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All those who think Keynes is dead (and those who merely wondered what happened to him) should check out the website of George Soros's Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET). A remarkable range of economic luminaries are presented on video and powerpoint, most or all…
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Peter Jackson yesterday did what the government has refused to do and commented on the revelation that he told Gerry Brownlee the Actors' Equity blacklist was no threat to the Hobbit movies being filmed here. Unfortunately, Jackson has just further sullied his reputation by revealing…
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Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Yesterday, we hit 3 million pageviews for 2010. Today, we'll have our millionth visit. 45% growth on 2009 even with the few days we were offline and a couple when stats data wasn't captured. It's not just a small cadre of hardcore fans (although, do…
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It's First Past the Post thinking to look at the polling gap between National and Labour and conclude National will romp home. MMP is here and set to stay - it means the coalition with the support of a majority of MPs governs, not necessarily…
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National are running out their favourite tactic again - the Straw Man. We see it regularly with every highly-paid "Working Group" they establish. They choose the participants to make sure they get the ideas they want to implement, plus a bit more. Then they cleave…
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It seems we don't have a government at the moment. John Key is incommunicado in Hawaii. The Acting PM, Bill English, and Key's press people refuse to speak for him. Someone needs to front up because serious questions are emerging about the honesty of statements…
corruption film Gerry Brownlee Minister for Overseas Holidays Parliament
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Student unions are great. They provide excellent services, they enrich campus life. They provide an introduction to politics, management skills, journalism skills and much much more. But young people are idealistic, and idealism means Leftie politics. So much older, much greyer, much meaner politicians, who…
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Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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'Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the House, Nats announced policies, they're usually scared to espouse. Journos on holiday, Key out of reach on his Hawaiian vacation, It was the time to let slip, their plan for ACC privatisation. These lines hardly rhyme…
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Well, this one isn't such a surprise, it has been expected. But the timing is classic, as with much bad news coming out at the moment with Key conveniently in Hawaii, and public too busy getting into the spirit of the season / consumerism. We'll…
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National still seem to be getting a lot of cover for their economic mismanagement from the Global Financial Crisis way back in 2007-2008. But New Zealand's failure to be "roaring out of recession", as John Key promised, is no longer tied to the GFC. It's…
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Mark Hotchin is expected to become a campaigner for beneficiaries if cleared of serious fraud allegations. His assets frozen, the SFO has given Hotchin a 1K a week allowance. Not enough for the basics: private school, hire car, mortgage on mansion. A family of 7…
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I couldn't let the last of the year slip away without a fond farewell to the good old Electoral Finance Act. Cast your minds back to where it all began. The 2005 election, where National's lies and dodgy dealings with third party lobbyists cost them…
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We're very pleased to have another guest post from Labour's Dunedin North candidate, David Clark: Whirinaki power plant is up for sale. Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee has waited, until after the year-end press gallery drinks, to announce this state-owned asset will be sold by tender…
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The Herald has used the OIA to get hold of emails Peter Jackson sent Gerry Brownlee during the Hobbit shakedown. They show that the Actors' Equity blacklisting was not a threat to the film staying here - yet Jackson and Brownlee told us it was…
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Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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It's surreal to see people who said that we should have gone to Iraq and that not going cost us a trade deal with the US, now saying that the Reconstruction Team we sent was to get access for our milk exports. The claim's based…
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There's an ad campaign at the moment about how DB Export was supposedly created in reaction to the Black Budget. It's full of lies and a lot of people see it as a slur on Arnold Nordmeyer and Labour in general. In fact, this odd…
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Liam Dann had a very good piece in the Herald the other day about rising commodity prices. Despite insipid growth, prices of food and oil, the fuels of our civilisation are through the roof. The underlying meaning of those high prices is we're having to…
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I was amused by this headline in The Herald yesterday: WikiLeaks: PM plays power games with President Obama Wow! Sounds exciting doesn't it? Power games! With Obama!! So what's the story??? US Embassy staff were pressured to set a date for Prime Minister John Key…
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Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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What to do if you're a government with an ideological fixation on selling assets, which is hugely unpopular? The public will catch on if you put SOEs as full entities up for auction. So, you don't sell off the companies. Instead, you sell off the…
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Odd timing as everyone powers down for Christmas, but The Herald (emulating papers elsewhere) has published the Wikileaks cables relating to NZ. Brace yourselves for a lot of wallowing in ancient gossip, and spin as left and right sift through the entrails looking for something…
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The nutters in this case are the misnamed Climate 'Science' Coalition who appear to have no ability at science, but quite a good track record in convincing the feeble minded, like Rodney Hide. Of course that is probably just politics. Act appears to have a…
act climate change making shit up rodney hide science scoundrels the praiseworthy and the pitiful
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Open mike is your post. It's open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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It must be coming up to election year, because whenever I load Granny Herald there's some ludicrous attack on Labour or love-piece on Key. The Herald on Sunday has some Wikileaks cables and the ones they've chosen to pre-release supposedly shows Labour was willing to…
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Phil Twyford is selected as the new Labour candidate for Te Atatu from a strong field. Phil Twyford is a formidable campaigner, as I know from past experience. He is going to be exactly what is needed in the Te Atatu electorate organisation that has…
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Perhaps, like me, you have left your Christmas shopping to the last minute. Perhaps you are not quite ready to give up and take the easy way out (Kiwis want cash for Christmas). Fear not - help is at hand! Here's a roundup of some…
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Is free trade worth it? For the past few decades, since the NeoLiberal revolution, our government has aggressively pursued a policy of free trade. Since 2000 we have signed bilateral free trade agreements with Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, and China, and we…