The cost of cancer
When people are turning in these numbers to crowd-funding for treatment something is seriously, seriously wrong.
Social issues
Poverty’s Beneficiaries.
While pondering this post, I was pointed to a post from last year, in which poverty and the cost of breakfast were on the agenda. Stephanie was writing in response to the ignorance of Nikki Kaye who claimed that giving affordable nutritious breakfast to children was easy. While I haven’t taken the time to read all of the comments on the subject, I thought Stephanie proved the point quite aptly that the reality is far different than the hypothetical world of poverty in which Nikki Kaye lives.
Len Brown stands down
Len Brown has announced that he will not contest the Auckland Mayoralty next year.
Why there should be an equal number of men and women in Cabinet
Canadian Prime Minister explains clearly why he decided to have an equal number of men and women in his cabinet.
David Cunliffe on the state of the media in New Zealand
In Parliament yesterday David Cunliffe spoke about the state of the country’s Media and how in rugby terms the right have effectively screwed the scrum..
The education review
National is initiating a review of education. They will of course be excluding consideration of resourcing and their sacred cows (national standards, charter schools). One possible outcome appears to be shifting resources from poorer schools to richer ones.
DoC Staff Striking during Conservation Week
How far removed from a ‘cloth-capped mob of union-stirrers and industrial saboteurs’ would the staff of the Department of Conservation be? These people […]
Foxy on John Key and the RWC
If a picture paints a thousand words this cartoon by Foxy paints a million.
Muslim Gives Away Medal.
For some, winning isn’t just about grabbing the glory.
ABs vs Australia
Will the All Blacks be the first team to defend a RWC title?
Petition on Slater’s hate speech
US ship visit and nuclear free NZ
The US has been invited to send a ship to NZ. One News has a headline about a “nuclear ship”. Explosive if true, but I think this is an error. There is some confusion on the matter, let’s hope it is cleared up fast.
Food Bank Charity
Guest post from Kōrero Pono on the politics and ethics of food banks.
Dirty Politics was in the public interest
Today’s anonymous editorial in The Herald makes for interesting reading, with the right conclusion in the end – Hager’s Dirty Politics served a genuine public interest, and should be legally protected as such.
Were people smugglers paid money to take refuges away from New Zealand?
Amnesty International has published a report “By Hook or by Crook: Australia’s Abuse of Asylum-Seekers at Sea” which has rightfully been described as a damning indictment of Australia’s handling of the refugee crisis. But New Zealand benefitted from payments of money to people smugglers. What did the Government know?
Five years as a united Auckland
Auckland Council is delivering a publication to all Auckland households celebrating five years of Auckland super city. But is there any reason to celebrate?
Technology and the law – and going after Hager
A recent supreme court ruling that a “stored sequence of bytes” constitutes property is pretty bizarre – and it seems to be being used to go after Nicky Hager.
“A creeping authoritarianism from the current government”
The reaction to Westpac handing over Nicky Hager’s data to police is still playing out. Rob Hosking observes “a creeping authoritarianism from the current government”.
Getting mommy to dispense the drugs
Now that cannabis is going legal and heading for the neighbourhood social gatherings where mothers sell addictive substances (like cosmetics and kitchenware) to each other. Lets legalize it, tax it HEAVILY, and could someone please give Helen Kelly and others like her the relief that they can use.
We are paying for Key and Coleman to attend the World Cup
John Key and Jonathan Coleman are attending the World Cup on the taxpayer’s tab.
NZ number one in the world – and it’s all bad news
Rachel Stewart writes about a disaster for this country.
Angry at Westpac
Westpac passing over Nicky Hager’s details was probably illegal, and may turn out to have been a very bad move…
Let them drink beer
Health Minister Coleman provides another salient example of the surreal lengths that National will go to in order to avoid facing up to truths that they don’t approve of.
Key not taking us with him on the flag
John Key’s antics trying to drum up support for a flag change are getting increasingly desperate, but NZ isn’t listening.
Paula Bennett and the social housing crisis
Paula Bennett has uncovered the most significant risk that New Zealand faces. Or has she?
Pressure mounts to force Auckland to open up land
Serious Fraud Office, Productivity Commission, Council failings, under-supply of houses, Developer Greed… a recipe for disaster
Is it time for progressives to love rugby?
Ad reflects on the relationship between the left and rugby since the springbok tour.
Tony Veitch and the power of redemption
Tony Veitch has caused a major social media response by posting a comment which suggests that he is a victim of a bad relationship and not guilty of inflicting domestic violence.
I LOVE these kinds of stories
““We had an 83-year-old man walking in here to vote for the first time in his life,” she said from near a polling station in Tsuut’ina Nation, near Calgary.”
Oh Canada oh Canada
It appears that Stephen Harper’s conservatives in Canada have been voted out of office.
Obesity policy ignores elephant in the room
Obesity is a difficult topic to write about, but with the release of new government policy yesterday it is very much in the news. Unfortunately, unsurprisingly, National have chosen to tinker with the consequences of obesity without addressing the causes.
Kelvin Davis on Christmas Island
Today Key is trying to dress up Aussie platitudes (on detained Kiwis) as scraps of progress. But Labour MP Kelvin Davis is taking action…
Cameron Slater back in court
For the observers of the continued disaster that is Cameron Slater, here is a snippet observed in the High Court list for tomorrow. There is a first call for action against him for contempt. A new application? He only just got done for 7 charges.
Our influence in Australia
Key has failed to budge Australia on the detention and deportation of Kiwis. Apart from the photo ops and the mutual admiration society, our actual influence is zero.
WMBAD: Prison
Team White Man Behind A Desk are back with their final episode for 2015.
#hereforHelen
Details of a social media campaign to celebrate Helen Kelly’s contribution to the Trade Union movement.