Forty Christmases
Exactly 40 years ago to the day I was having a white Christmas – on the summit of Mr Fyfe overlooking Kaikoura. Today […]
Social issues
Thank you ….
To all those making a difference and working for a more inclusive, equal, fair and sustainable society. Special thanks to Lynn for all his work for The Standard.
David Cunliffe’s first hundred days
David Cunliffe has now been Labour leader for 100 days. This marks a good time for reflection on what has happened and how well he has done. And a chance to have a look into the future and predict what may happen in the next 12 months.
Reef piranha
Today’s Herald editorial gets one thing right – a media pack has turned on Len Brown. But it’s not gutsy journalism – it comes straight out of the Rupert Murdoch playbook. Len’s latest sin is his upgrades – EY says they total $32,000 for 64 occasions. That’s $500 an upgrade, which seems a lot on top of what Len paid. The report does not detail how this total was arrived at, and I cannot find any example of any journalist asking questions about it.
Not the brighter future….
Articles in the Sunday papers online, showing John Key’s “brighter future” is only for the well off, while more people than ever are struggling to get by.
Wally of the Year
The Fairfax Political Team has released their annual list of prizes for some of the most and least deserving efforts in politics this year. There was intense competition for Wally of the Year and somehow they did not think that John Banks deserved this award. But I am not so sure …
First the Hone bash, then the royals
It’s looking like Team John Key is trying every PR spin trick in the book to gain an advantage for the election next year. Does he have anything to offer Kiwis other than bash, spin and photos ops? And McGehan Close? The underclass?
Ernst and Young should investigate Cameron Brewer
Cameron Brewer apparently forgot to file a declaration of interests in 2012 which should have included details of a four day junket to the Gold Coast paid for by Mediaworks. Dick Quax forgot to file returns in 2011 and 2012. Is an investigation required?
A Tale of Two Cities
It was the best of times in Wellington today. Council workers will get a living wage, and parking wardens will become council employees so they will get decent pay also. It was the worst of times in Auckland as the right-wing Scrooges having failed to remove Mayor Len Brown took it out on their workers by overturning his call for a living wage for Council staff.
The spirit of ’81: Key’s hypocrisy!
John Key’s attacks on Hone Harawira for his trip to South Africa were hypocritical: an attempt to smear a significant political opponent, and divert from the governments failings & its gradual falling out of favour with many (potential) voters.
Showdown at Auckland Council
Today’s Council meeting will no doubt develop a great deal of heat but little light. And then hopefully everyone can settle down and working on the real job which is to create Auckland into a great city.
NRT: Who’s scaremongering now?
On their usual friday bad news dump (such a large amount of it these days), the National government dropped this clanger. Greenpeace was right and John Key is a moron when it comes to geology and evidently about risk assessment. We held it over to get past the National’s Monday morning bad news clutter.
Muppets.
It never fails to amaze me that supposedly experienced and professional (ie, paid) political figures routinely reaffirm a fairly deep sense of stupidity.
Herald poll has Labour at 40% because of asset sales
A Herald poll this morning has Labour on 40% with many expressing concern with the asset sales programme. And John Key displays a disturbing lack of numeracy literacy.
Summer service: the real economy
The summer holiday period is a time when consumerism is rampant, contradicting the traditional Christian message . It adds pressure to those already struggling, especially those with young families. Places to support via time, donations, gifts, etc.
NRT: Unacceptable
No Right Turn has a view on Len Brown accepting nearly $40,000 in undeclared complementarities from the hotel industry. How many of these were from SkyCity? And who else has been getting them?
No Asset Sales Referendum results
The no asset sales petition results are out and two thirds of the votes are against asset sales.
The party I will vote for ….
… will be one that has effective policies to make a more equal, inclusive and democratic society, will seriously address the concerns of those least well-off, and not just pander to the concerns of people on (comfortable) middle incomes.Values in need of a slogan?
The Pike River deal of the century
A month ago John Key was embarrassed in the House by David Cunliffe over the failure of the Government to contribute to the compensation of $3.41 million ordered by Judge Farrish to be paid to the Pike River families. Yesterday’s deal saw this amount being paid and the charges against Peter Whittall being withdrawn. An embarrassing political issue was shut down by a decision not to continue with a prosecution. Are you concerned?
On Pike
The decision announced today (but made when?) to withdraw the charges against Pike CEO Peter Whittall cannot be left to rest. When did […]
The Carbon or the Swag?
So many choices! What’s a body to do?
Pike River – Charges against Peter Whittall withdrawn
The charges that Peter Whittall faced concerning the Pike River deaths have been withdrawn. And he and the then directors of Pike River are paying $3.4 million compensation to the victims families. While it is pleasing for the families to receive some compensation for their loss does the sanctity of our justice system require that the prosecutions should have continued?
How to: Pick an Excuse for Not doing Anything About Poverty
Right wing, excuses reasons, for not doing anything about children in poverty.
John Key: The invisible man
Fresh from his comedy career on Letterman, his rolling over puppy imitation for Warner Brothers, and other such high profile appearances. John Key has now taken to reprising the role of “The Man with No Name”. Milly the kitten is better known..
Latest Roy Morgan Poll
And the results are bouncing around. Labour is down 3.5 and the Greens are up 3.5%. And the two blocks are neck and neck …
A more equitable society
Welfare benefits and how you provide for the disadvantaged is one of the primary distinguishing features of the difference between the left and right of the political spectrum. Here is a proposal on how to make sure that the wealth of society is better distributed. It would require consensus from most people to implement as it would fundamentally change the fabric of society.
Smile and Wave
Confronted with a protest about the government’s lack of action on child poverty, John Key’s response is: “So yeah, they just protest because […]
The new right wing party
With ACT’s imminent demise, the Conservatives appearing to be decided flakey and National losing its free market credentials by engaging in crony capitalism the temptation to set up a new political party on the right is increasing. And you can be assured that money will not be a problem.
Rent freezes in disaster zones
You need little more evidence of how Gerry Brownlee’s lazy-faire approach to the Christchurch rebuild has failed than the story of the (working) single mother forced to live in a tent with her 3 kids because there’s no affordable rentals. One of the automatic moves in a large scale disaster should be to freeze rents in the disaster zone. The Human Rights Commission agrees.
Open mike 10/12/2013
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike …
What chance is there of a bipartisan approach to child poverty?
The findings of the child poverty monitoring report are being released today. One in four or 265,000 children live in poverty and one in ten live in severe poverty. Children’s Commissioner Dr Russell Wills has called for a bipartisan political approach to the issue but Paula Bennett has replied by saying that she is incredibly proud of the Government’s record. How can you be incredibly proud of allowing one in four children to live in poverty?
Child Poverty in New Zealand
The Herald on Sunday this morning has produced a series of chilling articles showing that a computer glitch has caused the under reporting of abuse notifications, and a worrying increase in admission to hospital of children suffering form third world diseases. And the Children’s Commissioner had to secure funding from a private trust so that the data for this report could be collated. It makes you wonder if the Government wants to know the extent of child poverty in Aotearoa.
Hypocrisy-watch
After today’s platitudes, it’s worth remembering where Key stood on apartheid when it mattered.
ImperatorFish: Hekia Parata on the PISA report
Hekia, in her own succinct words. Or at least Scott’s.
Nelson Mandela has died
Nelson Mandela’s death in South Africa has been announced.
Prosecuting Cunliffe
No Right Turn writes on what should happen with David Cunliffe screwing up on election day. Sensible advice and commentary on what looks like a typical example of some of the innumerable silly mistakes and accidents that happen during election campaigns. The reaction of some on the right has been pretty damn hilarious when they compare what looks like deliberate concealment of electoral finance with a silly tweeting mistake