Gordon Campbell on the Aussie banks and their profits
You will land in big trouble if you try to rob a bank. (Don’t do it people.) But when banks rob us, we will worry about whether they might have an attitude problem.
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Gordon Campbell on electricity pricing, executions, and Bob Dylan at 75
This week, New Zealand’s crisis of poverty and homelessness has been making headlines around the world. At exactly the same time, Electricity Authority has unveiled […]
Gordon Campbell on the sense of entitlement shared by Fonterra, Affco and Todd Barclay
Fonterra’s explanation for its behavior towards the small firms it engages – it has reportedly asked its suppliers to reduce their charges in order ‘to […]
Gordon Campbell on why we’re sitting ducks for the power companies
The marketing campaigns waged to induce customers to chase around between electricity companies in a frantic search for savings has always looked like a diversion. […]
Gordon Campbell on our Feeble Response to Atrocities in SA
With an ally like Saudi Arabia, who needs enemies? In the past 15 years, the West can thank the House of Saud for • Providing […]
Gordon Campbell on how the Republicans just buried the TPP
In case you were still holding your breath about the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal, you can relax. For months, it has seemed increasingly unlikely […]
Gordon Campbell on Serco’s emerging role as the government’s favourite corporate crony, and the TPP fallout
There’s no success like failure, as Bob Dylan once said, and Serco’s failures mean nothing but trouble on the horizon for ordinary New Zealanders. Unfortunately, […]
Gordon Campbell on Ian Fletcher resignation & GCSB's new role
Like most events in security intelligence, the resignation for “family reasons” of GCSB boss Ian Fletcher has got (a) a simple straightforward explanation and (b) […]
Gordon Campbell on John Key’s ‘blame it on Judith’ strategy
Right now, Prime Minister John Key seems intent on limiting the scope of any inquiry into his government’s dealings with Cameron Slater. The declared aim […]
On the government’s new PPP deal in education
Supposedly, the big advantage of public/private partnerships is that they will bring the alleged efficiencies of the private sector to projects that involve public money […]
On the Citizens Initiated Referendum on asset sales
The launching of a Citizens Initiated Referendum on the question of the partial asset sales is a useful shot across the bows of the government’s […]
Gordon Campbell on Earthquake Welfare and Libya
Illustration by Tim Denee – www.timdenee.com The decision to phase out the government’s support package for Christchurch business seems to have been plucked from the […]
On the Simon Power resignation
2009 image: werewolf » Doing the Transtasman tango Reportedly, the decision by Justice Minister Simon Power to quit politics at the next election has stunned […]
On faster (pricier) broadband, and our ongoing Afghan delusions
As the government gradually releases the detail of its ultrafast broadband package, it is becoming clear that this initiative will not be the boon for […]
Gordon Campbell on The Hobbit countdown to D-Day
At his post Cabinet press conference last week, Prime Minister John Key was asked (by me) whether the government-convened talks to keep The Hobbit in […]
On the plans to sell state assets
At yesterday’s post-Cabinet press conference Prime Minister John Key said that work ‘had not yet begun’ on deciding which state assets – if any – […]
On Theresa Gattung’s attack on Telecom
One hates to kick someone when they’re down – but when it is former Telecom CEO Theresa Gattung and she is peddling a book in […]
Gordon Campbell on the government's tolerance of white collar crime
This government takes a crush ’em and crate ’em approach to crime – unless that is, the offender happens to be wearing a tie. In […]
The bogus benefits of PPPs
Occasionally, someone in business lets the cat out of the bag in a way that is impossible to satirise. Thus in the NZ Herald this […]
On the power company rip-offs
Spot the difference. A Rotorua couple get $10 million overpaid by Westpac into their bank account and hive off with it, with Interpol and the […]