Still an honest man?

BLip has been maintaining for quite a while, a little list of Honest John’s statements that aren’t exactly true. One iteration of this list “An Honest Man” is still one of the most popular posts here with many page views on a daily basis – more than a year after it was posted. Looks like someone has made a video of a few of the times when some of these were made. There is also a more recent BLip list of the words of our favourite lying politician.

The political beliefs of political reporters

Television New Zealand is requiring political reporters to divulge political affiliation, membership and other political party activity.  And John Key attacks TV3’s Linda Clark for allegedly helping the Labour Party.  Yet Mike Hosking and Paul Henry are free to trumpet right wing spin lines.  See the problem?

 

Compulsory voting and an explicit “none of the above”

I was listening to Wallace Chapman interviewing Professor David Farrell, from University College, Dublin this morning on Radio New Zealand on compulsory voting which he was strongly in favour of. At one point the discussion veered on to the issue of “none of the above”. I think that this is the key to compulsory voting. Add “none of the above” and “I don’t know”

Helen

Just been watching the documentary “Helen” about Helen Clark past and present. Pretty damn good. For me it was a bit of a blast from the past. I started volunteering for her in Mt Albert in 1989. But I suspect that the same will be true for most people who have been aware of politics in NZ over the last 3 decades. Those images of Muldoon and Douglas were kind of creepy.

Tony Astle does not want progressive customers

Tony Astle apparently wants to ban some left wing politicians from his restaurant Antoines. He should get a life. Because the idea is stupid and reinforces the impression that National is a party insisting on the retention of privilege for the few.

Snapshot of a nation: inequality

Al Jazeera reports on damaging inequalities in Spain under “austerity”.  High unemployment; 30% of children  in poverty, political corruption, tax evasion & a focus on football.  Suggested ways to decrease income & wealth inequalities in NZ. Update: TV3’s The Nation: inequality & Wilson & Pickett interview.

Governments need to do some work.

I nearly snorted my coffee down the wrong way when the Economist arrived on my pad this morning.  “In need of new oomph” opened with the obvious, that world wide growth was stalling. But then it moved past the usual central bank mantras to the need for governments to start doing something more useful than just cutting deficits. Translated to NZ, we need investment in useful economic infrastructure.

Key-Fletcher nexus: anti-democratic ‘Intelligence communities’

Campbell Live pointed to a massive, integrated shift in NZ governance under John Key’s watch. This enhances the power of international trade and commerce, incorporating the GCSB the US, & 5 Eyes . At the centre of this shift, is the murky relationship between John Key & Ian Fletcher.

Save the Poisons Helpline!

National are planning to merge a bunch of health helplines to save money. The 0800 POISON number could be scrapped leaving additional seconds or minutes until help is received in those most urgent of moments.

NRT: An agreement for the sake of an agreement

The more you look at the Trans Pacific ‘Partnership’, the more you realise that unlike the trade agreements of the past 20 years, this agreement isn’t a agreement about freeing up trade. It is about putting restraints on trade. For NZ especially, it appears that we will not receive anything from it. All it does is makes it harder for our businesses. No Right Turn looks at the latest disaster of NZ diplomacy..

Imperator Fish: Let’s shut down the internet

There appears to have been a hiatus in the flood of posts today. Perhaps it is because of the wise words of Imperator Fish pausing the world as they consider his wise words… And those of Speaker Carter (who appears to have a problem with most current culture).

Death by remote drone

John Key has not received any advice about the legality of drone killing and is totally comfortable with the extra judicial killing of civilians by remote drone.

The Woodhouse Family

Veterans Affairs Minister Michael Woodhouse dropped a clanger deciding he was related to a Gallipoli hero, and offending the Trooper’s real relatives. Twitter is as Twitter does, so they’ve dug up a few more family relatives…

The smoke & mirrors of the surveillance-military-economic-complex

There are a range of issues, which are part of a GCSB-intelligence-surveillance-military-complex. Some significant elements seem to be posing as diversions from other parts of the complex, and the way all parts hang together. What will he offer Obama to advance NZ’s position in the TPPA?

Occasionally Erudite: Please, Labour, stop trying to link everything to the housing crisis

Jono at Occasionally Erudite has this advice to offer the strategy team at Labour. Make sure pushing of theme(s) this election doesn’t get snagged into the irrelevant that doesn’t have much to do with it. For instance “…are people currently earning minimum wage really likely to be even close to getting into the Auckland, Christchurch or Wellington housing markets?”

Polity: The young ones

Rob Salmond at Polity looks at what our young have to look forward to in 2019  with National’s hands-off housing screwup. How an average family would fare under National’s do-nothing approach to the housing crisis then?

Are John Key’s pants on fire?

John Key’s suggestion that he had no involvement in Ian Fletcher’s appointment as head of the GCSB apart from giving approval to the State Services Commission recommendation is appearing to be less and less likely as is his claim that he knew nothing about the Dotcom Mansion raid until shortly before it occurred.

Campbell Live: Fletcher, Key, Clapper et al

Campbell Live broadcast a special on the GCSB.  It is presented information never before made public. Campbell pointed to how a major shift in NZ and 5 Eyes’ approach to intelligence. Whose interest is the GCSB operating in?  Why has John Key mislead us, or at least, fudged the details? Updated.

“Twitter sent to the Privileges Committee”

Today David Carter made a speech to the House about his considering of the complaints, resulting in him deciding to refer the issue to the Privileges Committee.  The over-riding consideration should be, do the rules and procedures serve the people and democratic processes?

Polity: Madness: Our house

How an average family would fare under National’s do-nothing approach to the housing crisis? Not very well. Even at the Treasury forecasts in the budget (which seem highly optimistic), this median New Zealand family, is projected by Treasury to have their disposable income go backwards over the next five “rock star” years. That is a disgrace

“Banks vs Mud”

John Banks murky past, including his metaphorical mud throwing at other politicians, came back to haunt him today: this as he headed into court to stand trial, accused of filing false electoral returns in an Auckland Mayoral campaign. Update: TVNZ report; Update #2: In court today

Denial

There is no housing crisis. Everything is fine.