Take responsibility or take the blame
As Minister of Works responding to a disaster in his portfolio, Bob Semple famously said ‘I am responsible but not to blame’. That […]
Who cares?
Over the last few days the online news media have been getting increasingly wound up over some Australian expat guy who’s apparently said […]
Blindly cutting away
One of the most cavalier and foolish actions of the National led government during its first 100 day blitz of legislation (in itself […]
Mission-On off
If the definition of PC is doing things because they fit an ideology, not because they make sense, then it’s clear National and […]
Gulp
The Key/English odd couple continue to give us a sweet and sour mix of messages – one with rosy promises that the recession will […]
Wgtn/Chch DL double
Drinking Liberally is meeting this evening in both Wellington and Christchurch. DL Wellington has Andrew Little speaking at the Southern Cross Bar on […]
Sinking shipping is stupid
Toad’s post on coastal shipping deserves re-posting: Coastal shipping is the most energy efficient means of moving freight. A ship consumes 75 – […]
Give the people what they want
Stephen Joyce keeps saying the reason he has slashed investment in public transport to build more roads is that he is giving the […]
Stink line
Now “PC gone mad” has been used to the point where even people who think mimicking Tui’s “yeah right” slogan is cutting edge […]
Clean water worth paying for
Rodney Hide, who thinks nothing of spending billions on tax cuts for the well-off, is baulking at spending “some tens of millions” to improve […]
House prices pop.
First they go up, and then they come down. The Economist has an interesting table on the housing bubble. Those figures from the […]
Lord Ashcroft woz here
Boing Boing reports that: The London police have bested their own impressive record for insane and stupid anti-terrorism posters with a new range […]
Douglas gets it
Roger Douglas in a press release today: National’s goal of a top personal, company and trustee tax rate of 30 cents in the […]
Trans-Tasman says Clark to head UNDP
From The Herald: Former Prime Minister Helen Clark will be named today as head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a report […]
Righties rise in revolution re: retrospective law
No, wait, they didn’t. Idiot/Savant from No Right Turn explains: Back in 2006, the (then-Labour) government passed the Appropriation (Parliamentary Expenditure Validation) Bill, […]
The government gets a headline, we get potholes
No Right Turn puts the farce of the governments spin into perspective in Public relations replaces policy II. I’m just going to quote […]
Thanks, I guess
Growing up I always knew the rich had it better than us. It’s only now that I’m one of the wealthy that I […]
CycleWatch
Prime Minister John Key has promised a national cycleway to solve the country’s economic woes. I intend to keep you informed of exactly […]
Disgraceful
A Standard reader emails: Today at the beginning of question time a minute silence was observed for Mary Bachelor former MP for Avon […]
Oh Johnkey Donkey!
We’ve been outed! By none other than Thelma (or was it Louise?) A promotional video for climate action, voiced by Susan Sarandon for […]
National gives animal rights the chop
Looks like National has more than workers’ rights on the chopping block. Animal rights activists are up in arms at Agriculture Minister David […]
Pinch me
A cyclist and Standard reader writes: Pinch me. Maybe I’ll wake up in a world where a cycleway isn’t the government’s flagship idea […]
Stunning
This is just stunning: Mr Key was yesterday questioned about an employment situation where a person was offered a job paying $40,000 a […]
Clawback
That’s John Key speaking about Labour’s new fourth week of leave legislation back when the Nats thought they were going to win in […]
Gustafson on National’s strategy
Not many people know more about the National Party than Barry Gustafson, so I found it interesting to read his take on the […]
Three strikes and you’re garrotted
The Toad’s ‘interview’ with ACT’s David Garrett is so good we had to steal it. Like all good parody, it’s easy to believe […]
Ralston
Bill Ralston: Key used a great example at a Combined Trade Union conference on productivity when he pointed out only 10 luxury 7 […]
A sheep in wolves’ clothing
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark when senior journalists like Fran O’Sullivan feel that they have to provide public relations advice […]
The tiniest rolling maul in the world
So the pressure is building for National to get specific about it’s plans for fighting the recession. Therese Arseneau complained on Q+A today […]
Sunday conspiracy humour
Barnsley Bill* has discovered (updated to here**) that Alexa reckons 11% of our visits come from India. Apparently BB thinks this means we […]
And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid…
Q+A was quite good. Guyon Espiner was well researched and focused on the contrast between what Key says and what he does. Maybe […]
Anna Bligh wins Labor fifth term in Queensland
Queenslanders yesterday elected Labor under Anna Bligh to a fifth term in government. Anna Bligh now becomes the first woman to be elected as […]
Where would you get that idea?
John Armstrong March 21 2009 – “So the National Government is variously inching, shifting, drifting, veering or lurching to the right, depending on […]
More on the Commerce Commission
On Thursday I linked to a piece in the NBR that suggested Simon Power’s appointment of Dr Mark Berry to replace Paula Rebstock […]
Vampire economics
Earlier this week the Prime Minister announced $2.5 million for tourism advertising in Australia. New Zealand is not alone in trying to increase […]
Friday quiz – late edition
Imagine two incidents when a person is at home and they hear someone outside their house. In the first incident, they grab a […]