Hide gone by lunchtime
Rodney Hide has resigned as Leader of the ACT Party.
While not actually a member of the Party, Don Brash will now lead ACT.
Key: out of touch, using RNZAF as personal taxi service
In the past year and a half John Key has clocked up nearly a full week of flights on RNZAF aircraft. The bill for the more than 125 hours of flights extends into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Apart from a few flights to Christchurch, it appears the main reason Key has been using our air force as his private taxi service is to get to photo-ops.
The Guantanamo files
The Guardian has obtained a mass of files relating to detainees at America’s infamous Guantánamo Bay. It’s an indictment of America. But because of our SAS involvement in Afghanistan, New Zealand doesn’t exactly come out smelling of roses either.
Police planning to screw up again
Morgan Godfery at Maui Street blog is reporting that the police are preparing to raid Te Whanau a Apanui for protesting against the Petrobas geological survey. The police have to be crazy to think that they can do another raid like the one in 2007. What are they looking for this time? More 0.22″ rounds?
Blanket Man to make bid for ACT leadership
Ben ‘Blanket Man’ Hana has thrown his loin cloth into the contest for ACT’s leadership. Despite not having any political experience, Blanket Man says he is the man for the job due to his firm commitment to laissez-faire economics, his excellent face recognition, and the virtue that he is not a tired, old, has-been, racist arsehole.
Open mike 28/04/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Paula Bennett – Out Of Touch
“Make The Politician Work” is a new “reality” series from TVNZ, with its first episode on Easter Sunday. I don’t particularly like the […]
Campaign for MMP Quiz Night
Quiz Night. Food and prizes provided. Friday 13 May, 7pm.
Fickling Convention Centre, Auckland.
Aug: Horizon Poll Easter 2011
Aug in Hamilton is a great little blog and Aug has given us permission to reprint some of the posts. In this post, Aug looks at the controversial Horizon tracking poll. It’s an interesting analysis and not great news for the Left. Time to get back on track.
Spending cuts I’d like to see – No 3
Following two years of unsustainable tax cuts and economic mismanagement, National appears certain to rebalance the books with spending cuts. But what will they choose to cut? George.com asks: ‘how about the $4.2 billion in roading projects that will return, at best, just $3 billion of benefits?’
Debt explained
The same scenario of tax cuts, national debt, and public spending cuts is being played out in New Zealand, Britain and the USA. Here’s the right wing argument in a nutshell…
Open mike 27/04/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
It’s all on Calvert
Hide’s gone if Calvert or Boscawen jump ship. But so is the one that doesn’t jump. I’m picking Calvert will be the key.
Update: As of noon today 3 News reports that Rodney may be about to go…
Fabians lecture
“Reconstructing Christchurch” with Peter Harris and Hon Lianne Dalziel. Venue: St John’s Church Hall, 176 Willis St, Wellington When: April 27th, 5:30 PM
Interesting election May 2
Canada will go to the polls on May 2. That election has just got a whole lot more interesting. The latest poll has […]
On the glorious dead
It seems to me that as the years roll on and there are fewer and fewer veterans of the World Wars left, our involvement in those wars is becoming glorified into the basis of a national myth: ‘our heroes’ noble sacrifice for us’, which is some distance from the reality . So I was pleasantly surprised by the documentary on TV1 on Friday night.
Buzzy Key
Over at Red Alert, Chris Hipkins asks what other photo-ops John Key has been flying to using Air Force helicopters. As well as the V8/Golf club dinner photo ops, Key has used the choppers three times in the past three weeks. Maybe he buzzed into his important photo-op at a Timaru skateboard park or the ‘cameo’ at the NZ Shearing Champs.
Eaarth
Open mike 26/04/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
In theory it should be seamless…
Shifting the site to a GeoDNS with fallback capabilities this evening*. This involves changing the domain name server addresses again. Now like last […]
A challenge to Gerry Brownlee
Lianne Dalziel has left her political future to the people of Christchurch that she represents.
If it’s good enough for her to seek such a mandate, then why shouldn’t King Gerry do the same?
The Mana Party & the Money Party
Hone Harawira is set to launch his Mana Party next weekend, possibly triggering a by-election in Te Tai Tokerau at the same time. At the other end of the spectrum, Don Brash’s haphazard to take over ACT may actually just be casus belli for him to establish a New Right Party.
Anzacs and Afghans
Today is the day that we remember our old soldiers. But perhaps it should also be a day when we consider our current soldiers, and how they are being used.
Open mike 25/04/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Bloody shambles
They called it the “flying coffin”. The Vickers Vildebeest, top speed 95 miles and hour. They joked that its only defence was that […]
The Marketers
I got involved in marketing through my business and was a firm believer. I spent tens of thousands of dollars on marketing, advertising and training as most companies do; but in the end it felt like I was selling my soul and I quit the system. So much effort is expended trying to sell something to people that they either couldn’t afford or didn’t need.
Nats try to warn off Brash
Tweedledum and Tweedledee were a bit slow off the mark responding to the news that Don Brash is looking to take over ACT. Took the Nats a while to get their lines together but have decided, on balance, they want ACT dead. And that will be a lot easier to achieve if Brash isn’t in charge.
Corporate media
How much of the “news” that we consume and the “research” that it is based on is bought, paid for, and subservient to, corporate masters? Recently, for example, Greenpeace has uncovered an attempt by BP to direct research relating to the gulf oil spill…
Open mike 24/04/2011
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Herald promotes Anzac scam?
“Fallen soldier records free to access over Easter” is the headline in a Herald story today promoting a special free access to a […]
Corporatism & Neo-Liberalism
The cult of management holds that individual shareholders, managers or directors are the main contributors to the success of a corporation, and thence the economy. And deserve the greatest share of the rewards. The jobs and income of all other employees and State servants is a generous charitable gift from these people. It’s a bunch of crap.
Brash to roll Hide?
Brash has thrown his hat in the ring for ACT’s leadership.
If the best the far right can do is a failed National MP warmed over then things are looking up.