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Caption contest

Written By: - Date published: 1:10 pm, May 26th, 2011 - 58 comments

Hansen calls for Key to lead on climate change

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 pm, May 25th, 2011 - 71 comments

Visionary climate change scientist James Hansen has written an open letter to John Key.

Disgraceful

Written By: - Date published: 9:59 am, May 24th, 2011 - 55 comments

“The worst display from a Prime Minister since the schnapps election” – that’s what a journo said about Key the other day. No, it wasn’t about him being a multi-millionaire who gave himself tens of thousands of tax cuts opposing a fair wage increase for the lowest paid workers. It was this disgraceful behaviour on Budget Day. Watch.

The lazy unemployed

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, May 23rd, 2011 - 22 comments

John Key reckons the unemployed need “a kick in the pants”.  Paula Bennett reckons the Nats’ harsh reforms mean that “the dream is over” for beneficiaries.  Meanwhile, back in the real world…

Caption contest

Written By: - Date published: 9:49 am, May 22nd, 2011 - 43 comments

Armstrong on the budget

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, May 22nd, 2011 - 13 comments

John Armstrong is highly critical of the sub-zero budget: “The Budget has displayed a degree of cynicism one would expect from a Government in its third term, not its first”…

Froth on the rich man’s hem

Written By: - Date published: 11:35 pm, May 20th, 2011 - 47 comments

John Key thinks National will lose some support because of the budget saying: “I wouldn’t be surprised if we ease back a bit. I mean that’s logical. Some of that sort of froth in there will come away”. Hear that, tens of thousands of swing voters who believed in the ‘brighter future that Key promised you and didn’t deliver? You’re just ‘froth’ to him.

I know it is picky – but it is Friday..

Written By: - Date published: 11:29 am, May 20th, 2011 - 26 comments

I was listening to John Key on Parliament TV last night on the budget and he is bloody lazy when speaking. I had to watch his lips before I could figure out what he was saying. This morning there is a video of his remedial vocal work that illustrates this problem..

Chart o’ the day: steps to success

Written By: - Date published: 9:09 am, May 19th, 2011 - 16 comments

Postcard from the future

Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, May 19th, 2011 - 25 comments

An anonymous Sunday Star Times editorial last weekend (not on line) reads like a postcard from the future…

Keeping the buggers honest

Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, May 18th, 2011 - 33 comments

This rolling post is intended to be a record of the lies, misrepresentations, and misdirections the National government and its allies try to foist on us. It’s a ‘facts only’ post.

Today’s topic: borrowing for tax cuts

Some facts on Wages, Inflation and GDP

Written By: - Date published: 2:56 pm, May 17th, 2011 - 40 comments

John Key at a press conference yesterday made some claims about wages, inflation and Treasury predictions that really need looking at a bit more closely.

Beemer watch

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, May 14th, 2011 - 61 comments

What is going to happen to the “old” BMW limos when the government gets rid of them?  The franchise that just donated $50,000 to the Nats has said it wants its share of the “honey pot”.  I wonder if the Nats will oblige?

The Dear John Letter

Written By: - Date published: 2:02 pm, May 13th, 2011 - 36 comments

This letter is getting more media attention than it deserves, because its basically Brash regurgitating his 2025 task force stuff.  Key and the Nats have, quite rightly, ignored it once, and they’ll ignore it this time too.

100% Clueless

Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, May 13th, 2011 - 86 comments

When confronted with the scientific evidence on the hollowness of our “100% Pure” slogan John Key, as usual, tried to attack the credibility of the source.  Key said “He’s one academic and, like lawyers, I could provide you others who would give a counter view”.   Now the source (Dr Mike Joy) has called the PM on his clueless claim.

Key’s panda plan falls through

Written By: - Date published: 6:21 am, May 13th, 2011 - 24 comments

The second plank of John Key’s economic plan for New Zealand has fallen through. First, the ‘national cycleway’ became a scattered assortment of cycle paths that were already under construction. Now, the pandas Key was going to rent so we could get rich buying tickets to see them won’t be coming and we have revealing emails to share.

Jon Stephenson replies to critics

Written By: - Date published: 11:49 am, May 12th, 2011 - 12 comments

PM John Key attacked journalist Jon Stephenson, calling him not credible over his claims on SAS links to the torture of prisoners in Afghanistan.  Now Stephenson has replied to his critics, in detail.

Cash for cars?

Written By: - Date published: 5:26 pm, May 11th, 2011 - 117 comments

A $50,000 donation from a BMW franchise to National?

This latest twist to the BMW saga has a real stench about it.

Cunliffe addresses Key lies

Written By: - Date published: 4:53 pm, May 11th, 2011 - 56 comments

Key’s pre-budget speech was hugely uninspiring and mis-leading.

Cunliffe rips his claims apart.

Our dirty water

Written By: - Date published: 11:54 am, May 11th, 2011 - 26 comments

John Key didn’t much like being confronted with the facts on our dirty water.  He tried to pretend that everything is just fine, when it isn’t.  No surprise to find this attitude mimicked in National’s policy on water.  They are trying to pretend that they’re doing something when they aren’t.

Caption Competition

Written By: - Date published: 12:50 pm, May 9th, 2011 - 63 comments

Gower on Chopper Key

Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, May 9th, 2011 - 27 comments

Patrick Gower has more on the helicopter flight that John Key took in 2009 after opening a walkway that Key says was necessary because of mystery meetings that were supposedly arranged that afternoon. The flight cost us $2,000 when Key learned the helicopter was owned by the Velas.

Beyond the welfare stereotypes

Written By: - Date published: 6:58 am, May 9th, 2011 - 124 comments

An Australian report sets out some common myths about beneficiaries, and the facts that disprove them.  I have no doubt that a similar pattern of unjustified myths would be found here.  Starting with our PM.

Some are more equal than others

Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, May 7th, 2011 - 11 comments

Gordon Campbell demolishes the Nats’ hasty excuse that the blowout in Key’s diplomatic protection costs is due to a particular threat.  He also takes Judith Collins to task for her argument that the police should have an unlimited and unaccountable protection budget , or lives could be put at risk…

Key’s fantasy?

Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, May 6th, 2011 - 19 comments

Life in the fast lane

Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, May 6th, 2011 - 28 comments

Judith Collins has joined the long list of National MPs with their hands buried up to the elbows in the taxpayer’s pockets.  She claims it was all within the rules.  That doesn’t make it right.

Key attacks another journalist

Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, May 5th, 2011 - 24 comments

The Nats are obviously worried about public reaction to the recent revelations on the role of the SAS in Afghanistan.  And as is usually the case when they feel threatened by a story, the Nats are striking out, trying to discredit or intimidate the source.

US Embassy: Political Objectivity of NZ Media Questioned

Written By: - Date published: 7:20 am, May 5th, 2011 - 9 comments

Here’s an interesting Wikileaks cable on the ‘objectivity’ of the New Zealand msm, particularly the Herald. The cable relates to the period leading up to the last election. Most of it seems like a pretty fair appraisal to me, despite it perhaps being a little optimistic about the influences ideology and profit motive have on […]

Rodney’s golden handshake

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, May 4th, 2011 - 18 comments

Don Brash was clear that he wanted Rodney Hide to lose his portfolios and leave parliament. Until yesterday. Now Hide will stay on as a lame duck minister with nothing to do for seven months. Will pocket an extra $35,000 salary for his trouble. I wonder what Hide secrets threatened Brash and Key with to get this taxpayer-funded golden handshake.

Key calls snap Election for June 4

Written By: - Date published: 1:55 pm, May 3rd, 2011 - 29 comments

Now if the sight of that headline made you feel a bit sick for a moment, you might want to ask yourself ‘How well prepared would my party be if Key called a snap election?’ The reason it might pay to ask is that it’s not outside the realms of possibility that Key could manufacture […]

Armstrong on Brash+Key

Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, April 30th, 2011 - 37 comments

John Armstrong doesn’t get much wrong in the assessment of the Brash take over.  Brash, with his Hollow Men legacy, anti-Maori posturing, and loony economic policies,  is very much Key’s problem now.