Waitangi Day v Anzac Day
Advantage asks why is Waitangi Day not treated the same as Anzac day?
Social issues
Ongoing Police Surveillance of Protesters
I went to the anti-Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) protests yesterday to take photos. When I arrived I was immediately struck by the level […]
The toxic masculinity of Return of Kings
John Palethorpe on the Return of Kings group and plans to oppose their misogynist view and celebrate by way of a peaceful counter protest.
What they don’t tell you about the TPPA
When a government prepares to surrender a share of its sovereignty, you would expect a compelling reason for doing so. No country would accept limits on its law-making power without an equal trade-off, surely? Well, no country except New Zealand. The TPPA places substantial limits on the government’s law-making powers while offering very little in return.
ECONOMY IN PERIL! DANGER!! WARNING!!!
Key’s second waitress bungle
Key’s badly dented “political antennae” took another solid beating yesterday, with his second high-profile bungle involving a waitress.
Candidate flag not fit for purpose
Apart from being a symbolic fail of epic proportions, the “wrong colour flag” fiasco highlights the fact that the candidate flag isn’t even fit for purpose…
A tale of two States of the Nation speeches
The State of the Nation speeches provide an interesting start to the political year. John Key’s speech borrowed Labour Green policy that until now the Government has consistently derided and tried to present it as a “kickstart” while Andrew Little’s tertiary education policy announcement has received almost universal support and National is struggling to work out what attack lines to use.
Praise for Labour’s tertiary bombshell
Although there have been predictable howls of outrage from the usual suspects, the media reaction to Labour’s bold tertiary education policy has been generally great.
Your Favourite Conspiracy Sucks
The return of the X Files has got me thinking. Just how hard is it to keep a big conspiracy secret? Happily, a British scientist has the answer; it’s bloody hard. More or less impossible, actually, according to his new formula. It seems the truth really is out there.
Newshub (and another flag poll)
3 News is dead, replaced by Newshub. That’s News Hub, not New Shub. Though New Shub would be funnier.
Final hours for submission on voluntary euthanasia
The end of today is the last chance to make a submission to Parliament on voluntary euthanasia.
Another policy to be proud of
Labour has rolled out another big bold policy that will shape the national discussion for years. Critics, most of whom received a free tertiary education themselves back in the day, want to deny a younger generation the same right (and pocket a tax cut instead). Enter Steven Joyce…
New Day Rising
Goff and Shearer’s disloyal and self serving support for the TPPA has backfired. They’ve shown that the ABC faction are now a spent force and that Andrew Little has the overwhelming support of caucus. The sun has set on the splitters and there is a new day rising.
Abattoir Blues
The Sheepgate scandal rolls on. PM John Key has just confirmed we will be celebrating the Saudi Arabian government’s recent execution of 47 political opponents by gifting them a portable abattoir.
Good money after bad into the bottomless pit of charter schools
Yesterday the Nats confirmed the closing of a failed Northland charter school. Turns out we’ll be paying an extra $400,000 for the first quarter of this year, even though the school will not open. Brilliant.
National – trying to provoke TPP violence?
The police are “visiting” TPP activists – Key is cynically trying to blow the “law and order” dog whistle. But would he really go so far as to try and provoke open violence for political gain?
Is RBNZ ignoring deflation bogey?
Is Reserve Bank Governor Graeme Wheeler so concerned about the bogey of Auckland’s housing bubble that he is underestimating an equally nasty bogey – deflation? Deflation will certainly cure the problem of the property bubble, but that cure will be at a terrible cost.
New Zealand drops down World corruption free index
New Zealand used to be rated as the least corrupt country in the world. Over the past couple of years we have dropped to second and now to fourth. The cynical way that the Government handles OIA requests is the main reason for this occurring.
Another win for Nicky Hager
“Yesterday, the New Zealand Police informed Nicky Hager through their counsel that they are electing not to appeal the decision of the High Court given in December last year.”
Voluntary euthanasia
Voluntary euthanasia is very much in the news. We have until Feb 1st to make submissions on the Bill currently before Parliament. It’s a very emotive debate, but I think the case for euthanasia choice is clear.
The great big list of John Key’s big fat lies (UPDATED)
How many more lies will John Key tell today in his so-called State of the Nation address? Virtual chocolate fish to whomever guesses the closest number.
Barry Brickell: Earth to Earth
Ad reflects on the death of Potter Barry Brickell and his tremendous contributions to art and environmental protection and poses the question are we doing as much as Barry to make the world a better place.
Key deserved boos for his TPP lies at Ratana
Key’s “strident” defence of the TPP was booed at Ratana yesterday. With good reason, because his glib assurance that “Not a single part of TPP cuts across the Treaty of Waitangi” is yet another Key lie.
Guest Post … Build Mass Movements continued.
This is a repost of a comment from Incognito on the Building Mass Movements post, with some editing. It’s also linked to one […]
Another housing policy screwup?
Bennet’s proposal to incentivise / coerce state housing applicants to leave Auckland for housing elsewhere seems to have hit a snag…
Tertiary fee drop – excellent proposal from Labour
Education is a public good, but tertiary education in NZ has been undermined by high student fees and debt. So it’s very encouraging to see a proposal from Labour for reducing fees (and not ruling out free education!).
Building a mass movement
Republished by request, and permission from Stephanie Rodgers at Boots Theory
[Content note: mentions of transphobia, sexual violence and violence against people of colour]
Skill shortages and reaping what you sow
Data released to the Sunday Star-Times shows a huge decline in numbers of tertiary students, including declines in many key skills and fields. Various explanations are offered, only one of them makes sense…
Robertson / Labour on the future of work
It’s a good thing that one of the major parties is thinking seriously about the future…
NZ first in the world!
How to improve pay gender equality
It’s been a hardy annual finding of late – the pay gap between males and females is getting steadily worse. History suggests that Labour governments have some answers…
The problem with free market capitalism
This morning’s Herald contains a story about a young man who with a family gift has managed to purchase eleven houses over the past five years and can afford to pay World of Warcraft all day.
Life and Death and Cannabis
I am taking Cannabis Oil to manage my pain as my lung cancer takes over my body. It’s sort of as simple as that really. For some people talking about dying is confronting but actually talking about it allows us to think about how it happens – it is actually as much a social event as a physical one and knowing someone is comfortable, getting good treatment and pain relief is very much part of the social dimension as the physical one.
Saudi Arabia and the free trade deal
David Shearer has disagreed with the Greens that New Zealand should suspend negotiations on the free trade agreement with Saudi Arabia until it improves its human rights record.
The great carbon credit swindle
On December 17, 2015 the Government released a series reports suggesting that New Zealand is complying with Kyoto Protocol obligations. A dig into the reports confirms however that the compliance is in name only and is for spin purposes rather than a real attempt at addressing the world’s most pressing problem.