Caption contest
Spread the word: enrol to vote
Live News is reporting that 40,000 people have been removed from the electoral roll because they have moved address. Their enrolment update packs were returned to sender with the message: “gone no address”.
Christine Rankin is standing in Epsom
The Conservative Party’s Christine Rankin has announced that she is standing for the Epsom seat. This will add an extra degree of chaos to what is already an interesting battle. But will she help the National candidate or the ACT candidate?
Open mike 04/08/2014
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 …
Dancing on the grave of Hollywood and the reformation of the music industry
During every revolution there will be winners and losers, change can mean pain for some, especially for the bloodsucking leaches & parasites, that […]
ACT’s voodoo economics
ACT has announced its corporate tax policy and a cut in the rate from 0.28c to 0.125c in the dollar is promised. There is a slight problem. The figures do not add up.
Open mike 03/08/2014
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 …
Hang onto our land – it’s all we’ve got left
Steven Joyce says Labour’s opposition to the sale of 13,800ha Lochinver station to Shanghai Pengxin is based on “xenophobia.” It’s not, its basic economic sense. The benefit from our land should stay here. And Joyce’s open door has seen rail wagons bought cheap and fixed dear by Chinese workers at the expense of good local jobs and crucial Kiwi skills. Labour is simply standing up for New Zealand. It’s the right thing to do.
Steven Joyce is a pillock
If you need proof watch this morning’s TV3 debate with Grant Robertson.
The view from Russia
Long time commenter, grumpy, has had this post from a russian friend explaining his view on what has been happening in the Ukraine. As this event has excited considerable comment over the last few months, this will probably be a good discussion post.
Polity: Herald on regional roads fiasco
The National Government’s $212 million plan has Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee explicitly admitting that it is a massive pork-barreling for government MPs with public funds, and explicitly tells people to piss off if they don’t like it.
National and the Kiwi aversion to arrogance
Simon Bridges has spent $237,000 of taxpayers money to wine and dine and house eleven oil executives. And Tim Groser, Murray McCully and Claudette Hauiti have spent up large on the taxpayer tab. Way to reinforce the born to rule feeling National.
Guest post – Gaza
A guest post by Puddleglum on Gaza featuring a calm dismantling of Israel’s illogical defence of genocide.
Open mike 02/08/2014
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 …
NRT: Breach of contract
When National set up charter schools, they promised that they would be more accountable, and that contracts were a better means of enforcing standards than the usual school system. That works only if they’re enforced. NZ First has shown that at least one school is completely in violation of at least one part of their contract. So is the National government enforcing a contract? Yeah right….
Labour – Raise the minimum wage
Labour is promising to raise the minimum wage to $16.25. It’s the right thing to do. And it doesn’t cost jobs.
John Banks convicted
Updated John Banks has been sentenced to 100 hours community work and community detention for electoral fraud.
Updated links to reactions.
Open mike 01/08/2014
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 …
Epsom’s “choice” – first crook, now nutter
John Key says he wants to “give Epsom voters a choice.” Some choice. First a crook, now a nutter. Colin Craig was a bridge too far for Key, but Jamie Whyte sounds just as bad. I think this reliance on the unwanted parties will hurt Key; it’s beginning to feel like 1984 and 1990, where the governing party betrayed the voters’ choice. Covert or overt, before the election or after, it’s still a rort. People don’t like it.
Latest Roy Morgan poll
The latest Roy Morgan poll records a significant swing to the left with National now on 46%, Labour 30% and the Greens 12%. One poll only and obviously more work needs to be done but …
NRT: The last day
Today is the last day of Parliament for the term. After spending the morning on non-controversial legislation, the House will have its last Question Time and then an adjournment debate. And then they’ll be off to campaign for the election. The big triumph here? No last-minute urgency. No “wash-up”. Hopefully it’ll be a permanent change.
McCully’s incompetence and the ongoing case of the Malaysian diplomat
The Malaysian diplomat charged with serious offences has not returned to New Zealand. Despite previous assurances given by John Key it appears that his formal extradition will be required. And as further evidence of incompetence Murray McCully did not read the email advising him that Malaysia had invoked diplomatic immunity for weeks after it had been sent.
Local Bodies: Novopay Exemplifies National’s Governance
This National led Government is strong on ideology, weak on process and reluctant to accept responsibility. The Novopay debacle exemplifies all of these well. When questioned about Novopay, National Ministers will never accept full responsibility. Stephen Joyce has just announced that the Government will be taking over the management of Novopay after almost two years of stress and wide-ranging issues. No matter what National and its Ministers claim, Novopay is largely their fault, and taking responsibility and making apologies are not what this Government does readily.
Open mike 31/07/2014
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 …
Focusing on the issues that matter?
Everyone’s favourite National Party blogger Cam Slater has posted a sneaky candid shot of Metiria Turei in which he mocks her for *gasp* wearing a hat.
Wages up – Work secure – Labour policy
Labour has today released its Work and Wages policy. An immediate lift to $15 in the minimum wage, and a raise to $16.25 in April next year. 90 day free sacking option for employers to go in first 100 days. Core public service to get the Living Wage first, others to follow. That’ll put some money where it’s most needed.
What deal do we get?
Key’s promised to do his best to bring in ACT and UnitedHairdo. Last election this brought us the likes of Charter Schools – unmentioned by any party during the campaign. What policies will National foist upon us through this outsourcing deal this time?
Dairy drops further
As expected, Fonterra has dropped the milk solid payout from $7 per kilogram to $6. New Zealand needs a different economic approach for a long term sustainable future that doesn’t rely on strip mining soil and water or other resources. National have been consistently mismanaging the NZ economy in putting far too much emphasis on resource extraction and the systematic degradation of our ability to earn our own way in the world. Time to get rid of National’s lack of imagination and long-term planning from the direction of our economy.
When will John Key hold his ministers to account?
The list of National ministers with dodgy dealings is growing. But John seems desperate to keep them all. Higher standards are only something you talk about in opposition apparently. I guess when you have a list that’s brought in the likes of Aaron Gilmore and Claudette Hauiti there’s not much of a pool to be choosing new ministers from; but have National never heard of responsibility for one’s actions?
Open mike 30/07/2014
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 …
NRT: National’s roads are pure pork
The extent that the National minister have been pork-barreling the roading budget for their electorates is crazy. The OIA’s show that most of the $212 million announced by John Key at the National party conference is pure pork for ministers. They are assessed as costing more money to build than they will ever produce in benefits, even using NZTA’s infamously overoptimistic assessments. National MPs and Ministers want to be seen as delivering something for their electorates before the election. So much for assessing needs based on merits. They must be really worried about this election to misuse so much pork.
Walking through the wrong door is the least of Gerry’s problems
Throughout the last few years Brownlee has consistently denied that there is a housing crisis, despite almost every sign pointing to one. What we need in Christchurch is more houses, now. Affordable, well-designed, well-insulated houses. Lots of them. This is why Labour’s Kiwibuild scheme will roll out 10,000 houses in Christchurch in the first 4 years.
Voters Dunne over in Ohariu
Peter Dunne has been thrown the lifeline he has been begging for – National voters have been given the nod by Key to keep him on. One has to ask why would they bother – I can’t see him going back as a Minister after so many stuff ups and a resignation that leaves too many questions unanswered. Ohariu has a much better option in Labour’s Ginny Andersen – if she’d been there a truly independent Parliament would have delivered mothers 26 weeks parental leave for example. Dunne supported it initially but backed down when it came to the crunch.
Blinglish’s boondoggle bridge
Rob Salmond at Polity has discovered that amongst the $212 million worth of road projects to be accelerated by the Government is a bridge that will speed up Bill English’s trip to his Queenstown home. But officials have said that under current policy settings it is unlikely that the bridge will ever be built.
ImperatorFish: I did not order this – again
Scott reposts this Nick Smith classic.
What the Herald would like to say
Porcupine farm has a ‘real” front page of the Herald – what they’d like to publish if they only could.