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Good story from Rob O'Neill in today's SST. Lobbyist Mark Unsworth of Saunders Unsworth is campaigning against Pharmac, ahead of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations with the US. They want more money spent on patented drugs. Lloyd Morrison and Gareth Morgan have come to…
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Paul Krugman tells it like it is: The Unwisdom of Elites The past three years have been a disaster for most Western economies. The United States has mass long-term unemployment for the first time since the 1930s. Meanwhile, Europe’s single currency is coming apart at…
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The minor party debate on Q+A was very interesting. Rahui Katene was self-contradictory and vague, like the Maori Party always is. Peter Dunne was pathetic. Roger Douglas slammed the government's borrowing as did Russel Norman, who pointed out the other three had all voted for…
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At midday on May 27, New Zealanders will take to Queen St to spit in the face of the pathetic, racist Rightwing Resistance. Actually, the march organisers say it's to "express how we actually LOVE having diversity in our communities and we want to accommodate…
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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 week that was 7 - 13 May Written by The Jackal at 9:52 AM Just as the protest flotilla headed back to the Raukumara Basin, the Brazilian oil company Petrobras announced that it had finished oil exploration work and their exploration vessel had left…
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CERA's new head, Roger Sutton, seems like a good guy. Transformative vision for Chch. Seems committed and realistic. Might just survive having to work with Brownlee. But what's with the $500K salary? He says he wanted the job. So why pay him $10K per week…
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New Zealand's Media seem obsessed with Balance or Balancing the Argument. It's fine to hear the other side of the story, as long as there is someone credible telling it. But if the other side of the story is being told by parties/people like Act…
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TV3's Campbell Live has been doing some useful reporting lately, in the run up to the budget. Over the coming week they are highlighting the rising cost of living, falling wages, life on the pension, and so on. In short, exactly the sort of stuff…
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The Nats, who claim that there's no relationship between the National Party and the Waitemata trust, now want you to believe that there is no relationship between BMW international and a BMW franchise. Yeah right. Back in the real world, it all looks pretty sus.…
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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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This letter is getting more media attention than it deserves, because its basically Brash regurgitating his 2025 task force stuff. Key and the Nats have, quite rightly, ignored it once, and they'll ignore it this time too. But I guess it's fun how it has…
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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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Steven Joyce has just announced. "Up to $42 million will be set aside in next week's Budget to train people involved in Canterbury's rebuild." "The package including up to 3000 more construction-related training places in polytechnics around the country." Lets just concentrate on what I…
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The free speech / hate speech boundary is always a difficult call. I'm glad to live in a country that tries to err on the side of the former. Even so, this shit really rankles: Anti-Chinese leaflets spark fear and anger A far-right Christchurch group…
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John Key didn't much like being called on the emptiness of our "100% Pure" advertising slogan. When confronted on BBC interview program HardTalk with the scientific evidence regarding species loss, and pollution in our rivers, he tried to dismiss it as just one person's opinion.…
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The second plank of John Key's economic plan for New Zealand has fallen through. First, the 'national cycleway' became a scattered assortment of cycle paths that were already under construction. Now, the pandas Key was going to rent so we could get rich buying tickets…
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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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Watch Jacinda Ardern clean up Jamie-Lee Ross on Breakfast this morning. Nearly half of the National Government's much-quoted borrowing of $300 million a week is to pay for their tax cuts. That was this government's choice. Now their choice is that everyone else has to…
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So now we have a date for what promises to be a fascinating by election: Prime Minister John Key has announced the date for a by-election in Te Tai Tokerau will be Saturday June 25. The by-election follows the resignation of Independent MP Hone Harawira.…
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When John Key hears bad news he attacks the credibility of the source. On BBC Interview show HardTalk, confronted with the science on our polluted rivers, he said it was just one person's opinion that he didn't believe. When journalist Jon Stephenson publised "Eyes wide…
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John Key has announced National's third reform of Kiwisaver in 3 years, saying the government's contribution will be cut and made up with higher minimum contributions from members and their employers. It's an embarrassing flip-flop from the government that cut default contribution rates and shows…
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The media is reporting that the government's cuts to Kiwisaver will be offset by an increase in the minimum contributions made by workers and employers. Not ideal I hear you say but at least it's evenly delivered - with both workers and employers being made…
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The doyens at the Herald got their (no doubt large and sensible) knickers in a twist the other day about Labour's attacks on John Key claiming Labour needs to focus on the big issues. The same day Key had a wee whinge about the opposition…
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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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So I have an opponent now: Maggie Barry. She's found the 'lovely electorate' she was casting about for. And I congratulate and welcome her to this side of the bridge. However, it might be polite if kiwiblog, whale oil, the young Nats and even the…
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The examples of National's greed and largesse with public money just keep coming. The Nats and their spinsters have tried to write this off as Labour being focused on the "small stuff", but the latest twist to the BMW saga has a real stench about…
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From Stuff: Hone Harawira has officially resigned forcing a by-election in his Te Tai Tokerau seat. [...] Labour have selected Kelvin Davis to stand against Harawira and the Maori Party have said they will stand a candidate but have not chosen the person yet. A…
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David Cunliffe has addressed Key's truly uninspiring pre-budget speech this morning. National have no economic plan, and it shows. Key's tinkering to fix the massive economic gaps, and his only suggestions are a vague warning that National would reduce the member tax credit, and reverse…
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John Key didn't much like being confronted with the facts on our dirty water, so he cynically attempted to trivialise the science as "one person's opinion". He sat there on international TV and tried to pretend that everything is just fine, when it isn't. No…