democracy under attack

Nats’ unconstitutional looters’ bonus

Written By: James Henderson - Date published: 7:42 am, June 21st, 2012 - 101 comments

So, National expects 200,000 people to buy shares when it hocks off our assets. Call me simple but there’s 4.4 million of us, 3.3 million adults. Seems like nearly all of us won’t buy shares. But here’s the real rub: they’re talking about a bonus for the elite who can afford to buy shares and hold on to them. A gift from us to them. And National’s got no legal right to do it.

Asset sales: What’s the rush?

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 3:13 pm, June 13th, 2012 - 49 comments

The Asset Sales Bill will be back in Parliament for its second reading tomorrow.

It’s a further abrogation of due procress, as it comes back 5 weeks early, curtailing proper scrutiny.

Nats ramp up attacks on local government

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:19 pm, June 8th, 2012 - 21 comments

The neoliberals hate democracy. It tends to get in the way. Especially local government. It’s easier to control a single unicameral Parliament than it is to control 70-odd territorial authorities. National has attacked local government, particularly in Auckland and Canterbury but now they’re going all out with more dictatorships and forced mergers.

Vetoing democracy

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:19 am, April 12th, 2012 - 47 comments

Parliament is supposed to be the sovereign body in our government. So, how come the Executive has an unchallengeable power to veto any legislation it chooses? As I/S explains, the roots of the financial veto go back to when Parliament was a servant of the Crown, but its legislative justification has been repealed. Time to drop the archaic, undemocratic financial veto.

How history will remember Len Brown: scab, coward, judas

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 7:23 am, March 9th, 2012 - 86 comments

You betrayed the people you pretended to represent Len.

The circling vultures

Written By: James Henderson - Date published: 10:59 am, February 11th, 2012 - 105 comments

People are waking up to National’s plan to remove the democratically-elected Christchurch City Council and replace it with its own hand-picked commissioners, who will then give a green light to Brownlee’s developer mates and the sale of council assets. You can already see the vultures circling – waiting for the chance to seize more public wealth for themselves.

For your eyes only

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 8:30 am, February 3rd, 2012 - 17 comments

The Briefings to Incoming Ministers, which government departments produce after each election, give the public (via the media) an insight into on coming challenges in portfolios, elaborate on how election promises will be converted into real policies, and – most importantly – reveal things the government is planning that weren’t election policies. So, it’s disturbing that the Nats are censoring them.

Gould on protecting freedom of the press

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:09 am, January 24th, 2012 - 46 comments

The high point of John Key’s popularity came about 3 weeks before the election. Then the tea tapes meant a spectacle that was meant to be a show of his power became a media storm with him at the centre. National lost 5% in those last few weeks of the campaign. Key blamed the media. Bryan Gould looks at the war he has been waging against the press ever since.

John Key: Berlusconi of the south pacific

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 7:22 am, November 19th, 2011 - 20 comments

Key declares war on the media

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 12:33 pm, November 17th, 2011 - 67 comments

This headline speaks for itself.  Tea tape: TVNZ, RNZ to be searched – “Four media outlets, including Radio New Zealand and TVNZ, are to be searched for any material they might have in their possession that relates to the tea pot tapes”.  Outrageous.

Those nice men in suits

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 8:18 am, November 12th, 2011 - 16 comments

Let the courts decide

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 9:46 am, October 11th, 2011 - 59 comments

The threat of invoking defamation is a standard tactic to intimidate those who can’t afford the legals bills to shut their mouths. Such threats are sometimes known as strategic lawsuits against public participation or SLAPPS. My understanding of Lange v. Atkinson (2000) and the qualified privilege afforded to political commentary that it enshrines, suggests there is no way […]

Why’s Boscawen really quitting?

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 12:38 am, September 25th, 2011 - 43 comments

Out of the blue, John Boscawen has announced he is withdrawing from ACT’s list. It’s an odd departure from an odd man. ‘Family reasons’ is the line. Not exactly creative. Is the real reason National’s ‘fixit’ Bill? Boscawen is a true believer in ACT’s libertarian principles and doesn’t do compromise. Was being asked to sign a retrospective blank cheque the final straw?

Stand up for the rule of law

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 10:55 am, September 21st, 2011 - 44 comments

Your Police knowingly acted illegally to spy on your fellow citizens. No-one’s saying those being surveilled are angels. It’s not about them. It’s about whether the agents of the State, who are ultimately meant to be your agents, should be allowed to act illegally. Should the ends justify the means or do we believe in the rule of law as the only way to constrain those with power from abusing it?