Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category
Chris Trotter on National’s privatisation agenda
I don’t agree with every word, but Chris Trotter’s analysis of today’s Mighty River Power sharemarket float and the implications of the National Government’s ‘partial privatisation’ agenda and hoped-for flow-on effects is well worth a read at The Daily Blog. The last line about Christchurch is a real kicker, too.
Trying to pin a ‘con artist’ tag on Teflon John Key. Yeah, good luck with that.
I heard the NZ Prime Minister John Key (right) waxing lyrical about the (according to him) ‘rort’ that was the Opposition’s Stop Asset Sales petition. If I hadn’t known better I’d have said Mr Key was a glass or two off being refused wine service himself. His response seemed a politically desperate overreaction to news […]
So, what would get you marching in the streets?
Political activism is carried out for all sorts of reasons, by all sorts of people, in a variety of guises. The 1981 Springbok Rugby Tour divided families, households, workplaces … and the nation. Our current Prime Minister John Key “can’t even remember” whether he was for or against the tour, or the anti-Apartheid civil disobedience […]
Aaron Gilmore ‘Who’s the dickhead?’ awards
National list MP Aaron Gilmore’s arrogance demeans all MPs. People get drunk and obnoxious, some every weekend. But thrusting your freshly-printed Parliamentary business card in the face of a waiter who has judged you to be too intoxicated for continued wine service, then proving it by threatening the have the Prime Minister’s Office (!) terminate […]
Farewell Parekura Horomia. RIP
I watched a good tribute to Mr Horomia on Native Affairs last night. I guess it’ll be on their website soon. A shout out to Morgan Godfery who honoured him. Sincere condolences to Mr Horomia’s whanau and those many who loved him and grieve his passing now. – P
‘Taniwha’ — Nice use of language, Rudman
The road monster needs feeding again, oh woe, what will we do? For 50 years, Aucklanders have been trying to pacify this particular taniwha. We’ve criss-crossed the isthmus, with strip after strip of tarmac in his honour. But it’s never enough. Give me more, he growls, or I’ll bring your city to a grinding halt. […]
Matthew Hooton on John Key’s GCSB ‘recall problems’ and repeated failures to ‘come clean’
Interesting discussion on Radio NZ’s political panel with Kathryn Ryan this morning. I heard it in the car and thought I heard spin doctor Matthew Hooton suggest John Key’s ‘recall problems’ and his trail of repeated failures to ‘come clean’ has seen him lose the trust of the Press Gallery — trust he’d built up over […]
Nicky Hager on why John Key’s GCSB scandal just keeps rolling
Journalist and author Nicky Hager (The Hollow Men, Secrets and Lies, Other People’s Wars, Secret Power — last mentioned on The Paepae here) knows a thing or two about the state security/surveillance apparatus … and leaks. He was recently interviewed for a spot on Radio NZ’s Mediawatch (14 Apr 2013) on the subject of the leaked […]
Tripping over the paper trail. Spokesman says Mr Key advised cabinet about Fletcher link ‘orally’.
I remember writing a post before the last General Election, Hansard can be a real bitch, eh Mr Key? wherein I sympathised with noticed the difficulty some politicians seem to have remembering what they themselves said and how awkward that can be for them when they’re questioned about it in any detail. It’s not easy. Reporting […]
Steven Joyce’s hyperbolic response to an Opposition policy announcement
Wow. I heard and saw some response from NZ government figures to the joint Labour/Green announcement of policy concerned with electricity market reform. Ministers Steven Joyce and Simon Bridges apparently couldn’t wait to slam the policy vociferously, taking the opportunity of ‘stand-ups’ in Parliament’s hallways to foam at the mouth issue a comment. Having paid no […]
Recognising culture war as … ‘War’. Not pretty.
The same sex marriage bill [Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill] passed in the NZ Parliament last night, to much jubliation from its supporters. Like many others, I watched the debate with members of my family live on Parliament TV. It was history in the making. Lew Stoddart, blogging at Kiwipolitico today (see: Recognising the […]
John Key addresses Parliament on his earlier misleading statement about Ian Fletcher’s appointment
Here’s the NZ prime minister John Key delivering a ‘personal explanation’ to Parliament yesterday for his misleading answer to a question about the appointment of his school friend Ian Fletcher to the job of Director of the Government Communications Security Bureau, GCSB. Well, that puts that matter to rest, doesn’t it? Ya think? (What do […]
Sue Bradford on recent developments in the area of protest and state surveillance
Left wing activist and former Green politician Sue Bradford posted an article at Pundit which I’ve just seen. She shares several valuable insights. I recommend you read it. A bad week for left activist paranoia by Sue Bradford writing at pundit.co.nz Army to gain new powers over protesters; GCSB spies on New Zealanders; new single […]
Evoking the spectre of external threat to justify spying on your citizens
The NZ prime minister has evoked ‘Reds under the bed’ style threats to national security to justify extending the already broad powers of the nation’s spy agencies, and aiding co-operation between them. Read the paragraph below and tell me it’s not redolent of the vacuous and deceitful ‘sexed-up dossier’ that Tony Blair used to justify […]
