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My semi-regular Sunday piece of interesting, longer, deeper stories I found during the week. It’s also a chance for you to share what you found this week too. Those stimulating links you wanted to share, but just didn’t fit in anywhere (no linkwhoring). This week: al-Qaeda, drugs,…
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It isn't that hard to get around the prurient arsehole peekers that populate the NSA and the kiwi puppets - John Key being a prime example. Hell - even the NZ Herald gets it these days. See this article that they have published anonymously... From Silicon…
accountability activism humour International john key Spying telecommunications us politics you couldn't make this shit up
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I don't know what it says about the political mood or direction of NZ politics generally, but the results, as on record yesterday, for the local body elections were very good for the Green Party. The low voter turnout makes it hard to make definitive…
climate change community democracy Conservation greens local body elections Metiria Turei public transport sustainability
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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 Policy). Step right up to the mike...
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It's time I face up to a harsh reality, folks. I'm just never going to be taken seriously as a political commentator. You've all tried to warn me about this for years. You've desperately looked for ways to open my eyes to the fact that…
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The polls are now closed and the count is under way. I will update this post as results come in but in the meantime some predictions. Len Brown to comfortably retain the Auckland Mayoralty ... Lianne Dalziel will win by a mile in Christchurch ...…
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John Armstrong has a good column on National's attack on Kiwi workers today. Covering off David Cunliffe's speech to the CTU, Armstrong talks about the way the Nats have been playing small target on their raft of small employment changes that add up to a…
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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 Policy). Step right up to the mike...
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It isn't that often that I agree with the anonymous editorials in the NZ Herald. But this morning's editorial was completely accurate about Maurice Williamson's reported comments after the census... Pronouncements like, for example, that of Statistics Minister Maurice Williamson, who declared the first Census data in…
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I posted recently about the Ruataniwha Dam resource consent process. There are a number of issues surrounding this proposal including a Board of Inquiry without scientific expertise being selected (although I have since learned that one of the lawyers has some scientific expertise), a DOC…
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"John Key's asset sales have descended from failure to farce" - that's how Metiria Turei described the announcement that Mighty River Power will be buying back shares just five months after they were privatised. Clayton Cosgrove put it more bluntly: "It's a good thing 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 Policy). Step right up to the mike...
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Entirely lifted from Gareth at hot-topic. But I'm sure he will forgive us as it is a notice and time-sensitive. He may not forgive having his erudite but excessively wordy title abbreviated. Swiss climate scientist Thomas Stocker, joint chairman of the IPCC’s Working Group One, is…
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Scott at Imperator Fish has kindly given us permission to syndicate posts from his blog – the original of this post is here. A humble prayer entreating the favour of the One whose august majesty we must never dare to question. Our Reserve Bank Governor, who art in…
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Hekia Parata has been embarassed again by the High Court in Judicial Review proceedings. Last year her plans to close Salisbury School in Nelson was declared to be unlawful. Salisbury School was an all girls school whose students presented complex needs. Parata thought that they…
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It has just been announced that Mighty River Power is to stand in the market and buy back up to 2% of its company shares over the next 12 months. Chair Joan Withers says this will happen as part of its capital management plans "reflecting the…
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An article in today's UK Guardian provides an interesting overseas perspective on the role of Key's government in the GCSB, Dotcom, surveillance saga. The author, Antony Loewenstein draws on his interviews with Nicky Hagar, Martyn Bradbury and others. He paints a picture of the NZ…
capitalism copyright democracy under attack john key national Spying telecommunications us politics
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As Eddie posted, Cunliffe made a very important speech to the CTU conference yesterday, re-committing parliamentary Labour's to unions and to strengthening workers' rights. There was a bit of a discussion, started by Mary, last night on The Standard, about whether Cunliffe's Labour would continue…
benefits david cunliffe employment greens housing labour mana poverty sustainability Unions wages workers' rights
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David Cunliffe showed that he wasn't just pandering for votes in the leadership race by reaffirming and strengthening his commitment to work rights at the CTU conference yesterday. When David is PM the minimum wage will rise to $15 an hour, the public service will…
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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 Policy). Step right up to the mike...
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This is from a contributer about the Christchurch East by election. "It’s no secret that National’s campaign in East hasn’t exactly gotten off to the most inspiring start, what with picking someone who lives in Waimakariri, and who has only just arrived back in the…
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Hadyn Green was at the Brunei TPPA talks in August for Consumer NZ and a couple of other groups. His post on Public Address today is an excellent run through many of the points that bother me. For instance this section on intellectual property The…
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Freely available, no or low cost broadcasting, media and communications are essential for democracy to thrive. NZ's broadcasting and digital communications policies, provisions and regulations are failing to measure up. Cunliffe's Labour has at least twigged that broadcasting and digital communications policies need to be…
broadcasting capitalism democratic participation internet labour telecommunications
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Stopping contributions to the Cullen Fund was always going to stand out as one of John Key and Bill English's most economically inept decisions. They chose to stop the Fund buying assets just when they were at decades low prices, Crown borrowing was cheap, and…
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Sorry for the repeated reminders but this is important. Today is realistically the last day for people to record their vote in the 2013 local body elections. If they are keen they can deliver their votes to various local collection points which in Auckland includes…
elections local body elections local government uncategorized
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A recent study gives a strong indication of the extent of, and the recent increases in, insecure work in NZ. It is being released at the CTU conference today, along with the launch of a campaign to improve worker security. Simon Collins in today's NZ…
employment quality of life unemployment Unions workers' rights
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One of the more enduring myths presented by the proponents of treaties like the TPPA is that they have to be approved by the NZ parliament. This isn't the case. As usual with most right wing myths, they appear to be taking their civics lessons…
Economy john key Minister for International Embarrassment slippery
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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 Policy). Step right up to the mike...
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It's curious than John Key has stepped into the breach to chair the TPP discussions, in Obama's absence from APEC Summit. Of course the anonymous NZ Herald Editorial claims it is something to cause kiwis to be proud. I guess we won't hear or read…
australian politics capitalism climate change crosby textor democracy under attack energy john key slippery Unions us politics
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As the US federal government shutdown drags on, an even more crucial point is approaching. The US government will hit its debt ceiling in ten days. If that happens, the results will be cataclysmic. But the Republicans who control congress hardly seem to care. Having…