Open mike 14/02/2011
Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes […]
New Right Party?
There’s a somewhat fact-free article today on the possible challenge of a new “centre-right” party in Epsom. Whilst an interesting possible development, there’s […]
Lprent
I wound up in Auckland hospital with a heart attack yesterday morning. Survived due to Lyn’s quick actions.
The best they’ve got?
Today’s Herald contains the first unequivocal defence of National’s plan to sell our assets to pay for tax cuts for the rich. It’s disappointing to say the least – confused, piecemeal, and unconvincing. Ironically, it’s written by some guy from an insolvency company – ie. someone who makes money from cleaning up after others’ poor business decisions.
Lessons in hatred and tolerance
There are some ugly things going on in England at the moment, with PM David Cameron feeding an already eager fire of anger directed at Muslims. Meanwhile in Egypt thousands of Muslims acted as human shields to protect Christians from terrorist attack. “It is up to the press to report these positive stories and not exaggerate the sway that extremists hold over the global Muslim community.”
John Key: Bored?
John Key, celebrity, has got PM on his CV. He’s met Obama and Peter Jackson, hung with Richie McCaw, the All Whites and David Letterman. And now sounds a bit bored with the gig. Is that what we need in someone who’s supposed to be leading the country to a brighter future?
Open mike 13/02/2011
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The next million
Once upon a time New Zealand was the most prosperous country in the world, living on the sheep’s back. But that was when its population was only two million. The fruits of a raw commodity export sector now have to be spread over more than four million. We could provide decent jobs and income for all by processing these commodities in New Zealand.
Mubarak gone
Great news from Egypt: Hosni Mubarak has resigned. Could we be witnessing a wave of democratisation like the one that swept Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall? Lets hope so. The army is now in charge and it was the army that overthrew the monarchy and created the dictatorship in the first place. Democracy may not be their goal.
Tackling the big issues
Key: So, Gillard’s coming. Are we talking about a single economic zone?
Groser: Umm. No. Mobile roaming charges.
Key: Christ, Tim. We’re really racking up wins for Kiwi exporters here, aren’t we?
Captain Panicpants: Your numbers with women are down over Hurley. They say you sounded disloyal and they empathise with Bronagh.
Key: Shit now that’s serious. Call the missus. We’ll do something cutsie and distracting.
Power: saving money too expensive
The government is pleading poverty thanks to the tax cuts for the rich (and even though government debt is under control). This is their excuse for welfare and spending cuts and asset sales. This is shown to be pure spin by the fact that they’re passing over the opportunity to save the economy $75 million because they won’t spend $28 million.
Open mike 12/02/2011
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Kiwiblogblog is not completely dead
Archiving websites is a bloody good idea because the public debate and emerging history of NZ society is shifting more and more into these electronic media. So I asked NatLib about one of those political blogs that disappeared from the blogosphere – KiwiBlogBlog. It still exists…
Why protestors need Mubarak out now
Unprecedented protests have forced Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak to say he won’t stand at the next election and extracted concessions from the regime. So why don’t the protesters go home and wait until the elections in September? Because they know nothing will change if Mubarak is allowed to hang on, and the regime’s revenge will be brutal.
Climate Change: Oceans
Skeptical Science has posted a very interesting video with Dr. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg running through the current known climate science and associated risks on oceans. Our civilizations have both direct and indirect dependence on oceans. The implications of destroying the ecosystems there is probably going to impact earlier than most of the other effects of our current unrestricted CO2 emissions.
Govt is not there to make your life better – Bennett
The nice thing about David Bennett is he says what other Nats are smart enough to keep quiet. Remember his rant against the minimum wage? But he out did himself with his speech defending the appalling record of the National government. It turns out the brighter future Key promised was a lie – the National government “is not there to make your life better”.
The amazing disappearing blog
Wednesday, Farrar posts a link to a new blog, ‘Whowuddathort‘, running Goff smears and Key-love. – That evening, ‘someone’ posts a comment: “National Research Unit material, anyone?” – Thursday, another comment: “is fisking the standard parliamentary business? – Minutes later: Whowuddathort’ blog disappears.
Nats bully bulldozer still running
The Nats regard parliamentary process as an inconvenience to which they must pay lip service, but nothing more. They started as soon as they took office, with repeated abuse of urgency. The current disgraceful process over the foreshore & seabed legislation is just the latest instalment.
Fallow latest to slay privatisation arguments
Brian Fallow has put the nails in the coffin of the Nats’ privatisation arguments. His column goes through the excuses that National has come up with for selling the family silver and none of them stack up. Nor does Key’s ‘money-go-round’ where the state-owned Cullen Fund buys these state-owned assets to free up cash for the state.
Fight the TPP, protect our sovereignty
The Government, desperate for some kind of tangible achievement on the trade front, is pushing us into the Trans-Pacific Partnership. We cannot allow the TPP to go ahead. It would sacrifice our sovereignty to the wishes of multi-nationals, allowing them to sue New Zealand if we put restrictions on foreign investment.
Open mike 11/02/2011
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Jami-Lee Ross runs scared
Jami-Lee Ross is running from having any debate with his opponent in the Botany.
Key: out of touch on tax cuts
Key proved he’s bereft of ideas in his speech on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he showed he’s out of touch. As you know, Key has voted himself $23,000 of tax cuts on his PM salary alone. Labour estimates another $24,000 on his investments – over $1000 a week. Key argues his tax cut is ‘only’ $15,000.
National fiddles as NZ burns
8,000 more unemployed in Q4 2010, and 1,000 more on the dole in January; New Zealand headed to a douple-dip recession after a year of anaemic growth; an average wage rise in 2010 of 1.9% with inflation of 4%. And a government focussed on manipulating statistics instead of coming up with an economic plan.
News round-up
*English vs English on assets sales, as business commentators come out against the flawed business case for privatisation. *Will Hide honour his word and resign over Supercity debacle? *Foreshore Bill to join CERRA as a constitutional outrage. *Economic woe keeps coming. *Is the ‘brighter future’ on its way or just more Key stunts?
English lashes out
By every significant measure our economy is a mess. Bill English is finance minister for what is looking increasingly like the most useless do-nothing NZ government in living memory. So is he working on a plan to put things right? Is he rolling out the big ideas that will get New Zealand moving again? No – he’s lashing out at public servants. Pathetic.
Open mike 10/02/2011
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Key’s long-term unemployment record
John Key has taken a swing at Kiwi workers who have lost their jobs thanks to the bankers’ recession and his economic mis-management. Key claims people are choosing to be long-term beneficiaries “even though work is available to them”. But the jobs aren’t there and that has caused long-term unemployment to explode under his watch.
The opening exchanges
In this post, I’ve embedded the speeches from John Key, Phil Goff, and Metiria Turei during yesterday’s first day of Parliament. Key presents no new vision, just an agenda of cuts and false statistics couple with sheer delusion about his government’s record. Goff tears him apart. And Turei’s speech is simply breath-taking – incredibly moving.
As much as possible for the underclass
The PM has obviously been stung by the surge of negative publicity generated by the TV3 piece on the residents of McGehan Close. The revival of this particular piece of exploitative hypocrisy risks tarnishing the sacred Key brand. Can’t have that. So Key is trying to convince us that the Nats have done “as much as possible” for the underclass…
Key tries bad stats to mask pathetic record
In his speech yesterday, John Key made the extraordinary claim that the real average wage has risen 10% under his rule. That figure is wrong and the measure is the wrong one to use. But there’s a more fundamental check: look around you, is the average family 10% better off than 2 years ago? Who are you going to believe? Key or your own eyes?
Open mike 09/02/2011
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Cuts to our public services to pay for elite’s tax cuts
John Key’s government is just two years old but it is already clearly bereft of ideas. His lacklustre speech showed no innovative thinking. There was just his usual bile directed at Labour and the same old failed National formula: asset sales, welfare cuts, and public service cuts masked by restructuring to fund tax cuts for the rich elite.
Tuku wades in again – same result?
There are some interesting legal and constitutional parallels between the Maori party’s attempts to rid themselves of Hone Harawira and previous unsuccessful attempts […]
In Defence of the Nanny State
I get frustrated with the right claiming “Nanny State” on everything (except when it’s them banning cell-phones when driving etc). So it was with interest I read famous philosopher Alain de Botton’s piece on the BBC yesterday: In defence of the nanny state.
Simmons destroys asset sale talking points
The kneejerk righties have praised John Key’s plan to sell our public assets (indeed, the Herald seems to be calling for something far more radical in today’s editorial) but all the substantive analysis of the proposal continues to show it’s an ideologically-driven rip-off. Here’s Geoff Simmons’ take.