Who would replace Bill?
There’s a grim irony to Bill English’s career. Despite being regarded as competent and having a Cullen-like role as the heavy-lifter in this […]
Social issues
Banks bullshits on North Shore – shows up Bhatnager as a hypocrite
This week John Banks took his faltering super mayoralty campaign to the Takapuna Rotary Club on Auckland’s North Shore. Banks tried to butter […]
Pecuniary interest
John Key has repeatedly said Bill English did not have a”pecuniary interest” in the house he lives in in Wellington with his family. […]
Socialist America
The health care debate going on in America is a very serious debate, and who wins it has important implications for what kind […]
Auditor-General to enquire re English
Herald reports that AG will make preliminary enquiries into English’s housing payment. This follows a suggestion in today’s Business Herald that his credibility […]
Stupid hypocritical ACE cuts
Night classes – Adult and Community Education (ACE). An incredibly cost effective and valuable part of the NZ education sector for decades. The […]
Informative journalism
Colin Espiner: “For some reason that I don’t quite understand, unemployment usually continues to rise at the end of recessions, and there’s normally […]
Sir Howard Morrison dies
This was always a favourite of mine.
Banning smoking
I have a lot of respect for Hone Harawira. The voting for a Tory government thing has lessened it but his hatred for the […]
Drinking Liberally Wellington and Dunedin
**Wellington** Today – September 24, 2009, from 5.30pm. The Southern Cross Abel Smith Street Phil Saxby on drug law reform *Dunedin** Tuesday September […]
Get it in writing
Watching the Maori Party get done over by National is getting painful. The MP thought they had a good faith dialogue on the […]
John and Bill cost us $7 million in two months
You’ll remember that in the Budget National decided to suspend payments to the Cullen Fund, which is designed to help fund the future […]
NAB/BNZ pays tax – current account deficit shrinks!
What more can one say. Read it and weep for our country.
Return of the Neanderthals
From Paul Krugman’s review of Skidelsky’s latest book on Keynes: “At research seminars, people don’t take Keynesian theorising seriously anymore; the audience starts […]
Drinking Liberally – Auckland (again)
In the second part of our double header for Drinking Liberally this month we’ve got director of Rethinking Crime & Punishment Kim Workman […]
After Edge of Darkness
I just read that the Troy Kennedy Martin, the screenwriter responsible for Edge of Darkness died earlier this week. I wanted to mark […]
Sell state houses? Not like this
National has announced that it will begin offering to sell 3,800 state houses to tenants living in them on market rents. I don’t […]
DL Auckland: The Republic
Drinking Liberally is on again in Auckland this Wednesday, with guest speaker Lewis Holden of the Republican Movement of Aotearoa New Zealand speaking […]
Close the loopholes
I am heartened that Phil Goff is trying to work with the Government to address over-investment in residential property. However, I think a […]
Be bold on smoking
Very good piece by Anthony Hubbard in the Sunday Star Times: The Maori Party is pressuring the government to take tough new anti-smoking […]
Just put it away
I know this free condoms idea is just a remit, not Labour Party policy, but it’s exactly the kind of thing that the […]
SIS? Or who’s spying now?
On Thursday Animal Rights Activists did a protest outside the Norwegian Embassy against the fur trade there. This was to support the campaign […]
A bit of culture
If you’re looking for something to do on a Sunday that’s a bit more uplifting than arguing politics, why not check out some […]
Ninny state
Phil Goff is quoted today as saying “we made mistakes” with policies that were perceived as “nanny state”: Asked if he would apologise […]
Welfare for whom?
Remember the iconic photos of the first Labour Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage and his cabinet celebrating the introduction of State Housing by […]
Brash and Banks try to profit off vulnerable
Former National Party leader Dr Don Brash and Auckland Mayor John Banks love making the big bucks. And what better way to do […]
Firestarter
r0b’s post on John Key’s ‘uprising’ comment (which was written last night) seems grimly ironic in light of this morning’s news. Someone has […]
A beautiful mind – read it and weep
An email doing the rounds of the women’s networks found its way to me today. It’s link to an article about the late […]
Key’s lies on housing rort exposed
As I alluded to yesterday, the claims from John Key that he has slashed hundreds of thousands of dollars from the cost of […]
A rort is a rort is a rort
And by any other name it smells as bad. John Key has annouced a reform of the rules for ministerial accommodation allowance. A […]
Political debate done right
The last video I posted had Democratic Congressman Barney Frank taking the fight to a woman in the audience of a townhall meeting […]
Wanganui: a Laws unto itself
The Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Act 2009, which prohibits the display of gang insignia in a public place, so clearly infringes of […]
Does John Key believe a word he says?
This 2007 quote from John Key is doing the rounds among angry “No” voters: Labour shows contempt for New Zealanders The Labour Government […]
Are you smarter than a 10th year?
Meet Robert Wadlow. When he died in 1940, he was the tallest ever recorded person, standing 8 feet, 11 and a half inches […]
Let them drink… bottled water.
Not surprised to see that the Government has confirmed the Drinking Water Subsidy Scheme is being put on hold and reviewed. The subsidy […]
Wee gripes
Seeing as Zet’s taken to writing serious posts these days, I thought I’d try my hand at a few wee gripes: – I […]