Open mike 18/12/2012
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Cyclone Evan
I’m sure our thoughts are all with Fiji as it braces itself for disaster.
What’s new? Shearer retrospective.
David Shearer was on TV 3 this morning, reflecting on his last year. He claimed that he and Labour are doing well under new and settled leadership, taking a new direction. How accurate are his claims?
Port workers show how its done
You have to respect how the Ports of Auckland workers stood staunch in the face of the bosses’ attempt to contract out their jobs, without support from the ‘leftwing’ mayor and against an expensive PR effort. They’re still getting their own back. PoAL has just been fined for employing a strikebreaker. And, in Lyttelton, wharfies have started a smart new campaign.
Boot camps – Key doesn’t know best
Key was wrong about boot camps. He’s wrong about education, the environment, the democratic rights of Canterbury, the miraculous power of cycleways, the economy, New Zealand’s international obligations on climate change, and much more besides. Every year in office this arrogant government does yet more damage.
Open mike 17/12/2012
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Christmas gifts
Looking for Christmas gift ideas? There are plenty of ways to give a gift that will really make a difference. Here’s a small selection.
Sunday Reading
My regular Sunday piece of interesting, longer, deeper stories I found during the week. But this week it’s mainly your chance for you to share what you found this week, as I’m off overseas for a month by the time you read this.
Beyond the middleclasses
Political parties tend to target the middle-classes, while those struggling on low incomes have become increasingly disenfranchised. The MSM tends to focus on the impact of the recession on the middle-classes, and not those really suffering. Who can provide support over the holiday period?
The dark side
Fran O’Sullivan & Audrey Young are awestruck by Judith Collins as ruthless Force. FO’S does a fan-girl rave, slipping into fanfic mode.Was the Binnie episode a daring bid to become the next Nat leader? Will English & Joyce respond with callous, socially-destructive manoeuvres?
Open mike 16/12/2012
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America’s gun tragedy
Heartfelt condolences to the family and friends, and the many victims of America’s latest shooting incident. It’s the seventh in 2012, part of a rapidly increasing trend. I don’t think America will ever seriously confront the gun lobby and take steps to end this madness. That’s America’s real gun tragedy.
Poverty Watch 16
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, two damning reports on child poverty, and the Nats refuse to act.
Hone in the House
Mana has established a clear identity, as shown in Hone’s adjournment speech. Based in practice and activism. For all people, especially those on low incomes. A voice for Maori, Pasifika people and children. The Maori Party’s future is in question. What’s the future for Mana and Hone?
Open mike 15/12/2012
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Late night Twitter
Weekend social 14/12/2012
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no […]
Kia Ora Tariana
Hon Tariana Turia has announced today that she will step down at the next election. She has served as a Minister in various portfolios in two different governments. We had our moments in the past, but it was very good to be able to thank her personally and profoundly ten days ago for what she has done as the Minister for Disability Issues at the recent Be.Leadership awards in the Grand Hall in Parliament. I’m glad she’s staying on as Minister; as she said on RadioNZ this morning, she can put her hand on her heart and say that what she did she did for the people.
Finlayson QC
So Chris Finlayson, Attorney General, finally managed to get his Bill through last month re-allowing the antiquated title of Queen’s Counsel to be conferred on lawyers again. The title is worth hundred of thousands in extra legal fees you can charge with your added prestige of having ‘taken silk’. Yesterday he had his first appointment to the title. It went to…
2 storms and a rocket
With the GFC, changing climate and resource depletion, the struggles of the powerless get over-looked. Asia-Pacific has been described as the focal point of a new cold war. Storms in Samoa and the Philippines, a rocket launch from North Korea. How should we respond?
Get your asset sales petitions in
If you’ve got any asset sales petitions hanging about, quickly send them in to the address on the bottom. The Keep Our Assets coalition are shortly to send in the petition for the Electoral Commission to start verifying the 350,000-odd names they have.
Shearer Says
David Shearer’s weekly e-newsletter – on a year to remember.
We’re happy to post similar newsletters from other opposition leaders – our email is on our contact page.
Turia’s legacy
Tariana Turia’s on-again off-again retirement is on-again. She will not be standing in 2014, and is looking to her “legacy”. Unfortunately, Whanau Ora is profoundly flawed. But if Turia wants a legacy to be proud of she still has time…
Open mike 14/12/2012
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National’s 12 days of Christmas
Grant Robertson in the Christmas adjournment speeches yesterday gave a great list of National’s terrible 2012 gifts to Aotearoa. For the twelfth day […]
Bad news govt: it must be recess
The House went into recess yesterday. Today there is a rush of stories that are bad news for the government. Collins and the Binnie report, unsuccessful boot camps, and counter-productive anti-union and anti-worker policies. What else?
Campbell on Collins
Gordon Campbell on Judith Collins and the Binnie report (go read the full article on Scoop). “This is banana republic stuff from Collins”…
A country to love: a country to fight for
Key’s government and his MSM cheerleaders, lead the country backwards to increasing inequalities. It’s been a year of the battle of the men. Yesterday, Metiria spoke of an inclusive country to collaboratively fight for, and Jacinda Ardern spoke passionately for children in poverty.
A-G’s SkyCity report looming over Key
A typical Auditor-General report takes 3 months. “Larger and more complex” ones take 6. Metiria Turei’s complaint about the way SkyCity was chosen for an international convention centre in a ‘pokies-for-convention-centre’ deal has been going 8 months. Clearly, what they’ve found has non-trivial implications for the government and they’re making sure all their ‘t’s are crossed and ‘i’s dotted.
Open mike 13/12/2012
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Shearer on fine form
David Shearer was on fine form in this speech yesterday, rounding up the year with thanks to Parliament’s workers, greetings to the opposition “family”, a friendly dig at the Press Gallery, the year of “Partial Recall” and memory dot gone, and finally the serious business of holding the Nats to account on their appalling record. Good work.
NRT: Reported back
The Transport and Industrial Relations Committee has reported back on David Clark’s Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day) Amendment Bill, with the National majority recommending it not be passed. The bill will now go back before the House, where its fate will be in the hands of Peter Dunne. Will he vote for it or not?
Bare your soles for child poverty
The Child Poverty Action Group has organised a rally on Parliament’s grounds today at 1pm, where the public, media and politicians are urged to “bare their soles for child poverty” .
Will the Maori Party make a stand for kids?
The Maori Party has publicly called on National to act on the child poverty report. Was this a token protest for form’s sake, or will the Maori Party actually make a stand for kids?
Another Parata f*ck-up
What I like about Hekia Parata is that’s she’s proof that image doesn’t always triumph over substance. The Nats thought that as a good-looking Maori woman she ticked all their PR boxes. But, she’s been a PR disaster because she’s arrogant and ignorant. She keeps on making bad, poorly worked-through calls. And the whole government gets dragged through the muck with her.
Open mike 12/12/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]