New union blog
Public Sector Eye. A new blog from the PSA written by the union’s two national secretaries, Brenda Pilott and Richard Wagstaff. Finsec’s been […]
Says it all really
You pricks decided what you were going to do and you’re not listening to me or anybody else. . . You people are […]
Same old failed ideas
The Government’s 2025 ‘productivity’ taskforce led by Don Brash will almost certainly come up with all the same old failed ideas that got […]
Matariki Public Holiday?
The Maori Party’s Matariki Day Bill was pulled in the ballot. Man, a public holiday in the middle of winter. Currently it’s one […]
Gordon Campbell on Treasury and the resurrection of Brash
Gordon Campbell has a great piece over at Scoop about Treasury’s latest ideological outburst and the resurrection of Don Brash. He points out […]
It’s not fair, get over it, get it right
The ludicrous attacks by the media on Goff over the dole scheme show that this is not an even playing field. Key is […]
Talking shite
Right wing rhetoric can be absurdly stupid at times. IrishBill recently reminded us how crazy things were getting near the last election: One […]
No more excuses, time to act
Greenpeace and others are campaigning for the Government to agree to a target of 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by […]
DL Wgtn this Thursday
Short notice, but just got this in from the Drinking Liberally Wellington crew: This week Drinking Liberally is hosting Geoff Keey from Greenpeace. […]
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 […]