Alan Turing may get a pardon from the UK government. Turing made major contributions to the development of computing and maths, but was also subjected to damaging surveillance, suspicion and dehumanisation because of his sexuality. Nothing to hide, nothing to fear? How to promote digital democracy?
I was hoping that Peter Dunne was going to make a stand on Kiwi’s rights of privacy. Looks like I was wrong …
The Natural Disaster Fund is filled by the EQC levy you pay on your home insurance (currently, $200 a year) and is there to cover EQC payouts. Now, the Fund sits empty. So what happens if there’s another big one, or even a medium-size quake – as is likely and as the Wellington quakes have reminded us is possible? Key would try to borrow billions.
Let’s hope that workers’ rights and safety are protected in the wake of the Wellington quakes.
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Predictably, Peter Dunne has caved. Vance and Small with the details.
The Nats used to make a career out of faux “nanny state” hysteria. Now they want to ID number and track beneficiaries’ kids in pre-school. Paul Little warns of “the surveillance state that we are becoming”.
…happier – according to preliminary research from the University of Melbourne.
Let’s not sideline the GCSB and related surveillance Bills. It’s about democracy, and against further consolidation of the power of the international, “neoliberal” corporate elites. Nation wide demos this Saturday; public meeting in Auckland this Thursday evening. Phil Goff resists, but bends a little too far. [Update] Protest poster
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Three News’ latest poll tonight doesn’t look good for Labour.
Venue for discussing the quakes that have hit Wellington and other centers in middle NZ.
Take care all.
Over the last few weeks Labour has been in a state of agitation as the party, the affiliates and even the caucus have come to the realisation that the Shearer project has failed.
The Government has been warned that the Employment Relations Amendment Bill is likely to breach ILO conventions. Bridges has responded by saying that the breaches “may not be significant”. Why is it that the Government gets all hard core when dealing with beneficiaries legal obligations but is so casual when it deals with its own obligations?
A Sunday feature – each week a random section scanned from a copy of The Standard, September 15th, 1938. Find out more here.
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Kevin Rudd announced yesterday that boat people will not be allowed to apply for refugee status in Australia and instead will be shipped to Papua New Guinea and they will have to try their luck there. Tony Abbott thinks that the proposal is promising, Greens leader Christine Milne thinks it is ruthless and repugnant. It seems that Rudd will do and promise anything for power.
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, poverty and educational outcomes.
Yesterday The Herald ran two pieces on the latest Ministry of Social Development’s report on household income. They have very different conclusions – Brian Fallow’s Rising inequality largely a myth and Max Rashbrooke’s Rich get richer. The poor? Have a guess. So who’s right?
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no […]
A new report on the UK government’s outsourcing of public sector work is damning. Necessary and basic work to fulfill individual and social needs, (eg social security, unemployment, health care, education) is being “gamed” and scammed by monopolistic private contractors. Key’s government favours outsourcing to private profiteers.
National’s dirty deal with Sky City includes the right for the government to ban groups it doesn’t like from booking the convention centre.
Free speech. Use it or lose it.
The latest Roy Morgan poll is mixed news for the Left. A second high result for National, but Labour’s vote holding steady after difficult weeks.
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
I/S at No Right Turn on Street’s End of Life Choice Bill.
Yesterday, National released hundreds of pages of documents on the SkyCity deal. They paint the picture of a government that locked itself politically into getting a deal and locked in SkyCity as the only option then was surprised when SkyCIty screwed them for everything it could get. Even the far from bleeding hearts at Treasury said it wasn’t worth the cost.
The Nats resent every cent spent on welfare. They want our consent to keep “culling” people off it as fast as they can. They hope that they can get our consent by re-framing New Zealand’s social safety-net as – quite literally – a dangerous addiction. It is a ludicrous framing, equivalent to blaming the bandage for the wound.
Peter Dunne may be the best chance that we have of defeating the GCSB amending legislation. He has said that there is a principle at stake in that his rights of privacy have been breached and I believe that he is right. Time to seek his support?
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
They say you can tell a pathological liar by the fact they’re no longer just lying about the big stuff, but start telling petty, irrelevant lies that hardly even seem worth it.
Sean Mortensen was killed at Robin Hood Bay, Port Underwood in Marlborough. He was 34 years old. He worked for Pelorus Contracting Ltd and was in a forest managed by Merrill and Ring Ltd.
Nice to be able to congratulate the Nats on an environmental decision for a change!
