A rort is a rort is a rort
And by any other name it smells as bad. John Key has annouced a reform of the rules for ministerial accommodation allowance. A […]
Politics
national/act government
Rest-breaks under attack
In 1908, the miners at Blackball took a famous strike over the right to take rest breaks at work. For most of the […]
Foodstuffs: Voluntary regulation fails
I find myself in the curious position of sympathising with a company reneging on an environmental promise. Foodstuffs announced yesterday that the charge […]
Always an excuse to do nothing
Remember FART (Farmers Against Ridiculous Taxes)? Shane Arden driving Myrtle the Tractor up the steps of Parliament? Bill English with his poster carrying […]
Congratulations Maori Party
Looks like the Maori Party has decided to stand by their principles and oppose weakening the Emissions Trading Scheme. Their stinging minority report rules […]
10-20% Pure New Zealand
Minority Report
National is attempting to re-write the Emissions Trading Scheme. The new version it has come up with through the special select committee would be weaker […]
Who do you think you’re fooling, Kate?
“I’m not going to resign” – Kate Wilkinson It’s one of the truisms of politics that when you’re a minister and you say […]
Transport: on the wrong track
The government’s 3-year transport spending plan is out. Where’s all the cash going? Surprise, surpise it’s state highways. We’re going to spend $1.5 […]
Collins’ smear backfires
Excellent piece by Patrick Gower in the Herald today on Judith Collins’ attempt to smear Corrections Association president Beven Hanlon. Collins has leaked […]
Rodney and John roger Rodney
Maori seats? Who cares eh? If democratic process is ignored to override the Maori, who cares? But what if it’s some nice Pakeha? […]
The smiling snake bites
The Herald editorial is pretty scathing of Key’s Government for rejecting Maori seats on the super-council but I have to take issue with […]
Snake oil
I’m surprised that the Maori Party have rolled over so easily on the issue of Maori seats on the Auckland council. I will […]
Will Key go with Hide or Maori Party?
The issue of Maori seats on the supercity council has inevitably exposed the contradictions inherent in this government. The Maori party wants ’em. […]
Well done National
The polls are still fine but National are looking a wee bit crispy round the edges right now. Nice Mr Key has a […]
Will National cave to threats from Hide?
An email leaked to 3News suggests that Rodney Hide is holding the government to ransom over denying guaranteed Supercity representation for Maori. The […]
A question of trusts
Here is Bill English in the cocktail tapes talking about Working for Families: “the reality is if we had been the government, with […]
Subsidizing polluting industries costs taxpayers directly
An excellent post from Idiot Savant (reproduced with permission) on the cost to taxpayers of subsidizing polluting industries. I haven’t noticed the mainstream […]
It’s Labour’s fault it didn’t rain!
One of Bill English’s favourite lines is that New Zealand entered recession ahead of the rest of the world ‘due to Labour’s mismanagement […]
New Zealand’s global shame
Well, there goes our clean, green image. After Key announced the pathetic 10-20% emissions reduction target, we were declared ‘fossil of the day’ […]
Kate’s CEO talkfest
The Minister of Labour, Kate Wilkinson, is holding a meeting today with 25 top CEOs on the number of New Zealanders who are […]
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 […]
Holding Bennett to account
NZPA reports: Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff has confirmed she will investigate Social Development Minister Paula Bennett after the release of details of two […]
Someone give Rodney a Smack
Rodney Hide is increasingly becoming an embarrassment to the government. The perception that he has created is that he will back to the […]
Time for tory charity?
Following the success of TV3’s ‘Big Night In’ Telethon which raised over $2 million for KidsCan, I was thinking there are others that […]
John Key ‘may’ be able to understand it?
John Key has recently acted like a jerk to a young mother worried about what climate change is going to mean for her […]
The lies keep coming
Read this: Hon Phil Goff: What analysis did Treasury do on the cost-effectiveness of the national cycleway scheme in producing jobs, and is […]
Worth the Bill
What would you call it when you collect $900 a week by false pretenses? What would you call it when you tell the Electoral […]
One of these things is not like the other VI
One of these things is not like the other One of these things is not quite the same. Can you guess which one […]
What goes around…
Paula Bennett appears to have broken the law in releasing private information on members of the public who were critical of National’s “ambitious” […]
Double standards
Paula Bennett has claimed nearly $22,000 in six months for her Wellington accommodation. That’s more, just for a second home Bennett uses maybe half the […]
Get ready for more over-promise, under-deliver
Tomorrow John Key will be announcing policies on youth unemployment. Looks like rehashing of the already announced Youth Guarantee and probably something more. […]
Snouts in the trough
NZPA reports: Taxpayers are contributing nearly $1000 a week to allow deputy prime minister Bill English to live in his own million-dollar Wellington […]
Brash speech confirms National’s secret agenda
This is simply stunning. Don Brash, our new productivity tsar, has just released a speech where he proves he hasn’t changed a bit […]
Comfortable with bullying
John Key is “comfortable” with his Minister Paul Bennett releasing private information (in breach of the Cabinet Manual, Privacy Commission guidelines, and the […]
Substance matters
Last night, our positive and ambitious National/Act government: Voted against Green MP Metiria Turei’s bill to protect the 111 Maui dolphins left. Voted […]