Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, March 2nd, 2013 - 80 comments
A British report on the implications of their ageing population structure highlights, yet again, the lack of any planning on this issue from the Key government…
Written By: - Date published: 8:14 am, February 28th, 2013 - 172 comments
If we can’t afford to buy the assets back, we should at least make clear we will regulate them severely and take the profit out of electricity companies…
Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, February 27th, 2013 - 219 comments
The Nats lied over the hobbit movie. What are we as citizens to do when a government deliberately and shamelessly lies to us? How can we stop this kind of barefaced lying from happening again?
Written By: - Date published: 6:12 pm, February 26th, 2013 - 30 comments
John Key is keen that the ACT party is “regenerating” and National will be there for them. That’s if a party that registered 0%, 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.5% in the latest round of polls can be called “regenerating”: I’ve seen (other) zombies more full of life…
Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, February 26th, 2013 - 20 comments
I’m starting to feel sorry for Hekia Parata. In his column yesterday Armstrong referred to her as “something of a pariah figure” in the education portfolio.
Written By: - Date published: 9:09 am, February 26th, 2013 - 8 comments
The reaction to the Auditor General’s report on Key’s Sky City deal is lingering in the headlines much longer than Key would like. “Corrupted process”. “Stench”. “No way to run a country”. Key badly misjudged this one.
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, February 26th, 2013 - 82 comments
John Key is under real pressure over the Solid Energy debacle. He got out the six-shooter – aiming at a 2007 speech by Trevor Mallard to try to blame Labour. Trouble is he’s shot himself. In 2011 he said he “supported Solid Energy’s plan to dig up lignite and turn it into briquettes, saying the Government wanted companies such as Solid Energy, which is Government-owned, to expand.” Expect more shots from the lip.
Written By: - Date published: 2:21 pm, February 24th, 2013 - 118 comments
The thing I like about the Living Wage campaign is the branding represents strongly both the problem and the solution. The Prime Minister fell into its trap when he said that the Living Wage was not a priority for his Government. The statement says it all really. The Government don’t want you to work for a living, they just want you to work.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, February 22nd, 2013 - 22 comments
Today is the second anniversary of the most destructive of the Christchurch earthquakes. Condolences to the friends and families of the dead. Greetings to all who lived through it and remember. Commiserations to those who have been forgotten by this government…
Written By: - Date published: 6:34 pm, February 21st, 2013 - 61 comments
Boot camps by their nature are bully camps. I know some young people enjoy the test of their physical skills but for those that don’t, they work by psychological pressure. I haven’t read the text book that says kids thrive being shouted at, marched about the place and having their heads shaved, and what are we teaching them about the State? That we accept bullying? That the Government reserve the right to humiliate you?
Written By: - Date published: 12:23 pm, February 21st, 2013 - 71 comments
Breaking news, but it certainly looks like John Key has (1) made up nonsense about Sky City, and (2) lied to Parliament.
Update: Key is publicly backing down. Looks like an apology and explanation to Parliament will be needed.
Written By: - Date published: 9:23 am, February 21st, 2013 - 22 comments
As John Armstrong puts it the AG’s report on the Sky City bid was “deeply disturbing” and “verging on banana republic kind of stuff without the bananas”. One of the competing bidders is talking about a refund of costs “wasted on a bid that was never seriously considered”. And why wouldn’t they?
Written By: - Date published: 11:00 pm, February 20th, 2013 - 70 comments
Oh dear. Lockwood Smith was by common consent one of the best Speakers we’ve had. David Carter seems to be heading in a different direction. Lockwood required Ministers to give direct answers. Today in the House Carter gave the answer for Hekia Parata, interpreting her words to get her off the hook. He may well have put himself on one though, if that is the way he is going to go.
Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, February 20th, 2013 - 23 comments
Hekia Parata is in deep trouble. She has even resorted to grudgingly forcing the word “sorry” from her lips. But it isn’t even close to the apology that is needed…
Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, February 19th, 2013 - 39 comments
Looks like Parata has been shafted by Key – her written promises to Christchurch schools will not be honoured. Instead it seems that Christchurch kids are being used as pawns in National’s electoral maneuverings.
Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, February 19th, 2013 - 6 comments
In last year’s budget Key promised his government would build 2,000 new homes. They delivered (wait for it) … 68. I/S at No Right Turn (happy birthday by the way!) takes them to task…
Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, February 18th, 2013 - 73 comments
As widely reported, Chirstchurch schools find out their fate today. The damaged Hekia Parata was the wrong person to front this process…
Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, February 13th, 2013 - 22 comments
The Salavation Army “State of the Nation” report is out today, and, as Metiria Turei says, it makes depressing reading. It describes a nation of increasing inequalities, with those on low incomes, and their children, being hit particularly hard.
Written By: - Date published: 5:49 pm, February 11th, 2013 - 26 comments
John Key, as expected, failed to take any sort of lead – or even fast following – on the Living Wage campaign. It’s “a matter for them” – businesses and workers – not something for a mere Prime Minister to be interested in. He thinks it’s nice if businesses pay more as they can afford it, but obviously doesn’t see higher wages as a priority.
Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, February 10th, 2013 - 55 comments
In 2009 Key personally declared “War on P”. Predictably, it’s now clear that he lost. In this, as it seems in all matters, John Key is all promise, no deliver.
Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, February 9th, 2013 - 70 comments
Greenpeace activists were fined and ordered to do Community Service – for serving the global community by protesting about Climate Change & the oil industry. Others get honours like knighthoods for services that are damaging for the majority in the community. Misplaced values? [update] RNZ interview with Lucy Lawless.
Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, February 7th, 2013 - 103 comments
Mr Fixit Steven Joyce has been handed the Novopay fiasco, and the first pay round under his watch is the worst yet. Teachers are currently owed almost $12 Million in missing wages. Is this a conspiracy, or just a good old fashioned cock up?
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, February 6th, 2013 - 172 comments
National’s constant beneficiary bashing has borne predictable fruit – beneficiaries are now perceived as the most discriminated against group in the country.
Written By: - Date published: 3:27 pm, February 5th, 2013 - 24 comments
Bryce Edwards has a useful roundup of the goings on at Waitangi.
Written By: - Date published: 9:54 am, February 5th, 2013 - 42 comments
I wonder how the polls would look if the sampling included Kiwis who have fled the country?
One of the biggest failures of the Key government is the continuing massive exodus to Australia. This was an issue that Key made a core focus of the 2008 election. Remember the Westpac Stadium clip?…
Written By: - Date published: 2:55 pm, February 4th, 2013 - 52 comments
Garner has revealed that 63% of Maori Labour voters don’t know who the leader is. King responds by asking if they know who the PM is. Now, I’m no MP with 25 years’ experience but I reckon it’s pretty obvious that trying to deflect from a poll showing lack of profile of your leader in a key demographic by implying that Maori are just ignorant isn’t smart.
Written By: - Date published: 3:48 pm, February 1st, 2013 - 93 comments
Reprinted with permission from Frankly Speaking. Three ministers dropped in the Novopay mess by Steven Joyce. Three ministers parroting very similar lines…
Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, January 31st, 2013 - 47 comments
David Parker has drawn attention to a steadily growing $1 Billion hole in projected tax income. That gap, and the stalled economy which underlies the problem, are not going to be fixed by John Key acting like an angry chimp in parliament, flinging insults out of his cage.
Written By: - Date published: 4:27 pm, January 30th, 2013 - 63 comments
David Bain has filed a claim against Judith Collins. Here’s The Herald’s / APNZ quick announcement.
Written By: - Date published: 12:05 pm, January 30th, 2013 - 54 comments
Debates on the PM’s statement to the House show that this do-nothing government needs to go. Plenty of good ideas from opposition MPs. An excellent speech by Genter against Joyce’s ‘Roads of Madness’ & for public transport.
Written By: - Date published: 11:12 am, January 30th, 2013 - 3 comments
Even when flogging a dead horse, the man is not for turning…
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