Yesterday’s Herald revealed that Donghua Liu made a second donation to National in 2013 which was repaid to him after last year’s election. A brief timeline was provided but in the interests of greater understanding I thought a fuller timeline would be helpful.
It will soon be four years to the minute since the most destructive and deadly Canterbury / Christchurch earthquake. Condolences to the friends and families of the dead. Greetings to all who lived through it and remember.
Karol, ex of The Standard (and sorely missed), has started a new blog covering a mix of politics and popular culture. Please head on over and visit!
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The Herald announced today that Donghua Liu donated to National the sum of $25,000 in 2013. But the National return for donations in that year, signed on April 30, 2014, do not include this donation and Lee-Ross did not put it in his declaration of pecuniary interests. Maurice Williamson resigned on May 1 2014 for his attempting to affect a police prosecution of Donghua. But the story broke earlier.
One of National’s first five charter schools is a failure, and applications for new charter schools have been cancelled. Who could have predicted such a mess? Just about everybody…
According to some Ngati Whatua wanting to use Okahu Bay for a Mokopuna day has created something of a crisis. Maybe not for us or anyone who is reasonable but for the rednecks and the rabid right.
Another Roy Morgan poll out late last night makes decent reading for Little, Labour and the left.
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Politics involves competition, opposition and robust debate as parties jostle to capture media time and to promote their policies and points of difference. But Andrew Little has recently mismanaged his relationship with the Green Party. There is an acceptable line between promoting the interests of ones own party and maintaining a working relationship with future coalition partners.
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no […]
Prof Guy Standing is talking next Friday at 11am at AUT’s Auckland City Campus.
Amy Adams announced yesterday that $600,000 worth of legal reports about the Bain claim for compensation were going to be junked. Judith Collins has some explaining to do.
If you value independent news and investigative journalism please go and give them a hand at Pledgeme…
Recent events at The Telegraph in the UK are symptomatic of the slow death of journalism.
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There will probably be a story soonish in The Herald that will be of particular interest to The Standard community.
A new review of compensation for David Bain. Another fine mess courtesy of Collins/Slater and National.
Apparently Mr Gower worked himself up into an unseemly state of excitement with a chance to stick it to Andrew Little on the telly last night. Here are some more cases of late payments he might be interested in looking in to…
An alternative view to Te Reo Putake’s proposal that Labour should support Winston Peters in the Northland by election. I believe that Labour should stick to its current plan and endorse Willow Jean Prime.
Sometime in the next few days, Winston Peters will announce whether or not he will stand in the Northland by-election. He should run unchallenged by the left and Labour and the Greens should endorse him for the greater good.
It was announced yesterday that Novopay has cost the country $45 million more than intended. The Ministry of Education has accepted some responsibility but in terms of ultimate responsibility the Ministers involved, English, Parata and Foss should be held to blame.
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Professor Guy Standing will discuss the ideas in his new book ‘A Precariat Charter; from Denizens to Citizens” in Wellington on Thursday 19 February at St John’s Church Hall, Willis Street at 5:30pm. “Throughout history, class-based revolt has led to the creation of charters of demands, from the Magna Carta to South Africa’s Freedom Charter. It is now time for a Precariat Charter.” All welcome
The Government is planning to make charities pay for police background checks. You can’t make this stuff up!
SkyCity’s share price went up just before the recent Government announcement of the deal with SkyCity. Winston Peters wonders if some insider trading was involved.
I’ve been involved in exporting from NZ for more than 35 years in everything from manufacturing to software. I support free trade. It is always embarrassing watching idiots waffling on a subject without any facts. But that is what you get with the secrecy of the TPP restraint of trade negotiations.
So the Nats spent $250,000 working out that an Auckland convention center needed 3500 seats to break even, and are now about to be delivered a center wtih 3000 seats.
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It might well be in Labour’s best interests to cut the crap now and go into coalition with the National Ltd™ Cult of John Key. It would be the honest thing to do. Kiwis will then know where the boundaries lie and who actually is working to oppose the implementation of the wider neo-liberal ideology.
Celebrate International Right to Strike Day on 18 February by sending a message to Kiwi employers: stop undermining our right to strike!
That may be what it takes to interest charities in becoming “social housing” providers.
It’s looking more and more like Labour has found the right leader at last.
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Rodney Hide vs The Herald’s anonymous apologist on National’s mishandling of Sabin, and what it means for our democracy.
