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National's flip-flop on class sizes shows not only what a poorly-thought through policy it was but that this government still values its skin above doing what it thinks it right. Faced with a popular revolt and the possibility of marches to eclipse even the anti-mining…
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Nanaia Mahuta has a wicked sense of humour, as well as being a very smart politician. She's issued a report card on National's performance on education - Tolley gets a C- for cuts to adult and community education, a D- for slashing cuts to early…
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More grim reading for the Nats in The Herald this morning: NZ says no to larger schoolrooms A nationwide survey has given a strong indication that New Zealanders don't want larger class sizes. The street survey conducted by APN newspapers from Whangarei to Dunedin showed…
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Mike said it yesterday but it bears repeating: Bennett is running misdirection for the Parata. Not letting bad parents have more kids is actually nothing new. It's just the existing, and warranted, powers courts have to order CYFS to take newborns into custody and to…
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A year in to its 10-year, $300 million contract, and Serco is making a real hash of running Mt Eden Prison. A second escape this week, along with two late releases, failure to meet drug testing targets and failure to report as agreed. And these…
accountability prisons privatisation Public Private Partnerships
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They say that making predictions is hard, especially about the future. But what about the past? The Government's Budget was released on May 24th, and it's already proving to be wrong about the state of the economy and the books before then. They said the…
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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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In the lead up to last year's budget John Key said that the poor and those on benefits had made lifestyle choices. If they budgeted properly, they'd be fine. But things aren't fine, and they're getting worse in John Key's New Zealand. Which is why…
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Same old National - when they're in trouble, out comes the club for a distracting headline. Hekia Parata's under fire and digging herself into a very deep hole, so Paula Bennett rides to the rescue with the "news" that Cabinet is discussing allowing judges to…
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Like the character, Nick Taylor, in the movie, 'Thank You For Smoking', self-styled "Oil lobbyist", David Robinson is a highly paid apologist for the fossil fuel lobby. Robinson's job is to counter the environmental movement on one hand, and encourage the big investors to put…
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The transit of Venus, as visible from NZ, got underway at about 10:15am, and should continue until around 4:43pm. If the cloud cover in your part of the country allows you a view, it's probably your last chance to see this rare astronomical event (the…
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So Hekia Parata has refused to front up to education groups against her bigger class sizes. Apparently she will defuse their anger by trying to meet organisations individually next week, on her own terms, no doubt with no large groups invited. People are angry, and…
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Over at Red Alert, Chris Hipkins asks a question that must have occurred to almost every politician and commentator since the budget - how did National get it so wrong on the cuts that would costs too many schools far too many teachers? Chris shows…
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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 news out of Europe, China and Australia is looking worse by the day. Bernard Hickey spelt out the consequences for New Zealand this morning: A concerted slowdown in the global economy and the inability of China to restart its strong economic growth would bear…
david parker Economy employment Europe exports jobs labour monetary policy
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I've had a petition sent to me with this message: a lovely woman in Johnsonville has just started a petition against increasing class sizes! That includes the education spokesperson at Federated Farmers, who has agreed to circulate it. So that's my challenge to you -…
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Nurses forced to supply own thermometers Nurses are bringing their own thermometers and pens to work as Auckland District Health Board cracks down on a multimillion-dollar overspend. And a baby stopped breathing and almost died at Starship hospital because there were no nurses on its…
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It's been said so often that surely everyone understands it by now. New Zealanders invest too much in property. It's "unproductive" investment in that it doesn't create or export anything. It's often done on borrowed money, which drives up debt. Oh and just incidentally, it…
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Remember when John Key promised 4,000 new jobs from the cycleway and, in fact, a few hundred, short-term, part-time positions were created? Remember when John Key promised 170,000 new jobs and unemployment went up instead? Looks like Key's being making it up on the pokies-for-convention…
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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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Wanganui Collegiate School has been in financial trouble, with not even annual fees of $9775 per day pupil and $19,775 for a boarder enough to keep it afloat. After Anne Tolley gave it $800,000 last year, the National Party's Budget 2012 has given it another…
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There's been a bit of coverage of this development at The Green Party conference: Greens launch attack on Bennett and Key The Green Party has ramped up its personality politics, directly accusing Paula Bennett and Prime Minister John Key of stripping away the welfare and…
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I'm not a big fan of the whole honours system, with or without knighthoods. But if you're going to have it, make it mean something. Giving the top gong, which only 20 living people can have, to a guy whose claim to fame is marrying…
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We all know National is on a record borrowing binge. But when they say they need to slash education investment to balance the books, what dumb spending are they leaving untouched? Which leaves the obvious question: why were these Tory sacred cows protected while public…
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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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Last week I put up some Sunday reading - longer, thoughtful pieces I'd found. I liked that other people also put up their links, with some very interesting topics. So I thought I might make it a regular feature. I'd put up a couple of…
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With everything else that the Nats are messing up at the moment, this little gem attracted surprisingly little attention: Government mulling ways to stop 'unfit' parents reproducing The Government is considering a range of hard-line measures to try and stop 'unfit' parents from having more…
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Great cartoon from Emmerson in The NZ Herald:
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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...