The teachers’ strike
Teachers have indicated they will also be seeking a significant catch up in salaries and job conditions after a decade of neglect.
Politics
Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
The right wing media’s infatuation with breeding
Elements in the media clearly think that the payment of a modest amount to families with young babies will cause them to breed babies for a business.
Mexico turns left
In Mexico a leftist Bernie Sanders like friend of Jeremy Corbyn has been elected as President in a landslide.
Families Package and Auckland Regional Fuel tax kick in
Labour’s Family Package and the Auckland Regional Fuel tax have both kicked in.
Doofus of the week – July 1, 2018
The latest in an occasional series where we celebrate the horrendously awful and bizarre behaviour of political figures both locally and overseas.
Petrol is going up, and up
Not all the current government’s fault, but the arrival of the fuel tax this weekend heralds a number of very sharp rises in what we have to pay in order to run a car.
And then there was….
The aftermath of Douma chemical attacks and Skripal poisonings…
Another day, another mass shooting in the US of A *
* but this one involves a media outlet and not a school.
Socialist candidate rolls Democrat heavyweight in primary
In a major upset the fourth ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives has lost a New York primary to a young latino woman who is a self described socialist as well as a Bernie Sanders supporter.
Carmel Sepuloni announces much needed changes to improve WINZ
Carmel Sepuloni has announced much needed changes to make WINZ more sensitive to the needs of New Zealanders who need assistance.
Full retreat
The United States Supreme Court decision to upheld Trump’s travel ban is but the latest example of bad news for international human rights we have had over recent times.
Shock horror, National is telling fibs about Labour’s Industrial Relations policy
National has claimed that Jacinda Ardern ruled out national strikes during the last year’s election campaign. And has trimmed a video and taken comments out of context to justify its claim.
Flying Kites.
If we can’t see the wood for the trees, shouldn’t we simply step back a bit and look again?
Godwin’s flaw?
In which we discuss a number of quick hits: Trump thinks judges only exist to be bribed, Sarah Huckabee-Sanders can’t get a seat at a restaurant, and whether Godwin’s Law needs to be amended.
The right is in disarray
David Seymour bombs out of dancing with the stars and Simon Bridges refuses to apologise for calling Neve’s parents “pinko”. Just another week in the train wreck that is right wing politics in New Zealand.
The Iraq War
Over the next week or two I will be doing blog posts about student politics and my time at university. Here is the first one…
The zero carbon bill
The Ministry for the Environment has released a discussion paper on a Zero Carbon Bill. But one proposal is to exempt methane which would mean that effectively half of New Zealand’s greenhouse gasses would not be subject to limitation.
Doofus of the week June 24, 2018
The latest in an occasional series where we celebrate the horrendously awful and bizarre behaviour of political figures both locally and overseas.
The All Blacks should give up
The All Blacks keep winning everything and it is incredibly bad for the game.
The Stuart Nash fundraiser
Stuart Nash this week withdrew from a fundraiser organised for him by Matthew Hooton.
Immigration Now
Germany has one of the very few national-level consciences on world immigration, but that is now under threat. The Trump administration and his allies appear to be actively working to topple Germany’s Angela Merkel in favour of the hard right.
How low can Simon Bridges go?
Simon Bridges was interviewed on Radio Hauraki and chose to suggest that Jacinda’s baby may vote National, cost too much money even though she was born in a pubic hospital and transported to hospital in a private vehicle, and should go to school in boy’s clothing.
New Zealand basks in the birth of the Prime Minature
Day one of her life and New Zealand is basking in the birth of the Prime Minature.
It’s a girl!
Congratulations to Jacinda and Clarke on the birth of a girl!
Children should never be used as bargaining chips
Donald Trump has announced a “backdown” of the policy of separating children of refugees from their parents at the US border. Instead they will be imprisoned with their parents potentially for extended periods of time.
Trump will be President until 2024
It’s time to see the strong possibility of a second term of Donald Trump as United States President. What would The World Look Like?
The United States is becoming a rogue state
The United States of America in its support for Israeli trashing of Palestinian rights and the withdrawal of support for the United Nations Human Rights Council as well as the mass incarceration of children of parents who have tried to enter the United States without permission is displaying concerning signs.
Where have our rights gone?
Great to see that the State Services Commissioner has widened the investigation into the use of private investigators hired by the state against its citizens. But. They should go further.
Givealittle legal fund set up for Renae Maihi for defence against Bob Jones’ claim
Bob Jones has threatened Renae Maihi with a defamation lawsuit for seeking to have his knighthood taken off him. Laura O’Connell Rapira of Action Station has responded by starting a givealittle page to cover Renae’s legal costs.
A Question from a Room.
Take a look around the room you’re in. Or if you’re out and about and reading this on some mobile device, then take a look around the next room you enter. Closely.
Bottom feeding fish redux
Newsroom has released details of media emails sent to the police about the Clarke Gayford rumours.
Sage refuses permission to mine conservation land
Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage has incurred attacks from the right by refusing to allow the desecration of conservation land on the West Coast.
Does National really want climate change to be a bipartisan issue?
National has cautiously pledged to support the Government’s proposed Climate Change Commission. But is it looking for opportunities to delay or weaken urgent action that New Zealand needs to be taking now rather than signing up for urgent action being started now?
Government announces living wage to be paid to all core public servants
The Government has announced that all employees in the core public service will be paid a living wage from September 1, 2018.
Coming up, Babies!
Jacinda’s baby is going to be big news soon.
In defence of Eugenie Sage
Eugenie Sage has been criticised for granting OIO consent to the foreign buy out of a water bottling company and a piece of sensitive land. But from the looks of the details that have been released she may have had no choice.