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National have quietly released their policy on electoral law and have promised to abolish the Maori seats once treaty claims are finished, repeal the Electoral Finance Act and run a referendum on MMP. These all represent substantial changes to the way our democracy operates. I'll…
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I'm probably going to be at odds with my fellow Standardistas in this but I support having debates featuring just Clark and Key. One of these two people will lead the country after the election and we deserve to see to them in a forum…
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An email from a reader: "A friend and I were putting up some Vote with Both Eyes Open posters on Lambton Quay the other night. We had just put some up around the intersection by Parliament and crossed the road when a senior National advisor came…
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An article in yesterday's Herald raised some more questions over how Key has handled the management of his share portfolio. However it looks like it would be easy enough for him to clear up. According to Paula Oliver: Eyebrows were raised around Parliament this week…
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Slippery John does it again. Asked a clear question by a reporter, he lied to her face. It was only when Fran Mold revealed to Key that she knew he had owned another packet of Tranz Rail shares (purchased and sold while he was asking questions…
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There's not much more that needs to be said about the first presidental debate. McCain was stiff and boring. His framing was awful: he and Obama both said essentially the same thing on a number of issues but the reaction meter consistently showed that people…
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The more I think about it the more it seems to me that John Key's meeting with Rail America needs some more explaining. For a start these kinds of meetings don't just happen of their own accord. Rail America is based, somewhat unsurprisingly, in America.…
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A friend just sent me this Christian ska band performing "Jesus is my friend." I think it goes without saying: Once I tried to run I tried to run and hide But Jesus came and found me And he touched me down inside He is…
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Apologies for the ad on the start of this but what follows is worth seeing. (Hat-tip: Boing Boing) [lprent: removed cbs clip because it seems to be trying to install something on client machines. Replaced with a youtube video. She is an foreign policy idiot.]
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We all knew New Zealand was in recession in the first six months of this year. The official figures have confirmed this. The surprise though is on the upside. The consensus had been that the economy had shrunk 0.5% in the quarter. In fact, it was…
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I remember the first time I met Simon Power, when he had just come into Parliament. He struck me as a man who would be a future leader of National and an excellent one at that - articulate, informed, and moderate. Oh, what he has…
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We know John Key bought shares in Tranzrail on May 7 2003. We know he then met with Rail America as a representative of New Zealand's parliament on May 20, 2003. We know those shares were then sold by June 10, 2003 for a massive…
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"This may be unfair, but Key can sometimes give the impression he is being less than honest"*
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News just in: GO Wellington has lifted the lockout of its 300 bus drivers. The drivers say they are pleased the lockout is over and that they can go back to work but their campaign for a living wage will continue. This is a major…
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A reader sent in this photo from the Wellington bus drivers' picket line at the Kilbirnie bus depot. The workers are said to be staunch in their claims and are refusing to be intimidated by the company locking them out without pay. The Council of…
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Bob Clarkson chose not to speak during his valedictory speech. Instead, he just held up a sign saying 'bye bye' (in the same font as Peter's famous 'no' sign). An opportunity for both hilarity and embarrassing revelations missed. After all, this was the man who…
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Incredibly, leading rightwingers including John Key, Maurice Williamson, Lockwood Smith, Rodney Hide, and Roger Kerr still don't accept the overwhelming evidence for climate change. A cynic would say that's just because it's in their interests to engage in this wishful thinking. But maybe that's too harsh, maybe they've…
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National has four fatal problems that will prevent it from winning the election. Or, rather, it has two problems, both with two parts. - A large majority of New Zealanders don't like the policies National wants to implement - they reject privatisation and cutting government…
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Where-ever you sit on the spectrum of opinion on Key's handling on the Tranzrail affair, it appears that the commentators are questioning his ability to handle the pressure (and by extension his ability to handle the PM-ship). From Paul Henry's vigorous questioning this morning to…
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[more great work from 08wire]
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Key's three defences on the share scandal are 'no-one asked how many shares I had', 'it didn't matter how many shares I had', and 'Labour is spending all their time researching me'. It's classic distraction stuff. Let's break it down. 'No-one asked me how many…
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The second Drinking Liberally, Palmerston North is on this Friday. Peter Falloon, NZUSA co-President is the guest speaker. I'm going to try to get up there too and harangue people into getting more active. So, if you like beer, politics, and encouragement get along. What: Drinking…
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I'm usually no fan of Paul Henry as an interviewer but I'm prepared to give credit where it's due. He certainly didn't let John Key off the hook this morning on Breakfast. Was tempted to edit it down a bit but it's worth watching the…
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The Vote with Both Eyes Open posters had a star turn yesterday when Annette King presented them as evidence that activism is alive and well in New Zealand despite attacks from National that the Electoral Finance Act is scaring people off. Bill English didn't look…
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Wellington bus drivers are striking this morning and good on them. I was happy to find my own way to work today. The company, GO Wellington, is claiming the drivers claim of 12% is too much in "these economic times" But talk of percentages is…
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Generally, when you buy capital and later sell it, there is no tax payable on any profit. Unless you buy with the propose of selling the capital for a profit. That being the case, your buying and selling of the capital is engaging in an…
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All it takes is Youtube, some video editing software, and imagination to make great vids, as this video we have just been sent from 'johnnyfivestrive' shows:
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At the height of the Peters affair when John Key was trying to make political capital out of the PM's statement that she had known about the Glenn donation to NZ First since February, Paul Henry asked Key about his own honesty. Here's the exchange:…
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WHAT: Drinking Liberally Auckland City WHO: You and any of your left-leaning comrades WHEN: 7.30pm, Wed 24th September WHERE: London Bar, cnr Wellesley & Queen Sts (opposite Civic). The entrance to the bar is around on Wellesley St, you need to go up the stairs…
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In principle, a free trade deal between the US and the P4 countries (NZ, Chile, Singapore, and Brunei) is a good thing. If we want our world's limited resources to be used efficiently, we should not place artificial barriers in the way of trade without…