The Draft Auckland Unitary Plan, which was released this week, is a massive endeavour with much to commend it. It focuses on resource management and links in with the Auckland Plan that was released last year. Like the Environmental Defence Society, I am pleased with…
Remember the "underclass"? John Key pretended to be concerned about them for a while as a gimmick for the 2008 election. Since then his government has managed to increase their number. Rodney Hide was part of that government for a while, and without a trace…
My regular Sunday piece of interesting, longer, deeper stories I found during the week. It’s also a chance for you to share what you found this week too. Those stimulating links you wanted to share, but just didn’t fit in anywhere (no linkwhoring). This week: the squeezed…
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...
You would have thought that, less than 24 hours after another 185 manufacturing jobs were lost, the Right might be keeping their head down when it comes to the crisis in manufacturing. But no. Farrar's popped up to cite a rinky-dink survey from Business NZ…
In what is sure to be an interesting test of our amnesty, I want to point out that Steven Joyce is probably the most over-rated politician in living memory. The man has literally never achieved anything. He lost the unloseable election, his fossil fuels-centric economic…
Just a brief Poverty Watch today, before we start on the report from the Office of the Children's Commissioner next week. It's very (very!) encouraging to see the number of perceptive, committed, compassionate young people that we have in NZ. The Net and other technology…
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...
Ah yes, we've banned a few folks in the many years we've been in the blogosphere (although far less than expected). Some with damn good reason and some in the heat of the moment. But now we're all older and wiser it's time to open…
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?
As Bill English gives us death by a thousand cuts - searching for any cut against the vulnerable that he thinks the media won't notice - he's also always on the search for more stealth taxes. So Peter Dunne & Revenue have the task of…
It's usually the bad employers who make the news, and who occupy the attentions of unions, workers, and the labour movement. So let's hear it for the silent majority, the good employers who are out there! Case in point - look at this: First employer…
King Brownlee can do pretty much whatever the hell he likes in Christchurch. And what he wants to do, it seems, is fuck all. When I was in Christchurch recently, I was deeply disturbed by the lack of rebuild, and the vibe. People feel it.…
A survey of real estate agents has revealed that 9% of house sales result in the house going to an overseas buyer. Half say they plan to come and live here - that leaves 5% going to overseas investors. For some reason, the BNZ is…
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...
Phil Twyford is the Labour MP for Te Atatu, and Labour’s spokesperson on Housing and Auckland Issues. He is also asking the same questions that many Aucklanders keep asking as they watch a succession of government ministers trying to valiantly advance backwards into Auckland's past…
Some great work from Labour yesterday as they got the documents showing Bill English in 2009 being advised about Solid Energy's predicted lower profits from a lower coal price - and asking for a bigger dividend anyway. English seemed only concerned about getting debt off…
Congrats to Labour MPs Louisa Wall and David Clark as their private member's bills passed their respective second readings last night. Louisa's Marriage Equality Bill passed 77 to 44, as 4 National MPs (3 cabinet ministers: Gerry Brownlee, Jonathan Coleman and Murray McCully) felt the…
With the ACT Party dead and the Maori Party dying, National is running out of coalition partners to get it over the line next year. One of the nightmare scenarios for the Left is NZF topping the 5% threshold and going in to coalition with…
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...
Four hundred thousand people don't want asset sales. In fact they don't just not want asset sales they want every voter in New Zealand to have the chance to cast a vote for or against asset sales. And National wants to discredit them. In fact…
Shearer seems to be opening up to an asset buy-back at cost policy - that should be popular among quite a few Standardistas. It's more of a luke-warm, "negotiable with coalition partners" or "if we've enough space in the budget once we work out the…
Date: Friday 15 March 2013 Time: assemble at 12.30pm for 1pm Venue: 360 Queen Street (grass verge opposite Aotea Square), Auckland. March will be down Queen Street and ending at Queen Elizabeth Square Downtown Westfield Auckland (opposite Britomart). Speakers apparently include David Shearer.
Apparently quite a few teachers got tempted from the fold and voted for John Key in 2008... it's hard to imagine many of them wanting to do so after the Novopay debacle. But Novopay seem determined to make sure of it. Not content with failing…
Recently when interviewed by the Waikato Times, Forest Owners representative Sheldon Drummond suggested the union movement campaign around forestry safety was motivated by the “large un-unionised workforce” in forestry. In Sheldon’s mind this is clearly code for “bad motive”. Also in the article is a…
We're now experiencing the worst drought in the North Island in recorded history. It comes just five years after the previous severe drought and there was a lesser one in between. Let's not beat around the bush, it's climate change. Bill English came very close…
The extent to which we as a society just don't get the ongoing impact and the implications of climate change continues to boggle my mind. In his latest piece, for example, John Armstrong seems to be groping his way dimly towards the truth, but he…
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...
Well, cleared might be a slight exaggeration but he's not going to have the police turn up on his doorstep and right now that's good enough for a David Shearer who is worrying about the lack of brown faces in his top-team. We can only…
On Morning Report this morning there was a clip of John Key (in Brazil) saying that David Shearer had signed up to buy shares in Mighty River Power - and he was welcome at the front of the queue like all New Zealanders. Shortly after…
