Open mike 24/11/09
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the […]
Poll closes up in Britain
The latest poll in Britain has Labour within 6 points of the Conservatives. A hung Parliament is in prospect. One poll is not […]
Kevin Hague blasts Nats on ACC
Good video from the Greens’ Kevin Hague. Gotta love the dirty mo:
We can do better
By and large the Right are refusing to defend their neoliberal monetary policy system. The currency is causing chaos, the housing bubble is […]
Lunch time quiz
1) What the hell is John Key trying to say here? “Maori are not getting special preference, if you go back to those […]
Key’s flagship policy now his joke
Anyone with a brain has always known Key’s cycleway is a joke. The sick thing is he’s now using it as a punchline […]
It’s the seasons, stupid
Over the last week or so, I’ve heard John Key, Bill English, and Paula Bennett all make self-congratulatory references to the number of people […]
Another Key foot in mouth
John Key sure is a class act. Not. Latest example*: Stadium funds: We’re not Indian-givers, says Key Prime Minister John Key yesterday said […]
Open mike 23/11/09
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the […]
Goff gets it right, as Key goes off the rails
Phil Goff has managed to defy the critics and make himself relevant. His speech on ACC and his criticisms of National’s backroom deals […]
Big brother is yarning to your boss
The Sunday Star Times reports that police have been passing private information about staff members onto Air New Zealand via the official information […]
The stench of corruption
No, I haven’t abandoned my resolution to be less political on Sundays quite so soon. This post is about smells. Specifically, the effect […]
Key opens rich mates’ marina, slaps local Maori
Unbelievable. John Key has opened the environmentally destructive Whangamata Marina. This was a battle between rich property developers, against the serious concerns of local […]
Open mike 22/11/09
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the […]
Trade trumps human rights for Key
What a strange little editorial in the Herald today. It’s a typical spin piece that tries to frame John Key’s shoddy behaviour in not […]
Oh dear, what a fizzer
The pro-child assault lobby spent $500,000 trying to manufacture the biggest march in New Zealand history up Queen St today. The reports say fewer than […]
Watch Bolivia
The world is full of natural experiments in different forms of government. Bolivia is one to watch: Bolivia re-invents democratic socialism… On December […]
Open mike 21/11/09
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up…
What I did on my holidays – by [insert name here]
Ohmigod, after Red Alert informed me that the National MPs had started a blog, I nearly died!!!!!!! And after I’d finished that and […]
Fighting for democracy?
Lance Corporal Joe Glenton is facing prison after speaking out at an anti-war rally. A British soldier was arrested on Monday for speaking […]
A whole lotta nothing
In a speech to National Party members yesterday John Key read out a list of everything the government has done in the last […]
On “keeping your powder dry”
Reproduced with permission from No Right Turn for a viewpoint on the process of policy formation. This morning, Labour leader Phil Goff announced […]
Broken English
It looked like a duck. It walked like a duck. It quacked like a duck. Turns out it was a duck. The “Plain […]
Monetary policy needs to change
I’m really happy that Phil Goff has taken monetary policy up as an issue. The current system – a puritanical neoliberal model set […]
How much astroturf can you buy for $500,000?
Tomorrow the Christian Right are holding a self-styled ‘March for Democracy’ that’s been bankrolled to the tune of $500,000 by Auckland property developer […]
Open mike 20/11/09
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up…
Bludging farmers
The Fed Farmers have used Goff’s speech on monetary policy to have another whinge about beneficiaries, who they reckon are somehow to blame […]
Bikoi video
Hat tip: Labour.
NZ should follow Norway’s example on oil
National has released its petroleum strategy. It appears they plan to further lower our already low royalties to encourage foreign oil companies to […]
Cartoon: A brief history of corporate whining
Great cartoon from Barry Deutsch at Lefycartoons.com Lifted from Joe Hendren
970 words of hollow platitudes. How ambitious.
Classic, I was just saying yesterday that Key is probably concerned about focus testing turning up ‘do-nothing’, ‘weak’ and ‘visionless’ memes and today […]
F**k, an end to profanity?
A reader alerted us to this petition that was presented by National’s Paul Hutchison to Parliament on Tuesday: Petition of Nathan James Ngatai […]
What matters
Did you see Brain Rudman’s article in the Herald yesterday? The quote says it all: It just reminds you what an absurd debate […]
Goff on monetary policy
It’s great news that Phil Goff is urging a rethink of the way monetary policy is conducted in New Zealand. For too long […]
Doctors speak up against ETS
A couple of days ago I raised (again) the question of why we don’t see more experts, scientists and academics contributing to public […]
Open mike 19/11/09
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Over to you…