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The Search and Surveillance Bill is making its way though the bowels of the government law making process. This is a terrible law, described by the Human Rights Commissioner as "disproportionately invasive" and "chilling": Sweeping powers to spy, bug conversations and hack into private computers…
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It took a few cocktails to loosen Bill English's tongue when he thought he was among friends. Rodney Hide just needed his coco pops. At his highly dubious ministerial function/ACT fundraiser breakfast*, Hide told his table that John Key "doesn't do anything". The only 'achievement'…
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From Stuff: "Richlister Alan Gibbs will host former National Party leader Don Brash and ACT founder Sir Roger Douglas to discuss what they would do as "New Zealand's dictator for a year" That New Zealand's rich and powerful have invited their political hirelings from ACT and National…
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Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Over to you...
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And so my nomination for the 2009 Best Named Site Award goes to a fan club for our beloved Mayor of Whanganui Mr Lhaws: Michael Laws is a complete twat Probably unduly flattering when you think about it, but hey in the overall scheme of…
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From Phil Twyford over at Red Alert on pig farming. This is Red Alert's first video blog. Twyford manages to impress me on two of my favourite topics all in one post - technology and animal welfare. Hopefully on both topics this signals Labour moving…
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Back in February, former currency speculator John Key and former Treasury adviser Bill English started talking about suspending contributions to the Cullen Fund, which was set up to help fund superannuation. 'It's losing so much money', they wailed. Some people pointed out that the markets…
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If you didn't take my last hint to keep watching this, here's your chance to catch up. I think it's genuinely good. It's like TV, only true.
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As Marty G has pointed out Bill English is looking into killing the tax advantages for investing in housing. Good. But it's not nearly enough. Every person in New Zealand should have the right to exist somewhere without having to pay for it. And yet…
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I see the BNZ's got itself a new PR campaign: On 4 November, most BNZ people will be working on projects around New Zealand to help our communities be better off - we're calling it Closed for Good. Um, thanks all the same, but why…
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On Monday climate change negotiations got under way in Barcelona - "the final chance for negotiators to hammer out a text before December's Copenhagen summit". It seems that these vital talks may have failed already. Geoff Keey reports: It's been a dramatic first…
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I watched Terminator 3 last night. It's the worst in the series but that's still better than watching another Guyon-National lovefest*. Which is a long way of saying I didn't see the Bill English 'debate' on TVNZ7 last night. But apparently the most interesting part…
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The New Zealand Herald have disabled all online polls on their website until further notice, after a hacker (or hackers) severely skewed the results of three polls. I say well done, and I'm sure I'm not the only one sick of online polls being carried…
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Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Over to you...
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IrishBill: It's never an easy decision to pull another poster's work but after some reflection I've decided this post constitutes an unwarranted personal attack and is out of line with the Standard's policies and direction and have therefore removed it.
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Yesterday the Auckland Transition Agency (ATA) released its draft structure for the new Auckland council. Fortunately for the staff, and service levels in the new Auckland council, the ATA has a 'commitment to maintaining or enhancing council service delivery.' This means: 'A prudent approach will…
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John Key is a weak leader. Currently popular (he's such a "nice guy" you know) - but weak. Like a school teacher who has lost the respect of their pupils, Key has lost control over his MPs. And like naughty kids, Key's MPs are starting…
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The Herald's creepy lovefest with the National Party continues today with Simon Collins' profile of Paula Bennett, who is apparently "one of us"* Unlike Danyl over at the Dim Post who seems to have finally realised that *gasp* the Herald might be a little pro-National,…
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Just saw this in the SST. Hide on the spousal travel allowance: This perk is wrong, I've never agreed with it So why claim it? If you don't think it's right, it's not ethical to do it. 'Meat is murder, but as you've killed the…
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A nice attempt at wedge politics from rightwing economic think-tank NZIER today. They say we should be concentrating on water quality, air quality, and saving native species, rather than climate change - a transparent attempt to divide conservationists from environmentalists. The entire substance of this…
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Yesterday, John Key cleverly tried to reframe his ministers' failure to obey his standards on use of perks: "You don't want 120 Members of Parliament who have the financial independence to be able to make the financial decisions that I make. "It wouldn't be the…
bill english john key national/act government parliamentary spending slippery
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I see that repeal of the Foreshore and Seabed Act is finally a foregone conclusion. There's going to be some dithering about what to put in its place but there shouldn't be. Instead the Act should be repealed, nothing should be put in place and…
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Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Over to you...
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Sorry to anyone who thought that The Standard hadn't published anything today. The site had in fact been pretty active for a Monday. You got caught by a wee mistake by me* I moved the site to a more accessible location on the server in…
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Tonight Campbell Live showed new footage recently shot by animal rights activists on four farms in Ashburton, Greytown, Blenheim and Kumeu. Six months on from the Mike King and Sunday exposé and it's clear nothing has changed in the appalling treatment of pigs in this…
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The American asks: Who are smarter, liberals or conservatives? This is the kind of question that could spark fierce and endless debates between political opponents, but what if we could know, scientifically, that one side has the edge in brainpower? Should that change how we…
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There's some massive FAIL going on over at Kiwiblog. Farrar's got this new green-bashing post up where he breathlessly mocks Al Gore for saying sea levels could rise by 67 metres because of climate change. "67 metres in ten years!" wails Farrar. "I think politicians…
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I think Granny Herald must have shares in Infratil, based on her rubbish editorial today: Particular fervour is reserved for private-sector participation in this sector, perhaps because water is one of life's necessities. Rarely is it conceded that, in reality, it occupies the same utility…
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Strange mea culpa from Don Brash on the foreshore and seabed in today's Dom. He doesn't go as far as to apologise for National's cynical and deliberate attempt to ignite racial conflict in the leadup to the 2005 election, but he does admit that National…