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Another bad poll for National. Support for the Tories in the latest Colmar Brunton poll has dropped from 54% to 49% since April. The gap between Right (National and ACT) and Left (Labour and Greens) has fallen from 18% to 11%. The same pattern as…
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From the RSA, a short video based on a seminar by Dan Pink. Dan was once Al Gore's speechwriter. Here he "illustrates the hidden truths behind what really motivates us at home and in the workplace".
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We had a guest post last week about the effect of the Budget on a retired couple's savings. Bernard Hickey has hit the same topic in his latest post. Most taxpayers will (just) have their higher GST bill covered by the income tax cut but…
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I knew that disasters in rich white countries get much more media than disasters anywhere else. I knew that oil was a dirty business. None the less, this article by John Vidal surprised me: The real cost of cheap oil The Gulf disaster is only…
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Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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When floating the idea of Kiwibank's possible sale to a post-budget audience last week, Bill English said that the government did not want to put more capital in because it was risky. Mr English, fresh from delivering the 2010 Budget, told a gathering of South…
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Audrey Young reports that Paula Bennett has once again abused the trust and power that is given to her as a minister in her campaign to paint all beneficiaries as bludgers. "National Party delegates took in a deep breath this morning when social welfare minister…
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The only question that matters in Highwater-gate is this: "is John Key's trust really blind"? The answer seems to be "no". I'm sorry, but the lawyer's letter that Key released yesterday just raises more questions about his not so blind trust. The letter explains the…
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Comments by former All Black and Rugby World Cup "Ambassador" Andy Haden that alledge the Canterbury Crusaders have a limit on the number of "darkies" they have in their team have created more headaches for Key. After carefully reaffirming his love for the red-neck rump of voters…
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Of his not so blind holdings in Whitechapel Ltd, Key says: "All this means that I have no beneficial interest in Whitechapel Ltd, which is central to Labour's claims of a conflict of interest." This is weasel speak by the PM. We have heard such…
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The Dominion Post has revealed that only hours after criticising National's plans to mine on Great Barrier, Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye was seeking advice from Key and Brownlee's offices on what to say to the media. Kaye has previously admitted to having had Key…
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Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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John Key has just issued a press release answering questions no one asked. Mr Key says he doesn't have a beneficial interest in Whitechapel - the 'key hole' to seeing his blind trust. But Key doesn't answer the central question surrounding this issue. Why does…
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Tuhoe are about to walk away from the Treaty talks. More power to them. Key has screwed them over. They've been waiting generations. They can afford to wait a little longer until we have a decent PM. Or they can go to the UN, see…
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Maersk, the world's largest shipping line, has announced it will no longer transport unsustainably harvested fish. Good on them. It's not often you see a major corporate using its market power for good, putting the long-term future ahead of short-term profits. For New Zealand, this…
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Labour MP Pete Hodgson has complained to Parliament's powerful privileges committee over Key's shareholdings in an Otago vineyard. It turns out that Key co-owns the vineyard (in his not-so-blind trust) with some of NZ's largest supermarket owners. This, while the government has ruled out liquor…
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Murray McCully is still smarting from the Aid community so strongly (and correctly) objecting to his destruction of our world leading NZAID program, that he continues to kick them. Not content with last year's 75% cut to the funding of the NGOs umbrella group The…
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Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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John Key's been lying long enough to know not to tell a porky that's instantly falsifiable. So, I was gobsmacked to see him on TV1 saying he had never heard of Whitechapel, the company that owns his shares as a holding vehicle for his 'blind'…
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During the weekend, amongst the other chores, the system will get an operating system upgrade. I'll also be doing a general check for filesystem errors and look for stray files accumulating after its first 30 odd days of operation. In theory, this should only result…
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Wellington hoteliers could be seriously screwed if the rumour I heard is true. Seems that negotiations are underway to allow Wellington Airport stay open all night (last flights now are about 9pm) during the World Cup so that fans can travel direct to the next game thus…
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Rodney Hide's new line is that he has listened to the people, democracy has triumphed, and the SuperShitty is all better now. It isn't. National Radio's Nine-to-Noon was sold the line successfully, as they had Rodney followed by John Banks (whose publicity team of Bill…
accountability auckland supercity democracy under attack rodney hide
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Bunji's post yesterday on the pro-privatisation myths was great. I thought I would follow up with some facts on privatisation. Fact 1) We - the 'mums and dads', the brothers and sisters, even the aunts and uncles - already own Kiwibank and other public assets. We directly…
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For her own petty political purposes, Paula Bennett has put Natasha Fuller through hell. She breached Fuller's right to privacy by releasing her private information in a blatant attempt to punish her and silence critics like her who opposed Bennett's canceling of the Training Incentive…
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National is under extraordinary pressure on its ETS. From farmers, to ACT (the tail once again trying to wag the dog), to the ever predictable business lobby (with one honourable exception), to the power industry, to the "grassroots", attacks are coming from all sides. National…
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Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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TV3's Patrick Gower has reported on 3 News tonight and on his blog that John Key has admitted to owning an Otago vineyard, and providing free wine to "people that help me". This, despite Key telling the public all his assets were in a blind…
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Tracy Watkins recently observed of Key's reluctance to front the media post-budget that: "Mr Key has refused all but three requests to be interviewed by National Radio's Morning Report so far this year. That must be unheard of among modern-day prime ministers..." She puts his…
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Unchained from my desk in The Standard writer's dungeon for my ten minute exercise break in the courtyard this morning, I noticed (through a gap in the watchtowers) that it was raining. Raining hard. Must be the government's fault - I just need to find…
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So Blinglish's new and improved less-bitter poison is part-privatisation. In much the same way as marketing a filling as more fun than a full root-canal, he thinks that if he sells each of his mates one piece of the family silver (and keeps the spoons)…