Open mike 07/05/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Interesting election May 5
Results are coming in for council elections in England and for the Welsh and Scottish Assemblies.
The most interesting result will be the referendum on Alternative Vote for the whole UK.
It is likely to go down according to the polls.
John Key’s $800,000 funnies
Turns out John Key quite likes making jokes about his DPS entourage.
I wonder if he finds it even funnier that we’re the ones picking up the $800k bill for them.
Cheer up, it’s Friday
Weekend social 06/05/2011
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no […]
Key’s fantasy?
Saying a lot while saying very little
The out of touchness, she burns! In a few short replies, the Nats said so much this week. The stories of perk abuse have been rolling out almost too fast, in fact. Each needs following up, each minister needs to be hounded, but there are so many targets. The galling thing is in a fortnight the Nats will tell us ‘everyone has to tighten their belts’.
Life in the fast lane
Judith Collins has joined the long list of National MPs with their hands buried up to the elbows in the taxpayer’s pockets. She claims it was all within the rules. That doesn’t make it right.
Protocol
Judith Collins has broken protocol to defend John Key’s overuse of the DPS.
Looks to me like the threats they’re most concerned about are the threats to brand Key.
And they’ll pick and chose the rules they want to defend it.
Open 06/05/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Obama comes up Trumps
Watch Obama do Donald Trump like a dinner at the White House Correspondents’ party.
Trump didn’t like it. Crybaby.
Anatomy of a lie
Hone Harawira left himself open to attack with his comments on Te Karere.
But that doesn’t excuse the disgraceful beat-up executed so well by the right’s smear machine.
If this is how the election is gonna play out it’ll be no good for anyone.
$800,000 for PR props
John Key’s vanity has cost us another $800k
And the nats have the gall to tell us to tighten our belts?
What a joke.
Que CERA, CERA & n00b Shanks
Can’t remember if we’ve posted these two funny videos.
Youth jobs scheme
It’s not often that the Nats do anything praiseworthy, so I like to take note when they get it right. Their new youth jobs scheme, even though it only partially reverses their previous cuts, is at least a step in the right direction.
All quiet at the Commerce Commission
Since Paula Redstock was pushed out of the Commerce Commission with a lot of the other brilliant staff, there has not been one cartel or monopoly abuse case prosecuted by the Commerce Commission. This is the very same Commission that was previously saving us millions of dollars each year and paying for itself with its court settlements.
Elitist Nats’ heads in the clouds
Wayne Mapp revealed that Murray McCully’s air force flights to Vanuatu cost $65,000 in fuel alone and that he tried to stop McCully. Meanwhile, Key got a free helicopter ride from a photo-op but decided it was a bad look so he paid $2,000 for a 1 hour flight. Well, you and I paid $2,000. It’s always us lesser mortals who pay as Key and co bounce from cloud to cloud.
Key attacks another journalist
The Nats are obviously worried about public reaction to the recent revelations on the role of the SAS in Afghanistan. And as is usually the case when they feel threatened by a story, the Nats are striking out, trying to discredit or intimidate the source.
US Embassy: Political Objectivity of NZ Media Questioned
Here’s an interesting Wikileaks cable on the ‘objectivity’ of the New Zealand msm, particularly the Herald. The cable relates to the period leading […]
Open mike 05/05/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Rights and privilege
Righto. I’ve just watched the debate between Harawira and Brash on Close Up and about five minutes fifty into the second part Brash had the gall to challenge Harawira on whether he believed everyone should have the same rights.
Fabians lecture
“Capital Gains Tax” with Craig Elliffe and Chye-ching Huang
Venue: Owen Glenn Building, University of Auckland
Time: May 5th, 6:30 PM
Caption competition
Alan Grayson on Bin Laden
Alan Grayson lost his congress seat in the last election after a concerted attack from the right.
His open letter on the death of Bin Laden shows why the US needs him back next time around.
Billboard fun
Freudian slip from Fox News
Russel’s mana
Russel Norman has followed John Key and Phil Goff in the attack on the Mana party.
I’d hoped for better from him.
Perhaps it’s time he reflected on his own mana.
Update: it seems the Dom Post quotes might have been a fit of pique. Russel has posted the following on his facebook page:[more over the break]
Own goal by National flunky
Cameron Slater has the inside word on Murray McCully’s $75,000 trip to Vanuatu on a New Zealand Air Force plane that involved flying the 126-seater there and back to drop him and seven staff off, then there and back again the next day to pick them up. This story gets worse the more details come out.
Open mike 04/05/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
McCully joins Flying Squad
With his RNZAF jaunts to photo-ops, John Key has set an example his ministers seem keen to follow. Having seen Key use Air […]
Conservative majority in Canada
Stephen Harper’s Conservatives have won majority government in the Canadian election with under 40% of the vote on a turnout of just over […]
Tornado!
A tornado hit Albany in Auckland City. There has been at least one fatality. Judging by the number of sirens coming over the bridge, there must be a number of injured. Small tornados are not uncommon in Auckland, but previously there has only been a single known fatality.
NZMA position on health inequity
NZ’s doctor’s organisation is prescribing a healthier society: putting kids first, reduced income inequality (higher minimum income), investment in skills and education, and equity, not equality in our social services – helping most those with the greatest need. Take note Don, John.
Key calls snap Election for June 4
Now if the sight of that headline made you feel a bit sick for a moment, you might want to ask yourself ‘How […]