Weekend social 17/02/2012
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no […]
Even English’s made-up asset sales numbers don’t add up
Bill English admitted yesterday that his new estimate that asset sales will net $6b in revenue, $800m above book value, is just a guess – the midpoint of the previous guess of $5-7b. And that’s not all that’s made up. The forecast foregone profits are way under-estimated. Even with these fiscal frauds, English still can’t get asset sales to make economic sense.
IT isn’t free
The Nats want to replace public service jobs with computerised systems. They claim that this will improve service and save money. Quite apart from the folly of destroying jobs in the current economy, they are likely wrong on both those claims.
Don’t celebrate too soon
National’s in retreat on every front. Its had to break its economic promises, again. Asset sales are a disaster. Ministers are exposed over the Crafar Farms, NZ on Air, and DJ Key affairs. The media’s gone off Key ever since he declared war on them. The bad stories that were getting nowhere a year ago now keep rolling. Even Mallard’s boorishness can’t halt National’s slide. But don’t celebrate too soon.
Open mike 17/02/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
VUW Post-election Conference
The best contribution by far IMHO at today’s VUW post-election conference in Legislative Chamber, held under Chatham House rules, came from Colin James. True to Colin, his paper is public, with much food for thought. My comments here too.
Disgusted by the Poor
“The idea that ultimately the poor must help themselves as social mobility grinds to a halt is illogical; it is based on a faith for which there is scant evidence. Yet it is the one thing that has genuinely ‘trickled down’ from the wealthy, so that many people without much themselves continue to despise those who are on a lower rung.”
Holmes and other toxic commentators
Why do we tolerate, indeed sometimes glorify, thoroughly toxic commentators and “media figures” in NZ? It’s a rhetorical question. The answer is, of course, that it’s all about the money…
Nats’ Crafar Farm kickback
On November 30th, after the election, National received a $55,000 donation from Oravida, a company formerly owned by Terry Lee, director of Pengxin’s Crafar Farms vehicle, Milk New Zealand. In light of National’s illegal decision to let Pengxin buy the farms despite a lack of real benefits to New Zealand, maybe we ought to examine that donation a little more closely.
Why hasn’t Key sacked McCully?
If you or I or, say, an Mfat official were storing confidential work files or, worse, officially classified information in our personal email and those files were hacked, you or I or the Mfat official would get the sack for gross misconduct. So when’s McCully being fired? Or is Key’s flippant “if it was really sensitive it would be out by now” what passes for security standards in the government?
Disconnect in Urewera case
If the evidence against the Urewera 4 is so strong and what they were planning to do so serious, how come they’ve only been charged with a handful of minor offences? And how come the others had the charges dropped? Where are the treason and conspiracy charges? After 4 years of delays, lies, secrecy, and official fuck-ups, do we trust the cops’ evidence?
Just one fiasco after another
In yet another internet related act of stupidity Trevor Mallard has been busted scalping tickets to a bunch of kids.
It’s time David Shearer reined him in.
Key’s ‘sell, sell, sell’ mantra out of touch with NZ
The Crafar Farms decision is sensible and a correct interpretation of the law. Foreign buyers must add something that a local buyer can’t, other than a higher purchase price. Otherwise, our farmers will continue to be out-bid for our land by foreign government-backed companies that can afford a lower rate of return, and NZ will gain nothing. So, why is National rushing to change the law?
Maiden speeches continued
Felix recommended Denise Roche’s maiden speech and I can see why.
It’s good to see some strong left voices entering parliament.
Open mike 16/02/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Maiden speeches
Haven’t had time to watch many maiden speeches but of the few I saw Andrew Little’s was a stand out.
I’m sure we’ll be putting a few more up over the next few days.
“To the best of my knowledge” – yeah right
“Not to the best of my knowledge – that is absolutely correct – I wasn’t even aware these emails existed until I heard about them yesterday” a flustered Key said in Parliament today. He didn’t know a thing about control of the programme. But his office suggested that Radio Live get the Electoral Commission’s opinion on the show’s legality. Watch this space.
Fran O’Sullivan will be distressed over Crafar decision.
Now there is a surprise (not). The Crafar farms sale doesn’t conform to the economic benefits required under the Overseas Investment Act. Fran O’Sullivan is going to be distressed. The decision by the OIO and government was not in conformance with the the Overseas Investment Act. Fran waffled about everything except what was required by the Act – as our “anonymous” authors pointed out and were abused for doing so by Fran.
Journalists – pah!
Billions down the drain on roads to nowhere
Gerry Brownlee has weakly attempted to fob off the decline in benefit:cost ratio of highway projects under National. ‘Sure’ he says ‘we’ve been […]
NRT: The nuclear option
Lockwood ‘small hands’ Smith is digging himself deeper into a hole that is going to destroy his legacy as Speaker over the Mojo Mathers’ right to participate in Parliamentary debate. The Minister for Disabilities, Tariana Turia, is missing in action (probably off granting more of your money to her mates). Key wants nothing to do with it. So, I/S at NoRightTurn has proposed the ‘nuclear option’.
Quick MMP review thoughts
Lower the threshold and reduce wasted vote; leave it at 2-3% to make it less likely multiple one-man bands hold balance of power. Stop winning an electorate being a route to getting list seats; eliminate most dirty deals. Let List MPs run in by-elections and people stand both in seats and on lists; banning these would result in undesirable tactics from parties.
Open mike 15/02/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Key involved in Radio Live show
Watch Grant Robertson’s question to Key today Robertson to Key on Radio Live Key didn’t know his office was deeply involved in the show that breached the Broadcasting Act? Even though he personally chose the guests? It was a matter solely between the Electoral Commission and the broadcaster? Judge for yourself.
We want our Mojo
Making Mojo Mathers pay for the tech she needs to participate in debate is bad enough. She is a democratically elected member and […]
Participate: MMP Review
You may have noticed the ads about The Standard for the MMP Review that the Electoral Commission announced yesterday.
Now’s your chance to have your say on what MMP will look like in the future.
New Labour MPs first speeches
The four new Labour MPs make their first (“maiden”) speeches today in Parliament, starting at 5pm. I’d expect to hear some thoughtful and moving speeches.
Brand Key, a do nothing Government & the hidden agenda
A number of terms are bandied about to describe both John Key and the John Key Government. Using such terms and trying to reconcile their seeming contradictions can prove confusing. Indeed, from time to time we have seen such confusion manifest itself on this blog amongst the right wing who argue how Key can indeed have a ‘hidden agenda’ whilst simultaneously being ‘smile and wave’ or ‘clueless’ and ‘doing nothing’.
Foreign banks bleeding us dry
The Bankers’ Crisis is hurting people all over the world. From the deepest, darkest austerity in Greece, to the continuing foreclosure tsunami in the US, to cutbacks and job losses here, it’s the ordinary people suffering the hangover for the bankers’ wild decades of unbridled excess and profit. But at least the banks are suffering too, eh? Yeah, nah.
Open mike 14/02/2012
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
ImperatorFish: If Political Journalists Wrote Sports News
Scott at Imperator Fish has kindly given us permission to syndicate posts from his blog – the original of this post is here
Speculation began yesterday that Richie McCaw may face a challenge to his captaincy of the All Blacks, after the team’s near-loss in the Rugby World Cup final.
Selling asset sales to [insert region here]
Not everyone in the Beehive is thrilled that National is throwing away its chance at a third term for the sake of asset sales which make no sense, economically or politically. The Standard has obtained a copy of the generic column that National MPs are meant to add some ‘local flavour’ to and have published in their regional papers. It shows how cynical and shallow their position really is.
Political orthodoxy and economic reality
Capitalism is good. Globalisation is good. It’s political orthodoxy. But is it matched by economic reality? Perhaps not. Recent pieces by Bernard Hickey and Gordon Campbell give us plenty to think about…
Open mike 13/02/2012
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
Snow Whites meet the forgotten dwarf – Wavey.
Site health – comments and posts
vto made a comment that he thought that the number of comments was diminishing at kiwiblog. Now I have no idea because I usually avoid the sewer section there. However it did remind me that I should have a look here. It feels like it has been getting more popular, but intuition is a poor substitute for actually looking at the numbers.
John Key’s emergency descent
A great graphic from the Sunday Star Times as John Key starts dropping towards a hard landing in the personal popularity stakes. And in the great tradition of journalists everywhere, the rest of the article is about how he is still preferred by rubber fetishists.