National MP Mike Sabin resigns
UPDATED: Northland MP Mike Sabin has resigned.
Green Party announcement – Russel Norman to stand down as leader
Twitter has gone berserk about an announced Green Party press conference for 11 am today. Initial speculation is that a Green MP may be standing down. Update: One News has tweeted Russell Norman has resigned as leader. Update: Russel’s Norman’s statement added.
Questions on Key’s housing sell-off
Key’s state house asset sale policy doesn’t make sense at any level, and the questions are piling up…
Open mike 30/01/2015
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NRT: An untenable position
I/S at No Right Turn on the Mike Sabin situation. “For the sake of propriety and the integrity of our justice system, Sabin must be stood down”…
Forgetting what the game is for
The Herald’s coverage of yesterday’s speeches gives us the opposite extremes of journalism. But the headline slot goes to the superficialities of the game, and spinning for their man Key at all costs.
John Key’s housing announcement
John Key’s housing announcement contained very little new information. Work has been put in for the past couple of years in developing the policy. The net effect will be that the Government will have more money for other capital projects not related to emergency housing. It will keep its fingers crossed that charities can pick up the slack. And the risk is that not one new house will be constructed at a time of intense need.
Open mike 29/01/2015
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Taxpayers Union Press Release on Eleanor Catton
The Taxpayers Union has responded to Eleanor Catton’s comment that New Zealand is dominated by money hungry politicans who do not care about culture by demanding she pay back funding used on her six month residency. Way to prove her point boys.
Imperator Fish: A clarification
Sexist right-wingers are lining up to abuse Eleanor Catton for speaking her mind. The odious Sean Plunket is the worst, calling Catton a “hua” (sounds like and sometimes defined as “whore”). Imperator Fish responds…
Labour’s plan vs National’s plan
The choice is clear.
Polity: Key deluded on housing progress
Rob Salmond at Polity on Key – “Is he deluded, or is he being deliberately misleading?”…
investing in social cohesion
experiences of solidarity and support can be found across the planet. they aren’t particularly hard to find, these many instances of kindness and humanity. so why does it feel like we live in a world that is incredibly hostile?
Andrew Little State of the Nation in 2015
The speech notes from Andrew Little’s State of the Nation speech delivered this morning
Open mike 28/01/2015
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Eleanor Catton on NZ
Award winning author Eleanor Catton has expressed her disappointment and anger with politics in general and the government in particular.
Polity: Crampton on online GST
Rob Salmond has a bite at Eric Campton’s rather ideologically naive ideas about balancing up the GST playing ground between local and overseas retailers. Rather than not doing anything about it as Eric suggests and leaving local retailers flailing. Why not just make it simple as local collection of GST?
can we just ignore it?
somebody says something stupid about muslims. then it has to be picked up by every media organisation who rush around for comments. of course they’ll find some muslims who will be angry and upset, given the serious stupidity of the comments. then the media report how OUTRAGED those muslims are, as well as interviewing the original culprit to give more air to his views.
Greece to reclaim its future?
Greece has voted to reclaim its future from the banks.
Open mike 27/01/2015
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Trump or Palin for the US Presidency?
Donald Trump and Sarah Palin are reported to be considering runs for the Republican nomination for the United States Presidency.
Solving the Housing Crisis – Facts or Ideology?
The scale of the housing affordability crisis, particularly in Auckland, is now unmistakable. Not only do individual families suffer as home ownership increasingly […]
Monbiot on state media and the corporate elite
George Monbiot wrote recently on how Canadian and United Kingdom public media reporting on corporate news are hopelessly pro business and lacking in any sort of balance. And how the volume of articles concerning environmental issues is declining. Is it the same in New Zealand?
Happy birthday Auckland
Happy Birthday Auckland. Body in The Herald comments on “A splendid anniversary”…
Open mike 26/01/2015
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Only in Queensland
Queensland Liberal Country Party Premier Campbell Newman has claimed that the Queensland Labor Party is funded by gangs because some people have told him so. Yet he refuses to acknowledge the urgency of climate change even though pretty well every climate change scientist in the world is telling him it is real and we need to act now. Can you detect the scent of hypocrisy?
The image of farming
Farmers are copping stick for doing what the rest of us are doing. We all need to change, not just them.
Open mike 25/01/2015
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The state of the union
American commentator William Rivers Pitt on Obama’s state of the union.
Armstrong and Small on Nick Smith’s RMA reforms
Senior political reporters Vern Small and John Armstrong have both chosen to pan Nick Smith’s proposed RMA changes using remarkably similar logic. Update: and Fran O’Sullivan has a go too.
Metiria Turei’s speech prepared for Ratana
Metiria Turei’s speech prepared for delivery at Ratana has attracted some attention for her strong criticism of John Key’s revisionism of Aotearoa’s history in suggesting that Aotearoa was settled peaceably.
Open mike 24/01/2015
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Weekend social 23/01/2015
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no […]
Number of Reported Child Abuse cases have dropped
For the first time in ten years, reported cases of child abuse have declined. Minister Tolley and I are in agreement, that the […]
The last gasp of oil
Fracking has created a short term oil glut. That’s bad news for climate change. Could we at least find a silver lining in this carbon cloud, or will it be business as usual?
Open mike 23/01/2015
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