National’s $62 billion budget hole
National’s road plans are fraught with risks, with one of these projects will suck up $1 in every $10 of capital spending over 20 years. Plus: NZIER analysis has been called into question
corruption
What’s up with Matt Doocey, Mike King & the $24mn of taxpayers money?
Mike King calls alcohol a solution to mental health anguish. But evidence shows alcohol is linked to a 94% increase in suicide and has links to family violence. So what is happening with King and the $24m this government handed him in a highly “irregular” contract process?
Corrupt US
That’s not a request by the way. This post is a kind of “confessions of a cynic who allowed optimism to creep up and have a hand in thought processes” post.
A Welcome Change Coming.
There’s an increasing number of progressive and conservatives who are rediscovering their moral compass in these, the final days of unfettered liberalism.
To Kill Democracy…
If major Democratic Party donors and ‘big business’ lobbyists wanted to monkeywrench democracy in the US, then here’s how they could go about it.
Just another typical week in US politics
The last week in US politics has seen the Trump Impeachment Hearing go public, Trump confidant Roger Stone convicted of lying to Congress, Alex Jones ask for the Presidential pardon to be used to free him, and details revealed of multiple meetings between Trump and Igor Fruman and Lev Parnas who are charged with campaign rule violations. Trump says he does not know them. Just another week in the Trump Presidency …
Ross saga quiescent, but donations scandal needs addressing
The Jami-Lee Ross scandal may have quietened down but issues raised by his explosive tape recording of Simon Bridges still need addressing. Does the $100k Zhang Yikun donation suggest we are going down the US track and, if so, what needs to be done about that
No smoking gun but plenty of sunlight from Bridges tape
Maybe not a smoking gun, Jami-Lee Ross’s tape recording of Simon Bridges sheds plenty of sunlight on the influence that money can buy within the National Party, casual racism endemic within National, the manipulation of ethnic communities and, most importantly, insights into the wielding of “soft power” by China.
Peters’ greatest hits
Lloyd Burr at Newshub rounded up 23 of Peters’ most quotable attacks on the Nats and their failed government. Add them to the collection of issues that Peters will have to disown if he goes wrong and picks Right.
So sheepgate was Key’s fault
According to Fran O’Sullivan the cause of Sheepgate was Key’s decision to abandon leadership of a business mission in 2010. As to the subsequent scandal – Watkin and Hooton voice the anger we should all be feeling.
NRT: Charter schools are corrupt
I/S at No Right Turn: “ACT appears to be using charter schools to channel public money to government donors and cronies”…
The real reason that politicians will take no action on tax haven corruption
Take action on tax haven corruption? NZ says – meh
The Nats are all over the place on this, and they’re trashing our reputation in the process.
Panama leaker’s statement singles out John Key
Over night the Panama Papers leaker “John Doe” released a “manifesto”.
In it he/she mentioned just one national leader by name, singling out our very own John Key, for his “curious silence”…
Another Panama dump on NZ links
Australia’s Financial Review has just published more details of NZ’s starring role as tax haven in the Panama Papers.
Update: Claims that Key’s lawyer never dealt with Mossack Fonseca seem to be – untrue.
NRT: A Poor Choice
I/S at No Right Turn on the irony of sending Judith “Minister of Corruption” Collins to an an anti-corruption summit in London next week.
Key’s sloppy trust
An editorial in The Herald today keeps the pressure on Key. Meanwhile his “lawyer” can’t be happy, and Key hits peak condescension.
The wheels on the bus go round and round
Key chucks his “lawyer” under a bus – Part 2.
Key chucks his “lawyer” under a bus
Key has form on lying, you’d hope that his “lawyer” does not.
Tax haven questions for National
The weekend saw the pressure stay on National over our tax haven status, and the role Key might have played in protecting it.
Rodney Hide – stupid, corrupt or both?
Hide’s Herald piece today is straight out of Dirty Politics Farrar’s playbook.
Gould on Nats’ sleaze and corruption
Bryan Gould has some choice words on the latest Nat donations scandal.
The whiff of corruption follows McCully around
There is a clear conflict of interest in the Niue resort case.
Panama vows action – NZ closes its eyes
The cycle of corrupt money. 100% tax haven. And we’re being put to shame by Panama.
Panama Papers: NZ is a tax haven
The Panama Papers show that NZ operates a tax haven. Key’s denials don’t hold up, particularly in the light of at least two three prior warnings that his government has received.
Chris Cairns: Song of the Tall Poppy
The Chris Cairns trial verdict seems to have surprised Kiwis. And some people don’t seem to want to accept he is not a match fixer. Are we that fooled by modern media that our usual decency and sense of fair play has deserted us?
Power Corruption and Lies
A National List MP has been snapped trying to heavy the Housing Ministry into funding a lift in her personal profile. Remember John Key’s ‘higher standards in Government’? Nick Smith’s Ministerial office apparently doesn’t care too much about about such trifles. Worse, the Housing Ministry has been caught trying to cover up for the Tories by redacting an OIA request. Here’s your Brighter Future, folks. Enjoy.
Things that make you go “Hmmmm”
Sepp Blatter. John Key. Hmmmm.
Political donations and conflicts of interest
Whether it’s about election donations or portfolios, some people do seem to think MPs should always get the benefit of the doubt.
NRT: “Close to corruption”
I/S at No Right Turn adds some detail to Matthew Hooton’s extraordinary piece at the NBR.
NRT: Cronyism in Christchurch II
Back in August, National announced they were handing a $284 million contract to build a new convention centre in Christchurch to a consortium which included the Speaker’s brother. From the outside, it looks like cronyism, if not outright corruption…
“We may as well kiss democracy goodbye”
The words of the title of this post are those of the Ombudsman, reflecting on yet another typical Nat government scandal as broken by David Fisher in The Herald this morning.
Judith Collins: fudging evidence
Judith Colllins & the PM are probably toasting Shane Jones (and Murray McCully) right now: the heat around the Oravida controversy has been pushed off the front pages. Information and marginalised news don’t easily disappear off the web – or Wikipedia. Collins quietly slipped out a press release on the delay of her decision on alcohol pricing – media shy suddenly?
NRT: Stinkier and stinkier
In the ongoing saga about the Problem Gambling Foundation, The Salvation Army were unaware that the Ministry of Health had decided that they would take over as the national provider. They hadn’t even applied for it. It appears that only thing driving the ministry’s decision was the complaints from the gambling industry about the PGF trying to reduce problem gambling…. Is the gambling industry is thoroughly corrupting National’s ministers?
Dinner money
The reason we know about John Key’s Antoine’s dinner donations was that they were grouped into a single donation that had to be declared.
But what about all the other dinners where each seat is considered a separate donation?
Key hides advice, Collins goes to ground
Radio New Zealand has reported that John Key is refusing to release the advice he claims clears Judith Collins over her conflict of interest. And is now claiming that the Cabinet rules are ” just a guideline anyway”