I've been thinking about politics, assumptions, and justice. I sat in on a recording of The Egonomist on Friday - thanks for having me there, guys! - and we discussed some of the issues and reactions to Sarah Wilson's articles on WINZ, specifically the backlash…
OK in an effort to preserve open mike for other discussions as well the Herald is reporting this morning that Dotcom says he has signed up one sitting MP for his new party. So who is it? I suspect that Karol has it right that…
Recently Australian PM Tony Abbott decided to speak to a group of 14 year olds who were visiting Parliament. Unluckily for him this particular group of 14 year olds were very sophisticated and asked him a series of questions which neatly skewered four of his…
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike ...
No Right Turn looks at one reason why Yahoo moved from the UK to Dublin. Escaping the ubiquitous and ever increasing surveillance requirements of paranoid "security" agencies who appear to only be interested in protecting elites rather than citizens. As it is, it is already…
New Zealanders have every reason to join next Saturday's (29 March) Day of Action against TPP. It's an agreement being strongly pushed by various major US multinationals, including those of the motion picture industry, computer industries and "Big Pharma". This article on the website for…
As reported on TV3 news a few nights ago, John Key said that "I have a very strong sense of how precious children are..." The children, that is, of Chinese consumers who are buying milk powder... As for kiwi kids, well...how precious are they, John?…
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike ...
So we allegedly have a "rockstar economy" with NZ's economy coming out of the recession and everything looking pretty rosy? Well, that's the NAct news that too often gets repeated by journalists in the mainstream media (MSM). So let's hear it for another chorus of…
The original of this post is here at Polity. The news this morning has all kinds of finger pointing between Hekia Parata, Derek Fox, John Key, the Kohanga Reo trust board, and others. Why are so many people pointing fingers all over the place? Because…
This is awful. The government has cut funding to the Problem Gambling Foundation, and National MP Tau Henare says on twitter it is because the PGF "criticises" too much. Apparently National doesn't like it when a charity set up to minimise problem gambling has an…
The Herald Digipoll released on Tuesday caused some consternation to the Labour Party. With support dropping below 30% I am sure that more than a few MPs took a deep breath. But there is something wrong with the figures. The swing in Auckland was for…
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike ...
This post first appeared here at No Right Turn and has been reposted it to allow it to be commented on. From an environmental economics perspective, mining is a wealth transfer, shifting public wealth (in the form of minerals in the ground) into private profits…
Making sure every rental property is a warm, dry home should be a no-brainer in the 21st century. Parliament will shortly get the chance to vote on my Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill. The vote will sort the parties for whom this is a genuine belief…
Election years are funny things. The most accomplished of politicians can make mistakes. And amongst National's cabinet there have been a few recent examples. Firstly Crusher Collins self combusts. Her lack of judgment in engaging in activity while on an official trip to China to…
One of the more irritating traits of National politicians is their bone-headed and short-term obsession about being rentiers selling raw and lightly processed raw materials offshore. Sure it is great in the short-term for the seller of the rights to those raw materials, but it…
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike ...
Firstly from David Cunliffe: The next Labour Government will give the forestry and wood products industries the policies they need as part of Labour’s plan for an economic upgrade, Labour Leader David Cunliffe says. David Cunliffe announced new policies today at the ForestWood Conference 2014…
So Taiwan’s ruling KMT is fast tracking a ‘Cross-Strait Agreement on Trade in Services’ with China in spite of the main opposition party, as well as 70% of Taiwanese according to some polls, wanting the Agreement reviewed line by line. In response, the Parliament building…
Your New Zealand Herald reports on the latest lie of Judith Collins: Justice Minister Judith Collins' "cup of tea on the way to the airport" at her friend Stone Shi's company in Shanghai involved a 30km detour in the opposite direction, it was revealed yesterday...…
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike ...
The crazy thing about Gerry Brownlee is that he is so incompetent because he never seems to study anything that he is responsible for. And yet people on the inside of the National party appear to rate him? I guess that says more about their…
The original of this post is at No Right Turn. What will climate change do to human civilisation? According to the IPCC, war, disease, and famine: Climate change will displace hundreds of millions of people by the end of this century, increasing the risk of violent…
I posted previously on James Dann's analysis of Amy Adams' landholding and issues this raises for her in her role as Minister of the Environment. The post attracted the attention of her Press Secretary Nathan Beaumont who left a pleasant enough comment pointing out that…
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike ...
As I've previously pointed out, John Key's National government only serves the privileged elite. But their policy of only favouring the favoured few is not only venal, it's really stupid economics as well. The reason why it's stupid is simple Econ 101, supply and demand.…
This was No Right Turn's take on David Cunliffe's broad stroke economic policy on Friday. David Cunliffe presented the broad strokes of his economic policy today, under the slogan of an "economic upgrade". Much of it was stuff we'd heard before: capital gains tax, universal kiwisaver,…
Rob Salmond at Polity looks at the draft Green party list. The Greens have released their draft party list today, in advance of a party member STV vote. The top 20 is: 1 Turei, Metiria 2 Norman, Russel 3 Hague, Kevin 4 Sage, Eugenie 5…
Simon Collins has a very good article in the NZ Herald this morning: the first in a series planned on closing the gaps between Māori and Pacific people and other ethnic groups. It is a well researched article, with a strong focus on the relative…