On corporate manslaughter, and France’s upcoming elections
Yesterday, the Pike River inquiry heard renewed calls for a criminal charge of corporate manslaughter to be put on the books in New Zealand. “Some […]
legislation
On McCully’s latest debacle, and on a fracking counter-measure
So Nick Smith has fallen on his sword, while dutifully covering for John Key’s leadership inadequacies on this issue as he did so. At the […]
On the local government reforms
Clearly, centre-right governments dislike Big Government only when it isn’t their brand of government. When it is, many of the democratic brakes get removed, quick […]
On the Law Commission plan to scrap jury trials
Chances are, scrapping the system of trial by jury is not the top priority for most New Zealanders. Not many of us woke up this […]
On why the deal on Police covert video surveillance is a travesty
Click for big version. At Saturday’s protest against the bill in Wellington. Photo by Anne Russell. So a cosy deal has been reached between National […]
On the Act Party’s latest policy contortions
Click for big version. By bringing together every dope smoking university student who owns a copy of Bob Marley’s Legend with every rural Rasta, the […]
On the Police surveillance bailout, and Morning Report
Illustration by Tim Denee – www.timdenee.com It would be easier to respect the law if – repeatedly – the Police and SIS didn’t seem so […]
On youth voting and the RWC’s C-List celebrities
The Greens’ Gareth Hughes has highlighted the apparent lack of interest by the young in this year’s election. Only about 72% of eligible 18-24 year […]
Opening the floodgates to tax fraud
Is the most significant change in property law in decades slipping through Parliament virtually unnoticed
On John Key’s Assault On The Welfare System
Illustration by Tim Denee – www.timdenee.com If John Key is the face of moderation, there’s not much room left on the margins for the extremism […]
Gordon Campbell On The Budget – And Petrobras
Cartoon by Trace Hodgson While Deficit Phobia provides the rationale for the austerity and privatisation measures contained in this year’s Budget, the government’s stance is […]
On the oil lobby’s claims about the Petrobras protests
Illustration by Tim Denee – www.timdenee.com Nice of petroleum industry lobbyist John Pfahlert to offer to correct “the number of media inaccuracies” that he feels […]
On the government’s lead in the polls, and Labour’s response
Illustration by Tim Denee – www.timdenee.com Now that National have gained – according to the latest TV3 poll anyway – a further huge lead in […]
On legal aid, and the definitive account of the Hobbit saga
For a party that made the Nanny State such a big part of its 2008 election campaign, today’s cutbacks to legal aid are merely National’s […]
Gordon Campbell on the new rules for Christchurch’s Earthquake Recovery
Illustration by Tim Denee – www.timdenee.com Last year, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee was endowed with god-like powers to over-ride existing law by 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 the ongoing saga of prisoners' right to vote
Last year, and despite the objections of its own Attorney-General, the Key government removed the right of all prisoners to vote. That puts us outside […]
On disenfranchising prisoners, and 'Desperate Housewives' as a Saudi tool of oppression
The pre-Christmas period is traditionally a time for dumping politically noxious material on the public, in the hope they’ll be too distracted to notice. Certainly, […]
On needless Police pursuit deaths, and the new Catch 22 powers of the SIS
At his post Cabinet press conference yesterday, Prime Minister John Key confirmed that 18 people had died in police pursuits this year. Scoop asked him […]
On Treasury’s ideological hostility to film tax breaks
Treasury’s religious objection to tax breaks and the left wing’s objection to paying subsidies to US multinationals like Warners have converged in their joint hostility […]
On taking away the right to vote from prisoners, and John Key’s latest slur on MMP
Click for big version For the last few months a silly and spiteful private members Bill sponsored by National MP Paul Quinn has been working […]
On the draconian Christchurch Earthquake legislation
Come back Frank Bainimarama, all is forgiven. As of last night, New Zealand has surrendered the moral high ground from which to could denounce the […]
On the government’s selective targeting of young drinkers
Frontispiece of Hobbes’ “Leviathan”. How times change. Only a couple of years ago, New Zealand was allegedly beset with Nanny Statism because the Clark government […]
On the Heather Roy coup, and the liquor vote
Image & Audio: Hide Ducks Questions on ACT Leadership Coup The entire Act caucus would fit comfortably into a small rowing boat. If Rodney Hide […]
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 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 […]
On the World Cup, and the media’s buy-in to the national mood of elation
Well, New Zealand made a splash in the Fifa World Cup coverage yesterday – and I don’t mean via the draw with Italy. No, the […]
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 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 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 […]