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They were, until a few months ago, the biggest company you'd never heard of. Well, that's not entirely true. In New Zealand Serco are not a big company. They have two public sector contracts, just two. Unfortunately, you already know about those two contracts. Because…
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About 12 months ago I wrote this post on the loss of dividends that would otherwise have been paid to the Crown because of National's privatisation activity. I calculated the country had lost $360.7 million in dividends although there had been a saving in interest. And the country…
capitalism class war national national/act government Privatisation same old national
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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 Policy). Step up to the mike …
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Mike Hosking's salivating Nat bias is attracting attention as conduct unbefitting a journalist. Since he can't plausibly deny it, he is trying a bold line of spin, Am I biased? Well, who's asking?: I am not a journalist. Much commentary was served up on the…
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Yesterday Melbourne stood up for human rights: Controversial Australian Border Force visa checks, Operation Fortitude cancelled A major policing operation planned for Melbourne's CBD this weekend has been cancelled after a backlash over plans to include Australian Border Force (ABF) officials in the crackdown. Victoria…
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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 Policy). Step up to the mike …
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The EU has been in the midst of a severe "refugee crisis" for over a year now. Some say it is the worst it has been since WWII. That the authorities were not immediately able to release the actual death toll from this instance of…
capitalism climate change colonialism disaster im/migration poverty sustainability uncategorized war
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Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSWVabne_FA Check out the full White Man Behind a Desk channel, and this interview piece.
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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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Tom Scott in the Dom Post (via Bryce Edwards):
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Last night the Nats passed their widely ridiculed health and safety legislation. That legislation classifies most forms of farming as a low risk, farmers are excluded from the new rules. This morning a Waikato farm worker died in a workplace accident. Sincere condolences to his…
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Simon Louisson recently made a post on the Standard about National’s profligacy, and all of the debt they have racked up. Yes, National was profligate. Yes, Bill English’s budgets did run six consecutive deficits. Yes, nominal government debt has nearly quadrupled. Yes, New Zealand’s debt-to-GDP…
bill english debt / deficit Economy national tax unemployment
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So the Law Society raises concerns at the prospect of trials relying on suppressed evidence which may result in the incarceration of Kiwis and the Attorney General then chooses to attack it. I posted on this earlier. Basically a late change to the Health and…
Abuse of power democratic participation national Politics same old national
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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 Policy). Step up to the mike …
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Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other.
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If it is this column is a cracker. Titled "Government contempt too overwhelming to ignore" it deserves to be read. A more brutal put down of this Government is hard to imagine. It starts like this: Shortly after the explosions at Pike River in November…
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Ever imagine what a bull elephant's penis looks like? Well wonder no more. Biologists kicked off a #junkoff today with this challenge. I'm afraid that most of the 'junk' here is male - because that gender tends to be the showoffs? https://twitter.com/AnneWHilborn/status/636346360825008128 https://twitter.com/AnneWHilborn/status/636368058085457920 Man, how…
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Even Tracy Watkins has joined the chorus of ridicule on National's health and safety mess: National's health and safety legislation its lightbulb moment It no longer matters whether it is true or not that school playgrounds will have to close thanks to the Government's health…
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Apparently we're in another crisis. Both the left and the right often use capitalism's regular crises to legitimize political changes. (That's politics). With enough crisis-borne anxiety within a population, politicians can gain as much power as they want. And they do. Many political movements will…
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National are really losing it on the TPP. On Tuesday a farce unfolded in Parliament: Green Party trade spokesman Russel Norman repeatedly questioned associate Minister of Trade Todd McClay during Parliamentary Question Time yesterday on whether the text of the TPP could be modified once…
accountability capitalism democracy under attack Globalisation john key trade
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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 Policy). Step up to the mike …
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Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other.
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FFS it's 2015, not 1915: Jacinda Ardern a 'pretty little thing', would 'look good' as PM - Graham Lowe Former Kiwis and Queensland rugby league coach Graham Lowe has come under fire after describing Labour MP Jacinda Ardern as "a pretty little thing" who would…
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I/S at No Right Turn writes... We can no longer trust Bill English's OIA responses Yesterday in Question Time, Winston Peters accused Finance Minister Bill English of outright lying in the response to an OIA request: “On December 16, 2014 Mr English replied to a…
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Much nonsense is written about polls. People (some of whom really should know better) try to create narratives out of noise. Long term aggregate trends matter, individual polls are just data points. Here's the latest data point: Labour's support recovers to 30s Labour's support has…
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The way that lawmaking should occur is that a bill is introduced, it is sent to a select committee for consideration, submissions from the public and professional bodies are carefully considered, meaningful changes are then made and the bill is then returned to our parliament…
Abuse of power Deep stuff national Politics same old national
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By Simon Louisson John Key says New Zealand has options in the face of a share market meltdown. The Prime Minister says that New Zealand is not like Greece (well that’s a relief). The question is how real are those options? Enormous debt built up…
auckland supercity bill english debt / deficit Economy housing john key tax treasury
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' John Key's National Ltd™ reduced yesterday's Question Time to farce in an effort to pretend that its Whangarei MP, Shane "Bully Boy" Reti, had not been caught out in another lie. This time, Reti lied about the process involved in the ratification of the TPP. In…
Abuse of power democracy under attack Ethics journalism Media national newspapers Parliament Politics russel norman same old national trade treaty settlements
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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 Policy). Step up to the mike …