The Independent on National’s ACC agenda
Very good editorial on ACC in The Independent today. The article’s offline, but it’s quite clear about why the Government is trying to […]
assets
privatisation
We still pay, ACC or no ACC
Labour’s David Parker has been a bit slow reacting to National’s latest attack on ACC but now he’s in play he has a […]
First, manufacture a crisis…
The first thing you need to understand is ACC is not spending more money than it is taking in through levies. It is […]
A leopard doesn’t change his spots
There is a very revealing quote from John Banks in the weekend’s Dominion Post where he talks about his campaign strategy: Uptown, Auckland […]
Electrical storm
Breaking up the old Electricity Corporation into a bunch of artificially competing companies has been a 15-year failure. They’ve poured heaps of money […]
Those who do not learn
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. National has learned nothing from the failure of the neoliberal policies […]
I don’t think so
National and Act getting ready to sell our assets. Don McGlashan, joining Phil Twyfords ‘Not Yours To Sell’ campaign, says ‘I don’t think […]
Productive editorial
Interesting editorial on National’s new Productivity Taskforce in Saturday’s Herald. Australia’s Productivity Commission (independent, highly successful, and enjoying cross-party support) could have served […]
Dark visions
I still get the chills some times remembering how close the Left came to losing the 2005 election. If it hadn’t been for […]
Coated in privatisation pixie dust
I like Colin Espiner’s writing. He’s got he best of the journo blogs. He’s focussed on issues rather than politicking. But does he […]
Back to the future: electricity privatisation
Bill English says he doesn’t much care whether monopolies or businesses with monopolistic power are owned by private companies or the Government does. He doesn’t […]
This is the secret agenda
Remember the mantra about John Key being a centrist? Doesn’t get much play nowadays does it? And it shouldn’t. Not with the government […]
Says it all really
You pricks decided what you were going to do and you’re not listening to me or anybody else. . . You people are […]
Wee gripes: private=efficient
Can Treasury Secretary John Whitehead explain how paying profit-making companies to do what is already being done by non-profit-making departments will save money? […]
Gordon Campbell on PPPs
Gordon Campbell has a great piece up at Scoop on the pitfalls of Public Private Partnerships, something we’re going to be hearing a […]
Not Yours To Sell
Labour MP Phil Twyford is launching a campaign around his bill to protect Auckland’s community assets. www.notyourstosell.co.nz Phil Twyford’s private members bill, the […]
Privatising the high country
According to Forest and Bird, John Key’s government has found a nice quiet way of hocking off New Zealand’s most prized assets to […]
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 […]
Bad medicine
Submit!
From No Right Turn. The Law and Order Committee has called for submissions on the Corrections (Contract Management of Prisons) Amendment Bill. Two […]
Jonathan Coleman on TVNZ
Jonathan Coleman on TVNZ. Parliament, 10 May 2007. Dr Jonathan Coleman When the Minister says that the Government is committed to the core […]
90 axed at TVNZ
In what’s turning out to be the gift that just keeps on giving for National, the Recession Bogeyman is now being blamed for […]
See no evil
I’ve been meaning to write something about the private prisons bill for a couple of days as it’s a recipe for barbarity. But […]
Cutting through the spin on ACC
We’ve heard a lot of panicky comments in the last few weeks about a ‘cost blowout’ at ACC. We’re told there is $22 […]
Experts: National lying over ACC
The wheels are starting to come off National’s PR campaign to undermine ACC as more and more people notice the gap between their […]
Sensible Sentencing Trust and GEO Group, a deafening silence
Yesterday Tane did an excellent post speculating on links between the Sensible Sentencing Trust and GEO Group. GEO Group derived from the notorious […]
Shafted
This is good. Here’s what ACC’s ads might look like once National’s had its way with it: [Hat tip: Clarke in the comments]
What they’re hiding
Interesting to see that the new ACC board chairman, John Judge, is an alumnus/affiliate member of the Business Roundtable. That’s the same Business […]
Private prisons and the ‘tough on crime’ lobby
One of the features of a privatised prison system is the potential for corruption of the political process by the commercial interests of […]
Centrist? Bullshit.
The Herald has the scoop that National is looking to privatise New Zealand’s prison system. Add David Garrett’s savage three strikes law and […]
NRT on National’s ACC antics
I’ve been meaning to write something about National’s attempts to beat up ACC’s costs in order to soften the ground for privatisation (see […]
Sold out
According to the Dom Post Judith Collins is preparing legislation to reintroduce private prisons into New Zealand’s corrections system. The arguments against privatisation […]
Left to the market
Two Pennsylvania Judges have been accused of taking bribes from private prison operators to ensure a reliable stream of prisoners. To quote Associated […]
The final cut
Merry Christmas from National
National’s decides to hit workers in the pocket: ACC Minister Nick Smith yesterday said levies would increase from $1.40 to $1.70 for every […]
Laying the foundations
Let’s not fool ourselves that what we’ve seen from National over the last 24 hours on to the shortfall in the ACC non-earners […]