OpenLeft
Launched last weekend in the UK: OpenLeft. Open Left is about rediscovering the Left’s idealism, pluralism and appetite for radical ideas. It starts […]
Flag it, more important things to do
I’m just trying to understand this Maori flag thing. The Crown (in the guise of Minister Pita Sharples) has decided that Maori will […]
It’s Brash
The government has just confirmed Don Brash will head the “productivity” group. Expect a lot of talk about “labour market flexibility” and the […]
Plenty of pixie dust for the cycleway
John Key says there are “no pixies printing cash” to help Kiwis who’ve lost their jobs under his government’s watch. Funny, because there’s […]
Wee gripes: private=efficient
Can Treasury Secretary John Whitehead explain how paying profit-making companies to do what is already being done by non-profit-making departments will save money? […]
Good jab, now land some punches
It was excellent to see Phil Goff laying down the gauntlet to Key yesterday. He announced Labour’s policy to temporarily relax partner means […]
Fighting the dittoheads
One of the great strengths of the Right is that the rank and file supporters are such slavish followers of their leaders. It […]
Recession’s ‘rough edges’ hit families – no help from govt
Labour leader Phil Goff has called for a temporary relaxation of the rules for getting the dole. Too many Kiwis on low and […]
“Creeping communism” a success
Missed this from a couple of days ago: For the first time in 25 years, the incomes of those in lower brackets grew […]
The Salesman
One of the stories from John Key’s days as a currency trader is that he was always more of a salesman than an […]
Roundtable dog-waggers come back!
Roger Kerr, official spokesman for the ACT-National-Roundtable government, today announced the formation of a Productivity Commission to be headed by Don Brash, a […]
Keith Locke on tasers
Green MP Keith Locke investigates the claims of safety for tasers, and finds that other countries are concerned that the devices are not […]
Time for a real debate on the economy
I wish Finlay MacDonald wrote more about politics and less about cats and kids and stuff because he’s well worth reading when he’s […]
Mike Smith steps down
Labour General Secretary Mike Smith has announced he will retire at the party’s national conference in September. He’s the last of the four […]
Farewell, Walter
Friday saw the death of Walter Cronkite, greatest of the great generation of TV news-people. He is perhaps remembered most for the broadcast in […]
Edwards and Latta
There’s an interesting discussion that’s broken out on brianedwardsmedia between Brian Edwards, who writes a fairly excoriating piece on Nigel Latta’s Politically Incorrect […]
Meme to Labour: Enough of the Should be, more of the Would be.
After 9 months of watching the rich get richer, with their triple dip cuts, first in taxes, then in private school fees, and […]
Wee gripe: “lagging indicator”
John Key, sunny grin in place, says the recession’s all but over. Admits that unemployment will continue to climb (barring a miricle like, […]
Elias is right, will we listen?
The rednecks have predictably got themselves into a tizzy over Chief Justice Sian Elias’s comments on the need for judicial reform. I think […]
Wee gripe: crime-porn
This endless crime-porn. Night after night of fetishistic coverage of the latest unusual crime or trial. Call yourselves journalists? Bollocks. You run this […]
Wee gripes: 3 of 3
Business New Zealand and other assorted tossers. Stop calling our country ‘New Zealand Inc’. This is our home. This is where we live […]
None so blind
I read Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard’s speech on Tuesday with great interest. It’s an informative, if very mainstream review of the recession […]
Simon says
Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias has kicked off a debate on whether our justice policy is working [PDF link]. Her view is that […]
Credit outlook cut but it’s not a credit rating downgrade
So, Fitch, the third of the big three sovereign credit ratings agencies, has moved the Government’s rating from a stable outlook to a negative […]
Cool Cat
Courtsey of Chairman Meow. Obey the Kitteh!
Wee gripes: 2 of 3
Maori unemployment is ballooning day by day but the most important thing that Maori Affairs Minister Sharples can spend his time on is […]
Drinking Liberally Palmy
Drinking Liberally Palmy’s having their first event of the year at the Brewers Apprentice bar on July 23. Head over, have a pint […]
Wee gripes: 1 of 3
It takes two days from folate blowing up as a political issue for Key to get Crown Law onto finding a way for […]
Defending the indefensible
It was disappointing to hear Phil Goff defending the Fourth Labour Government on National Radio the other morning. This was a government whose […]
Video piracy, it turns out, isn’t new
60 Minutes on “Video piracy” – 1979 – part 1 of 2 60 Minutes on “Video piracy” – 1979 – part 2 of […]
Secret moves to censor the net
Does it seem odd to you that on March 20th 2009 the Minister for IT & Comms, Mr Steven Joyce, said the following: “We […]
Crusher Collins to launch McPrisons
Crusher Collins to launch McPrisons(TM) Clearly envious of the regular stream of complimentary Happy Meals arriving at Paula Bennett’s Parliamentary office (Paula tells […]
Incentive to leave school?
I disagreed with Helen Clark in 2007 when she first suggested raising the school leaving age, as I don’t believe the mainstream school […]
Musings on fluff
Claire Trevett wrote me a very cordial email in response to my criticism of her reports from Key’s trip around the Islands. I […]
Gordon Campbell on PPPs
Gordon Campbell has a great piece up at Scoop on the pitfalls of Public Private Partnerships, something we’re going to be hearing a […]
Right headings, wrong policies
John Key’s speech on the economy, billed as the way to close the 30% wage gap with Australia, had six policy headings – […]