A sincere question about CE pay
Seriously, people, what on Earth can David Smol, CE of MoBIE, possibly do to earn $590k a year?
Shearer Says
David Shearer’s weekly e-newsletter, this week on Tiwai, jobs, and the manufacturing sector
We’re happy to post similar newsletters from other opposition leaders – our email is on our contact page.
Shearer, Key, credibility
The strange case of what was or was not said on February 29th by Key to GCSB staff regarding Kim Dotcom. In the Shearer Key face-off I know who I think the public will believe – surprise surprise it’s David Shearer. Here’s why…
Poverty Watch 7
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, three good pieces on the recent Children’s Commisioner’s report, the Nats dither on food in schools, and much more…
Open mike 13/10/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Historic joint party Inquiry: Crisis in Manufacturing
Today leaders of 3 opposition parties took part in an historic press conference. Winston Peters, David Shearer and Russel Norman jointly announced the launch of a parliamentary inquiry into the crisis in manufacturing. Update: Links to articles added. One News Video.
I want one
I think you will want one too…
Weekend social 12/10/2012
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no […]
Harawira’s arrest
On any other morning Hone Harawira’s arrest would be the big political news story of the day.
Time for change
Unions, businesses, and political parties will come together today to form a united front on the need for change to save manufacturing in New Zealand. If National want to stand isolated against the new consensus, that’s their problem.
Spreading privilege
This week I’ve been to see the surrealists at the Tate Modern in London, and read about the surrealists at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham. God knows what Cameron was talking about, with his line about spreading privilege – Knighthoods for all? Everybody off to Eton and Oxbridge?
Shooting the moon
If I were in Labour, I would be looking at the polls and thinking that a small target strategy is best: preserve your credibility at all costs, keep your head down, pick up the votes as National self-destructs – it worked for Key in 2008. Instead, Shearer seems to be trying to shoot the moon with a knock out blow to Key (interesting parallel to Norman’s export policy there).
Open mike 12/10/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
The incredibly incurious and forgetful Mr Key
“So what?” says Key as allegations emerge from within GCSB that Key cracked jokes about the spooks’ (illegal) involvement in the Dotcom raid when he was briefed by them on February 29th. It either means you realised their spying and are incompetent for not questioning its legality or that you knew all about the illegal spying and didn’t care – that’s what.
Watch Campbell Live at 7pm
Apparently there’s a tape of Key mentioning Dotcom on February 29th. Another bit of Key’s story collapses? Watch Campbell Live at 7 for more…
Action on poverty missing from Bennett’s plan
I don’t have a problem with more information-sharing on vulnerable children. But Bennett could have done something substantial to improve the lives of children – extending the child payment to beneficiary families. National won’t spend the money on kids. So, after 4 years, all Bennett can produce is a bit of bureaucracy to look like she’s taking action.
The race to the bottom
Youth rates are an admission of economic failure.
Research-based opinions
Bill English on quantitative easing: “There are big risks with it and it is just barmy to suggest that in an economy growing at all that you would do it”. So, are the countries that are using QE to push up our currency growing? EU: -0.3% (14 of the 27 member states are growing), US: 2.1%, Switzerland: 0.6%, Japan: 3.3%. So, yes, countries use QE while growing – and it lets their businesses undercut ours.
Selling New Zealand: 100% Muddle-Urf
Why is John Key backing the flagging tourist industry as a major export earner for NZ’s future? His trip to Hollywood was partly about using the Hobbit to promote NZ as a tourist destination. Why is the government so fixated on attracting more US tourists?
White Wash Paper
Paula Bennett “can’t find the time” to appear on Morning Report this morning. The release of her White Paper on Vulnerable Children is – as she puts it – “one of the biggest and certainly most significant changes that will be in my time as minister.” So why doesn’t it include any action on Child Poverty? And why is she running from the hard questions? Our government ministers seem to have forgotten about accountability to the voting public.
Lab+Greens move well clear of National in latest poll
The Key effect is over. That’s the conclusion you draw from the latest Roy Morgan poll. It shows National down to 41.5% and Lab+Green surging to 47%. The last time National polled consistently in this range was before Key became leader. Now Key’s no longer an asset, it’s only a matter of time before he’s a liability. The Collins and Joyce Factions will be sharpening the knives.
Open mike 11/10/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Jon Stewart for President
Did you see the Jon Stewart vs. Bill O’Reilly mock presidential debate – “The Rumble in the Air Conditioned Auditorium”? Is it too late to get Stewart on the ticket for November?
Does Key give a damn any more?
My old man, a casual observer of politics, said the other day: “John boy doesn’t look like he wants to be there anymore”. I reckon he’s right. Except when he’s doing photo-ops, Key looks ever more grumpy and aloof. No wonder he’s spending so much time overseas. No wonder he’s making such bad decisions like betraying his promise to the Pike River families.
Key’s growing Dotcom problem
People don’t just vote for politicians because they like their policies. Just as important are trust and perceived competence. Key’s policies were never popular. He won on the other two – particularly trust. That’s why the Dotcom saga is so ruining for him. As more details of what Key knew or should have known come out day by day, perceptions of Key’s competence and trust in him plummet.
Tony Abbot: misogynist and hypocrite
It really was a pleasure last night watching the most obnoxious weasel in aussie politics, Tony Abbott, getting done over by a fired up Julia Gillard. She was pointing out that his sudden calls against sexism and misogyny could be better applied to himself. Then she spent glorious minutes detailing exactly why Tony Abbott was the last politician in Austrailia who could throw dirt using these charges.
Two paths diverged
So, we know what Key’s utopia is: golf, holidays, no jobs, and, um, no toilets. But where are the Nats’ economic policies heading? Fast forward 20 years: low-skill, low-pay, ununionised, foreign-owned, volume-based extractive industries, rather than value-added manufacturing, massive current account deficit … it’s a disaster waiting to happen. Fortunately,there’s an alternative.
Open mike 10/10/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Nats give the middle finger to Kiwi workers
When foreign companies want hand outs, John Key says ‘ how much?’ But there’s no such concern for Kiwi workers.
Young people need work – National gives them a pay cut.
40,0000 manufacturing jobs lost – Key turns a blind eye.
Manufacturing jobs: youth wage and benefit ‘merry’-go-round
The government spinning that there is no crisis in manufacturing and jobs. Meanwhile, they are extending menial youth wages, and large numbers of beneficiaries are merely shunted onto other benefits. [Update] Links to an article on the policies announced, to opposition responses, and to statements from Union organisations.
Manufacturing crisis
If I was at the manufacturing crisis summit this Friday, and if John Key was showing up rather than spending his time on Planet Key and claiming that manufacturing is doing “extremely well”, I would ask him this: How come when Hollywood calls, you drop everything and go; how come you arrest Dotcom for them and give them $50m a year; but when Kiwi jobs are bieng lost, all you have to offer is denials and the cold shoulder?
Mr Wrong
No wonder Key’s losing his credibility. He just keeps on getting it wrong.
- 24 Sept: I wasn’t briefed on GCSB’s spying on Dotcom. Yes, he was.
- 28 Sept: there’s no need for a Police investigation into the GCSB. Yes, there is, say Police.
- 4 Oct: It’s highly unlikely I’ll discuss Dotcom in Hollywood. He discussed Dotcom in Hollywood.
- 5 Oct: I won’t offer incentives to Hollywood. He offered them more incentives.
- 8 Oct: Intervening in the currency is “whacky”. Governments are intervening in all the free-floating currencies, except a handful of third world countries – and us.
- 8 Oct: There’s no crisis in manufacturing. 40,000 lost manufacturing jobs say otherwise.
Key’s snub to unions and workers
National promised us an “unrelenting focus on jobs” and delivered record highs in unemployment and emigration. Now Key is refusing to even attend a Union jobs summit, because on Planet Key everything is just fine. The unwillingness to admit that anything is wrong is just blind arrogance.
Open mike 09/10/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Hollywood Rules
In another slippery John Key u-turn, after his mission to Hollywood ‘sweeteners’ are now on the table. Key is bending over to let US-based conglomerates extend their dominance in NZ, in support of their own interests and values.
Herald promotes cheating and tax evasion
I was surprised this weekend to see The Herald come out with a strongly stated piece in favour of cheating and tax evasion.