Redistributing the wealth
In a speech to the International Fiscal Association Conference today, Revenue Minister Peter Dunne said the Government’s goal over the next 18 months […]
An idiots* guide to what happens when the CO2 affects the WAIS
The preliminary results of a drill by the ANDRILL (Antarctic Geological Drilling) were published in the print edition of Nature this week. It […]
Strings attached
I’d always thought Westies were the type to do things their own way, so this seems more appropriate in light of today’s RNZ […]
Out of her depth
Paula Bennett’s performance on Morning Report today didn’t just bring home how completely out of her depth she is as a Minister, it […]
Four wheels good, two wheels bad
The Government is taking nearly half a billion dollars out of public transport, cycling, walking, road maintance, and traffic policing to pay for […]
Fox in the henhouse
The National Business Review has an interesting article online that suggests Simon Power’s recommendation of Dr Mark Berry to take over from Paula […]
Jobs rally in Nelson this Saturday
The Service and Food Workers Union is organising a rally and march in Nelson on Saturday (21 March) in support of Sealord workers […]
Third party returns
The Electoral Commission has released the third party spending returns for the 2008 election campaign and it looks like for all National and […]
Cycleway updates on Campbell Live
Another reason to watch Campbell Live: cycleway updates. John Campbell announced last night he’d be doing regular (nightly?) updates on the number of […]
Tory charity
According to the Herald John Key has declared people should spend their tax-cuts on charities and wants an American “culture of giving” to […]
Key on wages
Key’s speech to the CTU today showed an interesting inight into how he thinks you lift wages. NZPA reports: He said it was […]
They’re doing it, why aren’t we?
This morning I spotted a poignant example of the inequalities inherent in tackling climate change. The Maldives have announced they’ll go carbon neutral […]
National’s cargo cult mentality
Over the weekend I pointed out that National’s plans to review the Overseas Investment Act would lead to even more foreign control of […]
Ambitious for New Zealand
John Key in the NBR*: There is more chance in this decade than the last one of New Zealand moving up the OECD […]
DL Wellington – Andrew Little
Patrick’s sure got DL Wellington humming along. Next Wednesday at the Southern Cross they’ve got Andrew Little, national sec of the EPMU and […]
Healthy Homes, Healthy Kiwis
Well I’ll be, it seems Labour is finally starting to act like an opposition. They’ve set up a campaign website on home insulation […]
Jonathan Coleman on TVNZ
Jonathan Coleman on TVNZ. Parliament, 10 May 2007. Dr Jonathan Coleman When the Minister says that the Government is committed to the core […]
Tapu Misa on private prisons
From Tapu Misa’s latest column: National thinks that… [t]hrough the magic of “competition” we’ll get a first rate penal system, and private providers […]
Starving the beast
Before the election National promised that the public service would be capped, not cut. That promise was betrayed a long time ago, but […]
Once upon a time there was an island
Fancy a restful island holiday? If the Cateret Island was your chosen destination you might want to travel sooner rather than later according […]
Espiner on National’s use of the crisis
Sadly, I couldn’t find Colin Espiner’s excellent piece in The Press today online. It’s good. Colin’s thoughtful observations derail the government’s PR spin […]
90 axed at TVNZ
In what’s turning out to be the gift that just keeps on giving for National, the Recession Bogeyman is now being blamed for […]
National’s blitzkrieg
The government’s first hundred days are up and they’ve decided that this signals the start to a multi-pronged political offensive. They are now […]
S92A: Opportunists jumping on bandwagons
It is always interesting watching people and organizations jumping on bandwagons of popular movements. In the case of the section 92A of the […]
Death knell for print media?
A conversation that seems to be occuring more and more frequently is asking what’s the future of our newspapers? It’s a global question […]
More questions on the Sensible Sentencing Trust
Last week, Tane pointed out that the private prison industry had been involved in corrupting the political process in the US by funding […]
A bunch of clowns
Poor old Nick Smith. Not only is he stuck peddling long-disproved lies about ACC but now it seems he can’t even get a […]
A fairer 9 day fortnight
National’s 9-day fortnight will save only 2-3% of the jobs that are expected to be lost in the recession. It’s a trifling investment […]
Stewart vs Cramer
Earlier this week, I posted on the feud that erupted when the Daily Show criticised CNBC and the business media. Last night, CNBC’s […]
ACC killed Kennedy says Smith
Fresh on the heels of allegations ACC has blown-out and is likely to decimate New Zealand’s credit rating, Accident Compensation Minister Nick Smith […]
National to increase foreign ownership
Newstalk ZB reports: The Prime Minister is keen to open the door to foreign investors. In a speech to the Act Party conference […]
See no evil
I’ve been meaning to write something about the private prisons bill for a couple of days as it’s a recipe for barbarity. But […]
Campbell on the nine day fortnight
Gordon Campbell’s pretty scathing of Key’s nine day fortnight scheme in his latest article at Scoop, describing the announcement as a sign workers […]
Doubleplusungood II
A leak reveals more words banned by National/ACT : strategy blueprint engagement socialisation collaboration co-ordination We’re destroying words – scores of them, hundreds […]
CTU busts ACC spin
Over the last week or so the Government, and Nick Smith in particular, have run a dishonest PR campaign to undermine ACC and […]
The guy’s tired already
If there’s one thing that strikes you about John Key’s post-cabinet press conference this week, it isn’t the scintillating prose or erudite diction. […]