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Primary school education has been the focus of debate here in NZ with the introduction of 'national standards'. Today we hear on RNZ that: Four of the country's top educational academics have condemned the Government's national standards policy. In an open letter Education Minister Anne…
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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…
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So, imagine you're the Minister for Education. You're meeting with the PPTA executive, and sometime soon you're expecting to announce big teacher layoffs. How do you handle the situation? How about reading the executive a children's story book! This one should be good: "The Short…
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Maori Party whip Te Ururoa Flavell is doing what he can to play down internal divisions that suggested the party could vote against John Key's Emissions Trading Scheme. But in light of the divisions that surfaced on stuff, one must wonder why the Maori Party…
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Rod Oram did a business segment on Nine to Noon yesterday. As usual he went quite deep into the issues. A welcome contrast to Colin Espiner and his very limited level of understanding ("they did it too") on the complete change of direction in the…
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Wrapped in a bit of fluff, John Armstrong has some pretty damning things to say about Nick Smith today: He can be headstrong. He can be unpredictable. He can sometimes be the veritable bull in the china shop. He is prone to saying the wrong…
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Breaking news. It seems that turmoil within the Maori Party may derail the ETS after all: EXCLUSIVE: An 11th hour revolt within the Maori Party is threatening to torpedo the Emissions Trading Scheme deal with the Key Government. Even if the revolt does not succeed…
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National has only come up with one employment policy to counter the recession. No, not the cycleway - 'job ops'. It works like this: employers get given $5,000 for employing a young person in an entry-level role. To qualify, the must be new and would…
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I was watching that vid by the Greens on ACC and bikoi. What caught my attention was the bikers' chant: "who's next, who's next?" The Right loves to atomise us - make us think of ourselves only as individuals or narrow interest groups. Our reaction…
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Ha! But seriously, I doubt that Key changes his own oil.
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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…
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Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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On his blog, Colin Espiner writes: "it's also extremely ironic to hear Labour wringing its hands about the impact of the ETS when...HELLO...Labour passed the Emissions Trading Scheme!!!" Oh dear. That's like saying 'Labour is opposed to National's ACC policy but Labour had an ACC…
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It has been fascinating over the last few days watching the CCDs (Climate Change Deniers) make an another attempt to scale the bastion of scientific thinking and language. In this case someone hacked a copy of decade of e-mails at the Climate Research Unit (CRU)…
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Due to recovering from a cold over the weekend, I haven't had time to blog about the super-shitty electoral boundaries released on friday in traditional style. However jarbury has done a great analysis over at the Auckland Transport blog. If you look at the all-important…
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1) National MP Paul Quinn is under investigation for breaching the State Services Act and the neutrality of the public service by holding a political meeting in conjunction with a WINZ seminar. John Key is: a) relaxed b) comfortable c) on holiday d) not Helen…
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If you can, get along to support the hospital support staff, the school support staff, and all the other low-paid public sector workers this Friday. (full size image here)
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So, as far as National and Maori leaders are concerned, it's a done deal: "Maori Party to support ETS - bill to become law in days". Unless (as suggested by Eddie) some Maori Party MPs remember their principles and vote against it, National's ETS will…
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The Dompost reports: "The number of places available on a programme to get young people off the dole will be increased after the Government credited it with a drop in unemployment". Sigh, it's the seasons, stupid. There has been no drop in unemployment, that went…
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National wants to get its shambolic ETS through the House this week. It's not quite clear what the hurry is; there's no actual reason why it should be passed before the Copenhagen meeting in December, it's just an artificial deadline that National have set themselves.…
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Spotted on Stuff.
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Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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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.
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Good video from the Greens' Kevin Hague. Gotta love the dirty mo:
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By and large the Right are refusing to defend their neoliberal monetary policy system. The currency is causing chaos, the housing bubble is back, and the Reserve Bank is in a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' position as it tries to control…
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1) What the hell is John Key trying to say here? "Maori are not getting special preference, if you go back to those pre-1990 forests Maori are significant owners in that area, so is Ngai Tahu, those forests are all affected by the emissions trading…
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Anyone with a brain has always known Key's cycleway is a joke. The sick thing is he's now using it as a punchline himself: Barack Obama's planned White House Job Summit struck a note with our own PM when he heard about it during the…
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Over the last week or so, I've heard John Key, Bill English, and Paula Bennett all make self-congratulatory references to the number of people receiving the unemployment benefit decreasing in October. That sounded weird to me. No-one seriously thinks unemployment has stopped increasing. MSD doesn't regularly…
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John Key sure is a class act. Not. Latest example*: Stadium funds: We're not Indian-givers, says Key Prime Minister John Key yesterday said the Government was unlikely to ask for its $15 million back if the Forsyth Barr Stadium is not finished in time for…