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As Labour learned to its cost last year you can't keep on insisting that something is true if the public's opinion has hardened against it. Once the disconnect is in place, not only do you fail to bring people to your point of view, your…
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There is an interesting paper by Mai Chen in NZ Lawyer Online about the pros and cons of the referendum on MMP that National has promised by 2011 - "Is the MMP referendum likely to result in electoral reform?" The current position is that MMP…
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Di Mackey of Woman Wandering had this video in a post. Looks like someone had a lot of fun making the video to Blerta's Dance All Around the World. Hat-tip: indirectly from the hand-mirror
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The strange Sensible Sentencing Trust three-strikes bill put up by ACT's David Garrett aka 'Garrote' has some strange implications. Scott at Imperator Fish points out this one. Even if lawmakers could accept the principle that after three serious offences you're a goner, getting them to…
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Neoliberal economic policy has taken a bit of a beating lately. Unregulated financial markets have exploded spectacularly and the wreckage is dragging the real economy down with it. The whole edifice is being propped up with trillions of dollars worth of taxpayer bailouts - as…
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Jeanette Fitzsimmons has written a very good post from the Emissions Trading Scheme special select committee* about her views on the impact of farming on our Kyoto obligations. She commented on the Federated Farmers submission which essentially said that they thought farming should be excluded…
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Colin Espiner writes: "Another thing that's being clearly signalled is that Labour's previous spending promises in health and education won't be honoured in the Budget. That $3.4 billion of spending Labour planned for 2009/2010... At the same time, Key and English are at pains to…
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A Zeal worker on the picket line in Wellington explains why she and her workmates are taking strike action at Air New Zealand: There's also a report from the picket line at The Hand Mirror, photos from the pickets here and a timetable of when…
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A reader has spotted that Hide wasn't the only minister telling porkies in Parliament yesterday. Fortunately for Bill English, he's too smart to breach privilege: 'The Government is concerned about anyone losing their jobs; that is why we will do anything we can to help…
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Red Alert, a blog by Labour MPs. A good idea - the blog format allows for a lot more freedom than the press release, and will hopefully them a chance to express their own personal views rather than just the official line of the party.…
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I'm sure I speak for everyone when I express my condolences towards the victims in the Napier shootings and the families of everyone involved. As someone who grew up in Napier, it hits very close to home. Chaucer Rd, where this is all taking place,…
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Has Rodney Hide breached privilege by seriously misleading the House? This is one for you legal types out there but from a layperson's perspective it looks like it. Here's what happened (the full transcripts are below): On Wednesday, Phil Twyford (or Twif-ford as Hide insists on calling him)…
auckland supercity corruption democracy under attack Parliament
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How embarrassing. Rodney Hide has been forced to admit that he has no idea of the costs of his super-city proposal. Phil Twyford with the aid of the speaker cornered him into an admission that he'd been bullshitting. The Minister has been caught out trying…
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Time: 42 days Jobs created: 0 Built (km): 0 out of 1500 Cost thus far: $0 Govt estimated cost (English): "less than the $50m estimate originally put forward by Mr Key" Country status: In recession
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Interesting article in the Herald today. It concentrates on a conversation between Melissa Lee and an old racist pharmacist from Mt Albert who won't vote for her because she's Asian. It turns out that the Herald has interviewed many reasonable people (most of whom supported Shearer)…
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Zeal320 workers are on strike for four days from today. Ads in every major newspaper explain what they are fighting for - the same pay for doing the same work as other fligh attendants on Air NZ flights. Check out ZealGirl for stories of how…
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The latest unemployment figures look better than expected but appearances may be deceptive. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is up to 5.0%, lower than expected, but the unadjusted number is 5.6%. There is a seasonal adjustment unemployment usually climbs in the March quarter, then falls…
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Last night, Chester Burrows' bill allowing the council of Wanganui to ban people from wearing the insignia or symbols of any organisation they decide to call a gang was passed. No-one seriously believes banning patches will hurt gangs so we've just given a council tremendous unchecked…
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Cut public spending then we can have tax cuts! It's such a nice, appealing slogan when you say it fast without engaging the brain. The reality though is real people who spend their lives working for the greater good are losing their jobs and seeing…
education national/act government public services wages workers' rights
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Ok I give up, the craziest Mt Albert candidate isn't John Boscawen urging National to declare support for an above-ground motorway in Waterview. That has to be a real vote winner for both Act and National in the electorate - yeah right! On the other-hand…
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It appears that the propaganda campaign from Rodney Hide to push his proposal of the super-city has cost $533,000 in PR costs in the last 4 weeks. Phil Twyford (Labour's Auckland issues spokesperson) comment is that:- It's outrageous that the Government is prepared to spend…
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Bit of a group effort this one. John Boscawen MP - Boscawen is mad as a hatter and pretty damn ignorant. So he should appeal to the hard-right voters. In Parliament, he has argued against the Waterview tunnel and for a surface motorway. That's not…
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Zealgirl, a blog from a Zeal flight attendant involved in the current industrial dispute at Air New Zealand. [Hat tip: The Hand Mirror]
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Hide and Banks do not strike me as the kind of men you feel safe about having too much power. They never have been and they never will be. Yet so far the ongoing review of the so called 'Supercity Plan' has suggested it's only weakness…
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Sick of the Herald? Try Editing the Herald instead. With intelligence and wit, James lays out the daily journalistic disgraces of our beloved Granny and makes you laugh. Granny doesn't like it either. Can't have people mocking you and pointing out your flaws on the…
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The Fire at Will law has been in place for two months. It's still very early days but how is it going? Are workers being forced into 90-Day periods against their will? Are people being fired for no good reason? The government can't tell us because…
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Owen McShane's lobby group the Centre for Resource Management Studies has a set of questions up about the Waterview Tunnel option of SH20. Essentially they argue for ramming an above ground motorway through the Waterview houses and green belt for the benefit of the motorists,…
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A much better performance from Goff today in the House today. Finally, after weeks of fluffing, he managed to score a direct hit on Key. Goff's questions on the Auckland supercity had Key denying the obvious, that the people of Auckland do not like his…
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Last week Russel Norman, Wellington resident and Green candidate for Mt Albert, publicly labelled Aucklander David Shearer, Labour's candidate, as "a grey machine man ". In its 1992 review of the year, the Herald made David Shearer and his wife Anuschka Meyer "New Zealanders of…
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I see TVNZ has upheld the complaint against Paul Henry over his disgraceful abuse of a guest on his show. TVNZ spokeswoman Megan Richards said TVNZ had upheld the complaints against Henry because Ms Mills was treated unfairly. It had written back to the about…