On the Chris Carter fiasco
Click for big version If Chris Carter’s recent trip to Tibet was in search of spiritual enlightenment, he will have come back with a ready […]
General Politics
On the despicable decision on blood alcohol driving limits
Yesterday’s non-decision on the alcohol limit has underlined once again that the Key government is not interested in governing for the benefit of New Zealand […]
On the mining backdown
The government’s formal capitulation ( due later today) on the mining of Schedule Four conservation land is a smashing victory for the public – one […]
On the Waihopai ‘Claim of Right’ Defence, and Arming the Police
Jump to ‘Reduce Violence : Arm the Police. Yeah, right.’ Usually when the public feels outraged by an acquittal in a high profile trial, the […]
On the ideology behind state spending cuts, and the Bethune aftermath
Clearly, the cuts to government spending are being driven by ideology and not by the state of the economy. Yesterday’s figures revealed a government deficit […]
On John Key getting us mixed up in Australia’s problems with asylum seekers
Click for big version Asylum seekers? We’ve been here before under a National-led government. In 1999, the then-Immigration Minister Tuariki Delamere used the spectre of […]
On why our business leaders continue to believe in the confidence fairy
(Also: On Vincent Ward) Given the poor economic data from the United States in June, the Reserve Bank obviously needs to halt the upward march […]
On The Jackson Film Commission review
So the long awaited, year-in-the-making blockbuster review of the Film Commission has finally been delivered by Sir Peter Jackson and David Court, and is now […]
On Julia Gillard, and Simon Power
Julia Gillard’s ascent to the top job in Australia will face its first major policy test in the next fortnight, as she will have to […]
Gordon Campbell on the foreshore and seabed deal, and Gaza blockade
By Gordon Campbell The Maori Party seems to have won few immediate and tangible benefits from its long awaited deal on the foreshore and seabed […]
On a solution for the Ministerial spending scandal, and for child poverty
The litmus test in the Ministerial expenses scandal is what would happen to an ordinary employee who repeatedly misused the company or departmental credit card […]
On the Green Party conference
The Greens held their party conference last weekend – the first for some years not dominated by an actual or pending leadership change. This time, […]
On the rugby apology to Maori, the Gaza blockade and lying about Kiwibank
Isn’t there something truly weird about any Maori Party request to government for an apology over the exclusion of Maori players from tours to apartheid-era […]
On the need for New Zealand to condemn the Gaza blockade
The Israeli attack on the Turkish aid convoy to Gaza, and its subsequent slaughter of the civilians on board is being condemned around the world. […]
On the trade-offs in the Budget
Audio + Images: Budget Lockup Press Conference Raising the level of GST – which will hit those on low incomes the hardest – and offering […]
On privatizing water, and the SAS in Afghanistan
Local Government Minister Rodney Hide continues to pursue his vocation in life, of turning public assets into profit centres for the private sector. The amendment […]
On RWC fever, and Obama’s Supreme Court choice
RNZ this morning carried the news that “new research” now shows that the Rugby World Cup would add an estimated $535 million to the nation’s […]
On our unhealthy fixation with Gallipoli
Image: Selwyn Manning: ANZAC Day 2008 Dawns in NZ At the post-Cabinet press conference last Monday, Prime Minister John Key had to field a range […]
On Paula Bennett’s decidedly strange welfare panel
Last week when Social Development Minister Paula Bennett named the working group on welfare reform, she also cited in a footnote two experts that the […]
On getting a fair deal for our oil and mining resources
As the deadline approaches for public submissions on the government’s plans to open up sensitive conservation areas to mining, the likely economic returns to New […]
On the Whanau Ora scheme
At the unveiling of Whanau Ora, the government scrapped a key feature that its expert Task Force had deemed to be ‘pivotal’ – namely, that […]
On the Iraq election, and the attacks on Andrew Williams
So Iyad Allawi’s secular Sunni coalition has won the most seats in the Iraqi elections. While the mainstream media from the New York Times to […]
On the missing-in-action Jackson film review, and the new benefit policy
I know Peter Jackson is a busy guy, but where oh where is his review of the New Zealand Film Commission? There was no hard […]
On the Government’s Greenlight to the Mining Industry
Click for big version Well, we learned yesterday that Forest and Bird leaks had been right all along, and that the government is indeed planning […]
On the Economics of Mining DOC Land
Click to enlarge At yesterday’s Post cabinet press conference [video], Prime Minister John Key repeated the government’s current defensive position on the proposal to extend […]
On the Wellywood sign (& Education Cuts)
As the Facebook critics of the Wellywood sign have pointed out, it is pretty hard to see the logic of promoting the creativity of the […]
On fresh evidence about the gender pay gap
An appropriate newsflash yesterday for International Women’s Day. After analyzing Inland Revenue data, the Women’s Ministry has found that women almost immediately begin to be […]
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 […]
On David Garrett’s sterilisation plan, and the divisions within Hamas
David Garrett’s bizarre suggestion that people who abuse children should be given a $5,000 incentive to get themselves sterilized is so crass that one hardly […]
On the Phil Heatley saga,and more on low budget films
Image from nznationalparty’s photostream – On board the NUShip Perth Normally when there is a personal cloud over a Minister, they would stand down and/or […]