Archive for July, 2008
Thursday, July 31st, 2008
The Olympics are now almost upon us. But before going there…Do you think Winston Peters, in his role as Foreign Minister of course, is being fully briefed by MFAT about a current and fascinating global trend - which entails senior politicians getting sacked or being forced to resign, ...
Posted in Articles | 6 Comments »
Tuesday, July 29th, 2008
The Prime Minister in question answering mode – Image Kevin List
*****
Late on Monday July 29th, means that its time for the Prime Minister’s weekly post Cabinet press conference. How late the conference is scheduled is in itself a vehicle for spin conjecture. If it comes early (3:30 to 4 ...
Posted in Articles | 3 Comments »
Monday, July 28th, 2008
By Gordon Campbell
*****
At half time in the Winston Peters latest scandal – which seems to involve several money trails complex enough to merit inclusion in the Winebox - likely winners are beginning to emerge. And the main beneficiary is undoubtedly….the much reviled Electoral Finance Act. ...
Posted in Articles | 12 Comments »
Friday, July 25th, 2008
Image - Lyndon Hood
*****
The surprising thing about the National Party’s industrial relations policy is not that it’s only a bare outline – these days, even a one page summary of anything that National plans to do in government counts as a revelation. Nor is it surprising ...
Posted in Articles | 8 Comments »
Thursday, July 24th, 2008
Take my word on this, but the government’s omnibus tax bill that got its first reading last night contains some pretty startling measures. One of its main features was an incentive for New Zealand firms to re-locate their manufacturing base offshore – which seems a mighty strange thing for ...
Posted in Articles | 7 Comments »
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008
Click for big version
OK, the Immigration Bill was reported back late yesterday from the Transport and Industrial Relations select committee. Some objectionable features have been changed ( see below) but the repellent core of the Bill remains. In particular, the security provisions still tilt the balance unfairly and unnecessarily ...
Posted in Articles | 3 Comments »
Monday, July 21st, 2008
3News is reporting that its latest poll shows the lead National has had over labour in recent polls has taken a slight beating in its latest political poll. While National still has enough support to govern on its own, it seems Labour's attacks on the opposition's ...
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Thursday, July 17th, 2008
Images Kevin List
*****
It is unusual to talk about a 70 year old in terms of untapped potential, but the aura of ‘what might have been’ will always hang over Jim Anderton’s career. New Zealand never got the full benefit of his skills – and conversely, Anderton has never found ...
Posted in Articles | 21 Comments »
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008
Great to see that the various players in the blogosphere – from the usual great stuff by No Right Turn, to the new website started by T-Rex to oppose the Bill and the Standard, to name a few– are coming together to campaign against Labour’s Immigration Bill. I’ll ...
Posted in Articles | Comments Off on Gordon Campbell on the Immigration Bill, striking health workers, and the Obama Veepstakes
Friday, July 11th, 2008
Click to enlarge
On Wednesday, the ANZ economist Cameron Bagrie provided some economic data that – co-incidentally, I’m sure – sought to back up the centre right argument that government spending is chronically mis-directed. Bagrie took care to point out that he wasn’t saying a thing about what ...
Posted in Articles | 12 Comments »