in the constructing of social housing on Crown land in Auckland. Their proposal that the Crown joins with them in making a joint application is a good one. Surely Nick Smith will agree to this.
Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, June 14th, 2015 - 70 comments
Supporters of Tony Blair’s third way and the need for Labour to be aspirational should reflect on recent reports of his huge wealth earned with taxpayer support while he has been engaged on official business.
Written By: - Date published: 1:51 pm, June 11th, 2015 - 48 comments
National is appearing to be changing tack and trying to now blame a junior official rather than the Labour Party for the failure to complete the Gulf Free Trade Agreement. And the promised release of the relevant cabinet papers proving it was all Labour’s fault has still not occurred.
Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, June 10th, 2015 - 259 comments
Richard Harman has broken a story about the formation of a Blairite third way think tank within the Labour Party. Those involved include Stuart Nash, Phil Quin, Josie Pagani and Nick Legget.
Written By: - Date published: 8:50 am, June 9th, 2015 - 19 comments
Relationships Aotearoa is closing its doors today, as a result of ineptitude and indifference on the part of the Government. Claimed safeguards are looking incredibly shaky. Only three of the five organisations touted to take up the work are prepared to do so. And MSD has caused upset to the Privacy Commissioner by misrepresenting his views.
Written By: - Date published: 8:10 am, June 8th, 2015 - 77 comments
Cameron Slater has posted one statement in response to Ben Rachinger’s allegations. It was by way of a jpg and was not searchable. As a public service broadcast I thought that New Zealand should have the benefit of the text of his response.
Written By: - Date published: 7:39 am, June 5th, 2015 - 29 comments
Mihingarangi Forbes resigned yesterday as a reporter for Marae Televison apparently because of managerial interference in a story she intended to run. In the week since Aotearoa lost Campbell Lives it has now lost arguably the best investigative reporter that the country has.
Written By: - Date published: 11:51 am, June 4th, 2015 - 43 comments
John Key yesterday went on the attack and implied that Labour did something about Sheepgate in 2007. What it was he did not say but the implication was that Labour did it too. A brief review of dirty politics shows that this is alway’s National’s desperate last line of defence. Update: Labour tried to table in Parliament the Cabinet Paper that John Key talked about yesterday and National refused leave …
Written By: - Date published: 8:33 am, June 3rd, 2015 - 20 comments
The media have joined opposition demands that Murray McCully’s actions in relation to sheepgate are investigated. If John Key really expects high standards from his ministers this is the least that should be done. Update: And a claimed “independent audit” of the tender process was conducted by none other than MFAT.
Written By: - Date published: 8:24 am, June 2nd, 2015 - 16 comments
In Australia a recent attempt by Abbott and some supporters to give the Minister of Immigration the power to cancel an Australian’s citizenship status was met by a cabinet revolt. In England there is talk of the UK withdrawing from the European Convention of Human Rights. So much for the Conservative commitment to the rule of law.
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