Friday quiz
Question 1. Which of these are ‘front-line’ staff and which are ‘back office’? a) the extra staff members for National and Maori Party […]
Cutting through the spin on ACC
We’ve heard a lot of panicky comments in the last few weeks about a ‘cost blowout’ at ACC. We’re told there is $22 […]
About right
Good to see Emerson’s back in form.
Sealord email campaign
The Service and Food Workers Union has launched an online email campaign to urge Sealord Chairman Robin Hapi to reconsider axing 180 workers […]
Daily show vs CNBC
Last week, Jon Stewart poked fun at the media who cheer-led the housing and stockmarket bubbles and are now blaming the people who […]
Experts: National lying over ACC
The wheels are starting to come off National’s PR campaign to undermine ACC as more and more people notice the gap between their […]
Bennett’s lame excuse
Morning Report asked Paula Bennett why the public sector had been cut out of the 9 day fortnight scheme this morning and her […]
Brief thoughts on the 9 day fortnight
The 9 day fortnight scheme has finally been announced but I’ve got a few questions: Why do the taxpayer and the worker have […]
Strawman
I’m always amazed at the intellectual hoops the neoliberal right will jump through to try and deny low income workers minimum wage increases. […]
How to reduce ACC costs without cutting cover
The sensationalist tone of media releases regarding the financial situation at ACC has ignored the causes behind this so called ‘blow out’. The investment […]
Sensible Sentencing Trust and GEO Group, a deafening silence
Yesterday Tane did an excellent post speculating on links between the Sensible Sentencing Trust and GEO Group. GEO Group derived from the notorious […]
Espiner nails it
In his blog today Colin Espiner points out how National has quickly moved a lot further to the right than they portrayed themselves […]
Pasifika Festival going ahead
The opening night of the Pasifika festival at Western Springs in Auckland will be proceeding. After a funding shortfall the Auckland City Council […]
Job growth in the public sector!
There is one job area where it’s no expense spared for the taxpayer – public relations in the Beehive. Michelle Boag tells the […]
DL Wellington tomorrow
Just received this from the Wellington Drinking Liberalites: Just a last minute reminder, tomorrow is the third Drinking Liberally of 2009, featuring the […]
Ye olde royal titles
Brian Rudman has a good piece this morning on the Earl of Auckland’s backwards-looking decision to reinstate a “ridiculous regime of titles dating […]
Shafted
This is good. Here’s what ACC’s ads might look like once National’s had its way with it: [Hat tip: Clarke in the comments]
Crusher Collins
What they’re hiding
Interesting to see that the new ACC board chairman, John Judge, is an alumnus/affiliate member of the Business Roundtable. That’s the same Business […]
Sick
ACT MP David Garrett is quickly becoming a sick joke. Asked today about the fact more prisoners will be assaulted or raped by […]
Drinking Liberally Auckland
Just a reminder that Drinking Liberally is on in Auckland again after a hiatus of 5 months. It is just the thing to […]
Steve shuffles off his mortal coil
Protecting workers’ rights, protecting ACC, safeguarding jobs, public services, and SOEs, opposing privatisation. These are all important fights. But it’s a crime we’re […]
Doubleplusungood
Sources tell us that National/ACT government (Nactgov) has ordered more words to be removed from official documents. We already knew they had banned […]
Environment Ministry cut
The National/ACT Government’s axe has fallen on the Environment Ministry today, with staff being flown to Wellington to discover a raft of environmental […]
Melting point
The Ecologist Film Unit’s second release documents how espionage, news manipulation, legal threats and even violence have become the knee-jerk response of Government […]
Private prisons and the ‘tough on crime’ lobby
One of the features of a privatised prison system is the potential for corruption of the political process by the commercial interests of […]
Fail
So, ‘Crusher’ Collins has failed in her high profile campaign to have Barry Matthews sacked. How embarrassing, what with her staking her entire […]
S92A: Campbell Smith is finally removing his head from his…
Sometimes the myopia of RIANZ is breath taking. Campbell Smith, its chief executive, has written an dialogue piece in the NZ Herald. “Anti-piracy […]
The Wall Street Journal gets it
Despite all the claims of “centrist” and “centre-right” none other than the the Wall Street Journal has pointed out that John Key’s government […]
Centrist? Bullshit.
The Herald has the scoop that National is looking to privatise New Zealand’s prison system. Add David Garrett’s savage three strikes law and […]
Stop McCully’s cull of NZAID
The Standard hasn’t commented on what’s happening with NZAID yet, and people can be forgiven for not knowing what’s going on. But chances […]
No free trade deal
The Obama administration has halted free trade talks with New Zealand. On one hand free trade is simply increased freedom of capital and […]
PM eyes fetching tiara
The world may be going to hell in a hand-basket and National may have been pretty derelict so far in coming up with […]
HerStory – what’s happened to the quality chic-flick?
A couple of weeks ago I listened to a very interesting interview with Dr Diane Purkiss (audio here) on Nine to Noon. I […]
Gordon Campbell states the obvious
Gordon Campbell has been having fun pointing the finger at Treasury in “How Treasury put us on the hook to finance companies“. Essentially […]