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It's a bit late, but this post is in response partly to John Armstrong's bouquet piece at the end of 2010 headlined "Forget the economy, watch the lemmings", and partly to Fran O'Sullivan's latest piece in yesterday's Herald about Hone Harawira. Fran O'Sullivan was my…
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The international evidence that National Standards don't work is conclusive. Only 20% of schools are ready to implement them and over 300 schools are refusing altogether. What's our Minister for Education's response to the objections of people who have dedicated their lives to education? A…
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We have a national myth that everyone is in essence equal, yet we have a disparity of wealth where 10% own more than the other 90% put together and 50% have no net assets. How does one square away occupying a position of extreme privilege…
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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 see the NBR lost another 6% of its circulation last year, so I thought it was worth giving Matthew Hooton's latest rant in that publication a wider audience. Hoots has a go at us and Clare Curran for criticising the violent rhetoric of Sarah…
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In what must surely be a sign of the coming apocalypse I find myself agreeing wholeheartedly with Fran O'Sullivan for the second time in the last year. Writing about the response to Hone Harawira's criticism of his own party, Fran points out there's been a…
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It's been revealed that the Government, having decided against dedicated Maori seats on the supercity council, gave appointed Maori advisers votes on council committees under its supercity legislation. That's just unacceptable, we can't have appointees voting equally to democratically-elected council members. Rodbey Hide is expressing…
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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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Minister for Unemployment and Associate Minister for Overseas Holidays Paula Bennett. She really seems to be enjoying herself and not posing at all in this picture by Herald photographer Brett Phibbs.
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National have announced their short-list for Botany: Maggie Barry Aaron Bhatnagar Darron Gedge Jami-lee Ross Dr Edward Saafi DPF almost got his selections right, but the Senior Party Officials who get to select a National short-list went for former Destiny Party candidate Saafi over former…
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Herald, 21 December. Paula Bennett details the hideous abuse of a 9-year-old girl found shortly before by police. Says: "As soon as this case was brought to my attention I started demanding answers." "I hope to God justice comes." Today revealed, the child's mother and…
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Why did Hone Harawira pick a fight if he wasn't prepared to see it out? One News last night had him saying he wants to stay with the Maori Party. Patrick Gower reckons Hone's assault on the leadership is all about building cred to take…
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The UN committee on the rights of the child has had some harsh things to say about New Zealand's performance in looking after our children. 20% of children are being raised in poverty. Labour's Working For Families did a lot to improve the child poverty…
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It's always so wonderful to load up Granny Herald and see some wealthy late middle-aged grump (I'm picking this one is John Roughan) taking a swipe at the poor in the editorial. Today, Granny says we can't afford to give mums any more paid leave…
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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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Overcrowding is a big problem. MSD says: "Housing space adequate to the needs and desires of a family is a core component of quality of life. National and international studies show an association between the prevalence of certain infectious diseases and crowding,70 between crowding and…
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Government IT projects are easy to take aim at, as they always come out over-budget, late, and with numerous difficulties, whoever implements them. But National deserve their flak over the ultra-fast broadband roll-out - Joyce hasn't a clue how to implement what was to them…
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Mallard has laid a Privileges complaint over Brownlee's Hobbit lies. Good. Brownlee and Key deserved to be hammered for their part in the Warners/Jackson shake-down that cost just $34m and work rights. Lockwood won't uphold the complaint though. He hates Brownlee. Not enough to severely…
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The dearth of solid information on the Pike River situation and the contradictory statements from the government have naturally led to suspicion that we're not being told the whole story. The government has been caught flat-footed by the blowback. Now, finally, the Police are going…
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Auckland Grammar School (that most private of public schools) has decided that NCEA isn't good enough for them and that it doesn't meet the needs of its community. When 300 or so Primary Schools said the same about National Standards Minister Tolley threatened Boards of…
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Hone Harawira is many things but stupid isn't one of them. He has cleverly created a situation where Tariana Turia and her lackeys have had to attack him for daring to speak truth to power. It's Hone who has been the protagonist. It's he who…
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Remember back when Labour was in power and the Right had this myth that dole numbers had only dropped because Labour had moved people to other benefits? It wasn't true but that didn't stop John Key saying it during one of the 2008 debates as…
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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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With the good services of NZ On Screen, director John Bates with his '1951' documentary. In 1951, New Zealand temporarily became a police state. Civil liberties were curtailed, freedom of speech denied, and the Government used force against its own citizens. This film tells the…
democracy under attack film law and "order" Media Politics Unions video
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On Sunday and Monday, Hone Harawira gave very cogent and candid assessments of where the Maori Party has gone wrong by losing connection with its ideals and base. By the standards of mainstream parties it was extraordinarly blunt and appeared to be a challenge to…
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Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords survived the assassination attempt that killed six others, but the political fall-out has just begun. In the US's strange post-modern politics, President Obama's speech is the most popular thing he's done, while Sarah Palin screwed up by defending the herself and the…
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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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When the government, eventually, gets back from its month-long holiday, one of the first decisions it needs to take is the annual minimum wage review. Business, short-termist as ever, wants no increase and the re-introduction of youth rates. A kick in the guts for poor…
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All of us have things we believe are purely public goods that should receive government support. For example, few people outside the Act Party would argue that basic health care or environmental conservation is a private good that individuals should choose to fund, depending on…
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In his column in the Herald on Sunday, Matt McCarten doesn't give a very flattering thumbnail sketch of New Zealand First Leader, Winston Peters. ....in 1996 when Winston Peters went fishing instead of attending coalition talks. Then he jumped into bed with the National Party…