The Front Fell Off
Clarke and Dawe on maritime disasters, all good build up to our own home-grown version…
Nats’ Rena spin all at sea
The Nats are clearly at panic stations. They’re trying to minimise the Rena disaster by comparing the number of dead animals to those killed by other means. As one emailer put it: “it’s like saying the Christchurch earthquake was no big deal because more people die of cancer”. Meanwhile, Key visits oiled birds and says they’re the price of economic ‘progress’.
A new low
Last election, National promised to subsidise a treatment for the rare and deadly Pompe disease. Now, they won’t even meet with the sufferers. The truth is that New Zealand can’t afford ongoing treatments that cost $1m per patient per year. National promises us whatever we want to hear to get our votes. Knowing from the start they’ll never deliver.
National’s undeserved reputation
National are seen by many as the party of business, and thus the party of the economy, who know what’s best for the country’s wallet. But the statistics don’t add up. Their reputation is undeserved.
No Dinner Dinner
Just a quick plug from your local Labour candidate…
Angry marine
Marine Corps. Sgt. Shamar Thomas speaks his mind to some New York police. A bit repetitive, but he gets his point across!
Open mike 19/10/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
No pay rises under Nats
St. Augustine said “Lord, give me chastity, but not yet”. Was reminded of that reading the Tories’ reaction to Labour’s work and wages policy. Tories say they want you to have higher wages. But not yet. It’s always later. Once you’ve earned it. In the ‘brighter future’. And they’ll scream blue murder any time you demand what you deserve today.
Nats “help” with more cuts
Amidst growing evidence of yet another broken 2008 election promise, John Key has nothing to offer except tired excuses and attacks on the poor.
Scumbags of the South Seas
“We need more cheap foreign fishermen” says the slave fishing lobby group. They say that it’s just like Fisher & Paykel moving their production offshore for cheaper labour. Well, tell you want, slave-fishers, how about you fuck off to China and we’ll stay here and fish our fish ourselves without breaking labour and environment laws? NoRightTurn takes up the story.
Anti-deepsea drilling petition
Time for a Government
Last election it was “Time for a change”. After three years of incompetence and inaction, our priorities should be different this time…
Time to take back what’s ours
update: Labour’s policy is here. Looks good. $15 minimum wage. Mondayisation of holidays. Industry standards to stop bad employers undercutting ones that pay fair wages. Good for workers. Good for good bosses. It’s a lot like the system the Aussies have. You know, the people whose wages we’re meant to be catching up with. The Tories are whinging. Like they do whenever anyone fights for higher wages
Open mike 18/10/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Nat minister: we don’t want success for other people
Which National Cabinet Minister said to Allan Peachey “You want success for other people. You’re a very enriching person whereas the rest of us have all come from backgrounds where we look after ourselves”? It’s a pretty revealing quote. National’s ministers aren’t about the greater good. They’re in it for their own glory.
Parallels with the Past
On Sunday the 10th of May 2008, John Key gave a speech at the Southern Regional Conference explaining National’s platform for the looming election. It’s an interesting read, and looking back to consider words from the past can uncover some revealing realities about the present
What could have been done differently
“Show me how you’d do anything different” says John Key. Let me count the ways. Increase the liability limit and get specialist vessels beforehand as was recommended. Get salvors and the Awanuia there quicker than 4 days. Take assistance offered. Organise the locals immediately. Put a hold on deepsea drilling. Replace Joyce.
Occupy Aotearoa
Part of a worldwide phenomenon, the Occupation has reached Aotearoa New Zealand. Anyone who thinks that they know where all this will end is fooling themselves.
Open mike 17/10/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
A plan to fix the pay problem?
Word around the traps is Labour is working on a significant new wage policy. Good – like nearly every other deregulated market the labour market has been failing Kiwis for more than twenty years. It’s time to bring some balance back into the system. Let’s just hope Labour has the guts to make a proper job of it.
ABs vs Wallabies
Here we are again. This time its ABs vs Wallabies 9:00 pm at Eden Park. May the best team win (but it better not be Wallabies!).
Wheelers: A typical working class tale…
Over at Wheelers corner in the Manwatu there is this rather classic post about a conversation overheard in a cafe. It really does stand on its own as a tombstone to a departing MP.
micky savage: Is it Phil Goff’s time?
Two weeks ago I thought that Goff and Labour did not have a chance in this election. National’s lead in the polls seemed too big, the country still seemed to be in love with John Key and Goff just was not getting the media cut through necessary to change hearts and minds. Then something happened. The wheels started to fall off National’s well honed machine.
Open mike 16/10/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
National’s tooth fairy wishlist
National’s election billboards focus on National’s “Brighter Future” plan. They’re not a plan, more like a wish-list for the tooth fairy. Bill board No 1 says “End the deficit sooner”. Sooner than what? This year’s budget? Not likely according to Brian Gaynor in today’s Herald. Pollyanna John promised a brighter future in 2008 – that hasn’t happened and the rerun may be wearing very thin.
Over or Into The Wall?
Will the protests around the world hit the brick wall of ingrained habits? Or will we manage to get over, around or beneath that particular barrier to progress?
Haka remix
The Rena timeline: capacity and execution
The Herald has produced an extremely useful and detailed timeline of the Rena disaster. It raises several questions that you can divide into two categories: first, did the government have the plans and equipment it needed to deal with a spill and, second, was its response carried out effectively? The Nats know the lack of good answers hurts them.
Pure politics
3News reports that: Key dismisses Goff’s oil drilling moratorium as ‘pure politics’. He’s right. But not in the way he thinks.
Occupation showdown
By the time this post appears a showdown will have taken place in New York. Check out the morning media, there should be plenty of coverage of events as they unfold.
Open mike 15/10/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Petard, meet hoist
Attentive readers may recall some time back, when talk about illegal police video surveillance was to the fore, that there was also mention […]
What the BSA said – Key on RadioLive
The Broadcasting Standards Authority has decided that Key’s hour-long promotional programme on RadioLive was not an election programme.
It will now be very interesting to see what the Electoral Commission decides in relation to advertising complaints.
Weekend social 14/10/2011
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no […]
Fools rush in
Labour has announced it will put a moratorium on deepsea oil drilling until it’s proven safe. Good. Basic precautionary principle. Clearly necessary given the piss-poor handling of a relatively small spill. Besides, there’s no rush to dig this stuff up. It’s not going anywhere and we can only extract it once. Will only become more valuable over time.
My images of Rena
From my facebook. Some opportunistic bugger is trying to offload their boat. TomScott in Weellington does his cogent best as does the Herald cartoonist. Then there is my favorite (despite its grammar error).