Judicial review of water ownership rejected
A win for the Nats, a loss for the country. The Maori Council’s request for a judicial review of water rights has been rejected.
Advocacy activism in precarious times
In these troubling times, it was uplifting to see the flax-roots, practical and collaborative action at the Onehunga Recession Busting rally for beneficiaries today. Volunteers in front of the WINZ office in Onehunga Mall, are giving support and assistance to those most in need.
NRT: Reported back
This Bill strips Cantabrians of their democratic rights and extending the Canterbury dictatorship for another three years. And why? Because given a democratic choice, Canterbury’s voters might vote the “wrong” way and prevent National’s farmer-cronies from stealing their water.
Something rotten in the state…
As an outsider watching the struggles in the Labour Party unfold, I am becoming increasingly despondent about the state of Left wing politics in NZ. Right now, NZ, and those of us who party vote Green/Mana, require a strong, democratic and solidly left wing Labour Party.
This
Child poverty is fixable, but National isn’t interested.
Banks private prosecution begins
The hearing into the private prosecution of John Banks over his ‘anonymous’ mayoral donations begins today. That the private prosecution has got this far shows the judge believes there is a prima facie case – which puts the Police to shame for failing to take Banks to court. Banks is trying to avoid taking the stand, but I don’t see how he ultimately can.
Shitcast
Auckland City Council is developing a computational model of the predicted sewage-related pollution at its beaches. A forecast for sewage, a Shitcast if you will. I’m not protesting the idea of forecasting pollution. I’m protesting the sad fact that it is necessary in “100% Pure” NZ. I think John Key needs to find himself some different advisors to tell him it isn’t so.
Open mike 11/12/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Caption contest
Being fired for union membership is disgraceful
CTU press release in response to story of Todd Rippon being dismissed from his job for being a union member.
Help our kids!
Irish has already covered the appalling statistics from the Children’s Social Health Monitor. What struck me was the paucity of the Government’s response. […]
Doha blah blah blah
The climate change talks still grind on every year, but nothing useful seems to happen as a result. The recently concluded Doha talks are no exception. By the time the Power Shift generation takes over they will be facing a near impossible task.
Mega-screenshots promise more embarassment
Kim DotCom has been twittering about his new website that is under development to the amusement of some observers. But for us in NZ we’re probably less interested in the layout of his file manager than what is actually in the screenshot of the file manager. Promises yet more pain for the government and it’s inept police and security services.
A $3 billion loan for Transmission Gully
Transmission Gully is meant to cost about a billion dollars to deliver about half that in benefits, right? Well, thanks to the magic of Public Private Partnerships, National’s managed to triple that cost! If they manage to get the contract signed before the next election, they’ll lock us into annual payments of $120-$130m – totaling $3 billion over 25 years.
Killing our kids
Over at Stuff Ben Heather is reporting on the Children’s Social Health Monitor and the chilling fact that, in the last five years, 600 Kiwi children have died from poverty related causes.
Open mike 10/12/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Butterfly upon a wheel, or we haven’t changed
Back five years ago*, when The Standard was founded by people like Ralph, Irish, Lynn, Tillerman, and Tane, it stood for a few basic Leftwing principles. Pro-worker, pro-environment, pro-equity, and anti-elitist. And it saw a Labour-led Left government as the best vehicle to achieve those goals. Much of the crew has changed but the values and the goals haven’t.
And Fairfax makes three
After good news for Labour in the most recent TV1 and 3 News polls, the latest Fairfax poll is the third in the set confirming that the party has emerged from the recent media circus in OK shape. As far as I know that’s the last big poll of 2012, and with the Left / Right gap halved since the election, a reasonable place for Labour to be sitting at the end of the year.
Sunday Reading
My regular Sunday piece of interesting, longer, deeper stories I found during the week. It’s also a chance for you to share what you found this week too. Those stimulating links you wanted to share, but just didn’t fit in anywhere. This week: Tax-shaming and the real shirkers, climate change, disability month and happiness.
Open mike 09/12/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
I, Vipertacus
Just wanted to say, seeing so many of the regulars change their name in honour of Colonial Viper is awesome. That tells me this is a real community. We discuss, argue, fight, and we respect. We’re not like the disgrace of an MP who has hounded CV into silence because she can’t handle honest criticism. Proud of you lot for standing beside our own.
The enemy is still not your friend
It’s pretty clear: the Greens have managed to hold on to the massive gain they made during the last election campaign, largely at Labour’s expense as it imploded. Labour’s back to its pre-campaign level, at National’s expense. Lab+Green=Nat or thereabouts but the Left needs a good 5% more from the Right to feel confident. So, this is not the time to be listening to John Armstrong’s advice.
Poverty Watch 15
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 eduction, and a special edition of Poverty Watch coming up…
Protest! Asset Sales – TPPA
Yesterday evening there was an Aotearoa Not For Sale protest in Auckland: 350,000 signatures achieved! Today, Sat 8 Dec, Day of Action against TPPA: NELSON – noon: AUCKLAND – march leaves Aotea Sq at 2.00 pm sharp! [Update: only news when there’s violence!]
Open mike 08/12/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Shearer Says
David Shearer’s weekly e-newsletter, this week on the Auckland tornado, and the emergency response.
We’re happy to post similar newsletters from other opposition leaders – our email is on our contact page.
Weekend social 07/12/2012
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no […]
Merry Christmas Hillside
Another sad chapter in the ongoing collapse of manufacturing in NZ. A particularly bitter chapter, because it didn’t have to be this way.
Open mike 07/12/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Just how wrong can you get it?
Word is that a senior Labour MP (who will go unnamed) has been lobbying National Council to put rules in place for party members who participate in the blogosphere.
Opposing TPP
Away from the front pages of the MSM, there is information about opposition to the TPP. Aside from the secrecy, the TPP is looking far too complex and all-encompassing. There are some protest events coming up in the next few days.
A fair waka-jumping law?
It’s back in the news with Brendan Horan, but what to do in a party-based system like MMP with an MP who is no longer in their party?
Auckland’s tornados again
Auckland has been hit by tornado’s again (last time was in May 2011). Several people are dead. NZ Herald reports Storm brings death […]
I’d almost agree with David on gender discrimination
A partner in a Napier legal firm is boycotting the annual Law Society Christmas party because it is being held in a club that will not allow women as members. “Women had to fight to get the vote. I’m not prepared to let that part of our history go, I’m not prepared to take that for granted.”
When ideology fails: a Dickensian Govt
The Key government’s sham and failed ideology of freedom and democracy can be seen in two Bills that were before the House this week. This government is increasingly autocratic and anti-democratic, while enabling the powerful to exploit and control the powerless, including children.
AA wakes up to Peak Oil
“It can only get worse from here.” – that’s the Automobile Association’s numbers man on petrol prices. It’s quite a revelation because, until now, the AA has been firmly part of the dinosaur establishment that has been insisting petrol prices will ‘soon’ fall to ‘normal’. Mark Stockdale also gets the logical response to peak oil – stop building sprawl, reduce consumption.