Get ready for more over-promise, under-deliver
Tomorrow John Key will be announcing policies on youth unemployment. Looks like rehashing of the already announced Youth Guarantee and probably something more. […]
Snouts in the trough
NZPA reports: Taxpayers are contributing nearly $1000 a week to allow deputy prime minister Bill English to live in his own million-dollar Wellington […]
Linton Kwesi Johnson: FITE DEM BACK
Video: Rhys Darby Global Warning Poem
Couldn’t resist some weekend humour
Caption competition
Just when we thought he couldn’t top the comic value of the cycleway…
Youth Court Judge speaks out, sky doesn’t fall
A couple of weeks ago Justice Minister Simon Power slammed Chief Justice Sian Elias for commenting on possibilities of change in the criminal […]
Use of weapons
I’ve been thinking about the different ways ministers from the Left and the Right approach governing. I think it goes back to where […]
Benefits, wages and anger
The recent furore about benefit levels has brought a lot of comments along the lines of ” I don’t get it why should […]
Chilling effect
I’m frankly a little surprised at the way the media and The Herald especially has jumped on the attack the victim bandwagon in […]
Wee gripes: spreading ignorance
Tracy Watkins: “productivity as a country – the amount of goods and services each worker produces and the value they add” God. Here’s […]
The Herald soils its pulpit
Thundering from the pulpit is a fine old editorial tradition, and The Herald has often held forth on the rule of law. Starting […]
Wee gripes: doublethink
If you read Kiwiblog or listen to talkback radio (basically the same thing – smart guy baiting reactionaries for his political ends) then […]
Brash speech confirms National’s secret agenda
This is simply stunning. Don Brash, our new productivity tsar, has just released a speech where he proves he hasn’t changed a bit […]
Comfortable with bullying
John Key is “comfortable” with his Minister Paul Bennett releasing private information (in breach of the Cabinet Manual, Privacy Commission guidelines, and the […]
In bed with bigotry
Maori Party MP Rahui Katene’s Matariki Public Holiday Bill was before the House last night (I understand National is planning to vote it down […]
Substance matters
Last night, our positive and ambitious National/Act government: Voted against Green MP Metiria Turei’s bill to protect the 111 Maui dolphins left. Voted […]
Horrific and ugly
That’s what Bennett is calling the Right’s attacks on the women she released confidential information about. As if she didn’t know that would […]
Fishy
Here’s one of the solo mothers targeted by Bennett appearing on Checkpoint last evening. She’s angry and eloquent and clearly aware of the […]
Change to policy – Privacy Consent
This has been added to the policy because as Lew points out there appear to be morons in government, blogs, and in journalism […]
Bully State
NZPA reports: An MP from government confidence and supply party ACT today told prison officers who spoke out against private prisons that they […]
Apologists
Picture this: Anchor “and now we go live to whatsherface outside the High Court in Christchurch to tell us the latest in the […]
Straight answers? Short supply.
Here’s Bennett’s answer to Chauvel’s question in the House yesterday: Charles Chauvel: Was the Minister advised that the individuals concerned had given implied […]
Memo to the Herald
Dear nzherald.co.nz, The opinions expressed in the Your Views section of your website are not an accurate reflection of public opinion in New […]
Nick Smith lying with numbers.
Nick Smith is the front-man for this government on climate change, and it appears that he knows absolutely nothing about the numbers. The […]
Coverage round-up: Bully Bennett
Sean Plunkett: Being vocal in a democracy shouldn’t mean you lose your rights and protections under the law. Tracey Watkins: “The Privacy Commissioner […]
Recovery nightmare
‘A nightmare’ scenario. That’s how ANZ chief economist Cameron Bagrie speaking on Morning Report described the outlook for the economy as the recession […]
Beware of unbridled government
‘Beware’ that was Mary Wilson’s conclusion to her interview with Paula Bennett yesterday. The audio is here: Beware of Bully Bennett – Beware […]
Privacy Commission guidelines
Paula Bennett is trying, unsuccessfully, to dig herself out of her hole by arguing that the Privacy Commissioner’s website said the solo mums […]
What are we fighting for?
A reader sent through this article from the Guardian by Malalai Joya, who was the youngest woman to enter the Afghan parliament before […]
One small step for a man . . .
It took just a few seconds, it was reasonable and considered, yet, amazingly, a suggestion from David Slack of Island Life has achieved […]
Bennett must resign
I’m no expert in these things but Paula “bully” Bennett appears to have put herself in breach of the cabinet manual by disclosing […]
Spin cycle
Normally, $9 million in government spending is such a puny amount it’s not worth covering but as Key has nailed his crediblity to […]
Nice try, Roger
Sir Roger Douglas has a go at my post that looks at the GDP per person gap between Australia and New Zealand and concludes […]
Bully Bennett
Stunned. I’m simply stunned. After speaking out against Paula Bennett’s cuts to the Incentives Training Allowance two solo mothers have had their entire […]
Truly ambitious for America
America faces a hell of a lot of problems at the moment, but if there’s one man with the ability to inspire and […]
Our traditional allies
It seems the US want us to commit our elite SAS troops to Afghanistan. I’m not a big fan of the Taliban but […]