Roy Morgan poll
Well, that’s slightly better. The new Roy Morgan poll has the Nats on 48.5%, still a solid result but well down on the […]
Web/community
I spent a very fruitful day at webstock in Wellington today listening to some heavy hitters from the US and UK talk about […]
The Standard and s92a.
I’m not going to go over the whys and wherefores of this clause of the new copyright act. No Right Turn, Just Left, […]
Copyright protest pics
A reader has sent in some pics from today’s protest at Parliament against the ‘guilt by accusation’ copyright law. Looks like quite a […]
Thankfully, the election isn’t tomorrow
When John Key and Pita Sharples were jostled by two Maori men opposed to the National-Maori Party alliance, the thing that stuck in […]
Standing up for landlordism
So, National has decided to scrap a raft of tenant protections proposed by the last Labour Government and tilt the deck back in […]
Tories bulldoze human rights, your rights
The Attorney-General, National’s Chris Finalyson, has declared that the ‘3 strikes and you’re out’ Bill that National/ACT (and Finlayson himself) are about to vote […]
Obama’s elf
I’ve tried all day not to post this, now I’m giving in to get a good night’s sleep.
DL Christchurch with Therese Arsenau
Drinking Liberally Christchurch has its first meeting of the new year on March 5, with political commentator and academic Therese Arsenau to speak. […]
Protest against copyright law
Creative Freedom NZ has organised a protest against the “guilt by accusation” copyright law tomorrow in Wellington: When: 12:00, Thursday 19 February Where: […]
On ACT’s three strikes policy
ACT’s infamous three-strikes-and-you’re-out policy will get a first airing in the House tomorrow when the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill is introduced. Violent […]
Bill English – Ashamed of being a hypocrite?
David Cunliffe has been doing something that Bill English really hates – asking questions about actual accounting and fiscal practices. The reason that […]
Nat Minister unhappy, leaks Key email
Well, that didn’t take long. In the first 100 days of the new National government we’ve seen a clamp-down on workers’ rights, tax […]
Sleight of hand
We’ve been saying for some time that the $9 billion of fiscal stimulus that the Government claims it is putting into the economy […]
Free doco
There’s been a lot of talk over the last couple of days on Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and the controversial referendum on removing […]
Ryall sacks DHB Chair
Health Minister Tony Ryall’s decision to sack Richard Thompson as Chairman of the Otago District Health Board on the grounds of historical fraud […]
Maintenance and upgrades
The latest load of bill-paying work has finished (and the site is paid up until June). I’m at a relatively loose end for […]
Fueling the PR machine ain’t cheap
Just like petrol prices, the cost of fueling National’s PR machine is on the rise. Tracy Watkins reports that “National has employed 18 […]
That’s strange
An hour ago No Right Turn posted a piece citing what was apparently a Ministry of Social Development press release, which he says was “confirmation that […]
So much for democracy
The Greens have released advice from the Ministry of Justice confirming that the Government’s rushed RMA changes will prevent legitimate cases going to […]
“We are all socialists now”
“We are all socialists now”, or so says the cover of the latest Newsweek. And to be fair, you’ve got to start wondering […]
The media bash
* Did any journo ask Key how much the boot camp is costing per person? Follow my maths. Total cost of new youth […]
Micropartywatch
Wondering about the latest on New Zealand First’s leadership? Curious as to the prospects for a RAM/Workers’ Party union? The new blog Micro […]
Boots and all
Tracey Watkins reports that National has announced details of its Boot Camps policy: “The military-style camp programme would target the 40 most serious […]
Why do dummies lead our national debates?
Why does the Business Roundtable employ an economic illiterate to represent them to the public and argue their corner on macroeconomics? Here’s some […]
You’ve got to know to ask the questions that matter
When I heard Shell is looking at selling its service stations in NZ and its shares in Fulton Hogan, my initial thought was […]
Sold out
According to the Dom Post Judith Collins is preparing legislation to reintroduce private prisons into New Zealand’s corrections system. The arguments against privatisation […]
Grassroots healthy
It’s great to see a lot of grassroots activity around the Left at the moment. No Right Turn has set up the Progbills […]
Which end to break the egg, and other pointless debates
The NZPA has revealed that Ministrial Services is employing fewer people on higher pay under the new National/ACT government than it did under […]
Faking it
It’s a bit late but I thought I’d draw people’s attention to the work Pundit’s Tim Watkin has been doing on the government’s […]
Do they know its credit crunch time?
Great video for the real victims of this recession, the ‘smartest men in the room’ who cocked everything up, the money-men. Bleed the […]
Love’s Labour’s lost
There were few Valentine’s Day sentiments for Labour in John Armstrong’s column today: It is difficult to put a finger on it, but […]
Culpae poenae par esto
I just want to second Tane’s comments regarding the sentence for the killer of Pihema Cameron. A 12 year old Maori child acts as […]
Marking time: Darwin to Lincoln
Today is the anniversary of two of histories great names – Darwin and Lincoln. Both men made significant (albeit different) contributions to our […]
Institutional racism
Bruce Emery’s sentence of just four years and three months on a reduced charge of manslaughter for chasing 15 year old Pihema Cameron […]
The praiseworthy and the pitiful
Lockwood Smith managing of Question Time. B. Lockwood has made a commendable effort to get ministers to answer questions and cut down on […]