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Shane Jones doesn't have any portfolios - he's been relieved of them, for a second time. So, what the hell is he doing acting as a spokesperson? First, he takes it upon himself to attack Gareth Hughes for the crime of sharing a Greenpeace parody…
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I'm not actually back from working overseas, so I may have missed something, but from my reading of internet media there seems to have been a lack of focus on a major aspect of John Key and the GCSB (that so sounds like a band…
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The EPMU Job Crisis Summit provided ample evidence that there is indeed a crisis. In the delusional world of Planet Key it doesn't exist, while the country drifts. Russel Norman quoted Brian Easton who likened the New Zealand economy to a sailing ship In Stormy…
business capitalism david parker david shearer economy employment exports greens jobs labour monetary policy nz first russel norman vision winston peters
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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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David Cunliffe is a courteous dude, so when he's taking the Government to task for paying a guy $70k just to get the logo on his business cards changed, he's very conscientious about making it clear that the guy in question, MoBIE CE David Smol, is…
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A message from Kathy I received a really moving Facebook message this week from a 12 year old girl who lives in Invercargill. She was writing to me about the Tiwai smelter. She’s afraid it’ll be shut down and says ‘the most horrible part of…
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The strange case of what was or was not said on February 29th by Key to GCSB staff regarding Kim Dotcom. In the Shearer Key face-off I know who I think the public will believe - surprise surprise it's David Shearer. John Key has two…
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Welcome to Poverty watch, a weekly update on the National government's lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. A lot of background issues and links are set out in Poverty Watch one two and three. In late August 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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Today, at the end of the EPMU Job Crisis Summit in Auckland, leaders of 3 opposition parties took part in an historic press conference. Winston Peters, David Shearer and Russel Norman jointly announced the launch of a parliamentary inquiry into the crisis in manufacturing. It…
business david shearer Economy employment greens jobs labour nz first political parties Politics russel norman uncategorized winston peters
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFqe66_zUnM&feature=fvsr
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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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On any other morning this would be the big political news story of the day: Harawira arrest: 'I wasn't breaking the law' Mana party MP Hone Harawira says police broke the window of his car before arresting him at a housing protest in east Auckland…
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Unions, businesses, and political parties will come together today to form a united front on the need for change to save manufacturing in New Zealand. National, with its tin ear, refuses to acknowledge the problem. There's an emerging consensus that we need to turn away…
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This week I've been to see the surrealists at the Tate Modern in London, and read about the surrealists at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham. God knows what Cameron was talking about, with his line about spreading privilege - Knighthoods for all? Everybody off…
same old national spin the praiseworthy and the pitiful uk politics you couldn't make this shit up
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If I were in Labour, I would be looking at the polls and thinking that a small target strategy is best: preserve your credibility at all costs, keep your head down, pick up the votes as National self-destructs - it worked for Key in 2008.…
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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 what?" says Key as allegations emerge from within GCSB that Key cracked jokes about the spooks' (illegal) involvement in the Dotcom raid when he was briefed by them on February 29th. Well, you've previously said that the reference to Dotcom must have escaped your…
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Interesting hints on 3 News this evening - the gist of it is covered in Labour's press release: Did spies catch Key on tape on Dotcom? Labour is calling on the Prime Minister and the Government Communications Security Bureau to confirm whether an audio-visual recording…
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I don't have a problem with more information-sharing on vulnerable children. It's not very National to create more bureaucracy but I guess that's the point. Bennett could have done something substantial to improve the lives of children - extending the child payment to beneficiary families…
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National has given up whatever "ambition" it ever had for a high-skills high-wage economy. Last year Bill English took to describing our low wages as a competitive advantage (and a fact of life), John Key backed him up. So now we have youth rates, undercutting…
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Bill English on quantitative easing: "There are big risks with it and it is just barmy to suggest that in an economy growing at all that you would do it". So, are the countries that are using QE to push up our currency growing? EU:…
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Why is John Key strongly backing tourism as a significant export earner for NZ's future? His trip to Hollywood was not just about promoting NZ as an international filming location. It was also intimately tied up with promoting NZ as a tourist destination. Surely, in…
business Conservation economy exports film jobs john key overseas investment sustainability tourism trade tv
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This is a view from afar, as I'm still overseas on work, but apparently Paula Bennett "can't find the time" to appear on Morning Report this morning. Why is it particularly important that she appears on our country's premier news source today? The release of…
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The Key effect is over. That's the conclusion you draw from the latest Roy Morgan poll. It shows National down to 41.5% and Lab+Green surging to 47%. The last time National polled consistently in this range was before Key became leader. Now Key's no longer…
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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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Should have posted on this at the time - the Jon Stewart vs. Bill O'Reilly mock presidential debate - "The Rumble in the Air Conditioned Auditorium" (here if you don't get the reference). Stewart is as funny and as informative as ever - is it…
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My old man, a casual observer of politics, said the other day: "John boy doesn't look like he wants to be there anymore". I reckon he's right. Except when he's doing photo-ops, Key looks ever more grumpy and aloof. No wonder he's spending so much…
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People don't just vote for politicians because they like their policies. Just as important are trust and perceived competence. Key's policies were never popular. He won on the other two - particularly trust. That's why the Dotcom saga is so ruining for him. As more…
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It really was a pleasure last night watching the most obnoxious weasel in aussie politics, Tony Abbott, getting done over by a fired up Julia Gillard. She was pointing out that his sudden calls against sexism and misogyny could be better applied to himself. Then…