Five years of hell
It is five years since the US and allies invaded Iraq, and the war is far from over. Every day, there is fighting […]
Key, the Kiwi Ken
For harmonious holiday gatherings of family and friends it’s sometimes said that the topics of religion and politics are best avoided. At least […]
‘Try the dead rat, it’s delicious’
Hat tip: Chris S in the comments.
GDP up; parents’ time with kids plummets
One of the most interesting questions from the audience at the Stiglitz interview in Wellington last week was whether he thought we were […]
Obama vs Key
With Barack Obama doing so well in the Democrat primaries and being seen as the candidate of change, National wants to paint John […]
Rodney’s weightloss secret revealed! (maybe)
We’d assumed it was all the dancing but perhaps there’s another explanation. Stuff reports that: ACT on Campus – the youth branch of […]
Nats talk up crime, policy absent
As part of its ‘New Zealand sucks’ campaign, National is on its high horse over an international survey that shows New Zealand’s crime […]
Is it a recession Mr Key?
I am intrigued by the recent coverage of the state of the economy. We have reports that things will get bumpy from some […]
If I were ACT’s campaign strategist
What strategy should the parties pursue ahead of the election? This series of posts will attempt to answer that question, party by party, starting with […]
What the hell is the sub-prime crisis?
The sub-prime crisis is at the heart of the world’s current economic problems. It all boils down to financiers playing fast and loose […]
National still evasive over KiwiSaver plans
You do have to wonder sometimes what it takes to get a straight answer out of a National party MP. Having recently given […]
Join the great Sydney exodus
Has the prospect of a Kiwi winter made you think longingly of a move across the ditch? Well if Sydney was your destination […]
Guest post: Simon Tegg on Peak Oil
Meet Guest post. Guest post is 32 years old, he likes long walks on the beach and lively political debate. He is our […]
Counting our collective coin
Check out this groovy little gadget. You put your money in the slot and it gets counted, with the power of ‘digital’! Maybe […]
Under the bed
More on mental health
After reading Steve’s piece about suicide prevention and the subsequent comments I’ve decided a short history lesson on this issue is needed. In […]
They know their man
This week’s NBR editorial, titled “Smarten up, John Key”, frets that Key keeps showing himself to be a slippery, policy lightweight (can’t have […]
New Ansell billboard
Nationalise Air New Zealand
The recent scandal over Air New Zealand underpaying its Chinese workers to the tune of four times less than their New Zealand counterparts […]
Focus on suicide
The Government has launched a new suicide prevention action plan. Suicide is a tragedy that has touched several Ministers personally and it is […]
The Hawke’s Bay DHB report
The report into the Hawke’s Bay DHB is out and, like everything to do with DHBs, it makes boring reading. That tireless muck-raker, […]
Colmar Brunton
TVNZ had another Colmar Brunton poll last night. The gap between National and Labour remains substantial, but has closed by four points since […]
Family First to support “love vacation”?
Finnish MP Tommy Tabermann (SDP) has proposed granting all employees a paid 7-day “love vacation” once a year. According to Tabermann, the purpose […]
John Ansell’s reverse Midas touch
Oh dear. It started with Roger Douglas and now political ad-man John Ansell has got on board the ACT train to electoral oblivion […]
SST recycles discredited National party spin
Rob Stock apparently holds several awards for personal finance reporting but looks unlikely to win another based on his rehash of National Party […]
Reacting to the Tibet unrest
The clashes between rioters and police in Tibet that have left up to 100 dead are a particularly tough issue for New Zealand […]
Communists on the move in Germany
Here’s a lead line from a Washington Post article that will strike fear and horror into the heart of any self-respecting rightwinger: “Nineteen […]
A modest proposal
Every year the Remuneration Authority, an independent body, reviews the pay of MPs. It sets the salaries without needing approval by Parliament or Cabinet, to keep […]
The Key Problem
The somewhat irregular and frequently misguided Chris Trotter occasionally hits it on-the-head. Today’s Sunday Star Times has Trotter running over John Key’s inability […]
Fairtrade: More than just branding
Do you buy Fairtrade products? Or do you think of it as just another marketing ploy? This recent article “Teach us how to […]
New talent at the Herald
I imagine this by-line is an error, but given the way the Herald’s been evangelising for the Right lately you do have to […]
Good for the ears
For those of you who haven’t already found it, Left Business Observer editor Doug Henwood has a bloody good economics-based radio show that […]
Sabotaged truck under labour
Earlier this week a reader drew our attention to Michael Hansen, a candidate in the recent local elections who drew 423 votes in […]
Dream of sliding to work?
Google have just opened a new European engineering headquarters in Switzerland, according to a report from the BBC: “Dotcom companies were defined by […]
Birds of a feather…
Frogblog covers Muriel Newman’s column in the Dom yesterday: “Climate change, we didn’t do it” [whew! back to my environmentally pollutive and destructive […]
National’s bad fortnight
A bad week last week from John Key got worse this week as other National MPs joined Key in a game of drop […]