A recent report claims there is little economic benefit from tax payer funding for big overseas movies. Key’s damaging love of big Hollywood corporates is seen in the complex of Hobbit laws, intellectual copyright, secret TPP negotiations, & the Kim Dotcom-GCSB-Vance saga.
John Key claims there are Al Qaeda-linked Kiwis in the country and in Yemen. That raises several questions: 1) why haven’t they been arrested? 2) why do you need additional spy powers, if you already have these people 3) why is the PM breaching security and jeopardising the spying on these people? 4) isn’t that an extraordinary thing to do for the sake of political point scoring?
In its submission on the Pike River bill, New Zealand’s second largest mining company has told Select Committee that workers can’t be trusted to look after their own health and safety, and everything’s just fine the way it is.
But at the same time one of their mines has been partially closed due to a safety hazard.
John Key is getting into the habit of trashing important constitutional principles. The freedom of the press, the independence of Parliamentary Services and the principle that even the Prime Minister is subject to Parliament and the Privileges Committee have all been attacked recently. What next?
Presumably there is some tiny but “real” risk of terrorist action in NZ. But it doesn’t justify the broad powers of the Key-Dunne spying Bill. Recent experience and the government’s own protocols show that these spying powers will be used on activists and journalists that the government of the day doesn’t like. The 88 who have been illegally spied on already call bullshit.
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
In a desperate move to stop the spygate political scandal from reaching into National’s machine, Key has thrown Parliamentary Services head, Geoff Thorn, to the wolves (if you think he jumped I’ve got a bridge you may be interested in buying).
Scott has a letter from one of them thar Nu Zild terrists.
A message from Generation Zero about their campaign for the Congestion Free Network – much cheaper than motorways…
Winston Peters knew before the Vance telephone use report was prepared that Peter Dunne was the leaker of the Kitteridge report. Either John Key has not disclosed all the information about the collection of Ministerial telephone records or Peters has a source within Parliamentary Services.
Here’s today’s required reading (so far) in the ongoing spy scandals that are swirling around John Key and his fiasco of a government. Hey Peter Dunne, are you really going to vote for more GCSB spying? Really?
Is this what it takes to wake up the fourth estate so they truly fulfill their role to speak truth to power? Andrea Vance is mad as hell about the “hacking” of her phone records. Press freedom and all our democratic rights are in danger. Stop the GCSB Bill!
It has been obvious that some people live in a different world than the rest of us. One where Chicago school economics, work! […]
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Latest Roy Morgan is out and it’s a shocker.
Labour has dropped below 30% and the Nats are now over 50%.
So, what’s with all the negativity toward the Labour Party? Why so many comments on the Standard rubbishing the leadership, running down the party’s prospects at the next election, putting the boot in to the only party with enough mass support to bring an end to the dismal Key Government? They must really love Labour?
Tomorrow we will deliver our Submission on the Legislation implementing the recommendations of the Pike River Inquiry. Despite the PM saying all the […]
Key’s loyal retainers are trying to keep him out of the Vance spying scandal. Major players are straight-out lying. Sadly for Key, the evidence of the timeline is clear. This is his scandal, start to finish.
The Andrea Vance telephone record debacle is extraordinarily badly timed for the Government. At a time when they are trying to give to the GCSB huge powers to spy on all of us this particular incident shows us what is at stake. It has incensed the fourth estate. Key’s relationship with the press will never be the same.
Labour will be pleased at the reaction to its Latest housing policy, from Vernon Small, John Armstrong and (knock me down with a feather) Colin Espiner. Opinion polling is also in favour.
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
I know many of the liberal left don’t like or can’t accept the thought that banning non-residents from speculating on residential property in […]
David Henry did but didn’t get Andrea Vance’s phone records from Parliamentary Services and Speaker David Carter said that the information had not been disclosed but had been disclosed. And they expect us to believe that Henry did not look at the phone records despite asking for them.
Confused?
An NZ Herald Editorial exposes John Key’s politically motivated spin against Shearer’s housing policy, but also takes some swipes at the “left”. Gower misleads, by repeating Key’s “anti-Asian” smears, supported by the eg of a website targeting South African property speculators.
Why is it acceptable to his government that, under the current law, Kiwi families can be outbid for Kiwi houses by overseas speculators who have no intention of living here? What good to the New Zealand economy is created by non-resident foreigners buying existing New Zealand houses? In the new sprawl suburbs he wants to create, how many houses being bought by foreign speculators would be acceptable to him?
The Herald is reporting that more that 51% of Kiwis are in favour of giving beneficiaries with kid the Working for Families tax credit.
That’s right, just over half of New Zealanders polled wanted to give beneficiaries more money despite twenty years of active demonisation of beneficiaries by the right.
At the moment there are plenty of racists trying to accuse Labour of racism. I might put together a post on the Iwi/Kwi Orewa Nats later on, but in the mean time I give you – John Banks.
Anonymous NZ protests John Key’s spying Bill by hacking various National MP websites.
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Patrick Gower’s report on TV3 6pm News tonight, on Labour’s housing for Kiwis policy, shows what is wrong with corporate infotainment TV news. He gets tonight’s award for Jonolism. Here’s hoping the Campbell Live tonight will show Gower how it should be done. [Update: Campbell interviews Ferguson]
TVNZ U (youth, entertainment Freeview channel) failed commercially & is being shut down. There is space on Freeview for a public service channel: needed to build democracy. The Coalition for Better Broadcasting may be the entity to lead the way?
One of the many criticisms of John Key’s spying Bill is that it isn’t needed. Well rest easy citizens consumers, because PM Key has laid those fears to rest. Here he is, in his own words, explaining why this violation of our basic human rights is absolutely necessary.
You know it by now, Key, English, and Joyce have said it often enough – National’s formula for the economy is more mining, selling assets, and convention centres. We’re actually making less money from mining now than 5 years ago. Asset sales have been a predictable failure. But we’ve got 3 new convention centres coming, that’ll bring in the international revenue, eh? Nah.
