Open mike 30/11/09
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the […]
The Key to change?
Will Key go to Copenhagen? Or rather, why wouldn’t he want to go? According to TVNZ tonight: At least 90 world leaders are […]
Nats’ dismal record on jobs and benefits
In opposition, National claimed that Labour wasn’t really getting people off benefits, it was just moving them from unemployment benefit and ‘hiding’ them […]
No amateur hour for real leaders
Among the breathless reporting of who John Key is having a meeting with (‘he’s talking to the Queen!’ ‘he’s going to talk to […]
Fry on blogs
The delectable Mr Stephen Fry doesn’t like the people who comment on blogs, and says so in his usual forthright, erudite and whimsical […]
Open mike 29/11/09
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the […]
Wee gripes: Another Tolley lie
Minister of Education Anne Tolley is obviously feeling the heat of the reaction to her inexplicably daft decision to read a moralising children’s […]
Goff at DL – a socialist review
Below Omar of Socialist Aotearoa gives his impressions of Phil Goff at Drinking Liberally in Auckland earlier this week. On an unrelated note, isn’t […]
Nats’ backers tire of do-nothing Key
Reading Fran O’Sullivan is always interesting because she provides an insight into the thinking of the business elite who fund National, and who expect it […]
Lockwood threatens the press
Lockwood Smith seems to be losing the plot. He’s now issuing open threats to the Press Gallery of all things: Parliament’s Speaker, Lockwood […]
Everybody else is going, so why can’t we?
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon have called on world leaders to attend the Copenhagen talks on the new climate […]
Open mike 28/11/09
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the […]
Why was Worth fired?
The Police have announced they will not be laying any charges against Richard Worth over the incident involving him and a Korean woman […]
Stockholm Syndrome and leaky homes at the coast
Bomber over at Tumeke has a good post up on Goff’s speech. Pointing out the Maori Party has Stockholm Syndrome is not race […]
Goff’s speech
Phil Goff’s speech on ‘nationhood’ was always going to be seen as an attempt to pull a Brash, regardless of what it actually […]
Key must bite the bullet over Copenhagen
Another instalment of “John Key’s” video diary from talented impersonator PlumedeKiwi; this time taking a comedic stab at the PM’s refusal to attend […]
Who wins from digging up Coromandel
Gerry Brownlee is talking of digging up Coromandel to extract a few tens of millions of dollars worth of gold. Naturally, the company […]
Rally: Lift the freeze on low pay
Just a reminder, thousands of hospital support staff, school support staff and other low-paid public sector workers are rallying in 27 centres nationwide […]
The evidence on warming
Much ado about nothing in the last few days, with the release of materials related to climate change and warming on both the […]
Tax reform for everyone, not just the rich
Why is it that whenever you see discussion of introducing capital gains tax, land tax etc, the assumption is always that the money […]
Open mike 27/11/09
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the […]
Shame on you
Never in the history of New Zealand politics has so much taxpayers’ money been hurled into the chasm with such contempt for the […]
Brash report tipped to be toxic
Jenni McManus reports in The Independent [offline]: The first report from the 2025 Taskforce is due on Monday and the word is its […]
Rolling maul of disasters
In case you’re just waking up to it, this government is a disaster zone. If it’s not one or the other of the […]
Maori Party meltdown
How long can the Maori Party survive before it collapses under the weight of its own contradictions? The idea of a single party […]
Our word is our bond
Maori Party policy on the environment: We aspire to work together to make the economy great but not at the expense of our […]
Open mike 26/11/09
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the […]
National / Maori ETS now law
So, the National / Maori ETS is now law. Waiho mÄ te WhakamÄ e Patu. Shame on those who supported this appalling legislation […]
New Zealand Political Studies Association Annual Conference
The New Zealand Political Studies Association is holding its Annual Conference from Nov 30 – 1 Dec in Auckland, hosted by the University […]
As newspapers die, what comes next?
The recession, combined with the long-term shift to internet-based media struck a king-hit to US newspapers over the last year. Circulation fell 10.9%. […]
Sharples and the Maori Party revolt
Via Newsroom [offline], Pita Sharples has confirmed reports of an internal revolt within the Maori Party over its support for National’s ETS. The […]
Education flaws: Just plain scary
Primary school education has been the focus of debate here in NZ with the introduction of ‘national standards’. Today we hear on RNZ […]
Reminder – Drinking Liberally Auckland
Just a reminder the next Auckland Drinking Liberally features Labour Party leader Phil Goff discussing his political values and the challenges facing the […]
Thickest. Minister. Ever.
So, imagine you’re the Minister for Education. You’re meeting with the PPTA executive, and sometime soon you’re expecting to announce big teacher layoffs. […]
Maori Party caucus divided on ETS?
Maori Party whip Te Ururoa Flavell is doing what he can to play down internal divisions that suggested the party could vote against […]
Rod Oram on ETS and Monetary Policy
Rod Oram did a business segment on Nine to Noon yesterday. As usual he went quite deep into the issues. A welcome contrast […]