Archive for February, 2009

  • frog

    Bondage This!



    This week’s announcement that the Government will extend the bonding scheme for teachers, nurses, doctors midwives and vets is all good for the serious shortage in the next few years but typically fails to address the real issues behind losing so many students overseas – the student loan scheme. The student loan scheme imposes an unbearable [...] read more
    February 27, 2009 4:30 pm - 29 Comments
  • frog

    Job Summit & The Green New Deal



    Green Party Co-Leader Russel Norman talks about today’s Jobs Summit, jobs in general and the Green New Deal. read more
    February 27, 2009 1:42 pm - 17 Comments
  • frog

    Air Freshener: A dose of reality



    The This Is Reality campaign has published their latest “Clean Coal” advertisement. It was directed by Academy-award winners Joel and Ethan Coen and it’s pretty funny. There is no such thing as clean coal, Gerry. read more
    February 27, 2009 9:13 am - 9 Comments
  • Kevin Hague

    Ryall: headlines over healthcare?



    I’m worried that Health Minister, Tony Ryall, doesn’t seem to have made the transition yet from Opposition to the responsibilities of government. In opposition he was able to take pot shots at the Government based on populism and what he thought would be most effective in attracting headlines – an essentially political framework. Now as Minister [...] read more
    February 26, 2009 4:45 pm - 10 Comments
  • frog

    Energy Minister’s recipe for economic disaster



    The government’s call to scrap the New Zealand Energy Strategy is yet another instance of the environment being sacrificed on the altar of exponential growth, and is a recipe for economic disaster. However, there may be a tiny silver lining. At least this time the Energy Minister has not hidden behind the farce of “balance” and [...] read more
    February 26, 2009 4:14 pm - 16 Comments
  • frog

    Back Benches Job Summit special



    Last night, Back Benches broke with convention and invited more than just politicians, adding Charles Finny of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and Phil O’Rielly from Business NZ to the conversation. Politicos included our very own Sue Bradford and Labour’s Trevor Mallard. The topic on tap was JOBS. The jobs summit, the global recession and government [...] read more
    February 26, 2009 12:30 pm - 18 Comments
  • frog

    Will the ladies please retire to the drawing room?



    It seems that Catherine Delahunty may have hit a sore point within the National Party caucus, as Women’s Affairs Minister Pansy Wong has finally responded to our calls for proper input from women at the jobs summit. Who would have thought they had a spokesperson for Women’s Affairs, given the appalling state of their policy [...] read more
    February 25, 2009 4:01 pm - 25 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    Confusing the Superfund with superannuation



    Peter Dunne is the first politician out of the blocks to defend payments made to the New Zealand Superfund confusing the rollercoaster fortunes of the Superfund with the survival of superannuation as we know it. His statements are unhelpful. Government superannuation payments are guaranteed. A strong economy with a broad and equitable tax base is the [...] read more
    February 25, 2009 1:30 pm - 92 Comments
  • frog

    More Aucklanders leave their cars at home



    Yesterday’s Herald detailed further dramatic rises in growth of public transport patronage in Auckland. ARTA statistics show public transport patronage grew eight percent in 2008 to almost 58 million trips—a level not seen since 1984. The figures at a glance:        >> 18% more rail journeys to 7.2 million passenger trips in 2008        >> 7% more bus trips [...] read more
    February 25, 2009 12:04 pm - 25 Comments
Older entries »