Matthew Hooton’s attack on Nicky Hager’s journalistic credentials on Nine to Noon yesterday was straight out of the “Dirty Politics” playbook. Kathryn Ryan wasn’t impressed and neither was I. Coincidentally Hager spoke last week about his investigative journalism – you can judge for yourself who spoke the truth.
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standarnistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other.
This week the Reserve Bank recommended adopting the Labour / Green capital gains tax, the National party denied and dithered, and Don Brash explained the truth about the property bubble.
(Image credit Foxy.)
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
At least two of the four new schools that John Key recently announced had been announced previously. And it appears that one of them has had its concrete foundations already poured.
With Crosby Textor by his side, John Key has since learned to employ all manner of specialist PR techniques including ad homs, blame-shifting, distraction, use of Dirty Politics proxies to defuse the situation, and false equivalence, all woven together in an intricately performed semantic shuffle designed to provide wiggle room for when he does get caught.
Steven Joyce has today announced his latest appointments to TEI. These are important because after changes to the Education Act 1989 in 2009 […]
National is leading by example in creating a culture of intimidation and fear. The latest case, a threat to withdraw funding a rape prevention group for speaking out.
There is more information and a petition here
Key’s attempts to drum up enthusiasm for this year’s upcoming budget have fallen absolutely flat. And as usual, promised funding actually represents an ongoing cut in real terms.
John Key’s latest pronouncement is that achieving a budget surplus is as difficult as landing a 747 on a pinhead. Michael Cullen must be a super airline pilot if this is the case.
At a Fabian Society event on Saturday April 18 in Owen Glenn Building, Auckland University speakers Michael Cullen, Peter Harris, Sarah Helm, Anne Martin, Richard Harman, & Annie Newman will offer their thoughts on what will be needed for political strategy, economic policy, government formation under MMP, political communication and organisation if we are to reach the destination.
Plenty of room for discussion and chat afterwards. All interested welcome; please register here.
Apparently this budget surplus that the Nats have been going on about for the last 6 years is an “artificial” target that is “like trying to land a 747 on a pin head”.
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
There’s nothing particularly wrong with Bryce Edwards’ article except that it ignores how National Ltd™ Police Ministers have successively sat by and done nothing in response to the on-going police failings.
John Key and National have staked a huge amount of their credibility on returning the country’s books to surplus this financial year. Looks like they are going to fail.
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standarnistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other.
A blogger charged with breaching suppression orders protecting the names of others has obtained interim name suppression. This is not a joke …
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
On the one hand the government are pushing for more and more NCEA passes to feed the league tables, and on the other they are acknowledging that those passes are no longer enough to suggest success at Tertiary level and tightening criteria to exclude students. Mixed messages, perverse incentives, a giant shambles.
For those who are wondering how National’s “social housing” policy is going to work in practice, The Herald today has a piece that gives a pretty fair idea.
Some people, Left and Right state they won’t vote for New Zealand First while Winston is its leader. Various reasons are given including […]
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Details of a public meeting hosted by the West Auckland Labour MPs about housing issues to be held tomorrow night.
The office of the Children’s Commissioner is cutting back work due to funding pressure. Not that you would know about it, from the almost complete lack of media coverage.
Last week National shut down Peters’ attempt to introduce a Bill on paedophile name suppression. Presumably this was out of petty spite at Peters’ Northland victory, but in the context of the Thatcher revelations this was surely an issue that would have been worth debating.
Trouble is brewing in National’s ranks. In a series of recent tweets occasional Standard commenter Matthew Hooton outlines his reasons for now opposing John Key’s Government.
John Armstrong in the Herald and Tracy Watkins in the Dominion Post have both written opinion pieces on the implications of Winston Peters’ win in Northland which reach very similar conclusions.
Turns out that “Planet Key” is not an election advertisement after all.
Simon Bridges announced yesterday the release of the 2015 block offer. Potentially oil companies could be drilling in deep sea pristine environmental areas off the West Coast where the endangered Maui’s Dolphin lives. He calls for a “mixed balance” of energy generation. But all this means is that he wants the good mixed with the bad.
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