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Most economists seem to be stuck in an an orthodoxy rut, leading many to wonder why we take economists so seriously: Why all this panic, though? Aren't economists in charge of it all? Yes. And this is the problem. These highly skilled people carry on,…
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Last week I wrote about how the mass arrest of protesters last week was planned by police from the beginning. A couple of days later I was told that 10 minutes before the march a Police Liaison Officer spoke to protest organisers and stated that…
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Weekend social is for non political chat. What's on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no aggro, why can't we all just get along?
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The neoliberals hate democracy. It tends to get in the way. Especially local government. It's easier to control a single unicameral Parliament than it is to control 70-odd territorial authorities. National has attacked local government, particularly in Auckland and Canterbury but now they're going all…
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A coalition of parents, teachers, and educational organisations at all levels has just forced the government into a substantial backdown on its ill conceived plan to increase class sizes. Well and good - but don't waste the momentum! While the links and the energy that…
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After hearing 150 oral submissions and receiving thousands more written ones, National's members of the Finance and Select Committee shut down the Committee's consideration of the evidence they had heard on the asset sales bill after just 1 hour. And why not? They had had…
democracy under attack democratic participation privatisation
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I am a bad person. I know this because I got a bit of a kick out of right wing loon Matthew Hooton's latest column: Govt fiscal strategy to unravel after humiliating education u-turn The government’s humiliating but inevitable rout over its dopey plan to…
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Two major new reports out yesterday show the earth is headed for a tipping point: our consumption is unsustainable, and we're degrading the environment. Soon it will be beyond the point of return. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has a 5 yearly Global Environment Outlook…
climate change Conservation disaster Environment sustainability water
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National's flip-flop on class sizes shows not only what a poorly-thought through policy it was but that this government still values its skin above doing what it thinks it right. Faced with a popular revolt and the possibility of marches to eclipse even the anti-mining…
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Nanaia Mahuta has a wicked sense of humour, as well as being a very smart politician. She's issued a report card on National's performance on education - Tolley gets a C- for cuts to adult and community education, a D- for slashing cuts to early…
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More grim reading for the Nats in The Herald this morning: NZ says no to larger schoolrooms A nationwide survey has given a strong indication that New Zealanders don't want larger class sizes. The street survey conducted by APN newspapers from Whangarei to Dunedin showed…
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Mike said it yesterday but it bears repeating: Bennett is running misdirection for the Parata. Not letting bad parents have more kids is actually nothing new. It's just the existing, and warranted, powers courts have to order CYFS to take newborns into custody and to…
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A year in to its 10-year, $300 million contract, and Serco is making a real hash of running Mt Eden Prison. A second escape this week, along with two late releases, failure to meet drug testing targets and failure to report as agreed. And these…
accountability prisons privatisation Public Private Partnerships
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They say that making predictions is hard, especially about the future. But what about the past? The Government's Budget was released on May 24th, and it's already proving to be wrong about the state of the economy and the books before then. They said the…
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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In the lead up to last year's budget John Key said that the poor and those on benefits had made lifestyle choices. If they budgeted properly, they'd be fine. But things aren't fine, and they're getting worse in John Key's New Zealand. Which is why…
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Same old National - when they're in trouble, out comes the club for a distracting headline. Hekia Parata's under fire and digging herself into a very deep hole, so Paula Bennett rides to the rescue with the "news" that Cabinet is discussing allowing judges to…
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Like the character, Nick Taylor, in the movie, 'Thank You For Smoking', self-styled "Oil lobbyist", David Robinson is a highly paid apologist for the fossil fuel lobby. Robinson's job is to counter the environmental movement on one hand, and encourage the big investors to put…
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The transit of Venus, as visible from NZ, got underway at about 10:15am, and should continue until around 4:43pm. If the cloud cover in your part of the country allows you a view, it's probably your last chance to see this rare astronomical event (the…
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So Hekia Parata has refused to front up to education groups against her bigger class sizes. Apparently she will defuse their anger by trying to meet organisations individually next week, on her own terms, no doubt with no large groups invited. People are angry, and…
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Over at Red Alert, Chris Hipkins asks a question that must have occurred to almost every politician and commentator since the budget - how did National get it so wrong on the cuts that would costs too many schools far too many teachers? Chris shows…
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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The news out of Europe, China and Australia is looking worse by the day. Bernard Hickey spelt out the consequences for New Zealand this morning: A concerted slowdown in the global economy and the inability of China to restart its strong economic growth would bear…
david parker Economy employment Europe exports jobs labour monetary policy
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I've had a petition sent to me with this message: a lovely woman in Johnsonville has just started a petition against increasing class sizes! That includes the education spokesperson at Federated Farmers, who has agreed to circulate it. So that's my challenge to you -…
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Nurses forced to supply own thermometers Nurses are bringing their own thermometers and pens to work as Auckland District Health Board cracks down on a multimillion-dollar overspend. And a baby stopped breathing and almost died at Starship hospital because there were no nurses on its…
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It's been said so often that surely everyone understands it by now. New Zealanders invest too much in property. It's "unproductive" investment in that it doesn't create or export anything. It's often done on borrowed money, which drives up debt. Oh and just incidentally, it…
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Remember when John Key promised 4,000 new jobs from the cycleway and, in fact, a few hundred, short-term, part-time positions were created? Remember when John Key promised 170,000 new jobs and unemployment went up instead? Looks like Key's being making it up on the pokies-for-convention…
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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