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Potholes damned potholes and National Party statistics

Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, July 19th, 2023 - 16 comments

National underlined its complete lack of intellectual grunt and its fascination with passing anxieties as well as its intent to forget what it did by recently releasing a pothole policy.

The very Kafkaesque attack on Kiritapu Allan

Written By: - Date published: 4:46 pm, July 2nd, 2023 - 54 comments

Being subject to allegations of inappropriate behaviour the detail of which has not been released by unnamed public servants must make Kiritapu Allan think that she is living in a Franz Kafka novel.

Proper Race Politics In Your Face

Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, June 28th, 2023 - 12 comments

Who has the better take on the Treaty of Waitangi? Julian Batchelor or Sir Apirana Ngata?

Sepuloni 1 Luxon 0

Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, June 28th, 2023 - 12 comments

Yesterday in Parliament National attempted to embarrass Carmel Sepuloni in question time by asking her detailed economic questions. But the attempt backfired.

Hipkins in China

Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, June 27th, 2023 - 38 comments

A weakened Russia is a Russia made more dependent on China. New Zealand is also deeply reliant on China.

Why selling Auckland Port Operations is a particularly silly thing to do

Written By: - Date published: 4:30 pm, June 25th, 2023 - 4 comments

It is a given that the right in power want to sell public assets off and the left want to retain those assets. And it appears that the right’s eyes are on Ports of Auckland.

Why Public Ownership Is Great

Written By: - Date published: 4:20 pm, June 25th, 2023 - 10 comments

In the absence of any political party stating clearly that public ownership of major infrastructure is a very good idea, here’s 10 good things public ownership of infrastructure does that private ownership doesn’t.

China’s gift horse

Written By: - Date published: 1:29 pm, June 23rd, 2023 - 9 comments

It is good to see that there is a substantial business delegation accompanying Chris Hipkins to China, and that it is aimed at seeking to diversify into a wider range of issues. As China’s ambassador Wang Xiaolong noted in the Herald yesterday, there are significant opportunities for New Zealand on offer.

Greenpeace: Climate activist Rosemary Penwarden found guilty but remains undeterred

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, June 15th, 2023 - 17 comments

“We applaud Rosemary for standing up against big oil and gas.”

Greens announce income guarantee and wealth tax policy

Written By: - Date published: 6:31 pm, June 11th, 2023 - 65 comments

The Green Party has today announced an income guarantee and a wealth tax.

Diplomacy with China hasn’t failed – it hasn’t been tried

Written By: - Date published: 8:45 pm, June 5th, 2023 - 34 comments

Gerald Hensley was David Lange’s chief of staff when New Zealand’s nuclear free policy was adopted. He opposed what happened then and opposes it still. He now argues we should prepare for war with China.

Carmel Sepuloni – bring it on

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 pm, May 27th, 2023 - 49 comments

Carmel Sepuloni’s speech to the 2023 Labour Party Congress.

Really Small States in Really Big Conflicts

Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, May 9th, 2023 - 16 comments

In case we just missed it, New Zealand really has picked a side. Prime Minister Hipkins will head to the NATO summit in Lithuania together with Australia, Japan and South Korean leaders. Also Vladimir Zelinskyy is intending to go as well.

Yes, A Constitution

Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, May 6th, 2023 - 50 comments

We are mature enough to have our own leader. Own our own shit.

Where Is New Zealand Extremism Going?

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, April 28th, 2023 - 78 comments

I’ve worked my way through two books recently, both on extremist sects, one about New Zealand groups and one about those in the United States of America. It’s startling.

Greens: Three waters rebrand insufficient

Written By: - Date published: 6:14 am, April 14th, 2023 - 24 comments

Today the Government adopted a long held Green Party position to increase the number of water entities to ensure a closer connection with communities they serve. However, despite the rebrand, significant concerns remain.

What is UK Labour doing?

Written By: - Date published: 1:03 pm, April 8th, 2023 - 28 comments

In the United Kingdom Keir Starmer’s faction are exerting their control by moving to the centre and adopting policy positions very similar to the Conservatives.  And by refusing to allow Jeremy Corbyn to stand as a Labour candidate in the next election.

Jacinda’s Valedictory Speech

Written By: - Date published: 6:28 pm, April 5th, 2023 - 6 comments

Video of Jacinda Ardern’s Valedictory speech given today in Parliament.

We should have a chat about Artificial Intelligence

Written By: - Date published: 10:48 am, April 2nd, 2023 - 36 comments

As we adjust to the advent of civilisation threatening climate change there is a new threat that is emerging, the unregulated development of artificial intelligence.

Debating with nazis

Written By: - Date published: 8:34 pm, March 24th, 2023 - 278 comments

So Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull aka Posie Parker is coming to Aotearoa New Zealand and intends to spread her message. Wikipedia describes her as someone who “has used posters, billboards, stickers, and social media to promote anti-trans messages, and she has organized events in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia that have been protested by […]

Submit!

Written By: - Date published: 12:53 pm, March 19th, 2023 - 10 comments

What sort of city do you want to live in? If you do not wish to live in a city that is going backwards environmentally, artistically and socially then please submit on Auckland Council’s Draft Annual Budget.

Luxon slumps in latest Colmar Brunton poll

Written By: - Date published: 6:18 pm, March 13th, 2023 - 57 comments

The latest One News Kantar Poll result has been released and it is a doozie.

Helen White wins Mount Albert selection

Written By: - Date published: 3:24 pm, March 11th, 2023 - 25 comments

In breaking news Helen White has won the selection for the Mt Albert seat over Camilla Belich.  This is something of an upset as Belich was rumoured to have head office support.

But How Do You Pay For It?

Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, March 5th, 2023 - 27 comments

To pay for recent flood damage Grant Robertson has to decide on what proportion of this will be paid by new debt, what proportion by reallocation of expenditure, and what proportion by special tax levies.  Is an Australian style levy under consideration?

What Chat GPT thinks of the Standard

Written By: - Date published: 10:28 am, February 18th, 2023 - 27 comments

I thought that I would get Chat GPT to write 500 words on the Standard and this is what it came up with.

Greenpeace calls on government to cut Big Dairy climate pollution

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, February 16th, 2023 - 20 comments

Join our call on the government to take real action to cut climate pollution from NZ’s biggest polluter: industrial dairying.

Is it too early to talk about climate change?

Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, February 13th, 2023 - 50 comments

Two unprecedented summertime storms in Auckland suggest that the threats posed by climate change are not in our future but are here now.

Waitangi Day reading

Written By: - Date published: 5:47 pm, February 6th, 2023 - 14 comments

“It’s a road we are travelling together” – Sharon Murdoch

Luxon blunders again

Written By: - Date published: 2:38 pm, January 26th, 2023 - 25 comments

Chris Luxon has provided another example of his ineptness by suggesting in an MMP environment that a vote in a Maori Seat is worth more than a vote in an European seat.

There is no misogyny in New Zealand *

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, January 24th, 2023 - 62 comments

* sung to the famous tune from Blam Blam Blam.

It will be Chippy for PM

Written By: - Date published: 10:36 am, January 21st, 2023 - 101 comments

Chris Hipkins is now set to become prime minister. I rather expected that would be the likely outcome. Helps the election campaign as it will mute the revolting misogynist arsehole conservatives of the right and some on the left. I’m really tired of listening to them, and I suspect that way more than half of the countries population are as well.