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Once again recent headlines prompt me to ask if in 2008 we really chose a brighter future after all. NZ's brown poverty 'a timebomb' A child advocate says New Zealand is sitting on a Polynesian timebomb if it does nothing about Maori and Pacific poverty…
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NoRightTurn: The effects of NeoLiberalism The New York Times has a graphic comparing the outcomes of economic policy in the US, specifically comparing the broadly social democratic policies prevalent between [1947] and 1979, and the NeoLiberal policies since 1980. The differences are astounding. Between 1947…
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The Auditor-General has released her investigation into Pansy and Sammy Wong's use of the publicly funded parliamentary travel budget. She finds there was "no pattern of wrong doing". Looking at the report you'll see why - and you'll be left with more questions than answers... Recap: The Auditor-General was…
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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 link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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A miner crawls out of a mine explosion, gets to an emergency station and finds it's empty. It was decommissioned but the workers were never told. Meanwhile nobody outside realises there's been an explosion until an electrician drives straight into the aftermath and only just…
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Labour's Charles Chauvel is campaigning hard in Ohariu, and would certainly bring a fresh approach and much more energy to representing the electorate. The polls are close, so close that John Key has had to come out to Ohariu's small party launch to support Dunne.…
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An alert reader sent in the link to Key on RadioLive today (end of the 7:30-7:45 recording) trying to explain why there are so few women on his party's list, particularly in the top rankings. It's like entering a place where words are devoid of…
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There's plenty of good posts around already on National's election list, how its dominated by white men and there's very little room for new blood. But just how bad is their list? I thought I would do a comparison of the ethnic and gender balance…
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Officials Muzzled on Peak Oil? The government has finally released its Energy Strategy. There are cosmetic changes from the Draft version but it's no surprise that the final Strategy continues to completely ignore the threat of peak oil. There were many submissions, including my own,…
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Now that it is safely over, I feel safe in wishing Christchurch a "happy" anniversary. One year since the first big quake, and a year that changed the city and many thousands of lives forever. (As luck would have it I was in the same…
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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 link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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The right sure won't be able to criticise Labour about a lack of renewal in their list after National's release of their party list*. If you want an actual example of what a non-renewing list really looks like, I think we now have the definitive one.…
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Been reading David Farrar's column in the Herald yesterday "Asset sales - what's the political cost?". I'd say that his opinion is exactly what I'd expect from someone who spends their time at the political trough theorizing about business rather than doing it. Rather than…
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In the lat-90s, National's Max Bradford started the privatisation process of energy companies, setting up the SOEs and selling Contact. Electricity prices have risen at two and a half times inflation since then. Now, National wants more privatisation. Have we forgotten why we voted them…
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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 link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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That was the teaser line on the front page of today's Herald Business section for this article by Liam Dann. NZX is the big winner among listed companies this year according to Bloomberg - 56% up on the year. Why? Asset sales. That's why NZX…
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Guns don't kill people, the old saw goes. People do. By the same token, corporations don't dodge taxes. People do. The people who run corporations. And these people — America's CEOs — are reaping awesomely lavish rewards for the tax dodging they have their corporations…
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See Small on Hager yesterday? He's all like "of course I knew we're working with US intelligence but I didn't tell you because, duh, it's not important". It was the same story with the Hollow Men and the secret tape revelations. Wonder what other "unimportant" stuff…
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Youth unemployment is widely acknowledged to be one of the biggest social problems facing this country, and a significant electoral issue. At noon on Thursday Labour unveiled a major new policy, $251 Million over four years, to address the problem. So how did our papers…
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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 link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Professor Robert Wade of the London School of Economics and author of the acclaimed Governing the Market will speak on this topic in association with Victoria University School of Government at Lecture Theatre 2, Rutherford House, Wellington at 6pm on Thursday 22nd September. All are…
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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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Recently I posted about Warren Buffett’s call for increased tax, "of course" including capital gains, on America’s most wealthy. The wealthy elite in Europe are now joining Buffett in these calls, why? Maybe it’s because they know the truth, they know that the world is…
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And don't forget selling our assets offshore! Doesn't look like much compared to CGT, tax-free zone, GST off fresh fruit and vegetables, R&D tax credits, ETS on farming, skills and training investment .... image by William Joyce.
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National promised to get tough 'undeserving' state house tenants. (always someone to get tough on when maintaining the privileges of the elite) The first targets were 3 women and their kids, judged guilty by association with their partners who were charged with burglary (the charges…
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The Tertiary Education Union has revealed that 350 jobs are for the chop at Canterbury University - 18% of the workforce. The Uni, hardly reassuringly, says its 100 to 500. The Nats blame the quake. That's rubbish. Yes, student numbers are down 13% but, if…
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With echoes of 2002, Nicky Hager has delivered a potentially explosive book in the run up to a general election. Here's Hager's press release: "For 10 years New Zealanders have been vaguely aware that their country is at war but have mostly been kept in…
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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 link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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National has let the problem of youth unemployment get seriously out of control. They're in denial about it. This afternoon Labour released a substantial policy package on the issue. Stuff reports: Labour will cut dole spending, fund apprenticeships Labour would cut spending on the dole…