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It's getting nasty in the ACT party. According to the NBR [not online], Rodney Hide was left stranded the other day when speaking to an ACT audience on electoral reform. He spoke in support of FPP only to find his views overwhelming rejected by his…
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Can't argue with Tom Scott on a good day....
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Tonight, 8:30 - 9:30pm is Earth Hour 2010. New Zealand is among the first in the world, kicking off the event. Turn off, tune out, drop in. Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off…
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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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Beyond this opening gambit on mining, National clearly has a larger plan. It is going to back down over Great Barrier, whether or not that was never part of the plan all along. But it is lining up more areas for later on. The Minister…
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The smile is wearing off. John Key visited Levin today to open a new district court. The visit didn't go to plan as he was heckled by 150 locals over health cuts - which will see the region lose 24 beds. According to stuff: Prime…
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Paula Bennett is saying that her benefit bashing policies are about "supporting people into work". What is that support? I see punishment. I see threats. Where's the support? Cutting DPB mums' benefits if they don't get work. That's not supporting them. Making unemployed people reapply…
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The Nats are flailing about desperately looking for an angle to convince Kiwis to trash their country and their heritage for 30 pieces of silver. Actually, only 1% of 30 pieces. Maybe it's only 10 pieces - Gerry isn't really sure. Anyway, one of the…
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We've now done 5000 posts. Number 4000 was at the end of October, so it took a bit less than 5 months (even with the dropoff during the summer break). The comments are sitting just less than 155k which is less than our long-term average.…
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Decide that you are going to get rich out of selling dates. No! Better! Get rich by having your mates sell your dates and clipping the ticket. Take a dozen or so date scones. Ignore all the dates sitting around that are not in scones.…
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There has been considerable discussion about the message and targeting of Labours policy on mining around the conservation estate in OpenMike and some of the other blogs. This is obviously going to be a reasonable large policy platform in the upcoming election in about 18…
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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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I thought that National's counter-attack would be to paint Labour as anti-mining - 'they're abandoning their roots' 'they're anti progress' etc etc. But, oddly, they've opted (first in the House, duly repeated on the party blogs) for a hypocrisy angle - 'Labour used to say…
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Why should we force someone to live who wants to die? Why can't a person have the right to choose euthanasia? Why is Margaret Page, a woman who has been effectively paralysed since 1991, being forced to starve herself to death over weeks? Why can't…
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Reposted with permission from No Right Turn. When National ran for power in 2008, it promised three core policies: it would get tough on crime, with a three strikes policy and automatic DNA testing of those arrested. And it would get tough on beneficiaries, particularly…
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National's mining policy seems to be 'dig and hope'. That's the only conclusion one can draw after Gerry Brownlee admitted he had no idea of the value of the gold and silver that are supposed to be on Great Barrier and Nick Smith admitted the…
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It's that time of the cycle again. Get ready for another John Key photo op. It's always the same. Unpopular new policy. Crappy week in the House (notice Key is only bothering to show up once a week to Question Time now? Loving that accountability).…
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Remember when the Supercity was introduced? John Key and Rodney Hide were running around promising big savings on local government and, through the magic of having one super-council, faster economic growth. All this at a set-up price that Hide, when pressed very very hard, described…
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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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Denis Tegg is spokesperson for Coromandel Watchdog, the group that lead the fight against mining the last time it was the Right's big new idea in the 1980s and early 1990s. It was Coromandel Watchdog's efforts that principally led to the creation of Schedule 4…
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Interesting times - on both sides of the political divide currently. Over at the Pundit, Tim Watkin says: ...Labour hardly looks focused in Auckland, or refreshed with new talent. Phil Twyford the man who everyone likes but no-one wants has been allowed to stand (or…
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With higher unemployment and a minimal minimum wage movement, wages are stagnating. The consensus forecast is that they will rise by less than inflation over the next year. A couple of years back, Steve wrote a piece on how National could reduce pay packs accordance…
minimum wage national/act government public services unemployment wages
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The Clubs and Societies Centre at Otago University stands as both an example of early 1980's architecture and the value of student associations. Demonstrating exceptional foresight, the Otago University Student Association provided the funds necessary to build the centre after the university decided not to…
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"It's not easy seeming green" is the title of The Economist's latest article attacking John Key's mining plans. The flagship publication of the global free market says the mining plans for New Zealand's conservation estate undermine our 100% pure brand. The story begins by referencing…
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Like most on the left I've pretty much resigned myself to the Herald's current bias toward National but today's effort by Audrey Young is a new low altogether. You see it's not just that she writes up all of John and Paula's lines it's that…
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There's a hell of a lot of mis-information and confusing numbers about the economic potential of mining around, and that suits Gerry Brownlee and National because it lets them exaggerate the case for opening up the National Parks. John Armstrong says "Unfortunately for National, cool…
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You can't 'force beneficiaries back into work' by 'giving them a kick in the pants' if there's no jobs for them to go into. People on the dole already need to show they are looking for work to get the dole. Forcing them to reapply…
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Pita Sharples' speech on race relations day (Sunday), and his comments that followed, certainly set the cat amongst the pigeons. Firstly, and unusually, he commented frankly on working with National: I have to admit that while we have a rangatira to rangatira agreement with the…
auckland supercity democratic participation maori party Maori seats
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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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John Key is pushing ahead with his mining plan despite all the political trouble that's brewing. The flames of the argument are flicking at his shorts, and as John Armstrong notes, the battle for public opinion "is already half lost". Why then is Key determined…