More jobs for the old “boys”
Back at the start of the month Marty G pointed out that Brash’s useless 2025 Taskforce looked like nothing so much as a […]
Politics
Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
Government barely survives first year
Audrey Young finally gets around to mentioning how close the government came to imploding last month: Rodney Hide survived moves to oust him […]
Words and deeds
Words: Prime Minister John Key has urged the world’s major economies to listen to the voices of vulnerable nations facing climate change. .. […]
Copenhagen violence
Photograph: Christian Charisius/Reuters Earlier in the year there was a lot of media attention on the police tactics at the G20 Summit in […]
All skite, no substance
A text from a mate: Bill English says “I never thought running a government in a recession would be so easy” Mate, it’s […]
Bullet dodged
Well, that could have been embarrassing. John Key on the world stage, along with leaders of other countries in what has been billed […]
The stamp of democracy
Another disgraceful Herald editorial recently: Teachers must learn to obey Govt’s orders Three years ago, when the National Party announced its plan to […]
Capital market taskforce pushes asset sales scam
Another government-appointed taskforce of rightwing, market ideologues (this time appointed by Labour, the fools) has reported and, surprise, surprise, their report is a […]
English’s big promises proven hollow
An extraordinary moment in Question Time as John Boscawen skewered National’s hollow promise to close the wage gap with Australia by 2025. Watch […]
Nats offer Maori flags & baubles, not representation & jobs
NZPA: The Maori Party has withdrawn its support for a government bill after its bid to have Maori members on polytechnic councils failed. […]
Brown picks up momentum
It’s interesting to look at the trend behind the headline 11 point poll lead Len Brown has opened up over John Banks as […]
Labour’s flag strategy
Colin Espiner: After making inroads in the latest TV3 poll, Goff has clearly taken fright after the reaction to his nationhood speech. How […]
Nats’ ‘stimulus’: $200K per job
National claims it created 2,300 jobs with its stimulus spending. Of course, most of this supposed stimulus was smoke and mirrors – re-announcing […]
Maori flag, so what?
I’m fine with a flag representing Maori flying on Waitangi Day. Some argue there are constitutional concerns with flying a flag representing Maori […]
Sharples: ‘ETS short-sighted, that’s why we supported it’
I could hardly believe my ears when I heard Waatea News on RNZ this morning. Pita Sharples admitted that the Maori Party knew […]
US Style Cow Stalls – what aspiration!
In a year when New Zealand factory farming practices for pigs (and earlier for chickens) have been widely exposed and shocked the country, […]
Govt stimulus creates 2300 jobs
“Govt stimulus creates 2300 jobs” reads the headline! It’s a bit misleading though. A more accurate headline would have been – “Labour Govt […]
Deserted cities
I think it is a pity that the currently dominant country / culture in the world, America, has had such a short history. […]
Levin Arrest and Police Escort
This is a guest post by Jasmine because I couldn’t be bothered writing it myself 😉 Today Rochelle and I were hanging out […]
Dual obligations
The more I ponder the scrapping of the TVNZ charter the dafter it seems. There are obvious downsides. What is the upside? What […]
Key obstructs Copenhagen talks
Thanks to our dear Prime Minister John Key, New Zealand is being branded an international ‘fossil’ on climate change. Stuff.co.nz reports Prime Minister […]
ACC levy hikes another step to privatisation
As expected, Nick Smith has imposed substantial ACC levy hikes on families. For a worker on $40,000 with a car, you’re looking at […]
Call of the week
Fitzsimons: If Barack Obama comes to Copenhagen saying ‘yes we can do much more’ will the Prime Minister say ‘no we can’t, but […]
$100,000 for 10 hours work
No, this post isn’t about the 2025 Taskforce, it’s about Rodney Hide’s round the world holiday with his girlfriend on your dime. Heavily […]
Govt spending – the big lie
I’m kind of embarrassed. I should know by now never to trust a word out of Bill English’s mouth. I should have checked […]
Kill your television
So the Nats have decided to kill public service television broadcasting: TVNZ’s charter is to be repealed in a move commentators say will […]
Goff attacks govt on wages
Check out Phil Goff’s general debate speech yesterday on In The House, a handy new site paid for by the Office of the […]
What is Whanau Ora?
Family Commissioner Jan Pryor says she can’t give a definition of Whanau Ora, Tariana Turia’s pet programme that Pryor’s Commission will be helping […]
No spark in Nats’ power reforms
A friend just texted: “Brownlee’s power reforms look relatively benign, what’s the catch?” It’s true, Brownlee’s reforms are just minor tinkering. The only […]
Driven to corruption
It turns out I understated the latest National ministers’ rort. Not only were the rules changed to allow ministers to have their taxpayer-funded self-drive […]
Shame on Labour for backing Goff
By Andrew Campbell Shame on the Labour caucus. If it’s true that they back Phil Goff’s Nationhood speech without reservations and therefore his […]
Above all that kind of thing
RNZ, Nov 6: Sean Plunket “Most commentators say you’re leadership style has been one that has sought to avoid personal attacks and name […]
Excellent question
An excellent question from Labour yesterday, using some familiar numbers: Hon Annette King: When he was reusing ‘unreliable, highly volatile, and potentially misleading’ […]
Key aids English’s latest rort
Ministers are given self-drive taxpayer-funded cars for official business in their electorates (in Wellington they have crown limos at their disposal for official […]
Greens’ 10 year anniversary
The Green Party celebrated 10 years in the New Zealand Parliament yesterday. Happy birthday! It was especially fitting that the anniversary coincided with […]
Latest Roy Morgan poll
The latest Roy Morgan shows no statistically significant changes. National at 53.5% (up 2), Labour at 30.5% (down 1.5), and the Green at 7% […]