Open mike 09/07/2013
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Snowden on US-NZ intelligence
Just up on Stuff, an article about Edward Snowden making links between US and NZ intelligence services, as well as between other “5 Eyes” participants. Does he have specific evidence that the system “insulates” political leaders from backlash? And Key?
Envy
The mantra of the ‘Pakeha Party’ is ‘If Maori get it, we want it to [sic]! No matter WHAT it is
(Yes, they still haven’t fixed the spelling error in their fucken motto)
Well, let’s have a look at what ‘Maori get’.
Dunne not convinced on GCSB Bill
Key has started making concessions in an effort to pass his GCSB bill to spy on Kiwis – but Peter Dunne is not convinced.
Government still doesn’t care about climate change
We have very good climate scientists in New Zealand, but the government isn’t exactly promoting them.
So I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that they’re planning on more than halving the climate research budget from $10 million/year to $4.5 million.
Is the Government bailing out Solid Energy using the Future Investment Fund or not?
The Government is planning to spend up to $100 million from the sale of one SOE, Mighty River Power, to prop up another SOE, Solid Energy. And the Prime Minister thinks one day that it definitely isn’t and the next day it may but it probably won’t and it is all too complex. Confused?
Robert Wade
As promoted by the Fabians, Professor Robert Wade is speaking across the country on Inequality and the ills it causes. Tonight in Auckland, Thursday Dunedin, Friday Christchurch and next Tuesday Wellington.
45,000 more signatures
The eight week window to gather more signatures for a referendum on asset sales is now over, and the new signatures will be presented to Parliament today. Lots of them…
Collins sanitising wikipedia
Wellington alcohol and drug counsellor Roger Brooking has revealed a campaign by Judith Collins’ staff to sanitise her Wikipedia page and the pages on various issues related to New Zealand justice issues. References to facts that National doesn’t want to acknowledge – such as its links to the Sensible Sentencing Trust – have been purged by Collins’ team.
Open mike 08/07/2013
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Pike River Compensation must be paid
Judge Jane Farish has ordered Pike River to pay $110,000 compensation for each of the families who suffered the loss of a loved one. But the various parties are not committing as yet to making sure that the compensation is paid. Justice demands that every cent is paid.
Do you like Pina Colada
Four stories this week in the MSM could be pulled together and used as a case study for a number of NZ’s economic and social failings in my view.
A problem of “masculine” values
The MSM coverage of the Labour Party remit, led by right wing propagandists, is riddled with sexism and the same traditional masculinist values that marginalise the poor and those with least power. I repeat my post that critiques a speech on gender & politics at the 2012 Labour Party Conference.
1938 8
A Sunday feature – each week a random section scanned from a copy of The Standard, September 15th, 1938. Find out more here.
Open mike 07/07/2013
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
ManBan!
Would it kill our journalists to add just the tiniest bit of fact into their Labour-scandal-obsessed feeding frenzy?
Poverty Watch 38
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, check out The Herald chat session with Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) ) co-convener Alan Johnson. What question would you have asked him?
Bob Parker is gone …
Bob Parker has announced that he is not going to seek re-election to Christchurch’s Mayoralty. Given that the Council has lost the power to issue Building Consents, that its Chief Executive is on Gardening Leave and that insurance for its building consents has been withdrawn this is not surprising. There clearly is something wrong with the City’s governance. And you have to wonder why it took the Government so long to respond.
Open mike 06/07/2013
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Who represents who
The Herald is reporting that the SkyCity deal to increase human misery pokie machines in exchange for a white elephant convention center was done at 8pm this evening.
Weekend social 05/07/2013
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no […]
The big issues: GCSB, Dotcom
Bill English diverts attention from questions about Key’s prior knowledge of Dotcom, saying it is not a BIG ISSUE. Trustworthiness, undermining democracy, misuse of GCSB surveillance in collaboration with foreign powers, blurring commercial cyber-security with national security – just some of the BIG ISSUES covered in the GCSB hearings.
The flat patch
I’ve been having a look at the Roy Morgan trend. Oddly, I don’t see this Labour ‘flat patch’ that people are claiming is happening. What is happening is that the Greens are trending slightly down (as it usually does mid-term) and Labour isn’t rising fast enough to offset that. We’re still some way off the safe-zone for Labour+Greens, and the question is whether we’ll get there.
Outlawing Begging
Ironically during the week of Auckland’s big sleep out there has been a proposal to change Auckland Council’s by laws to provide for […]
Notice to epicene women
The dynamic duo of right-wing blogging are the modern day incarnation of the likes of Henry Wright and his 1902 “Notice to Epicene Women”…
So, we’re talking about this now
National’s using Labour proposed gender balance proposals to take the media’s eye of the GCSB. It’s all in the game. But what about the seeming inability of Key to appoint women ministers? You know, something that’s actually happening, rather than a party’s proposed rule change? John Key has appointed just 8 women out of 28 ministers.
Meridian sale panic
The Nats must be panicking about the prospects for the sale of Meridian – because they’re resorting to extraordinary tactics.
Open mike 05/07/2013
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
On having a more representative Parliament
Labour should be congratulated for facing up to the lack of women’s representation in our Parliament.
They could sit around waiting for society to eliminate all structural barriers and usher in full gender equality, but frankly I’d rather they did something about it now. It’s a messy debate, but that’s democracy.
The tale of Michael Stevens – killed 27 May 2008 – hit by falling tree
I have collected up the available documentation on the men killed in the forest since 2008. I am going to try, using the […]
Man ban – Geddis on DPF
Labour is proposing female-only candidate selection in some cases. Andrew Geddis has indecent fun as he schools DPF on his “man ban” spin. Extracts below but go read the whole thing on Pundit.
Emmerson on privacy
‘The Pursuit of Loneliness’: death of a dream
US social critic, Phillip E Slater (1927-2013), lived anti-materialistic, anti-individualistic, community-based ideals: 60s-70s, middle-class, US-based counter-culture values, with limited political activism and focus. Admirable cultural values, lacking the politics to challenge global “neoliberal” elites. What can the NZ left learn from this today?
Privacy tools
It looks like privacy is going to be an increasingly rare commodity in the brave new world. Want to protect yours? Here are some tools.
GCSB Bill scaring off investors
One of National’s favourite lines of attack on any significant lefty policy is that it will “scare off investors”. So how now do they respond to Google’s threat that global telecommunications companies may well abandon New Zealand because of the compliance costs of the new GCSB legislation?
Open mike 04/07/2013
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]