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A reminder - Drinking Liberally is on in Auckland tonight with Laila Harre as the speaker. These are always fun to listen to the speaker and you get to do some networking. WHAT: Drinking Liberally Auckland City WHO: You and any of your left-leaning companeros…
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The Greens have won some very good improvements to the ETS in exchange for their support. The most important is $1 billion over 15 years to insulate low-income homes and subsidise upgrades to insulation of higher income homes. That's a really positive development; all New…
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I notice that, while the Nats have attempted to play down Maurice Williamson's promise of $50 a week in tolls, they haven't retracted Williamson's over statements from the same interview, specifically: RAWDON Okay let's look beyond roading, where else do you see PPPs being the…
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So, I was walking along in Kelburn yesterday, and I saw Stephen Franks' faded yellow mini. He was driving along in the centre of the lane when, without warning, he made a sharp right turn. And I was all like 'metaphor'.
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The Greens have decided to back the government's emissions trading scheme saying in a press release that it's a start but there's more to do: We reported on Thursday that we had achieved virtually nothing in two areas - agriculture, and protection of important biodiversity…
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Here's TV3's coverage from last night. They've just completed a poll in which 45.7% of those surveyed think National has a secret agenda.
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According to the TV3 poll last night, 46% of voters believe National has a secret agenda. And why wouldn't they? We've had Bill English talking about a secret agenda to 'sort out' Working for Families and sell Kiwibank while being recorded, on the same recordings, we've…
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He just doesn't give up does he? Maurice Williamson was spotted this morning still trying to sell his toll booth idea to Auckland motorists. Spy photos below.
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From RNZ's Checkpoint I hear they've been after Maurice Williamson all day to clarify what he said on Agenda yesterday (as discussed below). But he's gone to ground and is not returning calls. Williamson may admire what they are doing in Australia but Gordon Campbell…
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They've just erected this billboard in Minneapolis-Saint Paul to welcome delegates to the Republican National Convention.
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On Agenda on Sunday, National's Transport spokesperson, Maurice Williamson, said National would impose tolls on major new road projects - Transmission Gully, Waterview etc - and on the Harbour Bridge if a tolled second crossing of the harbour is built. Williamson said a typical person using those…
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Unless a party has a systematic bias towards one sector of the population, it would be normal to expect that their candidates would represent a cross-section of the community - after all, talented, qualified people can be found in all groups; political aptitude is not…
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[I do love the idea that someone would go to the zoo merely to hurl insults at the apes]
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On August 1, Transit NZ and Land Transport NZ were merged into the NZ Transport Authority. The new organisation's first major publication shows a welcome shift in thinking and an acknowledgment that the age of cheap oil is over. Managing Transport Challenges When Oil Prices Rise contains…
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According to TV3 "Labour is on the move. The latest 3 News poll shows that less than three months out from the election, their support is heading upwards. And once you add the Greens and the Maori Party into the mix, a Labour-led coalition is…
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Regular Standard readers will know I like to keep an eye out on what's happening in the States (where the arte of politic$s is bigger, brighter and harsher). While there's been comment on Obama's choice of running mate, it was this piece in the Observer…
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According to the Sunday Star Times the Sensible Sentencing Trust and Family First have decided to refuse to comply with the Electoral Finance Act. While the Sensible Sentencing Trust is outrightly claiming they are going to use their breach of the Act as a publicity…
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There's a lot of heat but not much light in the debate about the EPMU's suspension of Shawn Tan. What we know from the media is that Tan was told he had to seek approval from the union's national executive in line with his collective…
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Craig Foss annoyed some students in Napier when he described early childhood teachers as "glorified babysitters", according to a recent story in the Hawke's Bay Today (sent in by a bemused reader). He admitted that he used the term "babysitting" yet also tried to argue…
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As expected, the polls out last weekend did not show National being hit by the secret agenda tapes scandal because they were conducted before the story had fully emerged. We will have to wait for the next round of polls to see what effect there…
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WHAT: Drinking Liberally Auckland City WHO: You and any of your left-leaning companeros WHEN: 7.30pm, Wednesday 27th August WHERE: London Bar, cnr Wellesley & Queen Sts (opposite Civic). The entrance to the bar is around on Wellesley St, you need to go up the stairs…
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One thing you can always say for the Greens, they're democratic to their core. Currently, they find themselves facing a tough choice - whether or not to support Labour's Emissions Trading Scheme - and, true to their democratic principles, they're asking for advice from the…
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Reading National's energy policy last week I was surprised to learn that of 1942MW of new generation that has come online since 2000 1073MW of that has been thermal*. Sure enough, John Key is going around using that as a ground for National's policy of…
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We finally get to welcome Chris Trotter to the blogosphere as he's started a new blog at http://www.policy.net.nz/blog/ I've often thought Trotter's solid smart writing and love of a robust argument would be suited to blogging and I fully expect his new blog will go…
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Deputy leader Bill English yesterday late afternoon released what could barely be described as National's policy on climate change. I was sorry to see such little detail on what they planned, despite his saying (again) that their structure would be in place within nine months. Surely they must…
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Thank God for those individuals of high morals who are at this moment whipping themselves into a frenzy over Pharmac's decision to fund different varieties of condom as well as the plain ones it has funded for years. Where would be without you? Here's the…
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The coverage of the Australian Dfat* briefing paper on Helen Clark is as unsurprising as it is depressing. Depressing in that this appears to be Martin Kay's biggest scoop of the year (he's dragged it out to a second article today) and no-one covering the…
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The Lonely Planet has a new guide on Godzone and has lavished praise on our beauty but also offers a warning on "the environmental cost, with extra visitors putting strain on the clean, green environment the country is renowned for." So how are we planning to handle that? Not…
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Watching Key on Breakfast this morning I was surprised to see him talking about the need for higher wages (about two thirds of the way through). That's nice to hear but given National's policy is to reduce work rights and make it harder for working…