New Zealand wins fossil of the day award – again
For a small country New Zealand is certainly punching above its weight. It has been awarded a second fossil of the day award by the Climate Action Network.
Politics
political parties
Sayonara Serco
Serco’s contract to run the Mt Eden Corrections Facility will not be renewed when it expires next year.
John Key’s hedge fund mate behind Teach First (NZ)
Julian Robertston, a US billionaire who made his money with hedge fund Tiger Management, Merryl Lynch’s largest customer when John Key was working there, is the man behind privatisation trojan horse Teach First (NZ).
Paula Bennett, Climate Change Minister?
Despite having no scientific background, no relevant experience and no related portfolios Paula Bennett is the new Minister in charge of Climate Change Issues.
Use of Teach First (NZ) illegal
To date, TeachFirst(NZ) has received more than $6.4 million dollars of public money and, as a result, has infested 18 schools with dozens of so-called “teachers”.
Key’s Xmas Reshuffle; UPDATE + bonus Winston Peters zinger!
John Key has announced that there will be a minor cabinet re-shuffle. Could this mark the return of Judith Collins? If so, what does this tell us about how the post-Key National Party will look?
Key should apologise to Tania Billingsley and Slater should be ashamed
The disputed facts case involving Tania Billingsley’s complaint against the Malaysian Diplomat suggests the diplomat was engaged in some bizarre drug induced behaviour and completely exonerates Ms Billingsley. John Ken will have to reconsider his petty refusal to apologise to her. And Murray McCully’s actions will be closely monitored as soon as the completed report into the invocation of diplomatic immunity is released.
TiSA reduces COP21 to a charade
That National Ltd™ is currently in the process of giving away New Zealand’s sovereignty in areas such as energy resources and related regulations, explains its contempt for the environment and the talking down of expectations regarding climate change.
#Sheepgate – but wait there’s more
At the same time that there is an Auditor General’s investigation into the appropriateness of the Government spend on the sheep farm in the middle of a Saudi desert the Government has announced a further spend of $2.6 million on a kit set abattoir. And the resumption of live exports by ship may be in the pipeline.
A Labour Mayor for Wellington
Deputy Mayor Justin Lester has announced his candidacy for the top job in the nation’s capital.
Mopping up the fossil fuels subsidy shame
McClay said he could not answer the specific question because he had “been advised” no such data exists.
How convenient.
Good reviews for Little’s reshuffle
A couple of good reviews for Little’s reshuffle of the Labour lineup.
The great greenhouse gas research funding switcherooni
John Key has announced an increase in funding on research into the reduction of agricultural emissions of greenhouse gasses of $20 million over four years or $5 million a year. Which is the amount the Government cut from this research two months ago.
Nats failing Christchurch and lashing out at Treasury
A Treasury report calls the Christchurch rebuild plan “unachievable”. Gerry Brownlee immediately springs in to action – attacking Treasury. Christchurch deserves better than this…
Labour’s reshuffle announced today
Who will be the big winners from Andrew Little’s caucus reshuffle – and who will be the big players taking Labour into the 2017 election?
UPDATED: With new rankings/portfolios and media release.
Jarrod Gilbert 1 – Windmills 0
About time the Police got around to becoming a “very evidence based” service. Building great relationships with academia is a sensible way to start.
Nats positioning for 2017
Nothing Matthew Hooton says can be taken at face value, but perhaps there are rumblings within National about 2017.
Nats campaigning with public money
Campaigning with public money. Politicising the public service. Cabinet club is cash for access. This is a corrupt government.
RMA announcement
Changes to the RMA have just been announced.
Updated.
How many prospective state house tenants hate birds chirping?
The answer is at least one.
Standing in the Shadow of the Red Flag
“Why would Goff stand for the Auckland mayoralty as an independent candidate considering his life-long commitment to the Labour Party?”
Why indeed?
Is it time for Labour to stand candidates in local elections under the party banner? And can the party lift its profile and its general election prospects by being bolder in the provinces?
ABP Branch of Labour goes into recess; all Branch Officers to resign
Dunedin’s most active and most innovative Labour Party branch is going into recess.
Read my lips – some new taxes
National willfully stupidly blind on climate change
As the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment warns of the risks of sea level rises and recommends action, National are clear that they will take none. They are determined to leave all the risks and costs of climate change to future governments.
Towards banana republic status
National has passed legislation with retrospective effect under urgency to change previous legislation also passed under urgency so that the law says what it thinks the law should have said, despite the existing law being abundantly clear.
Chris Trotter is on fire
“What differentiates the Left from the Right is the former’s fundamental rejection of the strongest human-beings’ proclivity to dominate, coerce and exploit the weakest. Without this proclivity, none of the economic and social systems elaborated by armed minorities throughout history could have endured.”
Indeed.
Homeless children
RNZ covered a Salvation Army report on housing this morning. These figures are a national disgrace.
NRT: Urgency for abuse
I/S at No Right Turn: “The House has just gone into urgency for two key (for the government) bills – the first to punish retroactively people who have already been punished, the second to steal from the poor.”
Labour fundraising
A Government of spin redux
The Herald has withdrawn a story that reported on Government pressure on the ERO to rewrite a report after what appears to be pressure from the Government to do so.
The Tide is High
I’m pleased about the Roy Morgan result. The last RWC was worth 2-3% in the polls to National. This RWC … nothing. And in the days since that poll, John Key has overseen an astonishing attack on the women of Parliament. I think we’ve reached Peak Key.
A government of spin
Two recent articles suggest that this Government is more interested in spin and PR than in achieving good. And one of the articles previously posted in the Herald has mysteriously disappeared.
Power Corruption and Lies
A National List MP has been snapped trying to heavy the Housing Ministry into funding a lift in her personal profile. Remember John Key’s ‘higher standards in Government’? Nick Smith’s Ministerial office apparently doesn’t care too much about about such trifles. Worse, the Housing Ministry has been caught trying to cover up for the Tories by redacting an OIA request. Here’s your Brighter Future, folks. Enjoy.
Making the Opposition the Enemy –
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.
Social media disasters – Paula Bennett tweets
The first of what may be an ongoing series of posts where social media interaction by Politicians ends in disaster.
When survivors speak out
Previously posted at Boots Theory. Content note: discussion of sexual violence and the experience of survivors. Yesterday I did a round-up of the […]