15 Ethical “Fails” Under National!
Reprinted with permission from Dave Kennedy (bsprout) at Local Bodies – a very depressing list.
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Drug testing beneficiaries; yeah that’s the problem
I could hardly believe my ears this morning when I heard about Paula Bennett’s plan to drug test beneficiaries and cut their benefits […]
Labour’s plan a real alternative to Nats’ failure
Labour’s hands on approach to economic management focused on boosting manufacturing stands in stark contrast to National’s failed record of big promises and no delivery. Manufacturing is our largest employer. It has lost 25,500 jobs under National. National has been pushing mining for four years. It employs 6,000 people, up just 600 under National.
Zero tolerance for privacy breaches
Collins can’t credibly call for zero tolerance on privacy breaches while working alongside a Minister who has not only breached privacy, but is unrepentant, and boasting that she might do it again. Bennett has breached the Privacy Act – what is she doing still in cabinet? The Nats have no credibility while she remains.
Frankly Speaking: “John Banks: condition deteriorating”
Frank Macskasy over at Frankly Speaking writes some very long posts that are often full of interesting information. This one does a good analysis of the recommendations from the Electoral Commission and various party positions on it. On the way through he has a good swipe at John Banks, who it would be safe to say, he considers to be political cabbage.
Human Rights Commission concludes that Bennett breached privacy
The Human Rights Commission has concluded that Paula Bennett breached the privacy of a private citizen. Apart from releasing an agreed statement, the HRC is not proposing action. John Key won’t propose any either.
Privileged try to turn Kiwis against each other
National Party campaign designer John Ansell and Invercargill-based racist Loius Crimp are planning a $2 million campaign to whip up racial hatred between Pakeha and Maori. I don’t think people will be fooled, even if anyone publishes their material. We’ve moved past the Owera days. Everyone will see this is about NACToids’ privilege, not Maori privilege.
Nats’ education plans make sense after all
How to explain National’s blatant inconsistency in not requiring national standards for charter schools? After further reflection, I think it makes sense after all…
3 News polls mums and dads
Turns out that not many “mums and dads” are planning to buy shares in their own assets.
Unemployment worse than it looks
Unemployment is up, and the real situation is worse than the figures suggest. Just how many more years of the Nats’ economic “genius” do you want NZ?
Nats don’t believe their own education policy
As usual it is the kids who will suffer.
Postcards from the “brighter” future
Hey John – where’s our “Brighter Future”? Hey National voters – was this what you voted for?
Race-baiting works, a little
Meh. National has race-baited over water rights to win back some of its wavering lower-middle class Pakeha support. It’s won some of that support back. For now. The thing about turning tides is that not every wave, or even every set of waves for some time, reaches less far up the beach than the one lowest before. Within each cycle there are dips and spikes due to events. Doesn’t change the cycle.
ImperatorFish: Community Law Centres Under Threat
The Government has decided to change the way it funds Community Law Centres. It will save money – at the expense of justice for those who can’t afford lawyers.
The illusion of consultation
For some reason the Nats are in a hurry to complete their privatisation programme within two years. Anyone in any doubt as to how the process of consultation with Maori will play out might be informed by some recent history.
Incoherent education policy
The right hand of National’s education policy doesn’t know what the far-right hand is up to…
The luxury of an ethical opposition
Although Key’s privatisation programme has hit plenty of problems with Maori water rights, his job is made a whole lot easier by the luxury of an ethical main opposition party.
Why asset sales – it’s politics
Finally the truth is out. Gaynor and Armstrong agree – National Party politics are the real reason for asset sales. They make no sense economically. They are not about debt reduction. Key’s asset sales are a political bribe – nothing more and nothing less.
Nasty govt cont…
Eddie got there before me, but yesterday seemed to be a day of nasty attacks, not just by Maggie Barry.
Truck strike imminent!!!
Remember all the fuss in 2008 when the Labour government tried to make a 1% increase charges affecting truckies? What kind of catastrophic response will increases of up to 20% provoke?
The nasty government
National is threatening to veto a Labour bill to extend paid parental leave, claiming it costs too much. At the same time, they’re trying to defend writing a blank cheque for looters’ bonuses. And they’re getting nasty about it. Maggie Barry attacked Jacinda Ardern for not having children yet while John Key had a hissy fit at anyone who questioned his looters’ bonuses.
Austerity in Britain
Gosh, isn’t government austerity working well in Britain. Thank goodness we’re following in their footsteps.
Milk it, dig it, drill it, sell it – for a brighter future?
National’s internal polling is telling it people are serious about how it plans to get to the birghter future. So Joyce was wheeled out at the weekend to sell the same old story – more cows, more coal, more oil; and asset sales so we can afford schools and hospitals once at least. He also attacked Labour/Greens – maybe their polls are telling them people aren’t buying.
Protests then and now
Looks like we should conclude that opposition to National in 2012 is much stronger and more vociferous than opposition to Labour in 2008.
ImperatorFish: Whose Planet Is This?
Imagine a place with a stagnant economy; led by a government that is anti-growth, doesn’t have any plan, and is not prepared to make the tough decisions needed to ensure the future prosperity of its people; where most people struggle to get ahead; and where those who aspire for better things are probably thinking of leaving.
What the polls actually show
‘National’s made a complete cock-up of this and everyone’s pissed, but it doesn’t seem to be hurting them in the polls, where they’re still strong’. You can find that stereotype sentence in the media all the time, particularly in the coverage of the weekend’s National Party conference. But it might be time to do some fact-checking, because they are being hurt in the polls.
National’s new strategy
National have decided to lower the tone and just attack attack attack Labour and the Greens. They know they’re going down, and they’re trying to take the left down with them. It’s nasty, it’s negative and it will do our whole political system no good.
Nat conference protests
This weekend the National Party is holding its annual conference at SkyCity (how appropriate) in Auckland. Protests are planned. Be careful, keep it peaceful.
Welded to National
The meeting between Key and the Maori Party leaders last night reached it’s predictable conclusion. From his point of view Key has played this brilliantly.
Not with a bang but a whimper
There’s some interesting speculation that the Government could collapse within months. The theory goes that the Government could lose its majority due to 1) the Maori Party walking away over the water rights issue and 2) John Banks being forced to resign over illegally anonymised donations in the 2010 Auckland mayoral election. I don’t see it happening, yet.
Asset sale delay likely
Even John Key is now admitting that the asset sale program is facing a serious legal challenge, and that delays in the sales are likely. Any such delay would have several implications…
Bullying schools – again
Threats to schools over the contents of their newsletters? The “brighter future” doesn’t like dissent.
Cute with semantics on water
John Key has been running round repeating that no one owns water. He’s just being cute with semantics. What is the effective difference between owning water, and owning water rights?
Key’s fight with Maori no accident
Just 32 hours after Key started running the line that the Government would ignore the Waitangi Tribunal’s decision on the Maori Council water rights claim if it didn’t go his way, the Maori Party reacted. Key is abusing the privilege of his office by trying to pre-empt a judicial body’s decision says Pita Sharples. Tariana Turia says they will talk about their ‘future’ with National.
Key’s press release on exodus to Australia
With news that there are now more Kiwis living in Australia than either Christchurch or Wellington, here’s “John Key’s” latest press release on the topic.
Kiwiblog: media getting savvy?
The media have generally just regurgitated David Farrar’s angled statistics, stories and lines. Now we finally see a story that looks behind: this is a blog from one of the National Party elite, so why is he running a story on Police pay? Are National looking to move on this?