Politics

national/act government

Making the Opposition the Enemy –

Written By: tracey
Date published: - 18 comments

It takes fortitude to admit you are wrong. That’s right, not weakness but, strength, courage, resilience, grit, determination, endurance, guts, and staying power.  When you won’t admit you are wrong you end up having to justify wrong decisions. That takes time and energy (and money) away from what actually needs to be done for the greater good. John Key won’t admit he is wrong. Because of this he has to keep going down several paths of “wrongness”, and because he is Prime MInister, he is taking us all with him.  Some people think he does admit he made mistakes. But when you examine the few instances closer (if you can find them), it looks like something else.

Is this our brighter future?

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 44 comments

This morning’s media has reports of increased domestic violence being reported by beneficiaries and an increase of the time and resources the police are having to put into helping the mentally unwell.  And record profits earned by the Australian banks.

Were people smugglers paid money to take refuges away from New Zealand?

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 34 comments

Amnesty International has published a report “By Hook or by Crook: Australia’s Abuse of Asylum-Seekers at Sea” which has rightfully been described as a damning indictment of Australia’s handling of the refugee crisis. But New Zealand benefitted from payments of money to people smugglers.  What did the Government know?

CYF Review: Great work if you can get it

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 40 comments

Radio New Zealand has reported that Paul Rebstock, chair of the Government appointed committee engaged in the review of Child Youth and Family, is being paid $2,000 a day to perform her job.  This is the equivalent to the daily pay of thirteen social workers.

TPPA agreement reached

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 163 comments

The TPPA has been agreed to. Dairy access improvement is minimal, there will be a cost hit on Pharmac and every industry but Tobacco will be able to access the investor state dispute resolution procedure.

The strip mining of Housing Corp is accelerated

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 33 comments

Not only is Housing Corp planning to pay a $118 million dividend to the Crown this year but hidden away in its accounts is the payment of a further capital contribution of $336 million.  Talk about strip mining …

This Government’s priorities

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 37 comments

In recent news it has been stated that the Government has let Serco off fines totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars while at the same time it is sneaking through retrospective changes to the law to deny thousands of beneficiaries money they are otherwise entitled to.

Warner Bros – corporate welfare beneficiary

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 63 comments

Figures have been released showing that Warner Bros were paid NZ $191 million in tax rebates to create the Hobbit Trilogy.  The films were very profitable.  Why is corporate welfare for profitable activity tolerated?

250 to 300 Job Losses at Unitec in Auckland

Written By: tracey
Date published: - 84 comments

Under Unitec’s new vision students will be known as Customers. Student services will be outsourced (overseas)

Aspiration statement
To be a world leader in contemporary applied learning and an agent of positive economic and social change
.

#Sheepgate – Key’s cheerleaders are sent in

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 62 comments

John Armstrong thinks that National has bested Labour over #sheepgate because Key keeps saying it is all Labour’s fault.  And Hosking thinks the payment has a good business case despite the payment having not achieved the result that was being sought,

John Key – Snake Oil Salesman

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 42 comments

John Key has tried to suggest that we have nothing to worry about planned changes to Pharmac caused by TPP.  But a recent further release by Wikileaks on the effects of the Trans Pacific Partnership on State Owned Enterprises makes you wonder if the implications of TPP on Pharmac are as limited as he says.

National’s week from hell

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 43 comments

This was the week from hell for National when they experienced the Serco fiasco, news that they responded to a suggestion they close a failing Charter School by giving it more money, the Judicial spanking of their undermining of the Problem Gambling Foundation and the ruling that their legislation removing the rights of some prisoners to vote was a breach of the country’s human rights.

Serco, Lotu-Iiga and the death of Nick Evans

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 69 comments

Nick Evans was alleged to have been dropped from a height while being supervised in a Serco run prison.  He was transferred to another prison and shortly after this died from injuries apparently inflicted from the dropping.  Yet there is no police investigation and Minister in charge Lotu-Iiga says the allegations are “unproven” without making the most basic of inquiries.

The Fighting Foreign Corporate Control Bill

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 49 comments

With support from Labour, the Greens and the Maori Party NZ First is promoting the Fighting Foreign Corporate Control Bill. The support of one more MP will be sufficient to sent the Bill to select committee for consideration.

#Sheepgate – it was the official’s fault

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 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.

Sheepgate: the McCully mess

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 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.

Superannuation and Government forecasts

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 197 comments

National has again refused to consider doing anything about the future of Superannuation.  Yet its policies of increasing Crown debt, stopping contributions to the Cullen Fund and attacking Kiwisaver have made a discussion about the future of superannuation more important than ever.

Herald praises Cunliffe for CGT policy

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 29 comments

The Herald has praised David Cunliffe with changing public opinion about the introduction of a capital gains tax. And rubbished John Key’s suggestion that the announced limited tax on increasing housing values is not a capital gains tax.

CGT: the focus groups made Key do it

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 39 comments

According to John Key the proposed tax on capital gains if a property is sold within two years of purchase is not a capital gains tax, there is no housing bubble in Auckland, and the proposed new tax does not represent a complete about face by the Government.

Auditor General rules on Dirty Politics allegation

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 46 comments

The Auditor General has decided that Katherine Rich, head of the Food and Grocery Council which includes Coca Cola as well as Alcohol and Tobacco interests has no conflict in being a member of the Health Promotion Agency, a quango with the role of supporting healthy lifestyles.