Archive for February, 2010

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  Lindsay Mitchell compares apples with oranges and goes bananas - by frog

  
  
  
  Beneficiary bashing blogger Lindsay Mitchell published a post last week in which she attempted to argue that many people on sickness and invalid’s benefits should be looking for work. She compared the current unemployment and sickness/invalid’s benefit figures with those in 1999, the last time unemployment was at its current level of 7.3%, and came [...] read more
  February 8, 2010 12:46 pm - 49 Comments
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  PM silent on support for state terrorism in NZ - by frog

  
  
  
  Godfrey Bloom is a Member of the European Parliament. He is also a prominent climate change denier. Here he is condoning an act of state terrorism in New Zealand. And our Prime Minister has nothing to say. read more
  February 8, 2010 8:36 am - 28 Comments
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  The notional standards of Anne Tolley - by frog

  
  
  
  Education Minister Anne Tolley could do worse than heed her supposed mentor Professor John Hattie’s advice. Scrap the current shambles of “National Standards” and start again. read more
  February 6, 2010 7:06 pm - 65 Comments
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  Your front door is open and your property investments are hanging out - by frog

  
  
  
  Labour MP Rick Barker and the people he says he’s been talking to just don’t seem to get it that when you work hard and save you should still pay tax on your earnings! Why should one form of income be tax free? Why not wages too? read more
  February 6, 2010 8:14 am - 112 Comments
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  Save ACC ads - by frog

  
  
  
  There is a Save ACC rally at Parliament on 16 February to fight back against National’s cutbacks. The good people at the CTU have got these ads running at the Sevens: read more
  February 5, 2010 2:32 pm - 8 Comments
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  Farm Weka in order to save them? - by frog

  
  
  
  An enterprising farmer, Roger Beattie, is proposing that he should be allowed to farm Weka (and presumably Kiwi, etc), for sale to be eaten. Apparently “weka [were] delicious, and made chicken look bland and greasy in comparison.” That’s all well and good. Maybe they do taste good and maybe there would be a market for [...] read more
  February 5, 2010 1:00 pm - 51 Comments
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  Sign Language Sabotaged - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Last year the Minister of Education was repeatedly asked in the House if there would be cuts to New Zealand Sign language education during the night class debacle. If you read the Manawatu Standard yesterday, it has started to happen, in that region at least. read more
  February 5, 2010 9:22 am - 7 Comments
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  Economy with the truth - by frog

  
  
  
  We expect the truth about the economy from our Government – not economy with the truth. Of course politicians, of whatever hue, are going to attempt to spin statistics to their political advantage. I’m relaxed about that. Telling blatant lies about statistics is another matter. read more
  February 5, 2010 9:12 am - 23 Comments
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  Greens at Waitangi - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Green MPs and other members will be at Waitangi in force this weekend. Anyone who is planning to be there is welcome to come by for a catch up, and maybe tell us what you think about some of the constitutional and other issues that will continue to affect and be affected by the Treaty relationship. read more
  February 5, 2010 8:09 am - 57 Comments
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  General debate, 5 February, 2010 - by frog

  
  
  
  The editor of the Environmental Research Web ponders what’s next after the Copenhagen climate summit. Terra Daily reports that the Indonesian military is behind illegal logging, while our govt says it will rely entirely on voluntary legality labelling of imported timber. Other countries have school food issues too. Grist features a teacher’s experiment in Illinois [...] read more
  February 5, 2010 6:16 am - 15 Comments
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  John Key, stop your attacks on whanau - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  John Key’s unnecessary attack against Hone Harawira today was wrong on three accounts. First, Key is incorrect, simply repeating media stories. Hone Harawira is not making money from the tino rangatiratanga flag. At the very worst there is a perception of a conflict of interest. MPs as part of their personal lives do find themselves [...] read more
  February 4, 2010 10:31 pm - 25 Comments
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  The top ten problems with National Standards - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  With a nod to Letterman. Anne Tolley, take note: 1. They could label some children as losers and failures. 2. They are narrowly focused and won’t support the diversity of children including Maori, Pasifika and other children, particularly those with disabilities. 3. The Government is refusing to allow a pilot to show how they will [...] read more
  February 4, 2010 5:38 pm - 27 Comments
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  It’s the population growth, stupid - by frog

  
  
  
  During the last year, employment fell by 53,000 or 2.4 percent. But Paula Bennett and the National-led Government chose to do nothing to create employment, and now blame the horrendously high unemployment figure on a few returning New Zealanders and immigrants. read more
  February 4, 2010 5:29 pm - 17 Comments
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  Crates, cubicles and containers - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Aotearoa / New Zealand, the country where some would have us think that it is okay to keep pigs locked up in crates, cows locked up in cubicles, and human beings locked up in glorified shipping containers. read more
  February 4, 2010 4:19 pm - 31 Comments
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  Green New Deal could have prevented record unemployment - by frog

  
  
  
  Unemployment has hit a ten year high of 168,000, or 7.3 percent of the labour force, according to the December 2009 Household Labour Force Survey released today. This is far worse than the 6.8% or 6.9% that many commentators were forecasting. How different it could have been if the Government had been prepared to buy into the Green New Deal package proposed by the Greens. read more
  February 4, 2010 2:58 pm - 33 Comments
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  Auckland Supercity – Rogernomics Round 2 - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  The Super (Monster?) City meetings we are hosting along with Labour are well under way, and we are getting good numbers attending.  What is coming through loudly and clearly is that people are angry and frustrated at the blatant attack on democracy and the underlying agenda of ‘Rogernomics Round 2’. Waiheke last Thursday attracted 40-odd [...] read more
  February 4, 2010 2:19 pm - 1 Comment
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  Living Standards report shows the income gap for the poorest kids is not getting any better - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  The Ministry for Social Development has put its NZ Living Standards 2008 report on to its website. The NZ Herald reported it, highlighting that the Labour Government’s Working for Families package cut the number of children in hardship from 26 per cent in 2004 to 19 per cent four years later. But this is still [...] read more
  February 3, 2010 5:55 pm - 71 Comments
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  Will Cathy Taewa get answers from Paula and Nick? - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Four years ago, Bay of Plenty meatworker Johnny Taewa tragically died of the occupational disease leptospirosis. His widow Cathy has been told she was not only ineligible for a benefit, but won’t be eligible for five years, because the lump sum payment she received from ACC in respect of his death is treated as income. read more
  February 2, 2010 2:06 pm - 36 Comments
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  Podcast: Picnic for the Planet Highlights - by frog

  
  
  
  Green Party Co-leader, Metiria Turei, delivered this year’s Picnic for the Planet speech in Wellington. This year’s Picnic marked a departure from the past. Firstly, it was held in Wellington away from the still sunny weather of the far North. Secondly, Metiria chose to talk predominately about social equity rather than turn the usual environmental [...] read more
  February 2, 2010 8:17 am - 12 Comments
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  Fran O’Sullivan on Tolley and on push-polling - by frog

  
  
  
  David Clendon was his usual diplomatic self in his blog last Friday on Steven Joyce replacing Anne Tolley as Tertiary Education Minister. Fran O’Sullivan was far less tactful in the NZ Herald the next day though, opining that Tolley is clearly out of her depth. O’Sullivan also raised some concerns about the objective of a recent poll conducted on behalf of the National Party. read more
  February 2, 2010 8:09 am - 90 Comments