Alfred Ngaro has told a National Conference that critics of the Government can expect to lose Government support for proposed contracts. And that Labour prompted concern about families living in cars.
Discussions of the MfE Our Fresh Water 2017 report to be held in workshop that excludes the public and the media.
Probably not, but after 9 years of Brighter Future / Dirty Politics it certainly can feel that way.
The French Presidential run off presents worrying signs for progressives. Why is the electorate sliding to the right?
A couple of racist groups seem to be hawking their wares recently. Unfortunately this may herald the start of a dirty election, dragged down by well funded and unaccountable pressure groups.
Radio New Zealand has reported on a review of the Government’s housing policy which described it as fragmented and lacking a robust plan but it took intervention by the Ombudsman to have the review released.
Understanding shock events is part of the solution.
Mike Pompey is Donald Trump’s chosen head for the CIA. He is someone who believes in the mass collection of all metadata and combining it with all publicly available information. Are we going to see the unprecedented destruction of rights of privacy?
Is the belief that democracy is essential falling in “Western” countries? In New Zealand particularly so?
Through partisan control of the electoral system and continuing attempts to suppress votes America’s electoral system is in clear need of an overhaul.
Democracy is difficult. Government is far too complex and ordinary people have neither the time nor the inclination to spend time to understand it properly. So what are the alternatives?
The Ombudsman is to investigate John Key’s failure to disclose communications with David Farrar and Cameron Slater
It appears that Parliamentary Services is monitoring MPs emails. And not just for things such as spam and viruses.
Today National introduced a bill that will enable the NZ Government to spy on its citizens.
Liberal society is in reverse in many parts of the world. What do we do to arrest this?
GPS may offer the perfect way to enforce a fuel tax but how do we feel about the Government knowing where we are and where we are heading every minute of the day?
Is ECAN just another typical Nat party fuckup, or are they deliberately turning a blind eye?
Liz Gunn sets out why Mike Hosking needs to be removed as TVNZ’s frontman.
“We request that you withdraw the financial veto certificate against the Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months’ Paid Leave and Work Contact Hours) Amendment Bill.” You can sign the petition here.
So – like Canterbury, like Auckland, the democratic process can get stuffed as far as National are concerned.
It’s naked panic now. In response to the crisis that isn’t a crisis Key is going to overrule the council that his government created and screw over Auckland democracy just like he screwed over Canterbury. What do you think of that Aucklanders?
In a guest post, regular commenter Tony Veitch takes some learnings from Noam Chomsky’s latest documentary Requiem for the American Dream. The neo-liberal plan has been in place for over thirty years. How come we’re only just starting to understand it?
TTIP, TTPA, same game around the globe, a take-over by American corporations, with the rights of the public held in no regard whatsoever.
As previously discussed here, bad for the media, bad for democracy.
A healthy democracy requires a healthy media, and in NZ both are getting sicker.
The Herald has reported that John Key helped with fundraising for the flag referendum by attending a private lunch with six wealthy donors.
Oliver Stone says that the fascism and corruption of big money has poisoned US politics. And Hilary Clinton has embraced it.
If the RMA Amendment Bill goes through, then community groups all over the country are going to become intimately acquainted with just how badly they have been shafted by Mr Smith and his accomplices.
Leaks to the Herald about details from the report investigating the compensation claim by David Bain suggests that the Government is moving to refuse the claim.
Claire Robinson has analysed press use of photos during the 2014 general election campaign and has concluded that the major newspapers exhibited substantial bias in favour of Prime Minister John Key.
So National’s appointed ECan (undermining democracy since 2010) has decided that leading business man Hugh Fletcher & Chief Justice Sian Elias shouldn’t be fined for their cows sh!ting in a lake. National were accused of taking voting rights so they could favour dairy over Christchurch, and this seems a good example. Canterbury has suffered enough – it needs democracy back.
Winston Peters has stitched John Key up again, this time hook, line and sinker. When Key lied in Parliament about the Northland MP’s supposedly leisurely lifestyle, Peters offered a challenge: provide some evidence or donate $100k to charity. Will cowardly Key take the bait?
Last week 95bFM tweeted some audio from a Key media session, which shows his “consultation” with Māori over the TPP to be a condescending sham.
Stuff is asking the employer of Josie Butler, thrower of the fake sex toy at Steven Joyce, if it will take disciplinary action against her for protest activity taken while she was not at work.
Jane Kelsey on why the TPPA is a bad deal and why we should keep fighting it. Movies courtesy of Bryan Bruce. And don’t forget the public meetings scheduled this week where Jane Kelsey and Lori Wallach will speak.
