Government MPs’ travel woes
Not content with living in a fantasy world, Rodney Hide had to spend taxpayer money to visit Disney World as well. OK, actually […]
Politics
Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
A tale of two Johns
We were offered two very different views of John Key PM yesterday. The first by a pair of love-struck journalists. We’ll start with […]
Over-promise, under-deliver
If there’s been a motto of this government, it’s the one above. We’ve been promised the world – tax cuts, better public services, […]
Hide shoots the messenger
Hide says his comment that Key “doesn’t do anything” was “taken out of context” by the reporter. It’s a direct attack on van Beyan’s […]
Herald scathing of Tolley
The Herald was just about as damning as they get of National on Tuesday, with Claire Trevett’s piece on Anne Tolley. Of course, […]
Rodney Hide caught in a lie
Interesting comment from ‘gobsmacked’ on Rodney Hide’s statement that John Key “doesn’t do anything” and how he as a minister can ram pretty […]
Why National really hates proportional electoral systems
These data, taken from the Elections NZ site, show election results since National’s inception up until the last First Past the Post (FPP) […]
16,000 more jobs lost
The number of employed people fell from 2,170,000 to 2,154,000 in the three months to September*. There are 54,000 fewer people in jobs […]
Key is weak
Let me start by saying I understand that Key is loved for his laid-back common touch, I don’t think it makes for good […]
Chilling
The Search and Surveillance Bill is making its way though the bowels of the government law making process. This is a terrible law, […]
Key “doesn’t do anything” – Hide
It took a few cocktails to loosen Bill English’s tongue when he thought he was among friends. Rodney Hide just needed his coco […]
Maybe not very social, but definitely networking
And so my nomination for the 2009 Best Named Site Award goes to a fan club for our beloved Mayor of Whanganui Mr […]
Key & English lose us $21mil in 3 months
Back in February, former currency speculator John Key and former Treasury adviser Bill English started talking about suspending contributions to the Cullen Fund, […]
Herald Hacker did us all a favour
The New Zealand Herald have disabled all online polls on their website until further notice, after a hacker (or hackers) severely skewed the […]
Destroying Auckland city
Yesterday the Auckland Transition Agency (ATA) released its draft structure for the new Auckland council. Fortunately for the staff, and service levels in […]
A weak leader
John Key is a weak leader. Currently popular (he’s such a “nice guy” you know) – but weak. Like a school teacher who […]
Where’s Paula?
The Herald’s creepy lovefest with the National Party continues today with Simon Collins’ profile of Paula Bennett, who is apparently “one of us”* […]
It’s wrong but I’ll do it anyway
Just saw this in the SST. Hide on the spousal travel allowance: This perk is wrong, I’ve never agreed with it So why […]
The slippery standards of Mr Key
Yesterday, John Key cleverly tried to reframe his ministers’ failure to obey his standards on use of perks: “You don’t want 120 Members […]
Restoring the right to a day in court
I see that repeal of the Foreshore and Seabed Act is finally a foregone conclusion. There’s going to be some dithering about what […]
Granny’s waterworks
I think Granny Herald must have shares in Infratil, based on her rubbish editorial today: Particular fervour is reserved for private-sector participation in […]
Brash’s mea culpa
Strange mea culpa from Don Brash on the foreshore and seabed in today’s Dom. He doesn’t go as far as to apologise for […]
New road user laws
Remember John Key’s Nanny State rant?: I’ve had nine years of being told what lightbulb I can screw into the house, what shower […]
Ecosexploitation 350
One of the many problems facing people who want to grow popular awareness of matters ecological is that for the large part, it’s […]
Stuffalanche
I read a fun piece by Charlie Brooker in The Guardian recently: There’s too much stuff. We live in a stuff-a-lanche. I’m fairly […]
The horror of low wages
The Unite Halloween-themed $15 minimum wage march went well yesterday. Looks like there were a fair number of people there. Pity there’s no […]
Exchange rates, Kiwisaver, breaking promises, & the art of doing nothing
A range of interesting political/economic comment today in the Herald: Fran O’Sullivan joins the left-wing and groups like Federated Farmers in calling on […]
Voters see Nats’ feet of clay
Amongst all the puffery from the right-wing commentators in the Herald today, a very interesting piece – interviews with ordinary people from New […]
Key’s piggies at the trough
A few months ago, John Key said of ministers taking their partners travelling on the taxpayer dollar: “I’ve told them if they want […]
Hey Righty
One of our commenters prism asked a good question on Open Mike the other day: The honeymoon for the Nats stretches on and […]
Bill’s pants are on fire
Bill English claims (echoes of another Bill!) that he did not have pecuniary relations with his family trust: “I didn’t have a pecuniary […]
$15 min wage march tonight
The Campaign for a Living Wage will be taking to the streets of Auckland’s CBD tonight to demand a minimum wage of 15 […]
Key OK with ministers’ backdoor perk
I’m sure you noticed Hide’s latest shenanigans – getting his partner taxpayer subsidised international flights despite Key’s directive not to. Key (surprise, surprise) is ‘comfortable’ with […]
The best dividend is POWER!
At this point it seems a bit pointless coming to work this morning. I’m sitting in a dark office with the cheeping of […]
Treasury provides cover for Nats’ rightwing agenda
National’s favourite public servant (who got himself a nice pay rise), John Whitehead, has been offering dire warnings of the future. $2 trillion […]
Breakfast is on us
Check out the invite we got to ‘Plain English’. Incredible. I didn’t even know until watching the Campbell Live story that David Cunliffe and Roger […]