Written By: - Date published: 11:26 am, February 4th, 2010 - 11 comments
Saw this in the new culture/humour page in the Dom: Glad to see the “do-nothing PM” as Rodney Hide called John Key doing plenty of late. Take the past fortnight for example; there’s been the barbecue and beer with Prince William, photo ops with punters at the Wellington races, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony and practice […]
Written By: - Date published: 7:20 am, February 2nd, 2010 - Comments Off on Reminder – Drinking Liberally Auckland
The first Auckland Drinking Liberally of 2010 takes place TODAY upstairs at The Purple Bar @ The Naval and Family and features new Labour MP Kelvin Davis (and we’re hoping to get Maori Party leader Pita Sharples) to talk about the Treaty of Waitangi in the 21st century. When: 7pm next TUESDAY 2 February Where: […]
Written By: - Date published: 11:23 am, January 31st, 2010 - 83 comments
From where I’m sitting the Left will never be back in power, not because they will never win elections, but because the power game is over. The nation state as we know it is being slowly dismembered before our eyes, the leviathan of globalisation has one flank firmly grasped, while rapidly discohering communities of self-interest […]
Written By: - Date published: 2:02 pm, January 30th, 2010 - 74 comments
I’ve been talking with some people about when John Key will call the next election. Two common points emerge: 1) it will be after the 2011 Budget. A government doesn’t risk the right to lay down a budget lightly. It won’t want to be campaigning while trying to write and sell a budget either. So […]
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, January 28th, 2010 - 11 comments
The first Auckland Drinking Liberally of 2010 takes place NEXT TUESDAY upstairs at The Purple Bar @ The Naval and Family and features new Labour MP Kelvin Davis (and we’re hoping to get Maori Party leader Pita Sharples) to talk about the Treaty of Waitangi in the 21st century.
Written By: - Date published: 8:12 am, January 23rd, 2010 - 3 comments
I enjoyed this piece by Jane Young over on Pundit so much I wanted to share: The brain in the White House appears to have been outsmarted by the brawn of a nude centrefold, as Obama’s filibuster-proof Senate number has been whipped away by a man once voted America’s Sexiest Man. You couldn’t make this stuff […]
Written By: - Date published: 2:06 pm, January 22nd, 2010 - 6 comments
NZPA is reporting that there were only four work stoppages in the last September quarter, making eighteen for the 2009 year to September. They then repeat the Stats NZ line that this figure is down on 2008. So good news eh? Fewer strikes means a more contented workforce surely. Except for the fact that the […]
Written By: - Date published: 12:25 pm, January 20th, 2010 - 82 comments
Good to see that Mike Moore has been appointed our new Ambassador to Washington. Mike’s energy and connections in Washington and the world will be an asset. It’ll also be a lot more satisfying for him than life as an author and columnist. Mike’s a big picture man and gives 110 per cent – we […]
Written By: - Date published: 4:32 pm, January 16th, 2010 - 56 comments
When you get a cold snap in the local weather, it means that somewhere else got somewhat warmer. Weather is a case of local shifts in energy balances. Climate changes on the other hand are an overall shifting due to underlying changes in energy inflows and retention. You can really only see them looking at […]
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, January 15th, 2010 - 69 comments
Both David Farrar and Cameron Slater have posts up attacking a comment by roger nome in one of our comment threads, and it shows they are worried about Key’s image as a do nothing ‘Minister for Overseas Holidays’. On the surface level, it’s kind of cute that Farrar and Slater are obviously reading through our […]
Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, January 14th, 2010 - 47 comments
Govt drafts deal to end whaling in Antarctica – Herald Key plan to end Southern Ocean whaling – Stuff That sounds like a real break-through, I thought. What could this deal/plan be? I watched the full press conference here: “New Zealand has been working very hard to try and find [please, people, the phrase is […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:57 am, January 13th, 2010 - 6 comments
At first, I thought I must have been dreaming yesterday morning. There was John Banks loudly attacking central government politicians from Wellington. How dare they impose expensive and unjustified costs on Aucklanders? Why were they so insistent on rushing through their own ideas rather than taking the time to come to an enduring solution that Aucklanders […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:03 am, January 12th, 2010 - 85 comments
Workers to get same holidays as PM Monday, 11/01/2010, 11:30pm Press release: New Zealand Government The Government will raise the minimum annual leave entitlement for all workers from four weeks a year to seven, Prime Minister John Key said today. “This will bring the holiday entitlements of all Kiwis into line with the vacations I […]
Written By: - Date published: 5:41 am, January 11th, 2010 - 85 comments
Happy new year! If you’re lucky enough to be on a bit of a break overseas say ‘Hi’ to Prime Minister John Key for me, since it’s out of the country where he’s likely to be. It’s no surprise Rodney Hide thinks John Key doesn’t do anything. Key has been out of the country for almost […]
Written By: - Date published: 5:29 pm, January 3rd, 2010 - 12 comments
John Banks is steadily dropping away from a possibility of gaining the Auckland super-city mayoralty. A Herald online poll has John Banks falling to third in preference behind Steven Tindall – who has not even declared that he is interested or would run. Len Brown is far higher in preference. Self-selecting online polls are about […]
Written By: - Date published: 9:11 am, December 18th, 2009 - 54 comments
In what has got to be the ultimate manifestation of this government’s inability to take a simple decision for fear of losing someones vote, Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson is set to announce that the city the rest of the country knows as Redneckville will now be known as Wanganui and Whanganui. It’s the same […]
Written By: - Date published: 4:20 pm, December 15th, 2009 - 29 comments
It’s interesting to look at the trend behind the headline 11 point poll lead Len Brown has opened up over John Banks as reported in today’s Herald. In April Brown was only rated as preferred mayor by 6% of Aucklanders verse 17% for Banks. A head-to-head poll in late July put him one point ahead […]
Written By: - Date published: 5:01 pm, December 11th, 2009 - 5 comments
The final Auckland Drinking Liberally takes place NEXT TUESDAY upstairs at THE KINGSLANDER and features political commentator/national campaigns director for Finsec/all round nice guy Andrew Campbell. Andrew has a weekly spot as the leftwing commentator on National Radio’s Nine-to-noon show on Mondays. He’s coming to give us his ‘end of year review’ and what to […]
Written By: - Date published: 1:17 pm, December 8th, 2009 - 133 comments
Rather than start facebook groups and make complaints to TVNZ or the BSA about Paul Henry, someone has decided to hit them where they really hurt: in their back pockets. Good. Expressions of outrage do nothing but generate media for this little sh*t and confirm to TVNZ that they’ve got a ratings winner. And higher […]
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, November 30th, 2009 - 32 comments
There is a very revealing article in this month’s Metro magazine (not online) that takes a look at the strengths of the campaigns of the two declared candidates for the Auckland mayoralty. Interestingly the piece states that National and ACT are ready to dump John Banks if he doesn’t start to gain traction. It seems […]
Written By: - Date published: 1:58 pm, November 28th, 2009 - 39 comments
Below Omar of Socialist Aotearoa gives his impressions of Phil Goff at Drinking Liberally in Auckland earlier this week. On an unrelated note, isn’t it funny (in a non-‘ha, ha’ way) how 4,000 pro-smackers gets lots of coverage but a blind eye is turned when the Left is out in bigger numbers? The protests yesterday by low-paid public servants […]
Written By: - Date published: 2:19 pm, November 25th, 2009 - 5 comments
Just a reminder the next Auckland Drinking Liberally features Labour Party leader Phil Goff discussing his political values and the challenges facing the Sixth Labour Government. Should be interesting given his announcement on monetary policy last week. When: 7pm TONIGHT 25 November Where: THE LONDON BAR, upstairs cnr Queen and Wellesley Streets, Auckland CBD Who: […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 25th, 2009 - 2 comments
John ‘Mayor for Remuera’ Banks would’ve been gagging on his morning gruel after reading this headline on page two of Monday’s Herald: Jeers and boos greet Banks’ stand-in at debate. Ouch. Citrats councillor, and Don Brash/John Banks hagiographer, Paul Goldsmith turned up to a super-city conference to outline his party’s bleak view for services in […]
Written By: - Date published: 10:29 pm, November 23rd, 2009 - 2 comments
The latest poll in Britain has Labour within 6 points of the Conservatives. A hung Parliament is in prospect. One poll is not a trend but maybe it is too early to shoo Cameron in.
Written By: - Date published: 1:29 pm, November 22nd, 2009 - 13 comments
The Sunday Star Times reports that police have been passing private information about staff members onto Air New Zealand via the official information act. According to the story a flight attendant was picked up over the legal limit on the way to work, went home and then called in to say she wouldn’t be at […]
Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, November 22nd, 2009 - 6 comments
No, I haven’t abandoned my resolution to be less political on Sundays quite so soon. This post is about smells. Specifically, the effect of certain smells on behaviour. How’s this for fascinating: Clean Smells Promote Moral Behavior, Study Suggests People are unconsciously fairer and more generous when they are in clean-smelling environments, according to a […]
Written By: - Date published: 9:59 am, November 19th, 2009 - 29 comments
A reader alerted us to this petition that was presented by National’s Paul Hutchison to Parliament on Tuesday: Petition of Nathan James Ngatai and 1050 others Requesting that the House of Representatives ensure that legislation is passed to make public displays of nudity and profanity illegal in our nation. So, um, better get your fill […]
Written By: - Date published: 3:38 pm, November 18th, 2009 - 16 comments
This is Nick Smith in Parliament yesterday, replying to a question on Treasury’s re-calibrated $50 billion costs of Nationals ETS Bill: Hon Dr NICK SMITH: That number is a fantasyland number. Let me tell the member why. The member opposite wants to give great credence to what might occur in 2050. It is not rocket […]
Written By: - Date published: 3:30 pm, November 17th, 2009 - 23 comments
The next Auckland Drinking Liberally features Labour Party leader Phil Goff discussing his political values and the challenges facing the Sixth Labour Government He’ll discuss what drives him as a politician and what values underpin his political beliefs. Phil will also talk about what challenges the Sixth Labour Government will tackle and what New Zealand […]
Written By: - Date published: 11:12 am, November 15th, 2009 - 15 comments
OK, this has nothing to do with NZ politics, but I’m trying to stick to my resolution not to rant as usual on Sundays. Instead I’ll sometimes post on a random interesting topic – interesting to me that is, if it isn’t interesting to you there are plenty of other threads! This article fascinated me […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:59 am, November 13th, 2009 - 55 comments
There’s no question that Hone Harawira’s comments were stupid, but I don’t believe they were racist. For a start, the white mofos reference began in Buddy Mikaere’s email to Harawira, so it’s not entirely inappropriate that those words were used in return. I quite often, when replying to emails or blog comments, use the words […]
Recent Comments