Open mike 28/03/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Social issues
Lying liar caught lying again
What a surprise.
Cameron Slater’s been caught lying again.
Russian roulette with Collins
“Ms Collins strenuously denies hints by opposition parties that her office was involved in leaking Bronwyn Pullar’s information to the media. She says only herself, one staff member, chairman John Judge and ACC’s chief executive had the information”. Hmm. 4 people, at least 1 head to roll. Not hard to see where this going. Playing Russian roulette with Collins is where she pulls the trigger but aims the gun at you.
Ambrose should sue as Police & Key fail Laws 101
When a government figure says someone broke a law when there has been no conviction they are effectively imposing an extra-judicial punishment by defaming them. Key and the Police cannot be allowed to serve up extra-judicial punishments to whomever they choose by branding them a criminal and then not taking them to court to prove it.
Key tries to save face over tea tapes
Throughout the teatapes affair Key has received special treatment. Huge police resources have been wasted. Today’s announcement of no charges is even timed for when Key is overseas. Key claims to be vindicated but no court has ruled Ambrose broke the law. The ruse of the warning and the letter of regret is clearly intended to allow Key to save face. Key literally asks us to “move on” but he must answer for the resources he had wasted and the chilling effect on the media of his strong arm tactics.
No charge for “teapot” cameraman
In breaking news 3News reports that there will be no charge against “teapot” cameraman Bradley Ambrose.
Tough on crime
New Zealand has one of the highest rates of imprisonment in the world, and an international study has just highlighted the fact.
The real agenda at PoAL?
Keeping PoAL workers out makes no sense industrially.
It means the port’s taking a political and PR hit without even gaining some cleared containers.
But perhaps getting the port making money isn’t the endgame for this dispute…
Won’t somebody think of the children
The rate of third world disease in this country is a crime. A crime against the poor perpetrated by the rich. They call it neoliberalism – the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of the capitalist elite. They didn’t set out to make kids sick and kill them but it was an inevitable result of their actions and they don’t care. Now, what’s Labour’s take?
Open mike 25/03/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Open mike 24/03/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Rortwatch: closing prisons to justify Wiri
1,200 prison beds, 1 in 8, are empty plus the 1,300 bed reserve. Prisoner numbers are projected to keep falling. So, why are the Nats spending a billion dollars on the Wiri private prison? And where will they get the prisoners? By closing existing public prisons. Rather than upgrading what we have more cheaply they’ll let a foreign company make a profit off locking people up.
Open mike 23/03/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
I resign
I wish to tender my resignation as Chair of the Ports of Auckland Board. I took a profitable and efficient Port and lost it millions of dollars in contracts. I spent, inappropriately, substantial amounts of money on a public relations campaign against our staff that could have been spent reinvesting in the port or returning to Auckland Council. The financial position of the Port is in a dire decline. We wish
Next to go – Joyce or McCully?
Nick Smith is gone but you might have missed 2 other senior ministers on the ropes yesterday. Steven Joyce hasn’t bothered to do his homework, doesn’t know if his ‘mega-ministry’ will save money or cost more. Meanwhile, McCully’s shifting blame to the CEO he appointed for the Mfat mess while blowing $200K to give the ambassadors an earful in person over all the leaks.
The real questions
Why did Key express confidence in Smith after reading the 2nd letter that is the supposed reason for him going? Why did he really resign, what are they trying to distract us from? How did it happen that the woman who Smith resigned over also is the person who got the largest ACC leak in history? What deal did Smith get to stay in Parliament avoiding a risky by-election?
Good for the goose…?
Treasury has repeatedly proven itself incapable of forecasting its way out of a paper bag but, for some reason, that doesn’t stop it trying to tell everyone else how to do their jobs. Currently, they’re pushing for larger class sizes in the reduced education budget. Someone should ask why the education budget is under pressure but Treasury’s isn’t. Wait, someone did.
Class war Oz style
When Treasurer Wayne Swan recently took on wealthy vested interests in defence of democracy and the Aussie fair go, he was attacked as an old-fashioned class warrior. Australian researchers found 86% of Australians think that class exists, and they support Swan by 58% to 26%. Their conclusion – opening up the debate about inequality is a sure-fire winner for Labor.
Not with a bang but a whimper
So, from a 300 police raid and headlines screaming ‘Police foil paramilitary plot’ to, 5 years later, 4 people convicted of half a dozen firearms possession charges each. I’ll admit, the SIS and Police carved a compelling narrative from their video footage but the evidence just wasn’t there and clearly the jury, like the public, just don’t trust the SIS given its track record.
Why Labour is not shifting to the centre
Surprising title given the discussion of here and elsewhere? Yeah, I know.
But I want to contribute two things to the discussion. First, Shearer’s speech did not signal a shift in policy to the centre. Second, Labour does not need to shift to the centre in policy.
Bathwater and babies
Tapu Misa has an excellent article in today’s Herald. She hopes those predicting the demise of Labour’s pre-election promise to extend Working to Families to the children of beneficiaries are wrong. So do I. Labour will be defined by what it does for our children. Let’s not throw out what was a very very good policy.
Remember 1984
Labour moving to the right would be a disaster for the left. It doesn’t need to, in order to lead a winning coalition at the next election. The last time a small cabal in Labour tried that strategy was in 1984 – it proved to be a disaster for New Zealand and for the Labour Party. I’m not sure that the Labour leadership is making a definitive shift to the right – more like a tentative search for the marshmallow centre. As a strategy, it is a recipe for failure.
Labour moving to the right?
Many commentators have interpreted David Shearer’s recent speech as signaling a “move to the right”. I think it’s too early to tell. But if it’s true, I think it’s good news for lefties…
Better ideas from Finland
David Shearer used Finland as an example of successful small country economic development in yesterday’s very good speech, but his main focus was on education. Dianne Ravitch in the NY Review of Books shows how Finland also leads the world in education – and with few tests and excellent teachers, they don’t need to bag any “bad” ones.
National standards aren’t
The predicted problems created by a “national standards” system are coming home to roost already.
Operation 8 verdict
The judge is just dismissing the jury for the day – they will resume deliberations tomorrow morning.
On those that need to work harder
Recently, an article appeared in the Wall Street Journal describing how CEOs around the world spend their time. The article drew on data from a larger study, the Executive Time Use Project . This project relied on reports of time use by CEO’s personal assistants; making it more accurate. It came across my usual reading and I thought I might share some of the findings with you.
Shearer’s speech exceeds expectations
You all know that many of us authors at The Standard have been critical of David Shearer. Well, I’ve just read Shearer’s speech. It’s brilliant. It talks about the big issues head on and unapologetically. There’s no party line pap and some nice stylistic points. It damns Key without ever mentioning him or his government and is an even more devastating critique of Key for it.
Shearer’s Starting Speech
Tomorrow morning, 7.30, livestreaming on labour.org.nz
Key: better for me if you don’t vote
Key hates interest-free student loans, the only thing that has kept thousands more from leaving the country for higher wages, but says “it’s not politically sustainable to put interest back on student loans”. Why? “That is about the only thing that will get [young people] out of bed before 7 o’clock at night to vote”. Key’s willing to keep a policy he hates as long as you don’t vote.
Wastewatch: measuring graduate incomes
The Nats abandoned their wastewatch.co.nz site a few years back after being unable to identify significant waste. They should have just waited a few years. Now, the examples are neverending.
Today’s case: Steven Joyce’s plan to publish the average incomes of graduates of different courses. A huge administrative task to tell us nothing.
Reining in student loans
Student loans will remain interest free, but the Nats are planning to rein them in “in a big way”. I guess that means that typical Nat slash-and-burn thinking will result in damaging restrictions to educational access in due course.
ImperatorFish: Won’t Someone Think Of The Lamingtons?
Shearer taking shape
It’s been encouraging seeing a bit more of David Shearer recently. His leadership is slowly taking shape
Overseas investment must show real gains
David Shearer’s private member’s Bill on foreign investment is pure common sense: unless foreign ownership actually adds something substantial to the economy that cannot be supplied by local owners then all foreign investment brings is higher land prices, locking out Kiwis from ownership. Overseas buyers must bring something real to the table. A good first policy.
No country for old bigots
What is it about New Zealand media? Seems if you’re an old, privileged white man, you get a podium to say whatever nonsense you want – Henry, Laws, Armstrong, George, Du Fresne. And Deaker. The old twerp’s latest is to attack Sonny Bill Williams saying “I don’t like that he’s Muslim in a so-called Christian country”.