Slash and pray
The Reserve Bank has cut 1.5% off the official cash rate, bringing it down to 5%. The rate has now been cut 2.5% […]
Steve Pierson
Nowhere to Hide
“Far too much irksome regulation is putting unnecessary burdens on households and businesses,” says Rodney Hide. Problem is, for all his rhetoric, Rodney […]
Drinking Liberally – Christchurch
Matthew Hooton calls Drinking Liberally ‘a trendy leftie clique’. Well, I’m not sure I would agree with mad Matt on the ‘clique’ bit, […]
First days on the job disappoint
The journos don’t seem to have been very impressed by Key now that he has returned to take up the reins of government. […]
Mythbusting: we can’t cut emissions from agriculture
This classic myth is used by National/ACT as an excuse to not do anything about climate change and, now, to attempt to undermine […]
More to worry about
John Key said yesterday that he expects growth in “the next financial year to be pretty close to zero”. That means he’s anticipating […]
The housing question
Good housing is a foundation of a healthy society, and it is something that New Zealand has long lacked. Despite leading the world […]
Anatomy of a honeymoon piece
Most of our political journalists are more than capable of producing informative, insightful pieces. For instance, Claire Trevett wrote an excellent series of […]
The Mt Victoria Supplement
We were emailed the Mount Victoria Supplement a while back but I forgot to post it. It’s, um, it’s extraordinary. A good Sunday […]
Wailin’
Foreign Minister and Whaling Spokesperson Murray McCully has announced that New Zealand will be breaching international law by not undertaking search and rescue […]
Just wondering
“National’s honeymoon has to run its course. The public – not Labour or the media – will decide when that honeymoon is over” […]
The Standard Week – 21-28 November
The Standard Week has been on hiatus due to a combination of elections, forgetfulness, and binge drinking but it’s back. This week saw […]
The slow pols-news day quiz #1
Seems there’s so little news today, apart from the Mumbai attacks and the plane crash, that the Herald hasn’t even bothered to update […]
Brownlee’s blow-out
National/ACT has only been in power a week, but the flip-flops keep coming. Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee will not confirm that that National/ACT will […]
‘Become a nation of savers’
That’s Finance Minister Bill English’s message to Kiwis. So, that would be why he is cutting our Kiwisaver nesteggs in half to pay […]
A plea to National
Don’t let Key go abroad representing us again until he has had some diplomacy training. I can’t believe, I literally can’t believe, the […]
PPPs? No, please
I’ve never seen the sense in Public-Private Partnerships. How is it ever going to be cheaper to get a private profit-making company to […]
The departed
The UK has announced plans to increase departure tax from its airports for flights outside Europe to pay for offsetting their carbon emissions. […]
Free trade no answer to credit crisis, part 2
I’m a bit concerned to see people welcoming APEC’s commitment to re-igniting the Doha Round of free trade talks as if they are […]
Ryall: do it or else
Health Minister Tony Ryall’s first policy will be to impose maximum waiting times for hospital emergency departments. No word on extra funding for […]
Why is there a media honeymoon?
Why do new leaders get honeymoons? When you think about it, there’s no objective reason why a leader should get an easy run […]
Signature performance
Before our new Prime Minister went to APEC I wrote “it’s not an opportunity to get some names in your autograph book”. I […]
Redundant
I was talking to a friend the other night. Her job is disappearing. Fortunately, she is getting a decent-sized redundancy payment. I asked […]
Free trade no answer to credit crisis
Free trade is basically a good idea. We live on a world of limited resources, we should use those resources as efficiently and […]
Labour’s lessons
54,982 votes, 2.3% of the total. That was difference in the election. If Labour had lost 55,000 fewer votes to National (it lost […]
Time for Keynes’ real ideas
The article below is well worth a read for anyone concerned about the global economic crisis. It looks at Keynes plan for managing […]
Key’s first test – fail
Well, John Key took my advice and gave a speech at APEC different from the pro forma MFAT-written speech that might have been […]
Final results in
The official count, including specials has been released. The Greens have picked up another seat on specials at National’s cost. Kennedy Graham will […]
Do we want to be a world-leader or a global joke?
According to a leading financier, carbon credit broker Nigel Brunel, of OMF Financial, New Zealand has become “a bit of a joke” in Europe […]
In praise of the welfare state
It’s very easy in our individualist, consumerist, capitalist society to say ‘if you’re poor, it’s your fault, don’t come looking to the rest […]
DL Palmy next Friday
Labour’s bright new star and youngest MP, Jacinda Arden will be speaking at Drinking Liberally Palmerston North next Friday (I’ll do a reminder […]
Bill, tempted to drop the Acting?
Psst, Bill. Hey, Bill. Sitting in the big chair is pretty cool, eh? Bet you never thought you would get your chance after […]
2000th post
Happy 2000th post everyone. I’ve brought you all your favourite present – statistics! Our first 1000 posts took nine months, the latest 1000 […]
Musical Interlude: Forgot about Key
Some jokers have given new lyrics to the Dr. Dre and Eminem classic. Hilarious. My favourite part is Hide’s cameo. Hattip: Dolla$Trada
NZ Labour supporters site launched
NZ Labour Supporters has been launched as an unofficial online hub for Labour supporters. It looks like a good wee site. Along the […]
A chance to make his mark
John Key’s off on his first trip as PM tomorrow – APEC in Peru. When I saw him interviewed about this he seemed […]