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Wong briefly came out of hiding to answer questions from Parliamentary Services on her abuse of flight perks. Back in hiding now. Key's still telling her not to talk. But surely she can tell journos what she told the invesigators. Will the report on her corruption be…
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Agriculture Minister David Carter has been exposed abusing his ministerial powers to protect the trade interests of his private investments. Earlier this year, Carter banned Jewish religious slaughtering practices because of perceived risks to the meat trade with Muslim nations after being briefed by companies…
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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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One of my favorite Bruce Springsteen tracks from when I was somewhat younger is "Tougher than the rest"*. As heresy I'd have to say that I like the version by Everything But The Girl somewhat better. It has been coming up a lot on my…
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As the public and private mourning for the Pike River 29 continues, focus will begin to shift to how this event occurred with no less than five inquires soon to begin. John Armstrong has a very good article on the issues that will be in…
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I've been meaning to write about the unrest in the UK for some time - but here's a great summary from I/S. -- r0b The UK government is currently trying to balance its budget by shifting costs onto the young, through a trebling of university…
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The 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference -- the Copenhagen Summit -- was one year ago. Great things were expected. There was a sustained media build up, including a carefully timed and completely spurious attack on climate science. There was debate and activism. World leaders…
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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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One week on from the Pike River disaster: LATEST: Pike River chief executive Peter Whittall has called on the country to mark one week since the West Coast mine exploded with a moment's silence at 3.44pm today, in remembrance of the 29 men who died.
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Feel like some Friday fun? Do you know a haycorn from a heffalump? If you answered "yes" to both questions then I think you're going to appreciate this piece of genius from Lyndon Hood: One day the Bear and his friend, the Small Pig, were…
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The new deal is nothing like what the Maori Party was set up to win. The sell-out faction says its good enough for now and they'll try to to better later on. The Harawira faction knows that if they cave now then this will become…
act foreshore and seabed Maori Issues maori party national national/act government racism
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It's a special breed of people who can deny workers a cost of living pay increase while pocketing a hundred thousand dollar a week pay cheque. It's a special breed who can take people's livelihoods or risk their health and safety to add a few…
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It's pretty bloody late in his tenure to be saying it, but Police Commissioner Howard Broad has joined with every expert in telling politicians that their braindead, populist policy of increasing the number of crimes and ramping up prison sentences has to stop. It's not…
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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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The Fabians' Resilient Economy series run through this year has been stressing the looming problem with New Zealand's private debt and the need to focus more on exports. Now everyone has noticed the problem, including the Reserve Bank, the Treasury and Standard and Poors. Financial…
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I'm not going to waste a lot of time on the Welfare Working Group's report. It follows the Brash-esque formula of mis-representing the issue as some massive problem and then presenting 'solutions' that have failed overseas. Like the Brash reports, it will be used by…
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Labour revealed yesterday that Pansy Wong traveled abroad an astonishing eleven times as Minister for Women's Affairs and Ethnic Affairs, spending $147,000 in two years (her ministries' departments were less than $10 million a year) making her one of the highest spending ministers. Six of…
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It's an incredibly sad day for NZ. Today the country mourns for the 29 miners who have lost their lives after a second explosion at the Pike River mine. Our thoughts are now with the families, the communities, and the people of the Coast. The…
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What is the role of the media in a democracy? Is it to inform? Is it to make money? Is "the public's right to know" paramount, or can other factors, such as respecting the wishes of a grieving family, take precedence? Who decides what the…
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It's official: the Auckland CBD rail loop would bring more benefit to the country for its cost than any of National's 'Roads of National Significance'. And that's even before we talk about peak oil. Any rational government would put the money into the project that…
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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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There has been a second explosion at the Pike River mine. Superintendent Gary Knowles told the Herald the miners couldn't have survived a blast of that magnitude, which occurred at 2.37pm. Family members were seen crying as they left a police briefing a short time…
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In Question Time yesterday, Bill English said Ireland is an example of how bad the recession might have gone in New Zealand. That triggered a memory of John Key three years ago saying we should follow the Irish economic model. I guess we can just…
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As of April 1 next year, I'm going to be a whole lot less confident moving to a new job. If I do, I'll probably find the new contract gives the boss the right to fire me without giving me the right to justice if…
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Reading the news on the current plight of the Irish with a economy in a tailspin and a tottering government. I can but reflect that it was a bloody good thing that the National party wasn't in power after 1999. For instance, John Key as…
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9/11 seems to have driven America crazy. The wars. The torture. The new surveillance powers and the roll back of civil rights. Most Americans, I think, don't realise how much their country has changed around them. But one very visible manifestation of the change is…
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Two Friday's ago, corrupt Nat Pansy Wong resigns as minister. Key tells her not to talk to media. As if she can't remember her own overseas trips. Gives her a week's leave. Wong disappears. Week's up - no Wong. Where is she? Mallard's heard she's…
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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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George Galloway has never been known for pulling his punches. In 2005 he travelled to US Senate Committee hearings to answer charges that he had accepted bribes from Saddam Hussein in a food for oil scam. By simply speaking truth to power, he wiped the…
broadcasting democratic participation Media Politics tv uk politics
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You remember John Key's 'blind trust' that turned out not to be so blind. Key denied all but anyone could easily see into the 'blind trust'. Key certainly knew of his wine and dairy interests, giving him a conflict of interest he failed to declare.…