Written By: - Date published: 3:08 pm, June 6th, 2014 - 45 comments
In Kiwiblog this morning, David Farrar appeared to be running a 9th floor pre-pump for John Banks to resign. But I was rather incredulous when I read this “I don’t think the Judge has actually helped the Government by delaying the decision on entering a conviction. Now that it is the Judge’s role to care about the impact on the Government.”. Huh? DPF badly needs to go back to do some adult education. Perhaps to night school?
Written By: - Date published: 10:31 pm, June 5th, 2014 - 105 comments
It is untenable for someone to remain as an MP after being found guilty of electoral fraud. For the integrity of Parliament, John Banks must go: now.
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, May 7th, 2014 - 32 comments
It now appears that Judith Collins would have to commit murder to be relieved of her ministerial warrants – or perhaps not.
Written By: - Date published: 2:02 pm, May 1st, 2014 - 20 comments
When the Prime Minister found out that Maurice Williamson had contacted police over their investigation of a National Party donor on domestic violence charges, Williamson “assured [him] that he did not in any way intend to influence the Police investigation”. That is bullshit. But it gets worse. The police gave the Minister exactly what he asked for.
Williamson’s head isn’t the only one that should be on a spike.
Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, March 25th, 2014 - 48 comments
There has been a long struggle by the Problem Gambling Foundation & others against SkyCity & the powerful and secretive Pokie Trusts. The government has tended to support the trusts, while maintaining their distance from them. The defunding of the PGF is the latest chapter in the struggle.
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, March 21st, 2014 - 15 comments
“Rockstar economy”? Let’s hear it for another chorus of,”There is no depression in New Zealand”! Demographia reports on absolute food and housing poverty for too many Kiwis. Simon Collins reports on the ethnic inequality gaps & high rates of Maori imprisonment.
Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, February 28th, 2014 - 55 comments
In my experience, left politicians are a interesting mix of being either pretty damn technophobic or having an inept over-enthusiasm for it. But I get the impression that they’ve done some study and thinking on most tech areas I raise with them. However it’d be pretty clear to everyone who has followed 3D printing over the last decade that Maurice Williamson, National’s version of a techhead, appears to be clueless.
Written By: - Date published: 12:36 pm, February 24th, 2014 - 13 comments
I looked at some local newspapers to get away from the endless support for neoliberal values that dominates out MSM. I found people living with unaffordable housing – & how the power of song can unite people in their struggles at the sharp end of the big inequality gap. Maori TV, “Songs from the Inside”.
Written By: - Date published: 3:23 pm, February 23rd, 2014 - 51 comments
One of the areas of concern in the current Blomfield vs Slater defamation case was the theft and copying of documents and stored data owned by Blomfield. Slater is covering for the source of this material by claiming he is a journalist. However this guest post argues that clearly his possession of the material in itself constitutes a number of crimes under the Crimes Act. Which makes the police’s refusal to charge Slater without a valid legal explanation rather peculiar.
Written By: - Date published: 4:05 pm, February 19th, 2014 - 28 comments
Daljit Singh got an inappropriately short sentence for committing electoral fraud. It is hardly a deterrent to prospective politicians from trying to fiddle the electoral system. What was interesting was the way that the fraud was picked up – using back end systems. Far better than the type of populist stupidity to intimidate voters that National MP’s are currently supporting.
Written By: - Date published: 10:05 am, February 3rd, 2014 - 20 comments
A draft UN report on human rights shows NZ has been slacking off. The government is glossing over its failings: eg on domestic violence, child protection, poverty, ethnic inequalities, discrimination, disability rights, government abuse of urgency. Collins focuses on punishment, surveillance.
Written By: - Date published: 6:11 pm, January 29th, 2014 - 25 comments
This post isn’t a ‘contrast and compare’ piece on the policy announcements of National, the Greens and Labour. Enough to say that National are pursuing privatisation while both Labour and Green are at least trying to do good things.
Shame about the reality of the bigger picture then.
Written By: - Date published: 7:19 pm, January 25th, 2014 - 40 comments
John Key seems to be trying to fudge the evidence of the damaging inequalities in NZ. I recap Bunji’s 2010 series of posts on The Spirit Level showing the benefits of a more equal society. Will this be addressed by Cunliffe and Turei this long weekend?
Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, January 22nd, 2014 - 106 comments
This post by polity certainly adds some grist to the debate on unconditional basic income (UBI) and kids. It looks at the example provided by the Cherokee in a natural quasi-experiment in North Carolina on how kids grow up. Being generous and acting early pays off.
Written By: - Date published: 3:06 pm, December 5th, 2013 - 56 comments
No Right Turn writes on what should happen with David Cunliffe screwing up on election day. Sensible advice and commentary on what looks like a typical example of some of the innumerable silly mistakes and accidents that happen during election campaigns. The reaction of some on the right has been pretty damn hilarious when they compare what looks like deliberate concealment of electoral finance with a silly tweeting mistake
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, November 26th, 2013 - 40 comments
The Police investigations into both the teapot tapes and the GCSB’s unlawful spying on Kim Dotcom came down to the same section of the Crimes Act, 216B. That makes it a crime to intentional intercept a private communication without lawful excuse. In both cases, the issue hinged on that word ‘intentional’ but the Police used very different definitions, and investigative tools.
Written By: - Date published: 3:51 pm, November 23rd, 2013 - 6 comments
Police have called on Bob’s expertise to establish if the crime actually happened. We now all know thanks to Bob’s expertise, that women don’t get raped unless they are attractive, dress sexy and go out beyond their front gate at night. Besides women can’t drive like a guy or have fun like a guy. Bob knows just how women think – at least better than the police?
Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, November 16th, 2013 - 13 comments
Today there are actions planned around the country in protest about the rape culture that is part of our mainstream culture. This post and comments are in support of the day of action. Have a good day everyone. [Update: impact on/silencing of survivors]
Written By: - Date published: 9:27 am, November 15th, 2013 - 197 comments
Tomorrow is A Day of Action Against Rape Culture. There are a couple of actions starting today. Actions listed here, plus the reasons for the actions & demands/proposed solutions. Will update with info on any further actions as they become available. [Update: warning – the discussion under this post contains some challenges to the day of action]
Written By: - Date published: 3:49 pm, November 14th, 2013 - 48 comments
Stories of Harassment and Sexual Violence Go Live On Web
Looks like some of my friends are getting serious about making sure that dickheads around like the duo of JT and Willie, prevaricators like John Key and the incredibly slack police response get a better idea about what is at stake…
Written By: - Date published: 8:20 pm, November 9th, 2013 - 95 comments
On 101 East on Al Jazeera. Too many people in NZ prisons, especially Maori: too many in poverty; too much money spent on prisons; not enough for low income communities; some very good community initiatives. Is this a fair representation?
Written By: - Date published: 1:09 pm, November 8th, 2013 - 27 comments
This week in Parliament Judith Collins was in full-on “no” mode – no to alternative trial process for sexual abuse cases, and no to changes to the law of evidence in sexual abuse cases rising from Law Commission work commissioned by Simon Power. This morning on National Radio Jan Jordan of Victoria University called for that extensive work to be revisited. I think she is absolutely right; if carried through it can only lead to a better outcome than what we have at the moment.
Written By: - Date published: 10:23 pm, November 7th, 2013 - 282 comments
The police have censored a satirical image of their policy towards juvenile rapists. It suggests that such outstanding citizens might make good police recruits. Based on past experience that may be the case. It has been most of a decade since the Bazley report. Less than a month since they ignored the IPCA about unlawfully breaking a kids neck at a party. Their actions or lack of them are both a subject of satire and intensely political… Stuff them. They need civilian criticism because they sure as hell don’t listen to their oversight bodies.
Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, November 7th, 2013 - 140 comments
The police yet again apologise for the continuing support for rape culture within their ranks. As a result, young (alleged) rape victims have been re-traumatised. The Bazley Report recommendations should have prevented this from happening. From Key, Collins & Tolley we have been hearing the low-key sound of feet dragging.
Written By: - Date published: 4:17 pm, November 5th, 2013 - 282 comments
The attitudes put on display by the young men calling themselves the ‘Roast Busters’ aren’t a glitch or the product of some unsavoury sub-culture. Those young men and the attitudes they hold are the product of very long and complex processes whereby some very fucked up shit has become normalised.
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, November 5th, 2013 - 36 comments
Scott brings us a message from the NZ Police.
Written By: - Date published: 7:59 pm, November 4th, 2013 - 310 comments
The reports of the Roast Busters are chilling. Watching 3 News tonight was very upsetting. Reported responses by the police, John Key and Judith Collins are inadequate. Key & Collins seem to be shifting the focus to cyber-bullying and away from the brutality of the physical acts. [Update: Scuba Nurse – positive steps to make a difference]
Written By: - Date published: 2:57 pm, October 17th, 2013 - 26 comments
No Right Turn reports on a case that is symptomatic of just how out of control the police in NZ are getting. The response of Wellington’s Tactical Policing Unit was both completely disturbing in its use of violence to try to create the type of incident that they were expecting. The police lying, not only to the public, but also to themselves about the actions is even worse. If there are no prosecutions and stiff sentences for the officers involved, then it is time to start actively initiate a program of private prosecutions of individual police.
Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, October 16th, 2013 - 31 comments
As the resulting court battles die away and the suppression orders lift, the level of sheer dumb stupidity and outright silly paranoia of the police and other agencies involved in Operation 8 becomes clearer. It is time to start examining the officers in the police who brought so much dishonour and disrespect to their force. And where better than Te Putatara who has a post up which details a raid who had a court examination of the validity of the bloated and illegal search warrant to court – while a raid was in progress.
Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, October 6th, 2013 - 28 comments
The Sunday programme this evening has Rob Gilchrist, police spy and provocateur, breaking his silence about the decade he spent amongst mostly peaceful activists. He was one amongst the very many sworn officers and informants that the police, spy agencies, and their civilian detective agencies use to monitor and often to disrupt democratic change. At […]
Written By: - Date published: 4:53 pm, August 29th, 2013 - 22 comments
No Right Turn looks at the police decision on the unlawful GCSB interceptions of DotCom’s communications. Of course getting the police to investigate their own requests for the GCSB to perform an unlawful activity is like putting a stoat in charge of kiwi chicks. Perhaps a private prosecution of the GCSB and the police would be a more productive.
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